By COGwriter
Many have wondered how the European Union (EU) may fit with biblical prophecies.
Could it have been prophesied in the Old Testament?
Might it have some type of connection to the Beast in the New Testament?
What is prophesied to happen in Europe?
What does the Bible teach?
What might we speculate about the EU?
Here is a link to a related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
In 1944, exiled representatives of the three small European nations of Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg agreed to a customs union called Benelux. It was then ratified in 1947, and in 1948 it became the Benelux Economic Union. While Benelux still exists, it basically became a blueprint for future European integration with entities such as the Council of Europe, the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community (EEC, 1958-1993), and the European Union (EU, 1993-present).
While Europe was still recovering from being devastated in World War II, after attending a conference related to the start of the United Nations, in the December 1948 issue of The Plain Truth Herbert W. Armstrong predicted a coming "United States of Europe" when he wrote:
It was the SERMON that shot forth that spark, impregnating the minds of world leaders in attendance. This amazing sermon was delivered by a foremost radio speaker of the Catholic Church, Bishop Duane G. Hunt of Salt Lake City ... Without the guidance, supervision, authority of the Catholic Church, he told these men, they were laboring in vain ...
This was the Roman Catholic bid to resurrect the so-called “HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE”! And PROPHECY says they will succeed! ... At the psychological time, the pope will step in ... Thru this political movement, he will UNIFY ... nations in Europe. It will be a “The UNITED STATES OF EUROPE,” but that probably will never become its official name. (Armstrong HW. Now It Can Be Told...The Plain Truth, December 1948, pp. 2,5).
While Europe has not taken on the name "the United States of Europe" the EU has been called that from time to time (e.g. ‘Time for the United States of Europe!’ ‘Euro Conference Approves ‘Joint Armed Forces’’).
As far as religious overtones go, Europe's flag has them. Although there were 15 nations in 1953 involved in the Council of Europe, a twelve star flag was adopted in 1955.
But why use twelve stars? Why hasn't the Council of Europe (which has 46 member states, including the EU--which has 27 member nations) used another number or changed it?
There seem to be two reasons.
The first is that Mary is prominent in an unusual way in the new European Union as she was the "inspiration" for its flag. According to the Times Online (November 16, 2005):
"The chosen flag was designed by Arsene Heitz, a German Roman Catholic who said that he had been inspired by a line in the Book of Revelation about the Virgin Mary wearing a crown of 12 stars, a common depiction in Christian iconography."
Hence, we see a clear tie between Mary (called the "Queen of Heaven" by the Roman Catholics) and the flag for the European Union. The final European power will also be a religious one (Revelation 13:4,8).
As far as Marian symbols go, Vatican News concurs that the EU flag has intended Marian symbols:
The symbol of Europe was conceived by a Catholic and tomorrow, for the first time, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima will be carried past the EU Parliament building ...
Lorenzo Fontana and Mario Borghesio said the arrival of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in Strasbourg is “a unique event.” “Few people know that the symbol of unified Europe has exquisitely Marian origins, as the European Union’s official flag proves with its twelve stars and the Virgin Mary’s blue and white colours.”…
A competition was held in order to choose the flag and French Catholic designer Arsène Heitz won. The meaning of the flag’s symbolism can be found in an image of Marian devotion ... Arsène Heitz did not reveal the symbol’s biblical origin (he only did so later on), but claimed the number twelve was meant to symbolise ancient wisdom, a “symbol of completeness”. This interpretation stuck and the number was confirmed in the constitutional treaty. So the European flag has a powerful Christian and Marian significance. Tomorrow Mary will “take back” the EU. (Galeazzi G. Symbolism of EU flag is Marian. Vatican News, October 22, 2012. http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/inquiries-and-interviews/detail/articolo/europa-europe-19118/
(It may be of interest to note that the statue claimed to be the Lady of Fatima does not look like what the three children who saw the apparition in Fatima described it. For details, including pictures of the Fatima statue and what was really seen, please check out the book Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. In addition to the print version, there is a Kindle version of Fatima Shock! which you can acquire in seconds.) It should also be noted that the Coat of Arms for the EU military has the same twelve stars and appears to be based upon the EU flag (to see it, go to EU Looking for a New Military Structure Without UK).
The second reason for 12 stars may, at least indirectly be because of private Roman Catholic prophecies concerning 12 kings at the end.
Notice:
St. Francis of Paola (Born in Italy, 15th century). "By the grace of the Almighty, the Great Monarch will annihilate heretics and unbelievers. He will have a great army, and angels will fight at his side. He will be like the sun among the stars. His influence will spread over the whole earth. All in all, there will be on earth twelve Kings, one Emperor, one Pope and a few Princes. They will all lead holy lives." (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy. TAN Books, 1973, p.38)
The above suggests that many Roman Catholics will believe that God is on the side of the one the Book of Revelation calls the beast--who some call "the Great Monarch" (additional specific prophecies are listed in the articles The Great Monarch: Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies and Who is the King of the North?).
Hence the flag seems to tie Roman Catholic symbols in with a "Queen of Heaven" and a the future European Emperor--one who is expected in the 21st century (see also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).
A peculiar part of the above prophecy is that many Roman Catholics seemingly believe that there will be twelve kings associated with the beast (who they often seem to look forward to as "the Great Monarch") and the pope, yet the Bible states that there are ten kings (Daniel 7:24; Revelation 17:12; see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?), plus two beasts--the Beast of the Sea (Revelation 13:10) and the Beast of the Earth (Revelation 13:11-17, a likely antipope)--that would add to twelve but the Roman Catholic prophecy has 14. Though the EU flag supports the idea of twelve.
The Bible shows that there is a beast that arises from a sea:
1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:1-4)
2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ 6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. (Daniel 7:2-8)
The “Great Sea” that bordered the ancient lands of Israel (Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; 9:1; 23:4; Ezekiel 47:13-16) is the Mediterranean Sea--and that is the sea that Daniel was referring to. Despite some false claims by some, the Beast power is not a nation like Russia, which does not border the Mediterranean Sea, but Europe which does.
The EU, itself, was established when the Maastricht Treaty came into force in 1993, and was incorporated as an international legal juridical person upon entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in late 2009, which basically became official no later than January 1, 2010.
Furthermore, consider that after Benelux began, related to EU history:
Its beginnings can be traced to the Inner Six states (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany) at the start of modern European integration in 1948, and to the Western Union, the International Authority for the Ruhr, the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, which were established by treaties. These increasingly amalgamated bodies grew, with their legal successor the EU, both in size through the accessions of a further 22 states from 1973 to 2013, and in power through acquisitions of policy areas. (European Union. Wikipedia, accessed 02/27/24)
The EU now has about 5.8% of the world's population and its gross product is about 17% of the entire world. Roughly, each EU resident produces about 3 times as much wealth as the average non-EU resident.
