The Christ in Prophecy Journal

What is America’s Destiny? (Part 1 of 7)

Americas Destiny 1

Let’s put this topic in perspective with two foundational Scripture passages:

The first is Psalm 33:12 which says: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” Or, as it reads in Hebrew, “…whose God is Yahweh.”

The second is Proverbs 14:34 which reads: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”

The Nations in Prophecy

Ever since I began holding Bible prophecy conferences 38 years ago, the number one question asked during Question and Answer sessions has been, “Where is the United States in Bible prophecy?” The horrific events of September 11, 2001 intensified the importance and frequency of this question — and that is certainly understandable.

The Bible is full of prophecies about nations:

Isaiah prophesied in detail about the destinies of Assyria, Babylon, Moab, Syria, Ethiopia, Edom, Arabia, Tyre and Egypt.

Jeremiah covered the same nations, adding Philistia, Kedar, Hazor, Elam and Ammon.

Nearly all the Hebrew prophets spoke about Israel or Judah or both, and many of their prophecies concerned the fate of Jerusalem.

Daniel focused on world empires, and in the process he wrote history better in advance than most historians after the fact.

Daniel and many of the other prophets also spoke about the configuration of nations that would exist in the end times, right before the return of the Messiah. They foretold:

  • The resurrection of the Roman Empire in Europe.
  • The re-establishment of the state of Israel.
  • Israel besieged by surrounding Arab nations.
  • Israel menaced by Russia and its allies.
  • And nations in the Far East capable of sending an army of 200 million against the Middle East.

The United States in Bible Prophecy

So, where is the United States in Bible prophecy? How could the prophets overlook our nation?

What makes this question even more perplexing is that the signs of the times indicate we are on the threshold of the Tribulation, and we are the world’s dominant superpower! So how could the Bible fail to mention us?

The search for the United States in Bible prophecy has been extensive and intensive. It has also been very imaginative.

Isaiah 18

In the 19th Century, one of the favorite locations of the US in prophecy espoused by Bible prophecy experts was Isaiah 18. It speaks of a nation of “tall, smooth-skinned people who are feared far and wide…A powerful nation whose land is divided by waters.”

The problem with applying Isaiah 18 to the United States is that the chapter begins by specifically identifying the nation it is talking about, and that is Cush, which is the modern day nation of Sudan.

The river it is referring to is obviously the Nile. And furthermore, the whole setting of the chapter is during the Millennial reign of the Messiah.

Ezekiel 38 & 39

During the 20th Century, the most popular place to find our nation in prophecy shifted to Ezekiel 38 and 39 where the end time battle of God & Magog is described. This is a massive invasion of Israel by Russia and its allies, all of which are modern day Muslim countries.

Ezekiel 38:13 states that when the Russian invasion of Israel occurs in the end times, “the merchants of Tarshish, with all its villages,” will speak out against the invasion.

Tarshish was identified as Britain and the “villages” were identified as Britain’s English speaking colonies, including, of course, the United States.

Later in the century, the identification of Tarshish shifted to Spain. To compensate for this, the advocates of this theory simply pointed out that Columbus sailed from Spain and thus his discovery of America would make our nation one of Spain’s “villages.”

I think you should be beginning to see how desperate people have been over the years to find the United States in Bible prophecy.

Actually, the latest anthropological and metallurgical scientific evidence points rather conclusively to the island of Sardinia as the site of Tarshish. Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean, second only to Sicily. And I don’t think anyone will be so bold as to claim that our nation is one of the villages of Sardinia!

The Great Eagle

This brings us to what I consider to be the most imaginative and the silliest identification of our nation in Bible prophecy. It is found in Revelation 12:14 which states that when the Antichrist attempts to annihilate the Jews in the second half of the Tribulation, the Jews in Israel will flee “on the wings of a great eagle.”

Believe it or not, some people have seized on this imagery to teach that the United States, whose national symbol is the eagle, will supply the end time air lift that will save the Jewish remnant!

But the Bible is its own best interpreter. And when you look up the phrase, “wings of an eagle,” you will find that it is the same one that God used in Exodus 19:4 to describe how He brought the Israelites out of Egypt: “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.”

