Implosion (12 page)

Lindsey then published a book in 1994 titled
Planet Earth 2000 A.D.: Will Mankind Survive?
He released a “revised updated edition” in 1996 as millennium fever was building. In the book, Lindsey conceded that many people believed he had predicted the Rapture would happen by 1988, but he defended himself by noting the caveats he had included in
The Late Great Planet Earth
. “I also said
‘i
f
’
a generation was 40 years and
‘if’
the generation of the ‘fig tree’ (Matthew 24:32-34) started with the foundation of the State of Israel, then Jesus ‘
might
come back by 1988.’ But I put a lot of ifs and maybes in because I knew that no one could be absolutely certain.”
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Unfortunately, Lindsey overrreached again, this time by seeming to predict that the Rapture would happen by the year 2000. In his afterword, he described the world’s biggest party being planned in Giza, Egypt, near the Great Pyramid on December 31, 1999. “Just for the record,” Lindsey wrote, “I’m not planning to attend. In fact, looking at the state of the world today, I wouldn’t make any long-term earthly plans. We may be caught to meet Christ in the clouds between now and then—just as I described in an earlier chapter. Could I be wrong? Of course. The Rapture may not occur between now and the year 2000. But never before in the history of the planet have events and conditions so coincided as to set the stage for this history-stopping event. Surely, this will be a show that surpasses any Great Pyramid millennium bash.”
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Needless to say, the Rapture didn’t happen in 2000 either.

This is not to say that all of Lindsey’s research was flawed. To the contrary, some of it was useful. But his books are examples of the dangers—and ease—of overreaching in one’s analysis and drawing conclusions that are premature. That’s why I note that one must be extraordinarily careful when one writes or teaches about Bible prophecy. Prophecy teachers should be conservative in their analyses and avoid drawing quick conclusions. If one makes a mistake, one should own up to it and correct it, not double down and compound the error. People are watching and can be harmed by bad teaching. What’s more, God is watching and will not bless poor, sloppy, or false teaching.

Additional Evidence

Overreachers, false teachers, poor teachers, cynics, and mockers notwithstanding, we
are
living in the last days. Of this we need have no doubt.

The apostle Peter told us back in the first century that the church began living in the “last days” on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to begin preaching the gospel in languages they did not know. “This is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel,” Peter explained. “‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams’” (Acts 2:16-17).

The apostle John, likewise, told us we were living in the “last hour” back in the days when he wrote his first epistle and so many false teachers and false prophets and opponents of Jesus Christ were appearing on the world scene. “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18).

What’s more, precisely because in recent decades we have seen so many other signs of the last days come true, we can be additionally certain that we are living in the last days. One by one we have seen the signs foretold by the Bible come to pass in our lifetimes. Events and trends that Jesus said would be the “birth pangs”—evidence that a dramatic delivery is increasingly close at hand—are being seen and felt all around us.

We don’t know when the Rapture will happen or when the Tribulation will begin. Nor can we know precisely when the Second Coming will actually occur. Nor should we speculate. To do so is not biblical.

The Scriptures teach us that the Lord will only come when everyone on earth has had the opportunity to hear the gospel and choose to accept Christ or reject him. We are supposed to live with the sense that Jesus could come at any moment. But the Lord will delay until he is satisfied that everyone has had a chance to repent and be born again. Yes, “in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” the apostle Peter told us well in advance. “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:3, 8-9).

Have you ever heard of the sons of Issachar? The Bible tells us that Issachar was one of the sons of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob. Issachar’s descendants became one of the twelve tribes of Israel. At one point in the ancient history of the Hebrew people, the sons of Issachar were singled out in the Scriptures for being exceedingly observant and insightful about the dangerous and treacherous events that were unfolding all around them, and for being impressively wise about how their country should navigate through troubled waters. We read in 1 Chronicles 12:32 (NIV) that the sons of Issachar were “men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” I pray that we find more sons (and daughters) of Issachar in our day, men and women who truly understand the times and know what the United States of America should do before it is too late.

Bottom Line

The Lord Jesus told us that rather than speculate on exactly when he is coming, we should analyze the times in which we live, be aware of the signs, and then be ready, be on the alert, be spiritually awake, be faithful and obedient when we see these signs of the last days coming to pass.

• Jesus said, “When you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door” (Matthew 24:33).

• Jesus said, “Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).

• Jesus said, “For this reason, you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will” (Matthew 24:44).

• Jesus said, “Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming . . . in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’” (Mark 13:35-37).

• Jesus said, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).

Teachers of Bible prophecy need to be very careful, then. Our responsibility is not to predict when Christ will return but to help people understand the times and be ready for his return, whenever that occurs—especially since it could happen at any time. Likewise, students of Bible prophecy need to be very careful to discern the difference between solid Bible teaching and false teaching. We must carefully study what the entire Bible says—and what it does not say. We must meticulously and prayerfully study “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27, NKJV) and, in so doing, avoid false teaching and the teaching of those who creatively use bits and scraps of the Bible in vain hopes of proving something the Bible never said while willfully or ignorantly turning a blind eye to other Scriptures that provide critically helpful details. We must, in other words, learn to discern the full, true, balanced teachings of God.

