Despite military failures, Russian President Vladimir Putin is more determined than ever to set up a great empire that urges Europe to act in kind. The use of nuclear weapons may be just one of many means Russia will use to accomplish its goals. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at an October 6 ceremony to mark the 77th anniversary of the Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich that Europe “would be well advised to take words seriously and to deal with them seriously and not to classify them as bluff from the outset” (Trumpet translation throughout). Russia’s determination is pushing Europe to set up an even greater empire. French President Emmanuel Macron described it recently as a grand Europe with a strong core.

Russia has lost thousands of soldiers and tons of military equipment in the Ukraine war. Perhaps even worse, Putin has lost his reputation as a military strategist and reasonable diplomat. But his military failures have not diminished his plans to set up a military empire. In fact, he is more determined than ever to use Russian resources, military and geological alliances to again make Russia a force to reckon with.

Europe, on the other hand, faces one of the greatest crises in its history. Economic trouble, energy shortages and a lack of political will are only some of the many troubles plaguing the Continent. Many fear that its biggest issue, a lack of unity, could tear the union apart this winter.

But history teaches us that the rise of one empire can drastically change the course of another. Our world has always been keen to create a balance of power to ensure that no empire will gain control of the entire world. Most recently this has inspired the military rise of the United States. In the past, Europe was inspired to rise to confront Islamic hordes invading the Continent from the south or to fend off the Huns from the east. For the last decades, Europe has been content to accept weakness in its ranks and allow disagreements to prevent the forging of a true superpower. But as Russia puts more weight on its end of the balance, Europe needs to respond in kind or face devastation.

If Russia senses weakness, it will exploit it, economically and militarily. Unless Europe rises to meet Putin at eye level, it will always lose on the negotiation table in times of peace or in times of war.

Macron proposed the idea of a “European Political Community” in May. “This new European organization would allow democratic European nations that subscribe to our shared core values to find a new space,” he said. His ideas resemble those of previous propositions of a so-called “core Europe” and other satellite members. Though he was heavily criticized in May, on October 6 his vision was partly realized, as the Washington Post noted. Leaders and diplomats from 27 European Union member states and 17 non-EU countries met at Prague Castle to discuss joint goals in facing Russia’s aggression. Representatives from nations that have unsuccessfully sought EU membership or already left the union—such as Ukraine, Great Britain and Turkey—were in attendance.

“When you share a continent and you need to do things together, it is very important that these meetings take place,” Macron said at the news conference on October 6. Europe certainly has many joint challenges and goals but lacks the unity to achieve them. Germany’s Welt wrote:

Macron’s idea thus envisages a Greater Europe and a Core Europe. Something similar was proposed by former French President François Mitterand after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Namely, that the Eastern European countries that were once under Soviet control should join a loose European confederation. However, the idea found few supporters at the time; instead, the EU’s eastward enlargement took place in 2004. …

But today, given the threat to Europe’s security, the starting position is different. In any case, as long as the Ukraine war continues, the momentum for the European political community is there. “As an informal political club, it has a real chance,” Nicolai von Ondarza, of the think tank Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (swp), told Welt.

The harder Russia fights, the more powerful this union will likely become. Europe’s political leaders, like Macron, see this as a once-in-a-century chance to bring long, outstanding goals to fruition.

A core Europe that has a joint financial system similar to that of the United States and strong united army in a close trade and military alliance with surrounding nations would be quite the union. Europe has an opportunity to far exceed Russia’s wildest dreams and even replace the United States as the world’s superpower and leave China in the dust.

For long, such hopes have been mere pipe dreams and the target of much ridicule and mocking, but the events in Europe are going to change this. In 2014, just after Russia annexed Crimea, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry explained what the Bible reveals about Europe’s future:

We have been prophesying for around 70 years that Eastern Europe would become a vital part of a new European superpower—a resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. This prophecy is directly related to the Crimean crisis! The fear you see in Europe because of events in Crimea is going to cause 10 leaders in Europe to unite in a sudden and dramatic way—and in precise accordance with the Bible’s description of that European empire! … Europe’s new fear of Russia is going to play a major role in hastening the fulfillment of that prophecy!

This is an incredible forecast based on a prophecy in Daniel 2 and Revelation 17. As the late Herbert W. Armstrong explained in Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast? Revelation 17 depicts this coming European empire as a beast with 10 horns. Verse 12 through 13 explain the symbolism of these horns: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”

Ten kings or authoritarian leaders are prophesied to rise in Europe leading 10 nations or groups of nations. But the Bible also prophesied that these nations that will form the core of the union will be in a strong alliance with other nations prophesied in Psalm 83—one of which is Turkey. Hosea 5:13 shows that Britain prophetic Ephraim and the Jewish nation called Israel today will also seek a loose alliance with this rising power. Revelation 18 shows that this core European union is going to be in an economic alliance with other nations around the world and that many nations will find themselves enslaved to this empire.

Indeed, a powerful empire is about to rise out of Europe. The Prophet Daniel saw this empire represented as the 10 toes of a mighty image. But the toes are a mixture of iron and clay. It has the iron of the Roman Empire and will cause far greater damage. But it also has the clay of Israelite nations that refused to follow God and lost their identity. Part of this empire, for example, is France, a modern descendent of the ancient Israelite tribe of Reuben. This is why this empire lacks unity. For a brief time, these nations will work together to dominate the world. Mr. Flurry explains the Daniel 2 image in Daniel Unlocks Revelation and shows where it will lead, writing:

“His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay” (verse 33). The Roman Empire has always had two legs: Constantine divided it at the beginning because it was easier to administer, and it has been that way ever since. It will be this way to the end.

“Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces” (verse 34). The clay represents some of the lost tribes of Israel, and God wants to shape and mold them (e.g. Jeremiah 18:6). Yet Israel refuses. Here, in this beast power, Israel is mixed right in with the Gentiles. They are able to come together in an emergency, but the unity won’t last. It is a divided empire.

Now see how it all ends: “Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:35). We are living during the time of the toes—and the Stone that shatters them is about to fill the whole Earth! Jesus Christ is going to smash the great image—break it into pieces. Then the image becomes as chaff left from the wheat and is blown away. Everything not a part of God’s Family has this deplorable end. It’s all about establishing the God Family on this Earth. This is what we live for.

This indeed is a phenomenal prophecy that predicts the great turmoil we are experiencing, Europe’s quest for unity, the coming “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24) and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on Earth. Keep your eye on Europe. Bible prophecy is sure. Just as Russia’s rise will continue, so will Europe’s quest for unity. But all of these prophecies are most certain to lead to wonderful hope.

The world has ignored these prophecies, but Jesus Christ’s return was prophesied in great detail and is directly connected to Russia’s and Europe’s current rise. Revelation 20 warns that Satan will be bound and God’s Kingdom set up. This will be followed by Christ’s 1,000-year rule and a resurrection of all people who ever lived and never knew God. They will be resurrected in a new world and learn God’s wonderful way of life.

While Europe’s rise is a strong warning that the world’s major empires are about to clash and cause great havoc on this Earth, it is also a sign of great hope. Hope for those who understand God’s prophecies today and hope for all who will learn God’s plan in the future. To understand this grand sweep of history and prophecy, request a free copy of Daniel Unlocks Revelation, by Gerald Flurry.