History has seen many superpowers rise and fall. Since World War II and the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States of America was left as the last remaining superpower-- a nation capable of extending its power and influence to any part of the globe, seemingly at will. But times are changing. The old international order is crumbling. Alliances are changing. And new leaders, nations, and organizations are seeking the throne for themselves.
Political scientists pour over reports and analyses, trying to figure out who will come out on top, yet they all ignore the one source that reveals the future configuration of the world in detail: God's word. The Almighty Creator of heaven and earth revealed the identity of Earth's final superpowers millennia in advance in the prophetic pages of your Bible. And today, we're going to reveal the three end-time superpowers to you. Stay tuned.
♪ Greetings, from all of us here at the Tomorrow's World studio, and from our sponsor, the Living Church of God. At Tomorrow's World, our mission is to help you understand your world through the pages of the Bible. And doing so requires an understanding of Bible prophecy--the only reliable resource concerning what lies ahead in the years to come.
To help you in your own study of prophecy, we're going to give you the chance throughout today's program to request our free resource, Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! Be sure to keep an eye on your screen for the information you need to get your own copy. World War II left civilization with three national powers recognized around the globe as "superpowers": the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union.
However, that conflict was exhausting for the British, and their power to influence world affairs quickly declined-- a decline revealed in the starkest terms in the Suez Crisis of 1956. The Cold War that followed World War II ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, leaving the U.S. as the sole remaining superpower--able to project its influence and power to any location on the face of the earth and unquestioned in its military and economic dominance among the nations of the world.
But, my friends, times change. Yesterday's great empires become today's backwater nations and, in some cases, tomorrow's historical footnotes-- mere memories, of interest only to academics studying the relics of the past. Today, the United States is riven by ideological differences and seems continually fractured into smaller and smaller angry fragments, each finding it harder and harder to live within the same country with the others.
As the U.S. seeks to get its own house in order, nations such as China see an opportunity to exert influence and project their own dominance in directions that the American government would once have never allowed. European nations, such as Germany, who have long looked to the United States and its backing of NATO for a sense of security against the Soviet Union and, later, Russia, no longer have confidence that the U.S. has their backs.
And alliances that stood for generations are now disintegrating, even as long-time enemies-- such as Israel and many Arab nations--reconsider their options in a world where all the old variables are taking on new values.
And all of this is happening in a world that has grown more dangerous than ever-- one in which the massive deployment of drones in the Ukraine-Russia conflict has changed the face of warfare, not to mention the potential impact of advanced biological weapons and the "wildcard" represented by artificial intelligence. The structure and shape of the world is changing right before our eyes. Will the United States remain the superpower for years to come?
Will a rival to the U.S. eventually rise to the top? Or even replace it? Who will be the next superpowers? The answer to that question doesn't have to be a mystery-- because there is a source of knowledge and understanding that the political prognosticators of our day rarely consider, yet it is the only one that has been right each time and every time in its predictions. And that is the word of God--the Holy Bible.
The prophecies of the Bible are like history written in advance--and are inspired by the only One who knows that future with certainty. Look with me in Isaiah 46, beginning in verse 9, where the prophet records God's challenge to mankind...
"Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, "My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure...." What He says is going to happen does happen, without fail, every time. If we want to be able to identify the superpowers of the future, we need only to look to God, the One who reveals the future, and see what He says in His word.
So, where do we look? Well, in World War II, the superpowers were easy to find. You only had to look at where the conflict was raging the hottest, and there you saw them, engaged in battle. So, to identify the end-time superpowers, we need only look where the greatest end-time conflict will take place before the return of Christ. And God's word is utterly clear on that location: the Middle East and the land of Israel.
We see the centrality of Israel and Jerusalem in end-time conflict made plain in Bible prophecy. For instance, look in Zechariah 12:2... "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though All nations of the earth are gathered against it."
What a testimony to God's word that Israel was re-established as a nation in 1948. And as prophecy foretold, it remains at the center of world affairs. God long ago prophesied that the nations of the world would not be able to solve the challenge of Israel and Jerusalem--and, no, even current peace treaties, agreements, and alliances will not solve it.
So, if Jerusalem, Israel, and the surrounding region represent the stage for the final acts of mankind before Christ's return, then the three final superpowers are the actors who will occupy that stage in the end-times. We'll begin to reveal their identities in our next segment. Before we do that, let me pause to give you a chance to request today's free resource, Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! The Book of Revelation is Jesus Christ's own road map for what lies ahead before His return.
You need to understand it. Request your copy of Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! right now, and I'll be back in a moment to reveal the three superpowers that will dominate the world before Christ's return. Don't miss it. ♪ This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. Call now! Or go to... ♪ Welcome back. So, what military powers does the Bible reveal will be contending over the Holy Land?
Many biblical prophecies combine to give us the details of the end-time scenario. For instance, in Daniel's book of prophecy, we see that a dominating economic and military power he calls the King of the North will storm through the Middle East. It will be provoked by a rival power he calls the King of the South.
The King of the North will press against the King of the South, enter its territory conquering and pillaging, until it is troubled by news it hears of incredibly massive armies on the other side of the Euphrates.
