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Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen

COGwriter

Some in Europe are pleased with the outcome of the first round of the French election:

April 24, 2017

Leading politicians in Germany and Europe have voiced relief that pro-EU candidate Emmanuel Macron won Sunday’s poll. They called on French voters to back him in the second round against the far-right Marine Le Pen. …

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel also welcomed Macron’s win, and voiced confidence that he would succeed his former party leader, Francois Hollande, as president of France.”I am sure that he will be the next French president. He was the only pro-European candidate, who did not hide behind prejudices against Europe,” Gabriel said during a visit in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

‘A proven pro-European’

The leader of the Social Democrats, Martin Schulz, who will be his party’s candidate for the chancellorship at elections in September, said he was “very happy that a proven pro-European” had won.

Schulz, formerly president of the European Parliament, said the win was also good for Germany, and that he would welcome working with Macron as French president if he himself won the chancellery.

“And then we could – he as president in France and I as chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany – start reforming the European Union on the basis of strengthened German-French cooperation,” he said. http://www.dw.com/en/german-and-european-politicians-hail-first-round-win-for-frances-macron/a-38555320

April 24, 2017

France’s defeated political establishment has begun to rally against the far-right leader Marine Le Pen as she goes head-to-head against political novice Emmanuel Macron in the final race for the French presidency.

As Le Pen celebrated the highest-ever voting tally for her Front National party, candidates knocked out in the first round began to endorse Macron, who ended his insurgent campaign with a result that confounded expectations.

Macron, a pro-European centrist, took first place with 23.9%, while the anti-immigrant, anti-EU Le Pen came second on 21.4%, with 97% of polling stations declared on Monday. Both go through to a runoff on May 7 after emerging top of a fractured field of 11 candidates in the first round. …

Macron goes through to the second round as the clear frontrunner, with most voters expected to switch to him from mainstream defeated candidates. Le Pen, meanwhile, faces an uphill struggle.

The French stock markets rose on Monday morning, and the euro jumped to its highest level since November against the dollar as investors bet against the chances of Le Pen winning.

There was relief in Europe, too: Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator, described Macron as a “patriot”.

The chief of staff for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the result showed France and Europe could “win together” and added: “The centre is stronger than the populists think.” Francois Fillon, the mainstream Republican candidate whose campaign foundered amid corruption allegations, emerged swiftly from his defeat with words of support for Macron. …

Macron, 39, has warned against nationalism and has attracted support from the left and right for his more moderate stance, promising to boost the economy and improve security.

“I will be the president of the patriots against the threat of the nationalists. There is only one France, France of the patriots in a protective Europe. The fight to be trustworthy to run our country starts tonight and we will win it,” he said Sunday night. http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/24/europe/french-presidential-election/

Presuming that Emmanuel Macron wins, this will demonstrate that France is committed to the European project. Though even if Marine Le Pen were to win, I believe that France will be an initial supporter of the coming European Beast power.

My position here, while consistent with that held by the old Radio and Worldwide Church of God, differs from some in the current Living Church of God:

French Influence in Europe Waning

Bible prophecy reveals the Israelite-descended nations will go into captivity under the European “beast” power at the time of the end. But, will France be inside or outside the “beast” power? The increasing EU frustration with France will be interesting to watch. (French Influence in Europe Waning. TW News & Prophecy, March 27, 2015).

France’s Tumble from the Top

France has been a major player in the development of the EU. However, France is an Israelite-descended nation. (France’s Tumble from the Top. TW News & Prophecy, June 30, 2014).

Whom Will France Support?

As core nations in the EU seek to form a European military, Britain and France are formulating other plans. …

For decades the Church of God has taught that a European Beast power composed of 10 nations or kings will emerge at the end of the age and play a dominant role in the world (Revelation 17 and 18). Bible prophecies indicate that most Israelite nations will not be a part of this empire (Ezekiel 23:9, 22-27; Hosea 11:5-7; Amos 5:3). The question is, will France support Europe or join with “brother” England? Time will tell. (Whom Will France Support? TW News & Prophecy, November 11, 2013).

Will France Exit the EU? …

While France may not leave the EU in the immediate future, the Front National’s win highlights changing political winds in France and the growing unrest with the Brussels-centered EU. Some experts suggest this recent local election win is just the “tip of the iceberg”…

For decades the Church of God has understood that the end-time European Beast power will be ten kings or nations who give their power to that Beast (see Revelation 17). Bible prophecies indicate that most Israelite-descended nations will be overcome by that Beast and not be part of it (Ezekiel 23:9, 22-27; Hosea 11:5-7; Amos 5:3). It will be interesting to see what France will do. (Will France Exit the EU? TW News & Prophecy, October 21, 2013)

