TW on Greek Situation
Greek Riots, 2008
Today’s TW News & Prophecy from the Living Church of God has the following on the situation in Greece:
Sobering Situation in Greece.
Since 2009, 25% of Greek businesses have ceased operation, “and half of all small businesses in the country say they are unable to meet payroll.” In addition, “the suicide rate increased by 40 percent in the first half of 2011.” On a recent visit to Greece a journalist observed, “It’s not uncommon to see decently dressed Greeks discreetly rummaging through garbage bins for food. A new book about how the country survived the Nazi occupation—“Starvation Recipes”—has become a surprise hit.” As Greek austerity measures increase, pensions and minimum wage decrease, tax rates rise, and personal budgets contract (New York Times, February 13, 2012). The EU pushes for greater control of Greek finances and many view this as a direct attack on Greek sovereignty. But are Greece’s financial woes unique? Portugal has already experienced one EU bailout. Italy may follow suit. Many around the globe are coming to realize that the lavish “Western” lifestyles that so many have grown accustomed to in the last few decades are not guaranteed to last forever. Bible prophecy reveals that due to the rejection of God and His laws, the Israelite nations will experience a similar cycle of poverty and want in the not-too-distant future. Moses foretold, “A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually” (Deuteronomy 28:33). Jeremiah warned, “they shall eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and daughters should eat” (Jeremiah 5:17). Serious financial difficulties will spread beyond Southern Europe! For information on the sobering times ahead, see our free booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.
Many in Greece are not happy about how their national debt situation has been handled. And some outside of Greece believes that it shows that the EU does not really believe in democracy. Notice also the following:
The German flag was burnt in Athens last week as fury over further austerity measures boiled over. Harriet Alexander travelled to a town that bears the scars of hatred between nations, and found a town both angry at German demands and frightened for the future.“I hate Germany,” said Efi Sfountouri, 42, who had travelled from Athens to visit her hometown of Distomo – now grown to 4,000 inhabitants – with her two daughters. Her eyes flashing with anger, she declared in heavily-accented English that Angela Merkel was “a monster”.
“If there was a vote tomorrow, I would be the first in line to veto Germany sending an observer here,” she said. “They killed Distomo; they stole our gold; they belittled Greece.”
When my wife and I were in Greece last (May 2011), we were surprised at how resentful the Greeks were then of the Germans–and the situation seems to have worsened since then.
Although Athens, Greece is known as the cradle of democracy, democracy is not something that the Bible sanctions (Should a Christian Vote?)–and democracy is not the solution for Greece. The Bible also indicates that Europe will reorganize and that reorganization does not appear to be democratic (Revelation 17:12-13).
Prior to that there will apparently be a variety of problems as scripture indicates (Daniel 2:41-43). On September 5, 2010, I warned at this news page, “Austerity measures in Europe will likely cause civil unrest” (see Civil War in Greece?). And we are likely to see more severe unrest and actions that resemble civil wars. At least 45,000 protested in Greece within the last week.
And we have seen civil unrest already in Greece, Romania, and other parts of Europe. It may partially because of civil war/unrest/riots that a reorganization of Europe, as well as a “de-Islamization of Europe” will take place.
As far as Germany goes, it is criticized if it helps and is criticized if it does not. Notice also the following news item:
Since the euro crisis began in 2009, Germany has grown from reluctant bailout paymaster to a position of such influence that its unbending drive for austerity helped bring about the exit of Silvio Berlusconi in Italy and George Papandreou in Greece. It has also imposed a “fiscal compact” for EU budget discipline….With a stream of foreign leaders coming for enlightenment on how the economy has defied gravity, Berlin feels like Europe’s new capital. But Merkel gets conflicting messages. She must lead the euro zone out of crisis, but in acting she may find the cartoonist’s pen too often straying toward images of the overbearing Nazi or a beckoning “Fourth Reich.”…
Germans have grown skeptical of the benefits of spending taxpayers’ money on bailouts for euro zone states like Greece – or of staying in the EU at all…The question of how much influence it is appropriate for Germany to assume in Europe and on the global stage has dogged post-war statesmen. Henry Kissinger put it succinctly when he said Germany was “too big for Europe, too small for the world.” http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/08/us-germany-leadership-idUSTRE8171F220120208
Despite its complaints, much of Europe continues to learn that it seems to need Germany. And Germany wants influence for its backing. And that influence will include much more control than it currently has.
The situation in Europe will change and the leader known biblically as the ten-horned Beast or the final King of the North will rise up–and he will likely be at least part German ethnically.
Some articles of possibly related interest may include:
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?
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?
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the German Defense Minister one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Resurgent Germany: A Fourth Reich? Who are the German peoples and where did they come from? What is Germany’s role in end time prophecy?
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