In late 2013 Typhoon Haiyan devastated parts of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines (where the storm is called Yolanda). And from the end of the year and into 2014, there has been severe coastal and river flooding in the United Kingdom, along with a string of winter storms with gale-force winds, travel disruptions and power outages.

As 2014 dawned, much of the United States was hit by a "polar vortex" that brought extremely low temperatures to much of the country to an extent not experienced for many years. Even cities such as Atlanta in the nation's south were gridlocked with ice. At the same time, California was experiencing its worst drought in decades.

With ongoing instability in the Middle East and wars breaking out in areas like South Sudan, the world is in an abysmal state.

And with American power waning, other geopolitical contenders are on the rise. In recent news, the European Union (or EU) is still seeking to become a United States of Europe. Could this lead to the final European superpower prophesied in the Bible? Check out our free Bible study aid The Final Superpower to learn more . You may be surprised by its true identity.