Poland Rises as One of Europe’s ‘Ten Kings’
“Poland is rapidly becoming the new central European superpower,” wrote the United Kingdom’s Telegraph on May 7. “Poland Is on the Verge of Becoming a Great Power,” UnHerd wrote on May 5. The Wall Street Journal called Poland the “indispensable nato ally.” In March, Germany’s Taggesschau headlined “Poland Upgrades Army at Turbo Speed.”
Analysts are increasingly declaring Poland to be Europe’s next superpower. What’s behind the hype?
In January, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck announced that his country would increase its defense spending to 4 percent of its gross domestic product. Its new budget stands at $30 billion or 4.3 percent of gdp, making it the highest proportion of any nato member. Over the next five years, its number of soldiers is expected to increase to as many as 300,000, with an additional 50,000 in reserves. This would mean Poland would have the largest land force in the European Union, followed by France with 200,000 front-line troops.
Additionally, Poles are more willing to join the army. “The Poles have a much more positive attitude toward their military than Germany because they had to fight for their freedom,” said Gustav Gressel, a former Austrian military officer and security scholar. “In military circles, no one questions the quality of the Polish Army.”
In 2019, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said that Poland wants to join the European Main Battle Tank project, an initiative spearheaded by France and Germany. In recent years, however, Poland has turned to the United States, Britain and South Korea for lucrative weapons deals. Nonetheless, Germany and France are likely happy with Poland’s investments as it provides a powerful buffer between them and the Russian bear, giving them an opportunity to focus on military innovation rather than national defense.
Poland’s economy is one sixth the size of Germany’s, so Germany’s leadership position isn’t in imminent danger. Yet Poland’s economic rise is also something to behold. “On its current path, Poland is on track to become wealthier than Britain by 2030 thanks to a post-Communist economic miracle,” the Telegraph wrote. “The country has become a hotbed for future-facing industries such as battery manufacturing and tech.”
While not yet one of the largest European economies, Poland’s rise is a dramatic fulfillment of a key Bible prophecy. On Aug. 27, 1980, Mr. Armstrong asked: “Will Poland free itself from Soviet domination and join with Yugoslavia, Romania and possibly Czechoslovakia—and with Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Austria—in a resurrected medieval ‘Holy Roman Empire’ to dominate Europe and equal the ussr and the U.S.A. in world power?” All of these countries are part of the EU or, in the case of some, Balkan states on their way to EU membership.
What’s more, since that was written, Poland has not only broken from Soviet rule but is also rising economically, militarily and religiously. In fact, more than most countries in Europe, the Polish government and the Catholic Church are working in close cooperation—this too was a key feature of the Holy Roman Empire (read “Is Poland a Catholic Theocracy?”).
Mr. Armstrong warned of a resurrected medieval Holy Roman Empire soon to rise. This power is prophesied in Daniel 2 and Revelation 17. “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Revelation 17:12-13). This is a frightening development that you need to understand.
To learn more, request a free copy of He Was Right.