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Warmest congrats @RobertaMetsola on your election as @Europarl_EN President.

As the 3rd woman to head this noble house, your hard work & determination are an inspiration to us all.

We’ll work closely together for the EU‘s recovery and a green, digital & bright European future. pic.twitter.com/41G1anxJI6

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 18, 2022

COGwriter

The Europe’s parliament has a new president:

European Parliament elects conservative Roberta Metsola as president

The European Parliament has elected conservative Maltese lawyer Roberta Metsola as president after the death of office-holder David Sassoli. She is the first woman in 20 years to hold the post.

18 January 2022

The European Union’s 705-seat legislature on Tuesday elected Maltese conservative Roberta Metsola as its new president.

Metsola has been acting president since the death last Tuesday of her predecessor David Sassoli, to whom she was vice president.

She was elected with a clear majority of 458 out of 616 ballots cast.

The timing of the election had nothing to do with Sassoli’s death. He had been due to leave at the end of January — after two-and-a-half years in post — under a power-sharing deal.

Who is the new president?

At the age of 43, Metsola is the youngest person in the history of the legislature to hold the post and the first woman in 20 years.

She comes from the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) faction …

Metsola switched from Maltese to Italian and English to French in her maiden speech.

“I feel honored by the responsibility with which you are entrusting me,” she told fellow lawmakers at the parliamentary meeting in the French city of Strasbourg.

She gave a warning that some forces would “continue to test the limits of our values and European principles,” warning that the legislature would need to “fight back against anti-EU sentiment which takes hold so quickly and so easily.”

“To those who seek to destroy Europe, know that this house stands against you,” she said.

Metsola has been a member of the European Parliament since 2013. As a member of Malta’s center-right Nationalist Party, she has been active since her youth having campaigned as a student for the small island nation to become a member of the EU. Her strong opposition to abortion has drawn criticism from some opponents. https://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-elects-conservative-roberta-metsola-as-president/a-60458380

Malta is one of the most Roman Catholic countries in the European Union and has tended to be anti-abortion.

That being said, according to her own statements, she supports a strong EU.

And, ultimately, one will come. One that will work with the Vatican, at least for a time, per Revelation 17.

The Vatican itself was pleased by her election. Vatican News reported:

EU Bishops look forward to working with Roberta Metsola

18 January 2022

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Bishop Galea-Curmi, the Auxiliary Bishop of Malta, and delegate of the Bishops’ Conference of Malta for COMECE, told Francesca Merlo that Metsola is young but experienced and “can inspire a big consensus across Europe’s political divide.

United as Europeans

He revealed that he knows her personally, that she “is a mother” and that she has been in politics for a long time: “I think she represents very well the values that are at the core of Europe, that unite us as Europeans, such as  human dignity, freedom of movement, the defense of democracy, equality which respects diversity,  rule of law, respect for human rights, including those of minorities.” …

He went on to note that her nomination means that it will be easy to continue to develop and nurture the good relationship that exists between the EP and the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union.

“She already has a relationship with COMECE,” he said, “because she was responsible for dialogue with institutions” and has an established working relationship with COMECE representatives and the Commission’s President, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich.

“I think they are very pleased she is now the President of the European Parliament,” he said adding that it will be easy to continue a dialogue that already exists with the European institutions and that enables the Church to give its valid contribution on different issues and challenges.

The Church’s contribution to European policymaking

The Maltese Bishop pointed to some of the most important socio-political issues in which the Church has much to contribute mentioning, in particular migration, digitalization, climate change, social justice and solidarity.

The Catholic Church, he said, through COMECE, brings the voices of bishops who have strong relations with the realities they face in their own countries, across the EU, “and through our social teaching and our emphasis on certain values – like the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, justice, the option for the poor and those who are marginalized – we can give an important contribution,  to the different issues that Europe faces.”

Bishop Galea-Curmi concluded reiterating his deep-rooted belief that through dialogue and strong working relationships between COMECE and the European Parliament, the Church can continue to channel its important contribution to European life.

And finally, he said, “I would like to congratulate Roberta Metsola, wish her the very best, and tell her that we – as Malteses – are proud she is President of the European Parliament and that we will continue to promote the European values and give our contribution.” https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2022-01/comece-european-parliament-president-metsola-bishop-galea-curmi.html

This parliamentary vote is a another push towards a more united Europe, and one with ties to the Vatican.

Putting in someone like Roberta Metsola is consistent with longstanding Church of God understandings of prophecy.

For example, even when Europe was still recovering from being devastated in World War II, after attending a conference related to the start of the UN, in the December 1948 issue of The Plain Truth Herbert W. Armstrong predicted a coming “United States of Europe” when he wrote:

It was the SERMON that shot forth that spark, impregnating the minds of world leaders in attendance. This amazing sermon was delivered by a foremost radio speaker of the Catholic Church, Bishop Duane G. Hunt of Salt Lake City … Without the guidance, supervision, authority of the Catholic Church, he told these men, they were laboring in vain …

This was the Roman Catholic bid to resurrect the so-called “HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE” ! And PROPHECY says they will succeed! … At the psychological time, the pope will step in … Thru this political movement, he will UNIFY … nations in Europe. It will be a “The UNITED STATES OF EUROPE,” but that probably will never become its official name. (Armstrong HW. Now It Can Be Told…The Plain Truth, December 1948, pp. 2,5).