Back in 1962, Oxford published an article claiming a European Empire from Charlemagne (who headed up what was called the 'Holy Roman Empire') essentially became the European Economic Community, then also called the Common Market (Engelmann, Hugo O. “The European Empire: From Charlemagne to the Common Market.” Social Forces, vol. 40, no. 4, 1962, pp. 297–301).
Before the EU was formed, Herbert Armstrong wrote:
“And in the days of these kings ... ”–it is here speaking of the ten toes, part of iron and part of brittle clay. This, by connecting the prophecy with Daniel 7, and Revelation 13 and 17, is referring to the new UNITED STATES OF EUROPE that is now forming, out of the European Common Market, before your very eyes! Revelation 17:12 makes plain the detail that it shall be a union of TEN KINGS OR KINGDOMS that (Rev. 17:8) shall resurrect the old ROMAN EMPIRE. So, mark carefully the time element! “In the days of these kings”–in the days of these then nations or groups of nations that shall, IN OUR TIME, resurrect briefly the Roman Empire… (The members of the European Common Market are probably not the same ten that will resurrect the Holy Roman Empire.) (Armstrong HW. Mystery of the Ages. Dood, Mead & Company, New York, 1985, pp. 301,302-303)
These ten nations, or groups of nations, comprising the modern revived Beast, are to fight Christ at His coming. This shows the time for the fulfillment of this prophecy ... Remember that there must be TEN NATIONS or groups of nations to comprise the final resurrection of the modern “Holy Roman Empire”! (AMBASSADOR COLLEGE, BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSE. LESSON 32 (1963, 1965, 1967, 1969)
So, back as far as at least the 1960s, notice that those of us in the Church of God did not limit the final coming European power to the ten nations that were in the old European Common Market. Since Revelation 17:12 says the kings of Europe did not have a kingdom until a reorganizing time, this points to a type of restructure in Europe needing to happen before the final Beast truly rises up. The final European power could contain a lot of nations (see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).
The EU, itself, has been called an empire (e.g. Zielonka J. Europe as Empire. The Nature of the Enlarged European Union, 1st edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006). Why?
The EU ... resembles an empire we know from many centuries earlier. ... the system we knew in the Middle Ages (Ibid, p. 1)
Furthermore, some see the EU as a type of a 'Holy Roman Empire':
The Holy Roman Union
May 7, 2019
The EU shares a number of characteristics with the Holy Roman Empire: overlapping sources of political authority with sometimes universal claims, and multiple and fuzzy political loyalties. (Rohac D. The Holy Roman Union. The American Interest. May 7, 2019; https://www.the-american-interest.com/2019/05/07/the-holy-roman-union/)
Holy Roman Giant
March 15, 2022
800 AD, the Pope anointed a new “Roman Emperor”: the Frankish king, Charlemagne. For the next thousand years, the Holy Roman Empire governed much of Europe, with Germany as its eventual heartland. ...
The emperor did lack the centralized power wielded by nation-state kings. By the 1500s, a Western European king (or his parliament) could tax the entire realm and command essentially all its soldiers, unlike the emperor. But the Holy Roman Emperor still ruled a realm larger than any nation-state. And he could coordinate cooperative defense — and offense — by his vassal states. ...
The New Empire
Like the Holy Roman Empire, the European Union is not a nation-state — and it doesn’t control a large part of its member-states’ revenues or military resources. But the EU can coordinate collective defense (including through NATO). And it can manage other joint projects — again, just like the empire. (Tollen D. EU SUPERPOWER: THE NEW HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. Pints of History, March 15, 2022)
The European Union: A Not-so-Holy Roman Empire
December 20, 2021
The ... Second World War ... left Europe in ruins. The European Union seeks to prevent this from happening again by restoring the cosmopolitanism, size, and economic clout of a multi-national empire but without also creating a unitary state in the process.
The EU is designed as a supranational polity where member states retain their national sovereignty and parochial identities but agree to be bound by its laws. They maintain their own armies, independent foreign policies, national parliaments and are free to leave if they so choose. The creation of such a chimeric political beast might appear unpreceded but it is not. The Holy Roman Empire successfully managed the affairs of central Europe by creating a similar composite political structure beginning in 962 under Otto I. In a bid to create unity in the German lands where the Romans never ruled, the Holy Roman Empire proclaimed itself the successor to the long-dead Roman Empire as the defender of a Catholic Christian Europe. ...
That the Holy Roman Empire survived for 900 years suggests that it was on to something and that the EU can be viewed as a secular reincarnation of it—minus only an emperor’s crown and Christian faith as symbols of its unity. (Barfield T. The European Union: A Not-so-Holy Roman Empire. The Sentinel Post, December 20, 2021)
Notice something from a book by Hungary's Ambassador to the Vatican:
The Holy Roman Empire … was shaped by, the Habsburg family for hundreds of years …
Holy Roman Empire … by the Middle Ages, this state structure governed most of the Roman Empire’s former territory including Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Slovenia, Czeck Republic, the territory of today’s Poland, and Northern Italy.
The idea of centralized government in the Habsburg lands began to advance under Maria Theresia. … In some ways, centalization was inspired by the Masonic idea that reason could determine the best policy, and therefore that all change could come from above and be implemented by a small, virtuous elite.
In the end, the idea of empire (in German reich) has shaped Europe for nearly six hundred years, with greater and lesser success. But one historical curiosity above the Holy Roman Empire is that, according to legal scholars, it never officially, legally ended. … even after 1806 when the Holy Roman Empire ended. … So, very technically speaking, empire continues to even to this day. … perhaps one day in the future it will once again be “en-soul” a united Europe?
Dr. Otto von Habsburg … From the birth of the Paneuropa Union, in 1952, Otto fought for a united Europe … In 1973, Otto became head of the International Paneuropa Movement, and in 1979 he was elected to the European Parliament for the first time. … he insisted that symbolic seats in the Parliament be kept empty for the future for countries still trapped behind the Iron Curtain. …
We Habsburgs still live by traditional family values and live by them. … Are we waiting for the monarchy to return? No. (Or are we?)
(Habsburg E. The Habsburg Way: Seven Rules for Turbulent Times. Sophia Institute Press, 2023)
So, apparently on paper, according to Eduard Habsburg, the Holy Roman Empire has not actually ended.
The reality is that, with the exception of Switzerland (which has many EU ties, but is not officially part of it), the territory the 'Holy Roman Empire' once controlled is part of the European Union.
It is also of interest to note that Eduard Hapsburg was advocating for some type of Holy Roman Empire with perhaps a monarch ruling over it.
Interestingly, as far back as the Book of Daniel, the Bible prophesied that a little horn would develop into what apparently is becoming a European entity. This prophecy looks like it started to be fulfilled in the 20th century and is having further fulfillment in the 21st century.
Actually what is now the EU began as a small organization involving three small countries located in the northern and western regions of Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, called the 'Benelux' nations)--they then helped form the European Economic Community. Which expanded into the European Union.
