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At the beginning of this book the question was asked, “Where in the Bible is America to be found? What about Great Britain?” Considering the almost unfathomable impact these two nations have had on the modern world—and that they will undoubtedly play leading roles in any end-time scenario—it is inconceivable that God would choose to omit even so much as a mention of them in Bible prophecy. Indeed, their apparent absence from the Bible has puzzled many. But as we have demonstrated, America and Britain are none other than the latter-day descendants of the Israelite tribe of Joseph—Ephraim and Manasseh. The problem, then, has not been their absence from the Scriptures, but that scholars have failed to realize the biblical origins of America and Britain—failed to identify them for who they are: modern Israel. And it is by that name—Israel—that Britain and America are identified in literally scores of biblical prophecies.
The key to understanding this issue lies in Genesis 48:16. As was the Hebrew custom, the patriarch Jacob was preparing to pass on the family “birthright blessings,” which would include the astounding blessings of national greatness God had promised to Abraham. Such blessings normally went to the firstborn son. But because of sin, Jacob’s actual firstborn son, Reuben, was disqualified. Joseph, however, was also a firstborn son—from the wife Jacob truly loved, Rachel. Thus, the birthright belonged to Joseph—or, as events would have it, to his sons (I Chron. 5:1-2). Jacob was intent on essentially adopting Joseph’s two boys, Ephraim and Manasseh. They would become as sons to him. This enabled Jacob to pass the birthright directly to both of Joseph’s sons. This was unusual in that Manasseh was actually the firstborn. It was apparently Jacob’s desire that Ephraim not only share in the birthright, but actually receive the greater blessing—hence Jacob “wittingly” crossed his hands so that his favored right hand rested on Ephraim. All of this, of course, was carefully guided by God as part of His overall plan for the children of Israel.
But the patriarch did something else that was equally astonishing. In Genesis 48:5, he said Ephraim and Manasseh would be his sons. Thus, in adopting the two boys, Jacob gave them his very name. “Let my name be named on them” (verse 16; KJV)—or, as the NIV has it, “May they be called by my name.”
Few understand the prophetic significance of this statement. Modern Ephraim and Manasseh carry the name Israel. Conversely, other nations of Israelite ancestry—despite definite links to the “lost” ten tribes—were not to bear the name Israel. For example, scholars who have studied this subject believe the French are largely descended from the tribe of Reuben; likewise, the people of the Netherlands (Holland) are ancestrally related to the tribe of Zebulun; and the Finnish, for the most part, are descendants of the tribe of Issachar (see Appendix 2). However, these nations are not—in a biblically prophetic sense—modern-day Israel. Technically, even the Middle Eastern “State of Israel” is not biblically Israel, but is the House of Judah. This is not to say that such nations and peoples who are of clear Israelite origin have ultimately lost their Hebrew heritage, for the Bible is clear that “all Israel shall be saved” (Rom. 11:26). As will be brought out later in this chapter, God has wonderful plans for the entirety of a restored Israel in the age to come.
To be sure, the key to understanding much of biblical prophecy is to comprehend the profound significance of Jacob’s words: “Let my name be named on them.” Ephraim and Manasseh were to carry the name of Jacob— Israel. None of the other “lost” tribes of Israel—including the Jews—were to be identified in end-time prophecy as Israel (except in prophecies concerning the full restoration of all twelve tribes in the age to come).
The implications of this fact are astounding. It means that scores of prophecies heretofore misapplied to the Jews or relegated to “Israel’s history” now come alive with present-day meaning for modern-day Ephraim and Manasseh—Britain and America. To be sure, Bible prophecy has much to say about the future of the Anglo-American nations.
Ancient Prophecies: Obsolete—or Advance Warnings?
Biblical prophecy serves to inform God’s people of His plans (Amos 3:7), as well as to prove, in hindsight, that God has truly “declared the end from the beginning” (Isa. 46:9-10). Generally speaking, we might categorize biblical prophecy into three groups: 1) prophecies that have come to pass and have no further application; 2) prophecies that strictly apply to the latter days and beyond; and 3) prophecies that have been fulfilled—but only in a limited fashion and thus await a more complete, latter-day fulfillment. The prophecies of this third group—which relate overwhelmingly to Israel and the Jews—are said to be dual in nature: while they have been initially fulfilled in the past, their previous fulfillment serves as a type or model of a future application. This future fulfillment is typically linked to the latter days and usually takes place on a much grander scale.
A good example of this is Jesus’ Olivet prophecy of Matthew 24 (also found in Mark 13 and Luke 21). In many ways, Jesus’ prophecy accurately described events that led up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD: There were false messiahs, wars and rumors of war, and Christians were persecuted; the Gospel had been preached to some of the then-known world; and, the Romans’ siege of Jerusalem certainly looked like the beginning of the highly anticipated “time of great trouble.” There is no doubt the early church thought they were in the “last days.” But many of the things Jesus mentioned did not occur at that time: The Gospel, in reality, had not been preached to every nation; the “abomination of desolation” prophesied by Daniel was not set up in the temple; the so-called “Great Tribulation” had, in fact, not begun; and, of course, Jesus did not return.
Jesus’ prophecy was no doubt intended to prepare His followers for events to occur in their generation—events that appeared to signal that they were living in the latter days and that Jesus’ return was imminent. Clearly, then, the Olivet prophecy—written for the latter days—is yet to be fulfilled. But the limited, initial fulfillment of the prophecy in 70 AD serves as a type of what is yet to occur at the “end of the age,” during the run-up to Jesus’ return. Indeed, the prophecy will yet take place on a grander scale: A great false messiah will appear, along with the “abomination of desolation” (see II Thessalonians 2; Revelation 13); the anticipated “Great Tribulation” will occur (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12); Jerusalem will be surrounded by enemy nations (Zechariah 12:3, 9; Luke 21:20); the true Gospel will finally be proclaimed to the entire world (Matthew 24:14); and, of course, Jesus will then return. Thus, while the events of 70 AD did follow the pattern set by the Olivet prophecy, they functioned primarily as a forerunner of what is yet to occur in the latter days.