A coming “world political authority”? …

The Bible predicts that, at the time of the end, ten kings will temporarily give their authority in an uneasy alliance to the “King of the North” (Daniel 2:41-43; Revelation 17:12-13)! The result will be a German-dominated European economic, military and religious superpower. It will reign for a short time, and it will not be friendly to the United States, England or France. A coming “world political authority”? TW News & Prophecy, November 3, 2011)

Notice something that the late evangelist Dibar Apartian wrote:

A Striking Parallel

There may be a striking parallel between Reuben’s behavior in the past and that of France today. Indeed, in a few years, Reuben’s modern descendants will be at the side of the prophesied “beast” of Revelation when the Anglo-Saxons (the descendants of Joseph) are taken captive. France, like her forefather Reuben, will probably seek a compromise to prevent her former allies – the very SONS of Joseph – from being taken captive by the enemy. But what good will that really do? What good did it do to Joseph?

A compromise never relieves one from one’s own responsibilities. Without a doubt, Reuben loved his brother; he exerted himself in his own ways, through his own human reasoning, to save him. But the fact remains that he ended up by acting like a foe! France today also likes her “kin,” her natural allies. But, unless she repents, France will end up BEING a foe!

(Apartian D. France: The Enigma of our Time. Plain Truth, August 1966, p. 32)

Like all nations today, France has turned away from God. Catholic by faith, 9 out of 10 Frenchmen have never read their Bible, nor do they believe that, in its entirety, it represents the WORD OF GOD. What then will happen to France? Will she win the next WAR? She is presently a member of the “Common Market” which is already becoming a POLITICAL union. It will eventually include TEN nations or kingdoms.

Will this union win the third WORLD WAR?

God says that though He will allow it for a short while to conquer the descendants of Joseph (the BRITISH and AMERICAN peoples), He Himself will intervene to deliver His people. Jesus Christ, at His second coming, will fight and destroy those nations who rebel against Him (Rev. 17 : -14). (Apartian D. De Gaulle and the Next World War. Plain Truth, September 1964, p. 41)

At the second coming of Jesus Christ, the TEN KINGS or KINGDOMS-including France-will be of “one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Rev. 17:13).

“These shall make war with the Lamb , (Jesus Christ, and the lamb shall overcome them; for he is LORD of lords, and KING of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev. 17:14).

This is the infallible prophecy of the Bible. Unless France wakes up and repents, she and the other nations will fight the Lord at His coming. They will be punished by sword, by famine and pestilence-by the plagues of Almighty God! (Apartian D. Prophecy Reveals the Future of France. Plain Truth, August 1963, p. 22)

So, unlike some in LCG, Dibar Apartian realized that some of the Israelitish nations would be part of the Beast and will betray the sons of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh; see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

The late Pastor General of the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, agreed:

Poland, and as you know Romania is not really very enthusiastic with the Soviet, and neither is Yugoslavia. And I can begin to see some of those nations breaking loose from the Russian orbit and going in.

Instead of the Scandinavian nations, they will go in with France and Germany; and with Spain and Portugal and Italy, and form the ten … with the Roman…and that will be the same territory that was occupied by the old Roman Empire. That is coming along. (Armstrong HW. Beasts of Daniel and Revelation. Bible Study, Date: November 8, 1980)

Perhaps it should to be pointed out that several of the “Israelite nations’ are ethnically mixed (per Davidiy Y. The Tribes, 4th edition. Russell-David Publishers, 2011 and other sources) and it may take them some time for the actual Israelites to separate out. Including some of Reuben.

Now the French election is not the only thing that has been going on in Europe. A reader sent me a link that contained the following:

April 24, 2017

A perceived threat from Russia has triggered a central European dash towards military spending.

Figures presented on Monday (24 April) by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) show military expenditures in Central Europe grew by 2.4 percent in 2016.

Sipri researcher Siemon Wezeman in a statement said that the growth spurt can be attributed, in part, to the perception of Russia posing a greater threat following the country’s annexation of Crimea in Ukraine.

“This is despite the fact that Russia’s spending in 2016 was only 27 percent of the combined total of European Nato members,” he said.

Because of US President Donald Trump, we can expect to see more military efforts by the Europeans to become a military power.

The Bible, in the Book of Daniel tells of a miliary power called the King of the North (Daniel 11:21-44) to come from Europe (not Russia). In Revelation, he is called the Beast of the Sea:

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 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.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Revelation 13:1-10).

This leader is described as a warring man who essentially changes religion and gets people to ultimately worship him. The Bible also shows that he will have a “great army” (Daniel 11:25) and specifically eliminate the nominally Protestant USA (Daniel 11:39) and then the predominantly Muslim nations of the Middle East and North Africa (Daniel 11:40-43). Later, Russia will be a problem for him (cf. Daniel 11:44).

European and world events are moving in the direction of the prophesied rise of the European Beast power.

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 24th, 2017 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Prophecy.

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