“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.” – John Winthrop (1630) – City upon a Hill

Do you feel it? Can you sense it? That subtle, almost imperceptible tension, like the faint ache in your knees that stubbornly warns of an approaching storm yet still unseen beyond the horizon. I’m not referring to the political or cultural strife that has sharply intensified over the past two decades. No, this is something deeper—something unknown that appears unrelentingly fated. This unseen tension moves silently beneath the surface of our time, like a powerful undertow, quietly pulling the unsuspecting into the murky depths of inevitability.

For many, the results of the most recent national elections offer a glimmer of hope that the best days of the United States are not behind her but still ahead. Many point to the landslide victory of both the popular vote as well as the electoral college as a resounding mandate to reject the long-established status quo, which has become corrupted almost beyond repair. Many viewed this victory as a ‘Hail Mary’ pass that was miraculously successful in connecting the quarterback to the receiver in the end-zone. Only this time, it has secured not just the Executive Branch but that of the Legislative and Judicial as well.

Regarding the 2024 election, I am under no illusions that had the Democrats won, 2024 would have been our last election. At a minimum, it would be the end of our two-party political system. Thus, our victory was absolutely the last-ditch effort to course-correct what would have been a disastrous and definitive conclusion to our Constitutional Republic. But because they were not successful, this is proof positive to many that America is still that shining city upon a hill and that we stand on the precipice of a new, golden age of global dominance and prosperity.

But for others, myself included, there is an ominous and inevitable foreboding that accompanies this victory. Every nation, kingdom, and empire that has ever existed, save two, has come and gone. So, what is this unseen yet palpable tension I led off with? It’s the prophetic direction this nation has yet to move into but will. The reality is that this tension is the push and pull between humanity’s Psalm 2 desire of casting off their bonds, and God’s iron-clad prophetic plan.

You might argue, well, it’s man vs. God; of course, God wins.

I don’t disagree. But hear me out.

Most of you should be familiar with the Old Testament book of the prophet Jonah.

Wrath Delayed

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.’ 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:1-3).

The story of Jonah is a short but powerful demonstration of God’s mercy and compassion toward those who repent. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn its people of impending destruction due to their wickedness, but hating the Ninevites and wishing for their destruction, Jonah fled, boarding a ship to Tarshish (the opposite direction of Nineveh).

A violent storm arose, and Jonah, recognizing he was the cause, allowed himself to be thrown overboard to save the others. Swallowed by a great fish, Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish, acknowledging God’s sovereignty before being released onto dry land. Jonah then obeyed and delivered God’s warning to Nineveh, prompting the entire city, from the king to the commoners, to repent through fasting, wearing sack cloth and ashes, and turning from their evil ways.

Seeing their genuine repentance, God spared the city from destruction, extending their existence for another century. Jonah, however, grew angry, frustrated by God’s mercy and hoping for Nineveh’s downfall. To teach him a lesson about compassion, God caused a plant to grow and shade Jonah, only to let it wither, highlighting Jonah’s misplaced priorities. God contrasted Jonah’s concern for the plant with His own concern for the 120,000 people of Nineveh, emphasizing the value of human lives and His readiness to forgive. Ultimately, the story illustrates God’s patience and long-suffering and that even the most undeserving deserve a chance to repent.

Wrath Resumed

We also know that Nineveh was destroyed a century later by the Neo-Babylonian king Nabopolassar and the Median king Cyaxares, destroying Nineveh during a multi-month siege and forever ending the Assyrian seat of power. Nabopolassar’s son, Nebuchadnezzar, would continue this conquest in taking Judah (and Jerusalem) and keeping the Jews in bondage for another 70 years in Babylon… just as it was prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah. Even though God had slated Nineveh for destruction, had they not genuinely repented, but allowed them to repent, forestalling judgment, even if only delaying it for 100 years?

