World News in Relation to Biblical Prophecy ── June 21, 2026

Again, at the top of the page, in bold, capitalized letters ── the Trump Administration proudly announced a “deal” with the evil and vile Islamic Regime of Iran led by an interim leadership council and a core group of influential Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)! NO REGIME CHANGE! The Gulf states now feel “left in the lurch and exposed by the US-Iran deal.”

Media reports alleged that the UAE moved billions of frozen funds to Iran in exchange for a halt in attacks on its territory, which Abu Dhabi has denied. …

Gulf states have found themselves stuck between a wounded but emboldened Iran and an unreliable alliance with the US. …

Meanwhile, Iran “has survived and overcome the US and Israeli decapitation campaign and also demonstrated that it can strike back and use Hormuz for leverage,” [Chatham House Middle East expert Neil Quilliam] said.

In an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, Trump suggested Gulf states pay for American protection against Iran.

“The Gulf states are being subjected to what amounts to blackmail by both Iran and the United States,” [Hasan Alhasan of the International Institute for Strategic Studies] said.

(https://www.timesofisrael.com/gulf-states-could-be-left-in-the-lurch-and-exposed-by-the-us-iran-deal/).

This “terrible” (in my humble opinion) Memorandum of Understanding has grave issues! (See: There's A Deadly Flaw in This Iran "Deal"!). Here are five reasons, I too, believe are reasons why it is a terrible “deal” ──

1. Lack of transparency and unclear terms. Many details — such as how Iran’s enriched uranium will be handled, the scope of sanctions relief, and the exact conditions for nuclear disarmament — remain vague.
2. No real nuclear weapons ban. Iran hawks warn Tehran may use the financial lifeline to rebuild militarily and organizationally, undermining the deal’s long-term security benefits.
3. Sanctions relief without full integration. The agreement allows Iran to immediately restart oil exports free from U.S. trade and banking sanctions.
4. Strategic concessions without reciprocal gains. It includes Gulf state contributions to a $300 billion reconstruction fund.
5. Political and diplomatic skepticism. Iran’s leaders have a history of prioritizing their nuclear program over economic prosperity. 1

The MOU is seen as a placeholder rather than a final peace deal.

President Trump just simply says, ‘Well… if they don’t cooperate, we’ll just go back to bombing them!’ So, he’s giving them 60 days to rearm and resupply their weapons? Mr. President, when a boxer has his opponent on the ropes, you go for a KO!! I realize that Mr. Trump has said that ‘the deal isn’t final,’ but why isn’t he “finishing the job”? ── that's beyond me!

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is praising this MOU ──

I welcome the agreement reached between the US and Iran, following sustained diplomatic efforts by several partners.
The priority now is its swift and full implementation by all parties.
This agreement should allow for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Freedom of navigation must be restored toll-free. …
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 15, 2026

Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi (Left) and the reformist president of Iran, Masoud Pezashkian (Right) (Ai-generated)

O indeed, this vile Islamic Regime of Iran is two-faced. One part of its regime is not endorsing this MOU and refused to sign it, and the other part of their regime signed it.

Now, while President Donald Trump has posted, “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region,” we do not believe that it will. I remember as a child watching on television one of the first renditions of Elmer J. Fudd ── Egghead. A Day at the Zoo, in which Egghead, the main character, repeatedly taunts a lion in its cage. The narrator warns Egghead to stop provoking the lion. He did not stop. At the end of the cartoon, the lion inside the cage opens its mouth ── and from within the stomach of the lion, Egghead’s eyes appear, and his voice echoes, “I’m a baaad boy!” Moral of the story? If you poke at an Asiatic lion repeatedly or persistently, you are almost certainly provoking a defensive or predatory attack.

We should consider the following prophecy ──

“For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

Certainly, while the above prophecy does have a future fulfillment, it is a dire warning to not just blindly accept a ‘declaration of peace in our time’ with a nation that is led by a demon! This is why I often quote Neville Chamberlain when he returned from his appeasement of Adolf Hitler, and his raising a signed agreement that Nazi Germany would not continue the war if only France and the UK permitted Hitler to incorporate the Sudetenland – and they did! Announcing to the crowd and to the world, and now the Leftists are saying we have all heard this wrong for nearly 86 years! – “Peace in our time!” The talk of any true peace apart from the LORD God is hollow and without the understanding of mankind’s true nature.

JUDAH ── our allies in the Middle East, known as Israel, do not like this MOU ──

June 18, 2026

Israel, Stunned by Trump’s Iran Deal, Sees It as a ‘Catastrophic Capitulation’

Israel awoke to a frightening new reality on Thursday as it absorbed, with disbelief and largely in silence, the terms of President Trump’s preliminary agreement to end the war with Iran.

It accomplishes none of Israel’s war aims, analysts and officials said, and arguably leaves the country in worse shape on each of them.

Regime change? The government in Tehran is emerging from the war even more hardline and emboldened, despite being decapitated at the outset of the conflict in late February. The deal’s requirement that American forces retreat from the “proximity” of Iran within 30 days means that Iran can boast that it has chased the U.S. military out of the region. …

David Horovitz, the editor of The Times of Israel, called it “a catastrophic capitulation,” in the headline of a fiery opinion column. …

The prime minister said Israel would stick to its ultimate goal: “Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

(https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/world/middleeast/israel-iran-deal-reaction-netanyahu.html).

Yes, Israel is in a very difficult position. It has to support this MOU, but with a history of 45 Years of Revolution, Resistance, and Conflict, the Islamic Regime of Iran will surely violate this MOU.

I want you to notice that there is coming, at the end of this present evil age, not only the fact that the Roman Catholic Church will work together with a future conglomerate of Islamic nations, called ‘king of the South’ in God’s word, but His living word also shows us that this future great religious leader will turn against this “Madhi” ── this final ‘king of the South.’ Notice the following dual prophecy, showing us that this final Islamic power will be defeated ──

“’ At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him [a final Catholic-led European civic and military leader, called the ‘king of the North’]; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries [the Middle Eastern countries], overwhelm them, and pass through. 41) He shall also enter the Glorious Land [Palestine], and many countries shall be overthrown; but these [initially] shall escape from his hand: Edom [which is Turkey], Moab [which is Iraq], and the prominent people of Ammon [or Jordan]. 42) He shall stretch out his hand [the ‘king of the North’] against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape’” – Daniel 11:40-42.

Now … the following end-time prophecy given to the Prophet Ezekiel also concerns the great and terrible Day of the Lord, “a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles” ── which is exactly what we are speaking about here. Now, mind you, even today most of these following nations are primarily Islamic! THE DAY OF THE LORD! It is prophetically linked to the meaning of the Day of Atonement. And it’s in the future, and we’re simply not that far away from it. Prophet Daniel in chapter 11, verses 40-43 shows us that Edom (Turkey) will initially escape the wrath of the final Catholic-led European ‘king of the North.’ Prophet Ezekiel shows us that Egypt and her allies, including Arabs, will be DESTROYED!

“’ For the DAY is near [speaking of the Day of the Lord], even the day of the LORD is near; it will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. 4) The sword shall come upon Egypt, And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia, When the slain fall in Egypt, And they take away her wealth, And her foundations are broken down’” – Ezekiel 30:3-4.

>>> Staying here in the United States of America, the Trump Administration, citing national security authorities, has issued an export control directive to suspend all access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 by any foreign national, whether inside or outside the United States. (See: Anthropic - Statement on the US government directive to suspend access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5). Anthropic is an American artificial intelligence (AI) company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It has developed a series of large language models (LLMs) named Claude. The practical reason why the U.S. government banned Fable 5 & Mythos 5 ── Anthropic cannot reliably verify the nationality of every user in real time at scale.