Understanding this principle of duality is vital to the purposes of this book. While many of the prophecies concerning Israel have been fulfilled, their past fulfillment serves as a type or forerunner of a more complete fulfillment yet to come. Since the Anglo-American nations carry the name Israel, the latter-day, final fulfillment of such prophecies applies primarily to Britain and America. Thus, numerous prophecies concerning ancient Israel now serve as advance warnings of what is to happen to the Anglo- American peoples.
But how can we know that prophecies relating to Israel have a “dual” application? As brought out earlier, prophecy speaks of a restoration for the northern Kingdom of Israel to the land of Palestine. For example, look again at Amos nine. As we have seen, the prophet warned that God would sift the northern tribes of Israel among the nations, yet none would “fall upon the earth”—no tribe would be lost or destroyed (verse 9). This has historically occurred. But notice verses 13-15: “Behold, the days [will yet] come … [in which] I will bring back the exiles of My people Israel, and they shall build the cities which are desolate, and they shall live in them. And they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. They shall also make gardens and eat their fruit. And I will plant them in their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them.”
This passage cannot refer to the Jews—for the nation of Judah at that time was still dwelling in the land of promise. As a prophet, Amos was sent primarily to the northern tribes of Israel (Amos 1:1) during a time when Judah was still led by (mostly) righteous kings, such as Uzziah.1 Amos nine clearly foretells of Israel’s captivity to Assyria, but it also predicts the nation’s restoration—which has never taken place. This means Amos’ prophecy—“I will plant them in their land”—can only refer to a yet future restoration following a future time of captivity. There is a similar duality to many of the prophecies dealing with both Israel and Judah. Without a doubt, prophecies describing Israel’s restoration cannot be fulfilled unless Israel— which now means the modern Anglo-American nations—finds itself once again in captivity. Thus, the prophecies of Israel’s captivity are dual. In the ultimate fulfillment of Amos’ prophecy (and others like it), America and Britain—biblically identified with Jacob’s name, Israel—will yet face national captivity followed by divine deliverance and restoration.
Another example can be found in Jeremiah 30: “ ‘For, lo, the days come,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will turn back the captivity of My people Israel and Judah,’ says the LORD. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave their fathers, and they shall possess it’ ” (verse 3). Note that Jeremiah’s message concerns Israel and Judah—both houses (verses 3-4). A similar passage occurs in chapter 33: “And I will cause the return from captivity of Judah and the return from captivity of Israel, and will build them, as at the first” (verse 7; compare verse 14 as well).
Jeremiah began to prophesy concerning Judah in about 626 BC— almost a hundred years after the House of Israel had been exiled. When he wrote chapters 30-33 (which form one continuous prophecy), Judah had not yet entered the final stage of its own captivity in Babylon, which culminated in 586 BC. While Judah was restored to the land following a 70-year exile, Israel was never restored—but essentially left in exile, left to migrate to new lands. Yet these passages in Jeremiah describe the restoration of Israel and Judah as if they were contemporaneous events. It seems that Jeremiah has a purpose in “weaving together” the stories of Israel and Judah in such a manner: his focus is not on the original exile of either nation—but on a future time of crisis on both nations. This future time of crisis will ultimately result in the restoration of both houses—but only after both nations face a second exile in the latter days. In fact, the final verse of chapter 30 says, “In the latter days you shall understand it.” Jeremiah writes:
“ ‘Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall be in that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will break [your captor’s] yoke [of slavery] from your neck and will [release] your bonds. And strangers shall no longer enslave [Jacob], but they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them.
“ ‘O My servant Jacob, do not fear,’ says the LORD. ‘Do not be terrified, O [House of] Israel. For lo, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. And Jacob [Israel] shall return [to their own land], and shall be at rest, and be quiet, and none shall make [them] afraid [again]. For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to save you. Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you in measure, and will not utterly destroy you’ ” (verses 7-11).2
Again, a part of Judah was returned to the land after a 70-year exile. But the Israelite restoration described here in Jeremiah has never occurred. After abandoning the areas of their Assyrian captivity, the “lost” tribes of Israel resettled as independent nations in entirely new lands. Thus, Israel is no longer in exile—and there is no need for a “restoration.” The idea of a “restoration” presumes that the nation has fallen and is in captivity.
Yet these passages from Jeremiah must apply to the northern tribes of Israel—but how? The answer to this apparent enigma has to do with the dual nature of this prophecy (and others like it). In such cases there is a former or initial fulfillment, usually smaller in scale, followed much later by a final, complete fulfillment. In the case of the House of Israel, their original captivity to Assyria—from which they were never restored—serves as a forerunner of a later captivity from which their latter-day descendants will be restored. Thus, ultimately, Jeremiah’s prophecies of a contemporaneous Jewish and Israelite restoration can only apply to the modern Jewish nation of “Israel” as well as latter-day Anglo-American Israel.
Passages detailing Israel’s captivity and subsequent restoration can also be found in the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel. As noted with Amos and Jeremiah, the principle of duality is at times applicable. Isaiah speaks of a time when the Messiah will rule in righteousness from Jerusalem—clearly in the age to come (Isa. 11:1-10). Within that context, Isaiah writes:
“And it shall come to pass in that day”—the time of Christ’s return to deliver Israel and establish the Kingdom of God— “the LORD shall again set His hand, the second time, to recover the remnant of His people…. And He shall lift up a banner for the nations, and shall gather the outcasts of Israel and gather together the scattered ones of Judah from the four corners of the earth…. And there shall be a highway for the [return of the] remnant of His people, those left from Assyria, as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt” (verses 11-12, 16).
The prophet’s reference to a “second time” contrasts this latter-day deliverance with Israel’s original liberation from Egyptian slavery. But there are significant differences. In this modern-day captivity, Israel and Judah are mentioned independently—the “outcasts of Israel” and the “scattered ones of Judah.” This, again, shows the distinction between Judah (the Jews) and today’s Israel, the Anglo-American peoples. Moreover, they are rescued not from Egypt or the Middle East, but from the “four corners of the earth”— indicating that this future exile is widespread. Finally, note that this latter-day remnant of captives is “left from Assyria.” God will once again use the Assyrians—whose descendants correspond today to modern Germany (see Appendix 9)—the “rod of His anger” (Isa. 10:5-6), to bring corrective punishment on both the Jewish nation as well as on Britain and America.
