By Nathan Jones
What is the responsibility of every American in response to our nation's decline?
Dr. David Reagan and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mark Hitchcock on the show Christ in Prophecy. Mark is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor of Faith Bible Church located in Oklahoma, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also a much in demand speaker at Bible prophecy conferences all over the nation.
Dr. Hitchcock was invited to answer questions based on his book The Late Great United States. The subtitle of Mark's fascinating book — What Bible Prophecy Reveals About America's Last Days — states the purpose. The book digs deep into the Bible, mining for any textual nugget that might reveal some value as to the United States' future as an end time player.
A Message to All Americans
Dr. Hitchcock: In Joel 3 God says that in the end times He is going to gather the nations down to the valley of judgment — the Valley of Jehoshaphat — and He is going to enter into judgment with them. God says the basis of that judgment is going to be whether or not they attempted to divide up His land. God says He is going to pour out his wrath on nations that divide up the land of Israel. The United States is one of those nations involved in dividing up the land of Israel right now.
This promise God made to Abraham. Think about how long ago He gave that promise to Abraham. He said that those who bless you I'll bless and then literally in the Hebrew it is the one that curses you God must curse.
We've seen that played out through history. In fact, someone brought up a great point that every time people have tried to wipe out the Jewish people, the Jewish people end up with a holiday! With Pharaoh they got the Passover. With Haman they got the Feast of Purim. With Antiochus Epiphanes they got Hanukkah. And with Hitler, they really got the rebirth of their modern nation in 1948. And so, this promise has been played out throughout history — those who bless God's people are blessed and those who curse them are cursed.
I think that the United States supporting Israel is one of the reasons that God's hand of blessing has been so evident upon our country. Unfortunately, though, what we see happening today in our nation is a slow but steady turning away from the nation of Israel and an abandonment of them. With all of the other problems that we have in our country that deserve the judgment of God and are already bringing judgment, the last thing that we need to do now is to be involved in anything that ceases to be a blessing to the Jewish people.
Most people are not aware of the degree to which the United States is involved in forcing Israel to give up their heartland right now. It started with the first President Bush who basically said if you want us to guarantee loans to you from the World Bank then you've got to begin negotiating land for peace. We forced them to the negotiation. We forced them into a suicidal policy of appeasement, and as you well know, appeasement always wets the appetite of the aggressor. It never satisfies. We have had Israel's arm up their back ever since then. With both of the Bushes as well as Clinton and now with President Obama, it is the same thing, we are forcing Israel to give up their heartland. We have great power to force Israel to give up their land because we are the only ones in the United Nations who stand between Israel and economic sanctions that could destroy that nation with our veto, and the Israelis know that. We can say, "You can either do what we say, or else."
I just call the policy "Land." It's not really land for peace, it is just land being given up for no peace. No matter how much Israel gives up, the Arabs want more. They don't even recognize Israel's right to exist. They're dealing with a people who don't even recognize their very right to exist! So, it is a futile policy, and a very difficult situation.
The only foreign policy statement in the Bible for nations is to bless the Jewish people. That is amazing to me. It is the only foreign policy statement in all the Bible that says to be sure in whatever you do that you bless the Jewish people.
Not only should the nations bless Israel and what God is doing there in rebuilding His ancient nation according to His promises in Bible prophecy, but God has a domestic policy for the Gentile nations. God says righteousness exalts a people, but sin is a reproach to any nation (Prov. 14:34). So, one of the two parts of a domestic policy for a country is to promote righteousness.
In my own life it is easy to decry all the immorality that is happening in our culture, but I need to follow the second part and look at my own life first, because if I am involved in pornography and the immorality and the things that are polluting our country then what right do I have to decry what is happening in our country?
We need to look towards ourselves and we also need to be praying. The Bible tells us to pray for our leaders. We need to be praying earnestly for our leaders and for our military that God will bring them to Himself and that He will surround them with people who have wisdom that they will listen to. We desperately need to be praying for our country.
We need to be looking at ourselves. I have often said that over 80% of the people in this country profess to be Christians, but if professing Christians would stop buying lottery tickets the lotteries would cease. If confessing Christians would stop getting abortions the abortion mills would have to close. We are part of the problem.
We have to look at ourselves, because it is like when Isaiah was renouncing his woes on the nations in Isaiah 5 and 6. When we get to the end of the text there, what does he say? He says, "Woe is me."
Let's not always be looking at the nation and its sin without first looking at ourselves.
Related Links
UN Chief: Israel, Palestinians must resume peace talks - Ha'aretz
Bachmann: America ‘cursed’ by God ‘if we reject Israel’ - Minnesota Independent
The Land of Israel: To whom does it belong? - Lamb & Lion Ministries
The Late Great United States: What Bible Prophecy Reveals about America's Last Days - Mark Hitchcock (Book)
Should Christians support the nation of Israel? - GotQuestions.org