UK gets ‘special status’ in the EU, so David Cameron announces date for possible secession vote

David Cameron, United Kingdom Prime Minister

David Cameron just secured a deal to grant the United Kingdom (UK) “special status” within the European Union (EU). So, as he promised, he has called for a referendum for voters to decide whether the UK should remain in the EU (bolding below mine):

February 20, 2016

David Cameron says a deal struck with EU leaders will give the UK “special status” and he will campaign with his “heart and soul” to stay in the union.

The agreement, reached late on Friday after two days of talks in Brussels, gives the UK power to limit some EU migrants’ benefits.

It also includes a treaty change so the UK is not bound to “ever closer union” with other EU member states, he said.

EU exit campaigners said the “hollow” deal offered only “very minor changes”. …

The key points of the deal are:

An “emergency brake” on migrants’ in-work benefits for four years when there are “exceptional” levels of migration. The UK will be able to operate the brake for seven years

Child benefit for the children of EU migrants living overseas will now be paid at a rate based on the cost of living in their home country – applicable immediately for new arrivals and from 2020 for the 34,000 existing claimants

The amending of EU treaties to state explicitly that references to the requirement to seek ever-closer union “do not apply to the United Kingdom”, meaning Britain “can never be forced into political integration”

The ability for the UK to enact “an emergency safeguard” to protect the City of London, to stop UK firms being forced to relocate into Europe and to ensure British businesses do not face “discrimination” for being outside the eurozone

The prime minster had to make concessions to get a deal with the leaders of the 27 other EU members. …

Mr Tusk said it “strengthens Britain’s special status”, while EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker described it as “fair”. …

Mr Cameron said he had achieved the reforms he wanted, claiming they would put the UK “in the driving seat” of one of the world’s biggest markets and create a “more flexible” EU.

“We have permanently protected the pound and our right to keep it,” he added, saying that, for the first time, the EU “has explicitly acknowledged it has more than one currency”.

The prime minister said he had also protected Britain from further political integration inside the EU, adding: “Let me put this as simply as I can: Britain will never be part of a European superstate.” …

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Vote Leave campaign, said Mr Cameron “will now declare victory but it is an entirely hollow one”.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage tweeted: “This is a truly pathetic deal. Let’s Leave the EU, control our borders, run our own country and stop handing £55m every day to Brussels. I believe in Britain. We are good enough to be an independent, self-governing nation outside of the EU. This is our golden opportunity.” http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-35616768

February 20, 2016

Britain will vote on whether to remain in the EU on Thursday 23 June, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.

The prime minister made his historic announcement in Downing Street after briefing the cabinet.

He said he would be campaigning to remain in a reformed EU – and described the vote as one of the biggest decisions “in our lifetimes”. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-35621079

The number supporting remaining in the European Union declined since David Cameron came back with a deal a couple of weeks back that he negotiated that he thought would get more to support staying in the EU. Instead, that seemed to backfire:

02/03/16

Over two thirds of the British public think David Cameron got a bad deal for Britain in his EU renegotiations, a new poll shows.

The snap poll conducted by Sky News found 69 per cent of people thought the deal was “bad for Britain” while only 31 per cent said it was “good for Britain”. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-referendum-poll-david-cameron-renegotiations-bad-for-britain-uk-leave-europe-a6851086.html

David Cameron vowed to improve this (see EU offers UK deal, but PM Cameron wants details improved and Nigel Farage wants out), and claims now that he has. Certain others in the UK are not convinced.

We will see how the vote turns out.

If the UK votes to leave the European Union, this will be because more voters apparently believe it will do better outside the European Union.

If the UK votes to remain in the European Union, this will be because more voters apparently believe it will do better inside the European Union.

If the UK votes to leave, then those in the European Union will feel that the UK has betrayed Europe, and will hold this against the UK.

But what if the UK votes to stay in?

