BREXIT – prophecy on the march?

By now you’ve all read and heard that England has voted to exit the European Union (EU).  I say “England” because though the name “Brexit” is about the “British exiting”, reality it was the English people who voted to leave. The Scots and northern Irish – which also make up the United Kingdom or Britain – voted to stay in.  In fact, now the Scottish movement to leave the United Kingdom has taken on new life once more, as they would like to leave the UK and rejoin with the EU!

What does all this have to do with Prophecy?  Does this signal the end of the end times, as some speakers seem to be saying?  This blog will be a good quick catch-up review for you if you haven’t been following it- and then I will launch into my own thoughts on prophecy. 

First of all, the Brits have so far just voted to exit. It doesn’t mean they’re out of the EU right now today. As I understand it, it can take two more years to negotiate all the terms and fully exit in fact.  Stock markets around the globe tumbled in panic- - since stock markets hate uncertainty and the unknown, but several, including the London market, rebounded substantially within the same day. The British pound sterling dropped to its lowest level in 31 years. The US Dollar gained strength amidst all this volatility. Gold prices soared as well, as people hedged their bets and invested in the precious metal. A stronger dollar will make foreign trips more affordable for Americans, but will make American manufactured goods more expensive abroad.  That could hurt us. 

But I also was amazed that the dollar got stronger under all this.  Our dollar is based on a house of cards and a continuously running government printing press of dollar bills. And our national debt is sky high – around 18 TRILLION dollars, isn’t it? 

Personally in spite of all the doom and gloom, I expect the markets will stabilize soon enough first. At some point, someday, the entire world economy is going to tumble - - which will set up world conditions for the Beast power, a world strongman allied with the religious one-world system that will appear once more. But I personally don’t feel that is all going to happen in a few months or this year.  There are those, I know, who preach and teach (Because of their particular understanding or misunderstanding of prophecy) that everything will fall apart by the end of 2016, before Presidents Obama’s and Putin’s terms expire.  Others have speculated for a long time that there will be such chaos in the streets as a result of the pre-election violence in the USA that President Obama will have no choice but to impose martial law and he’ll remain in power. 

I personally don’t buy all that, though I’m aware of those arguments being made. 

When Britain fully exits the EU, it could signal the gradual or even rapid disintegration of the EU as we know it today.  First of all, many of us in the religious school of thought I was raised in have believed for decades that Britain would never be a part of the one-Europe “United States of Europe” concept.   But then Britain joined the EU.  Decades ago we thought the original 6 nations that started the pre-EU union called the EEC would grow to be 10 and they would be the 10 nations spoken of in the book of Revelation. But then EU grew to be 28 nations, and it included Britain.  So those folks are saying “I told you so – Britain will not be a part of the European Union of the very end time”.

Perhaps the EU as we know it will fall apart and then reform – this time with 5 nations from Western Europe and 5 nations from Eastern Europe.  Compare that to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (see Daniel 2) – which had 2 legs, and there are 5 toes on each of the 2 feet of that statue.  At least this is the traditional school of thought in which I was raised.

But what if all that is all wrong?  After all, this idea was not unique to our little church group.  It has been written about and spoken about for many decades – by many different church groups.

What if the 10 nations are not 10 nations in Europe after all?  I still think it could be Europe based, but what if it doesn’t end up that way?  We’re told to be watching. A good watchman doesn’t just look where trouble might obviously come from – but will be watching behind him, below him, above him, around him, because brilliant attacks come from times and places you least expect.  We should be watching prophecy in the same way – with the cautious question mark-- “what if it all doesn’t go the way we expect?”   

So, what happens in our thinking if the 10 nations end up not being entirely European?  What if they represent the 10 global regional groupings the world has already been segmented into?  After all, Revelation 13 says the coming world dictator (the Beast power) has power over ALL nations, ALL tongues, and all peoples – See Revelation 13:3, 7-8.  It says the entire world marvels at this new power and follows him. In fact, Revelation 13:7-8 says he makes war against the saints and overcomes them. He’s given authority over “every tribe, tongue, and nation. And ALL who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”  

Did you catch the word “ALL” in there?  That sounds to me to be beyond the scope of just Europe. I’m just saying.  My advice to you other ministers and prophecy buffs:  Ride loose in the saddle of prophecy unless an angel of God has personally revealed everything to you.

As frail humans we like to have “the comfort of knowing what’s going to happen”.   But I personally think we’re missing something big by all this speculation going on:  we’re getting sidetracked from what really matters. And I think when God realizes our faith is in HIM – and not in our prophecy timelines and charts – that He WILL reveal his plan to his TRUE sons and daughters, in due time. I really believe that. But if we make it our goal to save our skin by all our focus on end-time scenarios without end…. Well, I think those who do that are missing the point.

