All the great former empires in the world seemed to die at Jerusalem.
The Babylonia, Assyria, Moab, Edom, Ammon, Philistra, the Nazis, to name a few, have all been destroyed because of the way they treated Israel and the Jews. Some countries haven't been destroyed, but have been weakened by their actions against the Jewish people. England is a good example. In the 1930's Great Britain was still a major global power, still ruled the waves, it controlled nations all over the earth. Then after their treatment of the Jewish exiles running from the Nazis, and their favoring of the Arabs over Israel, the British empire waned considerably by 1948 when their forces left Israel.
Today America is the world power, but why isn't it mentioned in the end time scenario? Why is there no reference to any nation or power we could identify as the United States in the Biblical latter days? As Dr. Lester Sumrall states in his book Jerusalem: Where Empires Die:
"Simply put, the United States will no longer be a world power in the end times. What would lead to the waning of our power? I am afraid the process is already far advanced, because we are no longer a nation under God. We are moving steadily away from Him and His purposes and blessing. Materialism, sexual sin, pride, deceit, hypocrisy, and a host of other sins are all rampant in America today: and unless we begin again to seek the Lord, I see us racing rapidly toward moral dissolution.
Another danger for America, and more to the point, is that our national support for Israel is weakening, and that would be disastrous . . . Those who hate God hate Jerusalem and its people, and those who love Him love the city and its inhabitants . . .
We would do well to look again at a few verses from the Bible. Psalm 46:5 says of Jerusalem, "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her." In Zechariah 1:14 God said, "I am zealous for Jerusalem! And for Zion with great zeal." In Psalm 129:5 we read, "Let all those who hate Zion be put to shame and turned back." In contrast to that, the inspired writer of Psalm 122:6 said of Jerusalem, "May they prosper who love you."
The message is clear: Despite the many failings of the Israel people in their city of Jerusalem, God has chosen them and determined to bless them. Accordingly, He will also bless those who bless Israel, but He will bring low those who would harm the Jews.
In the past Americas support of Israel had been strong and sure. Beginning in 1956, however, that changed. In the Sinai War of that year, when my family and I were living in Jerusalem, France and England had an agreement with Israel. They would take the Suez Canal from Egypt, and Israel would fight across the Sinai desert to meet them.
President Eisenhower of the United States, however, was determined that would not happen. He forced France and England to withdraw from the conflict, threatening to fight on the side of Egypt; and he also cut off all American supplies to Israel--food, medicine, oil, and everything else.
What has become of the United States since 1956? We lost a long drawn out war in Vietnam. Our society has begun to fall apart rapidly. Violent rebellion broke out on our college campuses. The drug problem, sexual sin, and divorce have exploded. Our economy has become far less stable and far more vulnerable to foreign competition.
All these things may seem unrelated on the surface, but that is not the case. It is not a coincidence that these problems erupted after our desertion of Israel in 1956. And this turning away, however gradual, has continued in recent years as we sought to please the Arab oil sheikhs. Thus, like Babylon, Persia, Rome, and all the others, America has put its hand into the golden bowl of Jerusalem and is in imminent danger of being put on the shelf by God, so to speak, as a world power.
It is not too late for the United States to once again become a Christian nation, and for us to renew our commitment to Israel. I believe the Lord would honor such a commitment and continue to bless us with strength and prosperity.
Conversely, if there is no such revival and renewed commitment to Israel, I can see the moral degradation of our day growing even more widespread and severe, and the United States decaying from within, as did Rome and many other great empires of the past.
Therefore, it is essential that those of us who love the Lord and this wonderful democracy pray fervently and also make our voices heard. I have sent telegrams to all of our presidents and other elected officials, to remind them of the importance of our support for Israel. I am not personally responsible for the decisions of our leaders, but I am responsible for giving them the truth of God's Word and supporting them in prayer."
By George Konig
February 19, 2006
www.georgekonig.org
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