03.06.04. Appendix IV

Part IV The European Common Market

Under Antichrist there will be a one-world system, something which the world is rapidly moving toward today. Europe, for example, has been moving toward a "Common Market" system for years; and a number of the world’s leaders today are, for the first time, openly talking about and using the expression, "The New World Order."

Thus, though Antichrist will rule from the Middle East through ten Middle East Moslem nations, the European Common Market nations (which many Bible students erroneously see Antichrist ruling through) are not without prophetic significance. The nations in Europe are rapidly merging toward a unity which they have never had in the past, a unity which would allow the entire continent to merge quite naturally into Antichrist’s one-world system.

Europe, because of its heavy dependence on Middle East oil, could easily find itself in the position of being quite vulnerable surrounding the dictates of a Middle East ruler controlling this oil. Europe is far more dependent than the United States on oil from the Persian Gulf, and the United States itself is far from being in a position to escape such vulnerability, along with much of the remainder of the world.

Thus, if one man could control this flow, he could easily bring the European Common Market nations to their knees. And controlling a unified Middle East and Europe after this fashion, the remainder of the world could only lie at his doorstep. In this respect, the European Common Market nations may very well be the key which unlocks the door to Antichrist’s centralized worldwide government. That remains to be seen.

One thing though is certain. "The New World Order," with Europe as a main participant, is going to come to pass. It is no idle dream of man. It’s going to shortly be brought about through the actions of one man -- "Antichrist" -- whom the world presently awaits. And the stage is rapidly being set today for this man to make his appearance.

(Actually, "The New World Order," synonymous with a one-world system, is not new at all. Such a system had it’s organized beginning in Babylon over four millenniums ago, during the days of Nimrod [Genesis 10:8-10; Genesis 11:1-9]; and this same system will have its organized end in Babylon in the immediate future, during the days of Antichrist [Revelation 13:8; Revelation 13:16-17].

Thus, from the time of its inception to the time of its destruction, a system of this nature is, in reality, Babylonian, not European. But Europe, along with the remainder of the world, will be an integral part of this system in the end time.)