Thus, it is apparent that Isaiah’s prophecy is referring to a future captivity from which Israel—primarily America and Britain—and Judah (the Jews) will be delivered and returned to their lands.
Ezekiel’s “Watchman” Prophecies
But there is yet additional proof of prophecy applying specifically to modern Israel—to America and Britain. The priest-prophet Ezekiel was among the Jewish captives taken to Babylon during Judah’s exile (Ezek. 1:1-3). Interestingly, however, Ezekiel was given prophecies specifically directed to the House of Israel—prophecies warning of imminent captivity. But the House of Israel had already gone into captivity—some 130 years earlier. Was Ezekiel realistically expected to deliver his message to the then-scattered “lost” tribes that had already begun to migrate to the northwest? More importantly, why would Ezekiel be required to deliver a message warning of imminent destruction and captivity to a people who had already been exiled over a century earlier? Ezekiel 2:3 shows that the prophet was to go to “the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation.” Chapter three says Ezekiel was to be a watchman to the “house of Israel” (verses 1, 4, 5, 7, 17, etc.). Claims that references to the “house of Israel” are directed at Judah are misguided. In Ezekiel 4:5-6 we see that both the House of Israel and the House of Judah are mentioned contemporaneously. Clearly, Ezekiel knew the difference. Moreover, what would be the point of warning the Jews of impending captivity when they had just been exiled?
As chapter 33 brings out, a watchman’s job was to sound the alarm when the nation was facing an imminent attack. But it also included warning the nation of God’s judgment: “And you, son of man, I have set you as watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore you shall hear the Word from My mouth, and warn them from Me” (Ezek. 33:7).
Ezekiel’s watchman message warned of impending destruction and national captivity. In chapters 6-7, for example, Ezekiel is given a dire warning to deliver to the “mountains of Israel”—figuratively representing the nation itself. Again, the question must be asked: How was Ezekiel to deliver his “watchman” message to a widely scattered, migrating group of tribes that had already been exiled 130 years earlier? When did Ezekiel fulfill this commission? There is no record—biblical or secular—of Ezekiel ever attempting to go to the long-exiled “lost” tribes of Israel. And what would be the point of such a message? Israel had already been destroyed and its people taken captive. The only answer that makes sense is that Ezekiel’s message was not for ancient Israel, but is an advance warning to those who today bear the prophetic name Israel—Britain and America.
Ezekiel 36 highlights ancient Israel’s captivity to the Assyrians; employing the principle of duality, it also describes the latter-day captivity of modern Israel. A restoration is again promised—a restoration that can now only be fulfilled in the end time. Notice this vital section:
“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘I have lifted up My hand; surely the nations around you [that participated in your captivity] shall [now] bear their [own] shame. But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall put out your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel; for they will soon return. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and you shall be tilled and sown. And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it. And the cities shall have people, and the wastes shall be rebuilt. And I will multiply men and beasts upon you, and they shall increase and be fruitful. And I will make you dwell after your old estates, and I will do better to you than at your beginnings. And you shall know that I am the LORD. Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even My people Israel. And they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance….’
“And the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and by their [wicked] doings…. Therefore I poured My fury upon them because of the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols by which they defiled it. And I scattered them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the countries. I judged them according to their ways and according to their [evil] doings. And when they came [into] the nations where they [were exiled], they even profaned My holy name [so] that it was said of them, “These are the people of the LORD, and they are gone out of His land.”
“ ‘But I had pity for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they were exiled…. [Indeed,] I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations…. For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries, and will gather you into your own land. And I will sprinkle clean waters upon you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you…. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances and do them.
“ ‘And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleanness, and I will call for the grain, and will increase it, and will lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the increase of the field, so that you shall never again receive the curse of famine….
"‘And you shall remember your own evil ways, and your [deeds] that were not good, and shall [come to] loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations…. In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the waste land shall be tilled, instead of being desolate before all who pass by. And they shall say, “This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. And the wasted, desolate and ruined cities now are fenced and inhabited.” And the nations that are left all around you shall know that I the LORD [rebuilt] the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it…. I will yet be sought by the house of Israel to act for them. I will increase them with men like a flock. As a holy flock, as the flocks of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. And they shall know that I am the LORD’ ” (verses 7-12, 16-21, 23-31, 33-38).
Remember, Ezekiel wrote while he was in captivity among the Jews in Babylon. The northern tribes had long been taken by the Assyrians. Yet this passage is clearly addressed to the House of Israel. It not only describes Israel’s demise at the hands of the Assyrians, it also describes a glorious restoration—a restoration that has never occurred. Verses 26-27—“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you…. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances and do them”—place this restoration in the same latter-day context as the passage previously quoted from Jeremiah 30, which actually extends through chapter 31. Notice Jeremiah 31:31-33: “ ‘Behold, the days come,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah…. I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ ” These passages clearly describe a renewed Israel in the coming messianic age.
Since Israel was already in exile when Ezekiel wrote his prophecies, we must ask: Was God more than a hundred years late in warning Israel of impending judgment and correction? Of course not. The only answer that makes sense is that Ezekiel’s warnings for the House of Israel are actually intended for those nations that today make up modern Israel—primarily the birthright nations of America and Britain. As we have seen, there are numerous biblical passages that vividly describe the restoration of Israel. Of utmost importance is the fact that those prophecies have never been fulfilled—and they cannot be applied to the Jews. Thus, unless we apply such prophecies to the modern Anglo-American nations, they simply have no relevance—no potential fulfillment. The key is to understand the “dual nature” of such prophecies—that they initially applied to ancient Israel, but only as a type of a greater, latter-day fulfillment through modern Israel.
