The Season of “Anschluss”
July 29, 2021 12:53 PM
Anno.Domini.144K
July 29, 2021
One morning a few days ago, the Holy Spirit spoke the word “Anschluss” in my ear. It sounded like a German word, and I’ve never studied German. So later that morning, I looked up the word’s definition. In German, the word means “union,” “joinder,” “connection,” “unification” and “political union.” The word’s historical significance is that it refers to the union of Austria with Nazi Germany in 1938 accomplished through annexation by Adolf Hitler.
After giving me the word of knowledge, “Anschluss,” the Holy Spirit made it clear to me that several world powers, including China and Russia, would soon “annex” territories they once possessed where many of their “brothers” still live. Simply reviewing historical maps can reveal what these territories are and how they will become targets for repossession by military and other political means.
Note: Here’s a short history lesson for context. For many years, Hitler had envisioned a future “Greater Germany” that would include states that had been German in the past and still had citizens of German ancestry. In 1936, he created a Four-Year Plan to militarize Nazi Germany to enable it to wage war on a global scale by 1940. But he soon realized that to meet steel production targets, he needed the iron ore mines and raw materials of Austria in addition to the funds of its central bank. So, by any means necessary, but trying to give the public impression of legitimacy, the Nazi Party waged a multi-year campaign to gain control of Austria. Only weeks before the Anschluss, in a radio speech, Hitler tried to cast his intentions to invade Austria in a humanitarian light. He stated, “The German Reich is no longer willing to tolerate the suppression of ten million Germans across its borders.” Under much pressure, and “to avoid the shedding of fraternal blood,” two successive Austrian Chancellors resigned within a two-day period, letting the Austrian Nazi politician Arthur Seyss-Inquart take power. When on March 12, 1938, the troops of the German Wehrmacht’s 8th Army entered Austria, they encountered no opposition because Austria’s new Nazi Chancellor had ordered the Austrian Armed Forces not to resist.
Matthew 24:6-13 (NIV)
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
