The Bible says 10 kings will rise in Europe in this end time. These kings will form the Holy Roman Empire and be led by one overarching strongman. The coronavirus pandemic is helping usher in these 10 kings.

We need to be thinking about these prophesied kings, who are rising now. The European Union is about to be pared down to a 10-nation superstate. That prophecy will be fulfilled soon—perhaps this year, but in no more than two to four years. I can prove that to you from the Bible.

For over 75 years we have been prophesying the arrival of this empire. Now you can see it coming to pass exactly as God recorded for us in the Bible. I have been a part of this work for many years. And it is amazing to me, almost overwhelming, how minutely these prophecies have been and are being fulfilled.

This coming empire will affect your life directly. Its arrival will shock every nation on Earth as no power has in modern times. This is the paramount prophecy of the end time.

Ten Kings

Herbert W. Armstrong consistently taught that the nations of Europe are going to cry out for political unity. That is what we see happening today. Europe is weak and divided. The coronavirus is only further weakening the Continent. The German people in particular cannot live with the current circumstances. History shows that they are going to act.

Italy has been the epicenter for the coronavirus in Europe. Its economy has taken a massive hit. “The economy has basically been stopped,” Prof. Nikola Boree told the U.S. Times on March 17. “We are probably going to see massive defaults, clearly. Italian banks will be badly hit.” Spain and France are also suffering serious debt issues. Events in Italy give us insight into what could happen to all the economies of the European Union.

Here are some telling headlines from prominent news sources. “Coronavirus Could Break the EU” (Politico). “With Borders Going Up Around Europe, Coronavirus Is Devastating the EU” (Telegraph). “Coronavirus Tests Europe’s Cohesion, Alliances and Even Democracy” (New York Times). EU nations are very divided. That division is preventing them from pooling their efforts to deal with the virus.

How will they eventually come together? They will unite under the leadership of 10 kings. And as the Bible says, they are all going to give their mind, politically and even spiritually, to the head of the Holy Roman Empire.

Mr. Armstrong always taught that Revelation 17:10 is end-time prophecy in a nutshell: “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.” When Mr. Armstrong was on the scene, the “one is”—Adolf Hitler—was leading the sixth resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. Today, the “other,” prophesied to continue a “short space,” is soon to arrive.

The prophecy continues: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (verses 12-13). This beast will have power for 3½ years—the duration of the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord. Ten kings, who have one mind, will give their power to this beast.

The founders of the European project knew that creating the euro—a unified European currency—without all the other aspects of a unified government would provoke economic crisis. Yet they still deliberately proceeded with their plan. This was exposed by former European bureaucrat Bernard Connolly. “The purpose of the crisis will be, as [Romano] Prodi, then Commission president, said in 2002, ‘To allow the EU to take more power for itself,’” Connolly wrote. In other words, they planned this superpower! They were hoping to bring in more power to rule this Holy Roman Empire.

That is exactly what we have seen with the other six prophesied heads of the Holy Roman Empire.

One Strongman

Popular satisfaction with democracy is at an all-time low, Cambridge’s Department of Politics noted in January. Europeans increasingly believe democracy is unable to solve their problems. They are questioning its ability to create greater unity. And nations are increasingly taking extreme measures to deal with these grave virus problems and dangers. In fact, more and more of them are looking for a strongman.

“Austria has massively restricted civil liberties due to coronavirus,” Zeit Online wrote. “This is understandable in this situation, but it is also dangerous.” It is very dangerous when you consider Europe’s history. There is a painful history of strong leaders restricting freedoms to realize their ambitions.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said that the Catholic Church guides his politics. If you understand history, you will find that quite troubling. That is exactly what the Holy Roman Empire is: an authoritarian state-church combine. The final and most deadly resurrection of this empire is building before our eyes.

Some of Europe’s leaders, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, are becoming autocrats and dictators in the face of this crisis. On March 30, the Hungarian parliament gave Orbán dictatorial powers. It is almost certain that Hungary will be a part of the coming 10-nation European superpower.

The coronavirus is causing more and more people in Europe to talk about the need for a strongman. Zeit Online further wrote that “the longing for the proverbial strongman who will finally take action will grow stronger.” There is a lack of leadership to effectively deal with the virus and subsequent economic issues. People want that leadership vacuum filled.

The empire is yearning for a strongman. Bible prophecy shows that European strongman is coming! Watch closely: You’re about to witness a dramatic shift of politics in Europe!