Notice that, the Bible prophesied that a little horn would mainly expand South and East:
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. (Daniel 8:9-12).
And while the above has had a past fulfillment anciently, this prophecy seems to be dual. A horn is sometimes used in the Bible related to kings (cf. Revelation 17:12). While we do not see this direction expansion fulfilled with the first 5 kings, we do see this realted to the EU.
The European Union has mainly expanded south and east of the Benelux nations. Now, approximately 450 million people are under a new, single (though not completed united) government, called the European Union, headquartered in Brussels. The prophecy in Daniel 8:9 looks to be pointing the EEU and EU because of the amount and timing of that expansion--but that will later lead per Daniel 8:10-12 to the rise of the final Beast of the sea who is also the final King of the North of Daniel 11.
The late Dr. Herman Hoeh concurred that Daniel 8 was related to the end time European King of the North power as he wrote:
Turn in your Bible to verse 9: "And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land." ...
The King of the North
The little horn in Daniel 8 is none other than the LAST KING of one of the four divisions of Alexander's Empire. He is, in fact, the final "King of the North" described in Daniel 11. (Hoeh H. The 2300 Days. Plain Truth, August 1965)
While the expansion has mainly occurred with what looks to be the EEU/EU, the final rising up pertains to the final King of the North who is also the seventh king of Revelation 17:10. And he will also end up going south, not just towards, but into and past the glorious land per Daniel 11:40-43. He then may have control of much of the east and south side of the Mediterranean Sea like the ancient Roman Empire did.
Let me add that while some Protestants have been starting to wake up to the reality of an emerging European superpower being the revival of the old Roman Empire to represent the Beast of Revelation.
The 17th chapter of the Book of Revelation has certain passages that are clear to many, but also some that are difficult to fully understand.
Let's look at the first couple of verses of it:
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” (Revelation 17:1-2)
From here we see a power that has international influence ("sits on many waters") and improper political intertwinings ("with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication").
The chapter continues with:
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. (Revelation 17:3-6)
So, the Apostle John wondered about this immoral woman and the beast.
The chapter continues with:
7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
Those ten horns are discussed in verses 12 and 13. As far as the seven heads go, one of them looks to be difficult to understand. John continues with:
8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
In a 2021 telecast titled The Beast That Was, and Is Not, and Yet Is, PCG's Gerald Flurry claimed that Mussolini is the 6th of the kings and is that beast that "was and is not." Yet he also claimed that the one who "will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition" is the 7th king we read of in Revelation 17:10--but that does not seem to flow with the original Greek in verse 8, which has a conjuction that points to the same beast king as both.
The Living Church of God teaches that Napoleon is the 5th and that the "Hitler-Mussolini Axis Powers of World War II" were the sixth king (McNair R. WHAT IS PROPHESIED FOR GERMANY? Tomorrow's World. July-August 2018), and hence the entity that scripture refers to as "one is" despite the death of both of them in 1945. LCG, like many groups, basically have gone along with what the old WCG taught about the first six kings, with some minor adjustments.
The United Church of God (UCG) also teaches that Napoleon is the 5th and Mussolini the 6th (https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/the-final-superpower/roman-revivals-of-a-united-europe accessed 05/17/24).
The Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA) has the following with the 6th a little bit different:
1. Imperial Restoration 554 2. Frankish Kingdom 774 3. Holy Roman Empire Otto the Great (German Head) 962 4. Hapsburg Dynasty (Austrian Head) 1530 5. Napoleon 1804 6. Italy (Mussolini and Garibaldi) 1870-1945 (Mendez AC. The Scarlet Beast of Rev. 17: Spiritual Babylon (RCC). http://corpuschristi.cogwa.org/uploads/Ser._Catholic_Church_In_Prophecy_Part_3-Handout.pdf accessed 05/17/24)
That said, we know the world will marvel at the warring ability of the seventh beast (Revelation 13:3). How or when the world will "marvel," also translated as "wonder" or "admire," that beast that was and is not is not specified--but somehow that will happen. Perhaps when Europe has risen up more economically in comparison to the USA.
There is general agreement among those in the Church of God, Greco-Roman Catholic, and most Protestant faiths that the seventh king will be the Beast of the Sea of Revelation 13:1-10.
A Roman Catholic priest and Greek scholar wrote the following about the king beast of verse 8:
The first words of the angel reveal the non-existence of the beast when this vision was given would become actuality. ... Those who hold that the beast was merely the Roman Empire are sadly illogical, for this was in existence when St. John received the revelations. This vision is therefore of some future time when the empire no longer exists, but just before the beast-empire re-appears. (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny. Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 390).
Well, right now, what is existing just before the coming beast-empire is the European Union.
As far as historical Church of God views go, the late CG7 leader Andrew Dugger wrote:
Verse 8 - Here the beast, upon which the harlot woman, having the name "Babylon" on her forehead, was riding. "WAS, and WAS NOT, and YET IS" (Revelation 17:8). This is the beast that was wounded by the sword, and was not. The deadly wound was healed (chapter 13), and it comes back. This is where we are at the present time. It has come back, and the voice of Rome is again being heard and felt. (Dugger A. Daniel and the Book of Revelation. First printed at Jerusalem, Israel, by the Mount Zion Reporter Press, ca. 1960s. NEW EDITION, 2013, p. 133)
Well, the closest thing to the Holy Roman Empire that existed when that was written was the European Economic Community (1958-1993)--of whch such unity various pontiffs supported (see Stump KW. Ahead... RELIGIOUS UNITY OF EUROPE. Plain Truth, April 1982). Hence, Andrew Dugger had to have pointed to the EEC, and one would suspect him to have been pointing to the EU if he were still alive and held the same view (I did not learn that about him until May 6, 2024--which is a month or two after I originally speculated that the EU was that beast).
Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:
"And in the days of these kings... ." It is here speaking of the ten toes, part of iron and part of brittle clay. This, by connecting the prophecy with Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 and 17, is referring to the new UNITED STATES OF EUROPE, which is now forming out of the European Common Market before your very eyes! Revelation 17:12 makes plain the detail that it shall be a union of ten KINGS OR KINGDOMS that (Rev. 17:8) shall resurrect the medieval "HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. ...
The seventh is now forming—the last, final, brief resurrection of the "Holy Roman Empire" by ten European groups or nations. (Armstrong HW. 7 PROOFS OF GOD'S TRUE CHURCH: Part Four. Plain Truth, May 1979; that same exact quote is also in his 1985 book: The Bible Superstition or Authority? ...and can you prove it?)
Well, what formed out of the European Common Market (which officially was the EEU) was the European Union--it is not currently constituted as the group of ten nations or groups of nations. And while there will be a reorganization leading to the the seventh involving the ten kings which Revelation 17:12-13 shows, that has not yet happened. The EU "now is," yet since it does not have an emperor or dictator running it, it also "is not."
