United States in Prophecy
John Hoole - April 10, 2011
One of the more frequent questions I am posed is what the Bible says about the United States in End Times prophecy. Bible prophecy reveals much about the end times, yet the United States seems conspicuously absent from the picture foretold by the prophets. Given the seeming nearness of the return of Christ, this is difficult for many to understand. After all, the United States is currently the most powerful and influential nation on earth. How then can it play no role in the end time events?
Before we take a look at the United States and where it may be mentioned in Bible prophecy, let's briefly look at what the Bible has to say about God's dealing with all nations in general.
Job 12:23 NIV
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
Why do relatively young nations suddenly risen to global prominence, while once-powerful nations with long and glorious histories have receded into the backwaters of world affairs? Surprising answers to these questions can be found in a source that the leaders of nations rarely consult. Over and over we read in the Bible how God governs the rise and fall of nations.
Acts 17:24-26 NIV
24 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
Ray Stedman, noted pastor and author, once traveled to England to speak at a Bible conference. The church sanctuary was filled with people eager to hear this well-known teacher. The service began with singing and praise to the Lord. One of the songs was the chorus "Our God Reigns."
Stedman was seated on the platform next to the pastor. And as they were singing, Stedman glanced down at the song sheet and began to smile. Then he started to laugh. The words on the song sheet had been mistyped, and the congregation was belting out the words "Our God Resigns."
That's one of those funny-but-painful stories, isn't it? Sometimes we look at the world around us and conclude that God must have resigned. We need to remind ourselves that God is indeed enthroned in heaven, reigning over all. And we must never forget that God is still on His throne, ruling over the nations of the world.
Since God does indeed rule over all, He determines the existence and destiny of the nations of this world. And although the Bible does not give us information about many of the nations in history and in prophecy, it does clearly discuss the final destiny of many of them.
At least 15 different nations can find their futures in the pages of Scripture as clearly as if they were in a history book: And, indeed, they are, for history is HIS-STORY. Here is a list of nations about which the Bible plainly states their future.
• Israel
• Jordan (Ammon, Moab, and Edom)
• Egypt
• Sudan (Cush)
• Russia (Rosh)
• Iran (Persia)
• Iraq (Babylon)
• Europe (Reunited Roman Empire)
• Central Asia (Magog)
• Syria
• Greece
• Saudi Arabia (Sheba and Dedan)
• Libya (Put)
• Lebanon (Tyre)
• Turkey
God is in control of each nation's destiny. He has a plan for each one. This is true of the United States as well. Nearly every nation assumes it is going to continue its existence forever. Its leaders make decisions and conduct their business under this assumption. But the fact of the matter is......nations rise and fall. It is a two-way street.
• The might of ancient Babylon lasted only 86 years.
• The powerful Persian Empire did better - 208 years.
• The glory of Greece was snuffed out after 268 years.
• Mighty Rome ruled for over 600 years, then fell.
• The British Empire endured for about 250 years.
The United States of American is about to celebrate her 235th anniversary, and if we make it to a tri-centennial, we will beat the average. Our pledge of allegiance to the flag boldly declares that the United States is "one nation under God." To be correct, EVERY nation in the world could write this phrase into its pledge, for all nations are really under God. Many do not realize it, but the fact remains.
Romans 13:1 NIV
13 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
In Daniel 4:30, King Nebuchadnezzar said: "is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty/"
King Nebuchadnezzar stands as one of the great men of history for his role in creating the worldwide glory of Babylon 600 years before Christ. But, though he was brilliant and daring, a man of force and decision, this king had to learn one lesson the hard way.
At the zenith of his power, King Nebuchadnezzar went insane. Why? Because he needed to learn an important lesson from the King of kings. He needed to realize that God, "the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever he wishes" (Daniel 4:25). That is a difficult lesson for any ruler or nation to learn. In Nebuchadnezzar's case, God had to humble him to the place of insanity in order to drive home the point. When his sanity at last returned, he had learned his lesson. Listen to how his words have changed.
