Tramp, tramp, tramp, with feet of “iron and clay” the armies of powerful nations marched throughout history. Suddenly, in AD 768, with a fearsome army Charlemagne appeared; — a Man of Iron!
“Surely Charlemagne is coming in the midst of all these knights!” And Olger answered slowly: “No; not yet; he will not come so soon.”
Charlemagne, king of the Franks changed Europe forever. Born near Liege, (modern day Belgium), in AD 748 he ascended the throne in Paris on the death of his father, Pepin the Short. He continued his father’s policy of providing protection for the papacy and became its chief defender. Many countries of Europe were conquered by the Man of Iron and his powerful army. The autonomy of Bavaria was destroyed and he took control of Germany.
Determined to eradicate or convert the pagan Saxons to “Christianity” his many excursions into Saxony left bitter hatred, forced conversions, deportations and massacres; his raids were inspired by religious and political zeal. With fire and sword, Charlemagne attempted to break Saxon resistance. After thirty years he finally forced the Saxons into submission. Convert or be executed. He executed thousands!
With a combination of military force and diplomacy he established relative stable relations with a variety of potentially dangerous enemies — the Danish Kingdom, Slavic Tribes, and the eastern frontier from the Baltic Sea to the Balkans, the Muslims in Spain, the people of Gascony, (region of France) and the Bretons in Gaul, (Western Europe).
King Charlemagne administered all these conquered areas as he did the rest of his Empire. His Counts and Bishops were in control and engaged in numerous reforms, such as administration, law, education, military organization and religion: — which shaped Europe for centuries.
In Lombardy, Northern Italy, King Desiderio conquered territory of the Northern Papal States claimed by Pope Adrian I of Rome. King Desiderio refused to return the territory, so the Pope sent two Emissaries to King Charlemagne for help. Charlemagne offered gold to Desiderio, but it was rejected; therefore, with his mighty army he marched into Lombardy, Northern Italy.
Charlemagne
by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Olger the Dane and Desiderio,
King of the Lombards, on a lofty tower
Stood gazing northward o’er the rolling plains,
League after league of harvests, to the foot
Of the snow-crested Alps, and saw approach
A mighty army, thronging all the roads
That led into the city. And the King
Said unto Olger, who had passed his youth
As hostage at the court of France, and knew
The Emperor’s form and face "Is Charlemagne
Among that host?" And Olger answered: "No."
And still the innumerable multitude
Flowed onward and increased, until the King
Cried in amazement: "Surely Charlemagne
Is coming in the midst of all these knights!"
And Olger answered slowly: "No; not yet;
He will not come so soon." Then much disturbed
King Desiderio asked: "What shall we do,
if he approach with a still greater army!"
And Olger answered: "When he shall appear,
You will behold what manner of man he is;
But what will then befall us I know not."
Then came the guard that never knew repose,
The Paladins of France; and at the sight
The Lombard King o’er come with terror cried:
"This must be Charlemagne!" and as before
Did Olger answer: "No; not yet, not yet."
And then appeared in panoply complete
The Bishops and the Abbots and the Priests
Of the imperial chapel, and the Counts
And Desiderio could no more endure
The light of day, nor yet encounter death,
But sobbed aloud and said: "Let us go down
And hide us in the bosom of the earth,
Far from the sight and anger of a foe
So terrible as this!" And Olger said:
"When you behold the harvests in the fields
Shaking with fear, the Po and the Ticino
Lashing the city walls with iron waves,
Then may you know that Charlemagne is come.
And even as he spake, in the northwest,
Lo! there uprose a black and threatening cloud,
Out of whose bosom flashed the light of arms
Upon the people pent up in the city;
A light more terrible than any darkness;
And Charlemagne appeared;—a Man of Iron!
His helmet was of iron, and his gloves
Of iron, and his breastplate and his greaves
And tassets were of iron, and his shield.
In his left hand he held an iron spear,
In his right hand his sword invincible.
The horse he rode on had the strength of iron,
And color of iron. All who went before him
Beside him and behind him, his whole host,
Were armed with iron, and their hearts within them
Were stronger than the armor that they wore.
The fields and all the roads were filled with iron,
And points of iron glistened in the sun
And shed a terror through the city streets.
This at a single glance Olger the Dane
Saw from the tower, and turning to the King
Exclaimed in haste: "Behold! this is the man
You looked for with such eagerness!" and then
Fell as one dead at Desiderio’s feet.
Charlemagne captured the City of Pavia and Desiderio’s Kingdom in AD 774 giving him an additional title, King of the Lombards. Although Charlemagne already had four or five wives and several concubines, he married the King’s daughter and banished King Desiderio to a Frankish Monastery for the rest of his life (Pavi still exists today, south of Milan and east Torino in northern Italy).
Pope Adrian I was extremely pleased (to put it mildly) with such a successful campaign, and the return of his papal lands. When Charlemagne visited Rome a few years later, the now new Pope Leo III crowned him “Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”, on Christmas Day AD 800.
When crowned Holy Roman Emperor; the first Emperor in the West in over 300 years, this brought him into conflict with the contemporary Eastern Roman Empire based in Constantinople. With the assumption of the Imperial Title, he is considered the forerunner of the Holy Roman Emperors that lasted until AD 1798, when Napoleon Bonaparte dissolved the Holy Roman Empire.
The European Continent under Charlemagne, from AD 768 to AD 814 changed drastically. Our world also, is changing drastically, in a very similar manner.
We don’t have Charlemagne dressed in iron with a mighty army, instead we hear a deafening tramp, tramp, the marching iron boots of Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum (WEF), followed by the clay feet of the United Nations (UN). These entities are bringing changes, by force, through administration, law, education, military organization and religion — exactly the same as Charlemagne!
We are to live in, “A One World Order,” or as some say, “a restructuring of the global economy.” Powerful men, millionaires, billionaires and oligarchs who have the power and authority, are changing the world into their vision. Earlier this year at the WEF, in Davos, over 100 Nations agreed with them.
Our Lord and Savior left us precious words of comfort for such a time as this. He said,
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deut. 31:6).
Hold on to this precious promise and never let it go, it is for our day and time also. God’s word never fails.
God, who set the boundaries of the nations, is mocked. He is not recognized or even considered in the remotest possible way. There will be a, “New World Order” by their decrees, because they have the power. Nations’ borders are being overrun; not just the United States’ borders. We know the United States will speak as a dragon and the rest of the world will fall into line — hear the tramp, tramp of their marching feet, the men of iron and clay and the sinister power behind them.
The United States Government is now warning of imminent terrorist threats! When that happens, Marshal Law will be declared, (all part of their plan). Do you hear the boots marching? They shout, “prepare, prepare, prepare!” Is it possible the populous will cry out for congress to pass a Sunday Law so the Lord will come to save them?
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God in Him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler” (Ps 91:1-4).
Precious Lord and Savior, we bow at Your feet and pray for strength, faith, and courage to be obedient to your word and your will. Amen
****
Bio: I was born during the Second World War into a loving Adventist Family. We all believed God’s Truth, the Adventist Message. Our family worked to help our church and further the gospel commission. As an adult I spent 37 years working for attorneys. I retired over 6 years ago and moved to the mountains of Colorado where there is peace, beauty and you can almost touch the stars of heaven.
References:
Holy Bible,
Encyclopedia Britannica
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
