THE EU A STRANGE BEAST

1-Fighting moves deeper into Lebanon. 2-Mideast conflict studied for links to the Bible 3-European Union weighs options of Peace Keeping Force. 4-EUS Solano says International force in Lebanon a real possibility. 5-The EU or European Union to give its full name is a strange beast.

Fighting Moves Deeper into Lebanon
By Hillel Fendel(ARUTZ-7 INN)

The current front: Hizbullah capital Bint Jbel, just six kilometers north of the Israeli border, where a fierce battle is currently raging. Several soldiers hurt, many terrorists killed.

The battle for Bint Jbel, which is considered the capital of Hizbullah, and nearby villages began last night. Bint Jbel lies 12 kilometers due north of Israel's Mt. Meron.

Nine soldiers were reported lightly wounded in the course of the fighting early this morning, apparently by a bomb or grenade. In addition, the forces met up with fierce Hizbullah fire, and the Israel Air Force is covering the ground forces. Several terrorists have been killed, and two have been taken captive.

The IDF had just barely completed taking over another Hizbullah stronghold, Marun a-Ras, which lies five kilometers southeast of Bint Jbel. Seven soldiers were killed in three days of battles in Marun a-Ras. Based on lessons learned there, the current thorough IDF advance is slower than last week's offensive.

The IDF has attacked 270 targets in Lebanon over the past day. Among them were nine long-range Katyusha launchers in the city of Tyre, 20 kilometers north of Israel along the Mediterranean coast. Katyushas have been fired at Haifa and environs in the past from Tyre. Ten tall buildings in southern Beirut were also bombed.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is scheduled to arrive in Jerusalem this evening (Monday), after a quick stop in Beirut. She will meet first with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and Foreign Minister Tzippy Livny, and afterwards with PA Chairman Abu Mazen. Rice is not expected to withdraw American support for Israel's offensive, but will discuss the option of stationing a multi-national force in southern Lebanon. Olmert said last night he would agree to this idea, though he specified that the participating forces must be of European Union member states.

Mideast conflict studied for links to Bible
By DAVID YONKE,BLADE RELIGION EDITOR

People who seek to align today’s headlines with ancient Scriptures have been working overtime lately, monitoring the daily developments in the Middle East.Words spoken by Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Amos, and Ezekiel are undergoing a new round of scrutiny as Israel battles the Muslim guerrilla group Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.How — or whether — the 10-day-old conflict ties in with Bible prophecy is a matter of debate in Toledo and around the globe.

We’re getting comments from around the world,said Todd Strandberg of Omaha, who runs the Web site RaptureReady.com. Most of them are from the United States, but for some reason, Australia is a big one.

PREDICTING THE END

Although the Bible states in Matthew 25:13: For ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh, it has not stopped people from predicting the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the End of the World. Here are a few selections from The Date Setters Diary compiled by Todd Strandberg. The full list is online at www.RaptureReady.com/rr-date-setters.html:

• 53 A.D.: Thessalonians panic when they hear a rumor that the day of the Lord was at hand, fearing they missed the Rapture.

• 500 A.D.: A Roman priest living in the second century predicts Christ would return in 500 A.D., based on the dimensions of Noah’s Ark.

• 1000 A.D.: The new millennium leads to hysteria, based solely on the number 1,000; buildings are left unrepaired, farmers opt not to plant crops, and prisoners are let out of jail because people believed the end of the world was at hand.

• 1186: “The Letter of Toledo” warns everyone to hide in caves and mountains because the world is going to be destroyed when the planets align.

• 1809: Mary Bateman, fortune teller, has a magic chicken that lays eggs with end-time messages on them, including one that said Christ was coming. She later is hanged for poisoning a wealthy client.

• 1910: The revisit of Halley’s comet is seen as an indication of the Lord’s return. One enterprising man sells comet pills to protect people from comet gases.

• 1988: The book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Is in 1988, by Edgar Whisenant, creates a stir among churches. When the Rapture does not occur, Whiesnant says he miscalculated by a year. His sequel, 89 Reasons Why the Rapture Is in 1989, sells just a fraction of the numbers that the original version tallied.

• 1991: Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan predicts the Gulf War would be “The War of Armageddon ... the Final War.”

• 1998: Since 666 times three equals 1998, some see this as a prophetically significant year.

• 2011-2018: For the past several decades, Jack Van Impe has hinted at nearly every year as being the time for the Rapture. His new match uses 51 years as the length of a generation. If you add 51 years to 1967, the year Israel recaptured Jerusalem, you get 2018. Once you subtract the seven-year tribulation period, you arrive at 2011.