Well, this will be problematic in many ways.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a news report that the French do not believe that the UK should get the deal that David Cameron negotiated, let alone gain more concessions from the European Union. Yesterday, I saw a news report that many EU nation do not believe that this deal is fair to them.

Here is something from a couple of days ago:

With single mindedness or madness the Visegrad conspirator nations of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic have refused to play along with the smoke and mirrors illusion that the European Commission has been constructing for David Cameron to hoodwink the British public into voting to remain within the EU. Instead all four conspirator nations are refusing to give up a single £1 in benefits payments from British tax payers to their citizens by flatly refusing any curb in child benefit payments claimed for several million children who reside in their home nations to the determent of British children in terms of a lower payout rate and tapering of child benefit than would otherwise be the case given an estimated 1/3rd of the budget is being siphoned off into eastern europe.

The bottom line is that if the Visegrad conspirators are playing hardball ahead of a UK In / Out referendum then what can Britain expect in terms of any agreement being honoured by the dozen or so eastern European UK benefits claiming nations? The answer is any agreement would NOT be honoured! …

The glaring problem at the core of Britain’s negotiations is that Britain is ONE, and the benefit claiming eastern block are a DOZEN, Where ONE will ALWAYS be outvoted by the DOZEN. Therefore the negotiations are meaningless, where even the propaganda smoke screen to fool the British people into giving up freedom and self determination is literally just paper thin. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article54081.html

Currently, Germany’s Angela Merkel and various others believe that it is in the EU’s best interest to allow this for the UK. But there will be resentment in both east and west Europe as various news reports have already confirmed. Here is something from western Europe today:

February 20, 2016

The Belgian paper La Libre carries the front-page headline “EU: And in the end, it’s Cameron who wins”.

“Except that what is considered to be good by London is not necessarily good for Europe,” the paper notes wryly.

A headline in Le Monde spells out what many in Europe warn will be the outcome of the deal.

“Brexit-avoiding deal opens the way for an ‘a la carte’ Europe”, it says. …

Italian paper, Il Sole 24 Ore, says that “a difficult agreement” was reached after 24 hours of “extremely tough negotiations”.

A separate commentary in the paper by Marina Castellaneta warns that the concessions granted to Britain, especially those affecting the mobility of workers within Europe, “can only hinder the functioning of the Union”.

One of the harshest judgements on Mr Cameron’s summit deal comes from the left-of-centre Hungarian paper Nepszava, which in an article headlined “Brexit and the populists”, says that “This week Cameron expected the European Council to start dismantling the already dilapidated edifice of the Union on account of his irresponsibility. And we watch all this helplessly.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35621111

The ‘special status’ that the UK has just been granted will not last. The Bible teaches:

3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3)

Well, the UK and the rest of the EU are not agreed. The fact that some top EU leaders agreed to the concessions for now, only means that they believe this is what is best for now. David Cameron can claim, “Britain will never be part of a European superstate.” But a superstate is what the elite in Europe want and is what they will get.

Notice something else he said as reported by Reuters:

February 20, 2016

“I believe that Britain will be safer, stronger and better off by remaining in a reformed European Union,” Cameron said outside his Number 10 Downing Street residence in London.

“Leaving Europe would threaten our economic and our national security,” Cameron said, adding that he would propose to Parliament that the referendum be held on Thursday June 23, in the middle of the Glastonbury music festival and the Euro 2016 soccer championship. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-idUSKCN0VT09I

The national security of the UK will be destroyed by Europe. Getting this ‘special status’ deal will not save it according to the Bible.

Reuters also reported:

February 20, 2016

A British exit from the EU would rock the Union – already shaken by differences over migration and the future of the euro zone – by ripping away its second-largest economy, one of its top two military powers and by far its richest financial center. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-idUSKCN0VT09I

It is the rocking of the European Union that the Europeans do not want and why they gave concessions. But by granting ‘special status’ that is clearly setting the stage for the time to come for the UK to depart from being an equal member of the EU. And actually, that ‘special status’ means it has already officially been granted partial separation.