When I asked him about the EU and the one that is but was not, CBCG's Fred Coulter agreed that the one that "is" could be the European Union--and basically that "one is" should be seen as a contemporary, event, not something that the Apostle John would have known about in his time--but Fred also said this will tend to be cleared up as we get closer (telecom 5/02/24).
Going back to Revelation 17, John continued with:
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
Note that the seventh beast per Revelation 17:10c only continues for a short time. That is 42 months per Revelation 13:5. But the sixth king, then, can be assumed to have been around for a lot longer than that. And the EU has been around for over three decades and over six if you point to the EEU/Common Market as its start, and back to 1948 if you include Benelux.
Now the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary has the following related to the 7 kings of Revelation 17:10:
"the five … the one"; the first five of the seven are fallen (a word applicable not to forms of government passing away, but to the fall of once powerful empires: Egypt, Eze 29:1-30:26; Assyria and Nineveh, Na 3:1-19; Babylon, Re 18:2; Jer 50:1-51:64; Medo-Persia, Da 8:3-7, 20-22; 10:13; 11:2; Greece, Da 11:4). Rome was "the one" existing in John's days.
That Rome of the Apostle John's time is the one that "is" remains the most common identification in Protestant commentaries. And while can seem logical at first glance, there looks to be flaws to that.
Consider that the beast is described as the "beast that was, and is not, and yet is." IF that could be a reference to the sixth king as it appears to be, since the Roman Empire was truly in place when John saw the revelation, it cannot properly be described as "and is not."
For the sixth king, the one that "is" in verse 10, we see that is a translation of the Greek word ἔστιν (transliterated into English as estin). ἔστιν is a present indicative active verb (Robertson AT. Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, Volume 1. Hodder & Stoughton, George H. Doran Company, 1914, p. 375). ἔστιν can be a predictive dative verb (Ibid, p. 541), particularly when combined with the Greek word transliterated as kai, which it is in Revelation 17:8. ἔστιν "expresses existence or possibly, as in ... Rev. 17: 10 (Ibid, p. 234). Hence, "is" could be a future term, as opposed to being there during John's life.
Getting back to the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary it also has the following::
The time when it is said of it, "it is not" (Re 17:11), is the time during which it is "wounded to death," and has the "deadly wound" (Re 13:3).
That deadly wound had not happened to the Roman Empire by or during the Apostle John's time. And since that sixth king could be part of the eighth, the old Roman Empire would seem not eligible as it does not exist now (though it could be argued all the seven kings have a relationship to the old Roman Empire).
As far as possibly being "is not," consider that:
The EU has often been described as a sui generis political entity (without precedent or comparison) combining the characteristics of both a federation and a confederation. (European Union. Wikipedia, accessed 02/27/24)
The EU is not a kingdom, yet is a type of empire. And it has attemped to emulate the old Holy Roman Empire.
Related to Revelation 17 and what is called the 'Holy Roman Empire,' Herbert W. Armstrong stated (note start dates in { } provided by me):
Now, this is pictured as the beast or the animal described in the 17th chapter of Revelation through the Middle Ages. It was called the Holy Roman Empire. It began now in 554 A.D. under Justinian ... See these heads on these animals. The animals were government; the heads were the heads of state or the leaders, the heads of the government.
Now this government, the Holy Roman Empire began in 554 under Justinian. The second head of government represented by this 17th chapter beast or wild animal was Charlemagne who ruled at 800 A.D., he was the French head of state. He was followed by the third head of state, the German dynasty of Otto the Great {955}, and the fourth head of state was the Hapsburg Dynasty of Charles the Great {1519}, and the fifth head of state was Napoleon {1806}.
Now, these five heads of state were symbolized by the first five heads of the 17th chapter Beast of the Book of Revelation. ...
John wrote in verse eight, the 17th chapter of the Book of Revelation. Notice. Now the eighth verse of the 17th chapter of the Book of Revelation, the beast that thou saws was and is not. Now the time you have to figure the time that he's writing of this was around about 1934 to 1937 when this beast was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, which is a symbol of the condition of virtual non-existence. And yet there was life there that could come back in a resurrection and go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of Life from the foundation of the world. When they behold the beast, which means a government, now, that was and is not and yet is.
Now, let's just continue on these next verses, the ninth, and here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth, which was a religious organization. And these are seven kings or heads of state as I've said, five are fallen. I gave you the five beginning with Justinian and ending with Napoleon. And one is, now that one is. That's how I know the date of this thing. The one that was at the time of this vision was Mussolini. Mussolini had gone down and conquered Ethiopia at that time, and he had added it to Eritrea, Italian Somaliland, and Libya and Italy. And he proclaimed it to be the Holy Roman Empire. He had made a concordat with the Vatican, and he said the Holy Roman Empire was re-established. Now, not many people knew about it. It didn't even make great big headlines in the newspapers, but it was published, and it did happen, and that was the sixth head that was and was not. And yet it was.
Now notice from there, one is, and the other is yet to come. That is yet to come in our time. And you are seeing it beginning over in Europe right now, and it continues when he cometh, he must continue a short space. (Armstrong HW. Daniel. Radio broadcast https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getbroadcast&InfoID=1340285301&SearchWhat=KeyWord&SearchFor=Commandments%20Jesus%20Christ&NoShow=&page=278&return=search)
Herbert W. Armstrong thought that the sixth king of the beast that "is" in verses 8 and 10 meant that the declaration by Benito Mussolini around 1936. However, that looks to be too far in the past.
Also, since Napoleon basically ended the Habsburg 'Holy Roman Empire' in 1806 (plus his reign did not last long), it may be wiser to consider that Napoleon would not count as one of the five. Therefore, perhaps Habsburg dynasty was 5th and not 4th, with the Hohenstaufen dynasty (which began in the 12th century) as being the fourth.
Differing to his dates (which may or may not be precise), Herbert W. Armstrong stated that the Holy Roman Empire began in 554 under Justinian is its king who became emperor (this looks to have been counted until 797). He then pointed to Charlemagne as the second king who ruled as emperor beginning in 800 (Charlemagne was coronated in 768 and his empire went by one measure until about 905). Then he listed Otto the Great as the third, who began in 955 after he defeated Hungarian invasions into the west (he was made emperor in 962, and by one measure that empire lasted until 1137).
Now the fourth may be said to be the Hohenstaufen dynasty of Frederick Barbarossa (began 1155, technically perhaps starting with his uncle Conrad III in 1138).
Towards the end of dissolution of the Hohenstaufen dynasty in 1268, there was what has been called an interregnum period (1254-1273) until the rise of the Habsburgs.
The Habsburg rise started as early as 1273 but did not gain full dominance until 1519 under Charles V (Charles the Great). The Habsburg dynasty was defeated in 1806 by Napoleon. Yet, its descendants still live and some hold royal titles, but none are 'Holy Roman Emperors.' The son of the last Austrian Emperor, Charles I, was Otto von Habsburg. Yet, he was pressured to renounce the right to that and other titles. He did so partially in 1958 and finally did so in 1961 to the satisfaction of the Austrian government.
