The following article was written and published only one year before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, during the second term of Ronald Reagan while the Soviet Union still existed and was led by Mikhail Gorbachev. The tearing down of the wall and subsequent reunification of Germany was such an unexpected and earth-shaking event that analysts and news organizations were breathlessly falling all over themselves to grapple with the new reality and what it would mean for Europe, Russia and the world. Portions of the article we didn’t include dealt with the bleak state of political and economic affairs in Russia, and the opportunity for a reconfiguring of Europe as east-block nations broke away from communist totalitarianism.
Since that time we’ve seen the rise of the European Union dominated by the economic and political power of Germany, and the creation of the single currency, the euro. Under the quasi-socialist doctrines of Europe several of the southern nations have teetered on the brink of bankruptcy requiring the renegotiation of debt in addition to outright bailouts with political strings attached. Open borders between member nations of the EU was supposed to have contributed to greater economic opportunity for all, and it might have worked out that way if not for the massive influx of millions of Muslims into all the European nations, courtesy of Germany and its Prime Minister Angela Merkel. The recently installed pope’s romanticism of “poor immigrants” undoubtedly played a part in the welcoming of a vast and unruly population that has spawned numerous terrorist attacks in France, Belgium, Germany, and a crime wave of rapes, assaults and robberies that, along with serious economic instability, now threaten the political fortunes of the EU.
This article goes right to the heart of end-time Bible prophecies, and a central power in the heart of Europe that will hold sway over much of the world. Once again, the world was stunned to see the British vote themselves out of the EU. The combination of economic weakness and Muslim influx were both potent issues that contributed to that outcome, and once again readers of our letters and publications were NOT surprised even though the world at large was caught off guard. Europe is in for more upheaval before the prophecies contained in this article are fulfilled. But the British exit out of the EU was foretold and expected, and will no doubt be seen to have contributed to further changes ahead for Europe.
As many articles in these pages have repeatedly emphasized, the BEAST John saw in vision represents a common union of TEN NATIONS in the same general region as the previous resurrection of the Roman Empire down through history. God’s angelic messenger said to John, “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings [symbols of nations; governments; dictators or absolute rulers over countries], which have received NO KINGDOM as yet [the precise time in which WE LIVE, in Bible prophecy!]; but receive power as kings one hour [perhaps only a year, or a very few years] with the beast.
“These have one mind [a united policy], and shall give their power and strength [the powers of kings or dictators is absolute: this means their combined economic, industrial, military might] unto the beast [pooling the combined might of TEN great nations].
“THESE SHALL MAKE WAR WITH THE LAMB, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:12-14).
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The time element of this prophecy is impossible to misunderstand! Notice the ten nations come together to form a supranational conglomeration of nations –– called, figuratively, “the beast,” just before the second coming of Christ!
It is this BEAST power that is used to bring about the GREAT TRIBULATION on the western world –– particularly the time of the national punishment to come against God’s people in the United States and Britain, together with northwestern Europe and the Commonwealth countries!
Jesus said, “For then shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, no, nor ever shall be.
“And except those days should be shortened [supernaturally cut short by God’s intervention!], there should no flesh be saved [all humanity would be annihilated!]: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:21, 22).
The Tribulation is described as a UNIQUE time; totally unprecedented. Now, notice, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for thy people [Daniel’s people were the people ISRAEL]: and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time…” (Daniel 12:1).
There cannot be TWO such times! This is describing the SAME time of GREAT TRIBULATION as that described by Christ! Notice that the tribulation is coming specifically on ISRAEL!
“Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it [the SAME TIME; the time of TRIBULATION]: it is even the time of JACOB’S TROUBLE; but he shall be saved out of it!” (Jeremiah 30:7).
Jacob is ISRAEL! Dying Israel, however, crossed his hands, blessing his grandchildren Ephraim and Manasseh, the two children of Joseph, saying, “… and let MY NAME be named on THEM …” (Genesis 48:16). Jacob is, primarily, EPHRAIM and MANASSEH, Britain and the United States!
Notice the prophecy says Ephraim and Manasseh will be under a YOKE, like a harnessed ox; a symbol of SLAVERY! “For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Eternal of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him [Israel reduced to performing servant’s work for an occupying power!]” (Jeremiah 30:8).
Now, WHO will lay this YOKE of slavery on our peoples? Listen! “Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, the lady of kingdoms. I was wroth with my people [the coming tribulation], I have polluted mine inheritance and given them into thine hand: thou didst show them no mercy; upon the ancient has thou very heavily LAID THY YOKE” (Isaiah 47:5-6).
This “daughter of Babylon”; the “lady of kingdoms,” who claims, “I AM, and none else beside me” [a blasphemous claim!] is described as a great MOTHER CHURCH!
