Who exactly are the Germans?

From which ancestor of Noah do they descend?

Might their roots be found in the ancient Middle East?  Does the Bible - God's precious Word — have anything to say with regard to the very talented German peoples and their ancient roots? Or does God ignore major nations such as Germany in His Word?

We shall certainly see!

These fascinating and highly talented people have been central to world history. Notice a chilling comment in an article on Russia by Peter Zeihan:

“At the risk of sounding like a high school social studies teacher (or even George Friedman), history really does run in cycles. Take Europe for example. European history is a chronicle of the rise and fall of its geographic center. 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 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, 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 multistate competition (often involving war, but not on nearly as large a scale). For Europe this cycle of German rise and fall has run its course three times -- the Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Germany, Nazi Germany -- and is only now entering its fourth iteration with the reunified Germany”.[1]

We can see from this astute observation that the Germans are positioned to repeat their history. It is therefore very important to research their historical roots. This will lead us to understand their prophesied future.  

How I became interested in German origins

I recall a conversation I had with my uncle Ron Martin clear back in the early 1970s. I had read the book The United States and British Commonwealth in Prophecy but did not fully understand the prophecies about the various nations which would be raised up by God to come against the Anglo-Saxon-Keltic powers. He explained to me it would be Germany – or a German-led grouping and not Russia or the forces described so vividly in Ezekiel 38 & 39 (see Appendix 5 “When do the Armies of Ezekiel 38 & 39 Invade Israel?” for an explanation of this interpretation of prophecy). The Germans descended from the Assyrians he asserted.[2] He further reasoned that a German-led Europe, not Russia, would be the major opponent of the Anglo-Saxon-Keltic nations in these last days.

In reading some old British-Israel books available at the local public library I noticed that a few of them referred to the Assyrian nature of the Germans with one demonstrating similarities between Germany’s aggression against France in the eighteenth century and the Assyrian nature. As a young school student I could not fathom the possibility of finding the origin of the Germans, since it seemed that no historian and no academic text would even vaguely make a reference to an Assyrian or other Biblical connection. Nevertheless I was intrigued for it had a ‘ring of truth’ to it and I could see how a revived and aggressive Germany could arise again some day. Upon undertaking a little research that I was able to at that age, there was little proof available – although there were some striking similarities between the Germans and Assyrians that stood out.[3].

Some time later I was privileged to read Dr Herman Hoeh’s two-part series titled “Germany in Prophecy” which had been serialised in the Plain Truth magazine in 1962 and which evidently was built upon the broad parameters of researchers from the previous century.[4] Still later I read volume two of his Compendium of World History which included two chapters on the subject.

I decided that there must be more proof than this available to the serious researcher. These works contained the foundations for further study and the theory fitted well into history and prophecy. From the mid 1970s I commenced keeping notes on this and other subjects and entire chapters were written from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. They were assembled into a manuscript on national origins that was due to the published in 1986. But intense ongoing harassment and jealousy over an extended period of years prevented this from happening. Instead, I published parts of the book over several years. One of these was my research on German origins titled The Assyrians in the Modern World (1990) which was republished and updated in 1994 under the title Who are the Germans? Later, in 2003, the original manuscript which included this information was published.

So, can we find clues and proofs of German origins and are there really connections to the original Assyrians who resided in the Middle East? Who are they really?

Illustration 1   Map of the United Germany[5]

What others proclaim

Over time there have been other articles that have appeared on the subject, for example:

·         The Living Church of God published “A Clash of Eagles: America and Germany in Prophecy”, Tomorrow’s World (Sept-Oct 2002) and “The Return of Germany”, Tomorrow’s World (May-June 2006), both by Douglas Winnail; “Is the Beast Awakening?” by Roderick C Meredith, Tomorrow’s World (Sept-Oct 2000); and a study article topic “A Fourth Reich?” by Douglas Winnail.

·         The Global Church of God published articles in the World Ahead magazine connecting Germany to ancient Assyria.

·         Garner Ted Armstrong with the Church of God, International and later the Intercontinental Church of God, presented sermons and wrote articles where, in passing, he raised the subject. He certainly continued to believe in the Assyrian origin of the Germans.

·         Church of the Eternal God published an article in 2006 on Germany in Prophecy (German language).