The same imagery is used in Deuteronomy 32:11 where it speaks of God’s protection of Israel in the wilderness:

“Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young, He [the Lord] spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions.”

In Revelation 12, God is the “eagle,” not the United States. What the passage in Revelation 12 is saying is that God is going to supernaturally protect the Jewish people when they flee from the Antichrist into Jordan in the middle of the Tribulation.

Babylon the Great

This brings us to what is today’s most popular passage for identifying our nation in Bible prophecy.

It is found in Revelation 18 which speaks of a great empire dominating the world in the end times called “Babylon the Great” that will be destroyed by God in one hour of one day.

There is no doubt that the United States shares many similarities with the corrupt commercial empire described in this chapter. The empire is described as one that is in rebellion against God, to the point that it has become “a dwelling place of demons” (verse 2). It further states that the immorality of this empire has corrupted all the nations of the world (verse 3).

It is also made clear that this “Babylon the Great” will completely dominate the world economy, and its destruction will result in the collapse of the economies of all nations. This causes the kings, merchants and shipmasters to “weep and lament” and cry out, “Woe, woe!” (verses 9,11,17).

In the present international context, it certainly sounds like the United States. But, again, the Bible is its own best interpreter, and chapter 17 of Revelation makes it clear that “Babylon the Great” is the end time world empire of the Antichrist that will be centered in Rome, not Washington, D.C.

Many Bible prophecies have a prefillment in symbolic type before they are ultimately fulfilled in reality. The destruction of the United States (whether by external or internal forces), and the impact of that destruction upon the world, could certainly constitute a symbolic prefillment of Revelation 18, but the true fulfillment will have to await the annihilation of the world empire of the Antichrist.

So, my conclusion is that the United States is not specifically mentioned in Bible prophecy. We are covered by general prophecies that relate to all nations, but beyond those, our end time destiny is not specifically mentioned.

But this conclusion raises more questions than it answers. Why aren’t we mentioned? How could the Bible be silent about us?

In the second part of our series concerning America’s destiny, we will look at possible scenarios as to why America is not named in end times Bible prophecy.

Resources

Dr. Reagan’s article is also available in video! To obtain your copy, order via our online store the God’s Prophetic Voices to America 2018 Bible Conference DVD Album.

2018 Bible Conference DVD Album

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Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan is the Founder and Evangelist Emeritus of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a life-long Bible student, teacher, and preacher and he led over 45 pilgrimages to Israel. Dr. Reagan was the host of the radio then television program Christ in Prophecy for nearly 40 years.

15 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • I watch and listened to your show and about America in the end time prophecy and why The eagle wings are God protecting Israel This is what I believe too. Ty for I thought others teaching about Eagles winds being USA was wrong. You show me scriptures to why its incorrect to believe USA is the eagles wings ty. Gods word is always truth Amen.

  • The centre of God’s focus is Jerusalem, followed by Israel followed by her enemies in the Middle East. Why Americans are so fixated upon America being important to Bible prophecy is utterly beyond me. There was a time when Britain (my country) was Great but I do not recall anybody saying at the time that, therefore, Great Britain should be in Bible Prophecy. I do think this thought is somewhat egocentric.

    • Jacob gave the birthright covenant to Ephraim and told him he would become a great nation and a company of nations, Manasseh his brother was also told he would become a great nation. From Judah would come the Prince but the birthright is with Ephraim. The tribes split after Soloman died and Judah joined with Benjamin with a few of the priestly tribe of Levi (The House of Judah), the other ten became a separate nation (The House of Israel) who were later taking as slaves and scattered to worship gods of wood and stone. As The House of Israel lost their religion and The Bible says there was no further admixture of the tribes, where are the Lost Ten Tribes. Google it! there you will see experts better than I who say Britain and the Commonwealth are Ephraim, and Britain has a special relationship with the USA “A great nation” (Manasseh).

