ISRAEL - Among 10 Most Powerful Countries
Among countries considered most powerful because they “consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns,” US News & World Report put Israel in tenth place. Top of the list was the United States, followed by China and then Russia.
Israel was tenth in the ranking for countries that have the “Strongest International Alliances,” as viewed by global survey respondents.
Israel’s highest ranking was for its military, which was placed fourth, behind Russia, the US, and China.
As for political influence, Israel was put in sixth place, just behind Germany and ahead of France.
“For its relatively small size, the country has played a large role in global affairs,” it said. “The country has a strong economy, landmarks of significance to several religions, and strained relationships with many of its Arab neighbors.”
-www.timesofisrael.com, 2 January 2023
Arno's Commentary
Despite the fact that the world at large—and particularly Islamic nations—is openly anti-Israel, the wonders of their success continue to multiply.
The question: what is Israel’s future? That requires a twofold answer. First, there is a horrible fulfillment that is yet to happen in the land of Israel. During the Great Tribulation, a supernatural intervention will take place when God sends two of His witnesses: “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3). Verse 10b reports that the world will rejoice when they have been killed: “…because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.” The torment consists of their power to shut up heaven so it doesn’t rain, and turning water into blood. That is one thing, but there is more: they are proclaiming truth, and truth, as we all know, hurts; it torments.
The next question is, where will this take place? Verse 8 answers: “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” That is Jerusalem, the beloved, the city of peace that has become the city of Sodom and of Egypt, which stands for bondage.
Second, the glorious, indescribable truth about the city of Jerusalem is the fulfillment of the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven. Revelation 21:14 declares: “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” This reveals the Jewish origin—the twelve Jewish apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel, as recorded in Revelation 7. That is Israel’s future; the real one, the eternal one.
In the meantime, we must learn not to attach too much weight to what various politicians or politically-motivated movements do or don’t do, as it in no way affects God’s eternal plan for His people, His land, and His city.
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
