NORTHERN STYLE NEWSWATCH No.14
CREDO ` Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? '
Our title comes from the well-known Psalm 2 in the First Book of Psalms - corresponding to the Book of Beginnings - which clearly reveals the omniscience of our God, for from the beginning He had established His King on Zion and history is but the account of the continuous rebellion against His authority. Little wonder that we watch, hear and read of the distress of the world! Which leads us into this Newswatch as we consider the distressing events in the countryside through the Foot and Mouth outbreak in the livestock of the farming community.

Our eyes and minds have been filled with the sight of fires blazing, like some horror story, across the land, and the strong emotions that have been stirred. But without wishing to minimize those emotions we need to place these events into a wider context and line them up and sieve them through Scripture in order to understand the outworking of God's will in what is unfolding. As readers of Newswatch are aware, we do not subscribe to the theory of a world-wide group of conspirators plotting world domination. We do not think it probable that such a group, whether secular or religious, even if it existed, could survive for any length of time without falling prey to division through selfish ambition - such is the lot of all people since `the Fall'. (Unfortunately we see the same problem rife within the Church. And that remark is an indulgent digression!) What we do subscribe to, however, is the knowledge that diverse groups of conspiritorial activists are outworking policies which have from time to time some similarities, for as our opening title says, `Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot . . .'?

Clearly such a policy is being outworked in the current outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in the UK, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (a notoriously secretive governmental body which is now taking policy instructions from Brussels) making announcements on the source of the current outbreak. For instance, a Farmer's Protest group has on its website information which is contradictory to the official Government line. It records a farmer's experience when visiting New Zealand in 1999, of how his baggage was searched and he was given the explanation that it was on the instructions of the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture because Foot and Mouth was in or about to break out in the UK! The same website also reveals that a EU Agricultural Ministers' meeting in 1998 apparently talked of the European Ministers' intention of abolishing all livestock farming in the UK, allowing only arable farming. Whether or not this has become official policy is not easily possible to check out as these unelected Commissioners are even more secretive than MAFF, but we are now seeing the probability of governmental spin doctors at work in discrediting the Farmer Protest Group's information. All that is possible is to hold the scraps of information that arise over a long period from any source and form a picture of what actually outworks, then set it against what Scripture says will happen in these `Last Days'.

Now we need to set the current Foot and Mouth outbreak into that wider contextual setting, for this is but a current outworking of what has been happening over a long period of time, and over many governments of different political persuasions! For instance, under a previous government we saw the destruction of the mining industry - and the populace `accepted' this whilst the media concentrated on the antics of the rabid marxist `King Arthur'! The populace also `accepted' the destruction of the steel industry, through a Canadian former steel boss being brought into the UK for that express purpose! The powerful County Council barons were broken by the Thatcher Government, and this brought the country under a greater centralised governmental power not seen since the last war - which has been gratefully accepted as a gift to the current holders of power! However we need to trace the power policies that are now bearing fruit back to an even earlier period, certainly to the Second World War, which was but a continuation of the First World War. It is generally accepted by historians that the `instigator' of that second terrible conflagration that ripped through Greater Europe never wanted war with Great Britain. His hoped-for ambition had been to join this country in an alliance with Germany to gain world domination - although ultimately, of course, Germany would become `first among equals', which, in simple terms meant subjugation! What we are therefore seeing in all these events is the formation of the `Fourth Beast' that so terrified Daniel, as recorded in chapter 7 of the Book of Daniel. More commonly but incorrectly known as the Holy Roman Empire, it is the emergence of a full-blown imperial power centered in Europe, and for that to happen the nation states of Europe have to be broken and subjugated to the first among equals.

The events we have briefly recorded in this Newswatch (culminating in the current Foot and Mouth outbreak which fits into the policies of Brussels) are directed towards that end. England in particular, once called `Mary's Dowery', has to be brought fully into Europe before that imperial power can finally dominate Europe . . and beyond! We can also see these policies outworking through the International War Crimes Tribunal, which is but a resumption of the infamous Inquisition - albeit at this stage seen in a secular rather than a religious form. Denounced `war criminals' are brought before the Tribunal for sentencing, although the `verdict' has already been pronounced by the title `war criminal'. And whilst not in any way condoning the terrible acts of violence that have been committed by such people, we believe that if the nation states are inviolate then it is the ruling authorities of these states who alone have the right to bring to trial those who commit crimes within those states. But these, too, need to be placed into a wider contextual setting; only then can we `narrow' them down into the detail of what God is requiring for this nation state of the UK!