When we at the Trumpet see a news source talking about Europeans longing for a “strongman,” it really arrests our attention! We have been prophesying about this individual’s arrival for years—and now, news sources are talking about it more publicly than ever. You can know what to expect. If you know the Bible and understand it, then you will be moved and shaken by these stunning prophecies.

Here is how the Prophet Daniel describes this individual: “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power, and he shall destroy wonderfully [mightily, it should read], and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people” (Daniel 8:23-24). This is what European news sources are talking about. This strongman will have a mind change because Satan is going to get to him (Habakkuk 1:11). He rules “not by his own power”—but by Satan’s power. Satan will use him as a tool to wreak tremendous destruction in this world!

Daniel wrote that this man will “destroy the mighty and holy people.” That is referring to 95 percent of God’s own people who turned away from God in the end time. God is going to plunge His rebellious people into the Great Tribulation if they don’t repent before that time. Of all people, they should know what is happening and obey God, but they’re not.

United in Crisis

Isaiah 10 tells us that this empire will most certainly be led by Assyria, which is biblically prophetic language for modern-day Germany. Most of the previous resurrections of the Holy Roman Empire have been led by Germany. The Germans are a great people in many ways, but they have also started two world wars, and your Bible says they will be responsible for starting a third!

Germany has already risen to unmatched power within Europe. From the beginning of the European unification project, Germany has worked to dominate and even domineer. If it had really repented of its sins of World War ii, in which 60 million people died, it would not be trying to domineer the Continent even today.

Britain left the European Union because it could see what was happening and would not submit to that. Bible prophecy also made clear that Britain would not be a part of the EU, which is why we were foretelling its exit for decades.

One of the EU founders, Jean Monnet, said, “Europe will be forged in crises and will be the sum of the solutions adopted for those crises.” German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said, “Crisis represents an opportunity. Europe always moved forward in times of crisis. Sometimes you need a little pressure for certain decisions to be taken.” Europe is experiencing pressure right now with the coronavirus and economic issues. The more pressure it experiences, the more its people will cry out for a strongman to guide them and deal with this problem. (Read more about this in our newest Trumpet print issue: “Will Coronavirus Wreck the EU?”)

In 1945, when Germany was still smoldering in ruins after World War ii, Herbert W. Armstrong said, “Europe, or Germany, is going to rise again, and so is the Holy Roman Empire.” The sixth resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire, led by Hitler, had just been defeated. But immediately after the war, when all the world said Germany would never rise again, Mr. Armstrong boldly prophesied that it would—and lead the most tyrannical and destructive resurrection by far!

In 1967, Mr. Armstrong said that once the population of Europe comes together, you would see a superpower that grew to become the greatest power on Earth. That power is facing us now.

Germany is the third-leading exporting nation in the world. It is an economic and political powerhouse. It has grown to a prominence that the Allies in World War ii pledged it would never have again. Even militarily, it has become extraordinarily powerful.

During the Cold War, the leading generals in Europe adamantly warned that rearming Germany to help fight off the Soviet Union was a calculated risk. But we decided to take that risk. The world is about to experience the terrifying results of rearming the German war machine.

When the Prophet Daniel saw visions of what this empire would do in the end time, he was so astonished that he fainted! Now, unless this world repents and heeds God’s warning, we are going to literally experience those events Daniel saw only in vision! We need to do some deep repenting, and quickly, because time is running out.

Prince of Peace

The coronavirus has created problems for Europe that have increased the pressure for unity. Right now, Europe is weak and divided—a condition that the German people, most of all, cannot live with. They are going to respond, you can be sure. People’s yearning for a “strongman who will finally take action” will grow stronger. And they will get their strongman. That man will hijack Europe and transform it into another iteration of the Holy Roman Empire, just as the six previous strongmen have done.

The details of these prophecies that we have been proclaiming for 75 years are now coming to pass. You can see even the twigs on the tree beginning to manifest themselves.

I hope that you will repent and heed God’s message, so God can help you and protect you through the terrible times that are coming upon this Earth.

But even in all of this terrible news, there is good news. Daniel 8:25 reads, “And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” This powerful strongman will act like he wants peace when he really wants war. But he will make the terrible mistake of fighting against Jesus Christ Himself! Is that logical? This illustrates how evil that empire is! But at His return, Jesus Christ will destroy this man and the armies of the Holy Roman Empire.

This world knows so little about God and His prophecies. They simply don’t understand what is written in the Bible. But you can.

People must start looking to God and His Word. That is the only way we can have peace in this world. True peace is coming shortly—in just a very few years! We can be very thankful to God for that!