WHERE IS AMERICA IN PROPHECY?

There are those who, however peripheral they were to an event, however minor a role they played, make themselves the hero of the story—even if they have to embellish or stretch things to fit themselves in. I am a lover of our U.S.A. and would like to make our nation the hero of every story. She has been the hero of many stories. WWI and WWII are examples. However, as much as I would like to make America the hero, the central actor, the focus of cosmic attention of end-time events, I’m not sure that is possible, however much we embellish or stretch things. During this constant barrage of bizarre crises roiling across our land, I have folks constantly asking me how this and that happening in America fits into Bible prophecy of end-time events. I am slightly flattered to be asked but overwhelmed by my inadequacy and inability to tell them how America or what is happening with and in her fits into prophecy. Others apparently easily find Bible prophecy everywhere happening in America; yet, I cannot find America happening anywhere in Bible prophecy. I do see Bible prophecy in America; for example, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”(2Ti 3:13). Yet, I still don’t see America happening in prophecy. There is a difference. I try to answer folks when asked how America fits in but must admit I’m flummoxed. If I look honesty at Scripture, I really do not see the U.S.A. as a government and world power in Biblical eschatological prophecy at all. There are a few Scriptures that one could pretzel twist to foist America into the end time fray, but those are very limited and require some finagling divergence from good exegesis to read America into the text. Another complicating difficulty is that the U.S.A. is increasingly not looking like The U.S.A. at all. Perhaps, she appears in Bible prophecy in a new transmogrified form. The U.S.A. is used to playing a major, really, THE major, role in world events. I would be quick to remind her many internal haters that the role America has played in the world has largely been a benevolent one, rescuing and building nations, promoting freedom, and responding overly-generously to world calamities, etc. But her past, powerful and prominent role in world events is no promise of her playing a future one. As I prepared this morning’s message, a sermon involving the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a statue representing the successive rise and fall of world empires, I came to the reference of the final Kingdom--the Kingdom of God; it then occurred to me: “I don’t see America anywhere in that train of empires.” History has borne out Daniel’s interpretation. As I went through the procession of nations, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Revived Rome—great empires all, I noted that however mighty each became, they each in succession declined from being a world power. Each empire gave way to the next. Indubitably the USA is The World Power of today. Although I didn’t expect to see America in the Biblical parade of the sequence of empires, I couldn’t keep from asking, “What nation, what kingdom, what world power, will follow America? See, no kingdom has ever lasted. Not one. I think there will be at least two after America: First, there will be the New World Order, the One World Government of the Antichrist. Following that will be Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. Sad as it is, the U.S.A. will not fail to follow the meteoritic trajectory of every other world power. She will decline and be replaced. Without exception, every other empire in turn has been supplanted and replace. Except the last. The last world power will have no successor. No ending. And the last is not the global government of the Antichrist. The last is the Kingdom of God ruled by Christ Himself. I am grateful to be a citizen of the U.S.A. But I am also a citizen of the Kingdom of God—the Kingdom that has no end. That Kingdom I do see in Bible Prophecy. All through it. I may not be able to know where America is in Bible Prophecy. But I can know where I am. I am in the Kingdom that lasts. What a role that Kingdom is going to have. There’s no need to exaggerate or embellish that.

WHERE IS AMERICA IN PROPHECY?

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