After Trump’s Victory, Watch Germany
After Trump’s Victory, Watch Germany
As election results in America were being announced, Germany was in turmoil. The day after Americans voted, Germany’s coalition collapsed.
As dramatic as the fulfilled prophecy in America is, we also need to pay close attention to events in Germany. This nation’s future is weak if something doesn’t change. But Bible prophecy forewarns us that Germany is about to shock the world with its power. To accomplish this, it needs a strong leader—something it sorely lacks right now.
It is no coincidence that the German coalition government fell apart so soon after America’s election. And Donald Trump’s victory is certain to create more urgency in Germany to resolve its political crisis. A recent New York Times headline highlighted the situation: “Missing in Europe: A Strong Leader for a New Trump Era.”
I believe recent events in Germany will, in one way or another, open the door for this strongman. This is a prophecy we really must pay attention to.
Desperate for Leadership
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a dispute with Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who demanded drastic budgetary cuts. The coalition wanted to spend more on the military, but they disagreed on where the money would come from. Scholz wanted to borrow it, while Lindner wanted to cut government spending. This disagreement followed months of arguing, and Scholz finally fired Lindner. By doing so, he broke with his coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party.
The coalition was already fragile. Scholz is seen as wavering and weak. His poll numbers are terrible. The average German wants his country to be more powerful and militaristic. The people want their nation more involved in the world. And they want a stronger leader in charge.
Outside of Germany, other voices are demanding the same. They say the world needs a more muscular Germany.
While Scholz led the coalition, Germany had a clear leader. Now, no one in Germany has the power to make big decisions or take decisive action. It will take fresh elections and a new coalition before Germany has a functioning government.
Scholz initially laid out a leisurely timetable to find his replacement. He planned to hold fresh elections at the end of March. But if coalition negotiations went on as they have in the past, it could be a year before Germany has any kind of leadership again. Germany cannot afford to wait that long, and the Germans know it.
In fact, all of Europe was worried about the delay. “One thing is sure, Europe is not strong without a strong Germany,” European Parliament president Roberta Metsola said. The Telegraph wrote, “Mr. Scholz is intent on keeping this government-in-waiting out of power by not holding elections until March, two months after Mr. Trump will be inaugurated. This will achieve nothing beyond prolonging Germany’s paralysis and weakening European preparations for Trump 2.0” (Nov. 7, 2024).
Many Germans wanted new elections as soon as possible. As a compromise, Scholz moved them forward to February 23.
Yet even these elections seem unlikely to solve Germany’s leadership crisis. Polls suggest they will only produce another weak, divided government.
There is a big leadership vacuum. Germans know something dramatic must be done, and quickly! You see this in recent election results with the rise of fringe parties like the Alternative für Deutschland. Voters are showing themselves willing to embrace out-of-the-ordinary politics. They are clamoring for a strong leader!
Consider the pressure on Germany right now. There is war on Europe’s doorstep in Ukraine. There is war in the Middle East between Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah threatened to bring that war to Europe by attacking Cyprus, a member of the European Union. Germany’s future is precarious if a strong leader doesn’t emerge.
This is where Bible prophecy is so invaluable. Prophecy tells us that Germany is about to shock the world with its power.
I believe these recent events will lead to the installation of a strong leader very soon. We really need to watch! I think this is about to fulfill a prophecy we have been discussing for nearly a century—ever since the late Herbert W. Armstrong began writing and broadcasting in the early 1930s!
This Leader Is Imminent
Prophecies throughout the Bible warn that a European strongman will appear soon. The book of Daniel gives many details on how he will come to power. That book is only for the end time. It has never been understood prior to our day. In fact, at the conclusion of this vision, Daniel said he didn’t understand it. He was explicitly told, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end …. Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4, 9). Daniel 8:19 highlights “the last end”—that is, the last end of the end time.
Several passages in Daniel 8 and 11 foretell the rise of a vicious leader within “the king of the north”—one of the Greek successor states to the empire of Alexander the Great. Many commentaries agree that role was filled anciently by the Seleucid king Antiochus iv Epiphanes. This account is vividly explained in many history books. But before it became history, it was prophecy! As Mr. Armstrong explained in The Proof of the Bible, fulfilled prophecy is the strongest proof that an Almighty God exists. This should build our faith in God and His prophecies.
Yet much of Daniel’s vision remains unfulfilled. Some of those ancient events also have an end-time fulfillment. Today we again have a “king of the north” and “king of the south.” Daniel’s description about Antiochus Epiphanes points to a latter-day Antiochus who will rule over an end-time “king of the north.”
The king of the north today is located in Europe, and at the heart of Europe is Germany. This is the power we must watch closely. A related prophecy in Isaiah 10:5-7 refers to Assyria, the ancient name for Germany (for proof, read “Is Germany in Bible Prophecy?”). Various passages show that to see this vision in Daniel unfold, we must watch Germany.
