As I understand it, God sends His wrath from heaven against sinful people because He created them with the ability to know the truth, but they suppress the truth. People have known about Him and His power since He created everything, so those who suppress the truth are really without excuse (Rom. 1:18-20).

Consider those who lived in Judah during Old Testament Times. About 140 years before it happened, God told the Jews they would be taken to Babylon (Mic. 4:10). About 100 years before it happened, God told King Hezekiah Judah’s treasures would be taken to Babylon (Isa. 39:1-6). About 35 years before it happened, God told Huldah the judgment of God would fall on Judah (2 Chron. 34:22-28).

About 20 years before it happened, God told Habakkuk Babylon would destroy Judah (Hab.1:5-11). And shortly before it happened, God told Judah Babylon would destroy them because they had ignored His words (Jer. 25:8-11). The Jews were given many chances to repent, but they didn’t, so their destruction was their own fault because they chose not to listen.

Many people today have the same attitude that the people of Judah had. But instead of speaking through prophets like He did in Judah’s day, God speaks through prophecy writers, pastors, church members, family members and in many other ways. If they won’t listen, He will eventually decide that they have had enough chances. Then His judgment will fall and they will be without excuse.

As I see it, God is kind, loving, merciful, patient and full of grace. He is also holy, righteous and just: characteristics that require Him to deal with sin. He rules over this universe and He has told us how He wants us to live. To live any other way is sin. He doesn’t judge people without reason. He gives people many chances. Sinners can be forgiven, but only by putting their faith in Jesus and giving up their sins (John.14:6). If people choose to ignore this, He will be patient, but without repentance He will eventually act and it will be their fault.

Also, as I see it, many people don’t want to hear Bible prophecy because the idea that a holy, righteous and just God will send judgment upon people, nations or the world scares them. Some may not be saved or they may have loved ones that are not saved and they prefer to ignore the fact that individuals, nations and the world are accountable to God.

They would rather suppress the truth than to face the fact that they or their loved ones need to repent or God will eventually hold them accountable. It is especially scary when it is loved ones that are unwilling to repent. The thought of what might happen to them is difficult for kind-hearted people to think about.

Others don’t want to hear Bible prophecy, not because it scares them, but because they don’t believe it—they are turned off by it—they are afflicted by self-righteousness; they have been disillusioned by false prophets, or whatever. They have reached the point where they prefer to hear what the god of their imagination says rather than what the God of the Bible says. They prefer to heap unto themselves teachers that will tickle their ears. Those who do that are trying to silence God in their lives.

Nevertheless, I believe God wants Christians to keep trying to witness to them. He loves them and He wants them to hear it whether they want to hear it or not. He wants them to have many chances to be saved whether they want them or not. Every time they are told about what is going to happen, how close we may be and what they need to do, God is giving them a chance to repent, accept Jesus and go to heaven. If they choose not to, that is their decision. And they are not really silencing Christians or silencing God in their lives, they are silencing themselves at the Judgment.

When they stand before Him there will be no acceptable excuses for ignoring His will.

So keep watching, keep witnessing and respect your calling as a Watchman (Ezek. 3:15-19). In so doing, your heart is right with God whether others listen or not. If they listen, they will be saved and you will have a crown. If they don’t listen, it is their decision and it is not your fault. Don’t think of them as though they are going to die in the future. Think of them as though they are already dead and God is really giving them a chance to live.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

A recent e-mail reads: “It drives me crazy that the Bible doesn’t say anything about America. I know that God is the Author of the Bible and He has His reasons for not mentioning America, but I want to know what is going to happen to America.”

I want begin by saying that I believe America is in Bible prophecy. But this is just my opinion and not something the Bible says. I believe the United States will merge with Canada and Mexico to create the North American Union (NAU). And I believe the leaders of these nations will appoint a president of the NAU and he will be one of the Ten Kings.

Having said this, I am well aware that some believe “the people scattered and peeled” (Isa. 18), the “eagle’s wings” (Dan. 7), “the young lions” (Ezek. 38), the “great eagle” (Rev. 12) and “Babylon” (Rev. 18) refer to America. I understand that, but it is still my opinion that the United States will be a member of the NAU and we will be represented by one of the Ten Kings.

Now, before I started taking this position, I was among those who said, “I don’t know, but America may have been left out of Bible prophecy because America will experience a moral decline, a military decline, a sneak attack, or an economic collapse that will take her out of the picture.” It was just speculation, but many prophecy teachers realized that America had to be weakened so the world could be taken over by the evil Antichrist and his wicked world government.

Concerning a moral decline, America has kicked God and prayer out of our schools and government. Now, we have the highest STD infection rate, highest teen pregnancy rate, highest divorce rate, highest drug use rate and one of the highest abortion rates in the world. We produce more than 85% of the world’s pornography and some of our universities are actually teaching courses in it. Several states have legalized gambling, gay marriage and marijuana smoking.

There is corruption in Washington, a lukewarm spirit in the church, no father in many homes and multitudes of children are born out of wedlock. I could go on, but just about anyone can tell that America has descended into the sewer and it is waxing worse and worse every day.

Concerning a military decline, early this year (2014) America’s Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, recommended major cuts to America’s military. That was followed by an announcement that two of our badly needed advanced cruise missiles (the Tomahawk and the Hellfire) will be totally eliminated by 2018.

Our Army has already been cut by 30,000 troops in the last 18 months, it will be cut by 30,000 more by the end of next year, and another 40-70,000 by the end of this decade. Our Navy has already been cut to the point that it is now smaller than it has been since WW I. Our Air Force is going to lose 500 planes by the end of this decade; our deployed nuclear missiles have been cut to 1550, President Obama wants to cut that to 1,000 and he would like to eventually get down to 300. There is no way to honestly deny that America’s military is in serious free fall.

Concerning a sneak attack, North Korea, Iran, and several Islamic terrorist groups have long threatened to attack America. For many years, our nation was so strong talk like that was considered to be the chatter of foolish people. But that has changed for at least two reasons: 1) North Korea and Iran have both made major strides in their development of missiles and nuclear weapons, and 2) there is the danger that some of those weapons could fall into the hands of (or turned over to) terrorists. America’s military leaders now believe the threats should be taken seriously. But instead of strengthening our military, we are cutting it back.

Concerning an economic collapse, for more than a hundred years, America’s economy led the world and it was the envy of almost everyone. Now, some are saying that China will surge ahead of America before the end of this year. For years, foreign nations coveted the dollar, but now many would rather use their own currency. For years, foreign nations invested in U.S. Treasury Bonds, but now they don’t want them. Millions of Americans are on food stamps, millions can’t find a job, millions have stopped looking, millions have lost their homes and we are closing businesses faster than we are opening new ones. Many experts believe America is on the brink of an economic collapse.

Concerning America at the end of the age, the decades old speculations of many of America’s top prophecy teachers (moral decline, military decline, sneak attack or economic collapse) are now an embarrassing reality. God once blessed America, but now that we have kicked Him and prayer out we are disappearing from the global stage and fading from the prophetic picture

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck