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The great Assyrian Empire fell in 612 BC. The generally accepted theory among historians is that what remained of Assyria was subsequently absorbed into the Babylonian and Median Empires. Thus, it is assumed that the Assyrians no longer exist as a people—or do they? As this appendix will show, a remnant of the Assyrian people actually survived the destruction of their empire and reestablished themselves in Europe. We know them today as the modern Germans.
Ancient Assyria was the principal enemy of the northern House of Israel—ultimately destroying Samaria and taking the Israelites captive. As Assyria’s modern-day counterpart, Germany has been a thorn in the sides of both America and Britain—in two world wars. Today, Germany is again on the rise and is rapidly emerging as a dominant player on the world scene. Astonishingly, the Bible predicts that history will repeat itself: Germany, this time leading a powerful European super-state (Dan. 7:7, 23-24; Rev. 13:1-2; 17:12-13, 17), will resume its ancient Assyrian role as adversary of modern Israel. Indeed, the future of the Anglo-American nations—as well as the modern Jewish nation of Israel—is bound to that of Germany.
As brought out in Chapter 16, there is a definite duality to many of the biblical prophecies dealing with the nation of Israel. In Isaiah chapter 10, for example, we see that God chose to use the nation of Assyria as His “rod” of correction on the rebellious House of Israel (verses 5-6)—allowing Israel to be taken into captivity by that warring nation. But the chapter also indicates a second, much later captivity for Israel—also at the hands of the Assyrians. Isaiah speaks of a time when the Messiah will rule in righteousness from Jerusalem—clearly in the age to come (Isa. 11:1-10). Within that context, he writes:
“And it shall come to pass in that day”—the time of Christ’s return to deliver Israel and establish the Kingdom of God— “the LORD shall again set His hand, the second time, to recover the remnant of His people…. And He shall lift up a banner for the nations, and shall gather the outcasts of Israel and gather together the scattered ones of Judah from the four corners of the earth…. And there shall be a highway for the [return of the] remnant of His people, those left from Assyria, as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt” (verses 11-12, 16).
The prophet’s reference to a “second time” contrasts this latter-day deliverance with Israel’s original liberation from Egyptian slavery. But there are significant differences. In this modern-day captivity, Israel and Judah are mentioned independently—the “outcasts of Israel” and the “scattered ones of Judah.” Moreover, they are rescued not from Egypt or the Middle East, but from the “four corners of the earth”—indicating that this future exile is widespread. Finally, note that this latter-day remnant of captives are “left from Assyria.” To be sure, God will once again use the Assyrians—the “rod of His anger”—to bring corrective punishment on modern Israel: the Jewish nation and the Anglo-American peoples.
Back in Isaiah 10, God gives this comforting promise: “O My people who dwell in Zion”—or in America and Britain—“do not fear the Assyrians. They will strike you with the rod of defeat, and will lift up the staff of slavery against you just as Egypt did. But it will only last for a little while—and finally My indignation for your many sins will be satisfied, and My anger will then be turned to Assyria’s destruction. I will stir up a scourge against them like the great slaughter of the Midianites at the rock of Oreb; and as My rod was once lifted up over the Red Sea to deliver you from Egypt, I will likewise deliver you from Assyria. And in that day of My wrath [the Day of the Lord], you will again be released from bondage to slavery” (Isa. 10:24-27; author’s paraphrase).
As emphasized in Chapter 16, the northern ten tribes of Israel were never restored from their Assyrian captivity. Accordingly, this prophecy, and others like it, can only refer to a future captivity of modern Israel—the Anglo-American peoples, along with the Jews. Clearly, God has a future role for “Assyria.”1 Thus, contrary to historians, Assyria was not assimilated by other nations—its descendants must exist as a modern state.
