[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]
Germany’s Rising Power
On February 24, 2022, Russian tanks rolled across the border into Ukraine. They attacked in the north from Belarus, in the south from Crimea, and they attacked from the east, heading toward the capital Kiev. Just one month before, Germany had been reluctant to send weapons to Ukraine, not wanting to inflame already tense relations with Russia. The Germans infamously offered the Ukrainians just 5,000 helmets in response to their plea for help, as Russian troops amassed at the border.
But just two days after the invasion of February 24, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a surprise announcement. He committed the German government to increased military spending in 2022 by 100 billion euros. And, he pledged to send Ukraine 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 surface-to-air missiles.
This move did not just put Vladimir Putin on notice that Germany would stand with the Ukrainians; it also signaled a radical shift in Germany’s policy, one that had stood for decades.
As the news website France24 noted,
“Often described as predictable and ‘robotic,’ Chancellor Olaf Scholz has become emboldened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, smashing policy taboos to steer Germany into ‘a new era’ that could reshape its role on the world stage” (February 28, 2022).
And that’s exactly what this shift has done—radically change Germany’s post-war policy. Since World War II, Germany has not allowed its weapons makers to export into war zones. It has not even allowed third parties to buy them for use in these areas. And this policy was a reaction to Germany’s dark, Nazi past. But now, everything has changed. This policy about-face has been nothing less than stunning.
But there’s more to the story. You see, it’s not just that Germany is taking a more muscular approach to its defense and its neighbors’ defense. There’s something else happening behind the scenes. What does it mean for Bible prophecy? And where will it lead in the end-times?
The Ancient Origin of the Germans
Welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible.
When Germany reversed its pacifist policy and pledged to stand with Ukraine, many were shocked. So, why DID Germany, after all those decades, dramatically change direction?
The answer lies in understanding the origin of the modern German nation. And that brings us to our first key to understanding why Germany matters in end-time prophecy:
- Germany comes from ancient Assyria
Longtime viewers of Tomorrow’s World understand that nations of today didn't just appear out of thin air. Some countries, like Egypt, Italy, and Greece, have the same names as their ancient counterparts. On the other hand, other countries’ names have changed. This is true of Germany. You won’t find the name “Germany” in your Bible. But biblical and historical evidence show modern Germany sprang from ancient Assyria. How do we know? In the first segment, let’s look at some of the evidence.
The ancient empire of Assyria was a mighty and vast world-power that reached its zenith in the eighth century BC. But by 612 BC, it had collapsed and its capital, Nineveh, was overrun. Consider this comment by James Breasted in the book The Conquest of Civilization:
“[Nineveh’s] fall was forever, and when two centuries later Xenophon and his ten thousand Greeks marched past the place, the Assyrian nation was but a vague tradition, and Nineveh, its great city, was a vast heap of rubbish as it is today” (The Conquest of Civilization, 1954, p. 175).
The bulk of the Assyrians just disappeared. But where did they go? When you look at the historical record—combined with the Bible—you’ll find evidence of Assyrians moving north and west. Let’s examine just a few examples.
First of all, consider the city of Trier. One of the oldest cities in Germany, according to German legend, Trier was founded by an Assyrian prince named Trebeta, a descendant of the biblical Nimrod. While this is only a legend, it persisted at least as far as the 11th century AD. If true, it would establish Assyrian knowledge of and access to the continent of Europe, well into antiquity.
Consider another point: Along the southern coast of the Black Sea is a promontory that in ancient times was called Sinope. Some historians say this ancient maritime city was founded by the Assyrians:
“The early foundations of Sinope are probably Assyrian. The extreme antiquity of that great power is constantly receiving fresh evidence…” (David M. Robinson, “Ancient Sinope: First Part,” The American Journal of Philology, vol. 27, no. 2, p. 145).
So, why is that significant? Because if the Assyrians had a presence in the Black Sea region before Nineveh fell, it would make sense to flee in that direction when their empire collapsed.
And that’s exactly where we do find some Assyrians, centuries after Nineveh fell. Diodorus of Sicily, a historian writing in the 1st century BC, noted that the Assyrians were driven by the Scythians exactly to this region where they had long had a presence:
“It was by these kings [of the Scythians] that many of the conquered peoples were removed to other homes, and two of these became very great colonies: the one was composed of Assyrians and was removed to the land between Paphlagonia and Pontus” (Diodorus of Sicily, vol. 2, p. 29, Oldfather, 1935).
So, they were forcibly exiled to areas not unfamiliar to them.
Consider another piece of evidence: the Hittites. The Hittites were a powerful empire located in Asia Minor in antiquity. They had many cultural and ethnic ties to the Assyrians. And, they were next door neighbors. When the Hittite empire fell, around 1200 BC, the Assyrians swooped in to fill the vacuum. They occupied Hittite cities, and became even more mixed and linked as a people. Again, where would the fleeing Assyrians go when Nineveh fell, if not to areas where they were already established masters?
