Who Will Be the Next Charlemagne?

By Gerald Flurry

According to Bible prophecy, the Holy Roman Empire has seven heads. This empire has risen six times in Europe. Each time, it has soaked the Continent in blood. The first head began in a.d. 554 and was ruled by Justinian. The sixth head ended at the conclusion of World War ii in 1945. It was ruled by madman Adolf Hitler, one of the bloodiest tyrants in the history of man.

The seventh head is now on the scene. Its past strongly indicates what it will do in the future. Its history alone should make people tremble with fear today!

According to your Bible, the seventh head will be the bloodiest one of all—by far! The world is about to be bludgeoned into this reality.

In 1983, Pope John Paul ii was in Vienna—300 years after the city was attacked by the “barbarian Turks” and the Polish king rallied the European kings and drove out the barbarians. John Paul was saying, back in 1983, that Europe needed to get back to its Christian roots. He was referring to the “Christian roots” of the bloody Holy Roman Empire. The current pope will rally Europe into making this a reality.

The Vatican leaders understand their history—unlike most of the world. This is why many millions of people are so easily deceived.

The next Charlemagne will be much more sophisticated than Hitler—much more cultured. But he is going to fight Christ at His Second Coming!

Soon the world will know who the modern Charlemagne is to be. You can be sure he will have Germany’s stamp of approval. His actions will shock the world far more than the original Charlemagne. He will lead the world into the greatest “sea of blood” that humanity has ever seen or even dreamed about!

The Bible prophesies of this European strongman. We have been watching for this individual to emerge.

Because of the urgency of the time, I have strongly felt that this prophesied leader will come onto the scene shortly.

Who Is Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg?

An impressive man appeared in the front line of German politics when he was appointed as Germany’s minister of economics in February 2009. Angela Merkel rocketed his political stature overnight later that year by giving him the senior portfolio of defense minister in her coalition cabinet.

His name is Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.

The Defense Ministry was Guttenberg’s portfolio of choice. “Following the success of the Merkel-led conservative political bloc at last month’s election, Baron Guttenberg has made little secret of his desire to switch from the Economics Ministry to the defense portfolio” (Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Oct. 23, 2009).

Guttenberg quickly passed Chancellor Merkel in favor as the most popular politician in Germany.

Guttenberg was a bright young leader of the young set in Bavarian politics during Edmund Stoiber’s long reign as Bavaria’s prime minister. The two carry a mutual respect for each other’s political achievements. Guttenberg strongly endorsed Stoiber’s efforts to cut European Union red tape to the tune of multiple billions of euros in savings.

This aristocratic Guttenberg is particularly interesting because of his family and political connections. His early development in political life was guided by Stoiber. He was appointed secretary general of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, Stoiber’s political party, when Stoiber was considered a prime candidate for the German chancellorship before he was just barely beaten by Angela Merkel in a national election. Stoiber’s political mentor was the Bavarian prime minister whom he succeeded, Franz Josef Strauss, who was known in his time as “the strongman of Europe.”

Guttenberg is also connected through part of his family line to the house of Habsburg. Strauss and Otto von Habsburg shared a common dream of a united Catholic Europe. Both personally shared details of that vision with Herbert W. Armstrong during visits they made to the campus of Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. To Otto von Habsburg, the dream was of a revived Holy Roman Empire. To Herbert Armstrong, that dream would become the reality of the biblically prophesied seventh resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire.

Herbert Armstrong foresaw, and prophesied, that the European Union would fulfill that prophecy under German Roman Catholic dominion.

Take Guttenberg’s impeccable Frankish-Bavarian Roman Catholic connections into mind and add them to the thread of political thought that has pervaded Bavarian politics for decades under Strauss and Stoiber—the dream of a united Catholic Europe under German leadership. Then add to it something that neither Strauss nor Stoiber ever possessed—a striking family title that cements all of these connections together—and we have a man to watch in the shaky coalition of Chancellor Merkel’s government.

