In the high-stakes arena of international relations, optics matter. Behind each photo, outfit, gesture, there is often a deliberate message.

It’s been this way forever. In May 1813, during an intense exchange with Austrian Chancellor Klemens von Metternich, Napoleon Bonaparte gesticulated so furiously that he dropped his hat. The hat drop was intentional. The wily emperor wanted Metternich to bend down and pick it up. But Metternich ignored the hat and carried on talking. The message was clear: Europe was done bowing before Bonaparte.

Whilst the optics are generally staged to send a deliberate message, unplanned incidents happen occasionally.

Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The video below shows her standing beside Ukraine’s president at an outdoor event in Berlin this week. She was shaking violently and uncontrollably. Notice the pursed lips, the right hand jumping to maintain balance, the focused eyes—the poor woman was struggling to avoid physically collapsing. This was an optics catastrophe.

Ms. Merkel was quick to downplay the incident, telling journalists that she was simply dehydrated. Apparently she had three glasses of water and the problem went away. Many found this explanation unconvincing.

Whatever the cause, this incident is a dramatic reminder that we need to keep an eye on Angela Merkel and German politics. Things can change suddenly. Here are four observations.

First (and most obviously), the leader of Europe’s most powerful and important nation is clearly unwell. Last November, following a disastrous few months for Merkel politically, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote: “Germany’s chancellor now lacks the full support of even her own party, and her term in office has a clear expiration date.”

Watching that video, you have to wonder: Is Germany’s chancellor losing the “full support” of her own body?

Angela Merkel has been chancellor since 2005. Over the past 14 years, she has steered Germany and Europe through some huge crises. Responsibility of this magnitude and for this long is naturally going to take its toll on physical health.

The video is a stark reminder of how close Germany is to major political change. And this means major political change for Europe too.

Second, this incident will intensify the search for Merkel’s replacement. Merkel’s grip on German politics has been weakening for some time. 2018 was an especially bad year for the chancellor and her Christian Democratic Union. Last week, three polls indicated that the Green Party has replaced Merkel’s cdu as the most popular political party in Germany.

The Ukraine video will be blood in the water for those vying to replace Merkel as chancellor. So far, no candidate has stood out as a favorite or obvious replacement for Merkel. None of Germany’s politicians are setting the public on fire. This is a huge part of Germany’s problem: The nation lacks the type of leader the German people want and need.

Germans are deeply frustrated with their mainstream parties. Merkel has been the one constant in German politics. What if she is forced to resign and there isn’t a candidate to replace her who really excites the German people?

To the right type of leader, it would be an enormous opportunity.

Third, in that video Angela Merkel personifies the entire nation. Germany itself is shaky and unstable, politically, socially and economically. The very fabric of its society is ripping apart under the strain of hundreds of thousands of migrants, and an impassioned backlash against them.

German politics are more unstable than at any time in its postwar history. The nation’s mainstream parties have experienced catastrophic defeats. New parties, even neo-Nazi groups, are rising in popularity. Germany’s main left-wing party, the Social Democrats, suffered disastrous results in the European Parliament elections. Its leader resigned, and the party is currently leaderless. Meanwhile, the European election results are rumored to have caused Merkel to dump her plan to hand off the chancellorship to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. Rarely has the German political stage ever seemed so empty.

Since World War ii, one of the few things Germans have felt they can rightly take pride in has been the nation’s manufacturing industry—it’s economic miracle. Even that is shaky, with output falling and its top companies—like Volkswagen—caught trying to get ahead by cheating. Germany was even humiliated at the 2018 World Cup and Bayern Munich hasn’t come close to winning the Champions League for years.

Like Merkel, Germany will have to address its health. The key question we all need to pay attention to is, how will Germany remedy its shaky, unstable politics and economy?

Finally, this incident provides good opportunity to read “Germany—A New King Is Imminent,” published by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in November.

In the article, Mr. Flurry said that he believed Merkel “could be forced out of office well before 2021,” which is when the next elections are scheduled. More importantly, the article explained the enormous prophetic significance of the imminent change in Germany’s government. He wrote, “The end of Merkel could be a turning point not just for Germany, but the whole world!”

The article revolves around end-time prophecies in Daniel 8 and 11 and Revelation 17, all of which tell us that a unique, powerful leader will arise in Germany who will resurrect the Holy Roman Empire.

These prophecies are wonderfully detailed. They even explain how this man will come to power. Daniel 11:21 says “… he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.” Notice, he will not be democratically elected. The Daniel 8 man “inherits the throne of Europe ‘peaceably,’” prophesied Mr. Flurry, and obtains “his kingdom by ‘flatteries.’ He is crafty and sly, with a brilliant mind and an engaging, attractive personality.”

What if Angela Merkel suddenly left office due to poor health? There wouldn’t be time for a democratic election. The next chancellor would have to be selected quickly. Whatever happens, Germany right now is experiencing ideal conditions for the emergence of this leader prophesied in Daniel 8. The Trumpet’s Josué Michels has written about this here and here.

It’s hard to know exactly what is going on with Germany’s chancellor. Maybe what happened this week really was caused by dehydration. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. The optics portrayed a clear message: Angela Merkel is weak, politically and physically. It was a reminder that her time as Germany’s chancellor is about up and could end suddenly.

“We have been warning about this exact moment for many years,” wrote Mr. Flurry in November. “The end of Merkel could be a turning point not just for Germany, but the whole world!” This video is a reminder that Germany and Europe are about to take another major step to becoming the prophesied seventh and final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire!

Many will be hoping that Angela Merkel drinks plenty of water.

[Correction: The article previously stated that the outdoor event took place in Ukraine, instead of Berlin. The Trumpet regrets the error.]