Why would the Bible show that God is angry with a “Christian” nation like the United States; or nations like France, Denmark, Sweden, Britain, South Africa, Australia, Canada, or Israel?
Isn’t it easier to imagine God being “mad” at Iraq, Libya, Syria, Vietnam, China, Cuba, Lebanon, Angola, Liberia, or Bangladesh? Many nations are ruled by despots. Millions suffer under dictatorial, repressive regimes which deprive them of the most basic human rights; millions die of starvation, suffer from endemic disease, poverty, squalor and hopelessness as power-mad political leaders pursue their own insane, egocentric goals.
How many horror stories are there throughout history where evil, sadistic rulers have committed atrocities on a monumental, genocidal scale?
Hitler was responsible for the deaths of untold millions! The bloody truth, or much of it, emerged following his death of vast “purges” within his own country, not to mention the brutal rape of countries overrun by the Red Army.
Historians will never know the hideous toll of life in China, Vietnam, or Cambodia. Pol Pot’s horrifying regime may have murdered more than one million. Refugees fleeing the country told of “cutting their feet on the bones” of others lying in jungle trails. In Africa, brutal, repressive leaders have savagely carried out genocide against other tribal groups: in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, the Sudan, South Africa, tribal warfare has taken countless lives.
Does the Bible say anything whatsoever about such massive brutality? It most certainly does.
But with so many countries guilty of such horrible excesses, why would God be wrathful toward the United States or Britain?
Some would scoff at the suggestion God is angry with our peoples. They would discount such a statement as wild hysteria; fanciful theological nonsense by a doomsayer who, like Chicken Little, runs about crying, “The sky is falling,” or who delights in pretending to be a prophet crying, “Doom! Doom!”
Yet, the Bible contains dozens of powerful indictments against specific nations –– naming them, listing their terrible individual and national sins! Not only are such seemingly insignificant nations as Jordan, Egypt and Turkey mentioned by their ancient, tribal names, but major nations are identified, and their horrible sins are clearly catalogued!
Believe it or not, God is wrathful toward all nations, not just a few. He says, “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
“For the indignation of the Eternal is upon all nations, and His fury upon their armies…” (Isaiah 34:1-2).
Yet, God specifically focuses His wrath upon His “elect” –– the “House of Israel” and the “House of Judah” –– detailing their enormous individual and national sins from the earliest books in the Bible to the prophecies dealing with the end time!
Great Tribulation Coming Upon Modern “Israel”
The prophesied Great Tribulation is primarily the time of God’s national punishments to come upon the United States of America and the British Commonwealth!
“…lo, the days come, saith the Eternal, that I will bring [back] again [the second time –– this has never happened yet in history] the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Eternal: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave their fathers, and they shall possess it.
“…For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Eternal of Hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
“But they shall serve the Eternal their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them” (Jeremiah 30:1-9).
When does the Bible picture these stragglers, these beaten slaves, like refugees, returning to their own lands? At the time of the Second Coming of Christ and the resurrection! There is no question concerning the time setting of these prophecies.
Notice how many scriptures picture the condition of God’s people, the so-called “lost ten tribes” of the House of Israel and the House of Judah, at the time of God’s intervention, the time of Christ’s return, and the beginning of the millennium:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Eternal, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
“The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob [Israel: the “lost ten tribes”], unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return:…for the Eternal of hosts shall make a consumption [full end, or finish], even determined [which God has previously planned], in the midst of all the land.
“Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt [Slavery! Captivity, as in the days of Joshua and the early Israelites!]…
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing” (Isaiah 10:20-27).
The yoke is used as a symbol of slavery!
It is laid upon God’s “elect,” Israel, by two powers: the great false church, headed by the false prophet, or Antichrist (Isaiah 47:6), and the “beast” power, which is the final head of the seven successive heads of Rome, the Germanic rulers over the so-called “Holy Roman Empire” (Isaiah 10:27; 14:25).
Hitler deported millions from nations all over eastern Europe; Jews from many countries, countless Poles, Czechs, Hungarians, Greeks, Slavs, Serbs, Croats, Romanians, French; many others. They were used as forced laborers in hundreds of German factories all over Germany and occupied Europe. More than half of these persecuted people, forced to live in squalor and privation, without adequate food or clothing, with no medical assistance, died!
The ancient Assyrians did the same thing. If you have not read our free book Europe and America in Prophecy, you need to write for it immediately, and read it carefully! It is perhaps one of the most important missing “keys” to the understanding of prophecy one could discover – the identity of Britain and the United States; of Germany, and the early Europeans.
The scripture clearly says it is the modern nation of Assyria that will conquer the modern nations identified as the “lost ten tribes,” or the House of Israel. This modern nation called “Assyria” in prophecy will take them captive, and use them as forced labor; as household servants!
Notice again how modern “Israel” (not the Jews in Palestine, but the nations of modern Manasseh, Ephraim, and all the others of ten-tribed Israel) is said to be held captive by Assyria at the time of the Second Coming of Christ:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” This “anointing” refers to the return of Christ; the establishment of His millennial reign.
