Who is America’s staunchest friend and ally? Most Americans, at least those well versed in U.S. history and foreign policy, would easily and quickly reply Britain. Others might guess Israel, Canada or Australia.

These are all logical, reasonable answers grounded in historic fact.

They are also wrong, at least according to the Obama administration.

‘Partner of First Resort’

On February 2, Vice President Joe Biden delivered the keynote address to European leaders and statesmen gathered for the annual Munich Security Conference. Although many people do not take Joseph Biden seriously, his office is not insignificant. The vice president is an extension of the president, and therefore a reliable yardstick of America’s direction and future.

Mr. Biden’s message to Europe was clear and candid: Europe is America’s staunchest ally, and we need you to take on global leadership and responsibility, now!

“Simply put,” he said, “President Obama and I continue to believe that Europe is the cornerstone of our engagement with the rest of the world, and is the catalyst for our global cooperation. It’s that basic” (emphasis added throughout).

One of the vice president’s next statements was especially interesting: “Believe me when I say that I realize how difficult this is with an economy having slipped back into recession last year and the ever present temptation to back away from commitments on defense spending. But I also know that maintaining our capabilities is what enables us to advance our common global agenda. That’s just one reason why a strong and capable Europe is profoundly in America’s interest, and I might add, presumptuously, the world’s interest.”

Basically, he invited Europe to increase its military capacity, and assume more global leadership!

Biden also praised France, Germany and other European states for taking the lead in confronting radical Islam in Mali and North Africa. “Europe remains essential to that entire effort,” he stated. He then affirmed, yet again, that “Europe is the cornerstone of [America’s] engagement with the world, and Europe is the catalyst—our catalyst for global cooperation.” A few minutes later he stated, “Europe remains America’s indispensable partner of first resort.”

“Partner of first resort”? Really? What happened to Britain and the Commonwealth states? Less than seven decades ago, America and the British Commonwealth fought together to defeat Hitler and rescue France and the rest of Europe from the jaws of Nazism. When radical Islam struck America on Sept. 11, 2001, Britain proved to be America’s most reliable ally.

The White House is aware of America’s historic partnership with Britain. It didn’t accidently omit Britain from Mr. Biden’s address. This was simply the latest in a series of signals the Obama administration has sent—for example, President Obama purging the White House of the Churchill bust gifted to the U.S. from Downing Street—showing that it finds the U.S.-Britain relationship repugnant!

Further on, Mr. Biden stated, “Time and again, when it comes to a search for partners in this extremely complex world, Europe and America still look to each other before they look anywhere else.”

Since when? President Roosevelt didn’t look to Europe for partners during the Second World War. He looked to Britain, then together they saved Europe!

Building an Economic NATO

Ten days after Mr. Biden’s address in Munich, the White House again reached out to Germany and Europe. This time it was President Obama himself, during his annual State of the Union address, announcing that he would attempt to form what has often been called “an economic nato.”

President Obama pledged that America and the EU would negotiate the biggest trade deal in history, forging the world’s largest free trade area. Such a deal, he claimed, would be hugely beneficial to both America and the EU. In fact, experts believe it would add 0.5 percent to the annual growth of the EU’s economy by 2027—an extra €86 billion (us$115 billion) a year. For the U.S., the benefit would be 0.4 percent—or $87 billion (€65 billion).

In practical terms, the deal would include America and Europe removing tariffs on the other’s products. Both sides would also harmonize regulations and address differences in intellectual property and labor laws. The end goal would be that a car, for example, produced in the U.S. would not have to undergo any significant modifications in order to conform to the EU’s safety standards, and vice versa. This would significantly lower the cost of selling goods to the other.

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said at a February 13 press conference that “this negotiation will set the standard—not only for our future bilateral trade and investment, including regulatory issues, but also for the development of global trade rules.“

This could be a huge development. Once America and the EU establish a standard, it would effectively become the world standard—because other nations would have to comply if they wanted to trade with the U.S. and the EU. And if Europe gains the upper hand in its negotiations with the U.S., it will become the global pacesetter. And Europe is very good at gaining the upper hand. For example, every country in the world except America, Burma and Liberia uses Le Système International as its official system of measurement. No prizes for guessing where that comes from.

A successful agreement is not a forgone conclusion. Harmonizing regulation means months of painstaking negotiation, while entrenched lobby groups of farmers, lawyers and businesses try to bend the rules in their favor. But even if the two parties fail, this renewed push toward a free trade deal is another facet of America’s growing affection for Europe.

Can you see what’s happening here? America is tired and run down, and it’s reaching out to Europe for help. The U.S. no longer has the will to lead the world politically and militarily. It would prefer it if Europe absorbed those responsibilities. The U.S. can no longer maintain its economic and financial supremacy alone, so it is trying to forge an alliance with Europe.

And what if Europe emerges the victor in negotiations, and uses the giant free trade area to impose its regulatory standards on the world? The White House won’t mind because it believes Europe shares America’s values!

Doting on the Enemy

The Trumpet parses world news in the context of Bible prophecy. Mr. Biden’s outreach to Europe and America’s effort to develop closer trade relations with Europe, namely Germany, bring to mind an end-time prophecy recorded in Ezekiel 23.

This fascinating chapter describes end-time relations between biblical Israel (America and Britain today), and Assyria (Germany) and Chaldea. Verse 5 reads, “And Aholah [referring to biblical Israel, America and Britain] played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians [Germany] her neighbors.”

“Dote” is a somewhat antiquated term. The Oxford Dictionary defines it, “to be extremely and uncritically fond of,” or “to be silly, or feeble-minded.” The meaning of the Hebrew word for “dote” is “to have inordinate affection or lust” for. What an apt description of America’s quest to deepen its trade relations with Europe. And its invitation to Germany and Europe to increase military capabilities and take on more global leadership and responsibility!

It may sound politically incorrect and callous—at least here in the West, where “tolerance” prevails and we ignore the realities of human nature and national character—but the history of Europe, and especially Germany, demands great caution and skepticism. Moreover, in recent decades, globalization and technology—and a resulting fleeting dalliance with prosperity—have appeared to minimize the destructive forces of nationalism and the pursuit of self-interest.

But now, as financial crises besiege all nations, the preservation of self is once again gripping national governments and populaces around the world. Nations are rapidly arming themselves, securing resources and aggressively forging powerful new alliances in an effort to brace themselves for the emerging new world order.

Yet, here we are watching “silly,” “feeble-minded” America abdicating its position at the helm, coddling former enemies, and handing the world over to Germany!

What will come of this tryst with Germany and Europe? God reveals the answer in verse 9: “Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.” Ezekiel 23 shows a perverse relationship between these two nations that ends with Germany, after gaining America’s trust and support, fatally betraying the U.S. in a tragic double cross.

That will sound far-fetched to the liberal, “tolerant” mind. But you watch, it is going to come to pass, just as so many of our other Bible-based forecasts have!

In 2005, the Trumpet wrote the following about this prophecy: “Over the next few months and years, watch for America to increasingly become ‘lovers’ with Germany, foolishly looking to the greatest war-mongering nation in history for friendship, peace and safety. Fooled by rhetoric, America will lie vulnerable to German betrayal.”

It’s getting easier with each passing week to see that we are living in the end time. Bible prophecy is being fulfilled at a remarkable pace. You cannot continue to ignore this reality much longer. Respond to the urgency of the times, to the remarkable fulfillment of prophecy, by investigating God’s powerful truth more deeply.