America is not mentioned once in the Bible, is suggesting that somehow mutilated or removed from the scene (Glenn Beck, April 2009).
An important question in Bible prophecy is: where is the United States in the end times? I've asked this question so many times that I decided to write a book to address all issues related to the U.S. in Bible prophecy. The book is called The Late Great United States: What Bible Prophecy Reveals about America's Last Days (The Agony of the Great United States: What Bible Prophecy Reveals About the Last Days of America). The thesis of the book is that America is not mentioned in the Bible, either directly or indirectly, and that this silence is significant. Scripture reveals that the major superpower in the end times, at least at the time the middle of the Tribulation will be a reunited Roman Empire (Revelation 13:4). This European dominance can only be explained in light of America's decline.
John Walvoord sees no role for the U.S. at the end of time."Although conclusions regarding the role of America in prophecy of the end times are necessarily tentative, the Scriptural evidence is sufficient to conclude that in those days the U.S. will not be a superpower and apparently does not figure prominently in the political, economic or the religious world. "[1] Charles Ryrie agrees:
The Bible makes it clear the fate of many nations. Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Egypt, Russia, Israel ... But not so with the United States. (...) The silence of the Bible as it relates to the future of the United States may very well mean that they have no role in the drama of the end times. It is not necessary that the name of a nation is mentioned for it to be identified in Bible prophecy. When Ezekiel described the future Russian invasion, he used the phrase "parts of the north" (Ezekiel 38.15). Surely a prophet would have predicted something about those countries or peoples in distant parts of the West if God had intended for them an important role in the Western Hemisphere at the end of time. The fact is that no prophet did ...
Instead, we are led to conclude that the United States will be neutralized, subordinated or eliminated, thereby taking a small role or no role in the political and military affairs of the end times. [2]
To be honest, I do not want to see the United States decline. I love this country, but it seems unlikely that the U.S. will have a key role in end times. But that could reduce America to a subordinate role?What kind of event could cause America to its knees? While we can not speak with certainty about it, since the Bible does not offer a clarification, we can make some assumptions based on some knowledge. Several plausible scenarios fit the current world situation. They may occur individually or in a deadly combination. In the last years have witnessed major developments on three fronts that threaten the continuation of America's role as world superpower. These three areas are the internal moral condition of the U.S., through the external threat of nuclear terrorism, and economic distress of an increasingly smaller role for America and the dollar. Let's look at it shortly some updated data on these areas. I'm afraid the news is not good.
Internal Combustion
Robert Bork in his book Slouching Towards Gomorrah (falling Toward Gomorrah) says: "The American culture is complex and recovers easily. But you must not deny that there are many aspects of almost every branch of our culture that are worse than ever before and that the rot is spreading. " Sad, but true. The national disaster of almost 50% of births of illegitimate children, a pornography industry 12 billion dollars a year, and 50 million abortions since 1973 are terrible scourges on the national landscape.
Moreover, the homosexual movement continues to drive their actions, tragically confirmed the descent more intense into the death spiral of the trial described in Romans 1.24-31. Gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts and Connecticut for some time, and other states to legalize it. The Iowa Supreme Court overturned the state's gay marriage ban in April 2009. Marriages of persons of one sex were legal in Iowa on April 27, 2009. Vermont allows civil unions for gays and lesbians for ten years, became the first state to pass a law sanctioning marriage of same sex. The state legislature had the votes to override the governor's veto.Marriages between same-sex couples will become legal in that state from September 1, 2009. Maine also approved marriages of same-sex. Other states are considering similar legislation as the dominoes continue to fall. The sexual revolution of Romans 1:24-25 was followed with shocking suddenness by the homosexual revolution of Romans 1:26-27.
The ridicule and derision in the Miss California and Miss United States federal hate crimes are two other examples of the rush to silence any speech or action opposed to homosexuality and marriage between same sex. America is suffering from internal bleeding. Huns and Vandals of moral rot are upon us.
The Nuclear Front
The dire threat of a nuclear September 11 is increasing.