Interestingly, the Treaty of Rome which established the European Economic Union, a forerunner to the European Union became in force in 1958 until replaced by the EU in 1993. So perhaps a direct transfer from the fifth to the sixth king?
The EU was established, along with its citizenship, when the Maastricht Treaty came into force in 1993. It then gained additional powers when the Treaty of Lisbon was approved in late 2009. But the EU does not have a king/emperor, though its territories include most of the old Holy Roman Empire. I speculate it is the sixth king as it seemingly best meets the criteria in scripture as well as is consistent with parts of some historical COG views.
Getting back to Napoleon, perhaps it should be mentioned that in the 19th century, a COG 7th Day paper published an article by one (who may have been a Protestant) who believed that Napoleon and the two other Napoleons were the beast that was not yet is of Revelation 17:8 --that article also pointed to them coming after the pope's supported empire (Keith, Alexander, Dr. THE NAPOLEON EMPIRE IN PROPHECY--THE EMPIRE THAT WAS, AND IS NOT, AND YET IS. Hope of Israel, February 23, 1869; posted an article that was previously in Sings/Signs of our Times)--which might be an allusion to the 'Holy Roman Empire.'
A long time CG7 member, who was affiliated with Herbert Armstrong in his earlier days, named John Kiesz, wrote that Napoleon defeated the Holy Roman Empire and that:
The ten horns (kings...) shall give their power to the beast (to the revived Holy Roman Empire) (Kiesz J. The Way it Looks from Here. The Harvest, March-April 1990, pp. 3-4)
CG7's Andrew Dugger also felt similarly:
"The Holy Roman Empire," was broken up, and the Pope was made prisoner in the year 1798, under the work of Napoleon. (Dugger A. Daniel and the Book of Revelation. First printed at Jerusalem, Israel, by the Mount Zion Reporter Press, ca. 1960s. NEW EDITION, 2013, p. 105)
As Napoleon did defeat that 'Holy Roman Empire' while some consider he was the beast that was, but was not, he would not really be the fifth or sixth king of the 'Holy Roman Empire.'
Getting back to Herbert W. Armstrong, in a sermon he stated:
It's been seeming more and more to me, as the years go by, that the Bible was written primarily for the Philadelphia Era of the Church. (Armstrong HW. Mission of the Philadelphia Church Era. Sermon given December 17, 1983)
That probably is part of why he thought Revelation 17:10 about the king that "is" was something he had been able to see. And his statement about the Bible written for now is consistent with something the Apostle Paul wrote:
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1 Corinthians 10:11)
But the end of this age did not occur in the 20th century, but instead is in the 21st century.
That said, realize that Mussolini's reign was gone in 1943, though some might point to 1945--it was too long ago, plus probably too short, to meet biblical criteria. Plus, Hitler was above Mussolini for much of that--and Mussolini never controlled what Hitler was controlling in Europe.
During this time of the Philadelphian remnant, the only entity that "now is" over much of Europe is the EU.
Consider the following related to the seventh king, who is the beast that will go to perdition after Jesus returns:
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)
So, we see the timing of the end of the seventh king, along with the false prophet (the final Antichrist) and when they go into perdition. Now, notice the other going into perdition:
8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. (Revelation 17:8)
11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. (Revelation 17:11)
It is too long from Benito Mussolini's time to present for him to be "going to perdition" when the beast and false prophet do. And that is also a concern about the idea that the sixth king was the ancient Roman Empire. The old Roman Empire of the West reportedly fell in the year 476--hence that seems much too long ago for it to be the sixth, though there could be arguments in its favor since it was in existence when John penned the Book of Revelation.
What about the eighth?
This could be the EU combined with the armies of the world, which will go to perdition the same time as the Beast and Antichrist do (Revelation 19:20-21)--because that way the sixth could also be of the eighth. That seemingly fits.
Here is a different idea from a Roman Catholic scholar of ancient Greek:
Verse 11 ...
This verse is complicated in the English; in Greek it is clear. The clause, "the same is also the eighth", refers to the person of Antichrist. ... The English translation, "is itself the eighth" is misleading, because the pronoun "itself modifies "beast". In Greek "τò Θηρíον", "the beast", is neuter gender, while the pronoun "αντòς", is masculine, showing that not the "beast" is the "eighth", but Antichrist ... is the EIGHTH. ... In Greek the clause clearly refers to Antichrist, while some English translations it cannot be discerned unless it be translated, as some have it, "he himself is also the eighth." (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny. Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 396).
If the eighth one is the one that is was and was not, that could refer to the Pontifex Maximus, which was not separate from the Roman Emperor, but did separate in the late 4th century. The Antichrist will likely be a Pontiff and an antipope, and could thus also be at least an eighth, though he looks more like an aide to the seventh. And it does not look like the Antichrist can be the sixth.
Another possibility is that the kings that come in Revelation 17:12-13 who reign for one hour with the Beast could be considered as the eighth and part of the seven. They would be expected to come out of a reorganized EU--which again, tends to point to the EU as the sixth and part of the eighth.
Former RCG employee Marc Cebrian has listened to many RCG sermons. Here are some reports from him about RCG's David Pack pointing towards and away from Vladimit Putin as the sixth king:
During “The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 453)” on June 17, 2023, Pastor General David Crowl Pack of The Restored Church of God, located in Wadsworth, Ohio, USA, identified Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin as the prophesied Sixth King of Revelation 17.
@ 41:57 So then, who is the Sixth King? Are we looking for him, or currently are we now staring at him? Three weeks ago, I identified him, and the men around me know that I did. I said, It’s gotta be this man. But I thought, No, it can’t be that man because that man has got to be someone inside the Kingdom. ...
@ 1:03:02 We might ask, Would we expect that the Sixth King would be a Mede? He would be a Russian.
@ 1:03:20 Vladimir Putin is known to admire the great Russian Czars. I’ve read a lot about this man.
@ 1:03:44 Here’s what his first name means: “to rule with greatness” or “peaceful ruler” and “ruler of the world.” ...
@ 1:22:05 “Putin Projects Defiance At Economic Forum.” He’s almost the front page every day of the Wall Street Journal. ...
@ 1:24:44 Somebody thinks it’s some who thinks it’s somebody else. All right. Who else? And what alternative is there? I know it’s him. Everything lines up.
@ 1:25:45 I didn’t just come to this. I finally came to grips with it. That there’s not time for anyone else. The Sixth King now IS. And nobody else has ever known it. We have to know it.
@ 1:30:12 So, this is all faith-building. If your faith didn’t grow as a result of hearing this sermon, then there's something wrong. ...
@ 1:30:36 You’re seeing prophecy fulfilled.