Moses’ Ominous Warnings
The biblical book of Deuteronomy features numerous warnings from Moses to the children of Israel—warnings focusing on the certainty of divine judgment if the nation persisted in violating the covenant through which God established them as His chosen people. As we look at certain key passages, keep in mind that the principle of duality applies. This means that the same warnings are relevant today for Anglo-American Israel. In chapter four, Moses writes:
“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. When you shall beget children and grandchildren, and when you shall have remained long in the land and have dealt corruptly by making a graven image, the likeness of anything [i.e., any form of idolatry], and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that you shall soon utterly perish from off the land which you are crossing over Jordan to possess. You shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and you shall be left few in number among the nations where the LORD shall drive you. And there you shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But if you shall seek the LORD your God from there, you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in trouble and when all these things have come upon you in the latter days, then you shall return to the LORD your God and shall be obedient to His voice, for the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not forsake you, nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them” (Deut. 4:24-31).
Of particular importance is the phrase, “when all these things have come upon you in the latter days”—which shows that, while both Israel and Judah have experienced respective initial captivities, there remains a final captivity for modern Israel and the Jews for the latter days.
In chapter eight, Moses reminds the Israelites of all the good God had done for them during their 40 years of wandering—providing literally everything they needed. He then describes the incredible blessings they would find in the Promised Land—blessings of agricultural abundance and rich natural resources. In reading this passage, keep in mind the almost incalculable blessings God has showered on the birthright nations of Britain and America—blessings we have long taken for granted. Moses writes:
“When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command you today, lest when you have eaten and are full and have built goodly houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then you become haughty of heart, and you forget the LORD your God…. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.’ But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, so that He may confirm His covenant which He has sworn to your fathers as it is this very day. And it shall be if you do at all forget the LORD your God and walk after other gods serving them and worshiping them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish—yes, perish. As the nations whom the LORD destroys before your face, so you shall perish because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God” (Deut. 8:10-14, 17-20).
Moses’ warnings reach a pitch in Deuteronomy 28, known to many Bible students as one of the “blessings and curses” chapters, along with Leviticus 26. Keep in mind that just as ancient Israel enjoyed all of the blessings described in these chapters, Britain and America have likewise enjoyed the same blessings—but on a much greater scale due to being the recipients of the Abrahamic birthright promises. Because of persistent sin, Israel of old also faced every curse listed—including, as we have seen, being finally taken into captivity by their enemies. As modern-day nations bearing the name Israel, America and Britain are already distressed by many of these curses. Importantly, Leviticus 26 indicates that the curses are designed to intensify over time—leading ultimately to national captivity. For example, after warning of several curses, God says, “And if after these things you will not be reformed by Me, but will still walk contrary to Me, then I will walk contrary to you and will punish you seven times more for your sins” (Lev. 26:23-24). Similarly, Moses warns that “all these curses will [gradually] come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed [through captivity] because you would not obey the LORD your God and observe His commands and decrees. And these curses will be a sign and a wonder to you, and to your descendants for generations” (Deut. 28:45-46; author’s paraphrase).
As we highlight some of these “blessings and curses” passages, it is important to keep in mind that the modern Anglo-American nations are vastly different from the agrarian peoples of ancient Israel and Judah. Not every curse will have a precise modern-day counterpart. Accordingly, we must focus on the overall meaning behind the text and not become bogged down by attempting to explain every nuance of Moses’ words.
“All these curses shall come upon you…”
Leviticus 26 prefaces its list of curses with this statement from God: “But if you will not hearken to Me and will not do all these commandments, and if you shall despise My statutes, or if your soul hates My judgments, so that you will not do all My commandments, so that you [continually] break My covenant, I will also do this to you…” (verses 14-15).
God then says He will bring certain grievous diseases on rebellious Israel (verse 16). Today, America and Britain are afflicted by persistent diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune conditions—not to mention AIDS. And all of these diseases are escalating— with no cures in sight. Astonishingly, while America arguably has the best healthcare in the world, it only ranks number 37 in actual quality of health.
Verses 16-17 refer to Israel’s enemies dominating them in various ways—economically, militarily, geopolitically, etc.—even to the point of “fleeing” when not actually being pursued. Ongoing terrorism creates just such a mindset, one of continual fear of what one’s enemies might do.
Verse 19 speaks of Israel’s loss of pride in their power. As noted earlier, this verse has been applied today in a variety of ways, not the least of which is the idea that the Anglo-American nations are abandoning their God-given role as leaders of the free world.
Verses 19-20 go on to describe widespread drought—such that the land fails to yield its produce. Once called the “breadbasket” of the world, America continues to face recurring drought patterns. The drought of 1988- 1990, which destroyed crops across the U.S., was the worst since the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s. In terms of damages, the drought was said to be comparable to hurricane Katrina. A drought of almost equal proportions occurred in 2002. In 2011, intense drought struck much of Texas and a large portion of the Southwest, bringing the region its worst conditions since the 1930s. While certain areas of Texas have partially recovered, most of the Southwest continues under what scientists are calling a mega-drought. With 87 percent of the region under “extreme” conditions, grasslands are being decimated, forcing farmers to sell off livestock. With the water supply in the West dropping fast, several states are already gearing up for a legal battle over access to the limited resources.
Overall, the combination of high temperatures and a lack of rainfall has resulted in weather patterns not seen since the Great Depression. As the summer of 2013 progressed, drought conditions expanded significantly into parts of California and into the western Corn Belt—including the top-producing state of Iowa, putting much of the nation’s corn crop at risk. The lack of rainfall in California—which produces a third of the nation’s fruits and vegetables—is particularly worrisome. Experts are calling it the worst drought in at least a century and warning that it could eventually lead to a new Dust Bowl effect. Drought in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas also has farmers worried about a new Dust Bowl. But today, there is a big difference: because of America’s “Big Ag” monoculture system of farming—where massive fields yield only a single crop with no secondary vegetation to hold the soil—topsoil is easily blown away. Texas, in fact, is already reporting dust storms directly related to drought.3
Experts are beginning to wonder if the persistent drought conditions are indicative of an “emerging climate pattern.” Indeed, as Leviticus 26:19- 20 brings out, God is cursing America’s weather: heavens like “iron” means no rain—earth like “brass” means bone dry. Food prices have already risen sharply in the past few years as a direct result of U.S. weather conditions; moreover, all it would take is one or two really dry years and America could see painfully real food shortages.