Mr. Strandberg, who is in the Air Force, said he works about eight hours a day, seven days a week, compiling information about the End Times — the days leading up to Earth’s final battle, Armageddon — for his Web site, which has been in operation for 20 years, since the era of dial-up online bulletin boards.I try to be practical with everything. My main goal is not to be spectacular or push the conspiracy thing,Mr. Strandberg said. But God says he is coming back, so sometime he is coming back.The latest round of fighting in the Middle East is being closely watched for any signs of Syrian involvement — a step that some feel will lead to the destruction of its capital city, Damascus, as described by two Bible prophets.Isaiah 17:1 states: Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap,while Amos 1:3 says, Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof.(King James Version).

Cumulatively, Damascus will be eliminated as a city and there will be nothing there,said the Rev. Tony Scott, pastor of Cathedral of Praise in Monclova. Whether this is the war leading up to it or not, that is what’s going to happen eventually.The Bible says Armageddon will start after Israel is invaded by armies from the north, so any time military conflict strikes the Middle East it is a something to pay attention to, Mr. Scott said.I think the story is this: This is the region from which the battle of all battles is going to originate — in these cities, in these countries. I don’t know if this is the war leading up to it or not, but I think it should make people think about it, to realize that the Bible is real.Al Adams, an author of books on the End Times and host of a weekly television show in Lafayette, La., also believes the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict provides an opportunity to get people to open their Bibles.My main goal is to create awareness,Mr. Adams said. I’m sitting back and watching this, and this really has potential to fulfill a couple of prophecies that have not been done.Usually, seeing Bible prophecy fulfilled before your eyes is a good chance to show people that the Bible is real and every word in it is the living Word of God.

If Russia gets involved, oh boy, this isn’t good, Mr. Adams said, because it could be the start of Armageddon — with Russia the gog and magog that the Bible says will invade Israel. Not all Bible scholars believe that the words of ancient prophets apply to today’s citizens.The Rev. Kenneth Mormon, a Toledo Catholic priest teaching at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati, said according to Catholic doctrine, the messages of Isaiah, Amos, and other prophets were intended for the people of their own time.Usually when we’re talking about Bible prophecy, we’re talking about apocalyptic works. But the messages are directed to their own contemporaries,Father Mormon said. When God inspires an author to write for his people, he chooses a form — a letter, a parable, a drama, a short story, whatever it is. Apocalyptic writing is a kind of literature. If a prophet uses apocalyptic writing, he phrases the message in terms of a vision, a seer, with the symbolism explained to him by a heavenly messenger,he said.

But although the message was intended for people living thousands of years ago, the Bible is always relevant and modern readers will still get something out of it, only in a different way than the prophet’s contemporaries, Father Mormon said.Gary DeMar, an Atlanta-based author who has written several books on the End Times, also believes that many people are taking the prophets’ writings out of context.People who claim to interpret the Bible literally are very selective in terms of what they interpret,Mr. DeMar said in an interview. In Ezekiel 38 and 39, it obviously is about an ancient battle, the people are on horseback, they have shields, the loot they want is cattle, and this really has nothing to do with our time.Mr. DeMar, author of Last Days Madness, said it doesn’t make sense that prophecy watchers are always looking to verses in the Old Testament, while the New Testament is rarely cited.

The New Testament is kind of an update of the Old Testament. It’s the new covenant. Yet they have to continue to go back to the Old Testament,he said.Neil Little, a Toledoan who has programs on WGGN-FM (97.7) in Sandusky, said he is concerned that the networks reporting on the Middle East fighting are not making any references to Bible prophecy.Nobody is bringing up that this is what was prophesied in Jeremiah and Isaiah — that Israel would be bombarded,Mr. Little said. I understand what the geopolitical issues are all about, but I believe the coming of Christ is just around the corner. I preach it. I don’t want to scare people, but Christians should know what’s going on.The Rev. Todd Hostetler of Toledo said Christians should always keep an eye on the Middle East situation, but he does not believe the latest conflict is a sign that doomsday is at hand.

In Ezekiel 38:11 and 14, it says Israel is dwelling in safety,Mr. Hostetler said. Israel will have no gates or walls, so they are secure with their neighbors, indicating that in the End Times there will be peace.Armageddon cannot come until Israel experiences a time of peace, he said.There’s no reason to panic, but the events in the Middle East should stir in us a desire to spread the Gospel. The clock is marching forward. Step by step the Bible is being fulfilled.
Contact David Yonke at dyonke@theblade.com or 419-724-6154

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(EU) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.(THIS EU POLITICIAN COMES FROM THE OCCULT)
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

European Union weighs options of peacekeeping force
By Ashley Perry Updated: 24/Jul/2006 16:24

European leaders are contemplating the option of a peacekeeping force to be sent to southern Lebanon as part of an eventual cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. While German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s call for a peacekeeping force, many in her Christian Democrats party are of the contrary opinion. The conflict, which began earlier this month with the kidnap of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah operatives, is close to entering its third week. It has caused hundreds of deaths and injuries and forced thousands to leave their homes and either move away or live in bomb shelters.

