Germany and France Agree on Another Step Toward a European Empire

Brexit is all over the news this week, and rightfully so. But there are other important events underway in Europe that we cannot ignore.

The push for a European Union army has also been in the news. But there is another push toward a European superstate going on right now that has received less attention.

On Friday, France and Germany agreed on new plans for a eurozone budget.

EU finance ministers met on Monday. They agreed in principle with the proposals, while not backing all of the details.

The EU aims to have a final agreement on the budget proposal next month. Mario Centeno, who chaired the meeting, called it a “breakthrough.”

And it is.

Think about what Europe needs to do to transform into a United States of Europe—acting almost as one massive nation like the U.S.A. It needs an army. It needs a single leader. Both factors we’ve discussed in recent weeks. But it also needs a single budget—a taxation and spending policy that covers the whole bloc. This has always been a fundamental part of any union. It’s not as eye-catching as a common army, but it is a fundamental part of the foundation to work together. It enables things like an EU army to be funded, and it makes it much harder for the different parts of the union to break off and go their separate ways.

The Franco-German plan would see this new budget financed by special EU taxes, as well as funds from national governments. It would be used to help with investment, infrastructure and maybe even national unemployment plans. France and Germany want it in place by 2021.

Over the weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met in Berlin. Macron spoke of a “Franco-German responsibility in preparing for the future and the refounding of Europe.” This budget plan is very much part of this “refounding of Europe.”

It is very controversial. This is about sharing money between nation-states, and no taxpayer is enthusiastic about having his money spent on other countries. So expect a lot of debate. It may well start small. But this is an important step toward the formation of a superpower.

In 1967, Herbert W. Armstrong forecast that we would see “the Common Market develop into a United States of Europe.” Over the following years, the Common Market made several important steps in that direction. Now, every week, we see more and more news about the final steps toward a United States of Europe.

Mr. Armstrong talked about this being an economic empire. In 1979, for example, he wrote that Europeans “desire a common currency, a single combined military force, a single united government.” He wrote that this would eventually happen. This is the process we’re seeing in our news every week.

He made these forecasts based on the Bible. Revelation 17:12 talks about “ten kings, which had received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast”—this coming empire. The next verse says that these kings “have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” They pool their power and strength: They have a common army. The next chapter goes on to talk about the economic part of this empire. When it finally falls, Revelation 18:11 tells us that all the merchants of the Earth mourn. That shows that it is an economic empire.

We’re watching that empire build before our eyes. There are key components of that empire yet to come—an emperor, for example—but keep watching.

You can learn more about this coming empire by reading our free book The Holy Roman Empire in Prophecy.