The Big Story: Growth of German Influence
Acres of newsprint have been spread across the world explaining and expounding various aspects of the eurozone crisis. The focus of these magazine and newspaper articles has generally centered on the massive debt problems now dogging Italy, Greece and Spain—and the resultant economic dangers to Europe, the United States and the world at large.
Largely overlooked are the potential opportunities that have opened up for Berlin. Crises often bring opportunity as the German Chancellor has already recognized. In an October gathering in Frankfurt, Angela Merkel stated: "There is opportunity in every crisis" (The Spectator, November 12, 2011).
Last year she said: "We must re-establish the primary of politics over the markets." Very hard to do, but even the structure of the undemocratic European Union in itself may provide vast opportunities for elitist control by a handful of people. The democratically-elected European Parliament has generally been viewed as a mere rubber-stamp body for the much more powerful, unelected European Commission.
More importantly, an informal Frankfurt group has been formed in order for the financial elites of Europe to wield power behind the scenes. Chancellor Merkel and President Sarkozy attended a recent meeting in the famous Old Opera House, now becoming symbolic of European rebirth. The Spectator labelled this particular group as "a new EU hit squad." The German and French leaders have grown weary of costly, unproductive EU meetings that go virtually nowhere because of too many participants.
Some have even credited the German Chancellor and the French President with being the behind-the-scenes actors in effectively removing the elected leaders of Greece and Italy and replacing them with bureaucratic technocrats.
Where is Europe really headed from here? The November-December 2011 issue of The Good News magazine features an article showing how German power and influence has expanded on the European continent. The title is: "Europe's Troubles: Setting the Stage for Prophecy's Fulfillment." This article shows how Bible prophecy reveals the real meaning behind European current affairs. Unbeknownst to most people, the severe economic megaproblems in Europe may be a prime factor in producing a new dictatorial European Superstate that will astonish the world.
Jesus Christ told us to watch what's going on in the world (Luke 21:34-36: Mark 13:32-37). Be sure to read and study every issue of The Good News magazine, whether online or in print. You can read past issues on world affairs as they relate to Bible prophecy in our online archives.
Course Content
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
