Happy Independence Day,
This month we address the future of America as inferred by prophecy. Although explicit mention of the New World is absent in holy writ, we can still predict with a great deal of certainty what’s in store for any nation, based on its desire to glorify God and its interactions with Israel.
So we start with commentary that provides individual hope despite the external environment, and we follow with recommended links and articles that provide context for the challenges that lie ahead. In all these areas we’re emboldened by the end-time harvest of souls, the promise of the blessed hope, and the soon return of the King.
The Spirit of 1776
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Declaration of Independence
That the US has been exceptional among nations is due to our acknowledgement of rights that flow from God versus government. As manifest in law and order, peace and prosperity, and altruism in the community of nations, the uniqueness of American experiment has been a force for good for over two centuries.
Unfortunately, as our trust in God has given way to reliance on government, receding too is our ability to sustain liberty and avoid obscurity. The chains of our bondage are evidenced by a level of national indebtedness that will never be repaid, and deficit spending this year alone that will exceed $1.4-trillion. And absent God’s provision, America’s ability to project power and global leadership will also now be greatly diminished.
But while America’s continued drift invites God’s judgment, for over two-millennia our individual liberty continues to be secured in Christ alone. Indeed, freedom from sin and judgment is offered to everyone who appropriates grace through faith in the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. However, this dispensation of grace frames a limited time offer, as alluded to in the passage above.
When Christ began His public ministry with a passage from the prophet Isaiah (61:1-2), he omitted the part that referred to God’s judgment. In doing so, He was effectively entrusting His Church with a commission to reach the world with the transformational message of God’s love in atoning for our sin. Sadly though, we've since: substituted His call for repentance, with the spurious notion of replenishing the earth; ignored His command to spread the good news of God's liberty, in favor of proffering a social gospel of dependency; and allegorized the literal, future City of God, preferring instead the vain hope of sustaining the City of Man.
Be that as it may, God’s prophetic clock counts time undeterred, with the sweep of its hands rapidly moving toward the consummation of history in this generation. In fact, our latest research suggests a new window for a rapture watch begins this fall. According to the Rapture Code, “The Hebrew year 5770 begins September 19th 2009 on Rosh Hashanah. Computer matrices found using Bible Code software suggest that this could be the year when the Bride of Christ will be raptured and the Tribulation period begins."
As such, three provocative articles follow that challenge us to examine our priorities in light of the anticipated millennial kingdom by A.D. 2018. The first commentary attempts to move us past emotional jingoism by asking, "whose on God's side?" while taking a critical look at the secular bent of our nation. The second article documents our growing reliance on government versus God. And last but not least, we go back to the future by re-examining what God requires of America. These articles can be found at:
Assuming the nearness of the Lord's return, we're asserting that now is the time for more outreach, not political activism. Personally, after 8-years of civic engagement (i.e. RNC Team Leader, Bush-Cheney Campaign, American Citizen Alliance founder, US Senate Candidate, Taxpayer Budget Review Board, and TEA Party organizer), I've concluded that any revitalization of America must first begin with lives that have been transformed by the Gospel of Christ. And as the ranks of the regenerate swell, we'll increasingly look to the providence of God, versus the ever-growing, unsustainable nanny state.
In closing, that there is no mention of America in prophecy suggests that either a stablizing percentage of citizens are taken during the rapture, or in the subsequent judgments of the New World Order. Regardless, the animating Spirit of 1776 is alive and well in the hearts of those who yearn to live free. That said, we must be willing to proclaim this liberty of time and eternity before the Dispensation of Grace expires.
Godspeed…
Roy Tanner
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