BBC: Gibraltar struggles with post-Brexit limbo


COGwriter

There were meetings in Spain this week, and there is a scheduled meeting in London today related to the future of Gibraltar in the post-Brexit world. The BBC reported the following:

Gibraltar struggles with post-Brexit limbo

25 January 2023

Uncertain Brexit negotiations over a contested border, a troubled past, debates over sovereignty. It might sound familiar, but we’re not talking about Northern Ireland.

The small but significant British overseas territory lies at the southern end of the Iberian peninsula. It was not included in the permanent post-Brexit deal which now governs the UK’s relations with the EU. Instead, it has been operating on ad hoc arrangements.

The people of Gibraltar are fiercely patriotic, often called “more British than the British”. But the reality is more complex.

The territory voted by 96% to stay part of the EU in 2016’s referendum.

English is the official language, but people also speak Spanish, often switching between the two in a form of code switching they call Llanito.

Thousands of people cross the border regularly, to work, shop or to see family.

There is a great affection for Spain and its people, but an intense suspicion of the Spanish state.

It has meant that discussions over their future relationship have been sensitive, to say the least. The talks resume in London on Thursday.

Officially, they are between the UK and EU, but Gibraltar’s chief minister Fabian Picardo is at the table too. …

The talks have been shrouded in secrecy, but for Dr Jennifer Ballantine-Perera from the Gibraltar Garrison Library, the status of the border is at the heart of them.

“That border tells Gibraltarians in no uncertain terms that Gibraltar is not Spanish. And the border also avoids any slippage into Spain.”

She is clear on what she believes is most important to people here: “There’s no erosion of British sovereignty and that is reflected in how the border is managed.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64377942

Gibraltar is known as “the Rock” and is still considered a possession of the UK, and not sovereign.

However. though UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pushed his nation away from the European Union and being subject to much of its regulations via Brexit negotiations, it turns out that the same cannot be said of the British controlled territory of Gibraltar. Hence, yes, the reality is that there has been some erosion of British sovereignty.

Essentially in a last minute deal on December 31, 2020, Gibraltar ended up with more EU and Spanish control:

1 January 2021

A new era has begun for the United Kingdom after it completed its formal separation from the European Union.

The UK stopped following EU rules at 23:00 GMT, as replacement arrangements for travel, trade, immigration and security co-operation came into force.

Boris Johnson said the UK had “freedom in our hands” and the ability to do things “differently and better” now the long Brexit process was over. …

Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar’s chief minister, said the deal still needed to be formalised, but by abolishing controls between Gibraltar and the EU’s passport-free Schengen area, he said it would prevent queues at the border “which make people’s lives a misery and make business difficult” https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-55502781

Updated 1 January 2021

Europe’s borderless Schengen Area will be extended to cover Gibraltar after an eleventh-hour deal was reached with Spain over the future of the small British territory.

Under the preliminary agreement reached on Thursday, immigration checks at the border between Gibraltar and Spain will end. …

Officials reached the deal early on Thursday, hours before Gibraltar, whose sovereignty is disputed by Spain and Britain, was set to leave the EU’s single market, in line with the United Kingdom.

The deal means that the territory will remain subject to rules in use within Europe’s border-free Schengen area. https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/31/spain-says-it-has-reached-a-deal-with-the-uk-on-keeping-gibraltar-in-eu-s-borderless-schen?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=en&utm_content=spain-says-it-has-reached-a-deal-with-the-uk-on-keeping-gibraltar-in-eu-s-borderless-schen&_ope=eyJndWlkIjoiNmJjOTY2MGY4N2UyMWNmZmQwMDQ2MmI0ZDQxMzVhNDcifQ%3D%3D

Boris Johnson tweeted:

That simply is not the case. While, for now, the UK says it will defend it militarily, Gibraltar no longer has true British sovereignty.

Now, notice the following slightly satirical tweet related to Gibraltar:

Well, Gibraltar is not being a truly independent nation, it is being more tied to the EU.

The reality is that Gibraltar will not remain part of the UK. For now, it somewhat will remain, but the situation will totally change.

Notice something I warned back in 2017:

The situation with Gibraltar will not, in the long run, work out well for them. Europe will one day takeover Gibraltar. Spain wants Gibraltar (Thiel B. Gibraltar opposed Brexit and now feels betrayed by EU. COGwriter, May 9, 2017),

Spain, which wants to control Gibraltar, was happy with the new deal:

December 31, 2020

“Today is a day for hope,” Spain’s foreign minister, Arancha González Laya, said on Thursday as she announced that an agreement in principle had been reached. “In the long history of our relations with the UK, related to Gibraltar, today we’re facing a turning point.”

As part of the deal, the British overseas territory located on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula would be able to join EU programmes and policies such as Schengen with Spain acting as a guarantor, González Laya told reporters.

“Schengen will be applied to Gibraltar, with Spain assuming responsibility as a member state,” she added. “This will allow for the abolishment of controls between Spain and Gibraltar.”

Gibraltar’s airport and port will become the EU’s newest external border, with checks undertaken by the EU’s Frontex border agency. The arrangement will be in place for an initial four-year period.

When pressed on whether this would entail the presence of Spanish security forces in Gibraltar – a point that had proved to be a major sticking point in the negotiations – González Laya said the technical details would be published in the new year. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/31/spain-and-uk-reach-draft-deal-on-post-brexit-status-of-gibraltar

So, by agreeing to be somewhat part of Schengen, Gibraltar really is becoming a bit more part of Europe and Spain.

The UK itself was never part of the European Schengen travel agreement, but Gibraltar now is. Thus, British citizens look to be subject to EU travel controls if they enter Gibraltar.

