Is judgment
of the nations coming?
From Bill Salus:
The Biblical Indictment Of America
World history confirms what the
Bible boldly declares: The establishment and future of a city, territory,
nation or empire, is determined by the Lord. Concerning the creation of a
nation, we are told in Acts 17:26,
"And He (God) has made from one
blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has
determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their
dwellings."
The prophet Jeremiah explains how
the future of a nation is determined.
"The instant I speak concerning
a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy
it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will
relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it." (Jer. 18:7-8)
"And the instant I speak
concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it
does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent
concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it." (Jer. 18:9-10)
This article takes a look at the
epic tales of two infamous cities, Nineveh and Jerusalem. These comparisons are
made to determine which one of these locations best characterizes America's
current spiritual condition.
If such a historical comparison can
be applied now, then the relevant question is: Should Americans find hope in
Jeremiah 18:7-8, with the story of Nineveh at the time of Jonah, or feel
despair in the story of Jeremiah 18:9-10, which describes Jerusalem at the time
of the Babylonian conquest? To determine the answer, I propose the examination
of two principles that I call "The Nineveh Principle" and "The
Jerusalem Principle".
THE NINEVEH PRINCIPLE
"I think in many ways America
is like Nineveh. The wickedness of Nineveh was so great that God effectively
said it was recognized up in heaven - 'the sin of Nineveh has come before me' -
and I believe America is at such a state." (Senior Calvary Chapel Pastor
and Evangelist Greg Laurie.)
The Nineveh Principle has its origin
in the 8th century BC before Jeremiah 18:7-10 was written. It is rooted in 2
Chronicles 7:14;
"If My people who are called by
My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal
their land."
Although these verses primarily
dealt with the Lord's response to King Solomon's petition for the protection of
the nation of Israel around 957 BC, they apparently also laid the groundwork
for the Lord's treatment toward other nations. The Assyrian city of Nineveh at
the time of Jonah about 760 BC evidences this. Nineveh, the capital city
of the Assyrian empire, was ultimately destroyed around 612 BC; however the
empire had become exceedingly evil long before it came to its end.
At the height of its wickedness, the
Lord sent Jonah, a prophet, to warn of Nineveh's fast approaching destruction.
"And Jonah began to enter the
city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days,
and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"" (Jonah 3:4)
Jonah's warning was well received by
the king and the people of Nineveh. They took it upon themselves to turn from
their evil ways and Nineveh received a stay of execution.
"Then God saw their works, that
they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had
said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it." (Jonah 3:10)
Although it can be argued that the
Assyrians at the time were not classified as "My people," the fact
that they repented and turned from their evil ways changed their spiritual
standing with the Lord.
With the historical precedents of 2
Chronicles 7:14 and Jonah 3:10 already in place, Jeremiah 18:7-8 reinforces
this Nineveh Principle: if an evil people repent and turn from their wicked
ways, the Lord will relent from bringing disaster upon them.
THE JERUSALEM PRINCIPLE
In sharp contrast to the Nineveh
Principle, is the Jerusalem Principle. The Jerusalem Principle applies when a
nation reaches a point of no return and the Lord determines that its
destruction will not be postponed. This happened to the city of Jerusalem and
the Southern Kingdom of Judah about 2700 years ago during the time of the
Hebrew prophet Jeremiah. Three times Jeremiah was told to stop praying for the people
of Judah.
"Therefore do not pray for this
people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for
I will not hear you. Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in
the streets of Jerusalem?" (Jer. 7:16)
"So do not pray for this
people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the
time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble." (Jer. 11:14)
"Then the LORD said to me,
"Do not pray for this people, for their good. When they fast, I will not
hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will
not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by
the pestilence."" (Jer. 14:11-12)
After Jeremiah received his
instructions to quit praying for the people of Judah, he forewarned them of
their impending judgment. The people were captured and transported into
Babylonian captivity where they remained for seventy years. Their homeland sat
desolated during that period. (5)
In His foreknowledge the Lord knew
that Judah would not have a Nineveh or 2 Chronicles 7:14 moment. Jeremiah's
intercessory prayers on behalf of Judah would have no effect on the Lord's
decision and he was told to cease praying for the people. The Lord explained
why:
"Therefore you (Jeremiah) shall
speak all these words to them, (in Judah) but they will not obey you. You shall
also call to them, but they will not answer you." (Jer. 7:27)
In essence, Jeremiah was informed
that the people of Judah would not respond to his warnings in the similar way
that the people of Nineveh did to Jonah's forewarnings. As per the provision of
forgiveness given in Jeremiah 18:7-8, if Judah would have repented, like
Nineveh did, then the Lord would certainly have relented from judgment.