Daniel’s writings about this Antiochus tell us exactly what will happen and how this modern strongman will rise to power. The most astonishing parts of this prophecy are about to come to pass in our day!
Daniel 11:21 reads, “And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.” Anciently, men were naive and credulous, and Antiochus took advantage of them. He pretended to be someone he was not and obtained office through flatteries and deceit. This is a pattern we need to watch for in the modern king of the north. This strong leader is going to come in by flatteries, not by a democratic election. Moffatt says this “vile person” is “a despicable creature.” This terrible man is about to take control!
How could this happen in the sophisticated nations of Europe?
In a 2009 Key of David program, I said this leader could perhaps “take advantage of a weak coalition.” Well, that is exactly what Germany is facing.
Back in 2002, I also said he would take power dishonorably—not by a vote but through a backdoor process, using his charm and appearing to be an “angel of light.” We saw something similar with the way Kamala Harris was selected as the Democratic nominee for president. There was no Democratic Party primary, no normal process of voting. Could Germany’s drawn-out election cycle and weak coalition lead to something similar? There is already great urgency for a strong leader. In a crisis, Germany’s elites may decide there is no time to appoint someone democratically—they could step in and select a leader quickly. But this man will hijack the whole alliance, and it will turn out very differently from what a lot of people want it to be.
We have been watching one man in particular for 15 years now to possibly fill that role. This man is becoming increasingly vocal—and is a fierce critic of Donald Trump.
A Fierce Countenance
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was once a rising star in German politics and a real contender for the highest office. But he left politics in 2011 after a plagiarism scandal and moved to the United States. In September 2019, he returned to Germany.
Though he hasn’t been in politics for years, Guttenberg is keenly tuned in to world events. He has impressive political, economic and military insight, and he frequently writes articles and gives interviews for some of America’s and Europe’s biggest news organizations. He is a brilliant man, and for about a decade now I have indicated that he could be the next leader of Germany—and really, of Europe.
The argument that led to the collapse of Germany’s coalition government was over the source of funds for the military’s expansion. Guttenberg helped change the German public’s perception of the military. As defense minister from 2009 to 2011, he led Germans to stop viewing their army with shame and to see it instead as part of the nation’s contribution to the world. He was the first politician to call Germany’s military operation in Afghanistan a war. How many today remember that Guttenberg was one of the key figures behind Germany’s military presence in Afghanistan? He was thinking in terms of offensive warfare. And he accomplished all this under the moderate rule of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Since leaving office, he has consistently criticized governments for underinvesting in Germany’s military. Now almost all of the nation’s political parties have come around to his point of view. For years he has called for Germany to get involved militarily in Syria, and recently there has been serious discussion about deploying troops there.
Daniel 8:23 gives us more information about this strongman, which could point to Guttenberg: “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.” This is a prophecy for our time, as I explain in my booklet A Strong German Leader Is Imminent. This man will be a modern-day Antiochus.
Donald Trump certainly provokes a fierce response from Guttenberg. One thing that has caught my attention about Guttenberg since 2016 is how often he uses public speaking opportunities to attack and insult Trump.
In the first year of the Trump presidency, Guttenberg called him “den blonden Wüterich in Washington.” Wüterich translates to “maniac,” “ruthless tyrant” or “violent madman.” What a condemnation! In this 2017 speech, the anger on Guttenberg’s face is unmistakable. What motivates such an attitude?
Guttenberg said on national television on Nov. 14, 2023, that given Trump’s chances of returning to the White House, “we are not preparing ourselves enough for the possibility that the blond bully may once again be taking the reins into his hands.” “Trump is not a friend of the Germans,” he added. He claimed that Americans, including Republicans, have told him personally that Mr. Trump is “likely the greatest scumbag that we have ever had in U.S. politics.” That is quite nasty!
On the Sunday before the U.S. election, Guttenberg wrote on LinkedIn that Mr. Trump brings out the worst in him: “If I wanted to count how many hours of my everyday life he has robbed me, maybe even poisoned me, since 2016, I would come up with a considerable number. I deplore the attention he receives for every indulgence, and I give it to him.” Is it normal to talk like that?
I don’t know if Trump even knows Guttenberg’s name; I’ve never heard him talk about him. But this former high-ranking German political leader is virtually obsessed with Trump!
In his Nov. 3, 2024, podcast with left-wing politician and Marxist Gregor Gysi, Guttenberg accused Trump of fueling an insurrection and said he has “fascistic traits.” He said that “some say this is someone who doesn’t care about the Constitution at all, who basically only sees himself.” These are all lies. Guttenberg’s view is terribly distorted, and he is violently hateful toward a man he doesn’t even know.
Guttenberg also criticized Trump’s tariff plans. He said Trump would make a cheap deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he is in cahoots. He claims Trump lacks any understanding.