In the past few years, Europe took significant steps to do something that the old Worldwide Church of God warned about decades ago. It is trying to get together militarily, while it appears that the USA and UK are more throwing their lot in together. Notice something published back in 1981:

Either Western Europe slides slowly into the Soviet orbit by default– or Europe awakes to the threat, and leaders rise to the fore demanding that free Europe become a “Third Force” to protect Western civilization.

Bible prophecy predicts the latter — that there will be yet again, for the final time, a revival of the Roman Empire in what historians call “classic Europe” — stern and Central Europe. …

The stage is being set for some dramatic realignments of power in Europe. …

The Christian Science Monitor’s Joseph C. Harsch, of the reconstitution of what he calls “the whole of classic Europe.”

“Classic Europe” is nothing other than a new European alignment along the lines of the old Holy Roman Empire, under the Catholic aegis.

Thus, the final resurrection of the Roman Empire may be closer than you think. This will not be good news for the United States — decoupled from Europe — or Britain either. As British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher recently told President Reagan: “We in Britain stand with you.” And a British Foreign Office source told the Associated Press: “She is convinced that Britain’s lot lies with America.” (Hogberg G. AMERICA and EUROPE The Falling Out Begins! Plain Truth, June-July 1981)

“Third Force” Coming

The dim outline of Europe’s destined future is becoming clear. For decades — even before the conclusion of the Second World War — the editors of The Plain Truth have announced to readers that, based upon history and biblical prophecy — specifically the 13th and 17th chapters of Revelation (coupled with the book of Daniel, chapters 2 and 7) — there would eventually arise a powerful “third force” in Europe, one last reconstitution, in modern form, of the ancient Roman Empire.

For the past three decades the nations of free Europe have inch by inch coalesced into a common economic bloc. But the impetus to go beyond economics to political union has ground to a halt, crippled by national jealousies and suspicions. …

Religion — part of Europe’s historic past that today’s youth overlooks — is critical to its future. Dr. von Habsburg regards Christianity — in the form of the Roman Catholic Church — as Europe’s ultimate bulwark. “The cross doesn’t need Europe,” he says, “but Europe needs the cross.”

Thus the stage is being set for that final, dramatic revival of the Roman Empire. When it actually occurs it will shock an unexpecting world (Rev. 17:8) — all peoples except those few who understand Bible prophecy and God’s Plan, and who are called in this age to be in spiritual training for the World Tomorrow. The good news is from that date onward it will be but a short step in time to that happy World Tomorrow when Jesus Christ will return the second time and the government of God and world peace will be restored to this earth. (Hogberg G. EUROPE: Winds of Change Before the Storm. Plain Truth, December 1981)

As far as reorganization of Europe goes, the Bible tells of at least two more reorganizations to come (see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?):

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13)

However, many who do not accept biblical prophecy see Europe as too divided to truly unify.

Yet, the biblical reality is that the lack of true unity in Europe was prophesied:

41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. (Daniel 2:41-43)

This disunity is one of many reasons that we will one day see more civil unrest in Europe.

We have seen Pope Francis and many pro-EU politicians promoting less national sovereignty, while other leaders in Europe have raised objections to that (see Campaigners have issues with EU and want reorganization).

Some Euro-skeptics believe (correctly) that Europe will become totalitarian. The pro-EU (anti-nationalist) ones tend to believe that Europe must come together as that is the only way to have a voice, preserve common interests, and have a real defense, independent of the USA.

Roberta Metsola is another leader who wants to see a more united Europe.

Will Europe be a democracy or become a totalitarian state like some fear?

Related to that, the Continuing Church of God put out this sermonette on its ContinuingCOG channel:

Boris Johnson, the former Mayor of London, stated that the European Union wanted to be what Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte tried to create. Duncan Smith agreed. But European Council President Donald Tusk called Johnson’s comments absurd and then stated that the EU was the answer to the problems facing Europe. But what does the Bible teach about the future of Europe? Is European unity the answer or will it usher in something worse than Adolph Hitler? Dr. Thiel quotes Jesus and others in the Bible for those who truly want to know what will happen in a unified Europe.

Here is a link to our video: European Unity to be like Hitler?

Europe will reorganize (Revelation 17:12-13), attain a “great army” (Daniel 11:25), and a totalitarian European King of the North Beast will rise up.

Europe will control an empire.

This will not turn out well for the USA (Daniel 11:39), its British-descended allies (Daniel 8:24-25), nations in the Middle East and North Africa (Daniel 11:40-43), nor Europe itself (Daniel 11:44-45).

That does NOT mean that people like Roberta Metsola want to cause bad things to happen, but the prophesied reality is that a united Europe, while prospering economically and militarily for a time, will be so bad that God will make sure it is destroyed:

44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45 Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold — the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure. (Daniel 2:44-45)

13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:13-14)

Ultimately, the results of this election and other political moves in Europe will surprise many (cf. Revelation 13:1-10).

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 18th, 2022 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Prophecy.

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