However, due to their evildoings and
disobedience the Lord implemented the provision of judgment in Jeremiah
18:9-10, which was ultimately executed through the Babylonian conquest.
The people of Judah forsook their
God Jehovah and became idolatrous. Jeremiah 19:4-9 provides the indictment of;
and verdict for, Judah. These verses paint a graphic picture of despair and
they are summarized below.
The INDICTMENT of JUDAH (Jeremiah
19:4-5)
* The people forsook the Lord and
alienated Him from Judah.
* They worshipped false gods
instead.
* They sacrificed the innocent
blood of their children to the false god Baal.
* Child sacrifice appalled the
Lord.
The VERDICT of JUDAH (Jeremiah
19:6-9)
A judgment in the form of a
slaughter would come as sequenced below.
* The counselors of Judah
would provide foolish counsel.
* The people of Judah would be
killed by the swords of their enemies.
* Their corpses would be eaten
by the vultures and carnivorous animals.
* The land would be desolated
and contaminated with plagues.
* The survivors would become
cannibals in order to survive.
* They would even eat their
own sons and daughters due to their despair.
It is important to note that the
Lord told Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:22, 28 and Noah and his three sons in Genesis
9:1, 7 to be fruitful and multiply upon the earth. The goal was to populate the
earth with godly offspring. Contrary to the Lord's command, the people of Judah
were murdering and ultimately reduced to eating their children!
The Jerusalem Principle depicts what
has historically happened when judgment and destruction occurs to an evil
people who forsake the Lord.
AMERICA'S INDICTMENT
"We have taken God out of the
public debate...I want to put Him back in." Evangelist Franklin Graham.
(6)
America has crossed every forbidden
biblical boundary and in so doing has forsaken God. Throughout history nations
and empires have been judged and destroyed for transgressing these biblically
defined moral and spiritual boundaries! Boundaries such as:
* SEXUAL PERVERSION, like that of
Sodom and Gomorrah at the time of Abraham around 2000 BC.
* IDOL WORSHIP, which in its worst
conditions led to child sacrifice, which resulted in the destruction of the
Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC and the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586
BC.
* WICKEDNESS AND MORAL DECADENCE,
which caused the ultimate destruction of the Assyrian empire about 612 BC by
the Babylonians and Medes.
* ANTI-SEMITISM, which led to the
destruction of the Egyptian army at the time of Moses about 3500 BC. The
treatment of Israel by a nation is reciprocated upon that nation according to
Genesis 12:3. This policy pertains to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their
descendants, the Jews today. Blessings are in store for those who treat Israel
favorably, but troubles are guaranteed to them that curse Israel.
In every instance the destructions
caused unbearable sufferings and hardships to everyone, including believers in
God and unbelievers that did not heed the prophetic warnings given in advance
by the Hebrew prophets.
Daniel 5:24-28 - MENE, MENE, TEKEL,
UPHARSIN. God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; You have been weighed
in the balances, and found wanting; Your kingdom has been divided). (June 26,
2015 is when the Supreme Court approved same sex marriages).
AMERICA IS IN THE DANGER ZONE
Over the past fifty years, America
has transgressed over all of these dangerous boundaries. This is attested to by
the Supreme Court decisions listed below.
* 1962 - Engel v. Vitale: the
removal of Prayer in public schools by the Supreme Court.
* 1963 - Abington School District v.
Schempp: the removal of Bible reading in public schools by the Supreme Court.
* 1973 - Roe v. Wade: legalized
abortions by the Supreme Court. Since then, America has performed over 58
million abortions. Presently about 1 million abortions occur every year in
America. This law means that about 1 million children annually will not be able
to grow up, populate the earth and potentially become Godly offspring.
* 1980 - Stone v. Graham: in this
case the Supreme Court ruled that a Kentucky statute was unconstitutional. The
statute in question required the posting of a copy of the Ten Commandments on
the wall of each public classroom in the state. The Court ruled that because
they were being placed in public classrooms they were in violation of the First
Amendment.
* 2003 - Lawrence v. Texas: This was
the landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court that struck down the
sodomy law in Texas, which by extension, invalidated sodomy laws in 13 other
states.