History of Ancient Assyria
The original Assyrian nation developed from the ancient city-state of Ashur, which was named for its founder Asshur, a son of Shem2—one of Noah’s three sons (Gen. 10:1, 22; Asshur was a brother of Arphaxad, the progenitor of Abraham, Gen. 11:10–26). There is a connection between Nimrod, who was of Ham, and Assyria (Ashur and Assyria are essentially the same word; in fact, Asshur can refer to the man, the city, Assyria, or the Assyrians’ chief deity, which they worshipped as the god of war). In the KJV, Genesis 10:11 seems to say that Asshur built Nineveh, which became the foremost city of Assyria. But a widely-accepted alternate translation indicates that Nimrod was the founder: “Out of that land [Babylon] he [Nimrod] went forth to Assyria, and [he] built Nineveh.” Moreover, Micah 5:6 apparently refers to Assyria as the “land of Nimrod.” In his Old Testament History, Charles Pfeiffer writes that Nimrod “moved northward [from Babel] to [help] colonize Assyria, building Nineveh and other cities there.”3
Nevertheless, Asshur is credited with developing the region into a powerful empire—Assyria. Josephus writes: “Ashur lived at the city [of] Nineve; and named his subjects Assyrians, who became the most fortunate nation, beyond others.”4 Assyria literally means “land of Asshur” and denotes strength or power. As Josephus indicates, Assyria became a “most fortunate nation”—wealthy, militarily powerful, and dominant in the ancient Middle East.
Assyria eventually went into significant decline. Consequently, for about the next 1200 years, Egypt dominated the Middle East. But Assyria did not disappear. Around 1000 BC, the “neo-Assyrian” Empire began to emerge. This is the empire that would eventually conquer northern Israel, taking her tribes into captivity. By 800 BC, a resurgent Assyria was ready to dominate most of the then-known world. A new dynasty, commencing with Tiglath-pileser III in about 745 BC, brought Nineveh to the world stage. The Encyclopedia Britannica notes: “Under Tiglath-pileser III arose the second Assyrian empire, which differed from the first in its greater consolidation. For the first time in history, the idea of centralization was introduced into [state] politics…. The Assyrian forces became a standing army, which, by successive improvements and careful discipline, was molded into an irresistible fighting machine.”5
Almost every historian has noted the warmongering nature of the ancient Assyrians. In his History of the World, James McCabe writes that the Assyrians were a “fierce, treacherous race, delighting in the dangers of the chase and in war. The Assyrian troops were notably among the most formidable of ancient warriors.”6 The Cambridge Ancient History adds: “The might of Assyria is the characteristic feature of the new period which opens after the Iron Age has fully set in. She is a military state with a strong will and a deliberate [annexationist] policy, expanding in all directions, and forming one of the most remarkable empires of antiquity.”7
Ultimately, God used the Assyrians as the “rod of His anger”—to take the rebellious House of Israel into captivity. Shalmaneser V initiated a three-year siege (completed under Sargon II) in which Samaria fell in 722 BC. As a nation, Israel ceased to exist; its entire population was deported and relocated in distant lands—in Halah, Habor, Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes (II Kings 17:5-6).
But the mighty Assyrian Empire was soon to go into decline, having stretched itself militarily too thin. A growing Babylon and Media—aided by Israelite Scythians warriors—were bent on her destruction, which finally came in 612 BC with the fall of Nineveh. From this point historians believe the Assyrians disappeared from history, being mostly assimilated into the newly-dominant Babylonian Empire. There is evidence, however, that many Assyrians—including some of her nobles and military leaders—survived and migrated to the north.
Assyrian Migration Into Europe
Following the fall of Nineveh, a sizeable remnant of Assyrians fled to the west, taking refuge at an old fortress at Harran. Directly northwest of Nineveh, Harran was located near the Euphrates in what is today northern Syria.8 Pfeiffer writes: “The Assyrians retreated westward to the ancient city of Harran, but it too fell to the Babylonians and their allies [in] 610 BC.” The Assyrian king, Ashur-uballit II, tried to retake Harran but failed. Thus, “the fall of Harran was the final death blow to the Assyrian Empire.”9
Describing the end of the empire in stark detail, the prophet Nahum says her survivors were “scattered upon the mountains” (Nahum 3:18). This indicates that the Assyrians ultimately fled almost directly north to the only safe haven left—the mountains that spread across what is today Armenia and Georgia. Indeed, the Caucasus had served as a sanctuary for migrating Israelites just a few decades earlier. Concerning an earlier time, we read in II Kings 19 that Sennacherib, king of Assyria, was killed by his sons—who then fled “into the land of Armenia” (verses 36-37). Again, this shows that the rugged land between the Black and Caspian Seas was favored as a place of refuge.
