| Tomorrow's World

The Resurrection Was Not on Sunday!

Can you prove what day Jesus was crucified or when He rose from the dead? See the Bible’s answers as Gerald Weston contrasts Passover events with Easter traditions—and its fertility symbols, sun worship and pagan origin.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Why Easter and Not Passover?

Easter Sunday was a fun day when I was a child. Who doesn’t like a treasure hunt? We decorated eggs, wrote names on them, and hid them from one another. Then we set out to find those with our names on them. Sometimes we would go to larger treasure hunts where dozens of children ran about looking for any egg to add to their basket. It all seemed like harmless fun. Who could possibly be against it?

But, we never stopped to ask,

Why are we doing this?
What does it have to do with the resurrection of Christ?
How do eggs and rabbits fit into the picture?
Where does the name Easter come from?
And, are any of these questions even relevant?
What difference does any of this make?

Sadly, too many adults never ask these questions. It almost seems sacrilegious to question such longstanding traditions. But is it?

On today’s Tomorrow’s World program, I’ll answer these questions. I’ll also show you from the Bible what was the only sign Jesus said He would give, that He was the One He claimed to be—the Son of God—and how Easter traditions contradict that sign.

Easter’s Pagan Roots and False Traditions

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World. On today’s program, I’m asking and answering questions about the holiday known as Easter. I’ll also show you from the pages of your own Bible that Jesus was not crucified on Friday, nor was He resurrected on Sunday morning. Now I know that is a shock to many, but you can prove it for yourself, and you need to, because that tradition contradicts Jesus’ own words about the one sign He said He would give that would show that He is the Messiah.

But before we get to that, let’s notice some other traditions that ought to make any thinking person sit up and ask some serious questions. Why, for example, is the holiday that supposedly celebrates the resurrection of Christ, named after a pagan goddess? Think about that. Why? Here is some documented history that you can read in our free resource Easter: The Untold Story:

The New World Encyclopedia suggests a connection between Eostre and Easter with the very popular and ancient goddess Ishtar: “Scholars likewise speculate that Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring whose name later gave rise to the modern English ‘Easter,’ may be etymologically connected to Ishtar” (“Ishtar”).

Interestingly, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church admits this about the origin of the name Easter, but gives a slightly different spelling from that of Ishtar: “The word ‘Easter’ comes from Old English and refers to the Norse Goddess of Fertility, ‘Istra’—who was symbolized by a rabbit” (“Great Lent and Holy Week,” Melkite.org, August 14, 2010).

Thus the connection between Easter and rabbits, but why was Istra symbolized by a rabbit? Historians confirm that this goddess, spelled variously as Ishtar and Istra, was known as the goddess of fertility, and the rabbit is a well-known fertility symbol.

The rabbit is not the only fertility symbol passed down from antiquity. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology explains this about Easter:

“The holiday comes in the early Spring and is clearly related to ancient fertility myths of reborn heroes.… For many, Easter is synonymous with fertility symbols such as the Easter Rabbit, Easter eggs, and the Easter lily” (“Easter,” p. 111). (pp. 2–3).

Now that’s from our resource Easter: the Untold Story, which can be yours free for the asking. In addition to blending pagan customs and traditions into the worship of the true God, contrary to God’s command, we find that even the part of Easter that supposedly comes from the Bible is terribly flawed.

Most people believe that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, put in the tomb in the late afternoon of that day, and then He rose early Sunday morning. But is this what the Bible tells us? After all, it is the Bible that is the only source that can properly answer this question; so what does it actually say?

Let’s begin in Matthew 12:38:

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:38–40).

Consider: Jesus said that no sign will be given to that generation except for the sign of Jonah. Jesus would be in the grave the exact same length of time as Jonah was in the belly of a great fish. And what was that time? Three days and three nights!

