Finland and Sweden eye NATO membership, Russia not pleased

NATO in Green, Russia in Orange (Crimea should also be orange)

Some in Sweden and Finland are looking into possible NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) membership, but have concerns about Russia:

April 29, 2016

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland could expect “harsh” reactions from Russia if it decided to join NATO, but would be better off doing so together with neighboring Sweden, an expert panel told the Finnish government on Friday.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned of a “military-technical” response if its “neutral neighbors” became members of the alliance.

NATO supporters in the two non-aligned Nordic countries have stepped up calls for membership following the Ukraine crisis and increased assertiveness by Russian forces around the Baltic Sea. Both Finland and Sweden have deepened their partnership with the alliance in recent years but have so far not sought membership, partly because of concern over the Russian reaction.

“It’s one thing to have neutral neighbors in the north and another to have neighbors who are members of the North Atlantic alliance,” Lavrov told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter in an interview published Friday.

Asked how Russia would react if Sweden joined the alliance, Lavrov said Moscow “will of course take all necessary military-technical measures at our northern borders, since on the other side of the border there is a military-political bloc that considers Russia as a threat and is trying to contain her in every way.”

The interview coincided with the release in Finland of a government-commissioned report on the implications of joining NATO.

Referring to Russia’s reactions to NATO’s enlargement in the past, the report said the “political and economic reactions may be strong, even harsh, notably during the transition phase. Even while stopping short of the use of force, specific counter-measures would be difficult to predict.”

Both countries are concerned about Russian military activities in the region, underscored by hunts for unidentified foreign submarines in Swedish and Finnish waters, and occasional airspace violations by Russian aircraft.

In a brief conclusion, the 60-page report stresses the importance of mutual cooperation between the Nordic neighbors when decisions are made about joining NATO, saying it would be “considerably more benign for Finland” if the two countries joined at the same time than if Finland joined alone.

“Similarly, a Swedish decision to join NATO and a Finnish decision not to join would leave Finland isolated and exposed,” said the report. ….

Both countries have a history of neutrality. Sweden became a neutral nation at the end of the Napoleonic wars and stayed out of World Wars I and II. http://www.postbulletin.com/news/world/finnish-report-highlights-russian-threat-of-nato-membership/article_03613664-41bb-55e4-a1e2-13213772a968.html

April 29, 2016

If Finland joined NATO it would lead to a serious crisis with neighboring Russia, a report commissioned by the Finnish government said on Friday.

Membership of the military alliance would strengthen Finland’s security but trigger a harsh reaction from the Kremlin, affecting trade between the countries, according to the report prepared for Prime Minister Juha Sipila’s center-right government.

Militarily-neutral Finland shares a 1,340 km-long border and difficult history with Russia, its former ruler.

The report gave no direct recommendation on whether Finland should seek membership, but said a joint Finnish-Swedish application would be a better strategic option than either Nordic country joining the alliance alone.

“This is a question of grand strategy,” Finnish Prime Minister Sipila told reporters on Friday.

“Small nations do not often change their basic foreign policy guidelines,” he said, adding that leeway was needed in case the security situation changed.

Only 22 percent of Finns support joining NATO, while 55 percent are opposed, a recent poll by public broadcaster YLE showed.

Finnish membership of NATO would double the length of the border between the alliance and Russia and increase the NATO presence in the Baltic Sea.

But without Sweden, Finland would be an isolated outpost which NATO would have difficulty defending, the report said.

Sipila said the governments of Finland and Sweden had promised not to “surprise each other” on the issue.

Nordic countries have stepped up military cooperation since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-finland-nato-report-idUSKCN0XQ1LQ

What about Sweden and Finland?

A look at the map shown at the beginning of this posts shows that Norway is in NATO but to its east, Sweden and Finland are not.

Norway and the Netherlands were ‘neutral’ in WWI, but that did not stop them from getting invaded during WWII. Sweden and Finland know this and must be wondering what their best moves may be.

Various ones believe that Finland and Sweden are descended from the tribes of Israel. Notice the identity of Finland from a Jewish source:

Finland has been identified…as…especially Issachar (Davidy Y. The Tribes. Rabbinical approbation: Rabbi Abraham Feld of the Maccabee Institute Jerusalem, July 4, 1993. Russell-Davis Publishers, Hebron (Israel). The Tribes, p. 217).

Finland sits between Europe and Russia (cf. Genesis 49:14)

Notice something from the old Radio Church of God:

9. Issachar … Jacob continues: “For he saw a resting-place that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and he BOWED HIS SHOULDER TO BEAR, and became a SERVANT … (Gen. 49:14-15.) … not the most intelligent of animals, but it is a willing worker. Such is Finland. Finland is the ONLY nation that has voluntarily taken the full responsibility of her debts. She is today paying off a huge indemnity to Russia. Her land is pleasant and good, not extraordinarily rich. According to Deuteronomy 33:19 she derives wealth from fishing and from hidden treasures of the sand gigantic peat bogs and the finest sand for glass-making. Issachar is not a colonizing people they dwell pastorally “in tents,” said Moses.

