First, there will appear a confederacy of ten kingdoms within the ancient 
Roman Empire which will constitute the first phase of its revival.1

If this Israeli election was the overlooked sign I suspected it to be, then I knew the Antichrist would soon be appearing on the world scene with his false security agreement with Israel.

Yet the prophecies indicate that 10 kings will appear on the world stage before the Antichrist. If you recall Daniel said, “While I was contemplating the (10) horns, behold another horn (the Antichrist), a little one, came up among them” (Daniel 7:8). This clearly indicates the 10 horns will come first.

When you think about it, it makes sense that if a beast with horns were rising from the sea, its horns would appear before its head. And this is the way it happened.

Once again the mystery of lawlessness went to work. As I said before, in January 1995, the beast of Revelation may have matured to its full set of horns – Greece officially became the 10th Member State in the Western European Union. This meant that the Brussels Treaty Powers I had been watching were now an alliance of 10 European nations. Needless to say, for a student of Bible prophecy, this could be another very important historical event – another prophetic road sign. 

Especially since this event occurred just three years after the Israeli people began saying, “Peace and Safety.”  Taken together, this made the 10 nations that made up the Brussels Treaty Powers good candidates for becoming the 10 kings of prophecy. Not only did this alliance of European nations have the right number, but it also appeared at just the right time.

And, when we apply King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a statue of a man as an overlay, we find a perfect match to modern Europe. Daniel described what the king saw by saying, “the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it, the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle” (Daniel 2:41-42).

This strange mixture of nations is exactly what we see in the reunification process going on in modern Europe. Some of these European nations uniting together today in the European Union have in them the “toughness of iron,” such as the United Kingdom and France. These countries both have strong militaries and are nuclear powers. Others are very “brittle,” such as Luxembourg and Sweden. Yet, in the European Union’s recent decision to create their own military capacity, taken together, these nations are on their way to becoming as strong as iron.

Yet modern Europe’s match to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is even more detailed. Daniel described more of what the king saw. He said, “And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery” (Daniel 2:43).

Many prophecy students have speculated about the meaning of Daniel’s statement that these European nations “will combine with one another in the seed of men.”  Over the years, I’ve heard many suggestions as to what this “seed of men” will be that binds these nations together.

Yet once again, I believe the answer is simple. The “seed of men” Daniel was referring to is the common heritage these people of the European nations share with each other and the United States. In Europe, this common heritage is often referred to in speeches and documents.

For example, the first man to hold the office of High Representative for the European Union is a man by the name of Javier Solana. In June 1999, when Solana was still the Secretary General of NATO, he referred to this common heritage. He said:

   Just two months ago, NATO commemorated its 50th anniversary – and the 
   Allies, old and new, gathered in Washington to reaffirm their commitment to 
   the principles enshrined in the North Atlantic Treaty. They reaffirmed their 
   determination to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilization of 
   their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and 
   the rule of law.2

Once again, Bible prophecy may have accurately revealed history before it happened. Today the European Union looks just like the feet and toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. It is made up of many nations, some strong like iron and others very brittle. They remain separate nations, but are bound together in a union caused by their common heritage.

Now it appears that10 nations are emerging from these many nations, like the toes on the statue. These 10 nations are a military alliance. As we have already learned, “horns” signify “power” in prophecy. So this also qualifies these 10 nations as candidates for becoming the 10 horns on the beast seen by both Daniel and John.
Yes, indeed, modern Europe fits the overlay of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue perfectly. And the 10 nations that make up the Brussels Treaty Powers could very well become the foretold 10 kings of Bible prophecy.

If so, those wicked spiritual forces that make up the mystery of lawlessness are finally making headway. And the beast of Revelation (the Antichrist) may be on his way.

Second, there will appear a strong man who will consolidate these ten nations 
into a united kingdom and probably extend its borders in various directions.3

The Apostle John described the relationship that will exist between these 10 kings and the Antichrist by saying, “And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast” (Revelation 17:12-13).

By these words, it again appears that these 10 kings are in some kind of position of power before the Antichrist. These kings will be a coalition of the willing. They will willingly transfer what power and authority they have achieved together over to the Antichrist.

But this 10-horned beast won’t last long. The reason it won’t last is because it’s going to pick on the wrong guy. John said, “These (the 10 kings and the Antichrist) will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and those who are with Him are the called and the chosen and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

How could these earthly kings wage war against the Lamb who is in heaven?  Actually, they can’t directly. They must do it indirectly. They will turn the full weight of their world government against anything on earth that represents, in any way, the true God of heaven.

They will violate their security agreement with Israel (Daniel 9:27, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), they will promote a wicked false religion, and they will kill anyone who doesn’t think what they are doing is wonderful (Revelation 13:13-15).

Then, like the atheistic creatures they really are, when these 10 kings and the Antichrist are finished using their false religion for their own purposes, they will destroy that, too (Revelation 17:16). Then the only power left will be theirs. Nothing on earth will be able to challenge their authority – nothing except the powers of heaven. 

   1. John F. Walvoord, The Nations in Prophecy, 89.
   2. Javier Solana (1999, June 21) “16th International NATO Workshop,” [speech] 
   NATO, Internet: http://www.nato.int.
   3.  Walvoord, The Nations in Prophecy, 89.