# Is America in prophecy?

Key Passage: Ezekiel 38:13
Date: June 7, 2024

Turning your Bibles, if you would, to Ezekiel chapter 38. Ezekiel chapter 38.

A little different tonight. We are kind of closing out our end times series, and I had said this, and then I almost regretted that I said this, but we want to talk briefly tonight about, is America in prophecy? Is America in prophecy? And really, two-part. And can we have revival in the end times?

Is America in prophecy and can we have revival in the end times? We are going to just touch on both of those tonight. And then we are going to go home. Amen.

Ezekiel 38. We are going to just read one verse, number 13, Ezekiel 38.

Ezekiel 38, verse number 13. Let us stand, if you would please, as we read God’s word together, Ezekiel 38 and verse number 13. God’s word, if you are there tonight, would you say amen?

Here we go. The Bible says in Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all the young lions thereof shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil, and shall gather thy company to take a prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil.

Now we will go back to this verse a little bit later on, so we will kind of keep your finger there, and we will be back there just a moment. Let us pray. Would you pray and ask the Lord to challenge us tonight, to challenge us to shine brightly in the end time for Him? Would you do so?

Father Lord, we do come. Lord, I am grateful that you have a plan for every one of us, right up to the last second that you take us, however that may be. Thank you for that, Lord. Father, help us to be hot on your trails and seeking to do exactly what you want us to do for that very last second that you take us. Father, thank you that we know it is coming. Have us to be wise in rightly dividing and presenting it. And Lord, help me to say everything you want me to say, but nothing you do not want me to say. Well, thank you for what you do, Lord, in Jesus, and we pray, amen.

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

Is America in prophecy? I am going to give you five scenarios that happened. I will not be super dogmatic about it. If the Bible is not dogmatic, I would not be dogmatic about it. I am going to give you some scenarios that could happen. It is always interesting. You get into a subject like this, and sometimes you are opening up problems. You know, the Bible says, “Avoid foolish and unlearned questions.” You know, you can just fuss and fight about something. You just really are not going to know until you get to heaven. And this can be somewhat there, but we want to just look at some. I thought it might be interesting for us. We will give you five scenarios.

Number one: Maybe America is just not mentioned. God decides to just keep silent about America. I would be a little surprised. America is the economic world power. It is the military power. It is the world leader, the superpower, many would call it. Could be. Some say it is simply not mentioned because it is going to deteriorate from the inside out. And the last year or so has really led that way in a great way. And it could be we just kind of fall apart from the inside out like Rome did.

Some will say maybe another country could wipe America. That is why it is not mentioned in the end times. Maybe so. I am kind of classifying all those under the first possibility: America just simply is not mentioned. Maybe because it has lost its power or whatnot. I am not sure, but maybe that is true.

Number two: The rapture really takes away America for being a world power. And so the Bible does not mention it being a player in the tribulation period. For sure, I think it would make a great difference in America. You realize, some—it is according to who you read—there was research done in 2017.

And they gave high numbers for what they called to be born-again Christians, and they tried to classify it: biblically saved by the grace of God and so on. And they estimated up in the high 20s, maybe even as high as 30% of Americans are saved. If that be true, you realize that if the rapture were to take place, about 100 million people are gone.

And that is going to make a great difference in America. You realize a lot of countries—take a Muslim country, I am sure—and I have heard testimonies of Muslims that God’s religion just intervened and spoke to them even where they are at, and they have gotten saved. But the vast majority are not saved. And so America, as a world power, loses a lot of leaders, a lot of key people, a lot of hardworking, honest, steady, faithful people, born-again Christians in our country. So that changes the scenery. And so the Bible does not mention it because of the rapture. It is just many are raptured out of America, much more than the majority of the countries of the world.

Then another thought here in Ezekiel 38. Ezekiel 38. Brother Fagalli was taught much more detail, probably doing a much better job than I could. But it describes a Northern Alliance or Confederacy that comes down on Israel. Russia is the leader of it. Gog, Turkey is involved in it. Persia, which is Iran, is involved. By the way, they are all coming together. I am sure he will cover that. But they will come down against Israel.

