‘Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ Isaiah 46:10 NKJV
I often wonder what the reaction would be from the prophets of old if they were made aware of the fact that so many churches today deliberately choose to ignore the words that they wrote which came to them directly from God? When I look at this passage from Isaiah I truly think it appears God is addressing that question by affirming that not only has He foretold what He will do, He will also most certainly do it. Most of us at one time or another have probably found ourselves lost and looking at a map of some kind with an arrow and the words “you are here” written in bold letters. It is my opinion that one of the main reasons God has chosen to teach by prophecy is that it is His way to show us where we are on His timeline for this world.
The question on most everyone’s mind in the past year is just what is happening to this country? How is it possible that everything that could go wrong has gone wrong and we as a nation find ourselves in such an unfamiliar and ineffectual position on the world stage? The truth is, however, that those who study and teach prophecy have no such questions because the signs of where we are on God’s timeline are perfectly clear to those with discernment. God has declared the “end from the beginning” and His plan for this nation has been made perfectly clear.
‘For I am with you,’ declares the LORD, ‘to save you; For I will completely destroy all the nations where I have scattered you, Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will discipline you fairly And will by no means leave you unpunished.’ Jeremiah 30:11 NASB
In this prophecy given to the nation Israel concerning the coming tribulation period, God states clearly that there are two reasons for it. The first is to completely destroy all nations that God scattered His people to, and then to discipline Israel for their sin of rejection. With that in mind, we should consider carefully the following fact. Approximately 7.3 million out of 15.2 million Jews live in the United States, far and away more than any other country. That being the case, what nation do you think is first on God’s list when He chooses to fulfill His prophecy from Jeremiah 30?
“But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:7 NKJV
A fact that many miss when studying the end times is that while the prophecies of the tribulation period mention kings of the east, north and south, nowhere do we find any words referring to any kings or nations from the west. While that might come as a surprise to some, considering the passage above from Jeremiah it would appear that there is a very good reason there is no mention of the United States. To most, it almost seems inconceivable that such a nation as ours could be left out as a player in world politics but if we accept God’s prophecy of the future it appears His plan for America is total and complete destruction.
While many today are calling for Christians to pray for our country, allow me to muddy the waters by asking two questions. The first is, does it really make much sense to pray for a country God has said He is going to destroy? While I understand that some would answer yes, read what God said to Jeremiah about His prophecies about the nation of Israel’s future.
“Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.” Jeremiah 7:16 NKJV
“So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.” Jeremiah 11:14 NKJV
“Then the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for this people, for their good.” Jeremiah 14:11 NKJV
It would seem clear to me that once God makes up His mind to do something, He will do as He has said and that is all there is to it. On the other hand, I strongly believe we should be praying for our country. Now while it would seem that I am trying to confuse you, God clears the confusion by informing us where our “country” really is.
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV
The Church is not, and never has been of this world. The Church has no geographical boundary nor does it have an eternal homeland here. While Israel is promised to be God’s nation on earth, the destiny of the Church is much different. We will be taken to Heaven by virtue of the rapture where Jesus has prepared a place for us to live with Him there for eternity. So what do I mean when I say we should be praying for our country?
“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8 NKJV
Do you pray for the Lord to return and to take us to our eternal home? We are citizens of heaven temporarily living on this earth to do His will. The phrase “who have loved His appearing” can and has been translated “longing for” His appearing. I pray for our nation every single day by asking the Father to let His Son, Jesus Christ, call us to our eternal home in heaven where our citizenship really is. I truly believe that because God has already told us in advance what His plans are, we should be praying that He allows the Church to go home so He can do what He has said He will do.
If we take an objective look at what has occurred in the past few years and where we find ourselves today, it certainly appears we are staring directly at America's destiny. God will do as He has said He will do to this country and of that you can be certain. The Church will escape His wrath by virtue of the rapture, but to become a believer and obtain citizenship in heaven you must accept the free gift of salvation provided for us by the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. If you have never made the decision to accept that free gift I encourage you to do so today. Simply ask God to forgive you of your sin based on your belief that Jesus died to pay the price for your sin, and turn over control of your life to Him. You can do that right now by praying a prayer just like this one;
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen."
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