For the third year in a row, Germany is the world champion in exports. The numbers speak for themselves. In 2005, German companies exported €786 billion worth of goods, a 7.5 percent increase over 2004. One third of Germany’s gross domestic product comes from exports. The export surplus was €160.5 billion, the largest in post-war history.

Germany is also a powerhouse on the investment side: Since 2000, American investors have poured more than €100 billion into Germany—the highest concentration of American investment anywhere outside the U.S. itself. About 2,000 American businesses have commitments in Germany.

The president of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce—which has 3.5 million member companies—referred to Germany as a “global hub” and said the nation has “a good chance of becoming a kind of competence center in many technology fields.”

That prediction is certainly in line with Bible prophecy. In Revelation 18 we read of the power of the merchants influencing the development of the end-time European combine. With Germany at its core, this European power will be the economic hub for the world.

The reality is that many of these globalist financiers and businessmen are already strongly attached to the fulfillment of the Teutonic vision of the resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. They are described as the “great men of the earth” in Revelation 18:23. We ought to remember that twice in the past century, such merchants marched in step with the military—with devastating results.