Daniel 4:34-35 NIV
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
But what about the United States? As I mentioned earlier, this is a question I have received often. The United States is the fourth largest country in the world, both in area and population. No one disputes the fact that America has a unique history during which it became, and continues to be a preeminent feature in global affairs. In less than a quarter of a millennium it has become a nation unlike any other in the history of the world. In many respects, it rivals nations with much longer histories. Rarely does anyone ask, "How does Mexico, or Canada, or Chile fit into Bible prophecy?" The United States has a strong Christian heritage and is currently the world's only superpower. Since many Christians believe that we are near the end of the age, it is hard to envision a prophetic scenario which excludes America. Yet, other nations are the focus of biblical prophecy.
There are no specific references to the United States in Bible prophecy. However, there are biblical statements about what the nations in general will be doing during the tribulation period. Passages like Haggai 2:6-7, Isaiah 66:18-20 and Zechariah 12:2-3 speak of end time events in which all nations of the world will be involved. Such statements would of course include the United States if we are still a nation at the time. But such biblical statements do not teach us anything specifically about America in prophecy.
The United States has the highest standard of living. The United States is rich in many natural resources, in technology, education opportunities, and, at times, our country has seemed invincible. But we live in a smaller world today, where events like what is happening in the Middle East, as well as the huge earthquake in Japan, has immediately affected the U.S.
What does the Bible say? What lies ahead for this great country? The Bible seems to be so silent, having nothing or little to say about our nation. At least, it speaks of nothing we can say without a doubt refers to the United States. Today, I want us to look at some possibilities where the U.S. may be in Bible prophecy, and then I am going to give you some possible reason why the U.S. may be totally absent from Bible prophecy altogether.
Let's start with some suggested possibilities. I am going to concentrate on 5 of them, although others have been proposed.
1. Babylon, as mentioned in Revelation 17 & 18, is the United States.
One commonly cited thought regarding America in Bible prophecy is Babylon. Here is one passage often used:
Revelation 17:1-2 (NLT)
1 One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. "Come with me," he said, "and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters.
2 The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality."
The Untied States certainly rules over many waters, and our export of morally degenerate aspects of our media and culture have not served the world well. Since the terrorist attack on 9/11/01, I heard a prophecy teacher make the claim that America, and specifically, New York City, is Babylon the Great mentioned in Revelation 17 & 18.
He stated that the fall of the World Trade Center was a partial fulfillment of Bible prophecy. To support his conclusion, he also cited Revelation 18:9-11.
Revelation 18:9-11 NKJV
9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,
10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'
11 "And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
The preacher went on to vividly describe how New York City is the great commercial capital of the world, and how the whole world could see the smoke of her burning on September 11. He also spoke of how the merchants wept over the city, and how she was destroyed in "one hour."
Those holding the view that America is the Babylon spoken of in Revelation go to great lengths and showing the similarities between New York City and Babylon the Great. But they rarely discuss the major differences between the two.
I believe that neither America nor New York City is the Babylon of Revelation 17 & 18. For one thing, Babylon in these chapters is presented as a wicked city (not a nation) that persecutes God's people, especially the prophets and saints (See Rev. 17:6; 18:24).
Though we may agree that New York City has a great deal of wickedness, as do all big cities, it has consistently been a safe haven to which Jews and Christians from all over the world have been able to flee in order to escape persecution. Another reason I don't think Babylon is America or New York City is that there is a better theory for identifying the Babylon of the book of Revelation. I believe that Revelation 17 & 18 is referring to a literal, rebuilt city of Babylon in modern day Iraq.
At the end of the Tribulation, God will visit the city of Babylon and destroy it. There are six reasons I think this theory is best.
1. Six times in Revelation, the great city that is described as the last-days capital of Antichrist is specifically called Babylon.
(See Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21)
While it is possible that the name Babylon is a code name for Rome, New York City, Jerusalem or some other city, nothing in the text indicates that it is to be taken figuratively or symbolically. Therefore, it is best to take it as a reference to literal Babylon.
2. Babylon, as a literal city, is mentioned more than any other city in the Bible except Jerusalem.
The city of Babylon is mentioned as a literal city some 290 times in the Bible. And whenever it is mentioned is Scripture, Babylon is pictured as the epitome of evil and rebellion against God. Babylon is Satan's capital city on earth.
a) Babylon is the city where man first began to worship himself in an organized rebellion against God. (See Genesis 11:1-9).
b) Babylon was the capital city of the first world ruler, Nimrod (See Genesis 10:8-10; 11:9).
c) Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 B.C.
d) Babylon was the capital city of the first four Gentile world empires to rule over Jerusalem.