The U.S. export controls are pushing European companies to create their own AI models. Siemens, Renault, and other major European firms are already using a mix of Chinese, U.S., and European models because of this ban.

To most Americans this probably doesn’t mean much, but sadly, this is but another unintended consequence of the Trump Administration “pushing” Europe further away from America as an ally and to more of a frenemy. The US ── under the Trump Administration ── is increasingly isolating itself. And even though I believe that what the Trump Administration did was for the security of our nation ── the following prophecy is getting ever closer to fulfillment ──

“How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave!

2) She weeps bitterly in the night, Her tears are on her cheeks; Among all her lovers She has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies.” – Lamentations 1:1-2.

The United States of America has become ‘great [AGAIN] among the nations!’

“Thus he [a soon coming final Catholic-led “United States of Europe” civic and military leader, also called in prophecy the final ‘king of the North’] shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory, and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.” – Daniel 11:39.

In fact, Germany is responding to the Trump Administration, and is increasing its military ──

June 14, 2026

Germany pledges to build Europe's strongest army as NATO allies answer Trump pressure.

Germany is pledging to become a more powerful military force inside NATO, with Berlin's ambassador to Washington telling Fox News Digital that the country is ready to assume greater responsibility for European security after decades in which the United States carried much of the alliance's military burden.

“Germany is stepping up — we heard the call!” …

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said Germany's armed forces should become the strongest conventional army in Europe, a goal Hanefeld said is now backed by Berlin's new military strategy.

(https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/germany-pledges-build-europes-strongest-100023679.html).

The iconic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany with a flag of the AfD. (Ai-generated)

Now, most would applaud this. “Germany, finally stepping up!” Well, there’s a phrase, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Germany started WWI ── Germany started World War I on August 1, 1914, when Germany declared war on Russia. It then moved against France, capturing Paris from the north. The war began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914. Germany started WWII ── technically, it began in Europe on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany on September 3. OH! But you say, “That was Germany of the old, we have a new Germany! A Germany that has left all that ‘Nazism’ – that far-right totalitarian ideology behind.” Notice this fairly recent report ──

Jun 02, 2026

Germany’s far-right and hard-left politics boomerang back to the horseshoe theory

Horseshoes may bring luck in life, but rarely in politics. …

A century on, the horseshoe theory is back like a boomerang with speculation that a hard-left party could open the door to power for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). …

(https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2026/06/02/germanys-far-right-and-hard-left-politics-boomerang-back-to-the-horseshoe-theory/).

Horseshoe theory posits that the far-left and far-right are closer to each other than to the political center, despite their ideological differences. A THIRD and final door will be opened as prophesied by our LORD God in this dual prophecy ──

“And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24) He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.” – Daniel 11:23 24.

As the king of the Seleucid Empire, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, did. He outlawed Jewish religious rites and traditions, as in ‘taking away the daily sacrifices.’ So, this final civic and military leader of a Catholic-led United Europe will do the same. He, too ── as had Antiochus IV ── will cultivate a reputation as an extravagant and generous ruler. Offering peace. In the beginning.

Yes, indeed ── and let us always thank Almighty God, and all of our wonderful and brave Veterans ── the Nazi German & European alliance was utterly defeated by Western powers in WWI & WWII! So, in this sense, his fathers of WWII and his forefathers of WWI of a soon-coming final ‘king of the North’ had failed to defeat the Western powers (the USA and the UK respectively), however ‘he shall devise his plans against the strongholds’ and shall accomplish ── but only for a short time.

Flashback November 9, 1989. As I sat on our couch in the living room watching the nightly news, the reporter excitedly announced, “I’m Peter Jennings in New York. Just a short while ago, astonishing news from East Germany where the east German authorities have said in essence, ‘the Berlin Wall doesn’t mean anything anymore. The Wall that the east Germans had put up in 1961 to keep its people in will now be breached by anyone who wants to leave.’” And I was shocked! ── because even then, at such a young age, I knew the LORD God’s dual prophecies concerning GERMANY! God’s living word teaches us that there is coming a final Catholic-led European ‘king of the North’ beast power that will have “a great army” – Daniel 11:25. And the U.S. ── several U.S. administrations recognized that a strong West German military was essential to NATO’s defense of Western Europe. The most notable push came from the Eisenhower administration in the early 1950s, but the Kennedy administration and later leaders also reinforced this policy ── so, to be fair, let’s not just “blame Trump!” □

1 Kelly, L. & Meyn, C., 5 reasons Trump allies don’t like his Iran deal, The Hill, 16 June 2026.

Iran Protests Spark Concerns Over Potential U.S. Retaliation

by Leonard V Johnson

The grave situation in Iran is getting more critical ──

01/12/2026

Iran protests: Death toll rises to over 540 — activists

Protests challenging the regime have continued in defiance of a clampdown by Iran's clerical rulers.

What you need to know

• Mass anti-government protests in Iran are in their third week despite what activists call a ‘brutal’ clampdown …

• At least 496 protesters and 48 members of security forces have been killed, according to a US-based rights group …

• Tehran warns that US troops and Israel will be targets if the United States strikes

• Iranians are cut off from the world amid an internet blackout that has been in place for over 60 hours

• Reports are emerging of hospitals being ‘overwhelmed.’

(https://www.dw.com/en/iran-protests-death-toll-rises-to-over-540-activists/live-75463923).

11/01/2026

Iran cracks down on protests and threatens US and Israel of retaliation in case of intervention

Washington and Tel Aviv reportedly discussed the possibility of US intervention in Iran, as Tehran warns for retaliation. Meanwhile, Iran’s nationwide internet blackout crosses the 60-hour mark, as the death toll rises …

Tehran warned that US troops and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if the US strikes Iran, as President Donald Trump reiterated US support for Iranian protesters.

“In the event of a military attack by the United States, both the occupied territory* (Israel) and centers of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said, speaking in parliament on Sunday.

[*] Iran does not recognize Israel and considers it occupied Palestinian territory.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed in a phone call on Saturday the possibility of US intervention in Iran, according to German magazine Der Spiegel.

The warning comes after US President Donald Trump reiterated Washington is willing to step up to protect peaceful demonstrators.

(https://www.euronews.com/2026/01/11/iran-cracks-down-on-protests-and-threatens-us-and-israel-of-retaliation-in-case-of-interve).

These “rulers through violence” in Iran know that US President Donald Trump is more than capable and willing to annihilate their terroristic regime.

Notice what the Trump-Vance Administration did recently in Syria to the terrorist group the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) ──

January 11, 2026

US launches new retaliatory strikes against IS in Syria after deadly ambush

The U.S. has launched another round of retaliatory strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria following last month’s ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in the country.

The large-scale strikes, conducted by the U.S. alongside partner forces, occurred around 12:30 p.m. ET (1730 GMT) Saturday, according to the U.S. Central Command. The strikes hit multiple IS targets across Syria. …

Syria recently joined the global coalition against the IS.

(https://apnews.com/article/united-states-syria-islamic-state-411cab1d15b646cf30c4084ba2838fe4).

Under the new leadership of Syria, President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria has improved its relations with the United States. It has agreed in its cooperation on counterterrorism, barring foreign fighters from senior government roles, assisting U.S. efforts to find and attack terrorist organizations ── including Hezbollah and al-Qaeda.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), along with its supporters and all other terrorist extremist groups, desire to annihilate … well, relying on Islamic texts, a “commitment to returning civilization to a seventh-century legal environment, and ultimately to bringing about the apocalypse.” 1

As the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, Iran continues to provide support that enables terrorist organizations to continue fighting! And Iran has threatened to fight!

