It is a saying to 'beware of Greeks bearing gifts'. In Greek legend Troy was taken by the Greek gift of a wooden horse. Interpreted as a peace gift, the people of Troy even put wheels on the wooden horse to take it within their gates, where famously the Greeks emerge while the people of Troy are celebrating 'peace'.
Greek reputation was captured by Sophocles (440 BC), in Ajax: “Nought from the Greeks towards me hath sped well. So now I find that ancient proverb true, Foes' gifts are no gifts: profit bring they none.”
Greece is part of Europe and ancient Greece has its legacy as a key part of Daniel's image. They were the torso of bronze, the belly of the image. Greece is one of the 12 foundation nations of the European Union (2 of whom did not join the Euro making 10 nations, ten toes).
Greece has not had a good relationship with Israel (as Turkey was friendly with Israel), however now Greece seeks to be part of the Middle East peace process.
No official of Greece has ever visited Israel since its beginning. On the 22 of July 2010 the Greek PM turns up in Israel to talk to Israel's President Peres and says,
“I am happy to be here…I am here in my double capacity, as President of the Socialist International and as Prime Minister of Greece. But the main thing is that for the first time a Greek Prime Minister visits Israel, since its recognition. It is important that we develop the bilateral cooperation, the regional cooperation in the broader region of Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East and there are many issues on which we can cooperate in order to promote peace,” Papandreou also said.
Immediately after his talks with Peres, the prime minister visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and met with the Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos III, who decorated Papandreou with the Cross of the Holy Sepulchre.
“We offer this Cross and we wish success in your task,” Patriarch Theophilos said. http://en.sae.gr/?id=20211&tag=Visit+of+Greek+PM+George+Papandreou+in+Israel
The gift that Greece wishes to present is peace. But such a peace is with “this Cross”
Greece could help mediate peace agreements between Israel and its neighbors, its prime minister, George Papandreou, told Haaretz in an interview on Friday. ....Asked if Greece would offer to mediate between Israel and Syria, he said "my father [a former prime minister] and I traditionally had close relations with many Arab leaders in the area. Yes, we could help. We won't impose ourselves but yes, we could help, it's in our interest and the interest of the Middle East."
He said,
I've been thinking of forging closer ties with Israel for about two years. This is not my first visit to Israel. As chairman of Pasok [the Panhellenic Socialist Movement his father founded], I've had warm ties with the sister parties - Labor and Meretz - as well as the Palestinian sister parties - PLO and Barghouti's party."
But Papandreou picks his words carefully. First, because he is called "the American," having been born to an American mother and having spent years abroad.
Second, because he is not interested in upsetting the fragile balance of power between Israel, Turkey and Greece; he is even less interested in spoiling the small improvement he achieved in his country's relations with Turkey over the past year.
Third, because the word "occupation" is a red rag to his voters, and as long as Israel does not withdraw from the occupied territories they won't hear of it as an ally.
On the eve of his trip to Cyprus, which marked 36 years of Turkish occupation, he told the Greek media "it is time to close the wound of the occupation." He also called on Turkey to demonstrate political goodwill for a just arrangement on the divided island.
As for the Israeli occupation, Papandreou says his position is clear. "We want to see the end of the occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state, a stable and viable state that would live in full cooperation and peace with Israel," he said. "Eventually it will be the best guarantee for Israel's security." http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/greek-pm-to-haaretz-we-could-help-mediate-middle-east-peace-agreements-1.303504
As we know the land to be given to the 'Palestinians' is the very core of the land promised to the fathers of Israel (see here). In this is an emergence of Greeko-European rapprochement with Turkey. As Russia now is guard to Europe through gas deals and Turkey is Russia's key to the Mediterranean, this is highly significant. Turkey allowed an Orthodox Christian mass to be held for the first time recently.
But Israel perhaps does not realise it for what it is and Netanyahu went to Greece,
Papandreou met with Netanyahu on Monday afternoon, after speaking (my italics) Sunday by telephone with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, his office said. http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=184944
Papandreou had lobbied for a role in Mideast negotiations during his previous tenure as foreign minister nearly a decade ago. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/in-greece-netanyahu-urges-patience-on-new-mideast-peace-talks-1.308349?localLinksEnabled=false
Though the Greek leader has the backing of the Quartet including the USA, there will be no success. It just so happens that the situation is underlined by the fact that just at that time the Israeli embassy staff in Greece went on strike,
Israeli foreign ministry staff are in a dispute with management over pay and conditions and Haaretz quoted an unnamed union official as saying that staff in Israel's Athens embassy would boycott Netanyahu's trip.
"The ambassador will not meet the prime minister at the airport and nobody from the foreign ministry will lift a finger for this trip," the official said. http://www.france24.com/en/20100812-israeli-agents-working-netanyahus-greece-visit-media
The trip, they thought, could not be cancelled, but the situation shows that Yahweh's way will be maintained, even if Israel's leader goes against it. The Greeks bearing a cross and gifts of “peace” will not prosper.
Greece's role now fulfils a prophecy which the literal understanding would have puzzled us, until now,
Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head; Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things: The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border. Behold, I will raise them out of the place where ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head: And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it. Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: (Joel 3:4-9)
We see now how this is to be fufilled as the inheritors of Tyre (The Greek leader is half American), the South Lebanese and Palestinians are seeking to take of the increase that Yahweh has given Israel, and seeking to sell Judah and Jerusalem into the hands of the Greeks. Their aim is even now to expel all the Jews from Judea and Samaria (particaulry Judea) which is called the West bank.
There are many Greek ships, as their merchant fleet of mostly second hand vessels is among the largest in the world. It seems from the prophecy that quite literally in the future Judea and those two thirds taken in the siege of Jerusalem will be 'sold', and taken away in Greek ships. Greece has stepped forward now.
Then in a symmetrical action, when Messiah has conquered, from where they are taken and from diaspora the ships of the merchants of Tarshish will bring them back, to Judah and Jerusalem,
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified thee. (Isaiah 60:8-9)
And of Jerusalem,
For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. (Isaiah 66:16-22)
For more Sons of Greece Sons of Zion
We were asked what early documents establish that Rosh of Ezekiel 38 is Russia. The answer is in 2 parts, as we explain the trajectory from fulfilled prophecy in history to prophecy yet to be fulfilled.
The Revelation 12 Sign
There is much written about the sun, moon and planets aligning on in September 2017. We have many reasons for suspecting that 2017 will be a prophetically significant year, and the time of the Jewish feast of Sukkot could be more significant than any other time, but we need to understand the scripture before we consider the stars.
There is a great sense that the British are about to sail on the winds of change, and cast off the European shackles which have reduced trade and it's competitive edge. There is a reason why it's 'now', as it is spoken of in the Bible.
As the world becomes focussed on Israel and Jerusalem, with even nations leaders who remote from Israel having an opinion, we might consider that it is said that those who touch Jerusalem, touch God's eye.