  • Thanks for Lamb & Lion’s updates and your scriptural truth of the Word of God. What kind of people are we to be in these times with Christ’s return so near? Standing strong for the Lord, and for truth, unwavering, and putting on the Spiritual Body Armor. I think the reason the United States isn’t mentioned in the Bible in the end times. is because of the Rapture, there will be millions of true Believers taken with the Lord to his Kingdom leaving the United States and other countries in a world of chaos.

  • I thank you for your newsletter which I enjoy very much. I have studied and asked God for the explanation of what country was the commerce giant that is destroyed in one hour in the book of Revelation. I, like you was stumped by the hills that this city sits on and couldn’t seem to find a fit. Then one day while I was reading my Bible, I saw my answer. The seven hills the city is built on are not literal hills. The seven hills that this city sits on are described in Proverbs 6:16-19. There are six things the Lord hates, no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord among brothers. These are the seven hills that, I believe that New York City was built on, and still promotes with vigor.

  • I agree as well concerning Eagels wings. I have been teaching it and compared it to the scripture I found in Deuteronomy . Since America is Aly to Israel, this seems logical. But I always include Yahweh who lifted up Israel on eagles wings , spiritually , supernaturally. He is Awesome in Power , Almighty Power. Thanks for confirming truth

  • Have you considered Daniel 7:4 ? Daniel had a vision of a lion with eagles wings, that are being ripped off. The Lion is recognized as a symbol of Great Britain and my belief is that Daniel witnessed the Decleration of Independence, when the USA broke off from Britain. Ironically, the verse is 7:4 which co-incides with Independence Day, July 4th. I agree that the US had no part in bringing about the exodus, but certainly God can use the USA’s eagles wings to help Israel during the end times as we are her greatest ally.

  • what about the four beasts of Daniel chapter seven? When you compare Daniel seven with Revelation chapter 13 you will find that these beasts represent a kingdom and its king. The bear is obviously Russia, the lion represents Britain, the leopard represents Germany, the beast with teeth of iron represent the Holy Roman Empire, its ten horns represent a ten king federation (like the EU). The four heads of the leopard are the four reichs of Germany along with the wings of a foul which represent a collusion with France. The wings of an eagle represent the U.S.A. as they were broken off just as the U.S.A. came from and then broke off from Britain.

  • The Question of Why America is not directly mentioned in the Bible in the End Times still draws all kinds of questions and concern, because we’re not sure why the Greatest Nation on Earth is not mentioned. We may be scorned for abandoning God in every way possible.

    Many are asking if America is not mentioned because we are no longer a nation, are greatly divided, no longer the United States, an EMP takes us back to a life with no technology and all modern conveniences destroyed, a nuclear attack, or the Rapture of the Church which would take millions of believers, workers, and dependable people and humanitarians from the earth to be with the Lord, leaving the US totally unable to be a nation with so many people gone.

    I hope to hear more about this from Dr. Reagan and Nathan.

  • Revelation’s thirteenth chapter speaks of two beasts. The first is a three-in-one beast, sitting upon the throne of a dragon. The dragon, according to Revelation 12, is Rome. All beasts signify nations. The three-in-one beast that makes war with the saints is doubtless the “Holy” Roman empire of the dark ages, which is now being revived. However, America is the following beast. It comes up as a lamb, and speaks as a Christian. It is apparently “lamblike” because it is Christian in it’s profession. It has two horns of a lamb, which are the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, but it will speak as a dragon. Signifying the corruption of the Christian faith in America, which will make war against the people of God as the “Holy” Roman empire under the power of the Catholic church did. It will be a movement that speaks as a dragon, and works signs and wonders as Elijah, but underneath the profession of the lamb, there is the unvariable venom of the serpentine dragon.

    • That’s an interesting spiritualized take of the text. Revelation 12 tells a story that actually sums up both history and what is to come up until the end of the Tribulation. Israel [the woman] gave birth to the Messiah [the child], who was protected from Satan [the red dragon] by being taken to Heaven. Satan is permanently expelled from Heaven and forced to stay on earth. He and his demons then turn on Israel and the Tribulation Saints and persecute them for the remaining years of the Tribulation. For further details on Revelation 12, check out this article by Dr. Reagan at https://christinprophecyblog.org/2010/06/revelation-chapter-12/.

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