So, there are the Shia Islamist terrorist groups Hezbollah and the Houthis, along with the Sunni terrorist group Hamas ──

11 January 2026

Huckabee: Overturning Iran’s regime would be ‘end of Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis.’

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says that the ousting of the Iranian regime would also mean the end of the Iran-backed terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

“Should the Iranian people choose to end over 46 years of hateful & incompetent rule, it could restore the Persian culture of education, art, music, and strength and the end of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis,” Huckabee writes on his X account.

(https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/huckabee-overturning-irans-regime-would-be-end-of-hamas-hezbollah-and-houthis/).

Of course, none of those evil and vile terrorist groups wants to end.

Hezbollah has long hated Israel ── and has longed for revenge since the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) detonated the terrorist group’s pagers across Lebanon last year (See: Reuters – Hezbollah vows to punish Israel after pager explosions across Lebanon). That operation was a most sophisticated and extraordinary feat of espionage!

With that said, notice the Gulf Insider ──

Wednesday, Sep 18, 2024

War Preparations Build After 9 Killed, 2700+ Wounded In Israel’s Pager Attack On Hezbollah

Official Lebanese Health Ministry figures are that nine people were killed in the simultaneous pager explosions, including a young girl, and some 2,750 were wounded. The Lebanese government has identified “Israeli aggression” as being behind the attack, while Hezbollah also says it holds Israel “fully responsible”. Israel has yet to issue an official comment, but there are several reports from the region that war preparations are underway. There are reports of evening Israeli shelling of Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

Israel’s Channel 14 is reporting that “senior Israeli military officials are preparing for a third Hezbollah war, which is expected to begin almost immediately.” The US State Department has said the US “was not aware of this operation and was not involved” in the attack. The Biden administration says it is “still gathering information.”

The WSJ has offered some initial details on the sophisticated attack, which Lebanese and Arabs have condemned as a major ‘terror attack’. “The affected pagers were from a new shipment that the group received in recent days, people familiar with the matter said,” WSJ writes. “A Hezbollah official said hundreds of fighters had such devices, speculating that malware may have caused the devices to explode. The official said some people felt the pagers heat up and disposed of them before they burst.” …

Israeli media says Mossad rigged the pager batteries of a shipment that was imported five months ago:

The Israeli spy agency placed a quantity of PETN, a highly explosive material, on the batteries of the devices, and detonated them by raising the temperature of the batteries from afar, the source says.

There are initial reports that more European airlines have begun cancelling flights to Lebanon and Israel amid more headlines of war plans. Lebanese schools and colleges have announced widespread closures tomorrow.

(https://www.gulf-insider.com/israels-pager-attack-on-hezbollah-many-dead/).

Biblically, Iran may indeed launch an attack that will cause “great” damage to the city of David ── Jerusalem ── as foretold in the dual prophecy of Isaiah 22:6-9.

Now, there are some, like Mohammad Reza Farzanegan of the Middle East Eye, that are asserting that the protests in Iran are not a ‘regime collapse’ story but rather are against the USA (Mohammad Farzanegan’s research focuses on the political economy of sanctions, conflict, corruption, and natural resources, among other topics. His projects follow a theory-based, empirical approach, employing quantitative methods to identify causal effects) 2 ──

2 January 2026 …

Iranian protests are not for ‘regime change’ but for relief from US economic war

In Washington and Tel Aviv, the narrative being pushed is one of a “regime on the brink”, where economic failure is framed as a precursor to total collapse.

However, my empirical research with other colleagues suggests a far more complex reality.

What we are witnessing is not a political revolution, but the desperate gasps of a society whose economic buffer, the middle class, has been systematically hollowed out by an inhumane, punitive policy of international isolation.

The US weaponization of the global financial system, imposing the “maximum pressure” campaign and targeting Iran’s oil exports, has effectively hit at the life savings of every Iranian teacher, nurse, and small business owner. …

The Iranians currently in the streets are not asking for their country to be dismantled; they are asking for the restoration of their dignity, for economic relief, and for an end to the collective punishment that has hollowed out their lives.

The tragedy of the current US-Israeli strategy is that it has destroyed the very segment of society, the middle class, most capable of pushing for a stable, reformist, and less confrontational future.

(https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/iranians-are-protesting-economic-relief-not-regime-change. Bold and highlighted emphasis mine.)

And as far as that “bold and highlighted emphasis,” I say, “Touché!”

The Iranian people have gotten more and more desperate. And certainly, the “rulers through violence” in Iran are going to get more desperate to hang onto their power.

The Iranian president has declared war against the United States of America, the European Union, and Israel. (See: Politico – Iran at war with the West and Israel, says Iran's president).

Sadly, many religious groups’ position that Iran is the final ‘king of the South’ is wrong. A great many religious groups hold to a wrong prophetic interpretation, and they lather, rinse, and repeat this false interpretation.

Here ── as far as the final ‘king of the South,’ check out our free no-obligation PDF booklet “Prophecy Series – the Last Crusade” by Minister Michael C Garrett.

Minister Michael C. Garrett writes ──

“If you would, turn to Verse 40 [Daniel 11] King James English– “’ And at the time of the end shall the king of the South push at him: and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.’” – you know, with the phrase from the King James Version, “push at him,” the people of the Church has wrestled with that, some have said, “Well, that will be a future oil embargo.” Maybe. Or, something this, something that. Well, I’m going to offer you an idea today that you may have never thought of. And this is just a thought – just a possibility. And with time, we’ll know. But I’m asking you to sort of consider the possibility. What if this ‘pushing’ of this Islamic confederation at the king of the North – what if it were indeed attacked by Islamic terrorists upon Israel, Britain, and the United States? You know, we really don’t appreciate the fact that Europe really is our ally! And we have close ties with them! And I know in the old days, there was always this idea that Europe and the United States would come to hate each other! However, I’m not sure if that is necessarily true. I’m just offering this as an idea – what if this ‘pushing’ were a series of Islamic terrorist nuclear explosions, electromagnetic pulse weapons, explosions that would wipe out our infrastructure? And what if then, the Islamists said, “Europe, now we’re coming after you!” Maybe that is the pushing, maybe that is the threat? But we do know for sure – it says the king of the North will come against him with powerful military forces! Verse 41 – “’ He shall also enter the Glorious Land, …’” – meaning, the Middle East, meaning Jerusalem. “…’ And many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape from his hand: …’” – it specifically says that Edom (which we believe to be Turkey), Moab (which we believe is sort of Syria and Iraq), and the chief of the children of Ammon (or Jordan). It says these people will not first incur the wrath of Europe! And so back in the old days, the ministers and college professors liked to talk about this future invasion coming down through Greece or Turkey. But many of their crusades came by land and by sea. However, it says they will not come down through Greece or Turkey, but instead, Verse 42 – “’ He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.’”

[We] think this implies that the invasion of the Middle East by the European power will be across the Mediterranean and onto the shores of Egypt.”

The nation of Iran is NOT the prophesied final ‘king of the South.’ That is something from the imagination of a great many religious groups. Their views and ideas, their understanding, are not from the living word of God!