Verse 22 says our highways will become desolate—left untraveled. Ongoing food shortages (verse 26), widespread disease epidemics (verse 25), and financial collapse will quickly lead to unimaginable social unrest— no doubt followed by martial law. No one will be traveling anywhere. Ultimately, as verse 25 brings out, our nations will be overcome militarily. In the ensuing siege, massive starvation will follow. Read for yourself in verse 29 what the horrible result will be. Finally, in verse 33, God says, “And I will scatter you among the nations [as slaves], and will draw out a sword after you [so that you are a prey wherever you go]. And your land shall be a desolation, and your cities waste”—just as Moses had warned.
Deuteronomy 28 adds more detail. Because the curses are not given in a strictly chronological order, we will rearrange the verses for a more logical reading.
When any great nation goes into decline, its economic clout quickly suffers. As we have noted previously, America and Britain are now major debtor nations—and are increasingly subject to the dictates of lesser nations. Once the “head,” we will soon be the “tail” (verses 43-44).
Our nations’ youth—the “fruit of our body” (verse 18)—are cursed in many ways: drug and alcohol abuse, sexual addiction, an obsession with entertainment and materialism, an overall sense of purposelessness. This curse would include the growing scourge of infertility and a declining birthrate—not to mention the horrendous curse of abortion.
The same verse refers to our agricultural structure. Today, America’s food supply is largely produced by a few mega-farms while smaller family farms are being forced out of business—a precarious arrangement that will one day contribute to food shortages and famine. Once the world’s largest exporter of food—mostly wheat, corn, and meat—America now imports more foodstuffs than it exports.
Famine—a cursed “basket and store”—is emphasized in verse 17. The cause—insufficient rain (verses 23-24), as well as blight, disease, and insect infestations (verses 38-40, 42). Will the ongoing destruction of bees as pollinators play a role in future crop failures? The curse of disease is noted in verses 22, 60-61. Eventually, horrible pestilence will consume massive numbers of our peoples (verse 21).
In time, our once-great military might will be gone—and we will flee from before our enemies (verse 25). Ultimately, God will raise up a nation against America and Britain—one “from afar, from the end of the earth as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you shall not understand, a nation fierce of countenance who shall not regard the [aged], nor show favor to the young” (verses 49-50).4 Emboldened by our weakness, our enemies will take what they please (verses 30-31, 33, 51), including our children (verses 32, 41). “Therefore you shall serve your enemies which the LORD shall send against you in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in the want of all things. And he shall put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you” (verse 48). Our peoples will starve—to the point of some actually eating their own children! (verses 52-57).
Ultimately, the Anglo-American people will be left “few in number” as they are “scattered from one end of the earth even to the other” (verses 62, 64). Our once great nations will become “an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword” among the nations of the world (verse 37). Why? Because we—as God’s covenant nations of modern-day Israel—“did not obey the voice of the LORD [our] God to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded [us].” Because we “did not serve the LORD [our] God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things” (verses 45, 47).
Impossible, you say? Is America too powerful to be overthrown, too big to fail? That’s what the Romans once thought. But God is all powerful, and He has sworn to avenge the “quarrel of His covenant” (Lev. 26:25), the covenant through which He set Israel apart as His chosen nation. Make no mistake, God will not be mocked—by individuals or by entire nations. But God has a plan—and the coming fall and captivity of the Anglo-American nations is by design: God must bring corrective punishment on Britain and America (and the Jews) in order to lead us to profound repentance—so that, ultimately, the entire Kingdom of Israel can be used as God’s premier, model nation in the age to come.
Deuteronomy 30 concludes Moses’ warnings to Israel with promises of deliverance and restoration—but only upon repentance.
“And it shall be when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and when you shall call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, and shall return to the LORD your God and shall obey His voice according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the LORD your God will turn away your captivity. And He will have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you” (Deut. 30:1-3).
The curses of Leviticus 26 conclude with this wonderful promise of deliverance and restoration in the age to come:
“But, if they shall confess their iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers with … which they sinned against Me, and that they have walked contrary to Me, so that I, in turn, have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies, and if their uncircumcised hearts are then humbled, and they accept the punishment for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac; and also My covenant with Abraham I will remember…. [And] when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not entirely cast them away; neither will I hate them to destroy them utterly and to break My covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God. But for their sakes, I will remember the covenant of their ancestors…” (verses 40-42, 44-45).
The overriding question is, will the peoples of modern Israel truly repent while in captivity—will they truly be humbled to seek God?
“Jacob’s Trouble”
Because we have turned from God, Britain and America are slowly but surely losing the promised birthright blessings—blessings of prosperity, protection, global hegemony. Today, at seemingly every turn, the Anglo- American nations are besieged by rapidly mounting curses. What will be the outcome if our peoples and leaders continue to deny and defy God?
God’s desire is that His chosen people learn to obey Him in every way. To achieve His purpose, God has, out of necessity, planned corrective national punishment for Israel and the Jews. In fact, biblical prophecy describes a time when modern Israel and Judah will face “great distress”— expressly for the purpose of bringing our nations to repentance. Following the principle of duality, this period of intense trouble was foreshadowed anciently by 1) Israel’s fall and captivity under the Assyrians, and 2) the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 69-70 AD. This time of “great trouble” on Israel and Judah is the culmination of the numerous curses brought out in the “blessings and curses” chapters noted above. As per those warnings, God will ultimately bring the modern nations of Israel and Judah into national captivity.
As brought out previously, the prophet Jeremiah was sent to the House of Judah. But he also wrote about the fall of the House of Israel— over a hundred years after the northern tribes had been taken into captivity. As with Ezekiel, Jeremiah’s warnings to Israel might appear to be ill-timed. But, in reality, they were written as advance warnings for modern Israel: America and Britain. In chapter five, for example, Jeremiah quotes God as saying: “Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from afar, O house of Israel…. It is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor [can you] understand what they say.” Stressing their warlike nature, God adds that “their quiver is as an open grave; they are all mighty men.” Moreover, “they shall eat up your harvest and your bread, your sons and your daughters they shall eat up [take as captives]. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds; they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees. They shall beat down your fortified cities with the sword” (verses 15-17). This passage—which is similar in content to Deuteronomy 28:49-52—is directed to the “House of Israel.” Did Jeremiah know the difference between the two houses? Obviously—for in verse 11 we see that both houses are mentioned as independent nations: God says, “For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very deceitfully against Me.” This point must be emphasized—because we must not imagine, as do most scholars, that this passage was written for the Jews. It was clearly written for the “House of Israel”—which, again, was already in exile when Jeremiah wrote!
