America: Repentance or Judgment

I attended an impromptu evening meeting at my church, a few years ago, with an “evangelist” from Nigeria. He was trying hard to work up the crowd to pray earnestly for repentance to sweep over America. Somehow word had gotten to him that Mr. David, sitting over there on the far side, believed that America was soon to be judged, and that repentance was past possible. So, he began to use me for a punching bag, ridiculing and badgering, I just sat and smiled. Nearly 100 people were left debating the question in their heart and mind, “Is America past the point of repentance?”

Don’t get me wrong, repentance is always possible, even when we might think it unlikely. Just ask Hezekiah, or Ninevah, or the thief on the cross. But we must consider several factors when it comes to repentance, and we may discover that “always possible” might be qualified.

First of all, we must understand that repentance is not merely an act of my own will wherein I turn myself around 180 degrees and walk in the other direction, by fortitude and willpower. Rather, it is a change of heart, instilled by the Spirit of God, to which we respond – humbly and contritely. Repentance does not begin with our own initiative.  If that is true, then God reserves the right to determine when the offering of repentance is finished and judgment is determined. Just ask Pharoah Ramses, Noah’s contemporaries, or Esau.

Secondly, repentance is seldom a national movement, it is usually personal, or a movement among an enclave of faithful believers. God’s offering to hear the prayers of contrition and heal the land (II Chron 7:14) was given to the household of Israel (i.e., “my people”). It is not a generalized promise for America, or any other nation. National repentance, the few times we see it in Scripture, was instigated by the leader of that nation humbling himself before God (e.g., the king of Nineveh, or Josiah). The opposite is also true, when a leader fails to humbly repent then the entire nation suffers judgment (e.g., Pharoah, Sodom, Zedekiah, or the Jews in 70 AD).

A third consideration is the scriptural axiom that repentance begins with the household of faith. Had that Nigerian evangelist been calling for the believers to pray for repentance in their own hearts, humbling themselves before God and praying for God to bring about contrition and holiness in their own midst, then I would have gladly gotten on the band wagon. But the idea of repentance in America, for most Christians, is to conquer evil and instill moral standards for everyone to adhere to. Prayer is only the rubber stamp for seeking victory in the political arena.

We believe and understand that God is loving, full of mercy and grace. He is not quick to wrath and judgment. He wants to give ample time for mankind to repent, always (II Pet 3:9). But there comes a time when His patience is complete and He renders judgment. And when that time comes it is predetermined, not reactionary. Furthermore, He always gives warning of His plan for judgment. (Cf Amos 3:7).  God warned for 120 years of coming judgment before hoisting the gangplank of the ark. He spelled out in detail the rise and fall of many nations in the visions of Daniel. And in these last days He has been warning the world of His coming judgment, with the trumpet warnings, and that warning period is soon to elapse. It is critical to note in Revelation, that God makes it very clear that absolutely no one repents as the trumpet warnings are sounded (Rev 9:20, “mankind did not repent”). And that includes America, arguably the key player of the first five trumpets. Do you think that God was making it clear that America would not repent in the last days, that America is in the crosshairs of His imminent judgment?

God spells it out, quite clearly, in Bible prophecy that judgment is determined for America. He spells out the reasons America deserves judgment, the agents who will carry it out, and the time when it will happen. This moment in American history is important to understand. The days ahead are not pretty, they are not “God bless America”. And they are not what most Christians expect. Death, mourning, and famine will soon overtake America, as she is consumed by fire (Rev 13:9-10; 18:8). The destruction will come at the hands of the 8^th beast, a “ten horn” Arab-Islamic alliance. They will “burn America with fire, and eat her flesh” (Rev 17:11-14).

As Jesus said to his disciples at his arrest, It must happen this way! God has determined it. Do you believe the precise and incredible prophecies of God concerning America? Or do you believe that America is too great to ever fall from its zenith of world power?  Whatever God says He will do, count on it happening. Perhaps it is time to quit praying for repentance in America and start preparing for judgment.