The historian Sylax, from around 530 BC, wrote that “the [southern] coast of the Black Sea … is called Assyria.”10 But the Assyrian Empire never reached as far north as the Black Sea; Sylax could only be referring to “transitional” settlements along the coasts of the Black Sea that suggest an Assyrian migration out of the Middle East. From the Caucasus region, the Assyrians apparently migrated further north, to the upper shores of the Black Sea. Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) wrote in his Natural History that, in his time, the “Assyriani” lived north of the Black Sea.11 This indicates an Assyrian migration into Europe. (Few tribes migrating out of the Middle East attempted to relocate to the east—for that overcrowded region was dominated by barbaric clans that were already beginning to invade Europe.) Aware of the various Celtic, Scythian, and Hunnish tribes that were steadily moving from the east into Europe, the Latin scholar Jerome (340-420 AD) wrote that “Assur also is joined with them.” Remember, Assur is another name for Assyria. Apparently, Jerome was an eyewitness to the Assyrian migration into Europe from areas around the Black Sea.12
It is evident that an Assyrian remnant survived the destruction of Nineveh and eventually made its way to the Caucasus-Black Sea region. Centuries later, these Assyrian clans—along with other so-called “Germanic” tribes, including Israelites—migrated into central and western Europe. Historians typically fail to connect displaced Assyrian survivors with the ancient tribes migrating into Europe from the east. But a number of researchers are now willing to consider the possibility that Assyrians did migrate into western Europe—and that they may well be predecessors of the modern Germans. For example, Steven Collins, whose work has been cited numerous times in this book, has come to the conclusion that “the Germanii… were originally Assyrians.”13 Moreover, in his 300-page book The Great German Nation, Craig White goes to great lengths to prove the Assyrian origin of the German peoples.
The History of Germany
Like the modern Israelites, the German people—who number over 100 million worldwide—are made up of numerous tribes. Today, most of them reside in Germany and Austria.
As part of the extensive Indo-European race, German tribes migrated into Europe from the Caucasus and Black Sea regions. Smith’s Classical Dictionary notes: “There can be no doubt that [the Germans] … migrated into Europe from the Caucasus and the countries around the Black and Caspian Seas.”14 Smith says they were described as being of tall stature with fair complexions, blue eyes, and blonde or red hair—much like those who settled the northern and eastern regions of Germany.
Much was written about the early German tribes that migrated into Europe throughout the first and second centuries AD, thanks primarily to the Roman historian Tacitus. Prior to his time, historical writings concerning the Germans are rather sketchy and often contradictory. One of the problems in researching the Germans is the term Germani (or Germanii). As Collins notes, “the term ‘German’ [or Germani] eventually came to be applied to many tribes of people migrating into Europe.”15 This is similar to how the term Scythian was used to describe a number of different nomadic clans. As numerous sources show, the Romans originally coined the term Germani in order to distinguish between invading Sarmatians and Israelite Scythians. With the appearance of non-Israelite Sarmatians in the region once occupied almost exclusively by Scythians, the Romans found it necessary to introduce a new name for those tribes they considered to be genuine Scythians. Strabo documents the change, explaining that germani was a Latin word meaning genuine or authentic in terms of race (from germanus, meaning “genuine” or “of the same parents”).16 The Romans were simply attempting to indicate that the Israelite-Scythians were the genuine Scythians, not the Sarmatians. But as Collins notes, the term came to be used almost indiscriminately of Indo-European clans in general, essentially only distinguishing them from the Asia hordes of the East. (Today, the word Germanic refers to any group that is part of the Indo-European language family.)
Consequently, while many historical references to Celtic or Scythian Israelites employ the term Germani (as found in the writings of Strabo, for example), it is also used by other writers to refer to non-Israelite clans— including Assyrians. Thus, when the reader sees Germani, it is often unclear as to the exact identity of the tribe being discussed.
However, as the bulk of the Scythian Germani began migrating into Scandinavia and the British Isles, they came to be primarily identified by clannish names: Angles, Saxons, Danes, etc. It appears that over time “Germani” came to refer more and more to the Caucasus-based tribes that remained behind to dominate western Europe—primarily the Assyrian- Germans. By the end of the last century BC, a sharp distinction was beginning to be drawn between what we now know as German clans and Israelite clans, especially those Celtic groups associated with Gaul. Thus, many later historians use the term Germani (as well as Germania) to refer not to Israelite (or other) clans, but to Assyrian Germani.
