by Michael G. Mickey
(3-15-08)

Recently, I commented on the potential of a Mediterranean Union envisioned by French President Nicolas Sarkozy coming into existence. Now, as we see in an EU Observer article:

EU leaders on Thursday (13 March) approved a watered-down version of a plan put forward by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for a grand Mediterranean Union stretching from Morocco to Turkey and aiming to foster cooperation with the EU's southern neighbours.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa called the proposal an "upgrade of the Barcelona process" – the mechanism currently regulating the relations between the EU and the Mediterranean countries – and said it had received support during the EU leaders' meeting in Brussels.

An upgrade of the Barcelona Process

So, now it appears that what we have moving forward is Nicolas Sarkozy's conceived Mediterranean Union coming into existence as an upgrade to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's Barcelona Process.

The Barcelona Process was initiated in 1995 when, as Javier Solana noted in a 2005 letter, "a solution of the Middle East conflict looked close at hand."

While reading Solana's 2005 letter will give one a decent understanding of the Barcelona Process, I found a letter written by Ana Palacio Vallelersundi in 2004 to be an easy-to-read explanation of the Barcelona Process that, in my mind, demonstrates how the European Union hopes to utilize the Barcelona Process to influence the stability, partnership and prosperity of the Mediterranean region through soft power (diplomacy and economic cooperation and integration) as opposed to strong power (military threat or sanctions).

As we look at Bible prophecy, the image of the revived Roman empire/new world order initially gaining power in the region in a gentle manner like that seems perfectly in line with what Bible prophecy seems to tell us is going to lead to the advent of the Antichrist through the confirmation of a seven-year covenant of peace in the Middle East between Israel and her enemies "with many" supporting him in achieving that seemingly unattainable goal by today's standards. (Daniel 9:26-27)

Palacio, a former Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs from July 2002-March 2004, is currently, according to Wikipedia, serving as a member of the international advisory board of the Council on Foreign Relations which is, as most who are actively watching for a new world order to emerge will tell you, a leading organization striving to bring that goal about.

That Palacio played a prominent role in the "evolution" of the Barcelona Process, within the framework of which the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was born, has been brought into the fold of the Council on Foreign Relations may prove quite telling, particularly if Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union is simply the latest spin on the part of the revived Roman empire of Bible prophecy to broaden its span of control en route to becoming the global Beast government of Antichrist we know is eventually going to devour the whole earth, tread it down, and break it in pieces. (Daniel 7:23)

With every passing day the prophetic scenario foretold in the Bible becomes more visibly plausible to those of us who are believers. Hopefully, the site's readership will continue to grow and, over time, many who are presently skeptical of the Word of God will begin to knock the dust off of Bibles that have been passed down to them as family heirlooms and actually read them. Maybe, if the Holy Spirit will give the words on this site greater life, many will come to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior this side of the Rapture of the Church, an event that more and more evidence continues to mount supportive of the possibility it could take place very soon!

In closing, everyone reading this site who is blessed to call yourself a born-again Christian? You need to write the promise of Luke 12:37 to your heart!

Luke 12:37: Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

If you want to be blessed - truly blessed - have an eye cast toward heaven in faithful anticipation of His return when the shout comes for us to leave this world! Today could be that day. If not, there is always tomorrow.