Which now brings us to the key question: If we really are living in the last days, what does the Bible say is going to happen to America during this time?

CHAPTER EIGHT

WHAT HAPPENS TO AMERICA IN THE LAST DAYS?

Is the United States of America ever mentioned in the Bible? This is critical because if America is mentioned in Bible prophecy, then those prophecies would give us important clues about America’s destiny.

Most Western, Asian, and sub-Saharan African countries are not mentioned in the Scriptures, but some nations are. Indeed, some nations are mentioned specifically in the context of End Times prophecies.

Israel, of course, is clearly and repeatedly mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, and we learn many truths about her future since Israel is the central player in God’s plan and purpose for the final years leading up to the second coming of Christ. Bible prophecies also provide us vital information about the future of a range of other Middle Eastern, North African, and European countries, including Egypt, Syria (Damascus and Assyria), Lebanon (Tyre), Jordan (Ammon, Edom, and Moab), Iraq (Babylon), Greece, and a revived Roman Empire as described in the book of Daniel. There are also specific, detailed, and fascinating Bible prophecies that discuss the future of other key countries, notably Russia (Magog and Rosh) and a group of allies that will form an alliance against Israel in the last days, as described in Ezekiel 38–39 and Jeremiah 49. These include Iran (Persia and Elam), Turkey (Gomer), Sudan and Ethiopia (Cush), Libya and Algeria (Put), Central Asia (Beth-togarmah), and Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates (Sheba and Dedan).
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Countries like China, North Korea, Indonesia, and Pakistan are not specifically mentioned in the Bible. There is, however, an intriguing reference in Revelation 16:12 to “the kings from the east” who send their massive military forces through Iraq, up the Euphrates River, to the mountain of Megiddo, or Armageddon, to participate in the final, catastrophic, apocalyptic military showdown with Israel before the Day of the Lord.
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Conceptually, then, since other nations are specifically mentioned, it is not inconceivable that America should be found in Bible prophecy. For well over a century, authors and teachers from a wide range of religious beliefs and backgrounds have pondered and discussed this topic. Some have argued vehemently that America
is
mentioned in the Bible, insisting it was either patently obvious to everyone or simply obvious to them as uniquely enlightened observers. Others have concluded that America is not mentioned in the Bible. Over the years, I have developed a small library of books devoted to the topic.

More Than a Century of Books on America and Prophecy

In 1888, for example, Ellen G. White, the woman who helped found the Seventh-day Adventist church, published a 654-page book called
The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan
, later retitled
America in Prophecy
. White cited a range of passages from the books of Daniel and Revelation in making her case that America was in fact referenced in Scripture. She specifically pointed to Revelation 13:11: “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.” White then argued that “one nation, and only one, meets the specifications of this prophecy; it points unmistakably to the United States of America. . . . The lamb-like horns indicate youth, innocence, and gentleness, fitly representing the character of the United States.”
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In 1942, Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of a cult known as the Worldwide Church of God and a magazine called
The Plain Truth
, published a 196-page book titled
The United States and Britain in Prophecy
. “The all-important master key has been found!” Armstrong wrote. “That key is knowledge of the astonishing identity of the American and British peoples—as well as the German—in biblical prophecies. . . . This book will open, to open minds, this hitherto closed vital third of all the Bible. No story in fiction ever was so strange, so fascinating, so absorbing, so packed with interest and suspense, as this gripping story of our [American and British] identity—and our ancestry.”
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In 1968, S. Franklin Logsdon published a 98-page book titled
Is the U.S.A. in Prophecy?
“Is the U.S.A. mentioned by name in prophecy?” Logsdon asked. “The answer, of course, is ‘No.’ But, if you ask, Is the U.S.A. in the framework of prophecy? The answer is an unqualified ‘Yes’ . . . It is unthinkable that the God who knows the end from the beginning would pinpoint such small nations as Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Syria in the prophetic declaration and completely overlook the wealthiest and most powerful nation on the earth.”
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In 1998, Thomas Ice and Timothy Demy published a 48-page booklet titled
The Truth about America in the Last Days
. They wrote, “Most would agree that neither America, North America, nor the United States is mentioned explicitly in the Bible, either historically or prophetically, in the way that Scripture speaks repeatedly of Israel, Babylon, Syria, or Egypt. . . . The Western Hemisphere is not specifically mentioned in Scripture.”
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In 2003, David R. Reagan published a 210-page book titled
America the Beautiful? The United States in Bible Prophecy
. “So, where is the United States in Bible prophecy?” Reagan asked. “A partial answer is that we are not mentioned directly and specifically. We are covered by general prophecies that relate to all nations, but beyond that, our end time destiny is not specifically mentioned. General prophecies that apply to the United States include those that say all nations will be judged (Isaiah 34:2-3). . . . But how could God overlook the world’s most important and powerful nation? I don’t think He has. I believe America can be found in Bible prophecy, not specifically, but in prophetic type. . . . I believe the biblical prophetic type of the United States is the nation of Judah.”
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In 2004, Michael D. Evans published a 310-page book titled
The American Prophecies: Ancient Scriptures Reveal Our Nation’s Future
. “Is America in prophecy?” Evans wrote. “Yes, it is. . . . After thousands of hours of research, I am totally convinced that America
is
found in prophecy.”
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In 2009, Terry James published a 292-page book titled
The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy?
“Is America in prophecy?” James asked. “The answer, to this writer at least, is a resounding yes! By name, no, but by presence and influence, absolutely!”
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Also in 2009, Mark Hitchcock also published a well-researched, well-reasoned 191-page book titled
The Late Great United States: What Bible Prophecy Reveals about America’s Last Days
. In it, Hitchcock helpfully cites many more books on the subject, including an 1859 book by Frances Rolleston titled
Notes on the Apocalypse, as Explained by the Hebrew Scriptures: The Place in Prophecy of America and Australia Being Pointed Out
; an 1884 book by Uriah Smith titled
The United States in the Light of Prophecy
; a 1914 book by L. A. Smith titled
The United States in Prophecy
; a 1976 book by Douglas B. MacCorkle titled
America in History and Bible Prophecy
; and a 1977 book by Henry Hoyt titled
Is the United States in Prophecy
?
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Clearly, there has been no shortage of discussion on the topic. What, then, is the answer? Is the U.S. clearly and specifically identified in the Bible as part of End Times prophecy or not?