For example, the Encyclopedia Britannica Online notes that “it was not until the first century BC was well advanced that the Romans learned to distinguish precisely between the Germans and the Celts, a distinction that [was] made with great clarity by Julius Caesar.”17 Thus, “the concept of Germany as a distinct region in central Europe can be traced to the Roman commander Julius Caesar, who referred to the unconquered area east of the Rhine as Germania, thus distinguishing it from Gaul (France), which he had conquered.”18 Owing to the fierceness of the German tribes in this area, the Romans were unable to incorporate Germania into their empire. Caesar’s “Germania” included the area north of the upper Danube and east of the Rhine—not unlike the boundaries of today’s German state. The areas west of the Rhine were mainly Celtic.19 “Germania was inhabited by different tribes, most of them Germanic [here, the writer actually means German], but also some Celtic, proto-Slavic, Baltic, and Scythian peoples. The tribal and ethnic makeup changed over the centuries as a result of assimilation and, most importantly, migrations.”20 Indeed, as Israelite clans migrated further north into Scandinavia and west into the British Isles—or were pushed to the south into Gaul, etc.—the “tribal and ethnic makeup” of Germania became less diverse. In fact, once the German tribes arrested the westward drive of the Huns, their clans became dominant in the region—making Germania truly German.21
In describing some of the differences between the German tribes and the Celtic Gauls to their south, Caesar wrote: “The Gauls, although warlike, could be civilized, but the Germanic tribesmen were far more savage and were a [continual] threat to Rome.”22 After the fall of Rome in 476 AD, German clans began to expand to the south. As a consequence, subsequent “revivals” of the Roman Empire were heavily German.
Tacitus’ Germania, published in 98 AD, is in many ways a more complete account than the one provided by Caesar. Tacitus studied the clans that had settled along the empire’s northern frontier, carefully documenting their tribal distinctions. Key tribes noted by Tacitus include the Chatti, Chauci, Cherusci, Suebi, Semnones, Langobardi, Marcomanni, Treveri, Tungri, etc. The third century saw the emergence of a number of larger German tribes: the Alamanni, Bavarii, Frisii, Sicambri, and Thuringii.
Links Between Assyria and Germany
A number of connections exist between the ancient nation of Assyria and modern-day Germany—cultural, geographical, appearance-related, etc. Some demonstrate how Germany’s cultural history and national character— more than any other modern nation—resemble that of ancient Assyria.
Looking at Germany’s origins, for example, there is an interesting legend concerning the nation’s oldest city, Trier (located on the Mosel River in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany). While “official” records claim Trier was built by the Romans, the legend has it that Trier was built some 4000 years ago by the Assyrian prince Trebeta, a son of the Assyrian king Ninus (the name Trier is said to be derived from Trebeta). Translated, a medieval inscription on the façade of the “Red House” at Trier Market reads: “Thirteen hundred years before Rome, Trier stood; may it stand on and enjoy eternal peace; amen.” Archives state that Trebeta was the son of Ninus, a “king of Assyria.”23 Apparently, Trebeta left Assyria and led a group of colonizers to Europe, thus founding the Assyrian colony of Trier.
Rome was founded in 753 BC. This places the founding of Trier at around 2000 BC. In his History, Diodorus of Sicily confirms that Ninus was an Assyrian king.24 The Assyrian Nineveh means “abode of Ninus.” Since Nimrod apparently built Nineveh (Gen. 10:11), this suggests he was also known as Ninus—and Nimrod would have lived around 2000 BC. Is it possible that a son of Nimrod—the mighty hunter who founded Nineveh, the great city of ancient Assyria—actually founded Trier, thus establishing the location to which exiled Assyrians would later migrate?
