The European Union is the Revived Roman Empire Predicted in the Bible
How Daniel’s prophecies point to a divided, Western European power rising at the right time, in the right place, and with the same mixture of strength and weakness seen in the modern EU.
The Bible predicts that the Roman Empire will be reborn in the end times. This is already in progress in the form of the European Union.
In 1957, six European nations came together and signed the Treaty of Rome. This formed the European Economic Community, which is the basis for what the European Union is today.1
The European Union has some features of statehood, including: a single currency, border-free travel, an executive branch that proposes laws, and its own legislature, the European Parliament.2345 Though it has some features of a federation, it lacks them in key areas.6 This fact is key to remember as we discuss what Daniel 2 says about the revived Roman Empire below.
Jose’ Manuel Barroso, who was president of the EU’s executive branch for ten years, compared the EU to an empire.
“Sometimes I like to compare the EU as a creation to the organization of empire. We have the dimension of empire […] What we have is the first non-imperial empire”
-Jose’ Manuel Barroso, 20077
Even while the European Union was still a Common Market, theologians began taking an interest in European unification as it relates to Bible prophecy.
“More significant, however, to the possibility of a revival Roman Empire was the emergence of the European Common Market.”
-John Walvoord, 19678
“They have a Common Market in Europe today, and they may be well along in restoring the Roman Empire.”
J. Vernon McGee, 19759
“Many Bible scholars are convinced that the European Economic Community, more popularly known as the Common Market, of Western Europe will eventually develop into the revived Roman Empire foretold in Daniel 7.”
-Renald Showers, 199210
Though theologians already held this view, prophecy teacher Hal Lindsey popularized the idea that the revived Roman Empire would be the result of European unification due to the European Common Market. This is discussed in chapter 8 of his 1970 book, The Late Great Planet Earth.11
The Right Place on the Map
The European Union exists on the right place on the map. Generally, it is on the Mediterranean Sea. More specifically, it is located in Western Europe.
The Mediterranean Sea
The Bible predicts that the revived Roman Empire will be situated on the Mediterranean Sea. In Daniel 7, the prophet sees four beasts come up out of the “great sea.” These represent four empires that rise up in world history, one after another.
Throughout the Bible, “the great sea” is a term for the Mediterranean Sea. When describing Israel’s borders, Numbers 34:7 says:
‘As for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea, that is, its coastline; this shall be your western border. (Numbers 34:7)
This is reiterated throughout the book of Joshua. For example:
From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. (Joshua 1:4)
This term is also used in Ezekiel to describe elements of Jerusalem’s prophetic future:
“And the west side shall be the Great Sea, from the south border to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the west side. (Ezekiel 47:20)
Historically, the four empires in Daniel 2 & 7 were all situated on the Mediterranean Sea. This was especially true of the Roman Empire in particular, as it ruled the entire Mediterranean at its height.
Theologian Dr. David Jeremiah agrees with this interpretation, saying that the beasts:
“...emerged out of the great sea, which in ancient times referred to the Mediterranean.”
-David Jeremiah12
Since the European Union is the revived Roman Empire, we would expect it to contain a large part of the Mediterranean coastline. This is the case, as the EU’s southern border is the northern Mediterranean coastline. The final ruler of the Roman Empire, the Antichrist, will eventually expand his territory to include most or all of the Mediterranean coastline, just as was the case with the historical Roman Empire (Daniel 11:40-45).
Located in Western Europe
At its greatest extent, the historical Roman empire held sway over Western Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Western Asia. Furthermore, we have already seen why the revived Roman Empire must be located on the Mediterranean Sea.
However, can we be more specific on the location of the end times Roman Empire? Indeed, we can, by analyzing the military campaigns of the Antichrist. The final ruler of the Roman Empire is called the Antichrist. We can use the process of elimination to find his military base.
Most or all of the end times Roman Empire will start off in Western Europe. It will expand to other areas of the old Roman Empire through the Antichrist’s military conquests.
Attacked by Egypt
Daniel 11:40-45 describes the battles of the Antichrist. Verse 40 states that:
““And at the end time the king of the South will wage war with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through.” (Dan. 11:40-45)
Daniel 11:40 starts off by saying that “…the king of the South will wage war with him…” As Dr. J. Paul Tanner said in 2020,
“Throughout this chapter, the king of the South has consistently referred to Egypt…”
-J. Paul Tanner, 202013
Therefore, we can conclude that the Antichrist is attacked by Egypt, which is south of Israel. For those who anticipate a future Antichrist, this is relatively uncontroversial.
Who is the King of the North?
