Is America Israel 2.0?

This past Saturday evening, Hezbollah in south Lebanon fired rockets into the northern Galilee region of Israel. According to the IDF, the first barrage of 7 rockets was at 1:10 a.m., a more extensive barrage of 12 missiles came shortly before 4:50 a.m., and a third, 5-rocket barrage came at 5:10 a.m.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701

This attack on northern Israel coming from southern Lebanon breaks the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which was approved on August 11, 2006. This resolution was in response to the war in 2006. It called for an immediate end of the hostilities in Lebanon and a permanent ceasefire with no armed forces other than UNIFIL and Lebanese military allowed south of the Litani River, which is about eighteen miles into the Lebanese border. It is being reported that Hezbollah is now occupying two out of every three civilian houses in south Lebanon, so if and when Israel retaliates, they will be accused of attacking the homes of private citizens.

Israel has responded by recalling reserves into active military duty, putting restrictions on their citizens in the north, meaning no groups larger than thirty may gather. Outdoor activities such as games and concerts are canceled, and people’s daily school and work lives will be affected. One would expect this in the first planning stage for a ground invasion into Lebanon.

Is America in the Bible in the End Times

With this tension increasing first in Gaza and now in Lebanon, and with rockets being fired from Yemen and Iraq, people are beginning to see the possible fulfillment of the Psalm 83 War in the Middle East. With that awareness, I am once again getting asked if I see this as the beginning of the end time wars and if America is in the Bible in the end times, and if so, what role do we play?

I am now answering that question differently than I have in the past. I am now saying, yes, I see America in Scripture. This response does intrigue people, so they want to know how and where. I am asking people to go to the minor prophet book of Amos, particularly chapter eight.

Amos Chapter Eight

The Book of Amos is set in approximately 760 B.C. If we want to see what the Bible says about present-day America, let’s go back 2,800 years and see if, aside from time, anything else separates ancient Israel from America today.

• Israel in 760 B.C. highlighted alternative religion complete with pagan altars.
• In 760 B.C., Israel abandoned worship of the true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because it interfered with their lifestyle.
• Israel in 760 B.C. was materialistic.
• Israel in 760 B.C. kept God out of public life.
• Israel in 760 B.C. was full of corruption (especially in its leadership).
• Israel in 760 B.C. was full of deceitfulness.
• Israel in 760 B.C. thought they were just fine, that all was okay.

America 2024

Israel was happy and content with their life and lifestyle. But the real question is, was God content with Israel’s life and lifestyle? In the book of Amos, we see how God responded to Israel’s lifestyle and choices. If I exchanged the words “Israel in 760 B.C.” with “America in 2024”, would I need to change any of the bullet points from the above paragraph? Let’s look at how America in 2024 is doing.

• The marriage rate in the United States by choice has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded.
• More than 40% of all babies are born to unmarried moms; this is not teenagers giving birth out of wedlock; this is mothers making this choice on purpose.
• Support for gay marriage grows, especially among Bible-believing Christians.
• Public education is a complete mess. No more needs to be said there.
• Every day, America adds $250,000,000 to its national debt PER HOUR, or $6.6 billion daily. Over the last year, our national debt has grown by $2.4 trillion.
• The number of young men not working, again by choice, has doubled in the last 15 years.
• The U.S. leads the world in illegal drug use (we have since 2008).
• Gang activity and violence have increased; for example, in Chicago, gang members outnumber police officers 10 to 1.

Martha and Mary

Today, we have the Bible on our bookshelves, on our laptops, on our tablets, and on our phones. But do we reach for it as often as we download apps or play games? Our priorities do not align with the words we find in Scripture.

I think about the scene with Martha and Mary in Luke 10. Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to his words. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations. This bothers Martha, so she comes up to Jesus and says, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone?” She then asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. We all need to hear Jesus’ response; he says to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Martha developed a critical spirit. “Lord, why don’t you make her help me? Don’t you care?” She was saying that she was doing the right thing, but she was not.

As Americans, we think we are doing things right. We act as if God will never discipline us like He did in ancient Israel. We deserve His discipline, and I believe it is coming. What really concerns me is what we find in Amos 8:11, “The time is surely coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land; not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.”

Notice carefully the nature of this famine. It is not a lack of God’s Word, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. What was the result of such a lifestyle? A coming famine of HEARING God’s word and judgment! With Israel in Amos’ day, this happened when the Assyrians attacked the northern region, and the 10 northern tribes went into exile. In that day, man-made religion was no help. The strength of man was useless. The false gods were useless. These are all lessons we need to learn for us today!

One Does Not Live by Bread Alone

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He responded with a passage from Deuteronomy which said, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” In Amos’ day, Israel went into a period of not hearing the word of God. Judah in the south follows shortly after. After the prophet Malachi, there was a 400-year period of silence from God. No prophets spoke until John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Matthew 3:2).

When spiritual truths lose their value, this is a sign that something is wrong. This is a sign that we are on the wrong path as individuals and as a nation. Is America in the Bible in the end times? Yes, just look at Amos 8 and we can see how God responded to such choices. America has become Israel 2.0!

Maranatha, Lord Jesus!