* 2013 - United States v. Windsor:
the case that the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
DOMA stated that one man should be married to one woman. DOMA was biblically
supported according to Genesis 2:24, which says; "Therefore a man shall
leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become
one flesh." Marriage is the ordained relationship through which a man and
woman can become fruitful and multiply the earth with godly children.
* 2015 - Obergefell v. Hodges: the
Supreme Court case that ruled in favor of Same Sex Marriages, which is
unbiblical according to Romans 1:27 and elsewhere. Same sex couples are unable
to procreate naturally. Therefore, it is humanly impossible for them to be
fruitful and populate the earth with godly kids.
* 2015 - The present White House
Administration has turned its back on Israel. As an example, Obama believes the
Iran JCPOA nuclear deal is good, but Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu believes it's
the worst deal imaginable. A recent poll conducted by the "Panels Politics
in Tel Aviv" confirmed the concerns that Israelis have about U.S.
President Barrack Obama. The poll overwhelmingly rated him as the worst
president for Israel in the last 30 years.
The Lord has provided ample warnings
to Americans that the country is headed for destruction. These forewarnings
have come in the forms of remedial judgments, prophetic voices, and ultimately
by giving them the ungodly leaders they deserve. For instance, U.S. President
Barack Hussein Obama is the most pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, and anti-Israel
president in America's history!
AMERICA'S VERDICT
Which of these two cities does
America most resemble today, forgiven Nineveh or judged Jerusalem?
Most would agree that once upon a
time the Lord planted, built up and blessed this nation. This would connect the
USA with Jeremiah 18:9, which says, "And the instant I speak concerning a
nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it."
It appears safe to also suggest that
from the Supreme Court decisions provided above, that America has, as Franklin
Graham stated, "Taken God out of the public debate." Thus, if the
Lord's voice is not even in the public debate, then how can we be obeying the
Lord's say-so in the important matters of this country?
If we are not obeying the Lord's
commands then we are doing evil in His sight. This would connect the USA with
Jeremiah 18:10a, which states, "if it (a nation) does evil in My sight so
that it does not obey My voice, then..."
Then what? "Then I will relent
concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it?" (Jer. 18:10b).
Let's substitute America for
Jerusalem and Judah in Jeremiah 7:16 to see if the shoe fits.
"Therefore do not pray for this
people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for
I will not hear you. Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in
the streets of Jerusalem?" (Jer. 7:16)
This verse is paraphrased below for
potential American application.
"Therefore do not pray for
Americans, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me;
for I will not hear you. Do you not see the forbidden biblical boundaries their
Supreme Court has crossed over in the city of Washington D.C., the sale of
aborted baby body parts by Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, and the
LGBT Gay Pride Parades in the streets of San Francisco and San Diego?"
WILL AMERICA HAVE A NINEVEH OR
JERUSALEM EXPERIENCE?
Is it possible that the historical
example of Nineveh could be repeated in America? If indeed America is headed
for a disaster, could America receive a similar pardon from the Lord? The
answer is yes, but the Lord does not issue "get out of jail free"
cards like in the game of Monopoly. Americans and their leaders must sincerely
emulate the actions of Nineveh in order for the Lord to relent from destroying
the nation.
I'm not saying that Americans should
stop praying for their country, nor am I suggesting that Americans will become
so desperate that they will someday eat their sons and daughters. In fact,
Ezekiel says that was a one-time episode for Judah that wouldn't be repeated.
"And I will do among you
(Jerusalem) what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do
again, because of all your abominations. Therefore, fathers shall eat their
sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute
judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will scatter to all the
winds." (Ezekiel 5:9-10)
What I am asking Americans to
consider is does America have a national repentance forthcoming in the near
future? If the answer is yes, then America will most resemble forgiven Nineveh
and Jeremiah 18:7-8. If the answer is no, then... Then what? Then, at the very
least, the Lord will no longer bless this nation and America's greatness will
never return! Only God, who knows the end from the beginning, knows America's
final verdict!
"Remember the former things of
old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are
not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My
pleasure.'" (Isaiah 46:9-10)
THE NOW PROPHECIES book by Bill
Salus devotes three entire chapters to the important topic of America's
prophetic future. It also explores the ancient prophecies that could happen NOW,
at this present time. Bill's site is found at Prophecy Depot
Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=352#hmPbRAPeo6wbUBrg.99