This is important, because later, we find historians tracing the Hittites migrating into Europe, carrying their names, their culture, and their tendencies with them. Undoubtedly, many Assyrians were mixed in as well.
Note some of the similarities between ancient Assyria and the Hittite empire, and modern Germany.
The iron cross was a military decoration by King Frederick Wilhelm III and by Imperial and Nazi Germany. It can ALSO be found depicted in engravings, hanging from the neck of the Assyrian king Shamshi-Adad V in the ninth-century BC.
The Hittite double-headed eagle and the Assyrian god Ashur depicted on a winged sun disk bear strong resemblances to the double-headed eagle of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire and the eagle and swastika disk of Nazi Germany.
British Assyriologist A. H. Sayce of the University of Oxford believed that the swastika symbol likely originated with the Hittites and spread into other cultures (xxi, Trojas, Heinrich Schliemann, 1881).
German Role in Bible Prophecy
You won’t find the name “Germany” in the Bible. Even so, you can identify where this powerful and influential nation sprang from. You can trace the movements of the ancient Assyrians through the centuries as they migrated and mingled among other peoples, finally settling in central Europe.
But why does it matter? Why should we care about these old histories and maps and artifacts? It might affect the days ahead, more than you realize. And that leads us to our second key to understanding why Germany matters in end-time prophecy:
- Germany will dominate the Western world in the end-times
One third of the Bible is prophecy. And one of the basic principles of prophecy is that much of it is dual. In other words, there is a first fulfillment, and then there is a future fulfillment, yet to occur. But what does this have to do with Germany today?
To answer that question, let’s look at Isaiah chapter 10:1–3,
“Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed to rob the needy of justice, and to take what is right from the poor of My people…. What will you do in the day of punishment, and in the desolation which will come from afar?” (Isaiah 10:1–3).
Here in Isaiah 10, God was telling the ancient Israelites He was about to punish them for turning away from Him. Then, the next few verses explain WHO He would use to punish them, as a tool in God’s hands. Notice Isaiah 10:5–7,
“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off not a few nations” (Isaiah 10:5–7).
Note this. Israel was prophesied to be punished for their sins. Assyria was prophesied to be used by God to accomplish this. Not that the Assyrians were thinking they were doing God’s will. The Assyrian kings were doing just what Assyrian kings did naturally—conquering and overthrowing cities and nations to expand their territory. And that’s exactly what happened. Assyria attacked northern Israel in 721 BC, destroying its capital, Samaria, and deporting its inhabitants.
But notice, there’s one more element in this passage. In Isaiah 10:12,
“Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, ‘I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.’ For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent…. Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?” (Isaiah 10:12–13, 15).
In other words, God would punish Assyria after He used them to correct Israel, for the king of Assyria’s arrogance and self-will.
What a profound glimpse of geopolitics from behind-the-scenes! We may see the outward effects of nations and armies trying to outmaneuver one another on the battlefield, or in the diplomatic arena. But God, our Creator, is the Sustainer of the whole entire globe. Though we may not see it, He is there, and even works through kings and leaders, to accomplish His will.
Again, why is this important and what does it have to do with Germany today?
You see, because prophecy is dual, this scene will be played out again. Ancient Israel comprises the English-speaking nations of the Western world, and those of northwest Europe. These nations grow more decadent with each passing day. There will come a day when they will be judged. And God will use the same nation He used to accomplish it in 721 BC; Assyria, Germany. That’s what your Bible says. A repeat of the Nazi regime in the last century. Only, this time Germany won’t be defeated. This horrific time to come is described in the Bible as the Great Tribulation.
But how can we really know this will happen?
Consider several prophecies that apply to the end-times. Notice Isaiah 27:12–13,
“And it shall come to pass in that day that the LORD will thresh, from the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem” (Isaiah 27:12–13).
How could it be any plainer? The great trumpet is blown, the children of Israel will be about to perish in the land of Assyria, and then they return to worship the Lord at Jerusalem. That has not happened yet. It’s yet future.
Turn to Isaiah 11:16. Here is another passage showing Assyrian domination of Israel in the end times:
“There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who will be left from Assyria, as it was for Israel in the day that he came up from the land of Egypt” (Isaiah 11:16).
When you look at the context, this is clearly referring to the millennium, and the time leading up to it. And it says God will gather His people from Assyria.
In Jeremiah 23:8 and Jeremiah 31:8 it refers to the captives being brought back “from the north country.” In Hosea 11:10, it says the captives will return, trembling, “from the west.” Look on a map. What is north and west of ancient Israel? Well, Europe, with Germany at its heart.
The Beast of Revelation and Germany’s True Restoration
We saw that disaster is coming upon the nations of end-time Israel. This devastation will come at the hands of a German-led superpower, the final attempt to restore the Holy Roman Empire. This military machine is also called the Beast, as it’s described in the Book of Revelation. Notice what John saw and described, in Revelation 13:1,
“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…. And all the world marveled and followed the beast” (Revelation 13:1, 3).