It is interesting to note how Jeremiah cleverly intertwines prophecies of Judah’s impending captivity with those pertaining to a latter-day Israel. For example, here in chapter five, he is instructed to “declare this [warning] in the house of Jacob, and cry it in Judah…” (verse 20).5 Given the fact that his prophecies for the House of Israel can now only be applied to modern-day Israel, this literary “weaving” together of prophecies pertaining to both houses suggests a modern-day captivity for the Jews as well. As we will see, that is precisely the case.
Looking again at Jeremiah 30, we see the same approach. “ ‘For, lo, the days come,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will turn back the captivity of My people Israel and Judah… And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave their fathers, and they shall possess it’ ” (verse 3). Note that it is both Israel and Judah. God did overturn Judah’s original captivity—but Israel has never been restored to the land. Thus, this statement can only refer to a yet future event involving both modern Israel—Britain and America—and the modern Jewish nation. Moreover, as noted earlier, an end-time application is strongly suggested by verse 24: “In the latter days you shall understand it.”
It is in this context that the prophet then announces that a particular time of “great distress” will come upon both Israel and Judah—a time only foreshadowed by Israel’s fall to Assyria and the Jews’ fall to Rome in 69-70 AD. Jeremiah writes: “Alas! For that day [of God’s corrective punishment on modern Israel and Judah] is great, so that [no other time] is like it; it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (verse 7). This crisis correlates to Daniel’s “time of trouble” (Dan. 12:1) on the “holy people” (Israel, verse 7), which he links to the “time of the end” (verses 4 and 9). In His Olivet discourse, Jesus alludes to Daniel’s prophecy (Matt. 24:15) and warns those of Judea of an impending military invasion (Luke 21:20)—which took place in type in 69-70 AD. Jesus characterizes the time as one of “great” tribulation or affliction, and, like Jeremiah and Daniel, notes that “Jacob’s trouble” will be unprecedented in history as far as the downfall and destruction of nations is concerned (Matt. 24:21).
Importantly, Luke calls this time the “days of vengeance, so that all things that have been written may be accomplished” (verse 22). The word “vengeance” here means more than mere “punishment”—for God is intent on seeing justice done. Indeed, this verse parallels Leviticus 26:25, where God says He will bring about modern Israel’s national captivity in order to “execute the vengeance of the covenant”—i.e., Israel’s wholesale breaking of that covenant. The key phrase “that all things that have been written may be accomplished” refers not only to God “making good” on His numerous warnings to Israel, but to the reality that this time of divine correction will ultimately lead to repentance on the part of the Jews and modern Israel. Such repentance, along with restoration to God’s favor, will then enable all of Israel to be used by God in the age to come.
The Bible indicates that “Jacob’s trouble” will last three and a half years (Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 11:2; 13:5). Of this time, the final year is the prophetic “Day of the Lord” leading up to Jesus’ return. Isaiah 34 describes this “day” as “the day of the LORD’S vengeance, the year to repay for the fighting against Zion [Jerusalem]” (verse 8). Essentially, the “Day of the Lord” is Christ’s intervention on behalf of captive Israel—wherein He takes vengeance on those bent on the total destruction of Israel and Jerusalem (Isa. 34:1-3). This time of crisis will be so devastating that the Jews and the Anglo-American nations will face the potential of complete destruction. In fact, unless those days were curtailed by the plagues of the “Day of the Lord,” no Israelite would survive (Matt. 24:22).6
In particular, God will intervene to stop Israel’s primary enemy— modern Assyria, or Germany. As Isaiah 10 shows, God will punish Assyria for its pride—but only after using them to correct Israel (verses 5-14). As explained in Appendix 9, modern Germany’s origins can be traced to the ancient Assyrians. People today scoff at the notion that Germany could ever again seriously threaten America. But they are wrong for two reasons. First, look again at the “blessings and curses” chapters: God will not bring this “nation of fierce countenance” against the Anglo-American nations until He has first reduced us to less than third-world status through unimaginable financial collapse and violent social unrest—not to mention widespread disease and famine.
Secondly, Germany—while rapidly growing as an economic power in it own right—will not act alone, but will head up what is tantamount to a revived Holy Roman Empire. Described by the prophet Daniel as a powerful war-making empire, this yet future world-dominating union of European nations will be destroyed by Christ at His coming (Dan. 2; 7; Rev. 13; 17; 19). As inconceivable as it may presently seem, there will come a time very soon when even America will be no match for this rapidly-developing European superpower.7
Led by modern Assyria, this “beast” system will dominate the entire world for a brief period of time, ultimately subjugating the American and British peoples. It will also occupy the modern Jewish state of Israel—just as foreshadowed by the Roman occupation of Jerusalem in 69-70 AD. As Revelation 11:2 says, Jerusalem will be “trodden under foot” by this Gentile system. But God will not allow the destruction of the very city where He has forever placed His name—nor will He allow His chosen nation to be utterly destroyed. God’s promises to Abraham are immutable: through Christ, He will powerfully act to save Israel during this end-time crisis so that she may yet become the premier, model nation of God in the age to come.
Repentance and Restoration at Last!
Through numerous “dual” prophecies, God warns Anglo-American Israel that unless we—of this end-time generation—repent of our sins and turn to Him with fasting and heartfelt prayer, our peoples will reap the same consequences as did ancient Israel. Similar warnings apply to modern Judah, the Jews. God will bring economic collapse and unimaginable social unrest to our nations; He will bring unheard-of famine and disease upon the land; He will make our cities desolate, empty; He will bring a “cruel one” against us: we will be invaded, besieged, and taken captive once again as slaves. Only a small remnant will survive (Deut. 28:62; Isa. 10:20-22; 11:11, 16). Scripture indicates that only then will our nations repent! Notice:
“Yet I will leave a remnant—those who escape death among the nations where you are to be scattered. And you who escape will remember Me in exile—how I have been grieved by your whorish heart, which has departed from Me, and by your whorish eyes that go after idols. And you will loathe yourselves for the evils you have committed—for all of your abominations. And you will know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would bring this punishment upon you” (Ezek. 6:8-10; author’s paraphrase).