After much conflict, the river Euphrates is miraculously dried up, allowing these two powers, the King of the North and the Massive Force from the East to meet on the hill of Megiddo--at what is called, in Hebrew, Armageddon--and they gather there for what God calls in Revelation 16:14... "the Battle of that Great Day of God Almighty." The devastation unleashed by these military forces in their conflicts leading up to the final battle is prophesied to kill "a third of mankind."
In today's terms, a third of humanity would be more than two billion people. The conflicts to come between these superpowers will be horrific--so horrific that Jesus Christ warns all of us in Matthew 24:22 that "no flesh would be saved" alive unless "those days were shortened" by God's intervention. And we should thank God that He will intervene. So, who are these superpowers-- the King of the North, the King of the South, and the massive armies from the East?
Well, first, we have to recognize that such compass directions in prophecy--north, south, and east--are determined from the perspective of Israel and Jerusalem, the land of the prophets. With this in mind, the massive forces from the East are perhaps the easiest to find candidates for. Revelation 16:12 refers to these as "the kings from the east," implying a multinational coalition of some sort.
Revelation 9:16 describes the armies from that region, on the other side of the Euphrates, as being "two hundred million" strong. There are very few nations in the world that could muster such an army in the foreseeable future. Of them, there are two obvious candidates: China and India--both of which lie east of Israel and of the Euphrates River. Combined, these two nations contain more than one-third of the entire population of the world--one out of every three human beings on Earth.
These facts, along with their geographic position, make them strong candidates for being contributors to the collective armies of the East. No doubt, other peoples east of the Euphrates River will contribute, as well--such as Iran (or Persia in Bible prophecy), portions of modern Russia, North and South Korea, and Japan. All are candidates as additional partners in this combined Eastern superpower, creating one of the largest military coalitions the world has ever seen.
Next, let's consider the King of the North. This terrifying individual is more commonly known as "the Beast of Revelation," and we discuss him in far more detail in today's free offer, Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! Don't forget to request your free copy. But for now, let's look at a portion of what prophecy says of this individual and his kingdom. In Daniel 2, we read of a great prophetic image that symbolized four successive world powers, beginning with the Babylon of Daniel's day.
The fourth world empire pictured by the legs of iron in that image is the Roman Empire and its various, successive revivals throughout history--such as the reigns of Charlemagne, Napoleon, and Mussolini. The feet of the image made of iron and clay symbolize the final, end-time revival of the Roman Empire that will exist in power at the time of Christ's return. We read of these feet, beginning in Daniel 2:41...
"Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay."
This end-time power will be "partly strong and partly fragile" because its component parts do not naturally adhere together, just as iron and clay do not. As this very ministry has explained for the better part of a century, the current seeds of what will become the Revived Roman Empire can be found in today's European Union and will be led by a resurgent Germany.
Now, to be frank, we've been ridiculed for this stance over the years--after all, since World War II, Europe has relied heavily on the United States for military support and protection, and Germany has been so burdened by its past in World War II that it seemed almost too ashamed to build a massive military presence. But as the Apostle Paul says in the book of Romans... "[L]et God be true [and] every man a liar". And, as usual, current events are catching up to prophecy.
Spurred by conflict between Russia and Ukraine and their concern the United States is turning its back on them, Europe and Germany have suddenly begun taking dramatic actions to seize their own military destiny. In 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
"We are in an era of rearmament, and Europe is ready to massively boost its defence spending," and proposed mobilizing up to 800 billion euros--almost one trillion U.S. dollars-- in defense spending. For Germany's part, the office of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced in December 2025: "We are sending a signal to the (NATO) alliance and
Germany is leading the way. We are fulfilling our obligations to the alliance and accepting our responsibility for security and peace in Europe." Now this was after the German government had just authorized 50 billion euros to be spent on military upgrades.
Earning much of that money will be Germany's biggest defense contractor, Rhinemetall--the same major manufacturer of arms for Germany during both World War I and World War II, and which is now expanding arms factories across Europe and building new ones. Once again, the forges of war are igniting across Europe. But what of the prophecy that the kingdom of the north, the revived Roman Empire, will be a mixture of iron and clay that has difficulty adhering?
Truly, unity in the European Union has historically been a huge challenge, and it remains so today. What force will be able to bind these nations together to truly empower the King of the North, the coming Beast of Revelation? That binding power will come from a common religion, and an unholy alliance of church and state. This prophesied union between the Beast of Revelation and a global, counterfeit Christianity is explained in today's free offer, Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!
If the book of Revelation has always seemed a mystery to you, then you need this free resource, which explains all of its symbols and reveals its hidden meanings, so that the years just ahead of us become as clear to you as today's headlines. Request your free copy right now, and I'll be back not only to reveal the King of the South, but also the mystery of the missing superpowers of the end-time--a mystery that explains a great deal about the news today. Don't miss it.
♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight- forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... ♪ We've identified two of the three end-time superpowers: the collection of a massive military force powered by nations east of the Euphrates, and a revived Holy Roman Empire centered in Europe. But what of Daniel's prophesied King of the South? Again, we look to Jerusalem and the Holy Land to understand directional references.