Things get a little more difficult when talking about the king of the North. Some say the “king of the North” is just another name for the Antichrist. Others say that the “king of the North” and “king of the South” both attack the Antichrist. The pronouns in the passage are ambiguous and could be interpreted either way.
Nevertheless, there is good reason to believe that the “king of the North” is a separate king from the Antichrist. The main reason for this is that the Antichrist is alarmed by reports from the North.
But rumors from the East and from the North will terrify him, and he will go out with great wrath to eliminate and annihilate many. (Daniel 11:44)
If he is the king of the North, then he is apparently alarmed by bad military reports from his own domain. This does not make sense, since his ten allies have consolidated their power under him until Babylon the Great is destroyed and the battle of Armageddon takes place (Revelation 17:12-18).
There is no evidence of an insurrection in the Antichrist’s own territory that late in the game. The negative reports from the north have to be coming from a northern rival, not his own domain. Therefore, the “king of the North” is different from the Antichrist.
Attacked by the King of the North
Daniel 11:40 goes on to say that the king of the North attacks the Antichrist.
40 “And at the end time the king of the South will wage war with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through. (Daniel 11:40)
“The king of the North…probably includes all the political and military force of the lands to the north of the Holy Land.”
-John Walvoord, 197114
In the preceding parts of Daniel 11, the king of the North represents the Seleucid kingdom which controlled Syria, much of Turkey, and some of Iraq and Iran.15 Other scholars say that the king of the North is Russia.16 For the purposes of this particular article, it does not matter for the point we are trying to make.
As a result, we can conclude that the Antichrist is attacked from the north of Israel as well.
Antichrist Invades Israel and North Africa
The Antichrist later goes on to attack Israel. As Daniel 11:41 says, “...He will also enter the Beautiful Land…” Here, the Beautiful Land is a reference to Israel.
“The land of Israel will be ravaged by Antichrist’s forces…”
-Gleason Archer 198517
Daniel 11 proceeds to tell us that the Antichrist invades various parts of North Africa, probably in retaliation for the Egyptian invasion mentioned in verse 40. Verse 42 states that:
“Then he will reach out with his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels.”
“Libya and Ethiopia will surrender to him—he will have control of Africa.”
-J. Vernon McGee, 197518
Later on in verse 44, the Antichrist is alarmed by reports to the East and North of Israel. Verse 44 says
“But rumors from the East and from the North will terrify him, and he will go out with great wrath to eliminate and annihilate many.” (Daniel 11:44)
Now, if the Antichrist goes to war with all these places, then which part of the old Roman Empire is he attacking from? Where is his home-base, from which he conducts his military operations? The only place left is Western Europe.
As H.A. Ironside said, the Antichrist
“...will be acknowledged as supreme arbiter in Europe in the coming day of tribulation…”
-H.A. Ironside, 192019
The Right Time in History
Second, the European Union exists at the right time in history, alongside end-times Israel. The Bible predicts that Israel will be reborn in the end times. As a result, on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation.20
As it says in Isaiah:
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be given birth all at once? As soon as Zion was in labor, she also delivered her sons. (Isaiah 66:8)
The book of Ezekiel reiterates this, saying:
“…whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual place of ruins; but its people were brought out from the nations…” (Ezekiel 38:8a)
This is not a new interpretation.
“…there shall be a political restoration of the Jews to their own land and to their own nationality.”
-Charles Spurgeon, 186421
Edward Bickersteth wrote an entire book which anticipated:
“a future literal restoration of Israel to their own land.”
-Edward Bickersteth 184122
Furthermore, the Antichrist, head of the revived Roman Empire, must make a protection treaty with Israel in the end times. This implies that the revived Roman Empire and end time Israel coexist with each other.
Since this end time prophecy about Israel has come to pass, we would not be surprised to see the revived Roman Empire close behind. Yet this is precisely what we see, with the advent of the European Union.
The Divided Kingdom
In Daniel 2, the Bible gives a description of the final phase of the Roman Empire. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the “fourth kingdom” is symbolized by a giant statue with different types of metal.
The historical phase of the Roman Empire is characterized by crushing strength. As Daniel explains this to Nebuchadnezzar:
40 Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; just as iron smashes and crushes everything, so, like iron that crushes, it will smash and crush all these things. (Daniel 2:40)
However, the second phase of the fourth kingdom is not as strong or united as the first.