It is obvious that there is a serious financial recession appearing in the US economy, and to use financial jargon . . . `a strong financial system is urgently needed to `kick-start' the economic recovery of the Free Trade nations'. With Japan facing its own very serious recession, the only serious contender for financial dominance is the European Union. However the EU does not at this moment appear to be anxious to step into either the `financial shoes' of America or Japan, concerned as it is with its own expanding internal markets. This leaves us with the understanding that the rising political and economic power will be centered in the European Union. If we may use a verse of Scripture (slightly out of context, but very pertinent) the Letter to the Hebrews, when talking of the created heavens, says: (Hebrews 1:12)

"You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed."

There may well be other more direct verses of Scripture concerning the waxing and waning of the nations, but the verse quoted seems to us to describe very accurately what God is doing in the nations. He is rolling them up like a robe, allowing the stage to be set for the emerging power of the `Fourth Beast' of earthly power (which Daniel saw) to take its place on the world stage. Already in the new presidency in the American White House we see the process taking shape as the US seeks to withdraw from active involvement in the Balkans! We also see it in its withdrawing from active involvement in the so-called Peace Processes in Israel and Northern Ireland, leaving the way open for the vacuum caused to be filled increasingly by European Union involvement.

With this in mind we can now begin to narrow our vision down to the Middle East, and in particular to Israel, which more and more will become the focal point of all political and military activity. But before we look at the other `players' we would bring onto the stage of Israel the religious institution of the Vatican, which has been casting an increasingly active eye upon the land of Israel. Whatever your opinion may be of Roman Catholicism, the Pope also has available the Christian Bible and knows full well the prophetic word concerning the Return of Jesus. The present Pope has recently made an impassioned speech concerning the past `errors' of the Church against Jews, and on his recent journey to Israel his visits to prominent places spoke volumes to those who followed his journey. From Mount Sinai to Mount Nebo . . . into the Promised Land . . . and finally to Jerusalem . . . his procession was deliberate and meaningful! He has made much effort in placating the so-called `mono- theocratic faiths' - of Judaism, Islam and Chritianity - making them acceptable to all, but his eyes are still firmly fixed on Jerusalem!

We shall now turn our attention more fully upon Israel. In an amazing display of political opportunism we now have an Israeli government in place which is headed by a `hawk' supported by a `dove' - an amazing partnership between Prime Minister Sharon and Foreign Minister Peres, the latter being the architect of the Oslo Accord initiating Peace Talks which have been played out for seven long years. Under the new government we have heard once again that Jerusalem is the eternal and undivided capital city of Israel. We have also heard similar words pronounced by the Palestinian Authority - which leaves both sides in an insoluble situation unless behind the scenes political intrigue has come up with an arrangement concerning the future of Jerusalem! With Shimon Peres now firmly back in `the Peace Process' negotiations (and a recent comment from Mr Peres said that Mr Arafat must be considered a partner in the Peace Process) the deals that have been agreed to over the past seven years are now more likely to take place. This is apparent in the efforts by Arafat to initiate an International Commission to be a real presence in Israel, for he is impatient for what was agreed upon in the last negotiations to be implemented.

We would now bring in the third major player, the European Union. The goal for the European powers is, as always, when outworking its Middle East policies, oil. Israel, which historically has looked to America for its protection, now senses that `the old warrior' is in dire straits and so is increasingly looking to the European Union for its future protection. This will come at a cost! for as the EU has gained in strength and purpose over the past years, so has its declaration concerning its intended involvement with Israel become more pronounced. The EU published a report in 1998 entitled `The Role of the EU in the Peace Process and its Future Assistance to the Middle East', and in 1997 the Berlin Summit Conference of EU Heads of State recognised the Palestinians' right to a state! In the early days of 2001 a prominent group in the EU launched a campaign to commit the EU to carry out a study and operational project aimed at assessing the full participation of Israel in the European Union. We have here two important power blocks, both totally committed to a `Peace Process' in Israel which is centered on Jerusalem: The European Union, linked to its historic religious power, the Vatican; and Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres, who alone know the agreements they have reached with others concerning their respective people's desire to claim for themselves exclusive rights to the land of Israel.

It could be said that much of what is set out here is circumstantial, but there is much anecdotal evidence scattered around and available for anyone who is willing to spend time piecing it together and ensuring that it lines up with what the Prophetic Word of Scripture reveals for these Last Days before the Lord returns. We should not be alarmed at the bloodcurdling rhetoric coming from both sides of the conflict, for this stems from the cultural background of the people of the Middle East! But if these conclusions are correct then there has to be an acceptable level of violence allowed, for neither party will accept the solution of `Peace at a Price' (which is well hidden at this stage) unless fear overrides either one in their initial refusal to give ground to the other side. (It is a well recognised tactical move by politically ambitious men to allow a problem to arise, often themselves initiating it, before providing the only answer!) The answer to the increasing level of accepted violence and the intractable positions lies in the `extended' statements on the future of Jerusdalem

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