This tension between true repentance and impending judgment likely resonated throughout the course of that century. However, as is often the case, true repentance at the kingdom/nation/ empire-level, rarely lasts. By the time of Jeremiah’s ministry, the Assyrians were no more; their cities had been reduced to rubble, and their people were absorbed by the Babylonians and Medes, erasing Assyria as a dominant regional power forever.

I’m pretty sure you can see where this is heading.

The parallels between Assyria and modern America are striking. While the United States may have temporarily averted disaster by rallying against political and cultural evils brought on by the Democrat party, the question remains: how long can divine wrath be delayed?

Certainly, the US has way more blood on our hands than Nineveh ever did (60M+ abortions?). Moreover, genuine repentance to the one true God appears tenuous at best in such a theologically diverse and often fragmented culture like ours, where repentance (true or not) is frequently directed toward false gods or ideologies (Islam, Hinduism, New Age, Wicca, etc.). It also seems highly unlikely that America will experience a century-long reprieve, as the prophetic typologies and patterns in Scripture appear to align with the years approaching 2033.

For example, if the 69th week of Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy was meant to culminate with Christ’s crucifixion at the end of His first advent, the significance of Daniel’s prophecy would have diminished beyond the point of relevancy had the world moved beyond 33 AD with Christ either still alive or having not yet arrived. The same could be said for our present world to move beyond 2033 without some major validation of God’s word since 2033 would serve as Christ’s two-thousand-year anniversary since His first advent. God’s use of typology and pattern throughout Scripture underscores His absolute dedication to prophetic consistency.

• Abraham’s test of faith with Isaac on Mt. Moriah (Genesis 22)
• Moses striking the rock a second time in disobedience, barring him from the Promised Land (Exodus 17:2, Numbers 20:10-13)
• John the Baptist’s declaration of Jesus as the Lamb of God twice (John 1:29-31, 35-36)

All these highlight either the pattern or the typology meant to point to Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice for mankind. As Hebrews 9:27-28 reminds us, Christ died once for the sins of humanity and will return a second time, not to deal with sin but to bring salvation. Ignoring the prophetic significance of the two-thousandth anniversary of Christ’s advent risks undermining key scriptural patterns, including those in Daniel 9:24-27, Hosea 5:15-6:3, Matthew 24:32-43, Luke 21:24, Romans 11:25-27, and Revelation 9:15. Moving past these markers without any kind of prophetic acknowledgment would render watching for the signs of the times increasingly futile, further diminishing the relevance of prophetic Scripture and its divine patterns.

What Now?

While we might view ourselves as a nation deserving of divine reprieve similar to Nineveh, we must grapple with the balance between repentance—whether genuine or superficial—and the overarching time constraints set forth by God. As Acts 17:26 reminds us, God has preordained the times and seasons for every nation, which would include the United States. Even if a segment of the American population were to sincerely repent, it is uncertain whether that alone would alter the divine timetable already established for our country.

As the undercurrent of tension in our age continues to grow, ongoing events (both good and bad) continue to feed the reality that the only certain thing we can all agree on is that the status quo of the last seventy years is about to become extinct. For pessimists, this tension amplifies their darkest anxieties, while for optimists, it heralds the possibility of meaningful and positive change. These are two states of mind on the opposite end of the spectrum. One thing is for certain, though: it will be increasingly impossible to remain neutral about all the goings-on in the world. Things are no longer “business as usual.” The era of the Pax Americana world order, which has defined the global landscape since 1945, is approaching its end one way or another.

This order, anchored in the financial strength of the U.S. dollar established as the global reserve currency under the 1944 Bretton Woods Agreement, is now being challenged on multiple fronts. The world is shifting—either toward commodity-based currencies or some variation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Moreover, many nations in the world are increasingly eager to move beyond America’s economic orbit because of how we weaponized our financial and economic platforms. To borrow a phrase from the US Marine Corps, it was believed of the USA that her friends had no better ally, and her foes, no worse enemy. But that paradigm increasingly varied in its extremes from administration to administration. The revolving shift has become so apparent in the last 20 years that the world writ large was getting whiplash from all the major policy swings between the political left and right.