David Cameron said that this will be one of the most important votes for the UK, and in a sense that may be so. But, no matter what happens, biblical prophecies will be fulfilled.

The Bible shows that Europe will change and reorganize per Revelation17:12-13 (see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?):

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13)

The above is pointing to a reorganization in Europe that will lead to a type of dictatorial ‘United States of Europe.’ This will not end up well for the United Kingdom (nor the United States per Daniel 11:39), nor Europe itself (Revelation 17:14).

Many in Europe want a superstate now, and many in the United Kingdom are beginning to realize this. Giving the UK ‘special status’ so that it will not be an equal member is such a superstate will not stop the UK from being dominated and taken over by it.

This is something that those of us in the Church of God have long taught.

For example, back when Europe was still recovering from being devastated in World War II, in the December 1948 issue of The Plain Truth magazine, Herbert W. Armstrong predicted a coming “United States of Europe” when he wrote:

It was the SERMON that shot forth that spark, impregnating the minds of world leaders in attendance. This amazing sermon was delivered by a foremost radio speaker of the Catholic Church, Bishop Duane G. Hunt of Salt Lake City…Without the guidance, supervision, authority of the Catholic Church, he told these men, they were laboring in vain…

This was the Roman Catholic bid to resurrect the so-called “HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE” ! And PROPHECY says they will succeed!…At the psychological time, the pope will step in… Thru this political movement, he will UNIFY…nations in Europe. It will be a “The UNITED STATES OF EUROPE,” but that probably will never become its official name. (Armstrong HW. Now It Can Be Told…The Plain Truth,December 1948, pp. 2,5).

As far as Britain goes, notice something from 1971 from the late evangelist Raymond McNair:

Bible prophecy clearly shows that Britain will not be one of the … NATIONS comprising the final United States of Europe (McNair R. A Strong United Europe. Tomorrow’s World, February 1970, p. 17).

Back in May 1971, the old WCG had the following in an article in its Plain Truth magazine titled Rising World Colossus by Gene Hogberg:

Envision the startling future of Western Europe… A “United States of Europe” possessing one single currency – a currency so strong that it will replace the U.S. dollar as the kingpin currency of world trade.

The Europeans do have their own currency, but the UK gets to keep the British pound. And while the euro has not yet replaced the dollar, the time will come when the world will NOT keep the US dollar as its primary reserve currency. (The British pound and the USA dollar will one day be worthless.)

In the 1990s, the old Global Church of God published the following from Raymond McNair:

In Jeremiah’s prophecy, God explains the nature of the coming captivity which Israel and Judah will yet be led out of (something that has NEVER happened before): “For behold, the days are coming… that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah” (30:3). In ancient times, Israel’s captivity (721 B.C.) occurred 135 years before Judah’s captivity (586 B.C.). But, during “Jacob’s Trouble,” the captivity of Israel and Judah will occur simultaneously.

What will God be delivering them from? “For it shall come to pass in that day… that I will break his YOKE from your neck, and will burst your BONDS; foreigners shall no more enslave them'” (v. 8). When Britons sing “Rule Britannia,” they boast that “Britons never will be slaves!” But, despite those lyrics, modern Britons, and Americans too, will be herded into slavery-scattered over the globe to work in their captors’ mines, factories, fields, etc.

Prophecy reveals that, during the coming, horrendous World War III, both the Anglo-Americans and the Jews will suffer together at the hands of the coming “Beast” mentioned in Revelation 13, 17 and 19-a revival of sorts of the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages in a … European power bloc. This system is also referred to as “Babylon” (Is. 47; Rev. 18). Even as you read these words, this coming political, economic and religious superpower is forming in Europe under the auspices of the European Union. Other prophecies show that Germany will provide its dynamic heart … (McNair R. America and Britain in Prophecy. GCG booklet, 1996, p. 60).

