Most people think the Christian Crusades are the thing of the past, but they are wrong. There is going to be a final crusade, and it is going to be the bloodiest one of all. Although they are called Christian Crusades, they were primarily as series of Roman Catholic "holy wars" much like the Islamic "jihad" today, to wrest and gain control of the Holy Land. Roman Catholic, Jews, and Muslims have spilled rivers of blood for control of Jerusalem, and they will do it again. Both sides fought bloody crusades in the name of God. Does it make any sense for God to be fighting on both sides?
In 1095 at the Council of Clemont Pope Urban II unleashed a savage Catholic army and started the later crusades. By summing an army under the banner of the cross, the Pope was extending the Church's mantle over all Christendom and the Crusade was to be its expression and its instrument. The Pope's army would rescue Jerusalem, the spiritual, and therefore the physical center of the universe. He hoped that the Church would directly rule the redeemed Jerusalem, so by Papal decree, every man who enrolled for the struggle must mark himself by 
wearing the cross. The Pope's method of raising an army, besides good pay, was that he could offer paradise, anyone who participated had all his sins forgiven. Therefore, to fight in the Papal cause was an obligation and made one righteous (a good example type for the mark of the beast). This smacks of Islamic decree today, the killing of Allah's enemies as righteous and the reward is paradise? What religion is less guilty in God's eyes? Any God fearing man knows that only God can forgive sins and offer paradise! The teaching of God is to love our enemies, even die for them, not kill them. But it is man's decree that provoked Arabs and Jews to massacre Catholics throughout history in a similar manner, all in the name of religion. How is it that the three monotheist religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have the same one God, yet use his name to kill each other?
The Pope's decree led to a number of indescribable brutal wars between Catholics and Muslims for two and a half centuries between 1096 and 1254. The last conflict was in 1270, but ended as the result of the rise of the Islamic Turkish Ottoman Empire that eventually occupied Asia Minor and at various times between the 1400 and 1900's parts of north Africa, southeastern Europe, and southwestern Asia. WWI ended the reign of the Ottoman Empire, and the British then seized control of Jerusalem until Israel's Independence in 1947.
The three great monarchies of Europe at the time were England, France, and Germany. The crusades occurred during the time of the German Holy Roman Empire, which account for the crusaders being mostly comprised of Germanic people of northwestern Europe, to includes Germans, Scandinavians, and English, their Indo-European languages customarily divided into East Germanic (Gothic), North Germanic (Scandinavian), and West Germanic (English, Dutch, and Frisian as part of the Netherlands). The majority of the crusaders were actually German. Ironically also, is the English language is derived from the German. 
In 1937 Mussolini granted the Vatican sovereign and independent status as the nation with the power to create its own army. I realize this private army guard is extremely small and acts as ceremonial only, but in the past, the Vatican has often "converted" people by the sword. And, in recent times, declassified documents show how the Vatican worked closely with the Nazis. The Catholic religion is the only religion on this earth to have status as a sovereign nation, and is recognized with all the privileges holding a seat in the UN. 
The fourth Crusade 1201-1204 was launched from a little Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which was captured by the Catholic crusaders during the third crusade. Crusaders attacked Alexandria, Egypt on their way to to the Holy Land. The victory was celebrated with unparalleled savagery. They spared no one. The native Christians and the Jews suffered as much as the Muslims. Merchants and householders who do not immediately hand over all their possessions were slaughtered with their families. Cyprus is like a bridge to Jerusalem. This tiny island is no stranger to foreign rule. Ancient Assyria (whose descendants are now modern Germany), Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Francs (France), the Venetians (Venice), the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), and Britain governed Cyprus in the past. It is now divided between the Turkish Cypriots in the north, and the Greek Cypriots in the south. Turkey is allied with the north and Greece is allied with the south. Greece is a EU member and Turkey is not. Cyprus, of recent years, looks more to the EU for its security. Since Cyprus is Christian surrounded mostly by Islamic Middle East, a union with Europe would provide the protection theory have been eagerly searching for. More than one crusade has been launched from Cyprus. Will we see the last crusade launched as well? Is history about to repeat itself?
