I think we probably have more people than ever today who say they are "spiritual." If you were to ask someone, "Do you believe in God?" their answer may very well be something like this: "I am a very spiritual person. Now, I am not into organized religion, but I am very spiritual."
What they mean by that is they take a little of this and a little of that, and they throw in some of their own ideas. They have their own belief system, which they have effectively created.
The Bible warns that this kind of something-for-everyone approach will be a sign of the end times. In fact, this kind of thinking will reach its zenith under the reign of the Antichrist and his one-world religion. It is a time that is coming and a time the Bible warns of.
In the end times scenario, a number of nations seem to be identified in Bible prophecy. Clearly, we find the nation of Israel. Perhaps we can find the nations of Russia and China in end times events. But what amazes me is that I can find no passage in the Scriptures that clearly identifies the United States of America. Where is America in Bible prophecy? Where is the United States in the prophetic puzzle?
No one can answer that authoritatively, but I can offer a few opinions. Maybe one of the reasons America may not be identified in the Bible's end times events will be because our country is decimated in a nuclear attack. No one can say this will never happen. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, "As long as nuclear weapons are considered a legitimate way to provide for national security, all of humanity remains at risk from the most dangerous technology on Earth." It is possible the United States could engage in some kind of a nuclear conflict, and I certainly pray that does not happen.
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A second possibility is the United States could simply decline as a world power. Let's get real for a moment. Nations rise and fall. As Mark Hitchcock points out in his book "Is America in Bible Prophecy?" ancient Babylon lasted for only 86 years. The powerful Persian Empire lasted 208 years, while mighty Rome ruled for nine centuries. The United States of America is 238 years old and counting. Every nation's days are numbered.
As the American dollar gets weaker and other currencies get stronger, as China becomes an economic and military powerhouse, we may simply fade away as a world power. This is a very likely scenario. It could even be that the United States falls into alignment with the Antichrist, who will have 10 confederated nations behind him.
But there is one other scenario I would like to bring to your attention, and this is my favorite of course. The United States may not be mentioned in the Scriptures because a great revival will take place. I am not suggesting that a revival would eliminate the nation as a world power. But if a revival were to sweep the land and we saw America turn back to God, it would make a huge difference. This is the greatest need in America today: a spiritual awakening. Despite what historical revisionists tell us, the United States was founded on godly principles. I am not saying that everyone who had a part in founding this nation was a believer in Jesus Christ, but they all had respect for the Bible, and many had a fervent belief in the teachings of the Scriptures. A number of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were pastors and evangelists. But the United States has turned away from its roots. And it seems as though every time we turn around, a new law is being passed that seems to contradict what the Bible says. Yet a spiritual awakening in which people turn to Jesus Christ would change our nation.
America needs divine intervention. We need God's help. We have seen people in our nation turn to God in the past. After the horrific tragedy of 9/11, so many Americans turned back to God. There were prayer vigils on street corners. The members of Congress spontaneously began singing "God Bless America" at the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Churches were filled in the aftermath of 9/11. I remember that at Harvest Christian Fellowship, we couldn't contain all of the people on the Sunday following 9/11. People were saying, "What do we do? We need God's help. We don't know what is happening."
Here is my belief about the future of our country. I think we have two choices before us: One is judgment and the other is revival. If we do not have revival, then I think judgment is inevitable.
According to some polls, half of all Americans today claim to be born again. I personally do not believe that statistic, but that is what often comes up when people are polled. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the population of the United States to be somewhere around 316 million people. If one-third of that number has genuinely made a commitment to Christ when the Rapture takes place, it would mean that more than 100 million American Christians would disappear from the face of the earth. So let me ask you this: Would this affect our economy in any way? Imagine people in industry and government and military and business and agriculture and education and medicine suddenly disappearing off the face of the earth. Certainly it would change things. For all practical purposes, once the Rapture of the church has taken place, all nations as we know them will change, expand, or shift to some degree or another as the whole global situation rearranges.
We live in a critical time in human history. I think it is summed up best in Dickens' opening statements of "A Tale of Two Cities": "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. ..." That is America today, don't you think? It is the best of times and the worst of times. In some ways, things have never been worse morally. Yet there is great opportunity for the gospel. There is an open door for believers to go through to reach out to other people. We have open doors and open roads and open communication. We need to take the technology, use it for God's glory, and reach as many people as we can.
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