On June 26, 2007, (see Tony Blair a Catholic EU Leader?), I posted the following:

We in the COGs tend to believe that the final beast power will be nominally Catholic (see Europa and the Beast of Revelation)…we in the COGs do believe that Britain will pull out of the EU…

On August 9, 2012, I posted (see Tony Blair ‘Deeply Worried’ that UK May Leave EU):

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will not be an equal part of the European Union. Britain will either pull out or be forced out or at least truly lose its sovereignty.

The voters of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland may not believe it, but the UK will lose its sovereignty. Getting ‘special status’ would basically make the UK more of a target of resentment by others in the EU as has already somewhat pulled out.

For quite some time, the idea of Britain leaving the European Union has been called a “Brexit” or “Brixet” – British exit.

On June 28, 2014, I posted (see A Brixit, a Brexit, EU concerned about a British exit):

The Bible shows that Europe will have at least three reorganizations (see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).

Yet, whether it is called a Brixit or a Brexit, in some way, some day, the United Kingdom will exit.

Why have various Church of God writers taught this?

Because of knowledge of the ancestral origin of the British people and their role in end time prophecy.

The Bible teaches that there is a coming time of Jacob’s troubles (Jeremiah 30:7), also known as the Great Tribulation. Many do not realize that Jacob placed his name on the descendants of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) in Genesis and blessed them:

“Let my name be named upon them” (Genesis 48:16)

17 Ephraim … 19 “his descendants shall become a multitude of nations” (Genesis 48:19)

“By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” (Genesis 48:20)

The British Commonwealth fulfilled this prophecy about becoming “a multitude of nations.” And even today, with the Commonwealth basically gone, there are multiple British-descended nations beyond the UK alone, like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (more on the biblical connections can be found in the article Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

Jacob was inspired to promise economic blessings to the descendants of Joseph:

And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: (Genesis 49:1)

22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall. (Genesis 49:22)

While some falsely claim that these prophesies were fulfilled before the time of Jesus, the Bible teaches that these prophecies were for a later time.

Now it should be noted that the Bible also teaches that the end time descendants of the Israelite tribes, because of their national sins, will be taken over and many killed, by a European power. The British are descended from Jacob’s grandson Ephraim, who was a son of Joseph.

Most people do not realize that the term “British” means people of the covenant. God granted them a ‘special status,’ if you will.

Yet, while God did make a covenant of blessings that the British-descended nations have enjoyed, He also warned of curses if they disobeyed:

8 “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

9 “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: (Deuteronomy 28:8-15)

47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. 52 They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you (Deuteronomy 28:42-45,47-52).

Could this apply to the British? Yes, specifically, notice what is taught about the descendants of Ephraim:

3 I taught Ephraim to walk…5…But the Assyrian shall be his king, Because they refused to repent. 6 And the sword shall slash in his cities, Devour his districts, And consume them, Because of their own counsels. 7 My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him. (Hosea 11:3a, 5b-7)

The reference to Assyria is pointing to a power in central continental Europe (see Germany in Biblical Prophecy).

The final European King of the North (Daniel 11:27-40) will take over the UK, USA, and their Anglo-Saxon allies according to Bible prophecy (cf. Daniel 11:39; Isaiah 10:5-11).

Many of the Anglo-Saxon peoples of the UK, USA, etc. that are not killed will be scattered and many will be made slaves by the final European Beast power(see Hosea 7:11-16; 9:1-17; 11:5-7; 12:1; 13:12-16; see also Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?). That is some of what the Bible shows will happen during the Great Tribulation.

Many in the UK suspect that Europe is moving towards a direction that they will not like.

The ‘special status’ from the EU and the coming referendum in the UK are steps toward increased animosity with the continental Europeans. The reality is that the direction Europe will ultimately take will be worse for the UK, and the USA for that matter (Daniel 11:39), than nearly everyone currently believes.

UPDATE: 2/21/16: We made a video about this which is now available online: Will the UK’s ‘special status’ with the EU last?

Some items of related interest may include:

British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the former German Defense Minister (who is also the former German Minister for Economics and Technology) one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here are links to two sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?