Notice! “… I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow [she is ‘married’, politically and spiritually], neither shall I know the loss of children [she has protesting daughters who come out from her]” (Isaiah 47:8).
Turn to and read the 27th chapter of Revelation. Here, that same great “lady of kingdoms,” or a “mother church” which has political concourse with the governments of this world, is described! “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore [God labels political intercourse between church and state WHOREDOM] that sitteth upon many waters [many peoples; nations] with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
“… I saw a woman [symbol of a false church] SIT UPON A SCARLET COLORED BEAST [the woman controls the beast; rides upon it, steers it, directs it!], full of names of blasphemy [‘holy’, etc.] having seven heads [the Roman Empire has had SEVEN distinct empirical eras] and ten horns [the final ten national dictators, or kings].
“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
“And upon her forehead was a name written, ‘MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH’ ” (Revelation 17:1-5).
An ancient limerick is perhaps a convenient analogy. It goes:
“There once was a lady from Niger, who smiled as she rode on a tiger, they returned from the ride with the lady inside, and the smile on the face of the tiger.”
Notice this “daughter of Babylon” is the great false church, having concourse with many governments, who RIDES, controls, the BEAST! It is a Church-State marriage!
Which great universal church is called the “MOTHER” church? And which nation, unique among nations, is called, NOT the “motherland,” but the Fatherland?
Now read Revelation 17:15-18! God says the ten governments who do the whore’s bidding will “HATE the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast [all ten nations, at the behest of the great false church, will AGREE to a multinational union!] until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth!” (Revelation 17:18)
What city has had the power to set up and depose kings? Which city is it that has seven famous hills (Revelation 17:9) and which is the headquarters of an ancient mystery religion; with the symbols of ancient Babylon in her liturgy and her rituals?
Now, notice! “O Assyrian [Germany!], the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him [Germany!] against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets … yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease [the great tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble, will be over!], and mine anger in their destruction … And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing [at the second coming of Christ]” (Isaiah 10:5-27, excerpted).
An unholy marriage is to occur between the great false church and the ten nations in Europe. The leading nation to be the instrument of God’s punishment against sinning Israel is ASSYRIA, which is identified as modern Germany! Germany is the FATHERland; Rome represents the MOTHER church! The YOKE of slavery is laid upon God’s people by TWO powers; both Assyria and the “lady of kingdoms,” of Isaiah 47!
Notice the vision Daniel interpreted for Nebuchadnezzar! The final ten toes of the great image, which represented the successive world-ruling empires from Nebuchadnezzar to this modern time; the ten toes being the final ten kings, are seen as “mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay” (Daniel 2:42, 43).
And the time setting of this prophecy about a church/state mixture of TEN NATIONS who are allied together, forming the BEAST?
Note it well! “And in the days of these kings [the TEN kings represented by the ten toes] shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms [see Revelation 2:26; 3:21; 20:4] and it shall stand FOR EVER” (Daniel 2:44).
The ten horns of the beast of Revelation 17 fight Christ at His coming; are broken, crushed –– and Christ sets up His kingdom on earth. The ten toes of the image seen in Daniel 2 are identical.
The United States of Europe
For decades our church has been shouting out a witness and a warning over television and radio about a coming BEAST in Europe! During all those years, I confidently predicted that Russia and the United States would NOT become involved in a mutually destructive world war; that the United States would some day be shocked to discover that our Marshall Plan dollars have helped build a Frankenstein in Europe!
In dozens of articles and hundreds of broadcasts and all during these many years we have continued to hammer home that theme! During all that time we have repeatedly insisted such a united Europe would necessarily include several eastern European nations!
Think about it for a moment. Think back to the days of Nikita Kruschev; to the building of the Berlin Wall and the Cuban missile crisis. Think back to those bleak times during the depths of the cold war. How could we have known? How could we have confidently predicted, more than twenty five years earlier, that a divided Europe would not remain indefinitely; that the two Germanys would finally reunite; that Soviet-dominated nations such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, perhaps Hungary, and others in Eastern Europe would come out from behind the “Iron Curtain”; would become part of a third power bloc in the world, a part of a “United States of Europe”?
I’ll tell you how we knew. It is because God has revealed the identity of the peoples of the United States and Britain; of northwestern Europe –– yes, and the identity of the nation of Germany, in Bible prophecy!
For decades, we have written how the coming United States of Europe would come about as a result of economic upheavals, followed by political unrest; the overthrow of existing governmental structures; new security arrangements.
And now, we stand poised on the brink of a whole new era in geopolitical realities! What we are seeing is the steady, inexorable fulfilment of prophecy!