Concerning physical appearance, when the ancient Greeks wanted to differentiate between Assyrians and other peoples living in Mesopotamia, they called the Assyrians Leucosyri—i.e., white or blonde. Strabo notes that the Germani inhabiting Europe were not only taller than the Celts, they also tended to have lighter, yellowish hair. These physical characteristics are still prevalent in the modern German race. 25
An important German tribe is the Chatti (or Hatti), which in the first century AD settled in the German area known today as Hesse. The Hatti are the ancestors of the modern Hessians—known for their warlike nature. (The British hired Hessian mercenaries to fight against the colonial army during the American Revolution.) The Cambridge (etc.) notes that the Hatti were anciently settled in “eastern Asia Minor” along the western edge of the Assyrian Empire and distinguishes them from the biblical Hittites, who were of Ham (the Hattic culture, like Assyria, was Semitic). Described as a “stolid, warlike folk,” the Hatti “could work several metals, notably silver, bronze, and iron.” Scholars believe that the Hatti were closely allied with the western part of the Assyrian Empire—so close, in fact, that the two are often viewed as synonymous.26
In the northwest region of the empire lay Cilicia, “the province on which Assyria principally depended for the all-important metal trade.”27 The province was part of the Hattic region of southeastern Asia Minor—and the Hatti were, as noted, skilled in metal work. The apostle Paul was born in Tarsus of Cilicia (Acts 21:39). Interestingly, a map of pre-World War II Germany will show an eastern province named Silesia.28 The spelling is slightly different, but Silesia is pronounced exactly as Cilicia. Was the Hattic “Cilicia” transplanted to Germany by Hattic-Assyrians migrating to Europe, becoming the modern area of “Silesia”?
Strabo records that an area of Asia Minor was called Prusa. Collins writes, “If we see in their name the ancestors of the warlike Prussians who later settled in eastern Germany, it is possible that [the people of Prusa] were descendants of Assyrians … during Assyria’s period of dominance in the region [of Asia Minor].”29 Did survivors of Assyrian Prusa migrate to Europe to become the modern Prussians?
And what of the warlike natures of both the ancient Assyrians and the modern Germans? The Britannica states that “Assyrian policy was directed towards the definite objective of reducing the whole civilized world into a single empire and thereby throwing its trade and wealth into Assyrian hands.”30 This is uncannily similar to the “Reich” mentality championed by past German regimes. Indeed, it is apparent that the Assyrians had a “master race” mentality, as is suggested in Isaiah 10: “Are not all of my princes kings?” (verse 8). The Assyrians ruled harshly over those they conquered, and subjected leaders were forced to bow to the Assyrian kings.31 Moreover, the Assyrians were highly nationalistic and functioned quite well under a centralized autocratic authority. Similarly, as a confederation of states or provinces, the Germans have always demonstrated a desire to dominate other nations. In fact, the German people have, more than once, believed themselves to be the “Herrenvolk”—the master race.
After the fall of Rome, German clans began to expand their sphere of influence—while growing increasingly imperialistic and utilizing a fully totalitarian style of governing; moreover, the Germans assimilated the newly formed “Christian” religion of the Romans. As the new “heirs of Rome,” the Germans under Charlemagne gave birth to the Holy Roman Empire of 800 AD. This eventually led to the centuries-long German First Reich (962-1806 AD, also called the Holy Roman Empire). The Second Reich was the Imperial German Empire of 1871 to 1918, a union of 25 German states organized under a Prussian king; the third was Hitler’s Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945.
To find Germany spearheading the effort to unite Europe today is not surprising—as this idea has been part of the German cultural heritage for more than a thousand years!
Resurgent Germany: A Future Fourth Reich?
The evidence is undeniable: The origins of modern-day Germany can be traced to the ancient nation of Assyria. Not only does history itself support this conclusion, but the culture and national character of Germany argue in favor of it as well. Not content to simply blend into the fabric of a united Europe, Germany is the undisputed leader of the continent. Given its past history, will we see Germany again try to dominate Europe and exert its influence on the world? The Bible says that is exactly what will happen.
