Germany’s Role in End-Time Events
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Watch on YouTube: Where will the Antichrist come from?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shocked the world.
Putin’s threats of nuclear strikes reawakened fears of World War III. Within days the chancellor of Germany promised to spend 100 billion euros to build up the German military. Nations on the fringes of Europe began seeking to join the European Union and NATO.
Where will these events lead?
What does Bible prophecy say about the future of Europe, Russia, and the rest of the world?
An End-Time Babylon
The book of Revelation speaks of a great city called “Babylon,” which “reigns over the kings of the earth” at the end of the age (Revelation 17:5, 18). This “Babylon” represents a political, economic, and religious power that will come to dominate the world right before the return of Jesus Christ (Revelation 18).
Where will this modern-day “Babylon” be located?
When will this world-ruling political and religious power appear on the world scene?
The answer is in Daniel 4.
This ancient prophecy reveals that Babylon is already here.
At the end of this lesson, please take the time to read Daniel 4 for yourself. For the moment, here is a summary: Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a dream about a tall tree that provided shade and food for all the birds and animals in the world. Then the tree was chopped down, and an iron band was put around the trunk for a period of seven “times”:
“Whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the sky, and saying, ‘Cut down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the wild animals, until seven times pass over him.’ This is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come on my master the king: that you will be driven from men and your dwelling will be with the wild animals. You will be made to eat grass as oxen and will be wet with the dew of the sky, and seven times will pass over you—until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He chooses. Whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; your kingdom shall be sure to you. After that you will know that Heaven rules.” (Daniel 4:23-26)
A year later this prophecy was fulfilled. God caused Nebuchadnezzar to lose his mind as a punishment for his pride. Then, at the end of seven years, the king regained his sanity and returned to rule over the Babylonian Empire.
Why Is This Prophecy in the Bible?
Notice that Daniel did not write down this prophecy until after it had already been fulfilled. So this prophecy doesn’t tell us anything about the future—unless it prophesied a second fulfillment for a later time. And indeed, there was a second fulfillment.
Just as Babylon lacked a ruler for seven “times” while Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind, there was a second time when Babylon lacked a ruler for seven “times.” And just what is a “time”?
In Bible prophecy, a “time” refers to a period of 360 days. How do we know? Revelation 11:2-3 mentions a period of time described as “42 months” and “1260 days.” In Revelation 12:14 the same period of time is called “a time and a times and half a time” (1 + 2 + ½ = 3½ times). If you do the math, you will find that one “time” is 360 days.
To understand the second fulfillment of Daniel 4, you also need to know that in Bible prophecy, a “day” often represents one year. Read Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 to prove this to yourself.
In the first fulfillment of Daniel 4, Babylon was without a leader for 2520 days (7 x 360 = 2520), which is about seven years.
In the second fulfillment, Babylon was without a leader for 2520 years. God chopped down the ancient Babylonian Empire and put an iron band around its trunk to prevent it from growing for 2520 years. But at the end of that period of “seven times,” God removed the iron band. At that time, a new leader rose to power, and the “Babylon” described in the book of Revelation began to grow again. This “Babylon” is still growing right now, in front of your eyes—and it will continue to grow until it dominates the whole world.
When Did This Happen?
Notice that right after Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 4, the next chapter jumps forward in time to describe the fall of the ancient Babylonian Empire (like most prophecy in the Bible, the book of Daniel is organized by theme rather than strict time sequence). While the rulers of Babylon were having a feast, a hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall. The king called Daniel to read the message and explain it. Daniel explained that the inscription on the wall meant that the kingdom of Babylon was finished, and that God had already given it to the Medes and the Persians.
Indeed, the Medes and Persians had already conquered the kingdom, and they were invading the city of Babylon that very night. We can find the exact day recorded in the Nabonidus Chronicle, which says: “On the fourteenth day Sippar was captured without a battle. Nabonidus fled. On the sixteenth day, Ugbaru, governor of Gutium, and the army of Cyrus, without battle they entered Babylon.”
