Lesson 5

The Brussels Treaty was signed on 17 March 1948, by five nations-- Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and was the beginning of the unification of Europe. The Brussels Treaty Organization – as it was then called – provided for collective self-defense and economic, social and cultural collaboration between its signatories. On 23 October 1954, the Brussels Treaty was modified to include two more nations--the Federal Republic of Germany and Italy, thus being named the Western European Union (WEU). The aims stated in the preamble were:

"If any of the High Contracting Parties should be the object of an armed attack in Europe, the other High Contracting Parties will, in accordance with the provisions of Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, afford the Party so attacked all military and other aid and assistance in their power." (Article V)

"At the request of any of the High Contracting Parties, the Council shall be immediately convened in order to permit them to consult with regard to any situation which may constitute a threat to peace, in whatever area this threat should arise, or a danger to economic stability." (Article VIII.3)

In November 1988, a Protocol of Accession was signed by the WEU Member States adding Portugal and Spain, and the ratification process was completed in March 1990, thereby growing the WEU to 9 members--just one nation shy of the ten required in the prophecy.

Greece followed a similar process in 1992 and 1995 thus bringing the total WEU membership to exactly 10 Member Voting States. Fifty-six years after the Brussels Treaty was initially signed, the voting nations remain at 10, just as prophecy predicted.

WEU (Western European Union)--10 Member Voting States (modified Brussels Treaty – 1954) (also members of the EU and NATO)
Belgium (1948)	Germany (1954)
France (1948)	Italy (1954)
Luxembourg (1948)	Portugal (1990)
Netherlands (1948)	Spain (1990)
United Kingdom (1948)	Greece (1995)

Students of prophecy know that much more is happening here than what meets the eye at first. The formation of the Western European Union (WEU) is, in fact, another piece of the end-time puzzle slipping into place. Even secular observers are tapping into the prophetic undertones—undertones that can be traced back to the idea that the Western European Union (WEU), which began with the Brussels Treaty in 1948, is a step toward the fulfillment of prophecies about the ten-horned political beast in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. In the near future, the Russian Bear will attack three of the ten countries listed above, and then the little horn (Vatican) will emerge with supernatural success as the seat of power for the Antichrist, or Anti-Messiah. To visit the official Western European Union website, go to www.weu.int where you will find the treaties, articles and the list of 10 Member States, 6 Associate Member Countries, 5 Observer Countries, and 7 Associate Partners. You can learn about WEU's Assembly Recommendation 666, and the first powerful Foreign Minister, Javier Solana (pictured right), under the new European Union constitution-- click here.

Its rider was named Death, and hell [or "hades", the grave] follows close behind him. As in Daniel 7:7, John emphasized the appalling acts of the fourth pale horse and its rider. They are the most dreadful of the four horses and riders. This fourth military beast, identified as the Western European Union, kills and destroys. Wherever horse and rider goes, death and the grave follow close behind.

11. This military horse and rider are given power over how much of the earth? (Revelation 6:8)?

Notice that the horse and rider rule over one-fourth of the earth, which signifies that the rider rules a large and powerful kingdom at the end of time.

12. What four elements of punishment are used by the rider as seen in the verse above?

This terrible power kills with four Biblical judgments, which, in the Old Testament, God spoke against Israel if they would ever forget His Covenant: sword, hunger, death and wild animals. A student of prophecy might overlook the four judgments, but they are important in our understanding of last-day events.

"How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beasts, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters ... they shall come forth ... and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem," (KJV) Ezekiel 14:21-22.

Leviticus 26:14-16, 19 cautions, "If you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you will reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my Covenant [my Ten Commandments; Deuteronomy 4:13], then I will do this to you," (NIV).

In the verses that follow (Deuteronomy 4:16-22) the four judgments against Israel are clearly laid out. Moreover, if God's people forsake the Ten Commandments (and sadly, most will) God promised He would multiply His people's affliction "seven times over" (vs. 18, 21), which we see in Revelation as the seven trumpet punishments.

God committed to saving a remnant who will obey: "When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shall be obedient unto His voice (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) He will not forsake thee," (KJV) Deuteronomy 4:30-31.

Treaty of Economic, Social and Cultural Collaboration and Collective Self-Defense