The Mystery of the Holy Roman Empire
German Chancellor Angela Merkel nearly lost her coalition government recently, largely because she invited over 1 million Muslim refugees into Germany. The German people don’t like that at all, so she modified her policy and saved the coalition—for now. Still, 1 million Arabs remain in the country as a reminder of Merkel’s gaffe. She is quite unpopular now. Her political days are numbered.
The big question is: Who will replace her?
Bible prophecy points us to the answer. A strongman will take power in Germany very soon (Daniel 8:23). He will help to fulfill another prophecy in Revelation 17:10: “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.”
This prophecy ties directly to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ! He will return to stop the Holy Roman Empire from causing even more bloodshed. Don’t lose that vision.
God revealed the meaning of this prophecy at the time of the sixth “king,” or leader, of the Holy Roman Empire: Adolf Hitler. He ruled brutally in the tradition of Charlemagne. Herbert W. Armstrong, God’s apostle and an end-time type of Elijah (Matthew 17:11; Malachi 3:1), boldly declared this prophecy.
Immediately after Hitler fell and Germany lost World War ii, Mr. Armstrong warned of the seventh and final king of the Holy Roman Empire, which “is not yet come.” No one else understood Revelation 17:10! Only God’s one true Church today understands it.
As Mr. Armstrong proclaimed the coming of the Holy Roman Empire’s seventh resurrection, a powerful German politician named Franz Josef Strauss was advocating for Europe to resurrect the Holy Roman Empire. Strangely, Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Strauss developed a close relationship. When Mr. Strauss visited the educational institution Mr. Armstrong founded—Ambassador College in Pasadena, California—he said it was the happiest day of his life. Was it mere coincidence that these two were friends?
Mr. Strauss was the political mentor of Edmund Stoiber, who was the Christian Social Union conservative party chairman from 1998 to 2007. He lost a bid for the chancellery by the narrowest of margins in 2002. Stoiber mentored Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a man we need to watch very closely.
Why does all of this flow from Mr. Strauss, whom Mr. Armstrong hosted at his home for dinner, spent time with, and even hugged before they would go their separate ways? What’s that all about?
Revelation 17:10 is a pivotal prophecy that will shock nearly everyone when it is fulfilled! Ms. Merkel won’t be around for long. Mr. Armstrong’s ties to the very leaders who will bring this prophecy to pass are a clear sign from God that we must watch Germany and the Holy Roman Empire more closely, and begin to focus on the one man who will come on the scene and be the polar opposite of Angela Merkel. He will be perhaps the strongest leader in the world, at the helm of a superpower that will likely be stronger than America, Russia or China.
Some might criticize me for naming specific personalities in the Bible. I did the same with Russian President Vladimir Putin, known in Bible prophecy as the prince of Russia. The Philadelphia Church of God has been naming names for a long time.
Here’s what I wrote in my booklet A Strong German Leader Is Imminent:
Guttenberg is also connected through part of his family line to the house of Habsburg. Strauss and Otto von Habsburg shared a common dream of a united Catholic Europe. Both personally shared details of that vision with Herbert W. Armstrong during visits they made to the campus of Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. To Otto von Habsburg, the dream was of a revived Holy Roman Empire. To Herbert Armstrong, that dream would become the reality of the biblically prophesied seventh resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire.
Baron Guttenberg’s aristocratic title is Reichsfreiherr, meaning “Baron of the Holy Roman Empire.” He comes from a line of aristocratic elites who have played a devastating role in German history. Is that just a coincidence? At the very least, it tells us that we must examine Germany and the Holy Roman Empire more closely.
Look at the time frame of Daniel 8. Verse 17 tells us it is the time of the end. Verse 19 narrows it down to the last end, or the very end of the end time. The book of Daniel is only for the end time. It is urgent. Daniel 8:23 states: “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.”
In A Strong German Leader Is Imminent, I wrote:
Years ago, Herbert W. Armstrong met with Otto von Habsburg, the head of the 700-year-old house of Habsburg, which ruled the Holy Roman Empire in the dynasty prior to Napoleon. At that time, Habsburg was a member of the European Parliament. He said this: “The European community is living largely by the heritage of the Holy Roman Empire, though the great majority of the people who live by it don’t know by what heritage they live.”
Look through history, and you will find six resurrections of that Holy Roman Empire. Today the seventh resurrection is staring us in the face—yet still people don’t know what it is! That is amazing! Not even the people who live under it know it.
“We possess a European symbol which belongs to all nations of Europe equally,” Mr. Habsburg also said. “This is the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, which embodies the tradition of Charlemagne.” That crown is something this king in Europe will assume.
This soon-coming ruler could literally be called a king. Even if he is not, the Bible gives him that label. When the Bible talks about a king, in most cases it’s saying that this is not a democratic government. Even if he doesn’t have that title, he is going to lead like a king. This vision in Daniel shows that the European empire is about to become a lot more authoritative.
Baron Guttenberg’s family is tied to the Habsburg dynasty, the fourth resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. Mr. Armstrong explained all about that empire. Mr. Strauss visited his college. So did Mr. Habsburg, who also spoke to the students about the history of Europe. Why would these leaders be visiting with Mr. Armstrong, the one through whom God revealed Revelation 17:10?
God teaches us Bible prophecy and the historical events that relate to it. It’s highly likely that Baron Guttenberg will fulfill a key role in prophecy.
The Holy Roman Empire has never been democratic. The 15th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica records the savage nature of Charlemagne, the leader of the first resurrection:
The violent methods by which this missionary task was carried out had been unknown to the earlier Middle Ages, and the sanguinary [bloody] punishment meted out to those who broke canon law or continued to engage in pagan practices [as he called them] called forth criticism in Charles’s own circle.
European leaders today want to uphold the tradition of this man! Hitler continued in that tradition! A Strong German Leader Is Imminent states:
In 1938, at a rally in Nuremberg, “Hitler had brought from Vienna, after 140 years, the insignia of the First Reich [Charlemagne]—the imperial crown, the orb of empire, the scepter and the imperial sword. At the presentation of these symbols of imperialism, he solemnly vowed that they would remain in Nuremberg forever” (John Toland, Adolf Hitler).
That was a strong statement. He “solemnly vowed” that the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire were to “remain in Nuremberg forever.” This is like a death-defying commitment to the Holy Roman Empire and his god! He made a vow forever!
Charlemagne ruled what is called the First Reich. Hitler named his movement the Third Reich, or third empire. He looked to Charlemagne! Do we realize that the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire will be bloodier than the previous six combined?
Mr. Armstrong was God’s messenger. He met with and inspired Mr. Strauss and Mr. Habsburg. Mr. Strauss mentored Mr. Stoiber, who mentored Baron Guttenberg. What a connection!
Baron Guttenberg was the German defense minister and the most popular politician in Germany until a plagiarism scandal ruined his career. But that’s not the end of his story. He is close to Garry Kasparov, a Russian defector and one of the foremost critics of Vladimir Putin. Baron Guttenberg challenges Mr. Putin perhaps more than anyone else does today. He calls for stronger German leadership in the world.
The coming German strongman will be extremely powerful and destructive due to the backing of an evil spirit force (Daniel 8:24). But the next verse gives us incredible hope: Christ Himself will return to Earth and obliterate the Holy Roman Empire so that it never rises again to plague mankind.