GREECE - New 6-Day Workweek Law
Greece enacted a new employment law that lays out a six-day workweek—at a time when dozens of other countries are increasingly seeing positive results from experiments with four-day workweeks.
The new system allows employers to decide unilaterally whether a worker should come in on a sixth day. It leaves intact rules that allowed the option of a six-day workweek, in which employees work 6.5 hours for a total of 40 hours weekly, as Greek public broadcaster ERTNews reports.
In one explanation, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ administration says that clearing the way to make six days of work mandatory was necessary due to “the twin perils of a shrinking population and shortage of skilled workers,” according to The Guardian, which cites statements from when the legislation was adopted last year.
The government also says that setting formal rules about a six-day workweek would fight the phenomena of undeclared work and also increase the income of employees, according to a message from the Labor Ministry in late June.
-www.npr.org, 5 July 2024
Arno's Commentary
This Mediterranean nation of only about 7 million population was accepted into the European Union on 1 January 1981. At that time, it became the 10th sovereign nation to join the EU.
Quite naturally, eschatology theologians believe this is reminiscent of the ten horns as described in the book of Daniel and in Revelation 13:1-2, 17:3,7,12-16.
The late John F. Walvoord states: “These passages either directly or by implication prophesy a ten-kingdom confederation which will be an important aspect of the end-time political situation. The question of whether this has already been fulfilled in the past or is subject to future fulfillment is an important issue in determining the Biblical prophetic program.”
Our understanding is that these “ten kingdoms” are diabolical entities and not modern, geopolitical nations. This is evident in Daniel 10; in his fourth night vision, he receives an answer to his questions about the end time. We read in verse 13: “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” Quite obviously, the princes and the kings are not physical, earthly entities, because no such one can oppose heavenly messengers. That, incidentally, also applies to the battle of Armageddon. We read in Revelation 17 of ten kings and ten horns. What is their goal? “These shall make war with the Lamb” (Rev. 17:14a). There is no power on earth—whether the USA, UK, France, China, Russia, Brazil—that can make war with the Lamb, because the Lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ, who cannot be touched with bullets, tanks, missiles, fighter planes, even nuclear bombs. In summary, we do not know the ten identities or how to allocate them to planet earth geographically.
Greece is significant in Bible prophecy; and more so, we have our New Testament, which was mostly if not entirely written in the Greek language.
But note the problem: The reason for the six-day workweek is “the twin perils of a shrinking population and shortage of skilled workers.” CBS News reports, “Trials of a four-day workweek in Iceland were called an overwhelming success by researchers in 2021 and many workers were moved to shorter hours…”
One thing can be said for Greece: “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work” (Exodus 20:9). Greece is going in the opposite direction from the rest of the industrialized world, particularly the US, where stores are quite often open 24/7. How successful this six-day workweek will be, only time will tell. But in the end, all nations of the world must unite in order to fulfill Bible prophecy, creating a truly globalist planet earth.
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