But then there is a selection of countries that at least question whether they go to battle or not. The description is not really clear. They question, “Hey, what are you doing coming down to take all this prey?” They are coming out to take this prey, and God draws them—it puts a hook in them and draws them down. Very interesting. Against Israel, God takes care of business in this thing, but I want you to notice a group of nations in verse 13 that questions why and why Russia is heading up this coming action.

Verse number 13, we read it earlier, Ezekiel 38, verse number 13: “Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish.” Now that is, for the most part, where Saudi Arabia is today. Saudi Arabia is good friends with America and somewhat of a friend of Israel comparatively to those countries in that nation.

So you have Sheba and Dedan, mostly Saudi Arabia, and the merchants of Tarshish. Most would say that is England. Hugh would say Spain, and they put that from over in the book of Jonah, but most would say that is England. So you have Sheba and Dedan, you have Saudi Arabia, you have England, both of those are pretty friendly with Israel.

Then he says, “with all the young lions thereof.” Now some will say America is the young lion. England, it is a symbol, the lion. And we are split off of England. We are the young lions here. These group of people say, “Hey, what are you doing coming out against Israel?”

And they question what this alliance, this Northern Confederacy alliance, is doing, and many will say that that is America there, “with all the young lions thereof shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? Hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey?” Israel is a very prosperous nation; just the chemicals in the Dead Sea are amazing. They just found a vast supply of natural gas. They are trying to afford it out to Europe and whatnot. And so they are coming down, and all they will come to take a spoil. “Shall I gather thy company to take a prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil.” And many say that young lion there is America.

And so America is mentioned in the end times if that is to be true. And hey, stand up for Israel a little bit there. How much we do not know; God takes care of business in this Northern Confederacy, and they will be burying the bodies for months and months and months and months and months. But maybe it is. I am not sure the timing of that. I am not going to get into it too much because Edgar is about to preach on that, and I ask him to do so. But that may be a mention of America in prophecy.

Then look over in Revelation chapter 12, Revelation chapter 12, if you would, in another place where many think America is mentioned. Revelation chapter 12. And I am just throwing out some possibilities. I am not going to get dogmatic about it. Let me just share some thoughts with you on it.

Revelation chapter 12. And look in verse number 13, if you would, Revelation 12 and verse number 13. “And when the dragon, the devil—the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth—that is the midpoint of the tribulation period—he persecuted the woman, that is Israel, which brought forth the man-child.”

“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time”—notice that is one time—“and times”—that is two—“and a half time.” So you have got a time and two, one and two, it is three, and then you have got a half, three and a half years, the second part of the tribulation period, for a time, times, and a half time, from the face of the serpent.

It is interesting how Satan really tries to mimic the worldwide flood, I believe, a little bit, and tries to get Israel, and God does not allow it to happen. But he always mimics what God does. But I want you to notice, many think that verse number 14, the beginning of it, “to the woman were given,” or Israel were given two wings of a great eagle. Many think that is America, that gives a great airlift to Israel to escape persecution and take them over to an area that is protected in the desert. And we are Israel’s closest ally. We are really the world power that has a capability to supply an airlift like that. And many think that is speaking of America there.

And many of these I will not debate people are going to take, but I thought it would just be interesting to put it all out. So, number one: Maybe it is just simply not mentioned, maybe because God is silent on it, maybe because we deteriorated from the inside out, maybe because we have been wiped out by another country, maybe the rapture just takes us to the point where God says, I am not going to mention them in the end times. Maybe America is the young lion. And then maybe America is the great eagle that gives the airlift, as many think, to Israel during the second half of the tribulation period.

Then one other thought: Would you look over to Revelation 18? Revelation chapter 18. Chapters 17 and 18 are talking about Babylon. We discussed Babylon that first Sunday night of the end times series and globalism. And we went back to the Tower of Babel, and the religious tower they are trying to build up to heaven, and the city, the political. And some will say that chapter 17 is the religious Babylon, and chapter 18 is a political Babylon. And we will just look at it a little bit, and I will let you form your opinions on these things.