Allusions to America in the Bible

At the minimum, one can certainly and reasonably argue that America is alluded to repeatedly in the Bible. After all, the terms “all nations” and “all the nations” appear a combined total of eighty-nine times in the New American Standard translation of the Bible. The Lord has very specific things to say about what he has done for “all the nations” in the past and what will happen in—or to—“all nations” in the future. This certainly includes the United States.

In Haggai chapter 2, for example, the Lord foretold through the Hebrew prophet that he would shake all the nations of the world in the last days. “For thus says the L
ORD
of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations. . . . I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations’” (vv. 6-7, 21-22). This is certainly coming true in the United States. We are being shaken physically, financially, socially, spiritually, politically, and in numerous other ways, and we can expect this to accelerate and intensify in the years ahead.

In Matthew 24:14, the Lord Jesus says that in the last days, “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” There is no question that the Lord has used the United States for more than two centuries to help train, equip, and deploy pastors, teachers, preachers, and missionaries who have taken the gospel all over the earth. Americans have set up Bible schools, Bible colleges, and seminaries here at home and in many other countries. Americans have translated the Bible into hundreds of languages, printed those Bibles, and distributed millions upon millions of copies around the world. Americans have produced evangelistic films and television and radio programs and Internet materials in hundreds of different languages to reach people all over the globe with the salvation message of Jesus Christ. What’s more, the U.S. has long been the “ATM” for the world missions movement, helping to finance much of the missions work that was done in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, though other countries are increasingly sharing that blessed burden.

Yet according to the Scriptures, the era of the U.S. being the epicenter of Christendom will come to an end. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:9 that at some point during the last days, opponents of Christianity “will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” That’s painful to hear, but it is true. “All nations” will eventually turn against faithful followers of Jesus Christ, including here in the United States. We are certainly not seeing Christians in America being imprisoned or even killed for their faith by the government as we see in China or in radical Islamic countries—yet—but we have in recent decades begun to witness the climate of American culture shifting significantly and steadily away from its Judeo-Christian roots to one that is increasingly hostile toward faith in Christ. This will go from bad to worse, according to Jesus.

Ultimately, the Bible says that judgment will come upon the United States, as it will upon all the nations. The Lord Jesus warned in Matthew 25:31-33 that “when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” In his righteousness and holiness, the Lord will judge the individuals from all nations. To some, he will say, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (v. 34). To others, however, he will say, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels” (v. 41). All individuals from all nations will hear one or the other, based on whether or not they received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and were born again as described in John 3—and thus lived lives of faith and obedience to the Lord, loving him and loving others.

But aside from such general references, is America ever specifically mentioned in the Bible?

Is America “Babylon”?

Numerous authors and teachers over the years have insisted that the United States—and/or New York City—is the Babylon mentioned in the book of Revelation.

David Wilkerson, for example, the late founder and pastor of Times Square Church in Manhattan, once wrote a book titled
America’s Last Call
. “Revelation 18 predicts a graphic scene of a prosperous society falling under judgment in a single hour,” Wilkerson explained. “This society is called Babylon—and many theologians have tried to predict who it will be. Some say it will be a revived Rome. Others say it will be a rebuilt version of the literal Babylon in Iraq. Scripture doesn’t make clear who this Babylon will be. To me, it sounds much like New York City, with its Wall Street and the United Nations.”
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A. P. Watchman recently published a book titled
Reaping the Whirlwind: The Imminent Judgment of Babylon America
. “Truly, the United States is the ‘great harlot who sits on many waters with whom the kings of the Earth have committed fornication and the inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication,’” Watchman argued, equating America with the Babylon described in Revelation 17 and 18. “If we are honest with ourselves, we know that the Rome, Italy, of our day could never match the description given by Jesus in Revelation 18; nor does any other nation or singular city on the earth in our day, with the possible exception of the city of New York.”
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