A Christian Republic Pt3

In my previous note I talked about how the US could become a Christian republic.  Now I'm going to talk about what I believe will actually happen.

I have said a number of times already, the condition in the US is pretty dire.  Worse than anything else, there is an overall immorality in the US.  And if divine judgement were to come to America, God would be just in doing so.  Will judgement come to America?  I believe so.  God rebukes and disciplines those He loves, because correction is better than blessing.  America has already been blessed with great abundance and power, but that blessing will be the world's curse if America continues down the path of evil.  I believe, in the context of a number of other things, something major will happen in the US within the next three years.  A nuclear attack against the US, targeting major cities like DC, NYC and LA.  Now let me describe that context, so that it may make some sense.

I have written already about the connection between the white horseman and the USA; you can read it here: http://wordingforjesus.blogspot.com/2011/09/white-horse-and-rider.html...  In short, the US is the white horse and rider of Revelation 6:1-2.  The question is, has the US conquered what it will conquer and is now on the decline, or has it only just begun?  There's more prophecy to know and understand to fit this all together.  Just like a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces of prophecy must be put together in a way that makes sense.  They all relate to the same timeline.

The blessing of the church in Philadelphia
Jesus tells John to write to seven churches in Asia Minor.  In truth, to the angels of each church.  This is in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.  The key to understanding these letters is understanding what the churches represent.  They are, literally speaking, seven cities and churches in Asia Minor in the first and second centuries.  But these churches prefigure churches throughout the church age.  Each one is prominent in succession.  Ephesus in the first century.  Smyrna in the second and third centuries.  Pergamum in the fourth to seventh centuries.  Thyatira as the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches throughout the middle ages until today.  Sardis as the Protestant churches from the Protestant Reformation until today.  Philadelphia as a church that is just now emerging in the world.  And Laodicea has yet to come.  In His letter to the angel of Philadelphia there is a promise of blessing.  He says that the synagogue of Satan, which there represents Islam, will come and worship at their feet, and acknowledge that He has loved them.  This can be interpreted as a physical blessing, since they acknowledge it; it must be something seen by those who oppose Christians.  Today Muslims persecute Christians throughout the world more than any other religion or entity.  But God will turn this around sometime soon.  How?  There's another prophecy to answer that.

The war of Gog
 In the 38th and 39th chapters of Ezekiel he describes an incredible war in which God pours out His wrath on the enemies of Israel.  Gog, which must represent something else since Gog is the name of an early patriarch, brings out its entire military force to invade the land of Israel, along with a number of other nations with it.  And when they have surrounded Israel with a military force immensely large, God pours out His wrath on them in spectacular fashion.  Why does He do this?  His purpose is stated in the last verse of 38: "So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations.  Then they will know that I am the LORD."  God will demonstrate His existence, and the fact that He is the God of Israel - the God of the Bible - by pouring out His wrath in a supernatural way.  You can see what it is by reading the whole passage.  Even fire comes down from heaven, and this is not to be interpreted as a nuclear attack or anything man-made. Whatever the fire is, it is something supernatural, so as to prove that it is God who defends Israel.  So He reveals Himself to the nations, and He greatly humbles the Muslim nations, both by proving their error, and by defeating many Muslim nations in one stroke.  Gog is actually the nation of Turkey; it was there in Asia Minor that Gog settled.  Meshech and Tubal also settled in the land that is now Turkey, so its clear that Gog signifies Turkey, and its no coincidence that Turkey has begun to be more hostile towards Israel.  As for the other nations that attack Israel along with Gog, they are simply the Muslim nations surrounding Israel: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Iraq.  This is precisely how God will humble the Muslim nations, and make them acknowledge that God has loved the Christians.  In other words, the tables will be turned completely, and the Christians who are now persecuted in Muslim nations will be handed the authority of all these nations.  They will go from prisons to palaces.  So the question is, when will this happen?  To answer that we must go to another prophecy.
 
The seventy sevens prophecy
 In the 9th chapter of Daniel there's a prophecy called the seventy weeks, or seventy sevens, prophecy.  It predicts, some say the first coming of Jesus, others say the second coming of Jesus.  I believe it most specifically predicts the second coming of Jesus for two reasons.  One, because there was never an edict to exactly rebuild and restore Jerusalem before Jesus' first coming.  There were edicts like it, like one to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and another to rebuild the temple, but there was never an edict to rebuild Jerusalem itself.  And the timing is not exact to the year either, no matter which edict you base it on.  The other reason is that the antichrist is clearly referred to in the prophecy, in verses 26 and 27.  The interesting thing about these seventy weeks, which most people agree represent Sabbath Years (seven year periods), is how they are divided up.  Daniel divides them up into 7 sevens, 62 sevens, and one final seven, which is the period of the tribulation.  Its a wonder why he has to divide it up into 7 sevens and 62 sevens.  He hints at the reason for the final seven in verse 27, that is, its the tribulation period that is spoken of in Revelation.  But he gives absolutely no reason, or even a hint, for the division of 7 sevens and 62 sevens.  I have a theory for what it is.