@ 1:31:00 It’s no longer just “Mr. Pack just telling us what will happen.” It’s happened. He’s here now. It’s impossible that it’s anybody else.
@ 1:31:26 I’ve been studying Vladimir Putin since he worked for the KGB. He speaks fluent German and worked in East Germany. I understand the man.
Part 454 – June 17, 2023
@ 09:05 Now, let’s think of one other reason why it’s easy to know it’s Putin. ...
@ 12:59 Why did we only identify the Sixth King now?
@ 1:15:19 So, the Series is over. Simplicity truly reigns. ...
@ 1:23:45 You’re convicted about the Sixth King. That’s what you could look at your own convictions. Who else could it be?And, you know, it’s in some ways it’s an easy thing. It's here, and so I would imagine everybody is convicted about it. I’ll be shocked if people aren’t.
https://www.exrcg.org/blog/putin accessed 04/01/24
Then notice:
Part 461 – July 29, 2023
@ 1:35:00 I’ma throw another thought at you, and I’m gonna be very discrete in how I handle it. I do not believe Vladimir Putin is the Sixth King. That’s all I’m gonna say…
Part 483 – December 2, 2023
@ 1:39:20 And that’s it. If it's not Putin, well, then I wouldn't know who it is. …he's somebody out there, and there's one guy that fits the bill. He’s even real short.
Part 499 – March 21, 2024
@ 10:20 It’s impossible that the Sixth King is anybody today. Remember, we’re making things plain. We’re removing the Mystery. Preparing the way for God. It’s impossible.
https://armstrongismlibrary.blogspot.com/2024/03/rcg-more-apologies-to-mr-putin.html accessed 04/01/24
Russia's Vladimir Putin was not the sixth king, but it is not impossible to possibly the identity of the sixth king.
That is something I have been working on and have consulted with COG leaders in and out of the CCOG on this.
Currently, the EU can possibly be considered as the sixth because it now is, but really is not the same as the other resurrections. So, it is not, while now it is. Plus, it and the seventh beast can be totally destroyed at the same time.
Notice also the following prophecy:
41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. (Daniel 2:41-43)
Thus, the lack of consensus was expected. We are seeing that right now in the EU! It fits and will feed into the seventh king.
And as far as it being associated with the eighth, that may include what is left of Europe and the other kings of the earth that will fight Jesus when He returns, or as the Roman Catholic writer pointed out, the final Antichrist, who is a king of sorts.
Notice the European beast and kings of the world will fight Jesus upon His return:
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war ... 13 ... His name is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:11,13)
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:19-21)
So, the above has the seventh king (the beast) along with other kings and their armies (which would seem to include what was left from the European Union, like the ten kings who were granted a kingdom in Revelation 17:12) together. The Antichrist is defeated at the same time.
Related to the European Union, consider that the Vatican has endorsed the EU and wants it to remember its heritage. Pope Francis stated:
It is vital, then, to recover the European spirit: the excitement and vision of its founders, who were statesmen able to look beyond their own times, beyond national boundaries and immediate needs, and to generate forms of diplomacy capable of pursuing unity, not aggravating divisions. ... Europe, since it is composed of many great and diverse links that derive their solidity and strength from being joined together. In this regard, the Christian faith can be a resource, and Hungary can act as a “bridge builder” by drawing upon its specific ecumenical character. (Francis, Pope. APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS to HUNGARY, 28 - 30 APRIL 2023. MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS Former Carmelite Monastery-Budapest. Friday, 28 April 2023. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2023/april/documents/20230428-ungheria-autorita.html#:~:text=It%20is%20vital%2C%20then%2C%20to,pursuing%20unity%2C%20not%20aggravating%20divisions. accessed 05/08/24)
Pope Francis wants the EU to recover its ties to the Holy Roman Empire, be unified, and support his version of the Christian faith.
Europe will end up with a more religious connection than it now has.
Reorganization is coming to Europe. Revelation 17:12-13 states:
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13)
The seventh king of Revelation 17:10 becomes the leader with the fulfillment of Revelation 17:13. More on these ten kings (which are not the seven horn kings, unless all were considered as the sixth) can be found in the article: Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?
Regarding the seventh king, notice the following Greco-Roman Catholic private prophecies:
Brother Louis Rocco (19th century): Terrible wars will rage all over Europe. God has long been patient with the corruption of morals; half of mankind He will destroy. Russia will witness many outrages. Great cities and small towns alike will be destroyed in a bloody revolution that will cause the death of half the population. In Istanbul (Constantinople) the Cross will replace the half-moon of Islamism, and Jerusalem will be the seat of a King. The southern Slavs will form a great Catholic Empire and drive out of Europe the Turks (Mohammedans), who will withdraw to North Africa and subsequently embrace the Catholic faith. (Dupont, p.76)
Bl. Rabanus Maurus (died 856): Our principal doctors agree in announcing to us, that towards the end of time one of the descendants of France shall reign over all the Roman Empire; that he shall be the greatest of the Empire; and that he shall be the greatest of the French monarch, and the last of his race. After happily governed his kingdom, he will go to Jerusalem, and depose on Mount of Olives his sceptre and crown. This shall be the end and conclusion of the Roman… Empire. (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p. 136)
Monk Adso (died 992): Some of our Teachers say that a King of the Franks will possess the entire Roman Empire. This King will be the greatest and the last of all Monarchs, and after having prosperously governed his kingdom, he will come in the end to Jerusalem and he will lay down his sceptre and his crown upon the Mount of Olives and immediately afterwards, Anti-Christ will come. (ibid, p. 137)
Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, one of the great Saints and illustrious Church Fathers, who exercised such a decisive influence upon the Emperors Gratian and Theodosius I, and to whom belongs thanks for the final triumph of Holy Church in the Roman Empire, was at that time the most restless and most energetic fighter against the “Synagogue of Satan”. (Pinay, Maurice. The Plot Against the Church, Part Four Chapters One, Two, Three, and Seven. Translated from the German and Spanish editions of the same work. 1962).
Pseudo-Methodius (7th century): This new Muslim invasion will be a punishment without limit and mercy…In France, a people of Christians will fight and kill them…At that same time the Muslims will be killed and they will know the tribulation…The Lord will give them to the powers of the Christians whose empire will be elevated above all empires…The Roman King (Great Monarch) will show a great indignation against those who will have denied Christ in Egypt or in Arabia (Araujo, Fabio R. Selected Prophecies and Prophets. BookSurge LLC, Charlestown (SC), 2007, pp. 101,103).
