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Written by Mike Bennett
Some look at the continuing crises in Europe and figure European power is a thing of the past. But Europe still has tremendous strengths as well as weaknesses. What’s in Europe’s future?
The small European continent has had a huge impact on the world. In the 1800s and 1900s Europe pretty much ruled the world. The nations of Europe have also sparked many tremendous conflicts that ravaged the planet.
Yet in the post–World War II world, Europe has transformed itself. In an attempt to prevent the continuing cycle of bloodshed, new organizations were conceived that eventually evolved into the current 27-member European Union. Included within that is the 17-nation eurozone that uses the euro as its currency.
But now the debt crisis in Greece, Italy and other nations has caused trauma in European and world markets. The crisis has led many commentators to predict the end of the single currency and even of the EU.
It has also produced a flurry of negotiations and proposals that could fundamentally change the EU, with the economically dominant Germans shaping a stronger, more fiscally prudent Europe. With Germany largely footing the bill for bailing out countries that borrowed excessively, the Germans are demanding stronger guarantees that this won’t happen again.
Warnings of war
On Oct. 26 EUObserver.com published an article with the headline: “Merkel Wants ‘Permanent’ Supervision of Greece, Warns of War.” In selling Germany’s lawmakers on the necessity of saving Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel “abandoned her usual cautious rhetoric [and] warned outright of a war.
“‘Nobody should take for granted another 50 years of peace and prosperity in Europe. They are not for granted. That’s why I say: If the euro fails, Europe fails,’ Merkel said, followed by a long applause from all political groups.
“‘We have a historical obligation: To protect by all means Europe’s unification process begun by our forefathers after centuries of hatred and blood spill. None of us can foresee what the consequences would be if we were to fail.’”
Her solution includes changing the EU treaties to strictly enforce the debt limits. Receiving approval from every country for the changes would be difficult, but such changes seem inevitable unless Europe is to give up on its quest. Chancellor Merkel’s warnings of the potential for war certainly give urgency to her proposals.
Will all nations facing the ultimatum of austerity and diminished sovereignty toe the line? Likely not. The Bible describes a final reemergence of a power in Europe built on the pattern of the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire that succeeded it. That end-time power will consist of “ten kings” or leaders who will turn over their power and authority to a single powerful leader known as “the beast” (Revelation 17:12-13).
How will things go from 27 nations in the European Union or even 17 in the eurozone to a final 10? Will some nations drop out?
Divisions in Europe
Spiegel Online described one growing fault line in its Oct. 31 article, “EU Summit Paves the Way for a Split Continent.”
“Those countries that are not part of the euro zone are now no longer part of a core Europe, and are now being asked to leave the room when the truly important issues are being debated. While the 17 euro-zone members walk at the front of the pack, the 10 non-euro-members are forced to walk behind, like stragglers and second-tier nations.
“And now they have it in writing. In the closing document of last week’s summit, euro-zone member states grant themselves the right to work together more closely without having to wait for the non-euro countries.”
This played out dramatically when British Prime Minister David Cameron “demanded that a clause be inserted into the results that would give the 27 EU countries the right to block decisions by the euro summit. The other non-euro members were sympathetic with Cameron's idea at first, but French President Nicolas Sarkozy managed to dissuade them from supporting the veto plan. …
“The French president also lost his temper at times and directly attacked the British prime minister: ‘You missed a good opportunity to keep your mouth shut,’ Sarkozy huffed. ‘We are sick of you criticizing us and telling us what to do. You say you hate the euro and now you want to interfere in our meetings.’”
If Britain and other nations that don’t use the euro are further sidelined, and if some of the current euro members no longer can (or no longer choose to) live by tough austerity rules, the number of core European nations may move closer and closer to 10. And, of course, we don’t know if the “kings” mentioned in Revelation 17 represent the current configuration of nations or if some could represent groups of nations. So we will have to wait to see exactly how this prophecy will be fulfilled.
You can count on it
And it will be fulfilled. Europe will become dominant economically and militarily. But there are severe weaknesses in Europe, as there are in every continent of humans on earth. When God looks at nations and peoples, He sees their attitudes toward Him and His laws. He sees their sins, their pride and the self-destruction inherent in the humanistic approach.
God is in control, and He weighs human empires on the scales of justice and finds them wanting (Psalm 62:9; Daniel 5:27). As much as Europeans wish for peace, humanity has never embraced the only way that leads to peace—God’s way. Humanity remains on the path of greed, lust, pride and selfishness—all of which lead to war.
Thankfully, Jesus Christ has promised to come back and save Europe and all of humanity from self-annihilation and to teach us the real way of peace. Read more about this in our booklet The Mystery of the Kingdom.
Mike Bennett coordinates the blogs at cogwa.org. He and his wife, Becky, attend the Cincinnati/Dayton, Ohio, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.
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