But look at chapter 18. If this is a political Babylon, Revelation 18, would you look down in verse number 9? “And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication”—made deals, they made agreements, they went together on things—“and have lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas! that great city, Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.”

Now, just a couple things I want you to notice, and we are going to read several verses here. I want you to notice it is a city, it is an actual place that is burning. The smoke is coming up from it. I want you just kind of notice that. It is very interesting. In one hour. Kind of reminds you of a nuclear strike that could wipe out a great city or place in one hour, and it made deals with the people of the world and lived very wealthy from those deals.

Look at verse number 11. Let us keep reading a little bit, verse number 11. “And the merchants of the earth shall weep.” Notice that, the merchants supplying the goods of the world. “And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.”

It is interesting. I mentioned this morning: America is less than 5% of the population of the world, but they say America consumes about 24% of the world’s energy, of the world’s raw products. I have heard different numbers, but I could not find anything substantial. But we consume the energy, about 24% of the world’s energy. Less than 5% of the population of the world. Nonetheless, “the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.”

“The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.”

It is interesting: slaves and souls of men. I am not sure exactly everything he meant by that, the souls of men. Maybe they just sold their soul to the devil, many of them through this Babylon. Maybe it has to do with sex trafficking. I am not sure everything about it. But this Babylon buys the merchandise of the world, the merchants of the world. Who is going to buy all our goods nowadays, whoever this may be?

Look at verse number 17, verse number 17 of Revelation 18. I have got to get back over there. Verse number 17. “For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off.”

And so this merchandise is getting there by ships. Of course, if this is America, our east and west and southern borders are bordered by the ocean, north by Canada, of course. Verse 18: “And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city?” They cast dust on their heads and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, “Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! For in one hour she is made desolate.”

So the merchants of the world get rich off of this city. We are all weeping, “Oh no, she is gone. What are we going to do now?” They stand off there. We do not want to be a part of that, maybe, because of a nuclear blast. Well, we do not want to go there. We will stay away, and we will watch from a distance.

Verse number three—just a couple more thoughts about this. Verse number three, excuse me, Revelation 18, verse number three: “For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” I will say Hollywood has been pumping filth out around the world for years. Immorality, pornography—maybe it is speaking of that. “And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. The merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”

Look in verse number 15. “For the merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping.” And they do not want to get close. They stand away from it.

Look in verse number eight. “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day: death and mourning and famine. And she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” Notice there is death. If it is a nuclear blast, of course they kill so many. So you have death there.

What verse are we in here? We are looking at verse number eight. What we have right there: “death and mourning and famine.” You realize the fallout from the nuclear blast? They do not want to eat the crops because it is contaminated. “She shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God, who judges her.” Just in one hour, death and mourning, famine and burning has come. Now, I do not know if that would be America, but it could be. I am not drawing conclusions tonight. I am giving you scenarios.

But here is what I like to say, just a couple things about this. I have just given you five possibilities as America in prophecy. Let me just say a couple things about it.

Number one: Prophecy. God did not give us prophecy to scare us. God gives prophecy to prepare us. That is just a good thing to remember. He did not give you prophecy to scare; He gave you prophecy to prepare you. If it scared somebody to get saved, I would use it for that. But for us to prepare us for what is coming.

Then I would say this about America. And we are going to move on to another subject. I love America. I think the Lord used my mom to build a lot of patriotic spirit in me. I love America. It bothers me if they are singing the national anthem and somebody is not standing and saluting. God put the hand over the heart. If they do not like that, go to another country. Amen. This is America. And men have bled and died and laid down their lives—ladies also—for this country, and praise the Lord for it. It is a great nation. I am thankful for the nation of America. I am glad I was born in America, and I am American. That is my love, that is the country.

But I would also say, if I had to choose between the Lord and my country, I would choose the Lord every single time. And my love for America ought to pale in comparison to my love for the Lord. Praise the Lord, my allegiance first falls to the Lord Jesus Christ, every single time, hands down. Do you have to pick? Not often, but there is coming a day. It looks like we might have to.