Zachary the Armenian (published 1854 and summarized in 2010): And then there would be the war that the prophecy refers to as "the struggle of the strong, against the strong". This empire of the north...will go to war against North America and North America will fall and be conquered and brought into bondage. The next phase is the most frightful thing of all. It is then that Zachary says this text published in 1854, "and then the whole world fell under the dominion of the first born of hell." (Originally by Priest Fattecelli, Day of Anger: The Hand of God Upon an Empire, 1854, as paraphrased by Priest P. Kramer, What are the missing contents of the third secret? Fatima Crusader, 95, Summer 2010, pp. 45-46)
Saint Cataldus of Tarentino (c. 500): "The Great Monarch will be in war till he is forty years of age. ... he will assemble great armies and expel tyrants from his empire. He will conquer England and other island empires" (Connor, p.30).
Desmond A. Birch, a Roman Catholic writer, has made the following observations:
Several private prophecies of canonized Saints specifically state that there will be a latter restoration of the Holy Roman Empire and that there will be at least one last Holy Roman Emperor. The authenticity of the authorship of such prophecies of canonized Saints (e.g., St. Hildegard, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Francis of Paula, and St. John Vianney) at least over the last eight hundred years is scholastically unquestionable. (Birch, p.281)
Also notice something about a name to be given to the monarch according to the Eastern Orthodox:
Oracle of Baalbek: And the name of this King is concealed among the nations; and his name is similar to the last day, and it is written from the 18th letter. And when he will receive his empire, his name will be Anastasius, (Anastasois). (Tzima Otto, p. 64).
Dr. Tzima Otto (interpretting the above): The Greek name Anastasios translates as the one who is connected with the Resurrection. ... I believe that we have again a prophetic mention on the Great Monarch (ibid, p. 65).
The Bible is clear that when people see "one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. All the world marveled" (Revelation 13:3). This "king" is going to lead what will appear to be the resurrected "Holy Roman Empire." He, himself, may also have had his political career resurrected. Giving him a name signifying "resurrected" seems to be a warning for all of those who understand the Bible.
Here is a summarization of certain private Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies and some related scriptural references that show that many private prophecies for the Great Monarch are consistent with the warnings in the Bible against the Beast/King of the North:
For additional details, check out the article: The Great Monarch: Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies .
- He will have Franco-German ancestry (cf. Isaiah 10:5-12-see also Germany's Assyrian Roots Throughout History; Daniel 9:26, see also The 'Peace Deal' of Daniel 9:27).
- His name has a number and he has control (Revelation 13:18).
- He is considered to be like a powerful beast with the head like a lion and possibly came from the sea (Revelation 13:1-2; see also Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation).
- He will have been written off/laughed at prior to his rise (Daniel 11:21; cf. Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?).
- He is supposed to arise in the 21st century, which would be the end times (cf. Daniel 11:40; see also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).
- He will be announced with signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Revelation 13:13-15; cf. Matthew 24:24; see also Who is the King of the North?).
- He will be announced with frightful sights and/or signs from heaven (cf. Luke 21:11).
- He will understand mysterious/hidden things/sinister schemes (Daniel 8:23).
- He will be a smooth talker (Daniel 11:23-24).
- He will make changes, probably affecting religion (cf. Daniel 7:25; 11:37-38).
- He, and his objectives, will be supported by a harlot “Virgin” they misidentify as Jesus' mother Mary (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Isaiah 47:1-15; Nahum 3:4-5; see also Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions).
- He will rise up unexpectedly (Daniel 8:23-24; 11:21-24).
- He will be considered to be a man bringing peace (Daniel 8:25, 9:26-27, 11:21-24; see also The 'Peace Deal' of Daniel 9:27).
- He will have a "great army" (Daniel 11:25; Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation).
- He will gain power after civil unrest/riots/warring in Europe (cf. Daniel 7:24; Revelation 13:3-4).
- He will "uproot all republics" (cf. Revelation 17:12-13; see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).
- He will establish a new religious order while also endorsing an existing one (cf. Daniel 11:38).
- He will endorse certain idols/icons (Revelation 13:14-17; cf. Daniel 11:38; see also What is the Origin of the Cross as a 'Christian' Symbol?).
- His supporters will be identified with a sign/mark/image, like a cross and/or crucifix (cf. Revelation 13:14-17; see also Mark of the Beast). Images of “Mary” are also expected (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Revelation 13:14-17).
- He will endorse an ecumenical form of Catholicism (cf. Daniel 11:36-38; Revelation 13:3-4; 17:1-11; see also Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? and Why Should American Roman Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? (And the Protestants)).
- He and a certain pope will reign about four years (cf. Daniel 7:25; 11:21-44; 12:11-12; Revelation 12:14; 13:5).
- Yet, he will falsely claim to be in charge of all Christendom (cf. Revelation 13, 17; Daniel 8:23-25).
- He will persecute those without an item/mark (Revelation 13:16-17; see also Mark of the Beast).
- One who does 'miracles' will support and promote him (Revelation 13:11-18).
- He will establish himself militarily in Jerusalem near the beginning of his reign (Daniel 11:31; Luke 21:20-24).
- He will be the leader of the resurrected (presumed dead) Holy Roman Empire (Revelation 13:3,12; see also Europa, the Beast, and Revelation).
- He, himself, will have his political influence resurrected (Daniel 11:21; see also see also Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?).
- He will be considered unconquerable (cf. Revelation 13:3-4).
- He will be considered like God (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
- He will establish “New Babylon” (cf. Jeremiah 50:42; 51:33; Revelation 18:11-21).
- He will help the City of Seven Hills reign (cf. Revelation 17:9,18).
- He sets something up in Jerusalem (cf. Matthew 24:15).
- He will persecute those which have original Judeo-Christian practices (Revelation 12:17, 13:7; Daniel 8:25; see also Persecutions by Church and State).
- He fights against Israel (Luke 21:20; Daniel 11:31).
- He will eliminate the English peoples (Daniel 8:24-25), who had been strong (Daniel 11:39; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).
- He will spread his form of religion around the world (Revelation 13:3-17).
- "The Great Monarch will annihilate heretics and unbelievers" (cf. Daniel 7:25; 11:28-35; Matthew 10:23; Revelation 14:12-13; see also Persecutions by Church and State).
- During his time, "Protestantism will cease" (cf. Revelation 13:3-4).
- He will divide up the lands of the English peoples (Daniel 11:39; Ezekiel 5:1-4; Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?).
- People will worship him (Revelation 13:8).
- His supporters will be opposed to those that keep the Sabbath (cf. Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:16-17).
- The Anglo peoples will betray each other (Isaiah 9:19-21; see also Anglo - America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).
- The world will prosper under his system for a while (Daniel 11:39; Revelation 18:9-19).
- He will cause those in Muslim dominated areas to know tribulation (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-8; cf. Matthew 24:21; cf. When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?).
- He will eliminate the Muslim powers in the Middle East and North Africa (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-8; see also Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?).
- He "will amass gold" and help the world prosper with gold (Daniel 11:42; cf. Revelation 18:11-16; some steps seem to be in progress, see The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold?).
- Allegedly, "Happiness will reign in the world as it did in the days of Noah" under his leadership (Matthew 24:37-38; Luke 17:26-27).
