Spending just a few minutes each day reading the Bible, with the help of a plan and some notes, makes the it easier to understand.
Europe in trouble
The financial problems of the eurozone countries, that began in 2010,
have continued over much of 2011. First Greece was
bailed out and then it was Ireland's turn to
find assistance. Other struggling European countries
are expected to seek similar help soon – Spain and
Portugal being the prime examples.
The Daily Telegraph described the eurozone as effectively operating at two speeds, with Germany, its biggest economy, leading the pack of stronger countries, and the weaker periphery nations failing to keep up – to an unsustainable degree. Having a "one size fits all" monetary policy means stragglers cannot devalue their currency to boost exports and stimulate growth, unlike, say, Iceland. In this description of stronger and weaker nations in the eurozone we can see the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar's image, some of iron and some of clay. These represent the mixture of European nations, some weak and some strong, at the time of the end.
This is a picture of Europe at the time the Bible describes as 'the time of the end' and this is the age that we live in today. The Bible advice is to wait for the appearance of Jesus to break down the kingdoms of men and consume them.
While there is this mixture of strong and weak nations in Europe, there have been a number of references to the loss of sovereignty of nations that receive loans to help them through their financial crises. Peter Oborne, the Daily Telegraph's chief political commentator, said, "It cannot be denied that Ireland has lost its status as a sovereign nation. Thanks to its disastrous entanglement with the euro, it has lost any independence in domestic, foreign and above all economic policy. It needs to be borne in mind that a similar fate awaits a number of other European countries. Greece already does what it is told by the IMF and the ECB; the same will shortly apply to Portugal and in due course Spain."
The Daily Telegraph also reported that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the previous IMF managing director, called on the European Union to move responsibility for fiscal discipline and structural reform to a central body that is free from the influences of member states. He said that countries must be willing to cede more authority to the centre.
Links with the Bible
Revelation 17.12-13 refers to the various nations of Europe that give up their power to the beast before making war with the Lamb:
"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings ... These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast".
Many Bible students suggest that 'the beast' is the Catholic system and point out that the European Community is made up mainly of Catholic countries. The moves to strengthen the central government of Europe, while maintaining the separateness of the constituent nations, all appear to fit in with prophecies in the Bible book of Revelation.
The Bible also refers to there being a time of terrible trouble just before Christ returns. While much of that trouble may be the result of natural disasters, the Bible also mentions "signs in the sun, moon and stars", which is its way of describing the governments and leaders of the countries of the world, who will struggle to maintain control of a collapsing world.
The misplaced (Catholic) faith of many european leaders, coupled with the perilous state of the world's finances, all suggest that Bible prophecies about the current world are coming true!