Remember even the apostles really thought it would all wrap up within a few more years while they were alive –almost 2000 years ago. At some point the second Coming will truly happen, and I do believe personally we’re in the last 15 years or so – but in a way, it shouldn’t matter. We should always BE ready, not just be waiting to get ready. But the early apostles spoke of “those of us who remain shall be caught up in the clouds…”  Peter and John spoke of the imminence of the return – “we are in the last hour” or “the last days” and so on (1 John 2:18).  That’s fine, that’s understandable, and from God’s timeline of eternity, even a thousand years is but a day. But do you get my point?  

I am NOT saying “the Lord delays his coming”.  I’m NOT.  But I am saying there are still a lot of things that have yet to transpire before His coming does happen. Even Paul warned of that in his writings to the Thessalonians.  It’s far more important for us to be fervently seeking him, praying daily and living the kind of life a true believer should be living – rather than getting all agitated over time lines.

Here’s what I know:

• God WILL reveal his plans to his servants the TRUE prophets before the big events happen. But most corporate churches I’ve seen make me think they are non-prophet organizations!

• SO MANY prophetic predictions – from so many “men or women of God” – have failed to materialize.  Even most recently, many Christians were preaching that the entire world economy was going to crumble last October 2015. It took a dip, but hardly crumbled. And before that I heard dire predictions about gold and silver and the stock market and more – but those haven’t materialized either.  My Bible says that just before Christ returns, the world's economy will appear solid. People will be marrying and giving in marriage. There will be a housing boom.  And the world will be partying with the feelings there is now “Peace and safety” in the world now -- when in fact there will be sudden destruction after that (1 Thessalonians 5:3).  But right now, the world economies are hardly booming.  Please read Matthew  24:36-44.  But the time will come when we have a global boom – and then destruction.

• Yeshua (Jesus) himself said he would come at a time we don’t expect (Luke 12:40).  So what does that tell you?  If so many are expecting Christ to return in the near future – as in the next 1-5 years – if Christ’s words are true, then these people expecting Christ’s feet on the Mount of Olives in the next few years are probably wrong.  On the other hand, those who are closest to their Savior will apparently not be caught by surprise either (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5) – but I don’t think there is any indication that they will have a 3-5 year or more knowledge that everything’s about to wrap up.

• We all want Christ’s feet to land on the Mount of Olives real soon. I do too. And I do believe it will happen in the lifetime of most of us. But if you’re focusing on timetables and dates, instead of our relationship with Yeshua, you might miss out anyway.  He who seeks to save his life will lose it, my Master says somewhere (Luke 17:33).

• Is it prudent to have precautions in place, to have some supplies and food stored up? Of course. But on the other hand, in the worst of times gangs and even the government could easily confiscate it all anyway.  Too many believers aren’t acting with the right belief.  They’re believing in what they can do more than on what God will do and will have to do, to protect his true children. 

• All of that misses the main focus anyway.  We should BE ready for our Lord, not GET ready.  After all, your end and my end could come with the next faulty heart beat!  That’s why Yeshua said “BE ye therefore ready, for the Son of Man comes at an hour you think not” – he’s coming at a time we don’t expect (Luke 12:40).   The whole passage around that verse makes it clear true servants are always working at God’s work, always preparing, always ready – and not being distracted.

Back to BREXIT.  It certainly is a huge and momentous decision that could have massive repercussions in the direction the world takes.  It could lead to a much more dangerous and dominant resurgent Germany, for example, when Britain’s influence of stabilizing Europe’s political machinery is diminished or removed. It could also lead to a more dangerous and dominant Russia in world affairs. 

Some believe it will also encourage a few other countries to try to exit the EU as well. 

It also showcases what seems to be a worldwide trend:  rejection of the established order or way of doing things and a rejection of the established powerful elites who try to run everything – their way.  This might explain Trump’s rise.  I personally dread to contemplate what could happen under either Hillary or Trump -- or Bernie Sanders.  But both Trump and Sanders have excited the anti-establishment crowd.  I believe we see that same feeling in the Brexit vote.  People are tired of – especially in the EU – having unelected bureaucrats telling citizens of various countries (like Britain) what kind of tea kettle or toaster they can have, or what the ingredients can be in their traditional foods and so on.  And I kid you not.

They’re also very anxious about the million Muslim immigrants Angela Merkel of Germany has let in – without any vetting – and now those immigrants are free to roam the continent.  And ISIS has made it clear they will infiltrate the refugee groups. And they have!  This is where Trump is also getting a lot of traction.  But Britain’s vote to exit is a vote to get back to letting the Brits determine what happens in Britain – instead of handing over their sovereignty to some unelected bureaucrats in Brussels!  And it’s a vote to reject wholesale open borders to unknown Muslim refugees who – once some of them have arrived in Europe – have often demanded their own Sharia law, who often act in unappreciative ways and make lots of demands on their hosts, and who have caused a lot of trouble (including rape on a massive scale) in their host countries.  

Trouble is brewing. And yes, the stage for prophecy is being set or should I say – re-set.  Many did not believe the vote would be to exit the EU.  They were wrong and there’s some hand-wringing going on. We’re about to see a new world order – but I don’t know how soon. But be watching – and mostly be coming to know your Savior in a very personal way and be watching your own relationship with Him. 

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