Sippar was captured on the 14th day of the Babylonian month Tishritum, in 539 BC. Two days later, Daniel told the rulers of Babylon that Babylon had already been given to the Medes and Persians, and that very night the city of Babylon also fell. So here, from an ancient clay tablet, we have the exact date that marks the beginning of the 2520-year period that Babylon would be without a ruler.
Before we calculate the exact date that this period ended, notice that we find another hint of this 2520-year period in the inscription that was written on the wall. The inscription was, “mene, mene, tekel, and parsin” (Daniel 5:25). If you have a Bible with footnotes, you might see these words explained as units of money. “Mene” is a mina, which is 50 shekels. “Tekel” is a shekel. “Parsin” means “divided” or “halves,” and refers to half a mina, which is 25 shekels. Add these up. 50 + 50 + 1 + 25 = 126 shekels. Exodus 30:13 says, “a shekel is 20 gerahs.” Multiply 126 shekels by 20, and you get 2520 gerahs. That is the exact same number we got from the prophecy about the “seven times” in Daniel 4.
Now it is important to note that dates in Bible prophecy always use the Hebrew calendar. The month Tishritum in the Babylonian calendar is equivalent to the month of Tishri in the Hebrew calendar, so the city of Sippur fell on Tishri 14, 539 BC, and two days later, Daniel said that the kingdom of Babylon had already been given to the Medes and Persians. So we will begin our count with Tishri 14, 539 BC. Adding 2520 years brings us to Tishri 14, 1982 AD.
(You may ask, isn’t 539 BC + 1982 AD = 2521? Yes. But there was no “year 0” between 1 BC and 1 AD. So the time between 1 BC and 1 AD was one year, not two years as you would get if you added 1 BC + 1 AD.)
If you check a Hebrew calendar, you will find that Tishri 14, 1982, fell on October 1. Now go search the news to find out what happened on October 1, 1982.
What do you find? Something about the chancellor of Germany? That’s right. The chancellor of West Germany was suddenly replaced by Helmut Kohl—not in an election, but via a constructive vote of no confidence. This was the only time in the history of Germany that a leader came to power through this unusual method.
Will Germany Lead the World?
Was Helmut Kohl’s sudden, unexpected rise to power on October 1, 1982, a second fulfillment of the prophecy in Daniel 4? Consider the following facts, and decide for yourself:
- Just eight years later, under Kohl’s leadership, East and West Germany were reunified on the exact same day Kohl came to power: Tishri 14, which was October 3, 1990.
- Kohl was a leading advocate for the unification of East and West Europe. He was one of the two main architects of the Maastricht Treaty. This treaty founded the European Union, established the euro as the common currency of Europe, and opened the way for the countries of Eastern Europe to join the European Union.
- Kohl and his successors have established Germany as the leading power in Europe, and are working to establish Europe as the leading power in the world. (See Olaf Scholtz: Germany Should Lead the World).
What are the chances that this sequence of events would begin on the exact same day that was foretold more than 2500 years in advance?
Remember that the prophecy in Daniel 4 describes an iron band placed around the trunk of the tree that was cut down. Once that iron band was removed on October 1, 1982, a new world power, a new “Babylon,” began to emerge from the roots of ancient Babylon.
The prophecies in the Bible were inspired by God—and when God says something will happen, He makes it happen right on schedule.
Who Will Dominate the 21st Century?
A German-led Europe, together with a powerful religious organization, will fulfill the Bible’s prophecies about the end-time Babylon.
Bible prophecy shows that this “Babylon” will ultimately control a worldwide empire that includes Russia, China, and the rest of the world. In future lessons you will learn more about this coming empire, and 10 world leaders who will play a leading role in end-time events. For now, watch how the growing Babylon—a Germany-led Europe with a unifying religious organization—responds to the Russian threat.
The next lesson will give you the missing key that unlocks half of Bible prophecy.
Don’t forget to read all of Daniel 4, to prove to yourself that it really says what you just learned.
Watch related video on YouTube: Where will the Antichrist come from?
Next Lesson: The USA and the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel in Prophecy
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