In early March, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would share France’s strategic nuclear deterrent with other European countries—first and foremost with Germany.

Yesterday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Macron to discuss increased defense cooperation, including possible shared nuclear deterrence.

“We’ve decided to join a group of countries invited by France to cooperate,” Tusk said. “An exclusive group made up of countries who understand the need for European sovereignty. We live in a world in which we need nuclear dissuasion capacities.”

The European Union is indeed being pared down to an “exclusive group.” But the power behind this group is not France—it is Germany.

The United States stationed nuclear weapons and tens of thousands of troops in Europe after Germany was defeated in World War ii. But Europe is now seeking nuclear independence.

These countries are uniting with Germany in opposition to America!

If Europe is to possess an army that can defend itself “even against the United States,” as Macron once put it, then it cannot rely on American nukes.

Macron’s support for Europeanizing France’s bombs gives Germany more negotiating power with America. Germany can, in effect, say, We don’t need your nuclear bombs; we can have France’s or develop our own bombs with French support.

This means the U.S. has lost power over Germany and Europe’s security.

The Beginning of the 10 Kings

Daniel 2 and Revelation 17 are prophecies for the “last days,” the time we are living in right now. Revelation 17:12-13 read: “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.”

The beast in Bible prophecy represents a vicious empire (see also Daniel 2 and 7). Revelation 17 specifically describes the so-called Holy Roman Empire, which has risen up in several forms over the centuries. (Read about this in our book The Holy Roman Empire in Prophecy.) Throughout history, this empire was often led by Germany—including, most recently, in World War ii. And the Bible clearly reveals that there would be another resurrection in our day that would include 10 kings!

We are now seeing the first of these 10 kings unite in a powerful way!

On January 28, the finance ministers of Europe’s six leading economies (Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain) got together via videoconference with the stated goal of creating a “stronger European sovereignty, competitiveness and defense capabilities.”

It looks like all of them could be in the 10 kings. The late Herbert W. Armstrong, editor in chief of our predecessor, The Plain Truth, mentioned all of them as possible candidates.

This is about the 10 kings finally coming together and uniting.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said, “We are providing the impetus; others can join us.”

Yes, “We are providing the impetus.” We can get it going. Germany has always done that. “Others can join us”—but it’s all about Germany leading!

EU treaties require a minimum of nine countries to deepen integration without the rest of the member states. Not everyone will join them. There will be 10 kings ruling over 10 nations or groups of nations.

I believe this is the start of the fulfillment of a long-awaited prophecy! This is going to be the 10 kings. It’s already starting.

On January 17, the European Union and the Latin American trade bloc mercosur signed the largest free-trade agreement in the world to that date. When it looked like this deal was about to be finalized in 2019, I wrote: “If this massive trade deal is finalized this year, then I believe we will see the current 28-nation European Union pared down to the prophesied 10-nation superpower this year as well.”

Now that the deal is finalized, we are starting to see the paring down of the EU!

France’s extension of its nuclear umbrella needs to be viewed in the same context. Besides Poland and Germany, it is also in talks with Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden. Not all of them may be part of the 10 kings, but we can already be certain that some will be.

The fact that they are uniting now is a dramatic fulfillment of Bible prophecy that we have anticipated ever since the Trumpet was founded in 1990. That was the signature prophecy of Herbert W. Armstrong, who spoke about this prophecy from the beginning of his ministry to his death. For almost a hundred years, we have been prophesying the rise of these 10 kings in Europe.

After Germany’s defeat in World War ii, Mr. Armstrong said Germany would rise again and lead a united Europe. In a public address given on May 9, 1945, he said: “The third round is termed, in prophecy, an invasion by ‘Babylon’—a resurrected Roman Empire—a European Union. I have been proclaiming that since 1927. For a while I thought Hitler might organize it—especially when he tied up with the Roman Mussolini. It wasn’t done in this Second World War. It will be done and provoke the third!”

Mr. Armstrong died in 1986, before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union and the founding of the EU in 1993. The EU grew to include 28 countries before Britain left. For this reason, we have long prophesied that it will be pared down to 10 kings.

This is happening now.

This shows how close we are to the end of man’s rule over man. The rulers of this European bloc will be the last to rule before Jesus Christ returns! (Revelation 17:14). They are a sign of His coming!

We need to be aware of that and really get into our Bibles and study all the truth that we possibly can so we are prepared to stand before Jesus Christ when He comes (Matthew 24:44).