The city of Babylon is often pictured in the Bible as Satan's capital city on earth. It makes sense, then, that in the end times he will once again raise up this city as the capital of the final world ruler.
In Charles Dyer's excellent book, The Rise of Babylon, he says this:\
"Throughout history, Babylon has represented the height of rebellion and opposition to God's plans and purposes, so God allows Babylon to continue during the final days. It is almost as though He "calls her out" for a final duel. But this time, the conflict between God and Babylon ends decisively. The city of Babylon will be destroyed."
3. A literal Babylon would fit the criteria laid out in Revelation 17-18.
Respected New Testament scholar Robert Thomas notes:
"Babylon on the Euphrates has a location that fits this description politically, geographically, and in all the qualities of accessibility, commercial facilities, remoteness of interferences of church and state, and yet centrality in regards to the trade of the whole world."
4. The Euphrates River is mentioned by name twice in Revelation (See 9:14; 16:12).
In Revelation 9:14, the text states that four fallen angels are being held at the Euphrates River. They are mentioned as awaiting their appointed time to lead a host of demons to destroy one-third of mankind.
In Revelation 16:12, the sixth bowl of judgment is poured out and dries up the Euphrates River to prepare the way for the kings of the east.
These references to the Euphrates River - a literal, geographic place - points to the fact that something important and evil is occurring there. The rebuilt city of Babylon on the Euphrates, functioning as both a religious and political center for the Antichrist, is a good explanation for this emphasis on the Euphrates River in Revelation.
5. Zechariah 5 indicates that Babylon will literally exist as a city in the End Times.
The incredible vision found in Zechariah 5:5-11 supports the idea that Babylon in Revelation is a rebuilt city in Iraq.
Zechariah 5:5-11 NKJV
5 Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, "Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth."
6 So I asked, "What is it?" And he said, "It is a basket that is going forth." He also said, "This is their resemblance throughout the earth:
7 Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket";
8 then he said, "This is Wickedness!" And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth.
9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.
10 So I said to the angel who talked with me, "Where are they carrying the basket?"
11 And he said to me, "To build a house for it in the country of Babylonia; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base."
The prophet Zechariah was writing in about 520 B.C., some twenty years after the fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persians. He saw evil returning to its original place in the future. The prophet reveals exactly where the epicenter of the end times false religion will geographically be located.
Zechariah sees a woman who is named Wickedness. Then he sees this woman carried away in a basket during the last days to the land of Babylonia, where a pagan temple will be built for her. The parallels between Zechariah 5 and Revelation 17-18 are striking.
In these passages, God's Word seems to be teaching us that in the end times, wickedness will again rear its ugly head in the same place it began - Babylon. Once again, this place will be the geographical epicenter of the end times false religion.
6. Isaiah 13 and Jeremiah 50-51 predict Babylon's sudden destruction
These passages prophecy that the city of Babylon will be suddenly and completely destroyed. Since this has never happened, it is reasonable to conclude that these Scriptures refer to a future city of Babylon that will be totally destroyed in the Tribulation. Additionally, in Jeremiah 50-51, both Babylon and the Euphrates River are described. There are many parallels between the prophecies of Jeremiah and the apostle John.
Because of these reasons, I believe that Babylon in Revelation 17-18 is NOT New York City are America. I believe that the ancient city of Babylon will be rebuilt in Iraq in the last days, and it will serve as the religious and commercial capital for the Antichrist's empire. Wickedness will return to this place for its final stand. But, finally Babylon will fall, never to be revived again.
2. The United States are among the young lions of Ezekiel 38:13
This is probably the major view among Bible prophecy teachers today.
Ezekiel 38:13 NKJV
13 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, 'Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?'"'
These countries are speaking to the nations which are invading Israel. They are protesting the actions of Gog, of the land of Magog, and all her allies as they invade Israel. Their protest is in the form of a question, but speaks of no intervention on their part.