10. Nepthali represents Sweden “satisfied with favor, full with the blessings of the Lord.” She is compared to a prancing hind or deer and “giveth goodly words” (Gen. 49:21). From Sweden, with a well-balanced economy, come the Nobel prizes in token to great world accomplishments. Sweden, during two world wars and the recent trouble in Palestine, sent her emissaries to speak words of conciliation and peace. The promise by Moses to possess “the sea and the south” is applicable both to ancient Nepthali and modern Sweden: notice the position of the Sea of Galilee and Baltic relative to the position of this tribe. (LOCATION OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL by Herman L Hoeh (ca. 1957) http://www.giveshare.org/israel/locationtribes.html)

Here is more information on those tribes straight from the Bible:

18 “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! …

23 And of Naphtali he said:

“O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the Lord, Possess the west and the south.” (Deuteronomy 33:18,23)

It may be of interest to note that the word translated as ‘west’ regarding Napthali is also defined as roaring sea, which is how Herman Hoeh explained it. Sweden is basically on the west border of the Baltic Sea.

Countries like Sweden and Finland seem to fit some of the positive statements in Genesis 49–but they will ultimately face tests and trials from the coming European Beast power (cf. Ezekiel 5:4; 39:23,28).

While the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) does not start with their immediate punishment (Ezekiel 5:1-3 seems mainly to point to Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh), they too will receive punishment (bolded end of verse 4):

1 “And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s razor, and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair. 2 You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after them. 3 You shall also take a small number of them and bind them in the edge of your garment. 4 Then take some of them again and throw them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will go out into all the house of Israel. (Ezekiel 5:1-4)

The bolded portion seems to show that the rest of the house of Israel will have tribulation after the modern nations that include Israel and the Anglo-descended (USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand) countries will essentially be gone. This would include such countries as France, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Norway. The ‘small number’ in verse 3 appears to be about 10 percent as that is the amount that Isaiah 6:13 indicates will be left.

Many in Europe feel that Russia’s actions mean that Europe should be stronger militarily and better support NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Finland and Sweden may well do that or at least, for a time, support the final European Beast power.

While most in the USA would see Finland and Sweden supporting NATO and/or a unified Europe as a positive, the reality is that the stronger Europe becomes militarily, the weaker, relatively speaking, the USA becomes (cf. Daniel 11:39).

NATO Has a Lot of European Leadership

Many do not realize is that the USA does not control NATO like it did until a few years ago. Initially, and basically for decades, NATO was built up under the direction of two US supreme commanders. But the situation has changed. The USA does not have legal control over much of NATO or what it can do anymore.

The current Secretary General of NATO is Jens Stoltenberg, the former Prime Minister of Norway, who took office on 1 October 2014. The Secretary General is responsible for coordinating the workings of the alliance, serves as the head of the North Atlantic Council, and leads NATO’s staff. The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee is General Petr Pavel. Since 1 June 2012 he has served as Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. was the Danish Chief of Defence and was appointed on 26 June 2015.

Of course, not all of Europe’s military is part of NATO. Europe has its own ‘independent’ forces, which some wish to see expand as well as seeing the expansion of a European military industrial complex (see Germans wants an independent European arms industry). And then there are German ambitions (Isaiah 10:5-11; see also German Foreign Minister calls for support and dominance similar to that proposed for Adolf Hitler and Merkel lashes out against Putin for interfering with with EU’s expansion plans). Bizarrely, there is now a German General who commands the actual USA Army in Europe (see German general now commands the US Army in Europe).

Having Europeans command NATO as well as USA forces puts the USA in a vulnerable position any time the Europeans decide that they want to dominate and attack the USA–this is something that will be done (Isaiah 10:5-11; Daniel 11:39).

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:39)

The ‘he’ above is the King of the North, a European power. It is the USA that currently has the ‘strongest fortresses.’ This prophecy will affect the USA and its Anglo-Saxon descended allies.

While some have improperly concluded that Russia is the prophesied “king of the North” of Daniel 11, that is not the case. Russia, thus, is NOT biblically the power that is prophesied to takeover the USA–Europe is (Daniel 11:39; cf. Revelation 13:1-4).

However, until then, Europe will take steps to increase its influence and military strength. Technology may be its key (see European Technology and the Beast of Revelation). Sweden and Finland have sometimes been known for their technological developments.

As ‘NATO’ and Europe strengthen, this will put the USA in a position that it will later regret (cf. Daniel 11:39). Some of the actions by Russia are pushing the Europeans in that direction and may well be factors in getting Sweden and Finland to at least militarily support the final European Beast power (Sweden and Finland are currently in the European Union).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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 and Catholic 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 is a link to a video Is the USA Pushing Germany to Start WWIII?
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy and a video sermonette available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?
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. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
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?
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?
WTO/TTIP and the Babylonian Beast Will international trade agreements like WTO/TTIP/CETA lead to the fulfillment of end time prophecies concerning the Babylonian Beast power that the Book of Revelation warns against? What does the Bible teach? A related video would be WTO Trade Deal and the Rise of the European Beast Power.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
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?
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill? Could a Donald Trump presidency be apocalyptic? A related video is titled Could Donald Trump be Apocalyptic?
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill? Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic? Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist? A video of related interest is titled Hillary Clinton and Bible Prophecy.
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies. Watch also the YouTube Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.