This coming superpower will shock and bewilder the nations with its technological prowess and military strength. It will subjugate modern Israelites, conquer an Arab confederacy, and even fight an all-out war with the armies of the East, for supremacy of the whole earth.
And by the way, some discount the idea that modern Germans came from ancient Assyria, because there are populations in northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, southeast Turkey, and Syria who call themselves Assyrians. Some additional ethnic Assyrians live in the United States. All told, these ethnic Assyrians comprise just over 5 million people alive today.
But think about it. After all we’ve seen in this program, could it be that a few scattered peoples could wield enough power in the end-times to bring down a superpower? Is it logical that the United States could be overthrown by a few million scattered ethnic Assyrians with no central nation of their own? Not at all. The prophecies of the Bible show that in the end-times, there will be a nation descended from ancient Assyria, that will comprise an intact, influential superpower. And this juggernaut will leap onto the world stage suddenly and shock the nations.
After this German-led Beast power takes the world by storm, just like in ancient times, this modern-day Assyrian empire will be punished as well. Just like Nineveh was flattened in 612 BC, God will judge this nation for its ruthless and brutal aggression. And, for its attempt to fight against Christ Himself. Notice what we find in Revelation 17:12,
“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. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:12–14).
This is the so-called “Battle of Armageddon.” This is mankind’s attempt to thwart Jesus Christ when He returns. The armies of this resurgent Assyrian empire will be no match for the King of kings and Lord of lords. And that empire will be defeated.
But what happens next is the key I want you to leave you with. That is, our third key as to “Why Germany Matters in the end-times”:
- Germany will be a leading nation in the Millennial age
Germany and other nations of the world will be humbled by Jesus Christ returning in power and glory. And then, after this horrific battle, a new age will begin. Our Lord and Savior, as we saw earlier, will gather the survivors of Israel from the land of Assyria, and other places where they were taken captive. He will also comfort and feed and heal survivors from all the nations of the world—those who suffered but survived during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the LORD.
The timing is at the beginning of the Millennium, when Jesus Christ is now on earth, after He puts down all rebellion. Notice, Isaiah 19:23,
“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians” (Isaiah 19:23).
Could there be a time of peace after World War III? Yes. But first, the modern-day Assyrians will have subjugated much of the Western world. They will have fought with and beaten an Arab confederation. And they will have battled Asian armies from the East, bringing the whole earth to the edge of cosmicide. But yes, after that, there WILL be peace.
Not only that, look who will be picking up the pieces. The German people, who survived that great calamity, will play an active role in rebuilding a broken and beaten world. They will be humbled and repentant, and ready to serve in a new world of peace and prosperity. Bible prophecy shows they will have an important–and even a leading–role in this new age. We pick it up in Isaiah 19:24,
“In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance’” (Isaiah 19:24–25).
Did you catch that? Assyria—Germany—is described as the work of God’s hands. And they will work with other nations that were formerly bitter enemies. You see, God doesn’t hate Germany. On the contrary, God loves the German people. Just like He loves all of His children, made in His image. And He will use the tremendous strengths and talents and ENERGY of the German people to help rebuild the world, brick by brick.
Why does Germany matter in the end-times? Because if we know the identity of the German nation, we can understand why Germany, even today, is beginning to take a more proactive and assertive role in the world. While Germany acts with good intentions now, where will it lead? Prophecy tells us it will lead to an aggressive tyrant taking over Germany, bringing warfare and destruction like the world has never known. At the same time, prophecy ALSO shows that after that, the German nation will be used by God to help rebuild a new and peaceful world, under the leadership of Jesus Christ.
There’s much more to this subject than we can cover in this short program. And that’s why we are offering you the free study guide Germany in Prophecy. It will show that God has a plan for all His children. And He is working out that plan. He will put end-time Assyrians–modern Germans–to work to accomplish that plan. In fact, He even describes Assyria as “the Work of My Hands.” You need to know what will happen to these nations we’ve talked about, in the years just ahead. And you need to know how it will affect you. So, request your free copy of Germany in Prophecy. Order by phone, by mail, or on the web. Order today.
God’s Love for Germany—And for You
In this program, we’ve seen that you won’t find the name “Germany” in the Bible. And yet, you can understand who the Germans are today, and what God reveals for Germany in the end-times. And you can understand why Germany matters in these end-times.
God does not want any of His children, made in His image to suffer. And He is looking for those who will turn from their sins and respond to His call for repentance. May God help all of us—whoever we are and wherever we live—to heed the warning and draw close to our Creator in truth and sincerity.
Thanks for watching. And be sure to come back next week as Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Wallace Smith, and I continue to share with you the teachings of Jesus Christ, the good news of His coming Kingdom, and end-time prophecies of His Word. See you next week.
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