We in the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries do not believe that Iran will be the final ‘king of the South’ that God’s word speaks about in prophecy (cf. Daniel 11:40-43). We have stated before that we tend to believe that Iran will somehow get “neutralized” before a final ‘king’ rises. We have been warning that a great conflict with Israel (through a nuclear attack or electromagnetic pulse weapon, or a huge barrage of missiles, as they’ve used many times) will result in the nation of Israel being viciously struck by Iran, damaging enough militarily that the EU will get involved. And that… at this ‘latter day’, a final Catholic-led “United States of Europe” will ‘come against a final Confederation of Islamic countries (the final ‘king of the South’) like a whirlwind!’ No later than 2017, we have spoken of this (See: Garrett, M., Notes Regarding the Day of Atonement – Prophetically the Day of the Lord. PDF book online, created May 19, 2019).

The nation of Iran could be “neutralized” by internal unrest and or a regional war involving Israel. □

Sources:

1 Wood, G., What ISIS Really Wants, YaleGlobal Online, Yale University, 23 Feb 2015.

2 HIAS-Hamburg, Mohammad Reza Farzanegan, Economics of the Middle East, Philipps-Universität Marburg, March-May 2026.

Will the European Union Survive? A Look at Martin Armstrong’s Claim

EuroNews reported ──

11 July 2025

Von der Leyen wounded: Five ways the EU confidence vote shook her 

The European Commission survived the motion of censure voted on Thursday in the European Parliament, but the Parliament will be no bed of roses for Ursula von der Leyen and her team in the aftermath of the vote. …

The 360 MEPs who voted against the motion of censure — and therefore defended the European Commission — are fewer than the 370 who approved the Commission back in November 2024. …

According to sources in the Parliament, far-right parties — possibly led by the Patriots for Europe group — could table a new motion of censure after the summer.

As MEP Piperea put it, this first motion of the legislature was meant to “open Pandora’s box”. … 

Von der Leyen now faces the challenge of balancing traditional funding envelopes — like agriculture and cohesion — with growing demands for strategic investments in modern priorities. These include continued support for Ukraine, repayment of COVID-19 recovery debt, and increased defence spending.

(https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/07/11/von-der-leyenwounded-5-ways-eu-confidence-vote-shook-her). 

EU Commissioner President Ursula von der Leyen survived the “no-confidence” vote, but now she and Europe are facing some major issues.

The American self-taught economic forecaster and convicted felon, Martin Armstrong, posted the following ── 

Jul 10, 2025 

The EU Guarantees Its Own Destruction 

Ursula von der Leyen may be the absolute worst head of state in modern history. She has single-handedly ensured the collapse of the European Union according to our computer. She destroyed the EU economy with her NET-ZERO policies, destroying farmers and sending food prices rising. She then imposed dictatorial policies demanding migrants be taken in despite the drastic changes in culture, and then has put out the BS that to protect free speech, they must censor disinformation, to ensure peace in Euirope {sic} they need to go to war with Russia, and while she advocates total sensorship {sic} far worse than whatever existed in the USSR or even Communist China, yet refuses to release her own text messages with Pfizer. 

While Ursula, who has never stood for election, pretends to be an elected democratic leader, calling Putin a dictator who at least stood for election, survived the NO CONFIDENCE vote to the detriment of Europe. The mere fact that this came to a vote demonstrates what our computer has been forecasting. The EU will fragment because of the dictatorial policies of Ursula. She is the perfect leader installed at the precise time that our computer warns that the EU will never survive. 

(https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/europes-currenteconomy/the-eu-guarantees-its-own-destruction/).

“According to our computer”? Well… neither he nor his computer appears to rely, nor understand, God’s living word concerning biblical prophecies ── particularly related to EUROPE.

Certainly, while there will be problems in Europe (cf. Daniel 2:41-43; Matthew 24:6-8), an even more united Europe will actually emerge after Ursula von der Leyen is out of office. 

One of the policies that she has been promoting strongly is an even stronger European military.

  

Now, while some may think that the European Union will collapse, God’s living word says otherwise ──

“Then I stood on the sand of the sea [speaking of the Mediterranean Sea]. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns TEN CROWNS, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 

2) Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The DRAGON gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3) And I saw on his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

4) So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” – Revelation 13:1-4.

Again, the “sea” that the Apostle John is referencing above is “the Great Sea” – Daniel 7:2; The Mediterranean Sea. The “Great Sea” that is a border of the ancient lands of Israel (see: Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; 9:1; 23:4; and Ezekiel 47:13-16)— speaking of the Mediterranean Sea.

Truly, this great vision of Revelation 13 that the Apostle John had on the isle of Patmos is referring to a reorganized and militarized European superpower. 

Now, God’s living word doesn’t show if Europe will keep the name “European Union” or will change it to “United States of Europe” or something else ── yet, God’s word does show us that Europe will reorganize and will have a final European civic and military leader that the LORD calls a “beast” ──

“’ The TEN HORNS which you saw are TEN KINGS [or, ten kingdoms; as the LORD God sees kingdoms] who have received no kingdom yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13) These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority TO THE BEAST.’” – Revelation 17:12-13.

A final European “beast” civic and military leader ── who is also known as a final “king of the North” who will ultimately destroy the United States of America’s sovereignty, along with her Anglo-Saxon allies (see: Daniel 8:24-25 and Daniel 11:24). He will also come to conquer large swaths of the Middle East, along with North Africa (see: Daniel 11:40-43).  

Also, of important note: God’s living word teaches that a United States of Europe,  with the voice of the papacy, will expand to the south and the east. Notice this “little horn” ──   

Daniel chapter 8, verse 9 – we see this ‘little horn’ that represents the papacy – this great religious leader, especially in the end-time – the resurrection of the “Holy” Roman Empire. “…a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land [or the Holy Land]. 10) and it grew up to the host of Heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11) He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.”        

Basically, Israel at the present time is a secular society. But apparently, I have to presume that something will shock that nation, probably some form of attack from her Arab and Islamic neighbors, that will cause the Jewish people of Israel to go back to their roots, and they will reinstitute animal sacrifices. And then, when this human being who calls himself the ‘Vicar of Christ,’ the so-called great “holy” man that actually dares call himself “Holy Father” – a man who puts on his pants just like you and I, and sits on the toilet several times every day. And yet, he will call and say that he’s this great “holy” man! He is going to stop the sacrifices. We find out later that he sits in the “temple” and proclaims that he is God! And that is the ‘abomination that makes desolate.’ 

And indeed, while the above had a past fulfillment. In the days of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who is the example of a final ‘king of the North’ to come. Without any doubt, centered in Europe. This man, of course, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who did some remarkable deeds, the like of which have no parallel in history since. Did those deeds between the years 167 and 164 B.C. This awesome prophecy has a future fulfillment also! The European Union has mainly expanded south and east of the Benelux nations: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, which is where it initially was formed. Now, as of January 2024, approximately 449 million people are under a single (though not completely in its unity) government, called the EUROPEAN UNION, which is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium – even though they are not completely united. Ukraine is mainly east of much of the EU. It is geographically, at least partly, of being a part of the EU. And Moldova and Georgia are south and east, which is also consistent. 

Also note this parallel biblical end-time prophecy ──

“’ Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42) And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43) As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.’” – Daniel 2:41-43.

Truly, a lack of cohesion. We are seeing this right now in the EU! It’s being fulfilled in this dual prophecy, and will feed right into a seventh and final European “king” with his mouthpiece, the papacy. What is occurring in Europe at this moment in time is that those “toes” are beginning to be pushed together-and they will be pushed even harder together as we near the end of this present evil age. It will be ultimately destroyed as the following verse tells us ──

“’ And in the days of these kings [these TEN KINGDOMS, as the LORD God sees kingdoms] the God of heaven will set up A KINGDOM which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; IT SHALL BREAK IN PIECES AND CONSUME ALL THESE KINGDOMS, AND IT SHALL STAND FOREVER.’” – vs. 44. 