Who is Sheba and Dedan. They are not difficult to identify. They are located in the modern nation of Saudi Arabia. Sheba and Dedan are said to be in alignment with the "merchants of Tarshish." But their protest does not mean they go into armed conflict.
Who are the merchants of Tarshish? Tarshish is mentioned 28 times in the Old Testament. 9 of those times is accompanied by a reference to ships or a navy. It appears that Tarshish is a maritime nation.
But, still, Tarshish is not as easy to identify as Sheba and Dedan. For most theologians, there are two possibilities.
ONE - there is some indication from history that Tarshish is Spain. Many scholars believe that Tarshish is ancient Tartessus in present day Spain. Tartessus was a wealthy, flourishing colony of the Phoenicians. According to Jeremiah 10:9 and Ezekiel 27:12, 25, it exported silver, iron, tin, and lead.
TWO - Tarshish is the British Isles or all of western Europe. Psalm 72:10 (NLT) speaks of the "western kings (plural) of Tarshish and the islands..." Therefore, Ezekiel may have been using Tarshish as a way of representing the nations of western Europe.
What has this to do with the United States? Let's consider this suggestion a little further. But notice that Tarshish, in Ezekiel 38:13, is not alone - and I am not speaking of Sheba and Dedan. The merchants of Tarshish are accompanied by "their young lions." The young lions, according to this view, could be a reference to the colonies that emerged from Europe. If this is true, then the young lions of Tarshish could include the United States.
Several well-known prophecy teachers favor this view. These would include Ed Hindson, Jack Van Impe, and David Allen Lewis. From an honest point of view, I don't know whether this is referring to the United States. From an accuracy point of view, if the merchants of Tarshish include Western Europe, then this Passage certainly implies the United States as one of the young lions. If this view is correct, then we comprise a group of nations which protest the invasion of Israel, but in fact do nothing or little about it.
Although I am hesitant to believe that the young lions of Tarshish is a reference that includes the United States, I concede that of all the passages in the Bible that could refer to the United States, this is by far the best one.
3. The Great Eagle mentioned in Revelation 12:13-14
Revelation 12:13-14 NKJV
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
There are some who point to the great eagle in verse 14 and say that must represent the United States since the eagle is our national symbol. Let's look at the context of this short chapter in Revelation.
Let me first identify the characters depicted in these verses. The DRAGON is none other than Satan, as we read three verses earlier - verse 9. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
But who is the woman and the male child? If you were a follower of the Christian Science cult, the woman is Mary Baker Eddy. Eddy was the founder of Christian Science. And she is said to have given birth to the male child - the Christian Science movement. And the Dragon, she says, is our mortal human mind that is ready to devour the teaching set forth in her book, "Science and Health." This view has absolutely no biblical basis.
So, who really is this woman? The woman is described at the beginning of Revelation 12, where she is said to be "clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars on her head."
You have heard me say in past lessons that all of the symbols used in the book of Revelation can be found elsewhere in the Bible. The Bible is its own best commentary. And the symbols used to describe the woman in Revelation 12 is seen in the Old Testament story of Joseph.
In Genesis 37, Joseph had a dream where he saw the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down before him. The sun represented his father, Jacob; The moon symbolized his mother, Rachel; The eleven stars were his brothers. The woman here is the nation of Israel.
The 12th chapter continues to speak of this woman being pregnant, near full term, ready to deliver. In verse 5 we read: "And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. "
The statement that the Child will "rule all nations with a rod of iron" clearly identifies Him as the promised Messiah. The same words are used of Him in Psalm 2.
7 You are My Son, today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'"
In this Psalm, we are told that the Messiah will rule with a rod of iron. That is the same phrase as is found in Revelation 12.
Now, back to our original question: Who or what is represented by the Great Eagle in verse 14? As we read a moment ago, we are told the woman was given "two wings of a great eagle." To say this is the United States is based solely on the fact that the eagle is a symbol of America. But again, this passage needs to be interpreted in a biblical context.
I think we can show that the great eagle is a reference to God, not the United States. Let's look at a couple of Scriptures that use the same symbols. It reminds us of past protection of the Israelites.
Exodus 19:4 NKJV
4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself.