Reservations about proposal

Im very reserved about this proposal, said Eckart von Klaeden, foreign affairs spokesman for the ruling Christian Democratic Union in a telephone interview with Bloomberg from his Hildesheim constituency, adding that his views are shared within the party.It’s unclear to me what kind of mandate this force is supposed to have.Von Klaeden continued to say that nothing should hinder the Lebanese from complying with the United Nations resolution which demands the demilitarization of Hezbollah and that the Lebanese army should be deployed along the Israel-Lebanon border. The debate came after UN secretary general Kofi Annan called for a multinational force that may include EU forces and those from other regions. Annan predicted the deployment would be larger than the current UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, which currently numbers around 2,000 troops.

Echoing Von Klaeden, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told ZDF television Annan’s proposal is no substitute to the disarming of Hezbollah. However, in the correct circumstances, "the European Union will not be able to completely hide away from it,he said. In New York, the French ambassador to the UN Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, who currently presides over the Security Council, said there was not enough information about the military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah to consider a mandate for troops.

Finnish presidency stands ready

The Finnish presidency of the EU has been more positive about Europe’s role in a peacekeeping force. The EU stands ready to take part (in such a mission) if the necessary conditions are established,Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said. Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, has told Kofi Annan that he received many positive replies from European leaders about their possible role in a peacekeeping force. Israel is reacting very cautiously to the idea of a multi-national peacekeeping force but has not ruled it out when Israel’s conditions are met for the end of hostilities. Israeli Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres told European Union foreign-policy chief Javier Solana "no international force can prevent the existing situation.

Last update - 17:25 24/07/2006
EU's Solana says int'l force in Lebanon 'a real possibility'
By News Agencies

A senior European Union official said Monday sending an international peacekeeping force to Lebanon would be a difficult, but crucial part of an overall solution to end the country's political instability.EU foreign and security affairs chief Javier Solana said at the EU we work night and day to try to resolve a dramatic problem in a country very close to us.He said deploying a multinational force under the umbrella of the United Nations Security Council" would be a difficult undertaking, but a real possibility.Separately, an EU diplomat said that at an international meeting in Rome Wednesday, there will be pressure for a cease-fire. But wary of concerns in Washington and EU nations that a cease-fire will lock Israel into a standoff with Hezbollah, the call for a cease-fire will be discussed as part of an overall, long-term solution to Lebanon's instability.Lebanon is in such a terrible state, a cease-fire can only happen as part of an overall solution to its political instability,said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the crisis.

Solana said it was not easy to put together an international peacekeeping force but that several European Union nations would contribute troops and hardware.We continue working on it. I cannot be more precise at this point in time, Solana told a news conference with Saad Hariri, Lebanon's parliamentary majority leader. This is a format that will be difficult. The objective is to guarantee sovereignty and freedom for Lebanon.Hariri pleaded for "massive amounts of humanitarian aid" and international help to guarantee his nation's freedom and sovereignty.This must stop (so that it) doesn't happen again,said Hariri of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants that has engulfed his nation and caused the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.We don't want another war in Lebanon. We don't want Lebanon to be used as a territory for other conflicts. We need Lebanon to be a free and sovereign country.

Solana said the main issues facing Wednesday's international conference on Lebanon in Rome will be an end to the current fighting, humanitarian aid deliveries and the country's future security arrangement that sees an international stabilization force deployed there under the auspices of the United Nations.The so-called Lebanon core group includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, France, Russia, Britain, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union. Also invited to the conference were Spain and Germany.

There is no unanimity within the EU on the way forward for Lebanon.Like the United States, the EU is not keen on calling for cease-fire as Israel has made clear it will not agree to that for fear of locking itself into an unresolved military standoff with Hezbollah.

The Lebanese government has pleaded with Washington to press Israel to call a cease-fire in bombardment that has demolished Lebanon's infrastructure and killed hundreds. U.S. President George W. Bush opposes that, saying the root cause of the conflict must be resolved.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Solana last week an immediate cease-fire was out of the question.

