For 70 years we have declared that Europe is destined to morph into the biblically prophesied 10-nation combine under one overarching politico-economic and military power, spiritually inspired by Rome.

In recent months a group of 10 nations giving themselves the name the “Berlin Group” or “Berlin Club” have been meeting under the leadership of one of Germany’s least-popular and least-successful politicians, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. Perhaps, realizing that his political career is on the skids, this is Westerwelle’s final effort to leave behind some sort of political legacy. Yet it is destined to ultimately fail, at least in its current form.

Despite Westerwelle’s efforts, the one thing that he has highlighted that has gained the attention of students of Bible prophecy is the number of nations involved in his initiative to enact a two-tier Europe. Present at the most recent meeting of the group—once again chaired by Westerwelle—were his counterpart foreign ministers from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

The number ten aligns with the prophecy of Revelation 17. But do the particular nations that comprise the Berlin Club gel with our understanding of the nations that will comprise the ultimate 10 powers that fulfill that prophecy? To answer this question, we must comprehend and accept a key element of interpreting Bible prophecy. Biblical revelation is only delivered by God through the minds of His prophets and apostles (Ephesians 2:19-22).

The understanding of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation that reveal the rise of a great conquering northern power to dominate the world scene in our time was delivered by God through the mind of His 20th-century apostle, Herbert Armstrong. Those same prophecies are consistently taught, as revealed to Herbert Armstrong, via this website, under the direction of our editor in chief, Gerald Flurry.

What did Herbert Armstrong teach would be the makeup of the final 10 nations comprising the seventh and final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire?

He began by going to Daniel 2 to explain that the two legs of the great image, representing the world empires prophesied to rule the world from the time of Babylon-Chaldea, were a type of the traditional division of the “iron empire”—the Holy Roman Empire—between east and west, destined to be resurrected seven times. He demonstrated that the 10 toes of the image would be a final 10-nation combine, comprising five powers from Western Europe and five from the Eastern nations of that continent.

If the prophecy that the nations of Israel will be enslaved by this northern power in the future (Daniel 11) is all-embracing—that is, if it includes the Israelite nations of northwestern Europe in addition to Judah and the Anglo-Saxon nations—then, as Mr. Armstrong showed, the final 10 nations which dominate Europe must be drawn from the Gentile nations of East and West Europe!

In a co-worker letter dated Sept. 20, 1979, Mr. Armstrong stated: “Many of the present Pope John Paul ii’s activities point to the fact that he can be the pope that will initiate this European reunion, in a ‘United States of Europe’” (emphasis added throughout).

Within three years of that prophecy, its fulfillment was there for all to see. The Soviet Union imploded and Eastern European nations clamored to enter the European Union. By the time of John Paul’s death, most of the previous Eastern Europe satellite nations of the defunct Soviet Union were members of the EU. Then the headlines began to emerge incorporating those very words used by Herbert Armstrong—the pundits observed that the EU was becoming a “United States of Europe”!

In the same letter, Mr. Armstrong went on: “As a matter of fact, his [John Paul ii] having come from Poland, and the effect of his visit there, indicate that instead of the coming ‘resurrected’ Holy Roman Empire including such nations of Israelitish ancestry as Holland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the 10 nations to compose it may include such nations—now Russian satellites—as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia …. It does seem that the nations of Israelitish ancestry, in western and northwestern Europe, would likely be excluded from the coming 10-nation ‘Roman Empire.’”

Two years later, Herbert Armstrong, speaking in a message to his supporters declared: “… God is going to let things speed up very quickly from here on. If not now, when it does happen it will happen suddenly—so quickly it will take your breath, and the whole world will gasp in awe and wonder when they see the things that are prophesied. For example, 10 nations in Europe—probably five of them in Western Europe and five in Eastern Europe—reviving, resurrecting the so-called Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages; and that is going to happen very soon now” (sermon, Oct. 13, 1981).

In 1983, with Pope John Paul ii moving aggressively to revive the political voice of the Church of Rome in Eastern Europe, Herbert Armstrong had this to say: “The pope’s visit to Poland, terminating tonight, is a MOST SIGNIFICANT event in breaking loose probably five Soviet satellite nations in Eastern Europe, so they may be united by the Catholic Church with five Western European nations. It will become a colossal third world power, possibly greater than either the Soviet Union or the United States.

“On nbc News, Marvin Kalb reported, ‘Throughout this trip the pope has come through as a type of spiritual superpower’” (member and co-worker letter, June 22, 1983).

Little did that nbc reporter know that Bible prophecy forecasts a spiritual leader of mother Rome actually becoming a type of superpower in the very near future (Revelation 13 and 17).

In the meantime, with “10 nations” becoming a fashionable term in European headlines courtesy of the Berlin Group of 10, we look for the final makeup of the prophesied 10 which will yield up their power to one dominant, predominant, overarching power, described in your Bible as “the beast.” That the crisis in Europe, now rapidly reaching its climax, will be a catalyst accelerating the forging of this final 10-nation resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire we have no doubt.

Whatever the outcome of this week’s most crucial EU summit in Brussels, you can be sure that it will take us one major leap forward to the rise of that prophesied 10-nation combine—five nations from Western Europe and five from Eastern Europe—that Herbert Armstrong so presciently and tenaciously prophesied throughout his long ministry.

When that does occur, it will be but a brief moment before we see Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20). That’s the very sign that Jesus Christ gave to demonstrate the proximity of the coming Great Tribulation on the Israelitish nations (Matthew 24:21-22), and the very signal indicating that it will be time for His brethren to flee to a place of safety (Luke 21:21).

The EU summit this Thursday and Friday will work to advance the proximity of these momentous events leading up to the very return of Jesus Christ to this Earth to set up His Kingdom over all other kingdoms on Earth!

Watch Brussels this week! (Luke 21:36).