And the world has grown overly weary of this bi-polar approach to geopolitics.

The Death of Normalcy Bias

The people of the great nations of the past seem normally to have imagined that their pre-eminence would last forever. Rome appeared to its citizens to be destined to be for all time the mistress of the world. The Abbasid Khalifs of Baghdad declared that God had appointed them to rule mankind until the day of judgment. Seventy years ago, many people in Britain believed that the empire would endure forever. Although Hitler failed to achieve his objective, he declared that Germany would rule the world for a thousand years. That sentiments like these could be publicly expressed without evoking derision shows that, in all the ages, the regular rise and fall of great nations has passed unperceived. The simplest statistics prove the steady rotation of one nation after another at regular intervals. – Sir John Glubb, the Fate of Empires

Most sober-minded historians acknowledge one immutable fact of history: every nation, empire, and kingdom, no matter how great or small, rises and falls. The lingering question on everyone’s mind now wasn’t if America’s end would come, but when. This foregone conclusion had permeated the collective psyche for decades, making the moment Donald Trump descended the golden escalators of Trump Tower in 2015 to announce his candidacy—and his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) agenda—feel like an electric jolt to the American body politic. Its unfettered optimism was both shocking and polarizing.

For years, the average American had been sold a vision of the good life through commercialism and slick marketing: work hard, invest wisely, play by the rules, and you’d enjoy a fulfilling life capped off by a peaceful retirement of golf and fishing. This ideal, however, masked a deeper truth: Sir John Glubb’s theory that civilizations are plagued by “normalcy bias,” the assumption that the American way of life will continue indefinitely, unchanging.

That is, until it doesn’t.

Few could have imagined a path forward for the United States that didn’t involve decline, let alone a resurgence resembling a renaissance. Yet Trump’s MAGA movement, marked by its shocking electoral victories and relentless momentum, challenged that fatalistic narrative. Winning the last three elections, the MAGA movement ignited a wave of optimism not seen since the Reagan era of the 1980s—a time when Americans dared to ask, “What if?” instead of the defeatist “What for?” This certainly has been amplified here in 2024 when President Trump announced his desire to make Canada the 51st state, acquire Greenland, or regain control over the Panama Canal, which has sent many world leaders into a frenzy of panic and anxiety.

This American optimism rekindled something long dormant in the American spirit: the belief that the nation could course-correct and rise anew. Trump’s agenda wasn’t just about restoration; it forced Americans to seriously entertain the possibility of an unprecedented second American golden age. Thus, the birth of this modern Republican conservatism encouraged the nation to believe not only in recovery but in resurgence, a future brighter than its past.

Déjà vu All Over Again

For decades, most people comfortably embraced the normalcy bias—the assumption that the United States would remain more or less the same, a stable and enduring superpower. Yet, the Bible’s striking silence on the world’s greatest modern superpower has left many in the pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture community grappling with a haunting question: how does America’s story end?

In the past, prophecy watchers speculated on what could bring about the fall of such a dominant nation. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union loomed large as the prime candidate for America’s destruction, the “big bad” threat of the age until it collapsed. But even then, much of what was required to fulfill biblical prophecy, particularly as outlined in Revelation, was still absent. The best interpretations of that era were limited by what is often called the tyranny of the present—an inability to imagine circumstances beyond what was known or possible at the time.

Today, however, the problem has reversed. The prophetic landscape is not constrained by a lack of options for fulfillment but is instead overwhelmed by the sheer number of possibilities. Technological advancements, geopolitical shifts, cultural decay, and the rise of globalism each present plausible pathways to the prophetic events Scripture describes. As we move further into the 21st century, we face a new challenge: the tyranny of too many choices, thus confounding even the best of scholars. The convergence of potential fulfillments creates a kaleidoscope of scenarios, each seemingly plausible yet collectively daunting to decipher.