Talking to Focus Online after the U.S. election and the German coalition collapse, Guttenberg said an unstable Germany could be an “easy victim for Trump.” In other words, Donald Trump is Germany’s enemy, and he wants to destroy Europe! That is delusional! Yet people are listening to him. In Germany, Guttenberg is one of the foremost voices warning about Trump. Yet listen to what he is saying!
Could Germany’s state of weakness combined with Guttenberg’s hatred of the “blond bully” back in the White House prompt him to return to politics?
The Power Behind the Man
Guttenberg is a brilliant man. But we often see intellectually brilliant people believing and saying crazy things! When the devil gets a grip on someone’s mind, that person can really careen off track.
Daniel reveals that the power behind this prophesied strongman is Satan. “His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people” (Daniel 8:24; New King James Version). This man is prophesied to destroy the United States, Britain and the Jewish nation in the Middle East! (Hosea 5:5). God is giving them one last warning to repent (Ezekiel 33:11).
Realize this: It wasn’t just the radical left, but Satan the devil who received a major defeat on Nov. 5, 2024. Satan was on course to blot out America. God stepped in to preserve America for a little longer to give the nation time to repent.
But Satan will not give up. He is still battling, and surely Trump’s victory motivates him. The weakness in Germany’s government gives the devil an opportunity he is certain to exploit. Revelation 12:12 says that he is at his worst wrath ever because he knows his time is short. It is not a coincidence that the same day the election results were announced, the government in Germany fell. Satan is paving the way for the rise of this strongman.
Lange’s Commentary says, “This man destroys by peace.” He will feign friendship and speak about getting together peacefully—but then he destroys you! That is what he will do to those three nations.
Germany has been cooperating closely with America, Britain and Israel militarily. It is working with Britain on a new military alliance: It will soon fly patrol planes from British bases. Germany is offering to help the Jewish state in the Middle East make a peace deal once the war in Gaza is over. The Germans have been given U.S. nuclear bombs and are buying America’s F-35 stealth fighter jets to deliver those bombs. Imagine the damage they could do in a sudden surprise attack!
Lange’s adds that this man will destroy “with suddenness, by a malignant purpose.” Presenting himself as a man of peace, suddenly he destroys you. This will shock the world! People will see this European power drawing close to these three nations—then suddenly a treacherous double cross! (Request our free book The Holy Roman Empire in Prophecy.)
The Moffatt translates Daniel 8:23-25: “There shall arise a king who is defiant, a master of craft. By no force of arms shall he gain his great power. He shall make monstrous claims and prosper in his policy, destroying his powerful foes. His design shall be directed against the sacred people and he shall ply his intrigue successfully. He shall plot proud plans and ruin many when they are off their guard.”
That is a horrifying scenario: This man deceitfully proposes peace, then he suddenly rises up to destroy your country and enslave you! Yet this is what the Bible prophesies will happen!
This is the kind of world we live in, and God wants us to recognize that. There is no hope or light in this evil world. We cannot look for solutions here.
Major Change to Come!
This man, prophesied in Daniel 8, has an ambition to rule. Imagine what will happen when he gets control of the prophesied resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. He will come most of the time as an “angel of light”—until he destroys his enemies! This is not normal thinking—but it is the kind of man we are prophesied to see.
What is interesting is that, as I explain in my book America Under Attack, former U.S. President Barack Obama filled a type of this role within the United States. In the pinnacle of his career, Obama was deadly successful in harming America. But the rise of Donald Trump means that God is silencing Obama. It would be interesting if this European strongman appeared on the scene right about the same time. One Antiochus will be replaced by another.
Satan’s Antiochus within the U.S. is being diminished. Has Satan shifted his focus to the new Antiochus in Europe?
Satan will raise up a foreign power to attack America—and God will allow it unless we repent. In fact, God is putting this into their mind! (Revelation 17:17). We cannot view the Trump resurgence as a sign that God is pleased with America. Yes, God is saving the nation temporarily; He loves us and is full of mercy. But He must think our sins are terribly dark, black and evil to allow this empire to rise up and correct us!
Habakkuk 1:6-9 describe this same Holy Roman Empire: “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans …. They are terrible and dreadful …. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves …. They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.” They will gather up so many captives, it will be like a child grabbing bucketfuls of sand at the beach.
Verse 11 tells us, “Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.” At first this man has some sense. But at some point, he becomes possessed by “his god,” the devil—“then shall his mind change,” and he will unleash violence and destruction like never before seen!
Thankfully, this prophecy has a positive conclusion: “By his cunning he [this evil strongman] shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall magnify himself. Without warning he shall destroy many; and he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes; but, by no human hand, he shall be broken” (Daniel 8:25; Revised Standard Version). God will totally destroy this man and the empire he leads!
The light in this dark, evil world won’t come from men. Only Jesus Christ can bring light into this world (John 8:12; 9:5). He is going to rule Earth in a way that people can only dream about today. That is what we must build our lives around and rejoice over and really believe. In just a short time, it will be the wonderful reality!