Now, try as you might, you cannot come up with three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. Even if you count parts of days you still come up short, but let’s try. Scripture tells us Jesus was put in the tomb right at sunset, but some count a few minutes on Friday before sunset as day one. Friday night would be one night; the daylight portion of Saturday would be the second day; and Saturday night would make the second night. Now IF Jesus rose Sunday morning after sunrise we might count that as day three, but where is the third night? It just isn’t there!

So, we must conclude one of three possibilities regarding the Good Friday/Easter Sunday tradition:

  1. Jesus was wrong and He is not our Savior
  1. The Good Friday/Easter Sunday tradition is wrong

Or,

  1. We have not properly understood the sign Jesus gave

Understanding the Sign of Jonah: Exactly Three Days

The Good Friday crucifixion and Easter Sunday resurrection does not fit the scriptural record. Jesus said He would be in the tomb three days and three nights, and try as you might, you cannot come up with the three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. So, we must conclude one of three possibilities regarding the Good Friday/Easter Sunday tradition:

  1. Jesus was wrong and He is not our Savior
  1. The Good Friday/Easter Sunday tradition is wrong

Or,

  1. We have not properly understood the sign Jesus gave

So, which of these three is correct? If Jesus was wrong, we have a serious problem. But that is exactly what one source claims. Have we properly understood the sign? So let’s read from Matthew 12 and see what it says once again:

“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:38–40).

Did Jesus literally mean three days AND three nights? As shocking as this may be, The Abingdon Bible Commentary bluntly tells us Jesus was mistaken:

The statement made is inaccurate, for Jesus was in the grave only from Friday evening to Sunday dawn (The Abingdon Bible Commentary, Matthew 12:40).

However, most commentators do not accept the statement to be literal. Why? It’s primarily because they do not want to give up tradition and they need to find a way to make the scriptures fit their tradition. Instead, they allege that a day and night combined simply means a single 24 hour day and any part of a day is sufficient. However, we must remember that Jesus’ words were recorded in the Greek language, and it MAY be true that the Greek expression used in this verse means parts of three days, although as I just read, The Abingdon Bible Commentary rejects that idea. But, there is a greater problem here. Matthew 12:40 is not dependent on one language alone. More importantly, we must remember what Jesus said in Matthew 12:40:

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40).

So how long was Jonah in the belly of the fish? We learn from Jonah 1:17 the following:

And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).

The book of Jonah was written in the Hebrew language, and we must look to that language and its common usage to understand this expression. Appendix 144 in The Companion Bible explores the meaning of three days and three nights in Hebrew usage. After giving a technical explanation, it sums it up this way:

Hence, when it says that “Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1.17) it means exactly what it says, and that this can be the only meaning of the expression in Matt. 12:40… (The Companion Bible, Appendix 144. Zondervan, 1932, p. 170).

This is the first reason we know that Jesus’ claim means a full three days and three nights.

Proof #1: The meaning of Matthew 12:40 is not dependent on one language alone.

But there is a second proof.

Proof #2: 72 hours is the only time that can satisfy all of Jesus’ statements on how long He would be in the grave.

Jesus spoke of His body figuratively as “this temple.” Notice it beginning in John 2:19:

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body (John 2:19–21).

In three days means that it has to be within three days, but on other occasions it is recorded that he would be resurrected to life “after three days.” Mark 8:31:

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again (Mark 8:31).

Now following His resurrection, He explained to His disciples what had happened and why. We read of this in Luke 24:46:

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day” (Luke 24:46–47).

So here we have three different expressions that help us understand how long He was in the tomb:

In three days

After three days

The third day

When we put these expressions together with The Companion Bible’s explanation about the meaning of three days and three nights, there can be only one time that fits all four expressions—exactly 72 hours; not a minute before or a minute after. The time is exact.

But there is a third proof that He would be in the tomb a full three days and three nights, and that is:

Proof #3: The biblical chronology of events.

