One of the prime points of Bible prophecy, at least from the pre-Trib view, is that America isn’t mentioned in it by name or even in cursory reference. (That’s unless, of course, one sees the reference to the “young lions” in Ezekiel 38:13 as meaning the United States as offspring of “the Merchants of Tarshish,” referring to England.)

This is made even more intriguing when we consider all that we believe is going on in setting the stage for the soon fulfillment of prophecy.

We believe most, if not all, of Paul’s “perilous times” (2 Timothy 3) forewarning is now taking place everywhere we look in our nation—i.e., people are “lovers of themselves,” “without natural affection (abortion and homosexuality)”; they are “fierce” (think “BLM” and “Antifa”), and they’re “traitors” (in reference to the Deep State and others subverting the Constitution), etc.

All these things are, as I like to term them, “America-centric,” in their composition. America seems to be at the center of all the earlier-mentioned stage-setting.

Then we have this president stunning the world, really, with a peace arrangement that no one but perhaps he and a few others saw coming. It’s a stage-setting reality that is indeed profound.

To convince so many within the Arab world to come along with the plan Mr. Trump, Kushner, and the others of the administration have put together is just nothing short of phenomenal. It’s phenomenal when we think about the absolute volatility of the Israel haters within the Arab world, which is so heavily influenced by the chief terrorist regime, Iran (ancient Persia).

So America is at the center of most all primary activity as far as the current ebb and flow of issues and events. That makes it more than a curiosity, really, why God chose not to make this apex nation of history (so far as worldly achievement is concerned) the main focus of prophetic national disposition. Yet America is overtly omitted by name in biblical prophecy.

Why did I title this commentary: “America’s Diminishing Role”?

Again we come to what I see as the strangest presidency in our history. Certainly this is true, it’s reasonable to conclude, because we’re so near the end of this age (Age of Grace/Church Age). The prophetic Word tells us it will be so as the time of Christ’s return nears. Looking around, we’re not disappointed. Things are getting stranger and stranger.

One of the ironies, if that’s what we may call the strangeness, is that this president exerts the most powerful influence on the issue of Middle East peace as any leader ever. At the same time, he’s determined to pull out of that region to an extent that no other leader has attempted since much earlier days when isolationism ruled within American diplomatic spheres of influence. For example, he has announced troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and other areas, much to the chagrin of those in the defense department who are supposed to serve at his pleasure.

Trump doing so, as a matter of fact, constitutes one of the reasons the so-called Deep State opposes his every move. They like to determine such things and have always been able to do so with the cooperation or the acquiescence of those occupying the White House. It’s all part of the power wielded by the military-industrial complex President Dwight Eisenhower forewarned about.

America’s influence in the world, then, despite it being front and center in most every prophetic signal of the approaching Tribulation, is diminishing. The very president put in place by God to serve at this crucial time is an “America-First” chief executive, yet he also is withdrawing the nation from the most focal area of Bible prophecy—even while formulating a peace initiative that might lead to the very covenant Daniel prophesied.

The following news excerpt highlights this dichotomy within Mr. Trump’s presidential action.

Turkey and Iran are engaging in new operations in Africa… It is important to understand that this is in the context of the US generally reducing its global role and comes around 60 years after European colonialism was rolled back…

An article at The National in the UAE in May revealed that Iran has begun to play a role with military proxy groups in the Central African Republic (CAR). The article revealed that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Quds Force has played a role in cultivating “terrorist cells.” It has operated, funded, trained and directed proxy groups. Its role and influence in Africa is still far from mapped and known but the article implies it has recruited figures in the CAR and elsewhere. Iran has also been active in Nigeria and also in South Africa and Hezbollah has been active in West Africa…

An article at Al-Ain also asserts that Turkey and Qatar are now working to exert influence in Africa. The article asserts that Qatar has been trying to do influence peddling in Tunisia and that Qatar’s Defense Minister Khalid al-Attiyah has been coordinating with Turkey’s defense minister in discussions about Libya and Tunisia. They want to establish a “joint military training center” in Libya. (Seth J. Frantzman, “Turkey and Iran Are Engaging in New Operations in Africa,” Rapture Ready News, September 18, 2020)

With the key Ezekiel 38–39 players blatantly moving to fill the vacuum developing in the region because of America’s withdrawal—Iran (ancient Persia) and Turkey (much of what comprised ancient Togarmah)—it becomes quite clear that America, although prophetically scheduled to diminish, is nonetheless most prominent in this pre-Rapture era. It will, it’s therefore logical to conclude, take a dramatic set of circumstances to remove the nation so influential in the world power arrangement.

