The Rise of an Empire – Part 1
TimeWatch Editorial
January 6, 2016
The events occurring in the European Union today have their roots in the dream of a Babylonian King. What we now know as the European Union began with “The Maastricht Treaty”, the Treaty that was intended to integrate Europe, which was signed February 7, 1992. Maastricht is of course the name of a city located in the Netherlands, where the document was signed.
But the European Union did not begin with the Maastricht Treaty. On April 18, 1951, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands signed an agreement called the ‘Treaty of Paris.’ This treaty created something called the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). Then, in 1957, the ‘Treaty of Rome’ was signed by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany. The official name of this Treaty of Rome was the “Treaty establishing the European Economic Community” or the TEEC.
Although this appeared to be a harmless attempt to strengthen the economies of the nations involved, these apparently innocent treaties were nothing less than the covert beginnings of the process of recreating a “Federal Europe,” a revived Holy Roman Empire. Listen to how Brendan Simms writing for the New York Times, on June 9, 2013 put it in his article entitled: ‘The Ghost of Europe Past.’ He says in the opening paragraph:
“The cheerleaders of the European Union like to think of it as an entirely new phenomenon, born of the horrors of two world wars. But in fact it closely resembles a formation that many Europeans thought they had long since left to the dustbin of history: the Holy Roman Empire.” Brendan Simms, ‘The Ghost of Europe Past.’ the New York Times, June 9, 2013.
The original Roman Empire came to an end in 476 A.D., when ten Germanic tribes, the Alemanni, the Franks, the Anglo-Saxons, the Burgundians, the Visigoths, the Suevi, the Lombards, the Heruli, the Vandals and the Ostrogoths, conquered and divided the empire. Rome had ruled the world approximately 643 years, beginning in the year 168 B.C. longer than any of the preceding dominant powers. Significant events began to take place almost immediately following the fall of the Empire. During the years 476 A.D. through 508 A.D, the Bishop of Rome sought to dominate what had been the Roman Empire, claiming that the Emperor Constantine had “bestowed vast territorial, temporal and spiritual power upon Pope Sylvester I, who reigned from 314 to 335, and his successors. This forgery was called, ‘The Donation of Constantine.”
The ‘donation’ carried great influence, territorially, politically and spiritually in the entire region. The Germanic tribes were forced into compliance with every demand of the Bishop of Rome. Eventually, three of the tribes were removed: The Heruli were removed in A.D.493, the Vandals were removed in 534, and the Ostrogoths were removed in 553. The remaining seven tribes the Alemanni–Germany, the Franks–France, the Anglo-Saxons–England, the Burgundians–Switzerland, the Visigoths –Spain, the Suevi–Portugal, and the Lombards–Italy, then formed the beginnings of the “Holy Roman Empire.” Notice the map below.
Stephen Haskell, in his book “The Story of Daniel the Prophet” using Daniel chapter seven’s description of the Papacy as the little horn says the following;
“The little horn had all the power of Babylon. In government it was an absolute monarchy, holding authority over all the thrones of Europe. Kings rose and fell at the dictates of Rome. From a religious viewpoint, it was the ruling power, dictating to the consciences of men, bringing them before its tribunal and peering into their very thoughts. The rack and the inquisition were its instruments, and no man escaped the scrutiny of the man's eyes in the little horn. The means by which this power was maintained was its system of education, which kept Europe in darkness for over one thousand years.” Stephen Haskell, “The Story of Daniel the Prophet “page 111.
For the next 1260 years the papacy maintained complete control of the entire region, spiritually, politically, economically and militarily until 1798, when General Berthier, upon the orders of Napoleon, took Pius VI prisoner. But the Papacy would rise again as we shall see in Part 2.
Cameron A. Bowen