Forgetfulness, Disobedience and Sudden Demise!

Unique Origins and Promises

The Bible provides an important overview of world history, revealing the central role that God has played in determining the course of major events. The book of Genesis records that God called a man named Abram [Abraham] and made promises to him and his descendants that were conditioned on obedience to God and His laws. Abraham was promised that if he obeyed God's instructions, his descendants would multiply and become great, would spread abroad as a colonizing people and bring blessings to the peoples of the world, and eventually possess the gates of their enemies (Genesis 12:1–3; 22:16–18; 28:13–15). The Jewish people have not completed the fulfillment of these prophecies, but several other nations have! Scripture clearly indicates that these promises would find their ultimate fulfillment through other tribes of Israel—the sons of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh. The prophecies state that the descendants of Manasseh would become a great nation and the descendants of Ephraim would become a great "company" or commonwealth of nations. The real reason that little England gained a world-girdling empire and America became the most powerful nation in the world is due to the fact that these peoples are the descendants of Abraham—the man who obeyed God and kept His commandments (Genesis 26:4–5)! No other nations on earth come close to fulfilling these prophetic promises. You can learn more about this fascinating subject by reading our booklet The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.

Conditions and Consequences

Moses records in the book of Deuteronomy that God called the Israelite nation His "chosen people"—not because they were better than everyone else—but because He gave them His laws so they could be an example to other nations and a light to the world—if they followed the laws of God (Deuteronomy 4:1–10; 7:6–11). However, God repeatedly warned His chosen people, "Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you… Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today" (Deuteronomy 4:23; 8:11). The ancient Israelites (composed of twelve tribes descended from the twelve sons of Jacob—the great grandson of Abraham) were also reminded that if they obeyed the laws of God they would be blessed, but if they disobeyed the laws of God and turned away from Him, they would reap serious consequences (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Regrettably, the ancient nations of Israel and Judah failed to heed these warnings from God and suffered military invasions and defeats and national captivities at the hands of the Assyrians (for Israel) and the Babylonians (for Judah) as a consequence of their forgetfulness and disobedience. These tragic examples are recorded as lessons for us today (1 Corinthians 10:11)!

However, Moses also recorded prophecies for the Israelite-descended peoples that looked far into the future. Before he died, Moses warned, "I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands" (Deuteronomy 31:29). Moses also warned that the Israelite peoples would "perish quickly" because of the wickedness of their ways (Deuteronomy 28:20). This same theme of a sudden catastrophic demise linked with forgetfulness and disobedience is echoed by several other prophets. Isaiah warned "Woe to the rebellious children… who will not hear the law of the Lord… whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant" (Isaiah 30:1, 9, 13). Jeremiah warned, "You have forsaken Me… I will cause anguish and terror to fall on them suddenly" (Jeremiah 15:6–8; see also 6:26; 18:22). The prophet Hosea warned, "Israel has forgotten his Maker… I will send fire upon his cities… because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel shall be cut off utterly" (Hosea 8:14; 10:15).

Why would God utter such dire prophecies against America and the British-descended peoples, who claim to live in "Christian" nations? A simple look at news events tells a sobering story! In recent years, "Christian" religious instruction and prayers in the name of Jesus Christ have been banished from public schools, yet students can in many cases learn about pagan religions and even recite prayers to other gods. Courts in professing Christian nations have ordered displays of the Ten Commandments removed from public buildings—often due to lawsuits launched by a single atheist! Western so-called Christian nations lead the world in co-habitation and divorce, even though the Bible states that God hates divorce and rails against fornication (Malachi 2:16; 1 Corinthians 6:18). We are currently witnessing one of the most remarkable reversals of moral values in recorded history as churches, theologians, educators and government officials in the western world have begun to promote homosexuality and same-sex marriage as normal—even within the ministry and the priesthood—even though the Bible condemns such behaviors as abominations and perversions (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:23–28).

Meltdown Underway?

This moral meltdown and widespread rejection of biblical religious values is occurring at the same time that the American and British-descended peoples are sinking in a sea of debt as they borrow money from foreign lenders and sell off national assets—forgetting the fact that God foresaw this and warned long ago that the borrower will become the servant to the lender (Deuteronomy 28:43–45; Proverbs 22:7). It is no coincidence that major lenders who have invested heavily in U.S. government bonds are now moving their money to other locations, anticipating the fall of the American dollar! Due to budgetary shortfalls, Britain is making deep cuts in its armed forces that will severely limit its capacity to project power—at a time when the world is becoming more chaotic and other nations are building up their fighting capabilities. This does not bode well for the future of America and the British-descended peoples!

In light of these sobering financial and social realities, it is not surprising to hear British-born Harvard professor Niall Ferguson warning world leaders "about the increasing prospect of the American 'empire' suddenly collapsing due to the country's rising debt level… [since] economic debt can lead to a sudden loss of military power and global respect" (Aspen Daily News, July 6, 2010). According to Bible prophecies that are coming alive today, forgetfulness and disobedience to the laws of God—the Achilles' heel of American and British-descended peoples—will result in their sudden demise—unless they repent and return to the God who gave them their blessings and power!