When viewed over a period of several centuries, history reveals a marked tendency of the German people to undergo periodic and dramatic transformations in national character—with corresponding shifts in national direction. Such transformations have been nationalistic in nature, and often militaristic. Peter Zeihan notes this tendency for German history to run in cycles. He writes that “as Germany rises, the powers on its periphery buckle under its strength and are forced to pool resources in order to beat back Berlin. As Germany falters, the [resultant] power vacuum at the middle of the Continent allows the countries on Germany’s borders to rise in strength and become major powers themselves. Since the formation of the first ‘Germany’ in 800 [AD], this cycle has set the tempo and tenor of European affairs. A strong Germany means consolidation followed by a catastrophic war; a weak Germany creates a multilateral concert of powers and multi-state competition…. For Europe, this cycle of German rise and fall has run its course three times—the Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Germany, and Nazi Germany—and is only now entering its fourth iteration with the reunified Germany.”32
Why this German tendency? Shaped largely by a mythology offering no authentic national purpose, Germany is a nation “searching for a cause.” An inherent void seems to exist that has historically only been filled by dominating other peoples. That void was once filled by the Holy Roman Empire, and in the last century by Hitler’s National Socialist movement. Today, European unification appears to be Germany’s new cause. And, as the German nation increasingly takes center stage in European politics, many are wondering what kind of crisis it might take to push the country into an aggressive-dominant role.
Hitler rose to power during the turmoil of a worldwide depression, but his ideas were drawn from long-standing German values and traditions. For Germans, nationalistic pride and the “master race” mentality go hand-in -hand. These traditions tend to surface when the collective German mind is rallied by a real or perceived national crisis. The result can be a resurgent aggressiveness and a reawakening of past warlike behavior.
European statesmen—including German leaders—are not ignorant of these German tendencies. Concerned about what European unity might ultimately look like, Margaret Thatcher, British prime minister from 1979 to 1990, famously warned Europe: “You have not anchored Germany to Europe; you have anchored Europe to a newly dominant, unified Germany. In the end, my friends, you’ll find it will not work.” Helmut Kohl— chancellor of West Germany from 1982 to 1990, and of Germany from 1990 to 1998—was a champion of European unity. In 1994, he warned: “Never again must there be a destabilizing vacuum of power in central Europe. If European integration were not to progress, Germany might be called upon, or tempted by its own security constraints, to try to effect the [necessary] stabilization on its own and in the traditional [i.e., militaristic] way.”
What a profound warning from one of Germany’s greatest modern-day leaders! Indeed, the endless edicts and treaties issued by a faceless EU bureaucracy in Brussels have not fostered real European unity. The success of the euro is currently in peril and momentum towards a unified Europe is in danger of stalling. But be certain of this: Germany will not give up on its ambitions for a pan-European federation. Should a real European crisis present itself, Germany will no doubt be quick to stand in the gap!33
Following the principle of prophetic duality (see Chapter 16), the Bible speaks of Assyria in the end times. These passages refer to Germany. As other passages indicate, Germany in the latter days will head up a “super union” of European nations. To be sure, Germany’s return to power in the years since World War II is no accident. “Assyria” is being prepared to once again serve as God’s “rod of correction” against the modern nations of Israel—the United States, Great Britain, and the Jewish nation.
People today scoff at the suggestion that Germany could ever again threaten the West. After all, Germany is now one of America’s top allies. But they are wrong for two reasons. First, the “blessings and curses” chapters of the Bible (Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26) show that God will not bring this Assyrian “nation of fierce countenance” against the Anglo-American nations until He has first reduced us to less than third-world status through unimaginable financial collapse and violent social unrest—not to mention pandemic disease and widespread famine. As inconceivable as it may seem, there will come a time very soon when even America will be no match for this developing European superpower.
Secondly, Germany—while rapidly growing as an economic and military power in its own right—will not act alone, but will head up what is tantamount to a revived Holy Roman Empire. The prophet Daniel describes this world-dominating coalition as a powerful economic and war-making machine—one that will ultimately be destroyed by Christ at His coming and replaced by the Kingdom of God (Dan. 2:40-44; 7:7, 19-27; Rev. 17:12-14). This European “beast power” will rise out of the ashes of the old Holy Roman Empire—and, true to form, will feature a powerful religious element (Rev. 13).34
Led by modern Assyria, this “beast” system will dominate the entire world for a brief period of time, ultimately subjugating the American and British peoples. It will also occupy the modern Jewish state of Israel—just as foreshadowed by the Roman occupation of Jerusalem in 69-70 AD. As Revelation 11:2 says, Jerusalem will be “trodden under foot” for 42 months by this Gentile power.