Also notice that this final European “beast” and these “kings” will fight against our soon-coming King of kings and Lord of lords, or Lord Jesus Christ and His saints ── 

“Now I saw heaven [the atmosphere] opened, and behold, a WHITE HORSE And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges, AND MAKES WAR. …

13) He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called THE WORD OF GOD. … 

19) And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together TO MAKE WAR AGAINST HIM WHO SAT ON THE HORSE AGAINST HIS ARMY. 20) Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet [the head of the papacy] who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received THE MARK OF THE BEAST and those who worshiped his image. 

These two were CAST ALIVE into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21) And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds [the birds of prey] were filled with their flesh.” – Revelation 19:11, 13, 19-21. 

So, no. Europe will not completely collapse.

We will continue to see EUROPE move towards her end-time biblical prophecy fulfillment. 

And while we should expect the EU to have economic issues along with other problems, do not rely on self-taught economic forecasters and their computers, who claim Europe will soon have a total collapse before the end of this age.

Let us always rely on the living WORD OF GOD! □

Additional Items of Interest

Who or What is the BEAST That Rises Up Out of the Sea? PDF booklet 

Who or What is the BEAST That Rises Up Out of the Sea? Audio booklet

What Is the Kingdom of God? PDF booklet

What Is the Kingdom of God? Audio booklet

What Is the Kingdom of God? Audio booklet (Spanish)

There’s Great Significance In EU Symbols!

European Parliament building, Strasbourg, France (photo: Endzeiter, pixabay)

Does the European Union use symbols that tie into an end-time “Babylon”?

First: Let’s notice some of the LORD God’s dire warnings concerning an end-time “Babylon” ──

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great [whore] who sits on many waters.”

In other words, it’s worldwide. 

Verse 2 – “’ with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’ 3) So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” 

The seven resurrections of the “Holy” Roman Empire, the final resurrection consisting of ten kings or kingdoms. 

Verse 4 – “The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, …”  

And what do those colors remind you of? Both harlotry and the colors of that great Universal Church! The word “Catholic” means universal.

“…and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5) And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Verse 6 – “I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.” 

Verse 7 – “But the angel said to me, ‘Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.”

Again. The seven resurrections of the “Holy” Roman Empire, the final installment. Ten kings or kingdoms.

Verse 8 – “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, …”

 Now, the members of Christ’s Body are not supposed to stand in awe of it, and yet the world does and the world will even more!  

“…when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”

Verse 9 – “‘ Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.’” 

Double meaning. Seven hills of Rome, and also the seven resurrections of the “Holy” Roman Empire, which has given that great universal church its hold on history.

Verse 10 – “’ There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, …’”   

You know, even now, there are remnants of Adolf Hitler’s Germany that are still alive and breathing! Even now! 

“…’ and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11) The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, …’”

Meaning, if you start with the Roman Empire, and you have seven resurrections, you have eight installments of the Roman Empire. 

“…’ and is of the seven, and is going to perdition [or doom]. 12) The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast [a very short span]. 13) These are of one mind, …’” 

“…’ and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14) These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; …’”

Now, Revelation 18 is talking about what happened in chapter 17. 

Verse 1 – “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2) And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, …’” 

And I know in the past some people have said, “That means ancient Babylon and then the future Babylon.” And, it does mean that! However, I have another take on it. That in that final end-span where they take on Jesus Christ, BABYLON – the final installment of the “Holy” Roman Empire, will be destroyed, and BABYLON – the great false church will be destroyed! 

“’ Babylon is fallen, is fallen!’” All of it! 

“…’ and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!’”

So, indeed, there is a direct tie-in with “Babylon” – the great city of seven hills (Rome), and a ‘woman riding a beast.’        

The Tower of Babel of ancient Babylon by Pieter Brueghel superimposed with the European Union building in Strasbourg, France.

Let’s notice what God’s living word says concerning the original tower of Babel that was located in what is now Iraq from the Book of Genesis ──

“Now the whole earth had ONE LANGUAGE and ONE SPEECH. 2) And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3) Then they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 

4) And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’

5) But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6) And the LORD said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7) Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’

8) So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9) Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” – Genesis 11:1-9.

Interestingly enough, according to at least two sources ── The EU has 24 official languages. Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, and Swedish.

Meetings of the European Council and the Council of the European Union are interpreted into all official languages. This is where conference interpreters and translators come into play, to convey the spoken and written word in all 24 EU official languages. 

So, once again ── “Now the whole earth had ONE LANGUAGE and ONE SPEECH.”

Certainly, the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France, was purposefully left unfinished. The original Tower of Bebel, too, was an unfinished building. 

One could be forgiven if they didn't immediately see the resemblance or thought it was only a coincidence. However, no one can miss the connection in the 1992 European Union poster that was produced during the planning phases of the Parliament building. The poster includes an unmistakable image of Bruegel's Tower of Babel with the motto, “Europe: Many Tongues, One Voice.”  

EUROPE has many direct ties to the soon-to-come ‘woman who rides atop the beast.’ And this is reflected in their art and their coinage. 

Let us also note: the official flag of the European Union has TWELVE STARS. God’s living word tells us a reorganized Europe will have ten kingdoms ── as the LORD God sees kingdoms (Revelation 17:12), plus a ‘beast’ (Revelation 17:13)—also called the final ‘king of the North (Daniel 11:40), whose voice is another ‘beast coming up out of the earth’ with two horns like a lamb, but speaking like a dragon (Revelation 13:11-18)—who is also known as the final Antichrist. Thus, we see TWELVE. Is that a coincidence?

Notice the Greek two Euro coin ──

The obverse (OBV) features Zeus (depicted as a bull) who abducts Europa.

So, the coin clearly depicts a “woman” riding upon a “beast.”

God’s living word clearly tells us about an end-time religious system based out of the “city of seven hills,” riding upon a European “beast” power!

Let us consider again the official flag of the European Union. Are you aware that there were 15 nations in 1953 in the initial Council of Europe? The twelve stars upon the flag weren’t adopted until 1955. 

WHY twelve stars? The Council of Europe has 47 member states, including the EU, which has 27 member states.

In 1987, following the adoption of the flag by the EC, Arsène Heitz (1908–1989), one of the designers who had submitted proposals for the flag's design, suggested a religious inspiration for it. He stated that the circle of stars was based on the iconographic tradition of showing the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Woman of the Apocalypse, wearing a “crown of twelve stars” 1

Arsène Heitz, who mainly designed the European flag in 1955, had told Lourdes magazine that his inspiration had been the reference in the Book of Revelation, the New Testament's final section, to “a woman clothed with the sun...and a crown of twelve stars on her head” (Revelation 12:1). 2

So, clearly, there is a direct tie between Mary (the “Queen of Heaven” by the Roman Catholics) and the official flag of the European Union.

Of course ── just having symbols that God’s living word warns about does not prove that Europe will fulfill various end-time prophecies related to a final end-time ‘beast’ power ── don’t you find it odd that Europe is using so many symbols that are consistent with it?

Even though the LORD God clearly warns against a final end-time “Babylon” ── a great many throughout the world embrace these symbols as “cool”! 

Our LORD God warns us ── 

“ … ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’” – Revelation 18:4. □ 
  

1) Carlo Curti Gialdino, Carlo Curti Gialdino, The Symbols of the European Union: origin of the design for the European flag, cvce.eu, Retrieved 9 July 2025. 