41 And in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have within it some of the toughness of iron, since you saw the iron mixed with common clay. (Daniel 2:41)
Despite having some aspects of weakness and division, the EU is a powerful global player. It is a single economic bloc, where 450 million people can freely work, trade and invest. With a GDP of 18 trillion euros, it has tremendous economic influence in the world.23 This has enabled it to provide significant financial aid to Ukraine due to the 2022 Russian invasion. It has also enabled it to provide very significant sanctions against Russia as a result.24
Nevertheless, the Bible also says that the end times Roman empire will be a “divided kingdom.” This is especially true of the European Union’s history. First, the European debt crisis from 2009 to the mid 2010’s threatened the existence of the euro as a currency. Indeed, many people were wondering if the eurozone was going to break up, with everyone going back to their national currencies.25 Another major historical example is the decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, in an event known as Brexit.26
The same pattern has continued in more recent crises. During the Russia-Ukraine war, the EU has given a significant amount of support to Ukraine.27 However, due to its voting rules, a single country can often block sanctions or a vital aid package. Hungary often used its veto power to block or delay a 50-billion-euro aid package to Ukraine through the EU’s Ukraine Facility. This required other EU members to put substantial pressure on Hungary to unblock the aid.2829
42 And just as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong, and part of it will be fragile. (Daniel 2:42)
The EU is a mixture of strength and weakness. This is true in the area of defense. Some countries have substantial defense budgets, especially due to Europe’s recent massive rearmament.30 Others have small militaries and very small defense budgets.31 32 The same is true economically. Some EU countries have small or weak economies with high unemployment.33 Others have very strong economies.34
All this shows how the European Union is a mixture of strength and weakness, both militarily and economically.
43 In that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in their descendants; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not combine with pottery. (Daniel 2:43)
The EU enables people to marry people from other EU countries. However, the EU is not becoming one people as a result. Each country still preserves its language and culture. As a result, many Euroskeptic political parties have emerged in Europe’s recent past, wanting to reduce or eliminate their ties to the European Union. 3536
“The text clearly implies that this final phase will be marked by some sort of federation rather than by a powerful single realm.”
-Gleason Archer, 198537
“Evidently the meaning is that in spite of the fact that these groups will compose one empire, they will never truly become one people, for they will maintain separate cultures and their own national identities.”
Stephen Miller, 199438
Alliance of Ten Kings
The end times Roman Empire is composed of a core group of ten kings. This was fulfilled when the Western European Union (WEU) became 10 members in 1995. 39 This was a separate organization from the European Union but worked closely with it. All the members of the 10-nation WEU were also part of the EU. It existed until its closure in 2011, which occurred since it had already transferred all of its functions to the EU by that time.40
To learn more about the history of this alliance, as well as the future relevance of its 10 members, check out this article here.
Conclusion
The European Union is the revived Roman Empire. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, just like the Bible anticipates. It is located in Western Europe. Furthermore, it exists at the same time as end-time Israel. In addition, it struggles with weakness and disunity just as the Bible predicts. Finally, ten of its members were in a military alliance with one another from 1995-2011, until their functions were absorbed by the European Union.
McGee, J V. 1991. Thru the Bible Commentary Series: Daniel. Nashville, Tennessee: Thru the Bible Radio. (p. 47)
Lindsey, Hal, with C. C. Carlson. The Late Great Planet Earth: The Classic Analysis of the Biblical Prophecies Leading Up to the Return of Jesus Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1970. (Chapter 8)
Jeremiah, David, and C C. Carlson. 2019. The Handwriting on the Wall: Secrets from the Prophecies of Daniel. Nashville, Tennessee: W Publishing Group. (p. 131)
Tanner, J P. 2020. Daniel: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary. Edited by H W. House, and William D. Barrick. Bellingham, Washington: Logos Bible Software. (p. 711)
Walvoord, John F. 2012. The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries: Daniel. Edited by Charles H. Dyer and Philip E. Rawley. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers.
Archer, Gleason R. 1985. Daniel. Vol. 7, in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, 47. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. (p. 148)
McGee, J. Vernon. 1991. Daniel. Nashville, Tennesee: Thomas Nelson. (p. 190)
Ironside, H. A. 1920. Lectures on Daniel the Prophet. 2nd. New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers.
Bickersteth, Edward. 1841. The Restoration of the Jews to Their Own Land In Connection with Their Future Conversion and the Final Blessedness of Our Earth. London, United Kingdom: R. B. Seeley and W. Burnside. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Restoration_of_the_Jews_to_Their_Own/4CcoAAAAYAAJ?hl=en. (p. lxxvii)
Archer, Gleason L. Jr. 1985. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 7. Edited by Frank E. Gabelein. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House. (p. 47)
Miller, Stephen R. 1994. The New American Commentary: Volume 18: Daniel. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group. (p. 95)