Gibraltar truly is moving officially towards European control.

Britain’s historical position has been that Gibraltar was ceded by Spain in the 1713 Utrecht treaty, and in the absence of any law since then to return it to them, Gibraltar remains British. Spain basically says a war that long ago took land that was part of it is not relevant and that Gibraltar really is part of Spain. Spain has long wanted Gibraltar back.

Spain is getting closer to that now.

The people who live is Gibraltar have wanted it to remain part of the UK.–the last time they voted 98-99% did not want to be part of Spain. But 96% of voters in Gibraltar also opposed Brexit. But, Brexit has happened.

Gibraltar is something we in the COGs have long referred to as a sea gate and that gates like Gibraltar were prophesied to be controlled by descendants of Israel, like the British.

Before going further, let us look at how Dictionary.com defines a sea gate (viewed 08/05/2013):

sea gate noun a navigable channel giving access to the sea.

That is part of the definition. But for the purposes of this article, my use of sea gate implies that that some government has the land and thus is able to exert at least some control over the channel that is near that land. Such as, for example, how the UK can control access (to a degree) in and out of the Mediterranean Sea with the peninsula of Gibraltar.

Gibraltar’s territory covers 6.843 square kilometers (2.642 sq mi) and it shares a 1.2-kilometer (0.75 mi) land border with Spain.

What might Gibraltar have to do with the Bible?

Notice a prophecy about what was told to the wife of Abraham’s son Isaac:

60 “Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them” (Genesis 24:60).

The UK and the USA have been the beneficiaries of this and for a time controlled many of the major sea gates around the world. Yet, those who receive the physical blessings in scripture need to realize that they can also be on the receiving end of the curses for those that rebel against God’s ways.

We in the Church of God have been teaching for decades that the United Kingdom and USA would ultimately lose many of their sea gates–we believe they possessed them because of blessings from God and would lose them because of blatant disobedience.

And despite the hopes of those in Gibraltar, this will also ultimately include the loss of Gibraltar. Notice a couple of prophetic warnings that are consistent with that:

24 ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25 For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. 26 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27 (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. (Leviticus 18:24-29)

23 ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (Leviticus 26:23-25)

58 “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, 59 then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues — great and prolonged plagues — and serious and prolonged sicknesses. 60 Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed. 62 You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. 63 And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. (Deuteronomy 28:58-63)

For many years, the major sea gates of the world were possessed/controlled by the United States (Panama Canal and certain locations in the Pacific ocean) and the British Empire (Straits of Malacca, Singapore, Suez Canal, Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Simon’s Town/Cape of Good Hope, etc.). And while that is no longer the case for many of them, they seem to have been prophesied to be taken away for disobedience as well (cf. Deuteronomy 28)—and certainly these nations have disobeyed the God of Abraham, as well as actually lost many of those gates. Thus, it seems logical to conclude that the remaining “sea gates” that the UK has such as Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands will be separated from UK control. Spain directly, or perhaps, through the EU (or some other European confederation) indirectly, will force out British control over Gibraltar.

The fact of the losses so far of many of the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic sea gates should show us that various prophesied curses have come to pass and will continue to affect the Anglo-American nations. More will as well until the Anglo-dominated nations (including the USA) will be no more.

About six weeks before the Brexit vote, I wrote that “one day Gibraltar will end up under the coming European Beast power. A power that wants to be a United States of Europe” (Thiel B. Gibraltar: Naval incident and Brexit. COGwriter.com, May 6, 2016).

Steps in that direction have happened. This will not end well, in the long run, for those who live in Gibraltar.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Brexit and the fate of Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, the UK, and the USA On April 29, 2017, 27 of the nations of the European Union agreed to certain guidelines for the negotiations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which gave its notice to leave on March 29, 2017. These guidelines are contrary to what the UK wants. Does the EU intend the UK to pay a price for leaving the EU? What does Spain want? What does the Republic of Ireland want? Will Northern Ireland and Gibraltar eventually fall under European control? Will the UK and USA be conquered? What does the Bible teach? Dr. Thiel answer these questions and more in this video.
Will the UK Lose Gibraltar, the Chagos Islands, and the Falkland Islands? Spain wants Gibraltar and Argentina wants the Falklands (also known as the Malvinas). The UN condemned British control over the Chagos Islands.Does the Bible give clues as to what will happen with these ‘sea gates’? A related video would be Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? A version in Spanish ¿Perderá el Reino Unido a Gibraltar y las Islas Falkland (Malvinas)? Here is a version in Mandarin Chinese ‚ñVý\Y1S»vô^W–@TŒyQKQp¤\›.
The Panama Canal and its Impact on Biblical Prophecy Do you know much of the history of the Panama Canal? Is there anything in the Bible to support the idea that the USA could have gotten it and then lost it? Dr. Thiel goes over aspects of the history of the Panama Canal, as well as biblical prophecies related to it and some of the other “sea gates” that the UK and USA have controlled. This was videoed at the actual Miraflores locks at the Panama Canal and some of the audio varies. A written article of related interest is titled The Panama Canal and the End of the USA?
Post Brexit Prophecy On June 23, 2016, the voters of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) chose to leave the European Union. Now with this BRitish EXIT (Brexit) vote, what is prophesied to happen to the UK? Will the UK do well or be taken over and made slaves? Dr. Thiel explains from biblical prophecies what is ahead for the UK, Europe, and even the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This is a video.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2031 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?Rise of the Prophesied King of the North, and Christian Persecution from the Beast; and WWIII and the Coming New World Order.



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