March 27, 2009
This is one of the most asked questions today concerning Bible prophecy and where America fits in -- and with good reason. - Bible prophecy is unfolding at an unprecedented pace and America is still on the scene as the lone world super power. -- So how could she not be part of the final scenario?
I know that many of you would like to believe that just because the Bible doesn’t mention us specifically, we should still play a major role in the final outcome. -- After all, hasn’t it always been that way?
So -- for you more skeptical, “doubting Thomas” types, I would like to look at a brief comparison of our nation and the Roman Empire.
The great historian Edward Gibbons wrote about the fall of the Roman Empire, the greatest of all the world-ruling empires. He asked why great nations or empires fall? - It is a fact of history that all empires have collapsed. -- But why??
In his masterpiece, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Gibbons identified five major causes that contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire. -- First, the breakdown of the family; second, increased taxation; third, an insatiable craving for pleasure; fourth, an unsustainable build-up of armaments; fifth, the decay of religion.
One of the greatest historians of all time is telling us how and why ancient Rome fell. -- Don’t the conditions surrounding Rome’s demise sound eerily similar to the conditions prevalent in our country today?
Let’s for a moment look at the five major causes and compare them to today’s America.
Breakdown of the the family -- History shows that the strength of any nation depends on the strength of its families. “Family” is the solid foundation on which a country’s superstructure is erected. That was the case for America.
Rome, in its heyday was affluent and had the mightiest army on earth. -- Just like America today. Back then, when people talked about Rome falling, they were scoffed at and scorned.
When Seneca, the famous Roman, warned that Rome would fall -- even telling people why it would fall -- the people ignored him. - In the words of Seneca, one of the foundational reasons Rome would fall was the fact that, “They divorce in order to re-marry. They marry in order to divorce.” -- Seneca warned that family breakdown would destroy the Roman Empire!
Couldn’t Seneca’s warning just as easily apply to America today? Divorce and family disintegration are rampant in our nation.
Increased Taxation -- Prosperity ruined the Roman Empire, and its ruining America also.
Historian  J.P. Bauzon, in his book Roman Civilization, notes that in Rome, by the “...third century, the silver coins had become copper pieces washed in silver, and issues of gold had virtually ceased.” Little by little, the Roman emperors cheated their citizens and creditors, paying debts with coins that had reduced “precious metal” content. Debasing the coinage ruined the prosperity of its citizens.
We in America are doing the same thing today. The dollar has lost 95% of its purchasing power since the establishment of the Federal Reserve in 1913. -- And America continues to debase its currency in order to pay its bills. -- Every time you hear a politician use the term “stimulus” or “bailout”, or “borrowing”, what it means is that the government is devaluing the currency a little more. Every dollar of debt makes the greenback worth a bit less. The dollar’s purchasing power is being compromised. - When the current short-term dollar rally runs out of steam, expect prices to jump dramatically.
In America, prosperity is no longer synonymous with actual wealth. Prosperity goes by an entirely different name today -----DEBT!!
It was the same in Rome.
Insatiable craving for pleasure -- 2 Timothy 3:1-4 says, “But mark this; there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” -- Simply put, hedonism will rule the day. Webster’s Dictionary says this about hedonism -- “The self-indulgent pursuit of pleasure as a way of life.” -- Is this really true of our society today?
Highlighting the 2 Timothy passage, we see narcissism, love of money, boastful and proud attitudes, kids being abusive and disrespectful toward their parents, violence, materialism, evil and depraved entertainment, drug use and abuse --- we get the picture. -- Sounds like the evening news.
Unsustainable build-up of armaments -- Like Rome it its day, America has the world’s largest and most effective military machine. However, as the economy and dollar weaken, and its politics veer left, this machine will quickly decline in superiority.
But interestingly, the economic crisis has not affected the military spending of Russia, China, Iran and Syria. The global meltdown has severely constrained their economies, yet they continue to spend billions on armament. Both Russia and China are working on totally modernizing their military forces. Of course, what they don’t know is that they are doing this to get ready for the fighting that will take place in the Tribulation.
Luke 21:26 speaks of weapons of mass destruction, and of course Matthew 24:6 talks about “wars and rumors of wars” in these last days.
Decay of religion -- 2 Timothy 3:5 says “Having a form of godliness but denying its power...” Also, 2 Timothy 4:3-5 speaks of increased apostacy in the church. There is no question that we see a famine of God’s word in America today. -- Wealth teaching “The Better You” self-help approach, seeker friendly (or more recently “seeker sensitive”) “Emerging Church” compromised theology -- all sounds specifically like the “itching ear” theology that Paul (in 2 Timothy) was referring to and warning about.
Here are a few more examples of our current “church in America” problems -- increased immorality (Matthew 24:37), increasing blasphemy (2 Timothy 3:1), explosion of cults (Matthew 24:11), false Christs (Matthew 24:5), increased attacks on Jesus and the Bible (Romans 1:18-19) increased persecution of Christians (Matthew 24:9), increased occultism (I Timothy 4:1), denial of the Second Coming (2 Peter 3:3-4), and denial of creation by God (Romans 1:18 - 22).
In conclusion, you would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to see the comparisons between Rome and America. - Hopefully, this will give those of you who question another platform for thought.
Whatever America’s role will be should not be at the top of our priority list. Jesus said in John 15:18-19, “If the world hate you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” -- Also John 14:27 states, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
The only real tragedy we face in today’s world as children of God is our failure to reach those that are lost. -- Whatever God’s timeline may be, our focus should be totally on spreading the good news of His imminent return.
Until next time,
Red