2) Wikipedia contributors. "Arsène Heitz." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia 8 Jun. 2025. Web. 9 Jul. 2025. 

Part II ── Ancient Roman Empire: Charlemagne

The Bust of Charlemagne from around 1350. Photo by: pignatta (pixabay)

I’m beginning this in-depth series of articles ── of which I’m sure will eventually become sermons ── because it’s such an intriguing subject, and there were some requests that we do so. 

Charlemagne was crowned Roman emperor in A.D. 800. Many view this kingship as perhaps one of the most important events to have ever occurred in Europe. In this second part, let’s examine the vital importance of King Charlemagne in European history. 

In the first installment of the Ancient Roman Empire, the Roman Empire died at the age of 1000 plus. Men wailed at her death! World leaders had gleaned at her splendor, power, and glory ── the glory of Rome, where all roads led. But, in A.D. 476, the last throws of the Empire in the West crumbled along with her emperor. 

Rule of Rome Gone

Mighty Rome had been sacked several times. The whole Italian boot had been overrun and subjugated. Roman rule in Africa, the Mediterranean, and Western Europe was lost to Germanic barbarians.

The eastern leg of the Empire was powerless ── though in one knee-jerk reaction, the eastern leg under Emperor Justinian reestablished authority in parts of Italy and North Africa. The victory was dismal because it was wiped out in less than two decades.

This mighty Empire, with all its marching legions, was gone. Biblical theologians have identified the Roman Empire with the “fourth kingdom” spoken of by the Prophet Daniel ── 

“’ And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.’” – Daniel 2:40. 

This mighty Empire was also mentioned in chapter 7 of the Book of Daniel ── 

“’ After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, A FOURTH BEAST, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it and it had TEN HORNS.’” – Daniel 7:7.

But now, this mighty beast lies dead, and blood stains their hands. Or, was she dead? Was she just lyin’ bleedin’? Its legs, partly of iron and partly of clay ── with one shriveled and bloody-- was still standing in the East, temporarily jerking by Emperor Justinian. And, even though his exploits were soon demolished by the new horde of barbarians, the Lombards, Roman civilization was far from dead in the West. 

Rising out of the ashes of a supposedly destroyed Europe, a new political and military power was ready to rule Western Europe! And this power was found in a Germanic people called the Franks. 

They answered the call of the Roman papacy ── the remaining power and influence in what had been the Western Roman Empire. So, the Catholic papacy and the Franks became one ── to create a Roman-Christian civilization of great magnitude. Even though it would be THREE-HUNDRED MORE YEARS after the fall of the Roman Empire that full restoration would be fulfilled ── the power of the Franks, unmatched, was already growing. Less than ten years after ROME’s collapse in A.D. 476.

DATELINE ── A.D. 481-511. The Frankish Kingdom. 

Clovis I was the king of the Franks and ruler of much of Gaul from 481 to 511, a key period during the transformation of the Roman Empire into Europe. … Clovis was the son of the pagan Frankish king Childeric and the Thuringian queen Basina. He succeeded his father, Childeric I, in 481 as the ruler of the Salian Franks and other Frankish groups around Tournai (now in Belgium). …  

Clovis, like his father, dealt politically and diplomatically with the Catholic bishops of Gaul. These powerful figures had no qualms about working with Germanic kings, as a letter to Clovis from Bishop Remigius of Reims, written early in the king’s reign, makes clear. 

Much was written about Clovis by Gregory of Tours in his Histories (often called the History of the Franks), … Gregory tells stirring stories about Clovis and portrays him as a single-minded warrior. 1 Clovis’ massive expansion throughout Gaul brought him face to face with the Visigoths. King Alaric II of the Visigoths, greatly alarmed by the increasing power of Clovis I, warned him to proceed no further.

Over the centuries, much has been made of Clovis’s conversion to Catholicism. One of the first Germanic kings to do so, he did, in fact, convert to Catholicism, but recent analysis of the contemporary sources that describe his reign—especially of a letter written by Avitus of Vienne congratulating him on his baptism—suggests that Clovis did not convert to Catholicism directly from paganism. Before accepting Catholicism, he was interested in … Arianism. 2     

Clovis, however, saw a political advantage to having been converted. He would be the only Catholic Germanic king in all of Gaul. In fact, the only one in all of Europe. All others were Arian. As a Catholic he gains great support. 

Upon Clovis’s death in 511, he divided his kingdom among his four surviving sons, Theuderic, Chlodomer, Childebert, and Clotaire. Only Clotaire (or Chlothar I), who outlived his brothers, ruled a united kingdom, but he in turn divided it among his sons. It was not until the reign of Clovis’s great-grandson Clotaire II in the early 7th century that the Merovingians experienced long-lasting political unity. The kingdom that Clovis established, however, superseded its occasional individual parts and remained intact for centuries.

The later Merovingian kings were little more than puppets and were enthroned and deposed at will by powerful mayors of the palace. The last Merovingian, Childeric III, was deposed in 750 by Pepin the Short. 3

DATELINE ── A.D. 714-741. The Frankish Kingdom. Traditionally reckoned as the “first race” of the kings of France. 

When Pepin II, commonly known as Pepin of Herstal, died in 714, however, the Frankish realm plunged into civil war, and the dukes of the outlying provinces became de facto independent. But then Pepin’s illegitimate adult son, Charles Martel, becomes ruler of the Franks. After the defeat of Plectrude and Theudoald by the king (now Chilperic II) and Ragenfrid, Charles briefly raised a king of his own, Chlothar IV, in opposition to Chilperic. Finally, at a battle near Soisson, Charles definitively defeated his rivals and forced them into hiding, eventually accepting the king back on the condition that he receive his father's positions (A.D. 718). There were no more active Merovingian kings after that point, and Charles and his Carolingian heirs ruled the Franks.

Charles began the reunification of his people, which culminated in the reestablishment of a Western European Empire under his grandson, Charlemagne. 

Around the time of the birth of Charlemagne—conventionally held to be 742 but likely to be 747 or 748—his father, Pepin the Short, was mayor of the palace, … Pepin forged an alliance with Pope Stephen II by committing himself to protect Rome in return for papal sanction of the right of Pepin’s dynasty to the Frankish throne. Charlemagne assumed rulership at a moment when powerful forces of change were affecting his kingdom. 4 A new political and religious power was threatening to exterminate Chalcedonian Christianity and the culture of Europe ── Islam.

The siege of Jerusalem (A.D. 636–637) was part of the Moslem conquest of the Levant and the result of the military efforts of the Rashidun Caliphate against the Byzantine Empire. It began when the Rashidun army, under the command of Abu Ubayda, besieged Jerusalem beginning in November 636. After six months, the Patriarch Sophronius agreed to surrender. 5 Islam swept across Syria, Persia, Egypt, and North Africa. In A.D. 711, the Visigoths were driven from Spain, and by 717, Arab armies assaulted Constantinople. The fate of Asia Minor was grim. Moslem armies make way into south-central France.

The desperate need for a strong United European Power to withstand the Moslem onslaught is vital. There is only one ── The Kingdom of the Franks! 

Just before and during the era of Charles Martel, there was one “apostle of Germany” ── Saint Boniface. He set the Roman Catholic Church (Latin Church) in Germany on a firm course of undeviating piety and irreproachable conduct. Ordered by Pope Gregory III (A.D. 731–741) to organize the Roman Catholic Church in Bavaria. Boniface initially established four bishoprics there. His work had far-reaching political repercussions, for his Christianization of Bavaria paved the way for the ultimate incorporation of the country into the Carolingian empire. 6 English leaders will have a huge part in unifying a revived Roman Empire.

