MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Joel Richardson – “This past week, well-known prophecy teacher Hal Lindsey pointed to a recent development within the European Union, claiming it to be a significant fulfillment of Bible Prophecy. Specifically, Lindsey highlighted the Western European Union (WEU), a group of ten nations including Germany, France, the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Lindsey claimed was that this group has suddenly been invested with new ‘critical powers’ and that this group is in fact the ten nation coalition of the Antichrist as described in Daniel 2. Following are Lindsey’s comments as they appear on his web site:

… the European Union, though currently gripped in the throes of economic upheaval, is still moving forward to solidify its role in the final days of this Age. In fact, on July 1, 2011, a major milestone was quietly passed in the evolution of that body. Remember Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of an image constructed of various metals? Remember his description of the final kingdom consisting of ‘ten kings?’ Remember hearing that this could not be the EU because it has 27 members? Well, on July 1, the EU formally invested certain critical powers always reserved to the core group known as the ‘Western European Union,’ in a new ‘Permanent Council.’ By its own choice and in its own official documents, that group is hereinafter to be known as ‘The Ten.’

Eerily familiar, isn’t it?

But are events in Western Europe truly as significant as Lindsey is leading his listeners to believe? A simple examination of the facts show just the opposite.

For review, first Lindsey mentioned the ten nation coalition known as the WEU, then he stated that this group has now been invested with new ‘critical powers’, then he connected this development to a passage from the prophet Daniel that speaks of the final ten nation alliance of the Antichrist.

So is Lindsey correct? Is the WEU in fact the final Antichrist alliance as predicted in the Bible?

Sadly, Lindsey is very misinformed on this issue and his report is highly misleading. In fact, when one actually looks up what these new ‘critical powers’ are, they are little more than the provision to oversee their own permanent dissolution, not an exaltation of their collective status. That’s right, on June 30, the WEU was officially declared defunct.

You can read the official statement concerning the cessation of the WEU here.” Read more.

The People of the Prince to Come: A Roman-European Antichrist? – “Many have traditionally believed that since the army that destroyed the city and the sanctuary in 70 AD was considered Roman then this, therefore, must mean that according to Daniel 9:26 the Antichrist would rise out of Europe. The majority of popular Biblical eschatology teachers today, even in light of events happening on the global stage, still teach an Antichrist who comes out of Europe, a charismatic leader that rises from within the European Union to then lead a One World Government. Writers have published novels such as the ‘Left Behind’ series promoting it, even Christian movies have been inspired and produced by this very idea. However, although the people of the prince to come mentioned in Daniel 9:26 may have been considered ‘Roman’ soldiers merely because they were (supposedly) under the command of Rome, many of these same teachers have either ignored or were just not aware of the following very significant fact.” Read more.