Sword, Famine, and Plague

 

 

Warning American Christians that the very near future will bring God’s judgment upon our homeland seems futile. Jeremiah warned Judah of “sword, famine, and plague”, but not one person believed him. America is warned of impending “death, mourning and famine”, and no one is listening. Two huge obstacles stand in the way of believing such a warning.

First, Americans believe, wholeheartedly, that we are the most God- blessed country the world has ever seen. We believe that all of our prosperity, dominance and safety are a gift from God. We see absolutely no ill-gotten gain in achieving our wealth and status. We cannot possibly be the Great Babylon of the end of the age -- it must be describing someone else. We cannot fathom the idea that we are the seventh beast of Revelation 13, as deserving of God’s judgment as the previous six. And it is inconceivable that America is the little horn beast, the one that is utterly destroyed (Dan 7:11). No, American Christians believe they are blessed. We earned the right to be blessed. And God will see to it that we continue to be blessed – safe, strong, and affluent.

Second, American Christians believe, wholeheartedly, unswervingly, that the rapture will take them out of this world before any sort of turmoil or tribulation will be unleashed. We will not experience sword, famine, or plague because we will be gone, taken up by Jesus in an early installment of His second coming. This pre-tribulation rapture teaching completely hinders the understanding from Revelation to prepare for tribulation before the rapture. Tribulation has always been God’s means of threshing and winnowing, of purifying His chosen people. But American Christians think they are exempt.

The same deception dominated the scene in Judah when Jeremiah was trying to warn the people of what was really on the horizon – the immediate horizon. God told Jeremiah to prophesy that He was about to bring upon them the sword, famine, and plague (Jer 14:12). But he was overwhelmed by the futility of his warning, saying to God, “Ah Lord, the prophets keep telling them ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, God will give you lasting peace in this place.’” That is so much like our present-day response to the warnings of Revelation. The Lord responded to Jeremiah, “they are prophesying lies, delusions of their own minds. They are saying no sword or famine will touch this land. Not only will those prophets perish by the sword and famine, but the people to whom they are prophesying will be thrown into the streets because of sword and famine. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve” (Jer 14:13-16, paraphrased).

Theologians who write and preach that Christians will be raptured before a seven-year tribulation are dangerously instilling false hopes. God said, and He still says, “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message” (see Jer 23:16-21).

America is guilty of blood-guilt, idolatry, greed, pride, arrogance, and selfish affluence. God will judge America, with “death, mourning and famine” (Rev 18:8). Christians included.

We must not continue hoping in vain for escape. We must prepare for the worst, and prepare to courageously help one another through the dark days ahead.