DATELINE ── A.D. 741-768. The Frankish Kingdom. 

On the death of Pepin's father, Charles Martel, in 741, power was passed down to Charles’ legitimate sons, Carloman and Pippin the Younger (more commonly known as Pepin the Short) as mayors of the palaces of Neustria and Austrasia, respectively. … Pepin and Carloman, who had not proved themselves in battle, in defense of the realm, as their father had, installed the Merovingian Childeric III as king. … Pepin asked Pope Zachary who the royal ruler should be: The person with the title of King, or the person who makes the decisions as King. Since the Pope depended on the Frankish armies for his independence, and had depended on them for protection from the Lombards since the days of Charles Martel, and Pepin, as his father had, controlled those armies, the Pope's answer was determined well in advance. … Since Pepin had control over the magnates and actually had the power of the king, he decided it was time to do what his father had never bothered to do: make the Carolingian name royal in law as well as fact. … Thus, Pepin, having obtained the support of the papacy, discouraged opposition to his house. He was elected King of the Franks by an assembly of Frankish leading men. 

An important proof of the recognition by the Franks of the high moral power of the papacy is shown by the appeal to papal authority on the occasion of the overthrow of the Merovingian dynasty. Pepin’s ambassadors, Bishop Burkard of Wurzburg and Chaplain Folrad of St. Denis, laid the question before Zachary: whether it seemed right to him that one should be king who did not really possess the royal power. The pope declared that this did not appear good to him, and on the authority of the pope,  Pepin considered himself justified in having himself proclaimed King of the Franks. 7   

The Anglo-Saxon Saint Boniface, the papal representative in France, anoints Pepin the Short and then crowns him King of the Franks in A.D. 752. This symbolic act is critical ── it confirms a sacerdotal mission of the Frankish monarchy. He is to UNITE all the Western nations under the flag of a Chalcedonian Christianity-Germanic civilization. 

In July 754, at the abbey of Saint-Denis, France, Pope Stephen II anointed Pepin afresh and his sons Charlemagne (“Charles the Great”) and Carloman, consecrating them kings of the Romans. Under pain of excommunication, the Pope forbade the Franks to ever choose a king from a family other than that of Pepin.

DATELINE ── A.D. 768-799. On the Road to Restoration (or rather, “On the Road to Itta Bena”)

Carloman died suddenly on 4 December 771, leaving Charlemagne sole King of the Franks. His long rulership will last until A.D. 814. And, due to his great exploits, he will become known as “Charles the Great.” 

Byzantium finds its role as a world power shrinking. Although still recognized as the eastern successor of the old Roman Empire, it is deeply politically troubled. Byzantium becomes more Greek than a Roman Kingdom.  

Soon after, in 773–774, he answered the appeals of Pope Adrian I (772–795) for protection by leading a victorious expedition into Italy, which ended with his assumption of the Lombard crown and the annexation of northern Italy. King Charlemagne had united Italy for the first time in centuries. He is now the true King of the West and commands its most formidable military. 8  

On April 25, 799, during a Roman procession, Leo was physically attacked by assailants incited by Pope Adrian I's supporters, who accused him of misconduct and whose ultimate plan was to blind Leo and remove his tongue, thus disqualifying him for the papacy. He fled across the Alps to his protector, Charlemagne, at Paderborn. Exactly what was negotiated there is unknown, but Leo was safely escorted back to Rome in November by a commission that discredited the complaints against him and arrested and deported his accusers.

DATELINE ── A.D. 800. Charlemagne was Crowned Emperor on Christmas Day 

In the presence of Charlemagne, on December 25, 800, Pope Leo III, at a large gathering in St. Peter’s Basilica for the consecration of Charlemagne’s son (Louis I the Pious) as king, Leo suddenly crowned Charlemagne as EMPEROR. 9

The pope prostrated himself before the new Emperor. Leo secured his position by becoming the immediate beneficiary of the coronation, an illegal and revolutionary proceeding. Nevertheless, it becomes quite clear ── the kingdoms of this Earth belong to the bishop of Rome, and they are his to give. 

This event was recorded by Einhard in Life of Charlemagne, “Charles accordingly went to Rome, to set in order the affairs of the Church, which were in great confusion, and passed the whole winter there. It was then that he received the titles of Emperor and Augustus [Dec 25, 800], to which he at first had such an aversion that he declared that he would not have set foot in the Church the day that they were conferred, although it was a great feast-day, if he could have foreseen the design of the Pope.” 10

American philologist and historian of German origin, Luitpold Wallach, wrote in his book, “My studies … led to my realization that the well known oath of purgation ascribed by historians for centuries to Pope Leo III is a forgery from the middle of the ninth century that is somehow tied up with the Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals, and that moreover Leo III was never tried by the Roman Synod held during the month of December in the year 800. Thus, the most significant single historical event in the medieval political development of Western Europe, the “coronation” of Charlemagne as emperor and Leo III’s participation in it, appears in a new light that is closer to historical truth.” 11 The Medievalist and the renowned greatest European expert on the Frankish kingdoms, François Louis Ganshof, wrote, “Like many weak characters, Leo III had played a crooked game. Through his gesture, which could be understood as a symbolic livery, as a trāditiō, he had given the impression that it was he who had invested Charlemagne with the imperial dignity. There lies, in my opinion, the reason for the great displeasure shown by Charlemagne, the reason for which he hesitated during several months to adorn himself with the imperial title in his diplomas and for which he refused to adopt the one which had appeared in the acclamations: imperator Romanorum.” 12 EMPEROR OF THE ROMANS.

Indeed, the papacy, having learned a bitter lesson ── that standing alone as an institution, it is vulnerable; it needs a strong protector and defender. The Frankish kings were to be her defender. But the papacy would soon find out that exchanging the Byzantines for the Franks might have been dysfunctional on her part.

DATELINE ── A.D. 800. One of the Most Profound Events In World History

British academic and historian, James Bryce (1st Viscount Bryce), centuries later would write, “The coronation of Charles is not only the central event in the Middle Ages, but it is also one of those very few events of which, taking them singly, it might be said that if they had not happened, the history of the world would have been different. … But if the Roman Empire had not been restored in the West in the person of Charles, it would never have been restored at all, …” 13 With Charlemagne’s military conquests and his coronation, a renewal of the ancient political institution began. The Renewal of the Roman Empire!

Politically, this becomes an issue for both Charles and Pope Leo III. There can be only one empire. Now, it can have a western and an eastern branch, but there must only be one empire. What to do? Well, as part of imperial play, Leo will simply transfer the empire from East to West. Known as the “Translation of the Empire.” Again, a single emperor to rule both East and West.      

Empress Irene (A.D. 797), the first woman of the Byzantine Empire, having dethroned the legal emperor, ruled in her own right. When Irene took the throne for herself, she blinded her son, Constantine VI. There was not going to be another rebellion against her rule. Constantine died shortly afterwards, almost certainly as a result of his injuries, which were intended to kill, not maim. With his heir having already died earlier the same year, Irene now had dealt with all her challengers. Thereafter, Irene is referred to in official state records as basileus, emperor, and not as empress, the first woman to so rule. 

In early A.D. 802, Irene attempted a marriage of alliance with the Franks’ king Charlemagne, who was also the newly declared Emperor of the Romans in the west, and who, likewise, was in favor of once more unifying the two halves of the old Roman empire. However, the new approach to join the two families met fierce opposition. It simply would not do for a Byzantine emperor to marry an illiterate barbarian, even if he had been blessed by the Pope.

