If you had plenty of money and were given the choice to relocate to the country you thought had the brightest future, where would you go?

Not America. On paper the U.S. is a stable, affluent superpower, but in reality it’s morally and economically bankrupt, politically impotent, and obviously past its prime. What about Britain or one of its Commonwealth dominions? Uh-uh, the sun set on them years ago. What about countries where the sun is dawning, like China, India, Brazil or Turkey? Not yet—each still has too much poverty, filth and corruption. You could always move to Europe, the seat of sophistication and culture. Not to France though: There’s a reason thousands of disgruntled citizens recently went on strike, virtually paralyzing the country. Spain, Italy and Greece still have sandy beaches and balmy weather, but with rocketing unemployment and debilitating debt, their future isn’t very bright.

Really, the decision would be simple: Move to Germany.

This is not to say Germany doesn’t have its problems. But of all the countries on this planet, Germany is the one where everything seems to be going right!

Consider its economy. As the rest of the world wallows in high unemployment and massive debt, Germany is weathering the global financial crisis better than any other industrialized nation. Economists are predicting annual economic growth of 3.5 percent in 2010; the German economy expanded in the second quarter at a phenomenal annual rate of 9 percent. Exports are soaring, factories are bustling, which has resulted in the unemployment rate falling to 7.5 percent, the lowest in 18 years. (Elsewhere in the eurozone, unemployment is above 10 percent. Meanwhile, real unemployment in America is nearing 20 percent.)

The reason for Germany’s leap from the economic doldrums is simple: The nation is led by leaders who preach and practice fiscal responsibility.

That’s something Americans are unfamiliar with. Yesterday, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced it would inject another $600 billion into the economy, a decision that will ultimately destroy the dollar and rack up even more debt. Compare this to Germany: Instead of trying to boost its economy by spending money it didn’t have, it opted to cut spending, promote exports and pay off debt. In an interview with Der Spiegel this week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “It is our duty, both legally and morally, to first reduce our massive debt.”

How refreshing: a politician declaring it a moral and legal commitment of the government to reduce debt.

Telling too. It’s no wonder Germany is emerging from the global economic crisis faster than any other country!

A healthy economy is not the only thing going right for Germany. Berlin in recent years, particularly through the financial crisis, has emerged as a regional and international powerhouse. Today it’s the undisputed leader of Europe. “The [financial] crisis has created a new pecking order,” wrote the Economist last month. “Germany, with its high-competitiveness, low-debt economy, is on top. The rest are having to adjust, including France, traditionally a joint leader of the European project” (emphasis mine throughout).

Berlin’s grip on Europe was evident at last week’s EU summit in Brussels. Leading up to the summit, Germany waged a campaign to revise the Lisbon Treaty to create new rules to protect the euro in case of another financial crisis. For weeks the idea didn’t sit well with many European states. But by late Friday night, every single EU member state—many of which adamantly opposed the idea just days earlier—had given in to Germany’s demand. Berlin had to make some small compromises along the way, but in the end it had its way with the rest of the European Union.

“Game, set and match to Angela,” declared the headline in the Economist.

Beyond Europe, everything is going Germany’s way too. Last month, Germany was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Less than two weeks later, it was the German chancellor, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in tow, who conducted important discussions with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about nato and Europe’s security relationship with Russia. Reporting on a follow-up visit by the German foreign minister to Russia last week, the Russian news agency ria Novosti wrote that, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, the representatives from Germany and Russia were meeting to “coordinate their positions in the run-up to a series of top-level meetings, including a nato summit.”

The Kremlin knows who’s in charge of Europe!

So does China. With trade between the two exceeding $100 billion, and Germany being China’s largest and most vital trade partner in Europe, Beijing needs stable ties with the world’s only thriving economy. This week, German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg visited China, where he was wined and dined by Chinese leaders seeking to soothe relations with Berlin. After Guttenberg met with China’s Vice President Xi Jinping yesterday, Chinese media announced that the two had pledged to improve defense ties between their nations.

Germany’s economic success and its rise to tremendous power and influence in the world is no secret. In recent months many experts have documented this trend and posited what they think Germany’s resurgence means for the future of Europe, and the rest of the world. Some have no idea; others have made accurate observations and forecasts. Despite all these conversations, however, none has tapped the ultimate authority on international relations and world events: the Word of God.

Why is everything going right for Germany? What does Germany’s dramatic resurgence mean for Europe and the rest of the world?

The answer is revealed in Isaiah 10: “Ah, Assyria [Germany], the rod of my anger, the staff of my fury! Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets” (verses 5-6, Revised Standard Version). As the Trumpet has long explained, this is a prophecy that God would raise up Germany—the modern-day descendants of ancient Assyria—as the instrument by which He punishes disobedient Israel, the nations of America, Britain and the Jewish state today.

If that sounds far-fetched, then you need to study the history of ancient Assyria. History shows that in 721 b.c., the Assyrian Empire, under the direction of Shalmaneser iii, invaded the region of Samaria, destroyed the city of Samaria and took captive the people. The Bible shows that these people were Israelites, and comprised the northern kingdom of Israel. Referring to these disobedient Israelites, 2 Kings 17 records that “the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers … So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day” (verses 20, 23).

God has raised up the Assyrians once already to be a rod of correction.

Bible prophecy shows that God is once again raising up the Assyrian Empire as a rod of correction!

This is the context in which we must consider Germany’s impressive revival. To be sure, Germany’s success is the result of some wonderful national characteristics. The fiscal sensibility and sound work ethic of the German people is to be admired and copied. Beyond the many admirable traits of the Germans, however, is the hand of God. Truth is, Germany’s rise is powerful evidence of God’s presence in the affairs of this world, of His hand directly shaping world events so that His will and work can be performed.

As Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has written, “Germany’s rise to power is God’s doing,” and although Germany has its own master plan, “the living God has a master plan too!”