But God will not allow the destruction of the very city where He has forever placed His name—nor will He allow His chosen nation to be utterly destroyed. God’s promises to Abraham are immutable: Through Christ, He will powerfully act to save Israel during this end-time crisis so that she may yet become the premier model nation of God in the age to come.
God will use modern Assyria to execute His judgment on the nations of latter-day Israel—America, Britain, and the Jewish state. Yet this German-led war-making coalition will not realize that they are being used by God. Isaiah 10:7 brings this out—“this [corrective punishment] is not what he intends, nor does he have this [divine purpose] in mind” (NRSV). In other words, Germany will not see itself as an instrument of God’s righteous judgment. The same verse continues, “but it is in his very nature to destroy many nations” (author’s paraphrase). Failing to perceive its God-ordained role, Germany will fully give in to its war-like nature; in prideful arrogance, Germany will imagine that it has acted by its own strength and shrewdness as it sets about to fully destroy modern Israel.
But God will deliver Israel and quickly turn to punish Germany, destroying its armies in a single day (verses 12-19). God says through Isaiah, “I will break Assyria in My land, and upon My mountains, and trample him under foot. Then his yoke shall be removed from [Israel], and his burden shall be taken off their shoulders” (Isa. 14:25).35
Of this time, the prophet writes: “And it shall come to pass, in that day [of your deliverance] … you shall be gathered one by one, O children of Israel…. In that day a great ram’s horn shall be blown, and those perishing in the land of Assyria shall come, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt shall come, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem” (Isa. 27:12-13).
Remember, these prophecies could never apply to Israel of old—as the ten tribes were never brought back from their Assyrian captivity. These passages can only refer to a future time of crisis on modern-day Israel at the hands of modern-day Assyria.
The prophet Zechariah tells of these future developments:
“I will strengthen the house of Judah [the modern State of Israel] and I will save the house of Joseph [Britain and America]—I will restore them because of the mercy I have for them. It shall be as though I had never cast them off; for I am the LORD their God, and I will answer them [in their time of trouble]. Ephraim shall once again be a mighty one, and their hearts shall rejoice as through wine. Their children shall see this and be glad, and their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. I will call for them and gather them—for I have redeemed them. They shall increase and become numerous once again. Though I have scattered them among the nations [in corrective punishment], they will remember Me—even in distant lands. They and their children will survive, and they will return to Me. I will deliver them out of the land of Egypt, and I will gather them out of Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, until there is no room left…. And I will humble the proud Assyrians, and the scepter of Egypt shall be no more. I will strengthen My people in the LORD, and they shall live in My name” (Zech. 10:6–12; author’s paraphrase).
Amazingly, the Bible also shows that God will yet use Germany as a leading nation for peace in the age to come. “In that day, Israel shall be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, ‘Blessed be My people Egypt, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance’ ” (Isa. 19:24–25).
APPENDIX 9 NOTES
1. Modern-day “Assyria” will not only serve as God’s “rod of correction”
on end-time Israel, they will play a wonderful role in the kingdom age (see
Isa. 19:24–25).
2. The word “Semitic” is an adjective derived from the name Shem—or,
more precisely, from the Greek version, Sem. Thus, the Assyrians were (and
are) of Semitic origin.
3. Charles E. Pfeiffer, Old Testament History, p. 22.
4. Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, bk. 1, ch. 6, sec. 4. In ancient
times, legendary figures such as Asshur were worshipped as gods. Thus,
Assur became the supreme god of the Assyrian pantheon.
5. The Encyclopedia Britannica (1911 edition), www.1911encyclopedia.org/
Babylonia_and_Assyria
6. James McCabe, History of the World, vol. 1, p. 155. In The Great
German Nation, Craig White notes that the Assyrian armies were highly
“submissive to their centralized authority.” He writes: “Their military
discipline and political organization were unique in the Semitic world” (p.
72). Concerning their love of war, he adds: “The kings of Assyria, far from
hiding their barbarity, loved to boast of their shocking cruelty during
military campaigns … for war was their favorite occupation” (p. 79).
7. Cambridge Ancient History, vol. 3, “The Assyrian Empire,” p. 1
8. Cambridge, p. 130
9. Pfeiffer, pp. 385, 343
10. Sylax, the Greek explorer, is quoted by Dr. Herman L. Hoeh in his 1969
Compendium of World History, vol. 2, p. 4. The Greek historian Diodorus
Siculus of Sicily also records that the Assyrians had settled along the
southern coast of the Black Sea near Pontus.
