Military Superpower
“For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me.” [Psalm 44:6]
For about 500 years the Roman Empire was the undisputed military powerhouse that conquered most of the Western world. This was in part due to their heavy investment in their military and war machines. Today, there are about 195 countries in the world, and most spend something for their military budget. Of all these countries, however, the United States of America spends the most, taking up 42 percent of the world’s military expenditures. In other words, almost half of the world’s military investment is made by one country!
If you added up the military budgets of Europe, China, Russia, Japan, the Middle East, Australia, East Asia, and Latin America, you’d still have a sum less than what the United States spends on its armed forces. For example, just in 2010 the United States spent $680 billion on the military, whereas the country in second place, China, spent only $85 billion. Interestingly, while the U.S. military budget accounts for 40 percent of global arms spending, it is made up of 4.06 percent of its GDP, which is more than France’s 2.6 percent and less than Saudi Arabia’s 10 percent. It’s actually low for the United States, which used 37.8 percent of the GDP in 1944. Its lowest point was 3 percent in 1999- 2001. But, of course, the word “low” is a relative term when you look at the huge amount spent. No wonder the United States remains, by far, the most powerfully armed nation on Earth – and the “world’s only military superpower.”
The book of Revelation identifies two beasts in the last days that will try to compel a uniform international worship. It will certainly require a large military to enforce this. The Bible says, “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (Revelation 13:4). In describing the beast of the earth, John wrote, “He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:15). What nation on Earth has the power to enforce such legislation?
