An economic powerhouse has risen in the middle of Europe. It has proved to be not only politically stable, grounded in democracy, and a reliable trade partner but also a successful negotiator, problem solver and peace keeper.

Even as global stability is diminishing, “Germany has remained remarkably stable,” explained German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. After World War ii, nobody would have trusted Germany with global leadership. But today, Germany is being pushed to take on more and more of a global leadership role. This change holds colossal consequences for the entire world.

This dramatic shift has taken place in just a few short years. Steinmeier wrote in “Germany’s New Global Role”:

Since 1998, I have served my country as a member of four cabinets and as the leader of the parliamentary opposition. Over that time, Germany did not seek its new role on the international stage. Rather, it emerged as a central player by remaining stable as the world around it changed. As the United States reeled from the effects of the Iraq war and the EU struggled through a series of crises, Germany held its ground. It fought its way back from economic difficulty, and it is now taking on the responsibilities befitting the biggest economy in Europe.

How did such a radical change gain momentum, and what does it mean for our future?

A Leadership Vacuum

“Today both the United States and Europe are struggling to provide global leadership,” wrote Steinmeier. This is largely the result of U.S. President Barack Obama’s foreign policy. Whether it’s because America is withdrawing from leadership positions, leaving power vacuums behind, or from President Obama trying to adapt to new challenges, America’s global role has dramatically changed. This has prompted nations such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea to become increasingly pushy and more belligerent.

Struck by its economic and refugee crises, Europe has not been able to fill the void left by America’s slow withdrawal. Yet Germany is becoming more popular among the nations, who are demanding its leadership. This development is setting Germany up as a leading power. In 2014, Spiegel reported:

Steinmeier and Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen believe that an economic powerhouse like Germany can’t continue to stand on the sidelines. They want to show Germany’s allies that the country can be relied upon.

Germany has proved to the world that it can be relied upon, and Germany itself “has come to realize that it cannot escape its responsibilities.”

Germany—Chief Negotiator

One reason Germany has been given more leadership opportunities is because it has proved to be a successful negotiator, even in the most difficult of conflicts. As the Ukraine crisis escalated, Germany took the lead in the negotiations. Together with French President François Hollande, Chancellor Angela Merkel sat at the negotiation table with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Germany, as the chief negotiator, successfully stabilized the situation, rather than the U.S.

Germany has also taken on a new role in the Middle East. According to Steinmeier, Germany deliberately avoided any involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after World War ii. Today, however, Germany has been increasing its involvement in the region. Steinmeier explained that Germany is seeking peaceful, diplomatic resolutions to conflicts in Syria, Mali, Libya, Iraq, the Balkans and Colombia. It even played a central role in the nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Germany—Reliable Trade Partner

This success in global affairs can be traced back to its trade policies. For example, if Germany hadn’t already been a reliable year-long trade partner, it wouldn’t have been able to negotiate on the same level with Russia. This relationship enabled Germany to play a significant role in the negotiation with Ukraine. Even after sanctioning Russia, the two countries have been improving their relations. A second gas pipeline is being built under the Baltic Sea, which will enable Germany to transport 80 percent of Russia’s Europe-bound gas; Germany remains a key partner when dealing with Russia.

The same is true in negotiations with Iran. Germany produces close to 30 percent of Iran’s industrial infrastructure. Germany knows that these trade relationships are vital for a successful foreign policy and will increase its economic influence.

Germany has become one of the most important trading partners in the Middle East. Not only is it taking a stronger economic role, but also political. Germany is now the third-largest weapons exporter in the world, and its main customers are in the Middle East. This puts Germany in a position of high influence. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble realized that good trade relations with countries in the Middle East and Africa are essential to successful problem solving. N-tv reported (Trumpet translation):

For Schäuble, that means in straight talk: Europe needs to open its markets for products from these regions. “The North Africans demand that if they withhold refugees,” Schäuble said. “But they are right doing so after all.” In the globalized world, it is necessary “to create once again a moderate revolution, a fundamental change without exaggeration.”Actually the rich countries don’t need that much growth any longer, Schäuble explained. “But let us, rather, more strongly promote the emerging economies of the south.”

Germany has not only been gaining more influence in the Middle East but also better relations in Asia. In the near future, another vitally important trade partner will be China. Despite China’s aggressive foreign policy, Berlin and Beijing still seek stronger cooperation with each other. Ms. Merkel advocated a new alliance with China on her latest trip, saying, “[I]f we join together and then get actively involved in the third markets of Africa and in the Asian markets, it would be a multi-profit and strengthen all of us.”

Germany—the Force of Change

Germany uses its economic power to influence and change politics around the world. Yet, for many, Germany’s success as a negotiator and trade leader is not enough; they also want to see Germany lead more military operations. “Germany’s relative economic power is an unambiguous strength,” Steinmeier wrote. ” But some critics see the country’s military restraint as a weakness.”

So far, Germany has expanded its military mission in the Middle East, strengthened its support in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria, and continues to help fight smugglers in the Mediterranean. Germany has even promised to continue supporting the expanded nato mission in the Mediterranean: stopping arms smugglers at the Libyan coast. Despite its former reluctance, Germany now finds it acceptable to engage in any military operation within the framework of nato.

In addition, the U.S. wants to see more German leadership within nato. Last October, von der Leyen announced that Germany will lead nato’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force in 2019. Germany will command over 5,000 troops who could be activated in conflict areas within days.

In an effort to deter Russia and give the Eastern European nations a sense of security, nato agreed to station four battalions in Eastern Europe. Germany agreed to head one of these battalions. Further plans include a closer cooperation with Middle Eastern countries in the fight against the Islamic State, with Germany likely being a valuable contributor.

Germany’s Leadership Lacking a Leader

But all of this still seems to be taking a long time. “If Germany’s partners and allies walk an extra mile for diplomacy and negotiations, Germans want their government to walk one mile further, sometimes to our partners’ chagrin,” wrote Steinmeier. With global threats on the rise, the world wants to see a Germany that is acting instead of debating.

In his article, Steinmeier brings out that Germany went from being called “the sick man of Europe” in 2003, to now being called the “Strong Man of Europe.” Ironically however, Germany is still missing its strongman in its own government. Until it receives a strong leader that’s not afraid to take risks, Germany won’t be able to fully embrace its leadership role.

Germany—the Peacekeeper?

The previous generation of German leaders was much more cautious about using military force. In his article, Steinmeier described how he helped Israel negotiate a ceasefire with Lebanon in 2006. He felt that Germany should back this truce with military force, but he knew that the deployment of German soldiers at Israel’s borders would be a sensitive matter. So, he asked his three predecessors for advice. Only the oldest, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, opposed a military mission because of Germany’s past. So the military mission went ahead, and German warships patrol the coast of Lebanon to this day. As the older generation dies (Genscher died last March) so too does the reluctance to use Germany’s military.

The Bible actually prophesies of Germany taking the lead in the Middle East conflict. Prophecies in Daniel 11 and Luke 21 reveal that German troops will surround Jerusalem after peacefully entering. For this to occur, Germany must present itself as a peacekeeper today. This event will be Germany’s last peace-keeping mission, after which, it will double-cross Israel, the U.S. and Great Britain.

However, the armies surrounding Jerusalem will also trigger a series of events that will lead to the return of Jesus Christ! He will return as the real Peacekeeper and establish Jerusalem as the City of Peace for all eternity. To read more about Germany’s new global role, read “Germany’s Dramatic and Alarming Foreign-Policy Pivot.” For how this will tip the first domino in the lead-up to Christ’s return, read “Watch Jerusalem!”