The Fall of the Iron Curtain

He was right that the Iron Curtain would fall

One clear, specific prophecy Herbert W. Armstrong gave that has been fulfilled was that Eastern Europe would free itself from the Communist yoke and join with Western Europe.

This forecast comes from one of the most foundational prophecies about the course of world history.

Daniel 2 describes an enormous statue of a man. It was a symbol, whose meaning the Bible makes plain. The image had four parts, each one representing a powerful empire (verses 36-40). These four empires would reign, one after the other, until God set up His own Empire—His Kingdom ruling over all the Earth (verse 44).

The first empire, typed by the image’s head of gold, the Bible tells us, was ancient Babylon. The next, symbolized by the statue’s chest and arms of silver, we can easily see from history, was Medo-Persia. This was followed by the Greco-Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great, symbolized by the statue’s brass stomach and thighs. The last part of the statue was the legs of iron, symbolizing the Roman Empire.

Unlike the three empires before it, this one would be split into two legs. Anciently Rome had two capitals, Rome and Constantinople.

Like the beasts described in Daniel 7 and Revelation 17, this Roman Empire would be repeatedly revived—up until the return of Jesus Christ. In its final stage, this empire would be made “part of iron, and part of clay” (Daniel 2:42), meaning it would be a fragile mixture of nations that do not naturally fit together (verse 43)—a perfect metaphor for the EU.

This empire’s division into two legs continues all the way to the end. The image has 10 toes, a symbol that this final empire would be made up of 10 kings—something other Bible passages confirm (Daniel 7:24; Revelation 17:12). But these kings would be split—five would come from Western Europe, five from the East. Hence Mr. Armstrong’s forecast that certain East European nations would break away from the Soviet bloc and ally with the EU.

A Track Record of Success

In the October 1951 Plain Truth, Mr. Armstrong wrote that “it is prophesied, some of these Balkan nations are yet to throw off the Soviet yoke and realign themselves with the pope! As long as the churches still function and the people still attend them, the only change being their submission to Moscow and separation from Rome, there is possibility of an internal political coup, brought about by underground Catholic influence, which can restore their tie to Rome. Yes, that’s highly significant, as we shall see! …

“Do not underrate or sell short Catholic power, strategy, and resourcefulness!”

The April 1952 Good News magazine continued this warning: “Russia may give East Germany back to the Germans and will be forced to relinquish her control over Hungary, Czechoslovakia and parts of Austria to complete the 10-nation union.”

In 1955, Mr. Armstrong wrote: “[S]ome of the Balkan nations are going to tear away from behind the Iron Curtain. Russia has lost already, to all appearances, Tito’s Yugoslavia. Russia probably will lose still more of her Eastern European satellites.”

Not many believed that statement then, nor this Plain Truth report from the following year: “Communist oppression in Eastern Europe is being overthrown. … We have shown years in advance what would happen to Russia’s ill-fated empire in Eastern Europe. These prophecies have been in your Bible for the past 1,900 years. But the world, and the churches of this world, have refused to believe them” (December 1956).

In January 1957, Mr. Armstrong wrote, “When the right psychological moment arrives, a number of these [East European] nations will break away from Moscow ….”

That “right psychological moment” didn’t arrive quite as early as Mr. Armstrong thought it might. But in 1989, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the moment marched in with force!

Mr. Armstrong also continued to forecast that the Vatican would play a role in this dramatic split.

The Plain Truth declared that the papacy had its mind set on leading the diplomacy that would create the rapport between East and West Europe: “One of the biggest roles desired by the Vatican is that of mediator between East and West. … The Vatican, you can be sure, will continue to do its part in courting the Eastern European countries. Its Ostpolitik has been to bring them back into the ‘fold’ for a long time. And that is certainly the path it must continue to travel” (February 1972).

When Pope John Paul ii appeared on the scene, Mr. Armstrong made a far-sighted prediction: “The character, personality and actions of the Polish pope, John Paul ii, indicate more than possibly that he may be the pope to offer his good services to unite the nations of Europe once again. European nations want, seriously, to be united. Of themselves they are unable. John Paul ii could make it possible” (Good News, January 1980).

Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher’s stalwart opposition to the evils of communism helped defeat the Soviet Union. But so did Pope John Paul ii’s campaign to free his native Poland.

Here is how the Associated Press described that dramatic history: “Martial law had crushed the church-backed Solidarity labor movement, and Poland’s Communist rulers expected a chastened Pope John Paul ii ready for compromise when he visited his homeland in 1983.

“Instead, his voice rising, the pontiff lectured a surprised party chief, Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, as the nation watched on television. History would be his judge, the pope warned, demanding that union rights be restored for the Soviet bloc’s first free trade union [Solidarity]” (Jan. 9, 1998). In the face of this demand, Jaruzelski capitulated. The Vatican-funded Catholic Solidarity movement triumphed, and Poland broke the Communist yoke and sought attachment to the European Union. The Vatican had driven a wedge under the Iron Curtain that was destined to crack it asunder and cause its total collapse!

Mr. Armstrong was specific about which nations would be part of this rising European empire: “It now looks entirely feasible that Yugoslavia may be included in this revived Roman Empire. Also the pope’s native Poland and Romania, and possibly Hungary. Add Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and France. There will be a union of 10 nations in the general area of the medieval Roman Empire in the new united Europe. Probably Holland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden will not be included [in the final 10]. But Ireland may. Britain will not! … I have been forecasting this revived Roman Empire publicly since February 1934! Now it may go together suddenly, rapidly!” (co-worker letter, June 10, 1980).

Throughout the Cold War, Mr. Armstrong’s insights were correct! No wonder a radio station contacted the Worldwide Church of God in 1989, wanting to hear more about the man that had clearly been proved right.

By 2007, every single nation that Mr. Armstrong had predicted would join the European unification project—Austria, Poland, Hungary and Romania—was an EU member. By 2014, every nation that had emerged from Yugoslavia was either an EU member or under Europe’s control. These are the exact nations that Mr. Armstrong said would join this European power!

Yet another of the powerful prophecies broadcast and published throughout the previous five decades by Herbert Armstrong had been fulfilled! Though he did not live to see it happen, Europe’s East and West have been reunited—and in exactly the way he said they would be.