But God gives this comforting promise:
“O My people who dwell in Zion”—or in America and Britain—“do not fear the Assyrians. They will strike you with the rod of defeat, and will lift up the staff of slavery against you just as Egypt once did. But it will only last for a little while—and finally My indignation for your many sins will be satisfied, and My anger will then be turned to Assyria’s destruction. I will stir up a scourge against them like the great slaughter of the Midianites at the rock of Oreb; and as My rod was once lifted up over the Red Sea to deliver you from Egypt, I will likewise deliver you from Assyria. And in that day of My wrath [the Day of the Lord], you will again be released from bondage to slavery” (Isa. 10:24-27; author’s paraphrase).
The good news is that the British and American peoples, along with the Jews, will turn to God in deep repentance—and, as we have seen in numerous biblical passages, God promises a glorious restoration. Indeed, looking toward the future, God calls for Israel to repent while in captivity (Jer. 3:12). In verse 16, we see that Israel will repent and be restored to the land—and will have learned to no longer walk according to “the imagination of their evil heart” (verse 17; KJV). Notice verse 18: “In those [latter] days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance to your fathers.” The “land of the north” refers to Europe, where our peoples will soon find themselves held captive as slaves (compare Isaiah 49:12, which says north and west).
In Jeremiah 16, God summarizes the sins that have caused Israel’s captivity: idolatry, turning away from God and refusing to hear His Word, walking after the imagination of their wicked hearts (verses 10-13). These words well describe modern Israel and the Jews. But promising restoration following repentance, God then says: “Behold, the days are coming when it shall no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives, Who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.’ Rather, it will be said, ‘As the LORD lives, Who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them again into the land that I gave to their fathers” (Jer. 16:14-15; author’s paraphrase). This astounding prophecy compares modern-day Israel’s future deliverance from Europe (and other lands) to Israel’s original Exodus from Egypt. In a unique way, the Exodus defined Israel’s relationship with God—for He became their deliverer; likewise, the world will stand in awe as God delivers America and Britain and the Jews from the grip of captivity to the coming European “beast” system. This modern Exodus—led by Jesus the Messiah as typed by Moses—will obviously be conducted on a much larger scale than the original Exodus.
Ezekiel points to the regathering of all of Israel at the outset of the messianic age. Using the symbolism of two sticks—one for the nation of Judah and one for latter-day Joseph and all of the House of Israel—rejoined as one (Ezek. 37:16-19), God gives this wonderful prophecy:
“Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and will bring them into their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king over them all. And they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. Nor shall they be defiled with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with all of their transgressions. But I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they shall be to Me for a people, and I will be their God.
“And David My servant shall be king over them. And there shall be one shepherd to all of them. And they shall walk in My ordinances and obey My laws, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, the land in which your fathers have dwelt. And they shall dwell in it, even they and their children, and their children’s children forever. And My servant David shall be their ruler forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. And My tabernacle shall be with them. Yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And the nations shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in their midst forever” (Ezek. 37:21–28).
Even after having “disowned” modern Israel and the Jews for a time, God declares through Hosea that “the number of the children of Israel shall [yet] be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall be in the place where it was [once] said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there it shall [instead] be said to them, ‘You are the sons of the living God.’ Then the children of Judah [the Jews] and the children of Israel shall be gathered together [as one nation], and shall set over themselves one head [a king of the Davidic line, possibly a reference to David or to Jesus Himself] and they shall come up out of the land [of their end-time captivity]…” (Hosea 1:10-11). Indeed, genuinely repentant and restored to God’s favor, modern-day Israel will ultimately fulfill its purpose as God’s premier nation in the age to come. As Isaiah 49:3 says, God will yet be glorified in Israel!
Israel in the Age to Come
In fulfillment of His promises to Abraham, God established Israel as a nation for the purpose of bringing blessings to other nations (Gen. 12:3). God had planned for Israel to be a model nation—an example to the nations of the blessings that would be poured out on all who worshiped and obeyed Him (Deut. 4:6). As a priestly nation (Ex. 19:6), Israel was to represent God to the world. Regardless of the choices Israel has made, both anciently and in modern times, this is still their God-ordained purpose and calling.
Almost every prophet in the Old Testament has anticipated the time when Israel would live up to this high calling. For example, Isaiah looked forward to a time when God would again choose Israel and restore them to their own land (Isa. 14:1)—when He would give them rest from their sorrows, their fears, and the hard bondage they had experienced during “Jacob’s trouble” (verse 3). Restored from captivity, Israel would “blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit” (Isa. 27:6). In time, the ruined cities—desolate for perhaps generations—would be rebuilt and once again inhabited (Isa. 61:4).
But most important of all would be the national conversion that will have taken place—which will, in turn, lead to the entire world turning to God. As brought out earlier, Ezekiel describes this awesome reality, which will occur as a result of Christ’s return to rule the world:
“For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries, and will gather you into your own land. And I will sprinkle clean waters upon you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you…. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances and do them” (Ezek. 36:25-27).
This is similar in tenor to God’s promise of a new covenant with Israel in the millennial age:
“Behold, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah [then rejoined as one]. Unlike the covenant I made with Israel when I brought them out of Egypt—which they continually broke, although I was like a husband to them—in this new covenant I will write My Law in their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No one will admonish his neighbor to ‘know the Lord’—for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest. And I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more” (Jer. 31:31- 34; author’s paraphrase).
The apostle Paul also describes this time: “And so all Israel shall be saved, according as it is written [concerning the Messiah]: ‘Out of Zion shall come the Deliverer, and He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob [Israel]. For this is My [new] covenant, which I [God] will make with them when I have taken away their sins’ ” (Rom. 11:26-27).8
It is a huge injustice to deny the destiny of modern-day Israel. God calls no other nation “My elect” (Isa. 45:4; 65:9, 22); to no other nation has God said, “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, My friend, whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called you from its uttermost parts. And I said to you, ‘You are My servant; I have chosen you, and have not cast you away’ ” (Isa. 41:8-9).
