The UK has voted to leave the European Union and its Prime Minister David Cameron has announced his resignation:

June 24, 2016
LONDON—Britain has made a historic decision to leave the European Union in a referendum that stoked passions on issues of immigration and sovereignty, and prompted the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron.
“The British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction,” Cameron told reporters outside 10 Downing Street Friday.

Cameron said that transition should happen in October.

Analysts say voters’ stunning decision to quit the EU meant Cameron lost his mandate. The man who led the ‘Leave’ campaign, former London Mayor Boris Johnson – also of Cameron’s Conservative Party – is widely expected to replace Cameron as prime minister.
With all counties reporting results Friday morning, the ‘Leave’ cause won 51.89 percent of the vote. The news prompted a negative reaction in Asian markets and the British pound tumbled to a three-decade low.
Turnout was high, at 72 percent – the highest in a national poll in more than two decades – despite torrential rainstorms on referendum day, reflecting the strong feelings that the debate evoked in a nation whose immigration rate has doubled in the past 16 years. http://www.voanews.com/content/britain-votes-to-leave-european-union/3390308.html

Analysts were stunned because they walked by sight and not the Bible.

Talking heads on the news (who at first said the UK would vote no) said that the elites in London and elsewhere were out-of-touch with the what many of the regular people felt they were going through.

Britain in Prophecy: The British are People of the Covenant

In the Old Testament, many promises were made to descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and several of those promises were referred to as covenants (see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

As it turns out, the Hebrew term often translated as “covenant” in the Old Testament is “beriyth” and the word for “man” is “iysh” (Strong’s word #377, found in Isaiah 46:8)–together they are pronounced similar to the term “British.”

The expression translated as “covenant of the people” in Isaiah 49:8 is made up of the word “beriyth” and “am”, brit-am:

In Hebrew, Brit-am in northern dialects and in later spoken Hebrew would have become “Brit-aN” the final “m” being pronounced as “N”…Britain itself in old documents was sometimes rendered by the English as “Britammia” (Davidy, Yair. The Tribes, p. 413-414).
A most interesting fact is the Hebrew meaning of the names of the British people. The house of Israel is the covenant people. The Hebrew word for “covenant” is Beriyth, or berith. After Gideon’s death, Israel followed the false pagan god Baal. In Judges 8:33 and 9:4, the word “covenant” is used as a proper name coupled with the name “Baal.” This is quoted in the English text, Authorized Version, without being translated, as “Baalberith,” meaning (margin) “idol of the covenant.”
The Hebrew for “man” is iysh, or ish. In English, the ending “-ish” means “of or belonging to (a specified nation or person).” In the original Hebrew language vowels were never given in the spelling. So, omitting the vowel “e” from berith, but retaining the “i” in its anglicized form to preserve the “y” sound, we have the anglicized Hebrew word for covenant, brith.
The Hebrews, however, never pronounced their “h’s.” Many a Jew, even today, in pronouncing the name “Shem,” will call it “Sem.” Incidentally, this ancient Hebrew trait is also a modern British trait. So the Hebrew word for “covenant” would be pronounced, in its anglicized form, as brit.
And the word for “covenant man,” or “covenant people,” would therefore be simply “BRIT-ISH.” And so, is it mere coincidence that the true covenant people today are called the “BRITISH”? And they reside in the “BRITISH ISLES”! (Armstrong HW. The United States and Britain in Prophecy. WCG booklet)

Jacob/Israel foretold of great blessings to the descendants of his son Joseph (Genesis 48 & 49), Ephraim and Manasseh.

Jacob said that Ephraim’s “descendants shall become a multitude of nations (Genesis 48:19).

And that happened.