However, since Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III, this act made Charlemagne equal to the Byzantine emperor. In Western eyes, that meant that there was only one emperor, since the West did not recognize a woman as emperor. It is not certain how clear this was to Irene and her court. 14

King Charlamagne is held as the legitimate successor of Leo IV, Heraclius, Justinian, Arcadius, and the eastern line of emperors ── not Romulus Augustus. 

Although Romulus Augustus is the individual who is most often described as the “last emperor of the western Roman Empire,” it should be noted that his rule was never accepted by the eastern emperor as legitimate and Julius Nepos was still ruling as emperor of the western Roman Empire in Dalmatia for roughly four years after Romulus Augustus was deposed. 15

On October 31, 802, Nicephorus I, the minister of public finance, seized his opportunity to become emperor. Empress Irene was then exiled to the Isle of Lesbos.

During Nicephorus’ reign, Venice, Istria, and the Dalmatian coast were in dispute between Byzantium and the empire of Charlemagne until 810. Then a tentative agreement was reached, under which the disputed areas were to be returned to Byzantium in exchange for Byzantine recognition of Charlemagne’s title of emperor. The details were worked out two years later during the reign of Nicephorus’ successor, his son-in-law, Michael I. 16 King Charlamagne is now officially recognized in Byzantium. 17 

Now, from the Western European Power political and religious viewpoint, Emperor Charlemagne is the Emperor in fact, and the Eastern emperor is bearing this title falsely. 

DATELINE ── A.D. 843. The Beginning of the End

In January 814, Charlemagne fell ill with a fever after bathing in his beloved warm springs at Aachen; he died one week later. Charlemagne’s role, however, cannot efface the fact that his effort to adjust traditional Frankish ideas of leadership and the public good to new currents in society made a crucial difference in European history. His renewal of the Roman Empire in the West provided the ideological foundation for a politically unified Europe, an idea that has inspired Europeans ever since. 18 Although his dynasty will endure another one hundred seventy-five years, the end happened almost immediately. In fact, the great empire that King Charlemagne created nearly went to the grave with him. 

Louis the Pious, as the only surviving son of Charlemagne and Hildegard, he became the sole ruler of the Franks after his father's death in 814. With his father’s death, Louis faced the task of running an empire that in Charlemagne’s seventh decade had suffered from disobedience, corruption, and inefficiency. 

Truly, the Treaty of Verdun (A.D. 843), a treaty partitioning the Carolingian empire among the three surviving sons of Emperor Louis the Pious, was the first stage in the dissolution of the empire of Charlemagne and foreshadowed the formation of the modern countries of western Europe. After Louis’s death, open warfare broke out; Louis’s third son, Louis the German, allied with Charles in attacking the eldest son, the emperor Lothar I. 

DATELINE ── A.D. 843-911. The Smell of Death of the Empire Continues 

THEN… the Treaty of Meerssen, which concluded on 8 August 870, dealt another harsh blow to the empire. A treaty to partition the realm of Lothair II, known as Lotharingia, by his uncles, Louis the German of East Francia and Charles the Bald of West Francia. This contract replaced the 843 Treaty of Verdun, after which the Carolingian Empire was also split into three parts, by dividing the northern half of Middle Francia stretching from the Rhone valley to the North Sea, in effect recombining sundered territories of Francia into two larger east and west divisions. 

Yet, through all of this disintegration, the dream of a united Catholic-Germanic empire of the West is still very much alive. 

After the death of the last remaining Carolingians in 911, Conrad I was elected German king. His reign was a bitter and bloody struggle to uphold the traditions of Carolingian kingship against the growing power of the Saxon, Bavarian, and Swabian dukes. The dream of the Roman Catholic Church of a mighty and powerful United Empire breaks apart. The papacy experiences the same implosion. Many of the popes became nothing more than playthings of political factions in Rome. On 16 December 882, John VIII was poisoned by his own clerics, then bludgeoned to death. 19 Also, at the Roman “Cadaver Synod,” conducted by Pope Stephen VI, political enemies of Pope Formosus had his nine-month-old corpse exhumed, propped up on a throne, and subjected to a trial! During which a deacon answered for the corpse. He was accused of violating canon law and of perjury, among other charges. After he was found guilty, his election as pope was declared invalid. His fingers of consecration were cut off. His corpse was then cast into a grave, but was later thrown into the Tiber River. These acts divided Rome politically, provoking an insurrection that resulted in Stephen’s imprisonment and his death by strangulation. 20

The young Pope John XII (A.D. 955 to 964) rebelled when Otto I issued his controversial Privilegium Ottonianum (“Ottonian Privilege”), which ordered John to take an oath of obedience to the emperor. Soon afterward, John died, allegedly in the arms of his mistress, ending a private life marked by gross immorality. 21  

The continued power of Islam added to the downward spiral. The Saracens, also known as the Moors, invaded Italy in the 820s. The invasion of the Saracens had a wide-ranging and far-reaching impact on southern Italy. The scale of the invasion was huge, and the scope was wide. The Saracens quickly invaded many cities and coastal areas in southern Italy with their powerful navigation capabilities and military strength. The regions they plundered and conquered, causing great panic and destruction to the local population. 22

Catholic Europe understands all too well that Islam can rise to power on the prelude of religion ── a religion that views all who are not Islamic as Infidels.

As A.D. 1000 approaches, many believe that the end of the world is coming soon. They believe that Western civilization is ready to be annihilated. But two institutions ── a powerful German empire and a revived papacy ── are beginning to rise. And for the papacy, she sees only one way. The pope must call in a STRONG yet pious prince to UNITE EUROPE ONCE AGAIN! And this prince is, as we continue in Part III, a major part of this incredible European history. □

To be continued 

Bibliography

1 Mitchell, K., Encyclopedia Britannica, “Clovis I,” May 8, 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025. 

2 Ibid.

3 Editors, The Encyclopedia Britannica, “Merovingian dynasty,” May 30, 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025. 4 Sullivan, R.E., The Encyclopedia Britannica, “Charlemagne” April 19, 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.

5 New World Encyclopedia, “Siege of Jerusalem (636-637)” 

6 Aherne, C.M., Encyclopedia Britannica, “St. Boniface” June 1, 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.

7 Catholic Answers, “Pope Zachary, Saint” Retrieved 1 June 2025. 

8 Ibid. (4)

9 The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, “Saint Leo III”. Retrieved 2 June 2025. 

10 Turner, S.E., translator, Einhard: The Life of Charlemagne, Fordham University, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1880 §28.

11 Wallach, L., Diplomatic Studies in Latin and Greek Documents from the Carolingian Age, Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, 1977, pages vii-viii (Preface) 

12 Ganshof, F.L., The Carolingians and the Frankish Monarchy, London, Longman, 1971, p. 48. 

13 Bryce, J., The Holy Roman Empire, New York: Macmillan and Co., 1880, p. 50.

14 Encyclopedia.com, “Irene Of Athens (C. 752-803)” 

15 McDaniels, S., Who Was the Last Roman Emperor? A Harder Question than You Might Think, Tales of Times Forgotten, 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2025.

16 The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, “Nicephorus I”. Retrieved 2 June 2025. 

17 Ibid. 

18 Ibid. (4)

19 McCoy, D.B., POPE JOHN VIII, FIRST ASSASSINATED POPE, Catholic 365, 6/19/20.

20 The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, “Formosus” – Retrieved 2 June 2025. 

21 The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, “John XII” 10 May 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025. 

22 iNews, What major impact did the Saracens invade on southern Italy? 2025-06-03.