·         The Philadelphia Church of God published booklets and articles that mentioned this truth: Germany and the Holy Roman Empire; Nahum: Prophecy for Germany; The Rising Beast; “A Mysterious Alliance” by Gerald Flurry, Philadelphia Trumpet (June 2003) in addition to articles by other writers.

Others have also studied the topic and come to the same conclusion. But there is nothing new to this understanding. In the nineteenth century the topic was approached in some prophetic works – turn to the appendix 7 on “Researchers who believe in Germany’s Assyrian or Hittite Origins” for further details. Today we enlarge upon the research of those statements from over 100 years ago and increase our knowledge and understanding of this and other topics (see Daniel 12:4).

So, could God's Word contain prophecies concerning Egypt, Libya or Arabia, but contain nothing about Germany and other mighty nations I wondered?

It was with great suddenness that Helmut Kohl brought Germany to reunification in 1990. With almost 80 million people, formidable political clout and a potent export-driven economy, a united Germany again beginning to dominate Europe - an unnerving thought for some of its neighbours. And certainly a challenge to the American-sponsored version of a New World Order. Germany has its own plans for a European Order – plans in which it would like to see Europe dominate the New World Trading Order, rather than the Anglo-Saxon plan to integrate the world's cultures and religions into one melting pot.

Today Germany is a nation of almost 80 millions residing in an area of 356,854 km². It contains large cities – Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. Its export drive and power is unsurpassed and greater than all nations including the United States of America.

No one can overlook their contributions to science, music and literature that have been both marvelous and considerable.[6] Yet they have patterns of national behaviour that have caused terrible suffering for others over the centuries. Why?

Some observers have addressed the problems now appearing between the four or five contenders for ownership of the New World Order[7]. It should also be realised that each of these players/factions have different views and goals. Currently the various forces in competition to dominate and unite the world are cooperating in areas of mutual interest or similarities. But what will happen when there are severe differences and ideological/religious/racial divergences? What if Europe begins to feel that its very identity is at stake? What will a powerful German-dominated Europe do then?[8]

Today a united Germany is beginning to stir again. Websites such as German-foreign-policy.com are alarmed at trends within Germany and are warning those that have eyes to see and ears to hear. One article in particular “Germany's Bid for Great Power Status through the EU” by Horst Teubert, is worthwhile reading.[9]

We might also ask if there are any similarities between the Germans and the Assyrians. This book contends with accepted histories that the Assyrians just simply disappeared into the mists of time and that no trace may be found of them.  I simply do not accept such dogma!  Why?  For God's inspired, sacred and eternal Word predicts that in these Last Days the Assyrians will once more be a power to be reckoned with and rise to prominence and dominance. Barton-Payne, famous for his superb Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy admits that the prophecies concerning Assyria are yet future.[10]  Another author, Arthur Bloomfield, who wrote The Last Days, likewise recognised that the prophecies relating to Babylon and Assyria are yet future, but does not know who they are today.  A.B. Davidson, author of Old Testament Prophecy admits that the prophecy of Micah 5:6 "represented the Assyrian as existing in the time of the Messiah," but unfortunately concludes that the interpretation should be allegorical, not literal![11]

A variety of theories

So who are these incredibly talented and organized people? Why do they exert such influence? What motivates them? From which Biblical figure in the mysterious Table of Nations (Gen 10 and IChron 1) do they descend?

Theories abound. Among the postulated ancestors of the Germans are:

·         Asher, a tribe of Israel

·         Ashkenaz

·         Canaan

·         Edom

·         Gad, a tribe of Israel

·         Gomer

·         Ishmael

·         Judah, a tribe of Israel[12]

·         Simeon, a tribe of Israel

Other theories have been put forward, but also with very little proof.

I shall not be entering into a debate about the above viewpoints. Instead, I will be providing overpowering proofs that will both greatly outnumber the supposed “proofs” for those positions, utilising deductive reasoning, logic and clear methodology. Indeed, the “proofs” presented for the above are generally very minimal, flippant or sometimes even based on emotion.

Given the above, let us explore ancient history and trace the migrations of the Assyrians to their modern locations, employing a strict research methodology to enable a clear understanding of their origin, backed up by the historical record. Every attempt will be made to place the fine grains of the historical record into a solid rock of essential knowledge.

Then we will explore what their prophetic future holds.