Thus, the question of how America fits—or doesn’t fit—into this prophetic picture looms larger than ever. It runs the gambit of total collapse at the Rapture, or at a minimum, the collapse of our current structure as a constitutional republic, to that of Mystery Babylon. With the outright anarchy this present outgoing administration has governed by, and the obfuscation of nearly a dozen head-scratcher situations (Drones, Orbs, wildfires, powerful hurricanes, terrorist attacks, and many more), it has all but eroded even the most ardent patriot’s belief in their government.

Adding to that is what appears now to be a solidification of American dominance, not just in the US but in North America with the Panama Canal, Canada, and Greenland in the crosshairs; it seems inevitable (at present) that this is exactly what will happen. Given Trump’s landslide mandate, his seemingly divine or providential survival against a nonstop barrage of political and legal attacks and two assassination attempts indicates to this author that he might well get what he wants.

What we do know is that in the world of Revelation 13 (still future), the world appears to be broken up into seven spheres of power, guided by ten “kings” who don’t have kingdoms but have authority as kings. Three of these kings are supplanted by one, who, with his demonic aide de camp, takes control of the whole planet. The move to secure all of North America seems more fitting with what Daniel 2, 7, Revelation 12-13, 17-18, and other prophetic passages state about the organization of the final form of human government right before Christ returns.

Conclusion

“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).

So, what does this mean for the born-again, watching believer?

Well, if the US is Mystery Babylon (i.e., Babylon in its mystery form), then we should see signs for that. We should see the US posturing itself to be hated by the other kings who, at the first opportunity, strike America while she’s down (possibly right after the Rapture of the Church). We should see the US stripped of its wealth and weapons, who would then be distributed amongst some (or all) of the other power structures.

If the US is not the Mystery Babylon, then this means we should be seeing the structure for that, as well as the ten kings coming into their own. I’m still torn on the matter; however, the US as Mystery Babylon (at least at the present with MAGA on the march) seems to be more and more likely.

And just as many Bible prophecy pros and students alike had to redraw their prophecy charts after the major events of the Soviet Union collapsing, the push beyond 10 member nations in the European Union, or the global shutdown caused by COVID caught many in our community off guard, we must remain observant, having eyes to see and ears to hear what the Holy Spirit tells regarding the unfolding of events each and every day now.

Without a doubt, the United States stands at a crossroads: either rising to unparalleled heights to become a mystery form of global government that suffers’ immense and irreparable loss later, or immediate collapse and destruction at the Rapture sooner than many expect. This is that unsettling tension we feel building each day. Either way, what it speaks to us now is that time is running out, and getting the Gospel out to the unsaved should be our highest priority.

Thus, in one sense, we have Bible prophecy unfolding before our very eyes, which gives us an unparalleled advantage to use these signs of the times as the evidence the increasingly skeptical world needs to finally come to Christ. Lastly, we should not expect a major national or global revival prior to the Rapture of the Church because of the numerous passages that say otherwise (Matt 24:1-14, 2 Tim 3, 2 Peter 2-3, Luke 17:26-30, 18:8, 1 Thessalonians 5, Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22). However, after the Rapture, that’s a whole nuther story. Revelation 6:9-11 and 7:9-16 indicate a massive soul harvest that Rev. 7:9 states the martyred saints (not the Church) were “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues.”

While it seems our efforts here to warn of the impending storm that is coming has met resistance (both human and demonic), complacency, persecution, mocking, and skepticism, it appears our efforts are not in vain. God will use our planting and watering now, giving the increase in the interim, that bears a soul harvest that will seemingly dwarf that of any of the entire 2,000-year dispensation of the Church. Therefore, continue to share. Continue to warn. Continue to be the salt and light wherever God has planted you, knowing your efforts are not in vain. Because the time is coming when the time for work will be done, and we will inherit our eternal reward.