The Friday Crucifixion Doesn’t Fit

Why is it that most assume that Jesus was crucified on Friday? The truth is that many have no idea, other than that is what they have been taught, but for those who know a little more about the Bible, they are familiar with the fact that He was crucified on the day leading up to a Sabbath. For example, we have Luke’s statement in chapter 23, beginning verse 52 where it describes how Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus:

This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near (Luke 23:52–54).

As all students of the Bible know, the biblical Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. And so, it would therefore appear that Jesus was crucified Friday morning and put in the grave very late Friday afternoon—but are we missing something?

Many errors that we make are the result of a carelessly assumed false assumption, and this is the case on this subject. There is no doubt that Jesus was crucified on the Preparation day for a Sabbath, but the carelessly assumed assumption is that it was the weekly Sabbath. But was it?

What many call the Lord’s supper, or the last supper, was in fact the Passover. There can be no doubt about this, although some scholars try to say otherwise. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all call Jesus’ final supper with the disciples the Passover. Let’s look at Luke’s account, beginning in chapter 22 and verse 7:

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?” And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’

So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:7–11, 13–15).

Can there be any doubt that the last supper was indeed the Passover? The Passover was a very special day, but it was not a Sabbath day. However, the day that follows the Passover IS a Sabbath day. Notice this from Leviticus 23:

On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD…. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it (Leviticus 23:5–7).

We know from this that the day following the Passover was a high day, an annual Sabbath day where customary work was not to be done. Remember that God counts time from sunset to sunset. Jesus kept the Passover with His disciples at the beginning of the Passover day (shortly after sunset). He was then put in the grave at the end of Passover day, just before sunset. When the sun set that evening, it was the first day of Unleavened Bread, an annual High Day Sabbath; and this is exactly what the Apostle John reveals in John 19:31:

Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away (John 19:31).

By Sunday Morning, Jesus Had Already Risen…

And as explained, the high day was an annual Sabbath, not the weekly Sabbath. Now let’s notice Mark 16:1:

Now when the Sabbath was past, [notice that it was after the Sabbath] Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him (Mark 16:1).

But Luke 23:54–56 tells us they prepared the spices and then rested on the Sabbath.

That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment (Luke 23:54–56).

Now think about it, friends. You cannot prepare the spices before you possess them! Mark tells us that the Sabbath (in this case the annual Sabbath) was almost there. Therefore, they had to wait until after that Sabbath to buy the spices. Then Luke tells us they prepared them and rested on the Sabbath (in this case, the weekly Sabbath). These two passages give infallible proof that there were two Sabbaths that week with an ordinary day in between. This is the only way to understand these verses. Either there were two Sabbaths, with an ordinary day in between, or the Bible contradicts itself.

Now let me diagram this for you. Jesus kept the Passover with His disciples after sunset on Tuesday evening. He was taken into custody later that night and crucified on Wednesday. He was put in the tomb right before sunset, late Wednesday afternoon. Now let’s count three days and three nights.

Wednesday at sunset began the annual high day Sabbath and Wednesday night was the first night. The daylight portion of Thursday was still the annual High Day Sabbath and was the first day. The Sabbath ended at sunset, and it was on this day between two Sabbaths that the women bought and prepared the spices. Thursday night is our second night and the daylight portion of Friday is our second day—an ordinary day. When the sun set Friday afternoon the weekly Sabbath began. Friday night is our third night and Saturday is our third day, and Jesus was raised from the grave late Saturday afternoon (right before sunset), but the women did not come until very early the next morning (what is commonly called Sunday) and when they arrived, He was already gone!

I hope you found this video profitable.

If you found it helpful and want to learn more, be sure to get your free copy of our study guide Easter: The Untold Story. Just click the link in the description or go to TWTV.ORG/Easter.

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Thanks for watching! See you next time.


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Why Germany Matters in End-Time Prophecy

Learn the German people’s true origins and future in this video, as Rod McNair discusses German history, shows Germany’s origins in ancient Assyria, and identifies the role Germany will play in end-time Bible prophecy.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Germany’s Rising Power

On February 24, 2022, Russian tanks rolled across the border into Ukraine. They attacked in the north from Belarus, in the south from Crimea, and they attacked from the east, heading toward the capital Kiev. Just one month before, Germany had been reluctant to send weapons to Ukraine, not wanting to inflame already tense relations with Russia. The Germans infamously offered the Ukrainians just 5,000 helmets in response to their plea for help, as Russian troops amassed at the border.

But just two days after the invasion of February 24, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a surprise announcement. He committed the German government to increased military spending in 2022 by 100 billion euros. And, he pledged to send Ukraine 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 surface-to-air missiles.

This move did not just put Vladimir Putin on notice that Germany would stand with the Ukrainians; it also signaled a radical shift in Germany’s policy, one that had stood for decades.

As the news website France24 noted,

“Often described as predictable and ‘robotic,’ Chancellor Olaf Scholz has become emboldened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, smashing policy taboos to steer Germany into ‘a new era’ that could reshape its role on the world stage” (February 28, 2022).

And that’s exactly what this shift has done—radically change Germany’s post-war policy. Since World War II, Germany has not allowed its weapons makers to export into war zones. It has not even allowed third parties to buy them for use in these areas. And this policy was a reaction to Germany’s dark, Nazi past. But now, everything has changed. This policy about-face has been nothing less than stunning.

But there’s more to the story. You see, it’s not just that Germany is taking a more muscular approach to its defense and its neighbors’ defense. There’s something else happening behind the scenes. What does it mean for Bible prophecy? And where will it lead in the end-times?

The Ancient Origin of the Germans

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible.

When Germany reversed its pacifist policy and pledged to stand with Ukraine, many were shocked. So, why DID Germany, after all those decades, dramatically change direction?

The answer lies in understanding the origin of the modern German nation. And that brings us to our first key to understanding why Germany matters in end-time prophecy:

  1. Germany comes from ancient Assyria

Longtime viewers of Tomorrow’s World understand that nations of today didn't just appear out of thin air. Some countries, like Egypt, Italy, and Greece, have the same names as their ancient counterparts. On the other hand, other countries’ names have changed. This is true of Germany. You won’t find the name “Germany” in your Bible. But biblical and historical evidence show modern Germany sprang from ancient Assyria. How do we know? In the first segment, let’s look at some of the evidence.

The ancient empire of Assyria was a mighty and vast world-power that reached its zenith in the eighth century BC. But by 612 BC, it had collapsed and its capital, Nineveh, was overrun. Consider this comment by James Breasted in the book The Conquest of Civilization:

“[Nineveh’s] fall was forever, and when two centuries later Xenophon and his ten thousand Greeks marched past the place, the Assyrian nation was but a vague tradition, and Nineveh, its great city, was a vast heap of rubbish as it is today” ​(The Conquest of Civilization, 1954, p. 175).

The bulk of the Assyrians just disappeared. But where did they go? When you look at the historical record—combined with the Bible—you’ll find evidence of Assyrians moving north and west. Let’s examine just a few examples.

First of all, consider the city of Trier. One of the oldest cities in Germany, according to German legend, Trier was founded by an Assyrian prince named Trebeta, a descendant of the biblical Nimrod. While this is only a legend, it persisted at least as far as the 11th century AD. If true, it would establish Assyrian knowledge of and access to the continent of Europe, well into antiquity.

Consider another point: Along the southern coast of the Black Sea is a promontory that in ancient times was called Sinope. Some historians say this ancient maritime city was founded by the Assyrians:

“The early foundations of Sinope are probably Assyrian. The extreme antiquity of that great power is constantly receiving fresh evidence…” (David M. Robinson, “Ancient Sinope: First Part,” The American Journal of Philology, vol. 27, no. 2, p. 145).

So, why is that significant? Because if the Assyrians had a presence in the Black Sea region before Nineveh fell, it would make sense to flee in that direction when their empire collapsed.

And that’s exactly where we do find some Assyrians, centuries after Nineveh fell. Diodorus of Sicily, a historian writing in the 1st century BC, noted that the Assyrians were driven by the Scythians exactly to this region where they had long had a presence:

“It was by these kings [of the Scythians] that many of the conquered peoples were removed to other homes, and two of these became very great colonies: the one was composed of Assyrians and was removed to the land between Paphlagonia and Pontus” (Diodorus of Sicily, vol. 2, p. 29, Oldfather, 1935).

So, they were forcibly exiled to areas not unfamiliar to them.

Consider another piece of evidence: the Hittites. The Hittites were a powerful empire located in Asia Minor in antiquity. They had many cultural and ethnic ties to the Assyrians. And, they were next door neighbors. When the Hittite empire fell, around 1200 BC, the Assyrians swooped in to fill the vacuum. They occupied Hittite cities, and became even more mixed and linked as a people. Again, where would the fleeing Assyrians go when Nineveh fell, if not to areas where they were already established masters?

This is important, because later, we find historians tracing the Hittites migrating into Europe, carrying their names, their culture, and their tendencies with them. Undoubtedly, many Assyrians were mixed in as well.

Note some of the similarities between ancient Assyria and the Hittite empire, and modern Germany.

The iron cross was a military decoration by King Frederick Wilhelm III and by Imperial and Nazi Germany. It can ALSO be found depicted in engravings, hanging from the neck of the Assyrian king Shamshi-Adad V in the ninth-century BC.

The Hittite double-headed eagle and the Assyrian god Ashur depicted on a winged sun disk bear strong resemblances to the double-headed eagle of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire and the eagle and swastika disk of Nazi Germany.

British Assyriologist A. H. Sayce of the University of Oxford believed that the swastika symbol likely originated with the Hittites and spread into other cultures (xxi, Trojas, Heinrich Schliemann, 1881).

German Role in Bible Prophecy

You won’t find the name “Germany” in the Bible. Even so, you can identify where this powerful and influential nation sprang from. You can trace the movements of the ancient Assyrians through the centuries as they migrated and mingled among other peoples, finally settling in central Europe.

But why does it matter? Why should we care about these old histories and maps and artifacts? It might affect the days ahead, more than you realize. And that leads us to our second key to understanding why Germany matters in end-time prophecy:

  1. Germany will dominate the Western world in the end-times

One third of the Bible is prophecy. And one of the basic principles of prophecy is that much of it is dual. In other words, there is a first fulfillment, and then there is a future fulfillment, yet to occur. But what does this have to do with Germany today?

To answer that question, let’s look at Isaiah chapter 10:1–3,

“Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed to rob the needy of justice, and to take what is right from the poor of My people…. What will you do in the day of punishment, and in the desolation which will come from afar?” (Isaiah 10:1–3).

Here in Isaiah 10, God was telling the ancient Israelites He was about to punish them for turning away from Him. Then, the next few verses explain WHO He would use to punish them, as a tool in God’s hands. Notice Isaiah 10:5–7,

“Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off not a few nations” (Isaiah 10:5–7).

Note this. Israel was prophesied to be punished for their sins. Assyria was prophesied to be used by God to accomplish this. Not that the Assyrians were thinking they were doing God’s will. The Assyrian kings were doing just what Assyrian kings did naturally—conquering and overthrowing cities and nations to expand their territory. And that’s exactly what happened. Assyria attacked northern Israel in 721 BC, destroying its capital, Samaria, and deporting its inhabitants.

But notice, there’s one more element in this passage. In Isaiah 10:12,

“Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, ‘I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.’ For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent…. Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?” (Isaiah 10:12–13, 15).

In other words, God would punish Assyria after He used them to correct Israel, for the king of Assyria’s arrogance and self-will.

What a profound glimpse of geopolitics from behind-the-scenes! We may see the outward effects of nations and armies trying to outmaneuver one another on the battlefield, or in the diplomatic arena. But God, our Creator, is the Sustainer of the whole entire globe. Though we may not see it, He is there, and even works through kings and leaders, to accomplish His will.

Again, why is this important and what does it have to do with Germany today?

You see, because prophecy is dual, this scene will be played out again. Ancient Israel comprises the English-speaking nations of the Western world, and those of northwest Europe. These nations grow more decadent with each passing day. There will come a day when they will be judged. And God will use the same nation He used to accomplish it in 721 BC; Assyria, Germany. That’s what your Bible says. A repeat of the Nazi regime in the last century. Only, this time Germany won’t be defeated. This horrific time to come is described in the Bible as the Great Tribulation.

But how can we really know this will happen?

Consider several prophecies that apply to the end-times. Notice Isaiah 27:12–13,

“And it shall come to pass in that day that the LORD will thresh, from the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem” (Isaiah 27:12–13).

How could it be any plainer? The great trumpet is blown, the children of Israel will be about to perish in the land of Assyria, and then they return to worship the Lord at Jerusalem. That has not happened yet. It’s yet future.

Turn to Isaiah 11:16. Here is another passage showing Assyrian domination of Israel in the end times:

“There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who will be left from Assyria, as it was for Israel in the day that he came up from the land of Egypt” (Isaiah 11:16).

When you look at the context, this is clearly referring to the millennium, and the time leading up to it. And it says God will gather His people from Assyria.

In Jeremiah 23:8 and Jeremiah 31:8 it refers to the captives being brought back “from the north country.” In Hosea 11:10, it says the captives will return, trembling, “from the west.” Look on a map. What is north and west of ancient Israel? Well, Europe, with Germany at its heart.

The Beast of Revelation and Germany’s True Restoration

We saw that disaster is coming upon the nations of end-time Israel. This devastation will come at the hands of a German-led superpower, the final attempt to restore the Holy Roman Empire. This military machine is also called the Beast, as it’s described in the Book of Revelation. Notice what John saw and described, in Revelation 13:1,

“Then I stood on the sand of the 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…. And all the world marveled and followed the beast” (Revelation 13:1, 3).

This coming superpower will shock and bewilder the nations with its technological prowess and military strength. It will subjugate modern Israelites, conquer an Arab confederacy, and even fight an all-out war with the armies of the East, for supremacy of the whole earth.

And by the way, some discount the idea that modern Germans came from ancient Assyria, because there are populations in northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, southeast Turkey, and Syria who call themselves Assyrians. Some additional ethnic Assyrians live in the United States. All told, these ethnic Assyrians comprise just over 5 million people alive today.

But think about it. After all we’ve seen in this program, could it be that a few scattered peoples could wield enough power in the end-times to bring down a superpower? Is it logical that the United States could be overthrown by a few million scattered ethnic Assyrians with no central nation of their own? Not at all. The prophecies of the Bible show that in the end-times, there will be a nation descended from ancient Assyria, that will comprise an intact, influential superpower. And this juggernaut will leap onto the world stage suddenly and shock the nations.

After this German-led Beast power takes the world by storm, just like in ancient times, this modern-day Assyrian empire will be punished as well. Just like Nineveh was flattened in 612 BC, God will judge this nation for its ruthless and brutal aggression. And, for its attempt to fight against Christ Himself. Notice what we find in Revelation 17:12,

“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. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:12–14).

This is the so-called “Battle of Armageddon.” This is mankind’s attempt to thwart Jesus Christ when He returns. The armies of this resurgent Assyrian empire will be no match for the King of kings and Lord of lords. And that empire will be defeated.

But what happens next is the key I want you to leave you with. That is, our third key as to “Why Germany Matters in the end-times”:

  1. Germany will be a leading nation in the Millennial age

Germany and other nations of the world will be humbled by Jesus Christ returning in power and glory. And then, after this horrific battle, a new age will begin. Our Lord and Savior, as we saw earlier, will gather the survivors of Israel from the land of Assyria, and other places where they were taken captive. He will also comfort and feed and heal survivors from all the nations of the world—those who suffered but survived during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the LORD.

The timing is at the beginning of the Millennium, when Jesus Christ is now on earth, after He puts down all rebellion. Notice, Isaiah 19:23,

“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians” (Isaiah 19:23).

Could there be a time of peace after World War III? Yes. But first, the modern-day Assyrians will have subjugated much of the Western world. They will have fought with and beaten an Arab confederation. And they will have battled Asian armies from the East, bringing the whole earth to the edge of cosmicide. But yes, after that, there WILL be peace.

Not only that, look who will be picking up the pieces. The German people, who survived that great calamity, will play an active role in rebuilding a broken and beaten world. They will be humbled and repentant, and ready to serve in a new world of peace and prosperity. Bible prophecy shows they will have an important–and even a leading–role in this new age. We pick it up in Isaiah 19:24,

“In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance’” (Isaiah 19:24–25).

Did you catch that? Assyria—Germany—is described as the work of God’s hands. And they will work with other nations that were formerly bitter enemies. You see, God doesn’t hate Germany. On the contrary, God loves the German people. Just like He loves all of His children, made in His image. And He will use the tremendous strengths and talents and ENERGY of the German people to help rebuild the world, brick by brick.

Why does Germany matter in the end-times? Because if we know the identity of the German nation, we can understand why Germany, even today, is beginning to take a more proactive and assertive role in the world. While Germany acts with good intentions now, where will it lead? Prophecy tells us it will lead to an aggressive tyrant taking over Germany, bringing warfare and destruction like the world has never known. At the same time, prophecy ALSO shows that after that, the German nation will be used by God to help rebuild a new and peaceful world, under the leadership of Jesus Christ.

There’s much more to this subject than we can cover in this short program. And that’s why we are offering you the free study guide Germany in Prophecy. It will show that God has a plan for all His children. And He is working out that plan. He will put end-time Assyrians–modern Germans–to work to accomplish that plan. In fact, He even describes Assyria as “the Work of My Hands.” You need to know what will happen to these nations we’ve talked about, in the years just ahead. And you need to know how it will affect you. So, request your free copy of Germany in Prophecy. Order by phone, by mail, or on the web. Order today.

God’s Love for Germany—And for You

In this program, we’ve seen that you won’t find the name “Germany” in the Bible. And yet, you can understand who the Germans are today, and what God reveals for Germany in the end-times. And you can understand why Germany matters in these end-times.

God does not want any of His children, made in His image to suffer. And He is looking for those who will turn from their sins and respond to His call for repentance. May God help all of us—whoever we are and wherever we live—to heed the warning and draw close to our Creator in truth and sincerity.

Thanks for watching. And be sure to come back next week as Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Wallace Smith, and I continue to share with you the teachings of Jesus Christ, the good news of His coming Kingdom, and end-time prophecies of His Word. See you next week.

Hey everyone, thanks for watching. We hope you enjoyed this video.

We here at Tomorrow’s World want to help you make sense of this world through the pages of your Bible.

So if you found it helpful and want to learn more, be sure to get your free copy of our study guide Germany In Prophecy. Just click the link in the description or order online at twtv.org/Germany. It will be sent to you completely free of charge.

And remember to like and subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another video.

See you next time.



Pro-Life Students Face Threats



Today there is growing hatred for anyone or anything that reflects biblical morality. ITV recently reported on an incident that reflects that trend, an unhinged protest against a meeting of pro-life students at the University of Manchester in the UK (Catholic Herald, March 2, 2024).

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