Let me start with the edict itself.  In the spring of 1969, only two years after the Six Days War in which Israel captured Jerusalem for the first time in modern history, the Israeli Knesset passed a resolution that formed the Jewish Quarter Development Company.  Its mission was to rebuild and restore the Jewish Quarter of the old city of Jerusalem.  Here is its website: http://www.jewish-quarter.org.il/chevra.asp.  I believe this was the exact edict that Daniel prophesies.  And the reason for the division of 7 sevens and 62 sevens?  It must signify something important.  If we start with the edict of 1969, and we add 49 years to that (7 sevens), it brings us to the year 2018.  It also happens to be the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel as a sovereign nation.  An interesting coincidence.  And why not, if this signifies something major, the war of Gog?  The events of Ezekiel chapters 36 through the end of the book are in chronological order.  Chapters 36 and 37 foretell of the return of the Jews to the land of Israel (that has happened, and continues to happen, in the exact way that Ezekiel describes).  Chapters 38 and 39 foretell the war of Gog.  And the rest of the book describes a temple that has never been built (the third temple).  Its interesting, because if its in chronological order, which it certainly seems to be, then the next thing to happen is the war of Gog.  And since the return of Jews to the land of Israel, and the prosperity of the land of Israel, has, for the most part, been fulfilled, it would seem that the war of Gog is just around the corner.  Indeed it is.  If God gave Israel 70 years of exile, why would He not choose 70 years from the founding of Israel to the great turning point - the war of Gog?  You see, all of these things come together to strongly suggest that 2018 is the precise year in which Turkey (Gog) will lead middle-eastern nations on a massive invasion of Israel (we all know they hate Israel).  And when this happens, all of the people on the earth will see the most extraordinary thing in all their life.  God will reveal Himself to the nations.  God will pour out His wrath on the enemies of Israel in a way unimaginable.  Woe to the enemies of Israel; as the scripture says, do not touch the apple of His eye.  Let us consider now what the world will be like following this massive turning point in world history.

A new world order
There will literally be a new world order.  Its no surprise, Israel will be at the head of this order.  God will reveal Himself to Israel as well, and they will - those who haven't yet - come to know that Jesus is Messiah and their King.  By this Jews and Christians will join together and have exactly the same faith/religion.  So God will be above Israel and dictate what Israel does by His Holy Spirit.  Israel will rule over all the nations of the world, but not directly.  You see, Israel will have authority over the United States, and the United States will conquer all of the world and have authority over the nations.  Even now Israel has considerable influence over the United States.  Look on the dollar bill, on the obverse of the Great Seal, and above the eagles head you will find the Star of David; it is a symbol of what I'm talking about (read Isaiah 55:5).  The United States is the conquering horseman of Revelation 6:2, and it will go out and conquer.  But itself will be conquered by Israel, and has much already been conquered by Israel.  Not by violence, but by Providence.  So Israel will rule over the nations through the United States, and God will rule over Israel, and the rule of Israel will bring peace to the world, and a general benevolence.  Notice how the next horseman in the series, the red horseman, takes peace from the earth?  This implies that there was peace on the earth to begin with.  When that happens, there will be much warfare.  But until then, while this new world order is intact, the world will enjoy peace.  Notice also that "NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM" (New World Order) is written on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States (the first seal of Revelation).

And what will Israel and the United States do when they have power over all the earth?  I will tell you.  They will hand over authority to the Christians.  No pretending not to play favorites.  No pretending not to be biased.  Those who suffered persecution in countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and North Korea, they will be brought out of the prisons and put into the palaces (maybe not literally a palace, but anyway).  The Christians will be handed authority in every nation.  There will be a temple built in Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will be the capital of all Christendom.  Israel will be at the head of all Christians on earth, and Jesus will rule over Israel.  America will be the strong-arm of Israel, and America will enforce the rule of Christians in every nation.  So the prophecy in Revelation 3:9 will come true.  Indeed, those who have opposed Christianity will acknowledge that He has loved us.  But to Christians, beware of wealth, because it corrupts people.  Beware of success in this world, because it can water down a person's faith.  Notice how the following church, the church in Laodicea, is lukewarm, and they say they don't need God because they are rich.  Ultimately this is what the blessing God bestows on Philadelphia will lead to, but may we postpone it as long as possible.  May we enjoy peace and prosperity, and not let it distract us from devotion to God.  May we serve God only, and not give in to the deceitfulness of wealth.

Now let me return to where I started.  As you can see, there is a ton of blessing that is about to come.  But did I start this note speaking of blessing?  I started it by speaking of judgement that will come on America.  Horrible judgement.  The kind that will make 9/11 look like a paper cut.  9/11 killed thousands, but I fear the next attack on America will kill millions.  The War of Gog will happen in 2018, and that is when everything will change.  But until then, there is a period of tribulation we must endure.  There is a period of increasing wickedness that we are experiencing now.  There is a time of judgement that will come on America.  In some sense, the night is darkest right before the dawn.  Things will get better, but be ready for some very hard times ahead.