America and Israel: Spiritually Connected
Part 4 – Cursed In the Midst of Prosperity
Today we are going to finish our study entitled America and Israel: Spiritually Connected. The last few weeks we’ve looked at the question “Is America Found in Bible Prophecy?” And as I’ve told you, if you are looking for a direct reference in the textual writing of the Bible, the answer is NO. There are many theories out there that place America in verses that discuss end-times prophecy and some of them are very compelling. But none of them can be accepted with complete assuredness that they are referring to the United States of America.
Then I told you where I believe America’s prophetic destiny can be found. I personally believe we can find out a lot about our country and where we may be headed by studying the ancient nation of Israel. Because America and Israel are two nations that are incredibly linked in many ways, as we’ve been seeing the last two weeks. Today we are going to continue to see where this unique connection between our two countries may prophetically lead the United States in the future.
We are going to be concentrating on the book of Deuteronomy, which is central to the Torah, and was a revelation from God to Moses. The book contains detailed instructions for living, encompassing guidelines for practical living, methods of agriculture, rules of morality, and even dietary laws. Obedience to the commands in this book results in health and prosperity for those who will follow them. If the Hebrews disobeyed the instructions, severe consequences followed. Their blessings turned into curses their successes were frustrated.
Deuteronomy 28:15, “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.”
Now some contemporary Christians believe that the instructions in the Torah are only for the ancient Hebrews and have no bearing upon us today. But, apparently, they are unfamiliar with many references in the New Testament that come from these Old Testament books.
The basic laws that govern our nation are found in the book of Deuteronomy. Our fundamental freedoms are based on Moses’ revelation on Mt. Sinai. The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights all contain phrases that originated in the first five books of the Bible. Therefore, it should not be surprising that, if America has a unique Hebrew connection, which I truly believe we do, then God’s commands to ancient Israel are also applicable for our nation.
Americans, and the church in general, seem to want to accept the blessings that were given to the Jews. But if we do that, then we must also recognize that we get the same curses for disobedience that they did. And unfortunately, many of the curses pronounced against ancient Israel by the Lord are found throughout the United States today.
I. Seven Curses Affecting America
Based on Deuteronomy 28, we can see that America is experiencing a curse in the midst of its prosperity. Notice the seven curses that overtake those who turn their backs on God and the Bible. These ancient warnings spring forth into our time and our nation.
A. The Curse of Mental Problems
The first curse can be found in Deuteronomy 28:28, “The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness and astonishment of heart.”
We are a nation cursed with mental problems. Teens in America are murdering each other in public schools, and pre-teens are raping and killing in the inner cities. A recent news report is doing an astonishing nightly report on America’s mean streets, talking about the unprecedented number of gangs and violence in our nation’s cities.
More Americans than ever depend upon anti-depressants and drugs. Depression and mental conditions plague society. While we boast of our intellectualism, mental problems increase.
What causes a mother to throw a baby into a dumpster, or a father to beat his child to death? What makes a wife hire a hit man to kill her husband, or a mother to hire a man to kill a cheerleader so her daughter can take her place? It must be a curse of madness.
B. The Curse of Drought
The second curse is found in Deuteronomy 28:23 - 24. “And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. And the Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.”
The curse of drought, causing devastation of millions of dollars worth of crops, has been in American headlines for the past few years. The words “worst drought in seventy years” should cause us to stop and think. In Scripture drought signified God’s disfavor on the nation because of sin.
Because of Ahab’s wickedness, God withheld rain for forty-two months, which cause a severe drought through Israel (1 Kings 17:1). Only the prayers of Elijah reversed the judgement (1 Kings 18:42-46).
Could God also be sending a warning to America that the sin of our nation is not going unnoticed nor will it be unpunished?
C. The Curse of Disease
The third curse can be found in verses 21-22; 27 and 60 of Deuteronomy 28. “The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he has consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. The Lord shall smite thee with consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning…The Lord shall smite thee with the botch of Egypt…Moreover he shall bring all the diseases of Egypt upon thee.”
Jesus warned that pestilences would be a sign of His return to earth in Matthew 24:7. The word pestilence in Hebrew can mean the plague that ends in death. AIDS is certainly one disease that fits that description. While medical science has made remarkable strides toward curing disease, new viruses are being discovered faster than the ability of the medical community to respond. Recently, we’ve discovered the West Nile Virus and Bird Flu, both of which can end in death. The Bible warns that, if we keep sinning, the diseases of Egypt will come upon us. I find it interesting that the West Nile Virus just happens to share its name with the Nile River which runs through Egypt.
D. The Curse of Divorce
The fourth curse is located in Deuteronomy 28:30-32. “Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof…Thy sons and daughters shall be given to another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long.”
These verses are talking about the decline of the family unit, and more specifically the curse of divorce and what it does to the family. It was Moses who permitted divorce under the law. Jesus said, “In the beginning it was not so”, but God permitted divorce because “of the hardness of your hearts” (Matthew 19:7-9).
Divorce is a curse that robs a father of his family and home, or a mother of her family and home. The divorce rate in America is about 50% and many children are its innocent victims. Since society accepts divorce and remarriage so readily, multiple marriages are common. God’s best plan, however, is for a man and wife to remain faithful to one another, and to stay committed for a lifetime.
E. Children Will Become a Heartache
Verse 41 tells us the fifth curse. “Thou shalt begat sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them: for they shall go into captivity.” This is the curse of children becoming heartaches to their parents.
Many youth in our country today are in a type of spiritual captivity. They are bound by drugs, pornography, and alcohol. Some face fines and jail sentences because of their violent acts and rebellion. Parents grieve as they reminisce about times when their young children embraced them with open expressions of love. The warm memories haunt them, as they pray that somehow their children will come to their senses and be restored to God. Wayward children bring much more sorrow than joy to their parents as they rebel and seek worldly pleasures. The warning of this curse has become a reality in America because we have broken God’s principles.
F. The Curse of Strangers Owning the Business
The sixth curse is found in the Deuteronomy 28:43. “The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.”
A group of ministers visited David Wilkerson, pastor of Times Square Church in New York City. While eating in a restaurant atop a skyscraper, Wilkerson asked the ministers to look out the window and tell him what they saw. One minister noticed the lights and the tall structures as any person would. Wilkerson said, “Look at the lighted signs on the buildings. Foreign nations own this city!”
There are a large number of foreign-owned businesses in America. While our nation is a melting pot of many nationalities, foreigners own corporations that were at one time owned by Americans. Those Americans who work for foreign-owned businesses are working for the “stranger among us.” While it may not be politically correct to point this out, the globalization of the world economy is a part of the end-time scenario.
G. The Curse of Abortion
And the last curse can be found in verses 56-57. “The tender and delicate women among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter. And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege.”
Scripture indicates that there were times of severe famine in Israel. Josephus, the Jewish historian, wrote about a famine in Jerusalem which was so terrible that one woman ate her own child. Some around her became angry because she did not share her meal with them. In Solomon’s time, families sacrificed their children to the pagan god, Molech, in a ceremony referred to as “passing their children through the fire” (Leviticus 18:21; 20:2-5; Amos 5:26).
This seventh curse of killing or sacrificing children is evidenced in America today, as women who have carried their children almost to term suddenly decide they don’t want their babies. At abortion facilities, they don’t sacrifice their children on altars; the simply “terminate their pregnancies.” Then the bodies of these precious babies, whose hearts were beating in their mothers’ wombs, and whose features were perfectly shaped down to the detail of their fingernails and eyelashes, are discarded. God revealed that a time would come when a woman would turn against her husband, leave her children, and hate the children that she conceives and births. In part, this describes the curse of abortion.
II. Could This Happen in America?
In times of prosperity, Americans have seen low inflation and unemployment, plus and abundance of jobs. In such times, people seem to spend more money and indulge in their blessings. Simultaneously, they fail to seek God, and they ignore warnings that their sins and disobedience will result in calamity. The Bible is full of stories about disobedient people who first enjoy their blessings, then ignore warnings regarding sin, until finally they experience God’s judgment. So, if this is true, could such a thing happen to America? Are we truly experiencing the beginnings of God’s judgment even in the midst of prosperity?
In prosperous times, non-believers mock the idea that America will decline because of its sin. A strong stock market and a thriving economy seem to contradict the possibility of our future economic failure. Israel again can be used as an example to explain that there is no contradiction in this idea.
A. Israel’s Warning
Two hundred years before the terrible Babylonian captivity, Isaiah warned the king of Israel that Babylon would overtake Jerusalem (2 Kings 20:17). During the 200 years following the prophecy, few in Israel believed it would happen. They believed the prophets were prophesying about a future generation, not theirs. The vines were fruitful, the cattle and sheep grazed in green fields, and gold and silver coins filled investors’ pockets.
Years later, news that the Babylonian army was coming didn’t frighten the overconfident Hebrews. They assumed that God would protect them as He did when He destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in just one night. Surely, they thought, that God would protect Israel once again. But it was not so on this occasion. When King Nebuchadnezzar concluded his assault in 606 BC, Jerusalem and the Temple lay in rubble.
B. Remember the Connection Between Israel and America
Before Americans claim to be exempt from Old Testament judgements, we must remember that our nation is spiritually connected to Israel. Just like the ancient Hebrews, few Americans believe that America could ever fall. Yet, we have been given so much knowledge of the truth and, where much is known, much is required.
We are a nation that is sinning against God, and we know better. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, these cities had no Bibles, churches, Christian television, or Christian literature to proclaim the truth, yet Jesus said that, if the people in Sodom had witnessed His miracles, they would have repented (Luke 10:12-13).
America has twenty-four hour a day access to Christian radio and television. We have churches on many corners, Christian bookstores, and Christian schools and activities. Yet regularly, we seem to witness another anti-God court case over such things as public prayer or Christian landmarks. Are we truly any better off than Sodom and Gomorrah if we know the truth and refuse to repent of our sins?
C. Water, Wind, and Fire
The three basic elements of God’s judgments as seen in Scripture have been water, wind, and fire. Along the east coast of America, violent hurricanes beat against the shores and cause millions of dollars worth of damage. In the central area of America, thousands of acres burn as fires scorch the land and leave devastation. On the west coast, the ground convulses with earthquakes. Floods often devastate thousands of acres. Tornadic activity and violent storms ravage our lands.
From east to west, God’s elements are at work in our nation. Just as a woman experiences pain when she goes into labor, Jesus warned that certain events, including these crazy weather conditions, were the beginning of sorrows. The Greek word for sorrows is birth pains (Matthew 24:8).
Now many people blame such erratic weather patterns as the result of global warming, and there may be some truth to that. But my question to you Christians is, who do YOU think controls the weather?
Many previous empires have fallen from corruption and immorality. Will this be America’s plight? Or will an enemy from a foreign land hold America hostage with nuclear and biological weapons? How long will a righteous God allow His name to be trampled upon His own vineyard that He established? Spiritually discerning people must already hear the thunder before the coming storm in America.
III. 2007 - The Year of Transition and Prophetic Revelation
And one final connection between Israel and America, which I’d like to point out, has to do with 40 year cycles and the year 2007.
Ancient Israel twice encountered a 40-year generational cycle of unbelief. The first occurred after the Exodus, when a generation of unbelief wandered for 40 years in the wilderness (Psalms 95:10; Hebrews 3:7-12).
The second cycle was in Christ’s day, when he warned of Israel’s unbelief and how the Temple would be destroyed (Matthew 24:1-2). This prediction was fulfilled within a 40-year time frame (30 AD to 70AD). In both cases, the number 40 was linked to unbelief and rejection of the Lord.
Many scholars and students of prophecy believe that Israel’s six-day war in 1967 “liberated” Jerusalem and united the divided city as the eternal capital of Israel, and marked a pivotal milestone on God’s prophetic calendar. David wrote in Psalm 102:16, “When the Lord shall build up Zion [Jerusalem], he shall appear in his glory.”
Jerusalem is the major link in the chain of end-time events leading to the return of the Lord. From 1967, when Jerusalem was once again in the hands of the Jews, to the year 2007 is a 40-year period, which I think can be seen as America’s 40-year cycle of unbelief.
Reflecting back, we see that an attitude of cynicism and unbelief had injected itself into the American culture in the late sixties and continues to this day. Spiritual issues have become political hot buttons, and Americans are now accepting Biblically condemned sins as normal trends of the time.
So in America we are coming to the end of a 40-year cycle of unbelief and rejection of the Lord in the year 2007. It is difficult to see what this cycle will bring. Will it be greater revival, a major terrorist attack that will set us back, a push of the secular humanist agenda, or just another cycle piquing prophetic interest? Maybe it will signal the end of the time of the Gentiles and the rapture of the church. Who knows? Only time will tell.
IV. Conclusion
In short, no nation outside of Israel has such roots and connections to the Hebrew Scriptures and to the God of Abraham, as does the United States. The patterns of the land, the federal buildings, and the documents of the Founding Fathers give evidence to America’s divine design and prophetic purpose.
Because we know the truth, our responsibility to it is greater than that of other nations. If we sin against truth, we deserve the punishment meted out upon the scales of justice in heaven’s Temple. As the times of the Gentiles begins to climax, it is not too late to turn the corner and bring the nation back to its spiritual foundation, at least for a season.
One Old Testament Biblical command is as valid today as when it was written. One of the greatest promises for our nation is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Turning from your wicked ways requires repentance. Repenting in Biblical terms means more than apologizing. It requires a turning away from wrong and turning toward that which is good. Criminals can say that they are sorry for their crimes, when in reality they are sorry that they
were caught. True repentance happens when you say, “I am sorry and will not do it again. I will do what is right.”
When America is in trouble, we know how to pray. The Gulf War and 9/11 are prime examples of that, but America has forgotten how to repent.
The clock is ticking and time is passing by. This American vineyard has a predetermined amount of time in which to bring in the harvest and finish its task. That time may be coming to a climax much sooner than many people think.
Sources:
Plucking the Eagle’s Wings: America’s Prophetic Cycles, Patterns and Destiny. By Dr. Perry F. Stone, Jr. Cleveland, TN: Pressworks. 2001.
Unusual Prophecies Being Fulfilled: Discerning the Future Destiny of America. By Dr. Perry F. Stone, Jr. Cleveland, TN: Pathway Press. 2006.
“2007, The Tear of Transition and Prophetic Revelation.” By Perry Stone. Voice of Evangelism, Nov./Dec. 2006, pp.3, 22.
