Jun 27, 2011

It is clear from history, prophecy, timing, and the meaning of names that America has an important role in the divine plan. America is one of the primary manifestations of Israel in the last days in the prophetic regathering of the "lost" tribes of Israel. Yet we must keep this in perspective, because the Kingdom of God is a universal Kingdom.

Israel was supposed to be the example, the light on a hill, so that the nations could see its light and find enlightenment in the laws of God and the ways of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, after Israel's "7 times" of judgment according to the law (745 B.C. to 1776 A.D.), America succeeded only in establishing a Christian Republic. This was not the same as the Kingdom of God.

Having been established during the Pentecostal Age, it could only be a mixture of good and bad, because Pentecost was a leavened feast (Lev. 23:17). Matthew anticipated this, of course, telling us that the Kingdom of Heaven would be plagued with fowls, tares, and unclean fish (called "children of the devil," 13:38). Only in the end would these be removed in the great separation at the coming of the Son of Man (13:40, 41, 49).

Some have made a distinction between the Kingdom of God (which is "within you") and the Kingdom of Heaven, which seems to be portrayed in Matthew 13 in terms of a real place on earth. Verse 38 says that "the field is the world," and Kingdom people are said to be planted as wheat in the field. Tares are then planted among them by the enemy.

The Kingdom of Heaven has its origin in heaven, because it is God's "field," but it is located on the earth. It is not in heaven, because there are no tares in heaven. The problem of this mixture realm is here on the earth.

Again, the whole earth belongs to God by right of creation, but since Adam's sin the earth has been usurped. History is the process by which the Kingdom of Heaven is being reclaimed and redeemed. Those who are true citizens of that Kingdom are presently part of the Kingdom of God. The rest will have to undergo a refining process before they become citizens.

Matthew 13 indicates that it all will come down to "the end of the age" (13:40), when the great separation takes place at the hand of God's angels. Hence, the time of corruption--when the fowls dwelt in the branches of the Kingdom Tree, and when the tares grew up with the wheat, and when the net was bringing in fish both clean and unclean--this time of corruption was to continue throughout the age of Pentecost.

Then, even as the Pentecostal offering was to be baked in the fire to kill the leaven and qualify it for God's Table, so also were the tares to be gathered in bundles for burning. Men have called this "the rapture of the Church," when in fact the tares are the ones being removed, while the good seed inherits the earth.

It is the same when viewing it "as in the days of Noah" (Matt. 24:37), when "the flood came and took them all away." The wicked were taken away by the flood, while the righteous inherited the earth.

When America was founded in the late 1700's at the end of Israel's time of tribulation, there still remained over 200 years until the end came for the age of Pentecost. The patterns of Pentecost were established by Israel's 40 years in the wilderness and by the 40-year reign of King Saul, who was crowned on the day of Pentecost. These patterns indicate that the Pentecostal Age was to last 40 Jubilees (40 x 49 = 1,960 years). Hence, "Saul" died in 1993 and we entered the transition time between Saul and David, which I have written about so often in the past.

We are now in the time of separating tares from wheat. Tares look like wheat until it comes time to bear fruit. Then the wheat bows low under the weight of its good seed, while the tares stand straight up with their little black, poisonous seeds. The difference becomes apparent toward the time of harvest. So it is today.

The rise of evil, immorality, and lawlessness in America and the world is distinguishing and separating tares from wheat. We will soon see a great harvest as well.

Looking at it from another perspective, we have shown earlier that this "harvest time" is also the time that the great breach is repaired between Israel and Judah, and between the Birthright and the Scepter. Christ is the repairer of the breach, and hence He is the head of both Israel and Judah (Hos. 1:11). His first coming in Judah established Him as the inheritor of David's Scepter. But His second coming is through Joseph in order to claim His Birthright. Hence, His robe is said to be dipped in blood (Rev. 19:13), even as Joseph's robe was dipped in blood (Gen. 37:31).

The breach between Israel and Judah occurred after Solomon died. He had overtaxed the people, and so the breach was over high taxes without representation. This situation was brought up once again in 1776 in order to provide a time marker and an earthly sign of the breach that was soon to be repaired. God had to recreate the breach as an earthly type in order to give us something and someone to watch, so that we would know when and how this great breach was being repaired.

For this reason, I believe that America and Britain (and many others) will soon appoint themselves one Head--Jesus Christ, as Hosea says. The breach cannot be repaired apart from the second coming of Christ, because this is one of the primary purposes of His second coming.

In fact, I believe this will begin the process of many nations joining them, having one Head and one law. It will not be the beginning of the Kingdom of God, but it will certainly be its manifestation on a geographical and national level. Up to now, the Kingdom of God has been within us. The body of Kingdom Citizens (by faith in Jesus Christ alone) enjoy citizenship status today. But at some point this will be taken to a higher level in the re-organization of entire nations, even as Israel was formed into a nation in the days of Moses.

Daniel 2:35 speaks of it as a great "stone" that not only crushes the image of Babylon and its kingdom, but also then begins to grow until it fills the whole earth. That "stone" is first Jesus Christ, but it is also His Kingdom. It is positioned at the end of the kingdoms of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and the various extensions of the iron kingdom.

The final end is for God to reclaim and redeem all that He created, for that is what He owns by right of creation. So while this national salvation must start with a minimum of two nations (to repair the breach between them), it certainly will not end there.

(2) Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain [kingdom] of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills [smaller nations]; and all the nations will stream to it. (3) And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from [New] Jerusalem.

Men have often misapplied this Scripture to the Jewish state, thinking that they are the Israel of Scripture and the "Jerusalem" where the presence of God now resides. We have discussed these topics in other weblogs, or see The Laws of the Second Coming, posted online.

This is the final part of a series titled "God's Plan for America." To view all parts, click the link below.

God's Plan for America