Notice what AB Robertson, who believed that Ephraim was England, reported about the expansion of the British Empire:

Let us look further at the wide world scope of this Colonisation. It embraces Four Great Groups, which already together dominate no inconsiderable share of the earth’s surface—1st, the North American ; 2nd, the Australian; 3rd, the West Indian; and 4th, the South African…
The following list shows at a glance the truth and importance of this 19th century expansion, following logically, be it observed, upon our Spiritual Revival, our victories over France, and the phenomenal increase of our population :—
Malta acquired by conquest 1800
Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land) organised 1803
Cape of Good Hope taken from the Dutch 1806
Ceylon acquired 1815
West Australia formed into a province 1829
South Australia formed into a province 1834
Hong Kong taken from the Chinese 1841
New Zealand made a separate colony 1841
The Punjab formally annexed 1849
Victoria formed into a province 1850
Second Burmese War: Pegu annexed 1852-53
Oude annexed 1856
India transferred to the Crown 1858
Queensland formed into a province 1859
Queen publicly proclaimed Empress of India 1876
Cyprus taken possession of 1878
New Guinea annexed by Queensland 1883
Upper Burmah annexed 1886 (Robertson AB. Ephraim-England: the sixth century revelation of the fruits of history. James Nisbet, 1886 Original from Harvard University, Digitized Dec 15, 2008, pp. 17-18)

So, there was a lot of territorial expansion of the British Empire. So much so, it was said that “the sun never set” on it.

Moses himself taught that God promised blessings to Joseph’s sons:

13 And of Joseph he said:
“Blessed of the LORD is his land,
With the precious things of heaven, with the dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
14 With the precious fruits of the sun,
With the precious produce of the months,
15 With the best things of the ancient mountains,
With the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’
17 His glory is like a firstborn bull,
And his horns like the horns of the wild ox;
Together with them
He shall push the peoples
To the ends of the earth;
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.” (Deuteronomy 33:13-17).

Thus, blessings were promised to these peoples. These are blessings that history seems to show were given to the British and American-descended peoples.

It should be mentioned that the covenants that God made with the descendants of Israel included both blessings AND cursings.

Because of biblical prophecies, it has long been the view of the Church of God that the UK would not be an equal member of the Beast power that will arise in Europe (Revelation 13), but instead will one day be taken over.

Now, it should be mentioned that the parliament of the UK still has to approve the vote. But presuming it does, the UK will be, in time, out of the European Union–though it wants to become part of the European Economic Area (EEA), like Norway is. Yet, a vengeful EU will try to decide how to handle this–it does not want the UK to look successful outside the EU.

This parting of the ways is something I have long expected.

Actually, back in the early 1990s, when I was vice president of an irrigation equipment manufacturer, I told our British sales representative, who was visiting the factory in California, that one day the UK would separate from Europe. He flat out told me that would not possibly happen. And he gave reasons, but they were not biblical ones–I told him he was in error. The Brexit vote shows that he, who was not part of the Church of God, was in error.

Notice that on June 26, 2007, (see Tony Blair a Catholic EU Leader?), I posted the following:

We in the COGs tend to believe that the final beast power will be nominally Catholic (see Europa and the Beast of Revelation)…we in the COGs do believe that Britain will pull out of the EU…

On August 18, 2012, related to the possible Brexit back then, I wrote:

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will not be an equal part of the European Union. Britain will either pull out or be forced out or at least truly lose its sovereignty. Many of the Anglo-peoples of the UK, USA, etc. that are not killed will to be scattered and many will be made slaves (Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?). That is what the Bible shows will happen during the Great Tribulation.
As far as this “Beast King” goes, he could possibly be the next EU president, but a restructure ultimately will be needed in Europe for the King of the North to have the type of power that the Bible indicate he will have (Revelation 17:12-13). The EU is not ready for that yet.
However, Tony Blair’s statements today are pointing to one more step towards certain biblical prophesies being fulfilled as he is realizing that the UK wants to pull out of the UK–and that is something will happen (directly or indirectly).
The final King of the North (Daniel 11:27-40) will take over the UK, USA, and their Anglo-allies according to Bible prophecy (cf. Daniel 11:39). While more people in the UK are starting to realize that the EU poses dangers to it, most have no idea how dangerous the rising Beast power in Europe will become (cf. Revelation 13:1-4; Daniel 11:39). Britain will ultimately NOT thrive as part of the EU but will be taken over by the final European Beast power. (Thiel B. Church of God News, August 18, 2012)

Today, Donald Trump commented on the vote:

June 24, 2016
Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump, in Scotland for a two-day business trip, today called the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union “purely historic,” after tweeting that supporters “took their country back.”
Trump compared the U.K. referendum vote, “dubbedBrexit,” to America’s presidential election. “People really see a big parallel,” he noted today at a news conference at his Turnberry golf course.
“What I like is that I love to see people take their country back. And that’s really what’s happening in the United States,” Trump said. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-calls-uk-vote-leave-eu-purely/story?id=40052314

Hillary Clinton also weighed in:

June 24, 2016
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said in a statement Friday that she respects the U.K.’s vote to leave the EU and that the first task for the U.S. must be to assure that the resulting economic uncertainty does not hurt Americans.
She also reaffirmed this country’s “steadfast commitment” to its “special relationship” with both Britain and Europe. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/06/24/after-brexit-vote-hillary-clinton-reaffirms-u-s-ties-to-britain-europe/

So what is next?

Well, on April 22, 2016, US President Barack Obama threatened to put the UK at the “back of the queue” for trade negotiations if it voted to leave the EU (see Germans again protest TTIP; Might Obama’s successor negotiate post-Brexit trade with the UK?). Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have taken a different view. Expect trade and other deals between the USA and UK.

Earlier this month, European Council President Donald Tusk warned that voting to leave the European Union may destroy “Western Civilization”:

Donald Tusk: Brexit could destroy Western political civilisation
June 13, 2016
European Council president Donald Tusk has warned that a UK vote to leave the EU could threaten “Western political civilisation”.” http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36515680

This Brexit vote marks a time of change. We are in the time that Jesus referred to as the “beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:4-8) and more troubles are expected:

8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

Expect to see violent civil unrest in Europe, for a time.

Despite Donald Tusk’s assertions, a unified Europe will lead to the end of the current Western political civilization according to biblical prophecy (Revelation 17:12-13). And what will end up in Europe will ultimately having to be destroyed by Jesus and replaced (cf. Revelation 17:14; Daniel 2:44).

Various ones are saying that this Brexit vote marks the end of the “European experiment,” but they are wrong.

They are ignoring Bible prophecy. Now, the Bible is clear that there will be problems in Europe:

41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. (Daniel 2:41-43)

But, Europe will arise and the world will marvel:

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:1-4)

While some may consider that the Brexit vote is a ‘deadly wound’ for Europe, Europe is not over and will arise.

Notice that the military power of the Beast was something that the world will marvel, be astonished about.

Why?

Because few truly thought that the European Beast power had the ability to rise up militarily.

It does not have that yet–but is working on it (see European Technology and the Beast of Revelation).

The Bible tells of coming reorganizations in Europe:

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13)

The USA will be destroyed:

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:39)

The ‘he’ is the European King of the North. The strongest fortresses in the 21st century belong to the USA, and to a much lessor degree, its British-descended allies. And these lands will be divided (see also Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? ).

The destruction that is coming will not be limited to the USA– the UK will be impacted.

While I believe that we need to primarily rely on prophecies from the Bible, there are predictions outside of the Bible that suggest that the Anglo-nations will be divided and scattered as well.

Notice, for example, these Catholic prophecies:

Mother Shipton (d. 1551) “The time will come when England shall tremble and quake…London shall be destroyed forever after . . . and then York shall be London and the Kingdom governed by three Lords appointed by a Royal Great monarch…who will set England right and drive out heresy (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 163).
Saint Cataldus of Tarentino (c. 500): “The Great Monarchwill be in war till he is forty years of age….he will assemble great armies and expel tyrants from his empire. He will conquer England and other island empires” (Connor E. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p.30).
St. Columbine (d. 597): …the English shall be defeated…After the English shall be defeated…they shall be harassed by every quarter; like a fawn surrounded by a pack of voracious hounds, shall be the position of the English amidst their enemies. The English afterwards shall dwindle down to a disreputable people (Culleton, pp. 131,132).
St. Senanus (d. 560): They (English) themselves will betray each other: in consequence their sovereignty will be broken…One monarch will rule in Ireland over the English (Culleton, p. 128).