At the beginning of the Exodus from Egypt, God "bore the Israelites on eagles' wings." Moses once again later writes in Deuteronomy to remind the Jews of their deliverance.
Deuteronomy 32:11-12 NASU
11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His wings.
12 The Lord alone guided him, and there was no foreign god with him.
God's care for Israel is like the eagle who takes care of its young ones. The Lord provides for His people. In order to see the United States in this passage, one must employ some creative and imaginative interpretation. It is God that comes to the aid of His chosen people.
4. Britain and its colonies, including America, form the 10 lost tribes of Israel
This view is more commonly called "British Israelism." I don't want to spend a great deal of time on this view. I would have to characterize it as a little cultic.
This view holds that the United States is simply the restored state of Israel. But when you look at this argument, it doesn't stand the searchlight of Scripture. They believe Bible passages like Ezekiel 36 & 37 are speaking about the United States. They hold that Israel was destroyed in 70 A.D. by God for her disobedience and sin.
By the way, a lot of the early immigrants to this country actually believed this. For many of them, this country was called the "New Israel."
In a certain sense, our country has been blessed by the Lord. We have enjoyed prosperity and freedom and a wonderful history for some 235 years. So, when trying to assess whether or not the United States is mentioned in Bible prophecy, perhaps our opinions are driven by our feelings about our nation and ourselves, more than they are to the facts as related in the Bible.
Are the 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel really lost?
The whole concept of this theory rests upon the supposition that the ten tribes were lost. If it can be proven that this is not true, everything else these advocates say is to no avail. And the fact is that the ten tribes of Israel were never lost. I believe the term "lost tribes" is a misnomer.
To prove that the ten tribes were never lost does not require us to go outside the Bible. There are, however, non-biblical evidences that show the error of British Israel proponents. But, for now let's stick strictly with the Bible.
Most of you probably have some idea that during the first three kings of Israel - Saul, David, Solomon, Israel consisted of twelve tribes, each with a territory of land assigned to it. In addition, the tribe of Levi was actually the thirteenth tribe, but they were given not land inheritance.
After these three kings - following the reign of Solomon - the kingdom split. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon became king, but 10 tribes revolted against his rule. They chose Jeroboam to be their king. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin stayed under Rehoboam. This kingdom was called Judah. The remaining tribes under Jeroboam were called Israel, although, at times, the names Ephraim and Samaria were used to denote all 10 tribes.
The northern kingdom endured for about 210 years, and was ruled by 19 wicked kings from 9 different families. Not one of their kings was godly, and this northern kingdom engaged is the most depraved idolatrous worship. This Northern Kingdom was taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 721 b.c.
On the other hand, the other two tribes retained the descendants of David as their king. During the next 3+ centuries, this Southern Kingdom of Judah experienced three great revivals. The Southern Kingdom continue for more than a century after the 10 tribes went into captivity.
The British Israel theory rests upon the idea that these two kingdoms existed as completely separate nations, and they went on to absolutely distinct destinies. It does not allow for any mixture of its citizens. But the Bible portrays a different story. We will look at only some of the evidence showing considerable intermingling.
Notice first of all that not all the people in the ten northern tribes followed Jeroboam as king. Some of these people chose to remain and unite with the people of Benjamin and Judah.
1 Kings 12:22-24 NKJV
22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying,
23 Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
24 Thus says the Lord: "You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me."'" Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.
The "remnant of people" can be none other than the individuals from the ten tribes who chose to remain. This shows that at the very beginning of the split, the southern kingdom actually represent all the tribes.
As you continue through the historical records of the Old Testament, much more is provided. We find that the whole tribe of Levi joined the southern kingdom, and a large number of the people from the ten tribes who originally left came back.
2 Chronicles 11:14-17 NKJV
14 For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord.
15 Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made.
16 And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.
17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
Apparently those who respected the true God returned to the kingdom of David, which still had the temple and God's prescribed worship ritual. We once again see that there was a gathering together of people from all the 12 tribes.
A short time later, when under King Asa there was a revival of true religion with the blessings from God in the kingdom of Judah, a great number of the northern people united with their brethren to the south.