Remember, all the kingdoms of man, no matter how great or benevolent, will come to their respective ends. Even the United States of America, that “shining city on a hill” for whom the nations of the world have for so long depended, will also come to her end one way or another. Even now, her light is fading faster than we are comfortable seeing. The light the world saw was a nation reflecting God’s glory. But when that nation turns its back on God, the light fades, and the world darkens, and the time for work will come to its predetermined ending. This encroaching darkness is what has so many on edge. We are not to set our mind on earthly things but on the heavenly because while we are in this world, we are no longer of this world.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

Disclaimer:

I really did not want to write this. However, I don’t know about others who write for Christian publications, but for me, when a message like this crosses my mind, I don’t sleep well, nor am I able to concentrate fully on anything else until I sit down and start writing the words that are constantly scrolling across my mind. This has been going on now for several days, so I’m giving in to this compulsion, however reluctantly. This has not happened to me for a while, as for the past year, I have had another mission in this life. So, I guess the Holy Spirit expected me to take care of those obligations first.

For the past year, I’ve been helping my sister take care of our momma and then our daddy, both of whom passed away last year, and all the details of re-organizing our lives without them. So, my disclaimer is simply this – I in no way intend to create controversy, debate, or conspiracy. So, if any reader feels inclined to refute or debate, know in advance that I will not take the bait.

My only goal here is to share the thoughts and “what if’s” that have been recently occurring to me. And I will also state up front that I voted for Donald Trump. I think he is the best man for the job right now – especially given the alternative – and say that I even like the man. That said, there are some things that he says and does that I would probably say or do differently, and honestly, that is the case with just about everyone I have ever known, liked, and even loved.

We humans don’t usually agree 100% with anyone else 100% of the time regardless of how much we like, love, and respect them. So, please do not misunderstand or misinterpret anything I am about to say regarding our new president and/or his administration or his policies. I do NOT think or even hint for one second, for instance, that he is the anti-Christ. In fact, if you are familiar with how the Bible describes that lawless one to come, Mr. Trump does not even qualify. And only after we are raptured out of this world will that lawless one called the anti-Christ be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:2-12).

Okay, now that I got all that out, I’ll move on with the reason for this article. I think that we humans have an instinct within us to want to know what’s going on. If an ambulance goes down a street in our neighborhood, we go out on the porch to see if we can figure out what’s going on. Some of us are so curious about what’s going on that we will ask inappropriate questions of others even though, most often, the situation does not involve us, affect us, or is none of our business. We just want to “know what’s going on.” Sort of a strange part of our makeup, but true nonetheless.

God knew this about us, too. After all, He created us and knows all of us and all things past, present, and future. So, He so graciously gave us the Bible and all its prophecies so we could know what’s happened before us, what’s happening now, and what will happen in the future.

I have been studying Bible prophecy since about 2007. And, in those past 18 years or so, while I certainly have not become an expert by any stretch of the imagination, I have learned a lot. The Bible as a whole is about 27% prophecy, some of which has already been fulfilled, some yet to come. To paraphrase the “to come” in part, the Bible speaks of a group of nations/kings during the Tribulation dispensation that will equal 10 (Daniel 7:24). So, in other words, the world will be divided into 10 regions or groups if you will. Meaning that each individual nation, as we know them now, will not exist then exactly the same as they do right now.

In my years of study, I have not seen or learned of any indication that the United States of America, as we know it now, will exist during those seven awful years of great Tribulation. That must mean, to me anyway, that our nation, as we know it now, will either not exist at all somehow or will be combined with other current independent nations to form one of these ten “unions” or kingdoms. In years past, while studying Bible prophecy, I have heard prophecy experts describe us combined with possibly Canada and Mexico to form a North American Union.

In Matthew 24, sometimes referred to as the Olivet Discourse, as in other places in the Bible, Jesus Himself tells us what to watch out for in the last days before He returns to this earth so that we can know “what is going on.” Now, some prophecy experts consider Matthew 24 to be signs given to watch for during the Tribulation, before He returns in the Second Coming (the first coming, of course, was when He was born of a virgin as a human, lived a sinless life, died on the Cross to pay for our sins and rose from the dead, then descended back into heaven to prepare a place for us – believers, the Bride of Christ – the Church). And some experts consider Matthew 24 to be signs given to watch for just before the Rapture of the Church.