Without question, in the age to come, the nation of Israel will fulfill its original God-ordained role as a model nation for the world. But it will do so under the direct leadership of the glorified saints—the bride of Christ. As spirit-born immortal children of God, the saints will rule as kings and priests over the earth with Christ (Rev. 5:10; 20:6). Under their leadership in the age to come, “people [from all nations] shall go and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain [government headquarters] of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob [all of Israel, including the Jews]. And He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3).
At that time, the twelve apostles will each rule over a tribe of Israel (Matt. 19:28). Because of Israel’s example, the knowledge of God’s way of life will cover the earth like the seas (Isa. 11:9). In fact, a rather profound statement made by the prophet Zechariah concerning the age to come shows that all nations will ultimately desire to follow Israel’s lead. “In those days ten men out of all the nations will take hold of the garment of a Jew, saying, ‘We will follow you, for we have heard that God is with you’ ” (Zech. 8:23; author’s paraphrase). In the Hebraic culture of Zechariah’s day, taking hold of another’s garment meant looking to that individual for guidance and protection. The ten men are representative of all nations—thus, the entire world will follow the then-righteous example of modern-day Israel.
What a glorious world that will be! In truth and genuine godliness, a unified Israel—with America and Britain forever the birthright nations of the Abrahamic covenant—will lead the entire world to unparalleled peace, prosperity, and righteousness.
CHAPTER 16 NOTES
1. Other passages verify that Amos was sent to warn the northern nation of Israel of their impending judgment and captivity: “And the LORD said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the LORD said, ‘Behold, I will set a plumb line [symbolic of measuring for judgment] in the midst of My people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more [will no longer overlook their sin]. And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the holy places of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword’ ” (Amos 7:8-9). The phrase “house of Jeroboam” refers to the Jeroboam who was king over Israel at the time (verse 10). Not wanting to hear Amos’ ominous prophecy, Amaziah (Jeroboam’s chief priest at Bethel) warned the prophet, “O seer, go, flee for yourself into the land of Judah; and eat bread there, and prophesy there. But do not prophesy again any more at Bethel; for it is the king’s temple, and it is the king’s royal house” (verses 12-13). Bethel was a chief religious center of the northern kingdom (I Kings 12:28-30). Amos answered Amaziah: “[The] LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’ Now therefore hear the word of the LORD. You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not drop words against the house of Isaac.’ [But] thus says the LORD … ‘Israel shall surely go into exile out of his land’ ” (Amos 7:15-17). Thus, Amos’ prophecy was clearly for the northern tribes of Israel—which means it is also for America and Britain today.
2. Notice that Jeremiah’s prophecy in chapter 30 includes not only deliverance and restoration for Israel and Judah (verse 3, etc.), but a resurrected David as king (verse 9). The notion of a resurrection places this prophecy in the latter days, at the time of Christ’s return (I Thess. 4:16-17). Moreover, since David was king during the period when the 12 tribes were unified as a single kingdom, this prophecy points to a reunion of the northern and southern kingdoms (see Ezek. 37:21-28).
Jeremiah continues his prophecy in chapter 31, where we see references to the “mountains of Samaria” (verse 5) and to Ephraim (verses 6, 18, 20, etc.)—clearly signifying its application to the northern kingdom. References to Zion signify its application to Judah. Thus, as a latter-day prophecy, it refers to the Anglo-American and Jewish peoples. The prophecy ends with the promise of a renewed covenant relationship between God and a reunited Israel (verses 31-34).
3. www.naturalnews.com/044180_severe_drought_Dust_Bowl_California.html; www.naturalnews.com/044617_Dust_Bowl_Texas_ farmers_drought.html
4. Modern “Assyria” (see Appendix 9).
5. While it is possible that Jeremiah actually traveled north to witness to the Israelite exiles as they migrated out of the Middle East, his warning is clearly intended for modern Israel.
6. It is commonly assumed that this verse refers to the potential destruction of all mankind. The context, however, deals with Israel. As Luke 21:23 says, it is a time of trouble “upon this people”—Israel. Hence, Jeremiah’s reference to Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7). This time of distress for Israel is “cut short” or curtailed through the plagues of the Day of the Lord—else captive Israel would be fully destroyed. Inspired by Satan, the modern Assyrian “beast” will seek to obliterate Israel from the face of the earth. After all, Satan knows that God’s entire plan for the age to come hinges on His chosen nation. Thus, those days are “shortened” for the sake of the elect. While the term does at times refer to the church, in this context it refers to Israel (see Isa. 45:4; 65:9, 22; etc., where God calls Israel His elect). Compare to Daniel 12:1, where Israel is delivered from her time of trouble.
As indicated by Revelation 6:15-17, the “Day of the Lord” is the “great day” of God’s “wrath” on the Gentile nations. As the seventh “seal,” the year-long period is composed of seven “trumpet plagues” (Rev. 8).
7. While no one knows exactly what events will bring about a powerful “United States of Europe,” some factors are becoming clear. Russia’s recent power grab in Ukraine has Brussels now moving to form a viable “military response capability.” Convinced that American resolve is now a thing of the past, European leaders realize they must develop their own defenses. Economic and social difficulties continue to plague the EU, which will undoubtedly worsen. In answer to growing fears and social instability, the Bible indicates that a powerful and charismatic leader will eventually emerge in Europe. This military-political leader, known biblically as the “beast” (Rev. 13), will use deceit to achieve great power and will work in tandem with an equally powerful Catholic leader who will ignite mass religious fervor through “lying wonders” (II Thess. 2:9; Rev. 13:14). Together, they will lead a revived Holy Roman Empire, called “Babylon the Great” (Rev. 17, 18).
Promising peace and universal prosperity, this European church-state union will exercise worldwide political and economic dominance for a short time. However, the Anglo-American nations will not prosper in connection with this system. Ultimately, this European “beast” will overpower America and Britain, taking our peoples captive. Prior to this, devastating economic conditions, disastrous weather changes, and internal civil strife will bring our nations to the point of collapse.
8. Paul’s “quote” is based on Isaiah 59:20 and Jeremiah 31:31-34.