2 Chronicles 15:9 NKJV
9 Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
Here we are told a great number of the people from the northern 10 tribes joined themselves with Asa and his people. It should be obvious that the kingdom of Judah did not represent only individuals from two tribes. Rather, an increasing number of the northern 10 tribes were returning.
A similar thing happened during the reign of King Hezekiah.
2 Chronicles 30:25-26 KJV
25 And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.
26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.
These Scripture passages certainly show that the kingdom of Judah was the one that God recognized and favored. These verses also show that it was with this kingdom that the majority of the godly people from the ten tribes identified themselves. This kingdom - Judah - was blessed with the continued dynasty of David. They also had the temple of Solomon and some godly kings.
Not only do we see a considerable number from the northern ten tribes returned to Judah, but God recognized the kings of Judah as the kings of His entire chosen nation. He never intended that the ten tribes should continue to exist as a separate kingdom. God through His prophets, often spoke of the day when the two kingdoms would be fully united.
2 Chronicles 21:1-2 NKJV
1 And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
Notice that last phrase. Jehoshaphat, the fourth king of the southern tribes, is not called the king of Judah, but the king of Israel. In 2 Chronicles 28:19, Ahaz, the eleventh monarch in Judah is called the king of Israel. God looked upon these descendants of David as the kings of all His people - the entire 12 tribes. The Lord apparently did not recognize the complete distinction between Israel and Judah that the Anglo-Israel theorists insist is an absolute necessity.
There is much more biblical evidence for this mixing of the northern kingdom with the south. Another revival occurred during the reign of Josiah - 2 Chronicles 35. But now, let's jump ahead a couple hundred years.
After the southern kingdom was taken over by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, they remained under the Babylonians for almost 70 years. At the end of those 70 years, many returned to Israel along with Ezra. Ezra offers a sacrifice to God for returning them to their land.
Ezra 6:17 NKJV
17 And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God,...... twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
Twelve male goats for the 12 tribes of Israel.
Even in the New Testament, we see that James did not consider the ten tribes lost.
James 1:1 NKJV
1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.
REASONS WHY WE DON'T READ ABOUT AMERICA IN BIBLE PROPHECY
I want to talk now about possible reasons why you do not read about the United States in your Bible. Here they are.
1. The U.S. may be described by a name that we do not know.
We know that this has been true about other nations in history. There may be a name really in the Bible which we do not yet recognize as the United States. It hasn't come to anyone's attention yet. But it is still possible that it is there.
2. The U.S. could remain as a powerful nation in the last days
It could be that American remains a strong nation, but the Lord simply chose not to mention her specifically. After all, we do recognize that most modern nations are not mentioned in the Bible. This view is possible, but seems unlikely to me. It would seem to me that if America were still the greatest nation on earth during the Tribulation, God would mention her in Scripture.
John Walvoord, former professor and president of Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote:
"Although conclusions concerning the role of America in prophecy in the end time are necessarily tentative, the Scriptural evidence is sufficient to conclude that America in that day will not be a major power and apparently does not figure largely in either the political, economic, or religious aspects of the world."
3. The U.S. will be defeated and destroyed by an outside power.
While we might not like this thought, it must be considered as a possibility. In other words, she will experience a fall from the outside before the end times.
4. America will have lost her influence as a result of moral and spiritual deterioration.
In this case, she will have fallen from the inside. There are some who would hold that the United States is ripe for God's discipline.
5. The Rapture of the Church will cripple the United States.
While any of the first four options are possible, this I think is the more probable. If we do not accept that America might fall from within due to her moral corruption, or from without by nuclear attack or terrorism, how do we explain the fact that America seems to be a second rate nation in the end times.
Let me ask a question and share a few facts. What percent of Americans claim to be "Christian?" The most recent Barna Research says 85% of Americans claim to be "Christian." We all know that it is possible to say they are Christian without really being one. Saying it doesn't make it so. So this group is often identified as "cultural Christians."
Another statistic is that 41% of Americans claim to be "born again Christians." This is a subset of the larger 85% group - almost half of "cultural Christians" call themselves "born again." Here is another statistic: 8% of American adults identify themselves as "evangelical Christians." This group is a subset of the "born-again" group. The main factor in this group is that they believe that salvation is by faith in Christ alone. According to Barna, this represents about 20 million adults. Add to that children under the age of accountability, the number could climb to 35M.