Each succeeding week that produces fodder for another commentary brings with it the thought that things couldn’t be more in place for setting in motion the Tribulation.

The perception is always proved wrong.

This week is no different; prophecy stage-setting is still ramping up.

While many issues and events we explore seem at the moment to be critical in setting the stage for fulfillment of Bible prophecy, they most often turn out to be peripheral to the most crucial signals. The things developing now, however, are anything but minor.

Israel and the peace process can never be seen as a subject that’s on the outer edges of Bible prophecy. And what we’re seeing now certainly must be considered as profound a sign as any of where we stand on God’s prophetic timeline.

With all else that’s going on in this nation (which, by the way, is overtly omitted by name in biblical prophecy), we see the strangest presidency of our history at the very heart of astonishing prophetic stage-setting. And who can deny that this president moves the needle on history’s tachometer each and every news cycle?

Never has President Trump been as instrumental in so moving that needle as this past week or so. It’s as if the engine of biblical eschatology has revved once again to near max. I see this as a matter to be viewed as seriously as any we’ve yet seen—i.e., it seems to take us as near Christ’s call to His Church as any movement we’ve known.

With President Trump’s acting as an instrument of such profound prophetic movement comes danger, however. It’s a danger that we all should recognize.

The peace currently being brokered by the Trump administration between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) presents one of the two areas of danger about which the president must be cautioned.

The statement by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to reporters frames one of the dangers. Kushner said recently: “We were trying to save the two-state solution… If we kept going with the status quo… ultimately, Israel would have eaten up all the land in the West Bank.”

Kushner, husband of Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, is a Jew who apparently has little knowledge of, or else not much regard for, God’s promises to His chosen people. The Lord gave the Jews all the Land of Promise, including all the land in the West Bank. Mr. Kushner acts as if this is negotiable.

In God’s view, no area of land He gave Israel is negotiable. There is no room whatsoever for a “two-state solution to any problem Israel’s surrounding neighbors have in failing to be at peace with the Jewish State.

Here are the Almighty’s words on the matter:

And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:7–8)

I would urge men with Holy Spirit-provided savvy regarding Bible prophecy, such as Dr. Robert Jeffress, who have the president’s ear to counsel Mr. Trump about this promise and the serious consequences of attempting to interfere—whether wittingly or not—with that covenant.

Here is what God’s prophet, Joel, foretold more than two thousand years ago regarding the fate the nations of the world will suffer for doing exactly what this administration is trying to do. We’ve looked at it many times.

I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. (Joel 3:2)

This of course speaks of Armageddon, the killing field where the rebellious armies of the world will be slaughtered.

The second of the cautions I put forth here to this president—whom I very much support in most every way—concerns his possibly making the mistake of listening to those who push for mandatory vaccinations against COVID-19.

Here is a news item that encapsulates to some extent the issue:

President Donald Trump announced several weeks ago that the US government will purchase 100 million doses of Moderna’s experimental coronavirus vaccine, which is currently in late-stage human trials.

In addition to Moderna, AstraZeneca and the Pfizer/BioNTech alliance are also working on a vaccine.

Trump recently estimated that a vaccine for coronavirus may be produced ahead of the US presidential election on November 3.

The US has registered more than six million cases of COVID-19—almost a quarter of the global total—and 185,000 deaths, according to Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University. (“US States Told Be Ready for COVID-19 Vaccine by November 1,” US & Canada—Israel National News, September 4, 2020)

There is more than just conspiracy theory behind fears that some folks in high places have suggested that a computer tracking nanochip or something like that be injected along with the coming COVID inoculations. There is ample documentation that such ideas have been exchanged between Bill Gates and others who contemplate vaccinating the entire world.

I don’t pretend to suggest that this will be part of such vaccinations, nor am I saying this has something to do with the Revelation 13 “mark of the beast,” “666” system of buying and selling. No one needs to fear that they will take that mark this side of the Rapture, no matter what else the proposed COVID vaccine might mean.

But it all does smack of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four and Big Brother, in which the ruling class is in complete control of the hapless masses and wields absolute power.

Mr. President, be aware. Christians who understand Bible prophecy as it is meant to be understood will strongly resist such “mandatory” impositions upon personal liberty.