I am not for saying, “Hey, let us toss America aside and all that,” but I want to just make it clear, friend, our allegiance ought to be to the Lord Jesus Christ every single time. We do not know, but many think Jonah’s sin… Remember God said, “I want you to go to Nineveh,” and he got in that ship bound for Tarshish, the opposite way. We do not know everything about it, but many say that is because Nineveh was Israel’s arch-rival. That was the enemy of Israel, and he did not go and preach, “God will have mercy if you repent and get right,” and he did not want to preach that. He was afraid they would get right, and eventually they did get right, when that was Israel’s enemy. And so if that be true, really his sin was loving the nation of Israel more than loving God. We do not want to be guilty of the same thing.

Our allegiance goes to the Lord first. I do not think it is wrong to pledge allegiance to the flag, and praise God for it. But it may come a day where we have got to choose between the Lord or America. It ought not be a choice that is already made. The Lord is first, and He is supreme. And we give everything, not to our country, we give everything to the Lord. We thank God for the country God has given us: America.

And let us go to another subject real quickly here: Can we have revival? Can we have revival? I have talked this over with good people, and it is an interesting subject, and I have tried to pray about it and seek the Lord over it. Would you look over Romans chapter 5? Romans chapter 5. Both these subjects are one of these that I do not know that I can answer for every other person, but this one for sure I can answer for you and I. I believe God will answer this one here.

Romans chapter 5. Let us just look at one verse, verse number 20. Romans 5, verse number 20. Are you there? Amen? Good deal. “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.” Well, it kind of sounds like we are in our day and time. Offense may abound. Sin everywhere. It looks like it is abounding.

Sometimes I will go to these convenience stores. I remember years ago, I think it was a different name, Circle K down here, and I just sat out Friday night for an hour or so, and I counted how many people, when they came out, they came out with either beer, cigarettes, or lottery. And it was a vast, vast majority of every person that came out of there had one of those three. Just amazing where America is, that the offense might abound.

Then it goes on and he says, “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” It is just abounding. It is sad. Somebody on the bus yesterday was telling me how they are taking away Mr. Potato Head, you know. And yeah, I agree. And yet they are giving awards to, I think it is a female artist that sings very immoral, very specific, dirty singing, and they are giving them awards while they are taking away Dr. Seuss books. What a sad thing. There is no way we can have revival in our dead times like that.

Somebody said, “Well, how can we have revival? We never had revival since there has been a TV.” For sure, the devil has used the TV in a great way for sure about that. So much sin on the TV. How many thousand times children have seen somebody get murdered by the time they are 16 or 18 years old, or immorality. Just sin abounded. It can seem very discouraging, but God seemed like it just spoke to my heart when I read this verse. I have been praying about that subject.

And watch what He says in the end of this verse here: “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Friend, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Can you and I have revival? I cannot answer for the whole world, but I can answer for you and I. Where sin abounded, and I have unfortunately fallen in that category, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Oh yeah, you can still have revival.

I love the verse over there, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” You still have a revival in the midst of sin abounding all around you and people backsliding and hardened. Right in the midst of all that sin, the Bible says grace does much more abound. As long as it is the grace of God, we can have revival. You can have revival, I can have revival. I cannot answer for the world. I cannot even answer for America. But I can answer for us where sin abounded, grace does much more abound. You can have it in your homes, you can have it where God uses you as the influence. You can be spirit-filled. Those promises are still true where sin abounded, that grace did much more abound.

R. A. Torrey used to give this prescription. He gave it in many, many places. I read it for you so we have heard it before. He says, “I can give a provision that will bring revival to any church or community or any city on earth.”

First, here is a prescription for revival. First, let a few Christians get thoroughly right with God. If this is not done, the rest will come to nothing. Second, let them bind themselves together to pray for revival until God opens the windows of heaven and comes down. Prayer is always involved in revival. D. L. Moody said you can trace back every revival to someone on their knees. Third, let them put themselves at the disposal of God for His use as He sees fit in winning others to Christ. That is all.

