By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #345 ~
The “times of the Gentiles” is coming to an end, and then the time of the Jews will begin. (Luke 21:24, Rom. 11:25-27). Therefore, the United States will no longer be a global superpower. This relates to the end of this age and Christ’s return to carry out His purposes. Let me explain:
God has always worked through nations. All people are descended from “Shem, Ham, and Japeth,” and Gen. 10 speaks of them as the ancestors of those who had a language and a land, and formed nations. Gen. 12:1-3 promises that from Abram would come a great nation, what we know as Israel. And most of the Old Testament is focused on Israel, that they are God’s people, and are to share His word and show to the world His righteousness, power, and glory.
For much of Israel’s existence, she rebelled against God. The reigns of David and Solomon were exceptions, along with those of a few good rulers – but for the most part, Israel was ungodly. A key theme of the prophets is that God punished her and other evil nations for their sins against Him. The prophets, Isaiah to Malachi, go into great detail about Israel’s sins and how God justly dealt with her. “Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity… they have abandoned the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel” (Is. 1:4). “I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me… and worshiped the works of their own hands.” Jer. 1:16, Ez. 16:1-52, Hos. 1:1-13, Obad. 2-9, Mic. 1:2-7, Zeph. 1
The prophets, along with the Psalms, speak of God’s justice and His love. They predicted Christ’s 1st coming, that He would be both God and man, and by dying to pay for our sins and then rising again, He was able to deliver us from sin and death. The gospels, Christ’s biography, talk of His life and ministry on earth, and that He would build the church through God’s children, through Christians. Ps. 22:1-18, 69:21; Is. 7:14, 9:6-7, 53:3-12; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 16:18
Israel, as a nation, rejected Christ, and so God chose the church to be His instrument by which He would speak His truth, display His righteousness, and “make disciples of all the nations…” (Matt. 28:19-20). In 70 AD and in the years following, the Jews, because of their evil, were “led captive into all the nations”, and Jerusalem was “trampled underfoot by the Gentiles.” Lk. 21:24a
After being exiled from their country, the Jews were greatly persecuted. This did not mean God had abandoned them, that His plans for them had been revoked, been rescinded, but only that Israel had been set aside for a while. Instead, God would focus on the church and on the Gentiles (Rom. 11). And as Luke 21:24b informs us, “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
So now we are in the church age, and the New Testament speaks extensively of how Christians are to be godly disciples, have faith, hope, and love, and be witnesses and workers for Christ. They also predict Christ’s 2nd coming, that at the end of this age, He will return to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and set up His kingdom on earth. Matt. 28:19-20, 24:27-31; Rom. 11:25-27; 1 Thess. 4:14-18, 5:8; 1 Pet. 1:16; Rev. 7-9, 16; Rev. 20
I spoke of the fact that the Jews were exiled from their homeland, and the phrase, the end-times, refers to when they are back in their land. It was in the late 1800’s, according to God’s promises and plans, that the Jews miraculously began returning to their land, and in 1948 Israel once again became a nation. Daniel 12:4, 9, Is. 11:11, Jer. 31:10, Ez. 36:24, Zech. 8:7-8
The gospels and epistles give several side-by-side passages of the Jews and the church. That’s because in the end-times, God is working with both groups, preparing them and using them for His purposes in advance of Christ’s 2nd coming. We will be seeing the fulfillment of many prophecies about the Jews and the church in the end-times, signaling Christ’s soon return to earth. Matt. 24:9-14, 15-27; Lk. 21:12-19, 20-24; Rev. 7:4-8, 9-14; Rev. 12:13-16, 17
What about the United States? What are God’s plans for her? God sovereignly raised her up about 250 years ago, and it was for His purposes. Growing from 13 colonies to 50 states, she has had incredible success – educationally, economically, militarily, technologically, politically, and culturally. Without question, she has been a global superpower, the most prosperous and influential nation on earth these past 80 years. Most importantly, she has had an amazing spiritual effect on this world. Whether it’s with missionaries, materials, or money, the United States has greatly and wonderfully impacted this planet, much more than any other nation.
Yet, the United States is now terribly sick, and it’s because of all her sin. She has stage-4 spiritual cancer and it has affected every part of our country and every aspect of our society – churches, marriages, families, schools, media, government, businesses, and culture – and this cancer is too far advanced to be cured. God’s justice demands that her wickedness be punished. Rom. 1:18-28 outlines this downward spiritual spiral, this progression of perversion, telling us that God delivers unrighteous, unrepenting nations over to impurity, immorality, homosexuality, and depravity, which is what we have been seeing these past 60 years. Consequently, there won’t be a nation-wide revival, and this country won’t be experiencing a long-lasting golden age.
The decline and downfall of the United States is happening not just because of her sin but also because God’s end-time plans must be carried out. Here’s what we learn from God’s word:
1. The Antichrist will come and his kingdom will rule the world, and this means no other nation will be a superpower at that time, including the United States. So this country will soon lose her #1 standing in the world. We don’t know if another superpower or two will rise up before the Antichrist becomes dictator of the world. But there will be a time when we say, “authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nations was given to him (the Antichrist). All who dwell on the earth will worship him.” Rev. 13:7-8, Dan. 7:23
2. God prophesied that He will defeat all Gentile nations, including the Antichrist’s kingdom. This hasn’t happened yet, but it won’t be long before it does. “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” Dan. 2:44-45, 7:26-27; Psalm 9:4-5; Luke 21:24; 2 Thess. 2:8-9; Rev. 19:11-21
3. God prophesied that He will save a remnant of Jews, and these people, with Christ leading the way, will be a God-blessed nation, a physical and spiritual nation, the most powerful and influential nation in the world. “Israel has been saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation” (Is. 45:17). “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations… Blessed is the nation (Israel) whose God is the Lord” (Ps. 33:10-12). “The Lord will rise upon you (Israel) and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Is. 60:2-3
4. God told us that Christ will reign over the nation of Israel for 1,000 years. It’s not the United States or any other Gentile nation, but a Jewish nation that God will supremely bless which will rule with Him and lead the world in worshiping and serving Him. “They will be priests of God and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” Rev. 20:6; Ps. 18:49-50, 102:18-22, 147:1-2
God told us that all Gentile nations will be defeated, and this includes the United States. Now that we are in the end times, God’s final plans for this world are being fulfilled and, therefore, Christ will be coming soon. The “times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24, Rom. 11:25-26) will end, and the times of the Jews will begin. And Jewish and Gentile believers will worship the Lord together. “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people… Let all the peoples praise Him.” Rom. 15:10-11
“Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing… He who is enthroned in the heavens laughs… as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain” (Ps. 2:1-6). “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15). “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth…” Ps. 47:6-8, 145:9-11; Is. 60-62; 1 Cor. 15:20-28;Rev. 21-22:5
P.S. You can only understand God’s work with the United States if you understand God’s past, present, and future work with Israel. Here are some posts about that subject – “A Short Summary of God’s Working with the Jews”, “Why the Jews Are Important for You and the Church.” Here’s another post about the future of the United States – “The Downfall of the United States Before the Return of Christ.”