God says, “…He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah [two separate peoples] from the four corners of the earth…and there shall be an highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt” (Isaiah 11:12-16).
Again, He promises, “The Eternal of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so it shall stand:
“That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot; then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from their shoulders” (Isaiah 14:24-26).
Never did this take place in history. Assyria carried ancient Israel captive in successive waves of invasion in about 721 to 718 BC. Assyria was subjugated by Babylon, which became the first true world ruling empire. But Babylon gained the ascendancy over its sister nation Assyria in its own indigenous area, not in the land of Palestine.
This prophecy has not yet occurred!
Yet, here is a nation identified only as “Assyria,” who will be holding God’s people “Israel” captive at the time of the Second Coming of Christ! You will see surprising information on the identity of the modern Assyrians in our free book, Europe and America in Prophecy, and a smaller booklet, The Abomination of Desolation.
Notice that the modern nation of Assyria has a partner in its crimes.
John saw, in vision, a great false church which would be led by Satan, and which would be allowed of God to horribly martyr many of Christ’s true servants.
“And there came one of the seven angels which had seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, ‘Come hither: I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters…” (Revelation 17:1).
Obviously, a woman cannot “sit upon” water. This is symbolic language, indicating a great false church which is comprised of members in many different nations –– a multi-racial, universal church!
Notice the proof: “With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [God labels political intrigue, secret alliances; cynical disregard for human suffering carried out by evil regimes as “fornication,” spiritually speaking], and the inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication” (Revelation 17:2).
This is spiritual drunkenness. (Compare with Isaiah 29:9 and 59:8-10). Notice, in passing, that the Greek word is oinos, which is the only Greek word translated “wine” in the New Testament, including the word used in Jesus’ first miracle at Cana, in Galilee, when He changed water into oinos or “wine.” That oinos is a drink which, when taken to excess, can cause drunkenness is obvious. But here, it is used for the teaching of this great false church; its doctrines and its elaborate, mystical rituals.
The prophecy continues, “So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:3).
What is the meaning of this scarlet colored beast? (If you have not yet read our brochure, “Who, What is the Beast of Revelation?” or our booklet The Mark of the Beast –– What is it?, they can be found online at www.GTAEA.org. Also, read our booklet, The Abomination of Desolation, which makes PLAIN the identity of this great false church!)
Notice, the Bible interprets the Bible; we dare not attempt to put our own interpretation on it. God says, “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth, and there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh [the seventh and last “head” of a political system –– human government of this “beast”], he must continue a short space… and the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
“These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Revelation 17:9-14).
Having “one mind” obviously means they are in complete agreement regarding policy. Unitedly, they will use their gigantic economic and military strength, pooling their military forces into one great army.
“These shall make war with the lamb [they will actually attempt to fight Christ at His return!], and the lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of lords, and King of Kings; and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:9-14).
The seven heads were to rise and fall in succession as is obvious from the context. John was projected forward in time, in the spirit, into the time of the Tribulation, Heavenly Signs, and the Day of the Lord. The seven successive heads were to come, one after another, down through history. Finally, the last head of the “beast” was to endure but a “short time.”
But this final system, the “scarlet-colored beast” ridden by the great false church, was to consist of ten different governments, represented by the “ten horns” of this prophecy.
Daniel’s second chapter says the same thing. Nebudchadnezzar’s vision consisted of a great figure representing the four great world-dominating empires down through history, culminating in the final great kingdom, which would consist of ten nations.
“And in the days of these kings [the kings depicted by the ten toes of the image] shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).
The stone cut out without hands is symbolic of Christ, who returns to smash this ten-nation combine. The prophecy shows the “stone” smashing the image on the toes (ten of them), then, as the image is blown away to disappear, the stone, Christ, becomes like a “great mountain” (Christ’s millennial reign) that ultimately fills the whole earth.
God is going to use a powerful group of ten nations which will form the prophesied “beast” of Revelation 13:1-10 to punish our peoples! But the primary power which will accomplish the martyrdom of saints (Matthew 24:9; Revelation 12:11-17; 13:7) will be the “antichrist,” or the false prophet.
God is Furious With Our Peoples
God’s Word warns, “A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds [in all directions of the compass], and I will draw out a sword after them.
“Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the Eternal have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them” (Ezekiel 5:12-13).
“But why,” some will ask!
God responds, “And they that escape of you shall remember Me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken [heartbroken] with their whorish heart, which hath departed from Me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols; and they shall have committed in all their abominations” (Ezekiel 6:9).
One of the first great sins mentioned in the Ten Commandments is the sin of idolatry. Are America and Britain guilty of idolatry? Idolatry is placing another “god” between oneself and the true God. It is false worship. Paul said even coveting, lusting, passionately desiring something which is sinful, is idolatry! (Colossians 3:5).
Almighty God appeared to Israel as Creator! The memorial of His vast, limitless power –– a weekly reminder of His awesome, overwhelming universe; this good, green earth and all life upon it –– was God’s Holy Sabbath day!