In my opinion, it is both. That’s because I believe the Second Coming of Christ is a 2-phase event. The first phase is when the Father tells His Son, Jesus, to “go get Your Bride.” In that first phase, called the Rapture, He will step out of Heaven onto the clouds and shout with the sound of a trumpet, “Come Up Here,” and all who are dead in Christ (believers who have passed away) will rise first to meet Him in the clouds, then those of us who remain alive and are believers will be changed into our new heavenly bodies and rise to meet Him in the air, to be forever with Him wherever He is, for all eternity (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). In the second phase of His Second Coming, at the end of the Tribulation, He will literally and physically touch down on this earth during the battle of Armageddon.

So, in Matthew 24, starting with verse 3, it says that Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, and the disciples came to Him privately, asking him to tell them when He would return and what the signs to watch for would be, so that they could be prepared to know what’s going on and when to expect Him. He tells them that no one knows the day nor the hour except the Father; however, they can know when it’s getting close by paying attention to what’s going on around them to discern the things He says will be happening on that day.

The very first thing Jesus said to watch out for, and mentioned 3 more times in the following verses, was deception! He mentioned it FOUR times! That must mean that it is pretty important and pretty dangerous and pretty telling of where we are in His timeline (Matthew 24:3-44).

Let me also preface my final thought with this: God already knows everything that is going to happen and all the things and people that will implement all the pieces falling into place to arrive at the eternity future that WILL come to pass. That means that all these things will happen, just as He tells us, and there is nothing we can do to stop it, ease it, or change it. All the things He prophesies WILL happen. He so graciously gave us His Word in order that we could also know what’s going on and, therefore, know how close we are to His fulfillment of all He has told us. The prophecies given centuries ago that have been fulfilled already were fulfilled with 100% accuracy 100% of the time. So, we can trust Him to fulfill the coming prophecies the same.

So, having said that, all we can do is to watch what is going on around us and be aware of how close we must be to the end of this age and, with that knowledge, warn others to get ready, if not already, and to pray for discernment lest we be deceived. But we believers are not to fret and worry, as these things will happen (2 Thessalonians 2-12). But for those not saved, there is plenty (eternity) to worry about.

Believers have our blessed hope (Titus 2:13), but if you do not have that, I implore you to NOW make a decision to change your destiny and share in that blessed hope. Romans 10:9-11 says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.'”

I believe that some of the terrible things to come, especially during the Tribulation, are now being set up and put into place so that when the Tribulation begins with the revealing of the anti-Christ (I type it this way because I refuse to capitalize his filthy name), he will be ready to go on day one. And I believe that there are good people who will most likely unwittingly implement policies, laws, procedures, etc., that will factor into fulfilling coming prophecies.

Hence, my final thought: when I heard on the news that Donald Trump was thinking about adding Canada, the Panama Canal, and/or Greenland to United States control or actually taking them over as part of our nation, my first thought was, “Wow, I wonder if that is how we will become one of those 10 nation kingdoms mentioned in the last days.”

I had a similar thought when it was announced that Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg et al were aligning themselves with this new administration, and I wondered if they would have the influence to implement AI and digital currency, which I believe has to be done in order for the lawless one to come to be able to control every person left behind on the planet during the Tribulation. I don’t mean to indicate that I think these folks have an agenda toward helping the anti-Christ! Nor, honestly, do I think the current administration, wicked as I think they are, has an agenda toward helping the anti-Christ. I do believe they each have their agendas, for sure, but don’t actually realize that what they are doing could lead to that end.

So, there you have it. My thoughts about what is going on. Why does the Holy Spirit seem to want me to share my thoughts? I don’t know for sure, but I had to do it. I hope and pray with all my heart that neither I nor you will be deceived by anything that is going on. And that we will all know and recognize how close we are to the end of this age. So, please, please, again, if you have not yet accepted the pardon that Christ paid for on the cross for YOU, please do so now before it is too late.

Sandy