Turkey, just north of Cyprus, has been a strong member of NATO for many years, yet a German-led EU rejected them from joining the EU, even though they have been applying since 1963. Cyprus is also on the list to join the EU and their chances look good. Why has the EU consistently rejected Turkey? Is it because Turkey is predominately Muslim? The Turks have sternly criticized Europe as a "Christian Association" unwilling to admit an Islamic member. They cite anti-Turkish discrimination in Germany, home to 2.5 million Turks, many of them migrant workers. Many Germans fear that EU membership for Turkey would prompt more Turks to move to the Fatherland for employment. With Turkey as a vital ally of the U.S. and an active member of NATO, and with its faltering relationships with the EU, many fear that Turkey will begin to turn from its Western alliance. There is a potential crisis in Cyprus. Already there are European troops in Cyprus under the auspice of UN peacekeeping forces. As the EU moves into Eastern Europe and the Balkans, repeating the history of the old Holy Roman Empire, it would seem inevitable, given the facts of Bible prophecy, that they will draw Cyprus into their fold as a bridge into the Holy Land. Britain currently manages two military bases in southern Cyprus that are vital in the Gulf war as they supply British and allied forces in the Persian Gulf, however; Prime Minister Tony Blair has stated that Britain is willing to give up British military bases in Cyprus in favor of a multinational force. Will this be UN, NATO, or EU forces?
And why does it look like tiny Cyprus will become a member of the EU? Is the EU already thinking about Cyprus as a launching base from which to protect their Jerusalem interests? You can be certain that the EU is thinking about how to protect Jerusalem. The have thought like this for almost 2,000 years. If this world truly understood what is happening in Europe, they would be trembling in fear.
Prophecy reveals that the end-time revised Roman Empire will ultimately be comprised of ten nations dominated by one in the guise of the EU. It will be mankind's system of things in politics, business, and religion identified as a man's name and number "666." It will repeated three times "woe, woe, woe" to those who will listen. The Vatican is part of his name identified as his imperfect bloody religion that is bonded with his imperfect politics and imperfect economical institutions striving towards one world government, economy, and religion. Today, already the EU is being called the Holy Roman Empire in parts of Europe, which has traditionally been the enemy of Islam.
Yet once again, the world is destined to see Islam pitched against Vatican-dominated Christianity in a "holy war" with Jerusalem as the prize. Cyprus is once again to figure predominately in one of these mighty battles for control of the strategic Middle East. The prophet Daniel revealed how past events unfolded and how end-time events will unfold concerning Cyprus. This old naval base that formed such a vital link in the European thrust to Jerusalem during the time of Rome, and during the time of the Crusades, will again see ships sent to do battle between a modern European power (king of the North) and a powerful Islamic force (king of the South).
One of the main tourist attractions in Jordan are the "castles of the Crusader." The catholics built most of them to war against Muslims and control Jerusalem. These castles are stark reminders of the bloody past. Where is it all leading? Bible prophecy tells that nothing is more important than to understand the history that is about to be repeated. The Jews have Jerusalem now since 1967, but not for long because both Islam and the Vatican have designs for Jerusalem. These two end-time great powers revealed as the king of the North (EU) and the king of the South (Islamic Coalition) are about to clash again, go head-to-head in the final crusade over Jerusalem. Their castles stand in stark reminder that they will be back!
Islamabo-Fascist Iran conducts major war games named "Road to Jerusalem" where between 150,000 and 500,000 soldiers participate. What could be more provocative? They are advertising their strategy to the world, not only by word, but by actions! Few people understand this Islamic passion for Jerusalem and its holy sites. These are kinds of passions that cause war! Iran is working fiercely to form a radical militant Arab coalition. Iran has virtually destroyed the Palestinian peace process single-handily, but still the world continues to talk peace. Iran and radical Islambo-Fascists don't want peace, and words will not deter them.
Fascist Iran supports subversive groups in various Islamic countries throughout the world such as the Hamas in Israel and the Hezbollah in Lebanon, while improving ties with Iraq and Egypt, and bonding close alliance with Moscow and North Korea. The U.S. attempt to isolate Iran is failing because the EU and most other nations do not support us. The U.S. is fighting against Biblical prophecy. Iran will get access to nuclear weapons, they believe America can be neutralized by nuclear terrorism.
Former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said, "We know but one word struggle, ... the jihad of the independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem." Jihad is the radical Islamic cry for holy war. They are going to get their war, but it is not going to be holy. It is going to lead to the worst suffering this planet has ever experienced. "And at the time of the end will the king of the South push at him, and the king of the North will come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; he will enter into the countries, and will overflow and pass over." Some radical Islamic countries are already claiming another Christian crusade has begun with the invasion of Iraq, but the are deceived! Still, they are gathering and becoming stronger as they begin to push others around in the Middle East. Soon they are going to push at the king of the North, or the so-called revived Roman Empire as the EU, the same religious power that was behind the crusades. And, then they will realize their push is the one that causes the final crusade.
The crusades are the Pope's work. Still, most people try to hide from this frightening reality. This is the main reason why the worst Papal crusade is yet to come. Mankind refused to believe the truth that God reveals. The world so quickly forgets, and because they do, the massive bloodshed will continue again because there is going to be one last and final crusade that will cause the worst suffering ever on this earth.