OIC supports international force in Lebanon

The 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) said on Monday it backed efforts to place an international force in southern Lebanon and an immediate ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.(OIC) affirms the need for an immediate ceasefire followed by a prisoner swap and setting up an international force under the United Nations to ensure disengagement, the world's biggest Islamic body, based in Saudi Arabia, said in a statement.European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Monday some EU states could contribute to a United Nations-sponsored peace force, a move which would include the aim of disarming Hezbollah, according to UN resolution 1559.OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said other UN resolutions concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict should also be implemented.The OIC is the world's biggest Muslim body, gathering 57 countries with majority Muslim populations around the world.UN resolution 1559 is one of many Security Council resolutions that have not been implemented yet ... International law should not be cut up and dealt with in a selective manner like this, Ihsanoglu said in the statement.

DANIEL 7:7-8,23-24
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

REVELATION 13:1-2
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

REVELATION 17:3,7,9-13
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

Under the European Union (EU) Radar. Does the EU really want to make a difference to citizens lives? Simon McILvenna,simonmack@otenet.gr,July 24, 2006

The EU or European Union to give its full name is a strange beast.

A unification of many ancient Nations together to create common policies and a united front on many issues.To imagine a unification between Nations such as Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Greece just a few hundred years ago would have been incomprehensible.The might and wisdom of ancient Rome and Greece, the conquering forces of Britain and Spain, and the acceptance of Germany when many forefathers with long and painful memories still live to this day.The fusion of such culture and proud history towards common goals seems quite incredible.Obviously acceptance, tolerance and unification towards common gain for European nations is the best way forward, even if island races like Great Britain are slow to the ‘EU party’.

Given the global economy of the 21st century, it’s instabilities and market forces, even the most reluctant ‘Brit’ given an advantageous trade scenario through the EU would quietly accept it’s benefits.The ‘EU’ also prides itself on the equality and betterment of its citizens through policies on many economic and social issues.Nations combining together through the council of the EU to produce guidelines on topics that affect the daily lives of all citizens, to make standards throughout the EU more uniform and improve the lives of all EU citizens.One subject that affects every single citizen of the EU is employment.On employment the ‘EU’ has created the ‘European employment and social policy – a policy for people’.

The opening outline of this policy states…

The aim of European employment and social policy is to promote a decent quality of life and standard of living for all in an active, inclusive and healthy society.Focus on this particular issue is essential, as work and the enviroment of work and working life bares an impact on everyone.It’s with this in mind I put forward the situation of a man I became aquainted with these past few weeks.
For the purpose of this article we will call him ‘Nikos. Nikos hails from the beautiful holiday islands of Greece and is in his middle 30’s in age.He has 2 young children and his wife will give birth to their 3rd child in 3 months time.The Greek islands are one of Europe’s most beautiful and most popular summer destinations for holidaymakers, and in recent times the economies of these wonderful isles have become increasingly reliant on the tourist trade.In some cases tourism provides more than a third of the local income, with only agriculture providing more.Nikos works in a large hotel complex in the huge kitchens.

Everyday Nikos and his colleagues provide thousands of meals to ‘all inclusive’ holidaymakers from the northern Countries of Europe who head south to enjoy the warm and sunny weather.The holiday industry in the islands runs from April to October, meaning Nikos only gets paid for 5-6 months of the year, as the hotel don’t use him for all of the season.Every summer season when the hotel call him to begin work they give him less money and ask him to work more hours. They also try to get him to waive his employment rights and guarantees as provided under Greek government law.The hotel makes him work many more hours than his contract states.The hotel also makes him work 7 days a week ALL summer without a break, despite marking his official papers that he takes 2 days off per week.The hotel also often underpays Nikos and his colleagues and when they complain they are shown the door if they don’t like it.

Naturally he, like most of his colleagues would love to get a job that was year round and allowed him to make life a little better for his family.The real issue is the exploitation of EU citizens by these seasonal employers.Exploitation that year by year gets worse.

While Nikos and his colleagues earn less each summer season for more work, the EU are happy to produce pages of guidelines with little clout to enforce them.All Nikos sees of the EU is the Euro single currency has made everything much more expensive to buy while the toothless policies set out by EU beaurocrats do nothing to improve his income or employment conditions.In fact it could be argued that the EU and the Euro single currency have contributed to his plight, as seasonal employers such as hotel complex owners seek to improve their profit margins by exploiting their workforce in a market where the Euro has made everything so much more expensive.If the EU want to win the hearts and minds of their citizens it’s social subjects just like these where they need to ensure all member states adhere to a ‘bottom line’.

Simply stating it is member states own responsibility to enforce their guidelines is not enough.If Nikos was to ‘blow the whistle’ on his employers it would certainly cost him his job and put him in a situation where no other hotel would employ him for fear of similar reprisals.Nikos is stuck in a situation where only the men in suits who speak such great words can help him.It’s about time these people took a genuine responsibility for the lives of their citizens and ensured the EU truly did change some lives for the better.