What is that family title?

‘Baron of the Holy Roman Empire’

The current Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg’s official title was granted to his forebears during the 18th century. His correct title is Reichsfreiherr, the English translation being, “Baron of the Holy Roman Empire.”

A fascinating title when you consider what is happening in Europe!

Notice what Ulrich Rippert wrote about Guttenberg on the World Socialist Web Site, November 7, 2009: “The appointment of the new defense minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (Christian Social Union, csu), unleashed a storm of enthusiasm in the German officer corps, according to Spiegel Online. …

“Guttenberg was welcomed by the assembled military as one of their own. His noble title and his aristocratic family’s 800-year-old tradition played a not insignificant role in their response.

“There is hardly another country in the world in which the influence of the aristocratic caste in the army—as well as in other areas of society—has remained as strong as in Germany. …

“The aristocratic elite has played a devastating role in German history. It dominated both the officer corps of the Reichswehr (Imperial Army) and the Wehrmacht. In the Weimar Republic, the Reichswehr formed a state within the state, having rejected the democratic foundations of the constitution and being implicated in numerous coup attempts. In Hitler’s Wehrmacht, it was the aristocratic generals who organized the war of extermination and conquest.

“The field marshals of the Nazi period were nearly all of noble birth. …

“Karl-Theodor—we will dispense with his eight other first names—Baron von und zu Guttenberg is part of this aristocratic caste and maintains its elitist habits. He lives in Burg (castle) Guttenberg near Kulmbach in Franken, which has been the family headquarters since 1482. Since February 2000, he has been married to Stephanie Countess von Bismarck-Schonhausen, who is directly descended from Otto von Bismarck, the iron chancellor. …

“Before taking his ministerial post, for several years Guttenberg led the csu executive committee’s Special Committee on Foreign Policy. …

“Guttenberg left no doubt that it was necessary to counter the widespread antiwar sentiments of the general public. …

“Guttenberg stressed, ‘There is no alternative to the German commitment in Afghanistan.’ … He justified the establishment of a special department for Afghanistan in the chancellery with these concluding words, ‘This measure could contribute crucially to optimizing Germany’s overall deployment in Afghanistan and to heightening acceptance of our [military] commitment within the population.’ …

“Under these conditions, Defense Minister zu Guttenberg has gone on the offensive. Just a few days after taking office, he stressed that it is indeed war that is being waged in Afghanistan. Under these conditions, he said, it would be wrong to use ‘euphemisms’ regarding the Bundeswehr’s mission. In a discussion with Bild Zeitung, he explained that it is a combat mission. Although international law was clear that wars could only take place between states, he did not believe that a soldier could relate to such ‘necessary legal, academic or semantic sensitivities’” (emphasis mine throughout).

Baron Guttenberg calls war and terrorism what they really are—not vague or deceptive “euphemisms.” That makes the German military ecstatic. At the same time, he is swinging the German population into a military mind-set. That has to be extremely disturbing to those people who understand Germany’s history. The end result is going to be horrifying!

It also signals a dangerous turn in Germany’s foreign policy! And the whole world is going to be greatly impacted by that new direction.

Watch Baron Guttenberg!

A Great Prophecy Becomes History

“And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space” (Revelation 17:10).

Revelation 17:10 is one of the greatest prophecies in the Bible. Contained within this one verse is the heart of prophecy for these latter days. Just during the period when “one is,” it encapsulates the fulfillment of several other major prophecies: Matthew 17:10-11, which talks about the end-time type of Elijah restoring all things; Malachi 3:1, which discusses an end-time messenger preparing the world for Christ’s return; and Matthew 24:14, which describes the gospel being preached around the world. Those prophecies were at the heart of the Philadelphia era work under Herbert W. Armstrong. He prophesied during the time when “one is”—when Hitler ruled over the sixth head of the Holy Roman Empire. (This is explained thoroughly in our free booklet Daniel Unlocks Revelation.)

