ANTI-CHRISTIAN SENTIMENT IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
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Some— but not all— prophecy scholars believe the European Union (EU) may be the Antichrist's base of power. Europe was once the cradle of Christianity. The EU has now chosen pagan symbols, rather than Biblical symbols, to portray this new confederacy of nations. These symbols are depicted in currency, public buildings, posters, and advertisements. Anti-Christian and anti-Semitic views flourish in the EU, being replaced by Islamic and secular humanist views. Whether the EU or Islamic nations form the Antichrist's seat of power will continue to be debated, until he is actually revealed. The waning of Christianity within the EU, replaced by Islam and humanist secularism with strong anti-Semitic overtones, is in itself highly significant. The foundation for the government of the Antichrist and the False Prophet is now being laid in many nations. Troubling examples of "paganism" in the EU include:
PARLIAMENT BUILDING. The EU Parliament Building in Strasbourg, France is a modern replication of Pieter Brueghel's famous painting, "The Tower of Babel." The EU building has an open space with respresentation of scaffolding, reminiscent of the unfinished portion of the Tower of Babel after God stopped the work. In Genesis 11:1-9, the Holy Bible records that the whole world and all people had one language at one time. Men gathered on a plain in Shinar to build a tower which would reach into the heavens, that they would make a name for themselves. The LORD, offended by their arrogance, destroyed the tower, confused their language by creating multiple languages, and scattered the people into many lands. See a comparison of Brueghel's painting and the European Union Parliament Building. The EU has "stuck its thumb in God's eye" by displaying publicly in such a flagrant manner something that God found so detestable many centuries ago.
SLOGAN. To further emphasize this connection of Europe with the Tower of Babel, the EU has used a slogan, "Europe: Many Tongues, One Voice". This EU slogan is a reversal of God's judgment in Genesis— the changing of (confusion of) one voice into many tongues. It is as though the EU is "correcting" God by speaking with one tongue, rather than many tongues.
EUROPA— THE GODDESS ON THE BULL RISING FROM THE SEA, THE "QUEEN OF HEAVEN." The continent of Europe takes its name from Europa, a goddess of Greek mythology. According to this myth, Europa was the beautiful daughter of King Agenor of Phoenicia. Zeus, the primary god of Greek mythology, spied Europa gathering flowers along the Mediterranean coast, and lusted after her. Zeus transformed himself into a white bull and swam through the sea, to lie at Europa's feet. She placed flowers around his neck and climbed on his back. He charged into the sea and swam to Crete, where he raped her under a sycamore tree. Europa bore Zeus three sons. When she died, she was named "Queen of Heaven." The title "Queen of Heaven" has been given to several pagan goddesses. In Old Testament times, the Queen of Heaven was a fertility goddess and consort of Baal. Worship of her was an offense to God (see Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19, 25). Europa was worshiped by such other names as Ashtoreth and Asherah in Canaan, Ishtar in Babylon, Astarte and Aphrodite in Greece, and Venus in Rome. The EU has made wide use of the mythological Europa. Sitting on a bull rising from the sea, Europa has been depicted on statues, stamps, coins, posters, and other printed material throughout Europe. Europa has been pictured as the "Queen of Heaven" in various printed illustrations. "Queen of Heaven" is a title first used by Semiramis, wife of Nimrod the founder of Babylon. Semiramis' pagan religion included traditions later folded into Catholicism, including the use of the title "Queen of Heaven" for the Virgin Mary.
Examples of Europa and the bull include: Europa and the bull and Der Spiegel magazine cover.
APOSTASY (FALLING FROM CHRISTIAN FAITH) AND ANTI-SEMITISM (HATRED OF JEWS). Europe once was formed of Christian nations. Participation in Christ's church has fallen precipitously in recent decades. Some formerly Christian countries have only relatively few practicing and believing Christians. Several European countries have a damnable history of anti-Semitism, the worst example being the Nazi Germany Holocaust of the 1930s and 1940s. Status of nation-by-nation antisemitism may be read at: Antisermitism in Europe. Immediately after World War II ended, there was tempering of some of the public expression of hatred for Jews, but the former hatred has re-surfaced and intensified in several countries. Muslims from North Africa, Iraq, and Syria are immigrating in large numbers to European nations and reproducing at a faster rate than non-Muslims. This immigration has created a formidable pro-Islamic, anti-Christian, anti-Jewish political bloc— as well as an unknown number of terrorist cells.
POLITICAL AND MEDIA BIAS. Anti-Christian political and media bias have recently become public, vitriolic, and hateful of Christian and Jewish beliefs and practices.
PAVING THE WAY FOR THE ANTICHRIST. These examples indicate that the European Union is on its way to become a secular, non-Christian or anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, pro-Islamic confederation of nations. The Antichrist will need a powerful economic and military base with little religious conviction— and even animus toward Jews and Christians— to form his Satan-led government during the Tribulation. Such sentiment is rapidly growing in the EU.
