By Nathan Jones
Can the United States of America be found in Revelation 12?
Dr. David Reagan and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mark Hitchcock on the show Christ in Prophecy. Mark is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor of Faith Bible Church located in Oklahoma, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also a much in demand speaker at Bible prophecy conferences all over the nation.
Dr. Hitchcock was invited to answer questions based on his book The Late Great United States. The subtitle of Mark's fascinating book — What Bible Prophecy Reveals About America's Last Days — states the purpose. The book digs deep into the Bible, mining for any textual nugget that might reveal some value as to the United States' future as an end time player.
The US in Revelation 12?
Dr. Reagan: Revelation 12 foretells there is going to be a great war in the middle of the Tribulation. Satan will be cast down to earth. He will come down in great wrath. He is going to posses the Antichrist and motivate him to destroy and annihilate the Jewish race. Revelation 12:14 says that as he begins to come against the Jews they will flee into the wilderness on the wings of a great eagle. People read this and say, "Uh-huh, there we are, there is the United States in Bible prophecy, because the symbol of our nation is an eagle. Therefore, we are going to provide the end time airlift for the Jewish people."
Dr. Hitchcock: I would see that reference of "the two wings of a great eagle" there as the fleeing Jewish people are given protection by God who gives them speed and swiftness to be able to flee into the wilderness and be protected.
To me, if someone is going to build a whole case that America is in Bible prophecy just because of the mention of an eagle, then they will have to go to the other places in the book of Revelation. Revelation 8:13 also says there is an angel like an eagle flying in the mid-heavens proclaiming the gospel. Is that eagle the United States as well?
Revelation 12 is an even more tenuous evidence that the United States is in Bible prophecy than making the young lions of Tarshish in Ezekiel 38:13 refer to America.
Dr. Reagan: I would agree. When you come to symbolic phrases like "the wings of an eagle," the best thing to do is to search with a concordance or computer on that term. You'll find the exact same words in Exodus 19:4 and in Deuteronomy 32:11 where it says that the children of Israel came out of Egypt on the wings of a great eagle. All it means is that they are coming out under the protection of Almighty God.
Dr. Hitchcock: That is right. With speed and with swiftness they are coming out.
People tend to just grab onto very small statements in the Bible and build a whole doctrine around them. That is a warning I think, a good warning to all of us to be careful about not doing that.
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5 comments:
U.S in rev 12? nope sorry. try again.
The "wings of an eagle" reference is actually to remind the Jews how God brought His people out of Egypt: also on the wings of an eagle.
We arrogant Americans just can't stand to be left out of the big stuff.
So, it seems pretty clear that there are no end time prophecies including or referring to the U.S. (except maybe ezekiel 38:13), but I was wondering if there were any mentions of the U.S.(or north america in gen) at all in the bible- not specifically end time related?
Nope, not a one, Katie. Well, there are the verses concerning all the nations being part of the Antichrist's one-world empire and Armageddon when all the nations come down with the Antichrist to try to destroy it. The U.S. is just lumped in there generically with the rest. Then, there are the nations of Revelation 20 that come to fight against Jesus at the end of the Millennial Kingdom (should the U.S. still exist).
Hi Nathan:
First of all, I think both you and Dr. Reagan are doing a great job; especially, with the Creation V.S. Evolution theory. I believe you guys did a great job in explaining the mishaps in science. However, I do have to disagree with both Dr. Mark Hitchcock and Dr. Reagan regarding America not being involved in the end time event. I think we miss things when we close our minds to certain issues. For instance, in Revelation, when John refers to Babylon, he is not referring to a single geographic place, but many geographic places.
Babylon is now a religious system that sits on many continents and when you understand this, then Revelation 17 will make more sense. Also, even though Dr. Mark Hitchcock pointed out that Europe has a stronger dollar, the U.S. still has the largest median income in the world, and is still considered the largest MNE (Multinational Enterprise) in the world. America is also looked upon as the world leader and is nothing more than a newly revised Roman Empire, with the same Government and religious system of Rome. Rome has always embraced other Religions, especially, religions from lands they conquered.
Anyway, this is just some food for thought, even though this may be a road already traveled, sometimes the same road must be traveled more than once.
God Bless and keep up the good work!
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