I have given this prescription around the world, and in no instance has it failed. It cannot fail where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Can I challenge us tonight? I know it is a little different. We talked about America for a while. This thing is revival. But can I challenge you? Let us seek revival in our lives. Can I have revival in 2021? You better believe you can. By the way, national revival starts with personal revivals.

What would tonight just say, “Hey, I like to have revival in my life. I just like to seek after revival.” “Wilt thou not revive us again?” Revival is not just a one-time deal. That people may rejoice in me. You know, revival as individuals—pretty soon our church had revival. Who knows what God would do if our church had revival where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

Would you bow your heads, close your eyes?

You say, “Preacher, I am going to seek revival in my life. I am going to be asking for it. I am going to be praying for it. Lord, I need revival in my heart and my life.” If that is you tonight when you slip your head in prayer, I am going to be seeking after revival. That is the right thing. I do not want to throw in the towel on America, on the country, or on my life. It all starts with personal revival.

Maybe you are here tonight and you say, “I want to seek after revival in our church.” It would be a blessing if we had revival in the Rutherford County Baptist Church. It would be a great time for us to seek after that. Mission conference is right around the corner.

Hey friend, let us keep seeking after revival where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Would you please stand where you are at when I have a word of prayer? Now let us just say, “Lord, I like to have revival.”

Father, thank you so much. Thank you for your scriptures, Lord. We can study about the end times and what is going to happen. Lord, it is a blessing to see it. Father, Lord, to the last second, would you enable and help us to be seeking revival? Lord, help it to be on our hearts, our minds, our tongues. And Lord, I do pray that you bring revival to Rutherford County Baptist Church. Lord, not for us, not for our glory, not so we can brag, Lord, but for the lost, for this area, for the hurting, for the burden, and Lord, for you. So would you put that burning in our hearts tonight as only you can, Lord, please? Well, thank you, Lord, for what you do, in Jesus, and then we pray. Amen.

Let me just say a word or two here. You know, I think some of us are a little tired, a little weary, and something encouraging about that to me. I have been busy all weekend. Brother Chip yesterday, we were passing out door hangers. He wore himself out. This morning he came in, his eyes were sagging. I am teasing a bit, but Brother Anthony is leading the last song here, and his voice is cracking—his voice never cracks.

Here is a good thing about that, it brings to mind Revelation 3, that verse 7 and 8, that church at Philadelphia. Remember that is the church He opened the door, and nobody can close it when God opens the door. Three things that church had to do: They had little strength. I think we are there. You have given you strength? You have got a little strength? And that little strength, they have kept My word. We do not have much, and that is all right. We do not have the biggest resources and all those things. That is not the thing. You have little strength. They kept His word. “Thou hast not denied My name.” I think a lot of that is just not denying. You get the name of Jesus out, shine after souls. And that little church had a little strength. God said, “That church right there, I am going to open the door, and nobody can shut it.” Right there. And I am excited when God opens the door, nobody can shut it. It is amazing what all we walk through.

It is a little encouraging just to ask. We are a little tired tonight for the Lord. It is a good thing. And let us just keep the faith. Do not deny His name. We will see what He will do, amen. I am glad you are here tonight. I appreciate your faithfulness. Great people getting involved here and there. If you have signed up to bring an international plate meal on Saturday, please see that sign-up. If anybody knows where the sign-ups are—Brother Warren started at the front here. He is trying to eat some of that. That one is mine right there! If you need to sign up, please sign up tonight. That would be great. And looking forward to Wednesday night, just getting us ready for a mission conference. And make sure you sign up for one of those places on Friday, every person here tonight. And what a blessing, a lot of blessing for sure. Brother Glenn is always over there on that guitar. We do not ask him to pray very often. Brother Glenn, would you dismiss us with a word of prayer, please, brother?

Original File: End Times- Is America In Prophecy - Pastor Paul Chisgar - Sunday PM 3721