Poland just joined an elite club of gold-holding nations. According to the governor of the National Bank of Poland, this nation now holds 420 tons of gold. That means Poland’s central bank holds more gold than Great Britain and every other nation except the United States, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, China, Japan, India, the Netherlands and Turkey.

This economic milestone underscores Poland’s growing emphasis on financial security, but what is motivating Poland’s recent gold-buying spree.

Former Polish Finance Minister Konrad Raczkowski answered this question in an article published in the July edition of the Financial Observer:

In 2017, Polish gold reserves amounted to only 100 tonnes, constituting only 1 percent of [gross domestic product]. Today, it is over 3 percent of Polish gdp. The National Bank of Poland has made justified decisions to significantly increase gold reserves. In the future, … it should buy another 120 tonnes of gold. This level would correspond to … 4 percent of gdp, a level similar to that in the eurozone. It seems that in the near future, this will be the new gold standard for the entire eurozone.

In other words, Poland is expecting the European Central Bank to start requiring eurozone members to keep 4 percent of their gdp in gold bricks. Until recently, the only eurozone members to meet this requirement were Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus (listed in order of reserve size). Although Poland and Hungary are not yet in the eurozone, both nations have recently boosted the value of their gold hoards above the expected 4 percent threshold. It seems both nations are eager to be eurozone members.

The Trumpet and our predecessor, the Plain Truth, have predicted for decades that the European Union would be pared down to 10 members who would surrender their military might to a pan-European leader playing the role of a modern-day Caesar. Last year, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote that half of those 10 kings have already risen. The July 2023 Trumpet issue identifies these five kings as Austria, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. The identity of the remaining 10 kings remains unknown, but Bible prophecy strongly indicates that most of the remaining five kings will come from Eastern Europe.

“Revelation 13 and 17, coupled with Daniel 2 and 7, say that a union of 10 nations in the area of the old Roman Empire will plunge the world into the Great Tribulation!” Plain Truth founder Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in 1982. “The 10 nations of Revelation 17 will be Catholic” (co-worker letter, May 20, 1982). Since the “old Roman Empire” divided into eastern and western halves in the time of Emperor Diocletian, the two legs of the Daniel 2 image indicate five western kings and five eastern kings. Now, Poland, the most Catholic nation in Europe, is making bold moves to get its financial house in order with great haste.

It is of utmost importance that people pay attention to what is happening in Europe. The two legs of iron don’t conclude the vision of Daniel 2; it concludes with its 10 toes being smashed to dust by a stone from heaven (verses 34-35). The Prophet Daniel explains the meaning of this mysterious symbol in verse 44: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

Once all 10 kings have risen, the world will be very near the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Read “Ten Kings of the New Holy Roman Empire Rising Now,” by Mr. Flurry, for more information on the rising Holy Roman Empire.