The prophesied Kings of the East are just that: nations and peoples that lie east of Jerusalem. Now, if you draw a horizontal line at Jerusalem, you'll notice that Europe lies above that line--in latitudes north of Jerusalem on the globe. So, what nations do we see south of Jerusalem? Some have sought to identify the King of the South with Iran, given the frequent trouble that nation has sought to cause for modern Israel. But look at our map...
Iran, or Persia as it is called in Scripture, is not south of Israel, but east.
Don't try to interpret the Bible based on current events. Eventually, current events always catch up to the Bible. As the late evangelist John Ogwyn writes in today's free offer, Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! "We have to let the Bible interpret itself, rather than trying to read our own preconceived notions or current world events back into the text. Only in this way can we see Bible prophecies in their proper context." That is, don't try to cram the news into the Bible.
The Bible interprets itself. And, in the case of the nations behind the King of the South, we read details in Daniel's prophecy if we'll simply read them. For instance, turn to Daniel 11, and let's begin reading in verse 40... "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.
He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels."
Daniel 11 pictures the wrath of the King of the North against the King of the South being directed at nations of northern Africa. It is worth noting that today's League of Arab States lies primarily south of Jerusalem, and key nations of these Arab states, such as Egypt, face the wrath of the European King of the North in the years to come. Now does that mean that the current Arab League is the prophesied King of the South? Of course not.
With the topsy-turvy nature of alliances today--not to mention the historic volatility of relations between Arabic nations--much can happen in the years just ahead. But the Islamic nature of the nations south of Jerusalem, plus the historic conflict between so-called Christian Europe and Islamic peoples, as in the Crusades, is a detail worth noting as these end-time conditions come together.
And rest assured, there will be a unified power of nations south of Israel that will be powerful enough to provoke the European superpower to great wrath--as these three leviathans of end-time prophecy compete for global dominance. So, in the last days leading up to the return of Christ, we see a counterfeit-Christian, European superpower, a massive military superpower alliance to the east of Israel and the Euphrates, and an Islamic superpower involving nations of North Africa and others.
But note--what's missing in all of this? Or, perhaps more accurately, who is missing in all of this? After all, can you imagine a major conflict involving superpowers today that does not involve, in some way, the United States? Where is the U.S. in this great, end-time conflict?
the United States, the United Kingdom, and other British-descended nations will find themselves to be superpowers no longer--utterly bereft of power and influence on the world stage and, frankly, subjugated nations, crushed, dissected, and replaced by the very nations we've discussed today. I know that it's hard to believe given the dominating presence of the U.S. today. But let there be no doubt: God's word is sure.
These three powers-- the King of the North, the King of the South, and the armies of the East--will rise. And in today's headlines, we see seeds of their rise to power being planted. But, in reality, there is a fourth superpower to consider-- one we've barely mentioned, but one which is prophesied to crush those that we've discussed today. We'll reveal this "bonus" superpower in our last segment.
But first, let me give you one more opportunity to request today's free offer, Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! This free resource makes the mysterious last book of the Bible clear and easy to understand. The Beast of Revelation, the Antichrist, the Two Witnesses, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and the Great Tribulation... All of them are explained in this one, easy-to-read booklet--and all of that understanding is yours for the having, for no cost whatsoever.
Just call, write, or click for your own free copy of Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! and I'll be right back to reveal the fourth and final superpower. ♪ This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. Call now! Or go to... ♪ We said at the conclusion of the previous segment that there is one more superpower to consider in addition to these three--the final superpower to grace the world stage. We read of it in Daniel 2.
We read there earlier of the revived Roman Empire that was symbolized by the feet of a statue, composed of iron and clay. This statue was seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream-- a dream explained to him by the prophet Daniel. In this dream, this final, carnal, end-time worldly superpower is destroyed in a spectacular manner... "You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth."
Daniel later explains to Nebuchadnezzar that the stone from heaven, cut without hands, that would crush the worldly superpowers of this world is the Kingdom of God that will come with the returning Jesus Christ. And the reign of Christ will spread to the entire earth. But unlike the superpowers of today, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, will not seek to enrich Himself, or selfishly control the world for His own benefit.
Rather, He will bring the peace, joy, and true prosperity that all people and nations have always desired but could never achieve. In fact, as we close, let's turn to Isaiah 19:24 and look into a small window at the peace the world will enjoy under that final superpower...
"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."
When you understand that Assyria in prophecy is modern Germany, you see that this is a beautiful picture of nations once connected with the King of the North and the King of the South, now working alongside the people of Israel, with all three of them claimed as His own by Almighty God and His Son. What a glorious day of peace Jesus Christ will bring to this world, when all human superpowers--past, present, and future--will be replaced forever by the Kingdom of God for all eternity.
I hope you'll join us here at Tomorrow's World in praying that that day will soon come. I hope, too, that you will join us again next week. When you do, Gerald Weston, Rod McNair and I will be right here with you, ready to share the true teachings of Jesus Christ, the inspiring hope of the coming Kingdom of God, and the prophetic warnings of Almighty God for our time today. Until then, take care. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to...
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. The preceding program is produced by the Living Church of God.