- He will die in or near Jerusalem (cf. Revelation 16:13-16; 19:19-20).
- His Roman empire will be destroyed (Daniel 2:35-45; Revelation 17:12-14).
- His kingdom will be destroyed by the battle associated with Armageddon (Revelation 16:13-16; see also Armageddon).
- An “Antichrist” (who we identify as Jesus) comes after his reign (Revelation 19:11-21) though the Monarch and his supporters opposes Him (Daniel 8:25; Revelation 17:14; see also Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?).
I believe that the Greco-Roman Catholic private prophecies that seem to support the rise of the Great Monarch are part of Satan's plan to deceive and confuse people at the time of the end once the King of the North rises up. Christians are not to be ignorant of Satan's devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). See also Satan's Plan.
The supporters of that king will likely point to Greco-Roman Catholic private prophecies as proof that he is a good leader, contrary to what the Bible itself teaches (Daniel 11:21-45). The world will be deceived and those outside the real Church of God will believe the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
Certain others have noted similarities between the Great Monarch and the coming Beast-Antichrist power. Notice the following:
The tradition of the Great King and the Holy Pope ... first emerged from the Tiburtine Sibyl, a work that may date back to AD 380-400 ...
Catholic writer Paul Thigpen warns, "Looking for the Great Monarch, then, who does not appear in Scripture, might lead to overlooking the Antichrist who does. It might even lead to--a more disturbing thought--to mistaking the Antichrist for the Great Monarch. After all, lesser antichrists of the past such as Hitler and Stalin have seduced followers with visions of grand and glorious earthly kingdoms. Surely Antichrist of the last days will do the same." (Penn L. False dawn: the United Religions Initiative, globalism, and the quest for a one-world religion. Sophia Perennis, 2005, p. 420).
Notice the following from Roman Catholic writer Dr. Paul Thigpen, in the second edition of a book he wrote:
The Sibylline Oracles
A more serious problem appears when we look further back in time to discover the circumstances surrounding the earliest known occasions of the "Great Monarch" message. ... It does draw from a fourth-century book that describes in some detail the "Emperor of the Last Days."
As it turns out, both of these early texts are among the so-called Sibylline oracles. These oracles are a collection of utterances that claim to be inspired messages from the Greek Sibyls (ancient pagan prophetesses) in earlier historical periods. But historians have concluded that they were actually written by Jewish and Christian authors in imitation of pagan Sibylline books.
In the Tiburtina Sibyl, the earlier of the two texts, the main outlines of the "Great Monarch" legend (for a legend is what it seems to be) are already apparent. ...
Revelation says nothing of a "Great Monarch"--nor do any biblical references to the last days or the close of the age.
Could looking for the Great Monarch, then, lead believers to overlook the Antichrist, or even to mistake the one for the other? After all, lesser antichrists of the past such as Hitler and Stalin have seduced followers with visions of grand and glorious earthly kingdoms. (Thigpen P. The Rapture Trap, 2nd edition. Nihil obstat Joseph C. Price, June 14, 2002. Imprimatur Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, June 18, 2002. Ascension Press, 2002, pp. 222-225)
Greco-Roman Catholics and others need to be cautioned that this "Great Monarch" clearly seems to be warned against in scripture. More actual Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies can be found in the article Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? The Great Monarch seems to be the one that the Bible identifies as the final King of the North and Beast of Revelation 13:4, which some Roman Catholics, like Paul Thigpen, call the Antichrist.
In addition, it may be of interest to note that certain other "Catholic" writings indicate that the one we in the Continuing Church of God call Jesus they call the Antichrist (please see the article Do Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?).
Some have speculated that the seventh (or eighth) king could be the United Nations.
One of the reason seems to be related to the following:
3 And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" (Revelation 13:3-4)
While the world will marvel and worship the beast, understand that the world is not the beast.
Although I strongly believe that the United Nations will accept and endorse the beast, the UN is not the beast.
The previous kings were all European, and not all the world.
That said, yes, Chinese, Arabs, Indians, Africans, Russians, Islanders, the rest of Europe and Asia, South Americnas, as well as what will be left in North America will be somewhat subservient to the beast for a time.
The Chinese have prophesies about beautiful people coming from the West, meaning Europe, and that the Chinese will have a saint who is not that good of a person (see Asia in Prophecy).
Those in India have a prophecy that they will take up arms to support one that sounds like the Beast (see India and the Beast of Revelation 13).
The Muslims have a prophecy that they will make a deal with Roman Catholic Europe (see also Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century).
Yet, the Bible also shows that shortly after the Beast conquers the USA and at least some of its British-descended allies (Daniel 11:39), that many of the Muslim nations in North Africa and the Middle East will turn against the Beast (Daniel 11:40-43).
The Bible also shows that after that, a Eurasian group will fight against the Beast (Daniel 11:44-45; (see also Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century).
The Bible is clear that there are seven kings, plus a related eighth, which were prophesied.
The sixth is not Vladimir Putin.
The sixth does not seem to be Benito Mussolini, for several reasons, including that Adolf Hitler was more in charge of Europe than he.
Either the first five kings were ancient, with Rome being the sixth--though that seems to be in conflict with scripture, or the first five have to do with the church-state alliance known as the Holy Roman Empire (even when not called that).
If they are related to the old Holy Roman Empire, it would seem in the 21st century, that the one that "is" which would be the sixth king, which also "is not," could very well point to the European Union.
People of the 21st century would better relate with the EU being the one that "is" as opposed to Benito Mussolini of 80 years ago.
The EU is not, however, the seventh king--but the EU is setting the stage for the coming reorganizations of Revelation 17:12-13.
Chart of Kings/Dynasties of the Revival of Rome as the ‘Holy Roman Empire’
Kingdom with a relationship to a type of ‘Holy Roman Empire’ Date(s) of Reign
Number in Revelation 17:10
Justinian's Imperial Restoration
554 - c. 797
1
Charlemagne's Frankish Kingdom
800 -c. 905
2
Otto the Great of the 'Holy Roman Empire'
955 - c. 1137
3
Hohenstaufen dynasty
1138 - 1268
4
Habsburg dynasty;
Remnant until Otto formally gave up title in 19581274 - 1806
1806 - 19585
European Economic Union/
European Union1958 - 1993
1993 - Present6
Final King of the North Beast
Future for 42 months
7
The seventh king will rise up soon.
That religiously aligned leader, who will be supported by the final Antichrist, is prophesied to rise up in Europe.
He will be the Beast of the Sea.
He will be the seventh.
The ground work for his rise is being set by the European Union, whether or not it can be definitively considered as the sixth king--it certainly now is and looks to fit the prophecies in the Book of Revelation.
Which means that the end of this age is getting near.
Here is a link to a related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
More on Europe can be found in the article: Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation.
Thiel B. The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17. COGwriter (c) 2024 0525. https://www.cogwriter.com/europe-king-was-is-not.htm