After the “one is” era, there’s just a short space left for “the other [that] is not yet come.” This statement is the most acute kind of emphasis for the seventh head. We are now witnessing the seventh head. It will continue a short time—and then we can forget about the beast! Wars, terrorism, weather disasters—these will all be gone forever! When “the other” comes and finishes its work, Christ is going to come and rule forever! That’s what we need to get excited about most of all, not some titillating prophecy about the beast.

We must remember not to blame the Holy Roman Empire for inflicting evil upon the nations of Israel. (If you don’t know who the nations of Israel are, request our book The United States and Britain in Prophecy.) “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled” (Revelation 17:17). God has put it in the heart of this empire to fulfill His will. We are being punished because of “all our abominations.”

God is calling upon so-called Christians in this world to repent. That is the only solution to our problems.

The sixth head has come and gone. Now the seventh head has come. Both of these electrifying prophecies have become history! This last head is destined to be the most infamous one of all. It is prophesied to wreak unparalleled destruction on this world.

This last head of the Holy Roman Empire is going to fight Jesus Christ at His Second Coming! Then the world will see how unholy the Holy Roman Empire is.

How can we not be moved and stirred intensely by this universe-shaking prophecy?

What an exciting time to be alive! Not because we understand the Holy Roman Empire, but because we understand the omnipotent God who revealed this prophecy to us!

The Best News Ever

The Plain Truth of September 1979 said this about Franz Josef Strauss: “In April 1970, on one of his many trips to the United States, Strauss visited the campus of Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. During his two-day visit, he addressed the student body (he speaks fluent English and French) and was interviewed for the World Tomorrow television program. He was the honored dinner guest of Plain Truth editor in chief Herbert W. Armstrong in Mr. Armstrong’s home. (Mr. Armstrong later said of Dr. Strauss’s visit: ‘At the close of the first day, he commented that he had just spent the happiest day of his life. The peace and happiness here are contagious. Dr. Strauss drank it in. Herr Strauss said, “We need an Ambassador College in Germany.”‘)”

Soon God’s colleges are going to fill this Earth.

What an amazing statement for a powerful world leader like Franz Josef Strauss to make—that he had just spent the happiest day of his life!

The inspiring truth is, he had just gotten an insight into the wonderful World Tomorrow. Mr. Armstrong and his supporters worked extremely hard to obey every word of the Bible. Ambassador College was like a beautiful Garden of Eden on Earth. It won the most beautiful campus in America award three different years. Soon the whole Earth is going to look like that! And people will be happy as never before. That time is almost here!

If Adam, Eve and the whole world had obeyed God, the Earth would look like Ambassador College did and be filled with happiness today.

The way of happiness has been rejected by mankind throughout history. They must suffer until they are willing to obey God—and be happy the way God is happy.

Winston Churchill said that men occasionally stumble onto the truth, but they quickly pick themselves up and hurry along.

How much suffering is it going to take to wake men up? Will it take the worst suffering ever before they finally turn to God?

“Three years later, on May 8, 1973, Dr. Strauss again emphasized before the World Tomorrow television cameras (this time in Germany) the same theme: ‘We must achieve, we must bring about and we must realize West European unity before the Soviet vision of the Europe of tomorrow comes into reality’” (ibid).

Mr. Strauss had a vision of the Holy Roman Empire. He passed that on to his protégé, Edmund Stoiber. And now Stoiber has mentored Baron Guttenberg to nurture the same vision.

That vision has been alive for 1,500 years. But it always ends in catastrophe, even when it begins with good intentions.

The wrong people have hijacked the powerful European Union. That empire is about to clash with Jesus Christ Himself. Take a good look at this Holy Roman Empire; it’s going to be the last one you will ever see—forever!

That is the best news this world has ever heard. And you can prove it from your own Bible.