11. Pliny, Natural History, vol. 4, section 12, p. 183; quoted by Hoeh, p. 4.
12. Craig M. White, The Great German Nation, p. 95. White is quoting
from Jerome’s Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, letter 123, sec. 16. Jerome
was partly borrowing a phrase from Psalm 83:8.
13. Steven Collins, The “Lost” Ten Tribes of Israel—Found!, p. 341
14. Smith’s Classical Dictionary, “Germania”; quoted by Hoeh, p. 3.
15. Collins, p. 343
16. Edmund Filmer, “Our Scythian Ancestors,” www.ensignmessage.com/
archives/scythianancestors.html; Des Thomas, America—the Last Frontier
for Manasseh, p. 117.
17. www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/231063/Germanic-peoples
18. wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Germany
19. wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania
20. wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania
21. Essentially, the term German was a name thrust upon the Assyrian-
Germani. It was not at all a name of their choosing. By the end of the tenth
century AD, the term diutisc came to be used of Germans—from which is
derived the modern deutsch, meaning “of the people.” Today, Germans call
themselves Deutsch and their country Deutschland. Dr. Hoeh links the name
deutsch to an individual named “Tuisco” or “Tuitsch,” noting that early
annals identify him as “the progenitor of all Germans” (Compendium, p. 5).
Though the evidence is sketchy, other researchers link Tuitsch with Asshur.
22. wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania
23. wikipedia.org/wiki/Trier
24. Diodorus Siculus, Library of History; referenced by Hoeh, p. 4.
25. On the Assyrian Leucosyri, see Hoeh, p. 4. Strabo (Geography, 7.1.2) is
referenced in William Fink’s “Classical Records and German Origins,” part
1, p. 4; see www.christogenea.org/essays/classical-records-and-germanorigins-
part-one.
26. Cambridge, pp. 153-154. White (who refers to these Hatti as Hittites) notes that the Assyrian Empire “stretched into and absorbed” the Hattic colonies and that the two had become so interrelated that the Hatti were considered Assyrian (p. 105). Moreover, he writes that “the iron cross and the swastika sun-cross … feature very prominently in [Hattic] art and daily life. The double-headed eagle … featured also prominently, as did the extended arm salute.” He notes that Hattic artwork shows men raising their arms in a salute to a seated deity (p. 106). These same symbols also featured prominently in Hitler’s Nazi regime.
27. Cambridge, p. 43
28. Dr. Herman L. Hoeh, “Germany in Prophecy,” Plain Truth (Jan. 1963).
Silesia is a region of central Europe centered in the upper Oder Valley, now
largely in southwestern Poland.
29. Collins, p. 342
31. The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, for example, depicts five subdued
kings prostrate before the Assyrian king. See wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_
Obelisk_of_Shalmaneser_III.
32. White, p. 9, quoting Peter Zeihan in an article on Russia, “The Coming
Era of Russia’s Dark Rider” (2007).
33. Russia’s recent power grab in the Ukraine already has Brussels
clamoring for a unified EU military. As Russia continues in its efforts to
resurrect its old Soviet Empire, Europe will increasingly find itself
threatened. Eventually, some kind of crisis—political, economic, military,
or a combination thereof—will cause Germany to assume an aggressive
leadership position, ultimately leading to a European super-state.
34. Daniel also refers to this end-time “beast” as the “king of the
north” (Dan. 11:40). Prophetic perspectives are always given from the
vantage point of Jerusalem. Ancient Assyria was north of Jerusalem; the
Seleucid empire of Antiochus Epiphanes (the “king of the north” in type)
was to the north; and, of course, Rome and Germany are northwest of
Palestine. Bible prophecy also refers to a “king of the south” (Dan. 11:40),
which in the latter days will likely be an Arab union led by Egypt. The
biblical “kings of the east” (Rev. 16:12) represent an Asian conglomeration
led by Russia and China (compare Dan. 11:44).
35. Similarly, when the Assyrians came against Jerusalem during the reign
of Hezekiah, God delivered the city by destroying virtually the entire
Assyrian army in a single night (II Kings 19; note verses 34-35).
