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Why does the Church talk about Germany and Europe so much? Time and again we hear in sermons about Germany’s rise. The Trumpet magazine is filled with articles about the rise of Europe. In fact, Mr. Armstrong wrote about a dictator appearing in Europe in his very first Plain Truth article—back in 1934!
Why all the talk about Europe? Because what is prophesied to happen there is one of the most fundamental prophecies revealed to God’s Church through Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Flurry.
How much do you know about what is going to happen in Europe? You may feel overwhelmed with all of the prophecies you hear about Europe. In this article, we will attempt to simplify the prophecies to the most important events happening right now—events that will impact you.
A Great Statue
To understand what the Bible says about Europe, we first need to look at a simplified outline of God’s prophecies, recorded in Daniel 2. Here is where God revealed the fundamental history of the world—long before it happened! Most of this prophecy is now history.
You are probably familiar with the history. Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the Chaldean Empire, had a troubling dream. He demanded that his magicians, astrologers and sorcerers tell him not only the meaning of his dream, but what the dream was in the first place.
Of course none of the people summoned could tell the king what he dreamed, let alone the meaning of it. They told Nebuchadnezzar that no one on Earth that could do what he asked of them. But then Nebuchadnezzar gave Daniel the opportunity.
Daniel and his friends immediately prayed to God to ask that He would reveal the dream and its meaning. That night, God did!
Daniel told the king that it was God who revealed the dream, then proceeded to tell him that he had dreamed of a statue made of different metals.
Thou, O king, saw, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Daniel then told Nebuchadnezzar what the dream meant. He told the king, “You are this head of gold!” In other words, the golden head was the world-ruling empire that Nebuchadnezzar governed. Each successive body part, made of a different kind of metal, represented another world-ruling empire.
The head of gold is known historically as the Babylonian-Chaldean Empire and was ruling at the time Daniel described this dream. Next came a kingdom symbolized by a silver chest and arms. This was the Persian Empire. The next kingdom was symbolized by the statue’s belly and thighs, which were made of brass. This was the Greek Empire. Fourth and last was an empire symbolized by iron legs and feet: the Romans.
The Strength of Iron
Let’s stop here for a moment. Notice that each successive metal in the statue was less valuable than the previous. That’s because each empire was inferior to the previous empire in its quality and culture. But also notice that the last empire, the Roman Empire, was symbolized by iron—the strongest of the metals in the statue.
The iron Roman Empire conquered more territory than any of the preceding empires, and it lasted much longer. Anciently, it included all of western and southern Europe as well as much of Eastern Europe.
During the later part of the empire, when the Catholic Church become a powerful religious force, it converted and united the people of the empire under its brand of “Christianity.” The Catholic Church and the Roman Empire worked together. That is where the term “Holy Roman Empire” comes from.
The Holy Roman Empire consists of several different empires that ruled one after another. What each empire had in common was the Catholic Church, which bound the people together. After the first Roman Empire faded away, another came along, then another. These are called “resurrections” of the Holy Roman Empire. Each time a new ruler took over Europe, ruling with the Catholic Church, it was called a resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. A recent example you might be familiar with is the French general and ruler Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon took over much of Europe, and was crowned in a Catholic cathedral with the Catholic pope in attendance on Dec. 2, 1804. His empire was one of the resurrections of the Holy Roman Empire.
Feet of Iron and Clay
We have not yet discussed the very bottom of the statue—the feet of iron and clay.
And whereas thou saw the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou saw the iron mixed with miry clay And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
Since the head of gold was the oldest kingdom, the feet are the newest kingdom. This empire would come to pass the furthest into the future from the time of the original prophecy.
Notice that the last of all the empires, the feet and toes, are part iron. That means this kingdom carries on in the same manner and with similar strength of the iron legs. But the feet are also part clay, symbolizing a certain weakness in this empire as well. The various parts of the empire will not hold together nor last long.
Why Does It All Matter?
Did you know that the establishment of this last world-ruling empire is already history?
Pastor General Gerald Flurry said that the last Holy Roman Empire became official on Jan. 1, 2010. On that important day, the European Union implemented its diplomatic service and appointed other officials. Right now, the European Union is a political union of 27 European nations. But at some point in the future, that number will reduce to 10. The EU occupies all the territory that other resurrections of the Holy Roman Empire once held, and a great portion of territory the original Roman Empire conquered.
But this kingdom has a short future! That is because of a spectacular event that concludes Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. It shows that this resurrection is the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire!
Daniel said that in the days of this empire (the one symbolized by the 10 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, and it shall stand for ever.”
God’s empire is symbolized not by another type of metal, but by a stone cut out without hands.This means it is not a human kingdom. The stone strikes the toes and destroys the entire image.
This dream actually describes the most exciting event in the history of the universe!
At the time when the 10-nation kingdom is ruling, Jesus Christ will return to establish His Kingdom on Earth, one that will never be destroyed and will completely crush and consume all of man’s governments. Christ’s Kingdom will be ruled with the help of resurrected spirit beings born in His Family, and you, as the children of converted members in God’s Church, those future spirit beings, can be a part of this Kingdom as well, if you are willing to do what it takes.
That is why what is happening in Germany and in Europe is so important. It leads up to this most crucial event for all of mankind! That is why it is so exciting to see these prophecies come to pass.
What to Watch For
Though this “last resurrection” of the Holy Roman Empire has begun, there are still some prophecies yet to be fulfilled that we should be eagerly looking for.
The European Union
In this last empire symbolized by the feet of iron and clay, there is emphasis put on the toes. This statue has 10 toes (Revelation 17 contains the similar symbols of 10 horns). The 10 toes and 10 horns represent 10 nations or kings. Yet the European Union is made of 27 nations right now. Therefore we must watch for the EU to reduce its membership to allow for 10 kings to rule 10 kingdoms.
And remember why you are watching! It’s because very shortly Jesus Christ will return to establish His Kingdom! In the very days that this last empire is established, the time we now live in, we will soon be a part of the greatest empire on Earth, the Kingdom of God! How can we not be excited about this future kingdom and therefore excited to see the events fulfilling Bible prophecy?
It is an awesome miracle that the meaning of these prophecies has been revealed and that we can know what is going to happen right before Christ returns. Only a precious few know and understand what the Bible means. You are one of them!
What Daniel 2 reveals is that 10 kings in Europe will lead this last resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire—and that in these very days God will establish His Kingdom in which you will play an important part.
With that knowledge in mind, realize how special you are that God is revealing these prophecies to you and be eager to learn them and see them fulfilled, as it will lead to your wonderful future in the Kingdom of God!