Pakistan is in increasing danger of becoming Talibanistan. The Northwest region of the country could already be described as a "small" Talibanistan. There is a real and growing fear that the unstable government in Pakistan could be in danger of falling to the Taliban. The dailymail.co.uk reported that "Pakistan was on the verge of collapse, when the Taliban fighters threatened to overrun the volatile country." The LA Times (May 8, 2009) published an article titled "Pakistan on the Precipice?" General David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, warns that the Taliban pose a threat "to the very existence of the Pakistani state" . The number one priority is to safeguard the U.S. nuclear arsenal to Islamabad.Pakistan's nuclear arsenal totals at least 55 nuclear warheads.Allowing these weapons falling into the hands of the Taliban is not an option. Besides the threat from Pakistan, North Korea continues to taunt the world with its nuclear program, and Iran is close to crossing the nuclear finish line. The dire threat of a nuclear September 11 is increasing.
It's the Economy, Stupid!
Thomas Macauley, a British MP, wrote these wise words in 1857 about the United States: "Your Republic will be as fearfully plundered and laid waste by barbarians in the twentieth century as was the Roman Empire in the fifth century, with this difference - and the barbarians Vandals who ravaged the Roman Empire came out, and his Huns and Vandals will have been engendered within your own country. " Tragically, we are witnessing this today, both in front of the moral and economic.
The economic tsunami is being leveraged by powerful world leaders as an incredible opportunity to dramatically move the world toward a global economy and a global currency. The recent G20 meeting in London, called "The London Summit 2009," confirmed this sharp turn to the left, away from the American prominence towards globalization. On April 6, 2009, Time magazine published the article "Does the Almighty Dollar Doomed?" Chronicles the growing consensus that the dollar's reserve system has its days numbered. The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the days of U.S. primacy over and that "global problems require global solutions." The G20 meeting is the wave of the future. It has been called "the archetype for future global negotiations." "It's the passing of an era," said Robert Hormats, vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International, who helped prepare the summits of presidents Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan."The United States is becoming less dominant while other nations are becoming more influential." [3]
The fact that America's stock is declining is not a big surprise. The national debt of America is now at an unbelievable $ 11 trillion dollars ... and increasing.
The fact that America's stock is declining is not a big surprise. The national debt of America is now at an unbelievable $ 11 trillion dollars ... and increasing. The numbers in the infamous American debt clock near Times Square in New York, have given as many laps as the hands of the electricity meter Clark Griswold [fictional character in the comedy Vegas Vacation, starring Chevy Chase].Major financial institutions were nationalized. Many have noted that America is the road to socialism. The cover story that caught the attention of Newsweek on February 16, 2009 was: "We Are All Socialists Now." That same issue of Newsweek published an article entitled "Big Government Is Back - With Time", which highlights the fact that more and more Americans are looking to the government for financial support. Rights that go from cradle to grave led to what is being dubbed a "nanny state". Thomas Jefferson's words are a stark reminder and a warning: "A government that is big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take from you everything you have." According to the Bible, this is exactly where this all ultimately headed under the Antichrist.
The U.S. recession is having a devastating effect on the social achievements. In 2008, the debt of the United States was 41% of the economy and in 2010 will be 62% of the economy - an increase of 50% in just two years. This kind of debt is unsustainable. The health system is already paying more than receiving. This started happening for the first time last year. The trust fund to meet the health care system will be insolvent by 2017. Social Security will be paying more than it receives in 2016 and will be bankrupt in 2037.Time magazine (March 24, 2008) may be right: "The twenty-first century overturn many of our basic assumptions about economic life. The twentieth century saw the end of European dominance of global politics and economics. The twenty-first century will see the end of American dominance. "
The End of America
Add the Rapture of all these problems and America will become a nation of second category in a snap. The Rapture will change everything! Although there are believers in all nations, the U.S. has a higher percentage of believers than any other nation on earth.Think about the Dow Jones the day after the Rapture. The bank failures. The immediate removal of the salt and light of the United States may be the Final Judgement of God upon America.
What Can We Do?
No one on earth knows when the Rapture will happen and when America will fall. Meanwhile, Americans should not forget to follow the domestic politics of God for their nation, through sincere prayer for her and their leaders (1 Timothy 2:2) and a life of righteousness (Proverbs 14:34), remembering also to comply with the policy of God to foreigners, by sharing the good news with the nations (Romans 10:15) and blessing the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3).We must remember that the fate of a nation ultimately depends on the political, military power, but justice, goodness and mercy. (Pre-Trib Perspectives - Mark Hitchcock - http://www.chamada.com.br)
Dr. Mark Hitchcock is pastor of Faith Bible Church (Faith Bible Church) in Edmond, OK (USA). He is the author of several books on Bible prophecy and a member of the Pre-Trib Study.
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