At the end of creation week, God said, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.”
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made…” (Genesis 2:2). God’s work was finished, but He was not finished creating! Note this well, “…and He rested in the seventh day from all His work which he had made.
“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:1-3).
By resting on the Sabbath day, and by “setting it apart,” or sanctifying it for holy use, God blessed this period of the time for all eternity –– gave it a name, “Sabbath,” the only day of the week so dignified, and commanded mankind to continually observe this special day down through all ages as a memorial of creation.
Prior to codifying His Ten Commandments at Sinai, God revealed His Sabbath day anew to Israelites, who had grown into a nation while in pagan slavery (Exodus 16:23). He specifically commanded them to gather twice as much manna on the sixth day of the week, and rest on the Sabbath day.
When the Israelites disobeyed, God said, “How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?” (Exodus 16:28). God’s Ten Commandments did not come into existence at Sinai, they were merely codified, written in tables of the most durable writing materials available –– stone!
Notice the language of the Fourth Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…” (Exodus 20:8). The Sabbath had been instituted at creation. It was something that was created, brought into being by Almighty God for a special, holy purpose. It was to remind mankind to look back to creation; to acknowledge God in all His awesome and majestic power as Creator! It also looks forward, toward the seventh one-thousand year period of time, the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
God said, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day [this is not “one day out of seven,” but a specific day] is the Sabbath of the Eternal thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
“For in six days the Eternal made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Eternal blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).
Was the Sabbath only for the Jews? No “Jew” ever existed until after the children of Judah, who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. Eventually, the progeny of Judah became known by a shortened nickname, “Jew.” But Judah was not born until long after the flood. God has made known His Holy Sabbath to the ancients. Those righteous patriarchs who kept God’s laws are catalogued in the Bible.
The first time the name “jew” appears, the northern ten tribes, called “The House of Israel” are seen to be AT WAR WITH THE JEWS! Study II Kings 16:1-6. Here, Israel and its allies are locked in a war with the Jews!
The “House of Israel” was never referred to as “the Jews,” even though by Jesus’ time some members of tribes other than Judah were commonly called Jews.
Christ says, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore, the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28).
Was the Sabbath made for the Jews? No! Christ said it was made for man! For his benefit, for his blessing; for his day of blessed rest; a day of relaxation, worship, rejuvenation, recreation –– the one day of the week when he may pause, reflect on God’s marvelous creation, study God’s Word, pray to God, get his mind off of the mundane pursuits of earning a living, and think on spiritual things.
The Sabbath was made to be a blessing to mankind!
Yet, there are millions today who scorn it, spurn it, shun it –– who go very far out of their way to argue it away, to claim it was “nailed to the cross,” and was only “for the Jews.” Millions suppose God endorsed worship on the day pagans labeled the day of the SUN, Sunday, in supposed honor of Christ’s resurrection.
Yet, God had said the Sabbath was the only perpetual sign He made between Himself and His people. “Verily My Sabbaths shall ye keep; for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Eternal that doth sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13).
A sign is an identifying mark, or label. The “mark of God” upon His people is His Sabbath! This perpetually enduring symbol, or mark of identity, would continually remind God’s people that He is God, their creator, Who has specially chosen them!
He said, “Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you; every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death [Sabbath-breaking was on par with murder, and the penalty was the death penalty!]: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
“Six days may work be done: but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Eternal: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
“Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant” (Exodus 31:14-16).
This identifying mark, or sign, between God and His elect was for all their generations. It was not to cease at the end of some supposed “dispensation” or other; not to fail at some time in the future. It was to be “in perpetuity” –– forever!
“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Eternal made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.”
The Sabbath was created for man, said Jesus Christ. It was not “for the Jews,” but for mankind! It was created –– made –– by the act of God, Who rested on that special day, setting it apart for holy use and purpose. It was made when man was made –– the very day following!
Yet, millions, deceived by Satan (Revelation 12:9), have falsely assumed God’s Sabbath day was “Jewish.” Anti-Semitism among millions of professing “Christians” has led them to reject anything faintly smacking of “Jewishness.” Millions assume the Sabbath was done away by Christ.
Not so. Christ Himself said “the Sabbath was made for man,” and called Himself “Lord of the Sabbath day.”
Notice what God promises gentiles concerning his Sabbaths: “Blessed is the man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
“Neither let the son of the stranger [gentile, not a member of the House of Israel or Judah] that hath joined himself to the Eternal, speak, saying, ‘The Eternal hath utterly separated me from His people,’ neither let the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’
“For thus saith the Eternal unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
“Even to them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
“Also the sons of the stranger [gentiles; non-Israelitish nations], that join themselves to the Eternal, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Eternal, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
“Even them I will bring to my holy mountain [the Kingdom of God –– salvation! Eternal life!]…” (Isaiah 56:1-7).
If you have never seen positive Bible proof that God’s Sabbath day is absolutely binding upon all mankind today, then write immediately for our free booklets about God’s Sabbath days.