In another source, Patrick Johsntone, in his book, Operation World, records the number of evangelical Christians in America as 23% of the total population. Using that percentage, the total number of believers in America is about 70 million.
Using these numbers, at the Rapture, America will lose somewhere between 35 and 70 million citizens. The impact of such a disappearance will be nothing short of cataclysmic. Not only will America lose this number of people, she would be losing the "last and light" of this great land.
The same cannot be said of any other country in the world today. Patrick Johnstone gives the following statistics for the number of evangelicals in various regions.
• United States 23.0%
• Africa 11.4%
• Latin America 9.1%
• Asia 2.7%
• Middle East .3%
The numbers for Europe are really staggering. The new and modern Europe includes 45 states with a total population over half a billion people. And yet twenty-two of these states have less than 1 percent evangelical Christians. And overall, Europe is less than 2% evangelical Christians.
On our last Holy Land trip to Turkey, we entered the beautiful city of Izmir - population almost 4M. This city was once called Smyrna in Revelation 2, with a strong Christian presence. According to a local pastor, there are only a few hundred Christian that live there today. At the rapture, a few hundred people will hardly be missed. Here, and in many other places, the Rapture will be nothing more than a blip on the radar screen.
But that will not be so in the United States. Not only will we lose a large amount of people, the U.S. has more born again Christians in high positions of commerce and government. The Rapture would reduce our nation to chaos. All areas of our society will flail wildly, trying to regains some semblance of order.
When the Rapture occurs, those who make up the backbone of support for Israel today will be gone. I could see an almost immediate turn against support of Israel. Additionally, a large portion of the moral fiber of this country will be gone. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 tells us that the Holy Spirit, through the body of Christ, serves to retrain the powers of darkness in the world today.
On the economic impact of the Rapture on the United States, I think that within two months following the Rapture, tens of millions of insurance claims will be filed. Since banks and insurance companies are closely linked, both will be on the verge of bankruptcy. There will be a run on banks like there was in the Great Depression. This will be a thousand times worse.
Businesses will not be able to get credit, and their bank assets will be frozen. This means that workers will have little to no chance of getting paid. There will be a run on food supplies as people begin to hoard food, gas, medical supplies, as well as other commodities.
The ripple effect of the Rapture will touch every area of our society. Millions of mortgages will go unpaid. Military personnel by the thousands will be permanently AWOL. Factory workers will never again show up for work. College tuitions will become overdue. Businesses will be left without workers and leaders. The entire economy will be thrown into chaos.
Politicians will quickly attempt to stabilize the political scene. But with America having been essentially to her knees, what happens to her. There are a number of theologians who believe the U.S. will seek help from Europe. This is where a large portion of America's roots are. This country may seek to close ranks with her NATO allies. In doing so, she will be absorbed into the Antichrist's kingdom - the revived Roman Empire.
John Walvoord, quoted earlier, subscribes to this view, and said: "It is probable that the United States will be in some form of alliance with the Roman ruler."
Another theologian, Charles Ryrie, writes:
"It is not too far-fetched to envision the United States someday aligned with the Western Confederation of Nations which will be formed by the Antichrist. National origin could be the link, since many United States citizens originally came from the countries which will make up that Western alliance of nations." Ryrie goes on to state: "This would mean that the United States, haven for Christianity for two centuries, will find herself in league with Antichrist."
Even today, before the rapture of the Church, America is slowly, but relentlessly, being drawn away from national sovereignty into globalism. NATO, the UN, GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade), NAFTA, WTO, all signal the encroachment of globalism. When the trumpet sounds and all the Christians in the U.S. disappear, the final countdown to the end of America's sovereignty will really begin. Before she knows it, America will find herself taking her place in the kingdom of Antichrist.
And that is what we read in Zechariah 14:2, where it says: "For I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem;..." This will include the United States, if she still exists.
I know it hurts true American patriots like you and me to think that America could fall. Does this mean we should throw in the towel? Should we give up on America and move somewhere else? God forbid!!
As long as the Lord gives us breath, we should continue to do all we can for the spiritual well-being of our nation and our world. After all, we do not know how long it may be until the Lord comes.