Hence, at least one Catholic prophecy shows that the United Kingdom will be divided up (among Europe) and another that the English shall be harassed all over. Notice that they are to be taken over by a “Great Monarch” (who seems to be the same person as the King of the Northof the Bible) and possibly be under Irish domination. According toCatholic prophecy the Great Monarch will be the leader of the revived European “Holy Roman Empire.” (Perhaps it should be mentioned that the nation was not known as “England” when two the above prophecies were given–hence they seem to be a reference to the Anglo-derived peoples as opposed to only the area known now as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland–which also includes Wales and Scotland).

The Bible shows after problems happen, the UK peoples will try to make another deal with the Europeans, prophetically sometimes referred to as the Assyrians (cf. Isaiah 10).

Notice that in Hosea 12:1, Ephraim tries to make a deal with the Assyrians:

1 Ephraim feeds on the wind, And pursues the east wind; He daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians. And oil is carried to Egypt.

And in Hosea 7:11-12 Ephraim also tries to make a deal with Egypt and Assyria. This deal seems to be made after the USA has been eliminated or is on its way out.

11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense—They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria. 12 Wherever they go, I will spread My net on them; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will chastise them, According to what their congregation has heard.

There is nothing that I am aware of in world history that shows that Ephraim calls to Egypt after Hosea was written in a manner to fulfill that prophecy. Since this is a prophecy that must come to pass (this is one more reason why I believe the Bible supports the concept that the King of the North invades the U.S.A. and its English-speaking allies before it invades the King of the South).

Notice that Ephraim will eat unclean things in Assyria:

3 They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land, But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, And shall eat unclean things in Assyria. (Hosea 9:3)

These verses in Hosea suggest that the Ephraimites (United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) and the Jews (modern Israel) think they should get some protection from Assyria (Germany), probably because the U.S.A. (Manasseh, Israel?) was the primary reason the King of the North attacked the strongest fortresses and/or because they have made various treaties.

Furthermore, it shows that one of the reasons that Israel, including Ephraim, is swallowed up is because they trusted Assyria. Assyria is a people who Isaiah 10 shows will destroy nations.

In the Bible, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Judah are also prophesied to turn on each other to some degree (Isaiah 9:21).

This seems to be consistent also with a Catholic prophecy:

St. Senanus (died 560): They (English) themselves will betray each other… (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p. 128)

Hosea 10:9-11 suggests that Ephraim and Judah will be forced into hard labor, perhaps around this time as well; while 11:1-8 says that Assyria will be the king of Ephraim and Israel, because they refused to repent, and that the sword will devour their cities.

The last verse in Hosea (14:9) begins with:

9 Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them.

Note that the word translated as “prudent” above is the same Hebrewbiyn that is in Daniel 11:33/35 as understanding. Since I believe that the Philadelphian portion of the Church is to have the wise and prudent, I believe that Hosea is giving more insight as to why it may be tied into Daniel 11.

Amos makes it clear that a sinful nation will be destroyed and its people scattered:

8 “Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” Says the Lord. 9 “For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground. (Amos 9:8-9)

Amos 9:10 makes it clear that those who overlook these prophecies will suffer:

10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’ (Amos 9:10)

But although many will be killed, this scattering and captivity will end:

47 Save us, O Lord our God, And gather us from among the Gentiles…(Psalms 106:47)
11 For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’ (Jeremiah 30:11)
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’ 11 For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, And ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he. (Jeremiah 31:10-11)
16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.”‘ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”‘ 18 And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19 Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11:16-21)
33 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. 36 Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God. (Ezekiel 20:33-36)
25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. 27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. 29 I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. 30 Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord God.’” (Ezekiel 34:13-30)
21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God. 24 “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. (Ezekiel 37:21-24)
22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into captivity. (Lamentations 4:22)

The passages from Ezekiel were never fulfilled by the Jews returning to the Middle East. It is a prophecy for the future. And it will come to pass.

The time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), also known as the Great Tribulation, is coming. The UK will be affected by it.

The UK will one day be taken over by a European power and its peoples made slaves.

But God will end that captivity when He establishes His kingdom. That last part is the good news of the Kingdom of God.

That is what the Bible says and the analysts overlook.

http://www.cogwriter.com/news/prophecy/uk-votes-yes-to-leave-the-european-union-what-is-now-prophesied-to-happen/

News presenter: John Hickey