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Southwest Radio Ministries: Welcome to Watchman on the Wall, a daily outreach of Southwest Radio Ministries and swrc.com. God is still on the throne and prayer changes things. A brand new week of bringing clarity to the chaos is here. This week, teacher Donald Perkins will explore the question, is America in Bible prophecy?

We'll learn about the history of American education from Vaughn Chatzer and Josh Davis will share the latest headlines from the end times. For over nine decades, Southwest Radio Ministries has remained committed to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus Christ and equipping believers with a deeper understanding of God's word.

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Is America mentioned anywhere in Bible prophecy? It's a question many Christians have asked, especially as world events continue to unfold at a rapid pace. Today, we're joined by Bible prophecy teacher Donald Perkins to explore what scripture says and what it doesn't say about America's possible role in the last days. Stay tuned for an insightful and thought-provoking discussion.

Where is America in Bible prophecy? That's a big question. In this month of July, we've been featuring a lot of patriotic programming, talking about America in the past and in its present, and we're going to be looking toward the future on today's program. As we understand America's role in Bible prophecy, helping us with that is Evangelist Don Perkins.

Don is no stranger to our Watchman on the Wall listening family. We frequently play episodes of his Great Revelation teaching series, and I know that's been a blessing to many of our faithful listeners. Well, today we're going to explore America's role in Bible prophecy with some teaching from Evangelist Perkins, and he begins by exploring some alleged places where America is mentioned in Bible prophecy and he asks the question, is this a reference to America in prophecy?

And then he explains where he sees America in Bible prophecy. And so let's join Evangelist Donald Perkins as he explains America's role in Bible prophecy.

Donald Perkins: One of the number one questions I get all the time is, Brother Perkins, is America in Bible prophecy? Now, I've been teaching Bible prophecy now going on 41 years, and I will say this as a prophecy student, prophecy buff, I've always wanted to find my country, America, in Bible prophecy.

So we're going to look at different aspects of that, but I will say on the record, I don't believe America is in prophecy like you see the nation of Israel or Egypt or Russia and different other nations that the Bible literally talks about. You won't find America there, but I'm going to establish some things as we look at this particular message.

Now again, we're going to see based on the authority of the word what the Bible has to say. Now, I'm a topical teacher, so we look at topics. We're going to first look at different views or views of America's place in prophecy. And now what I'm going to do here, I'm going to show you some of the views that are out there in reference to what people think is America or what they try to say is America in prophecy.

Then I'm going to show you my observation of America in Bible prophecy, how I see or what I think about America in Bible prophecy. Then we're going to look at the founders of America in their own words, the founders of America in their own words. This is key and I think it's going to really bless you.

But I want to start off here with a passage found in Psalm 33:12 and this is what the Psalmist wrote. He said, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance." I love this. He says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance." Now, we can say it another way too. He can also say, "Cursed is the nation whose God is not the Lord."

We're going to see here that America started off as a blessed nation because America honored God. America literally put God first, even with the founders. Now, these men were not perfect. You had all different types of things going on, but these men, they literally sought God and God blessed the nation. You know, it's no accident that America is and, you know, is one of the most blessed nations of all times. It was because how the nation was founded and again, we're going to see that.

But I'm really concerned for our nation. Now, one of the most frequently asked questions in Bible prophecy is where is America in Bible prophecy? America's place of prominence in the world today has caused many to believe that she will always be around as America the Great. One would figure that since God has blessed her more than any other nation in history, he must have a place for her in his prophetic word.

And again, a lot of people feel that. You know, I've said before in some of my messages that people think that God is in heaven wrapped in an American flag. Well, I want to tell you today that is not the case. God is not in heaven wrapped with an American flag. God will judge America like he judged his people Israel when they turned against God.

Now, many have tried to find America in Bible prophecy and some have even gone to great lengths to make America fit into Bible prophecy. But I don't believe America is in prophecy in the same way as Israel, Russia, and Iran and other nations. Some look at this as a sign that America may not have her place of influence in the future.

My personal belief is that America will be around in the future but will not have her superpower status that we are experiencing today, and I really believe that because of Bible prophecy. There's coming a day that there will be a shifting of world powers and world leaders. We do know that the Antichrist will be over a European system. We know that and that's I believe that's beginning to happen already, the shift has begun.

I do believe that America will lose her place of prominence. It doesn't mean that she won't be here but again, things will lend to that and again, this is a sign and indicator that we're moving in the last days. Now we're going to look now at views of America's place in Bible prophecy. And again, what I'm going to do here, I'm going to give you some examples of different people's views and place of Bible prophecy or how people see America in prophecy.

But before I do that, I want to quote two scholars. The first one here, I'm going to quote Dr. David Reagan from his book, America the Beautiful, the United States in Bible prophecy. Listen what Dr. Reagan said. He said, "The persistent question about America's future has motivated many prophecy experts to resort to their imaginations. The unfortunate result has been the discovery of the United States in some very unusual passages.

This imaginative approach to the interpretation of Bible prophecy is one of several factors that have motivated contempt for the whole field of prophetic studies, prompting many to write it off as a playground for fanatics." And again, because of some of the sensationalism that's out there and I'm going to look at some of those examples here, what they say, this is American prophecy, which I believe absolutely it is not, a lot of sensational teaching out there that I think is very, very dangerous.

I mean, I love America. I love my nation. I'm a patriot and I would love to see my nation in prophecy, but we don't see it like again, we see other nations. Now, I want to quote here from the book, The American Apocalypse. This is by Dr. Terry James, Is the United States in Bible prophecy? Listen what he says. He said, "The very fact of America's spectacular achievement one would think secures its place within the final prophetic disposition of nations.

Yet this nation is referred to by name nowhere in Bible prophecy. No mention of this most powerful and wealthiest nation in recorded history is made in Bible prophecy seems to be a profoundly strange omission, recognizing and acknowledging that this super nation state is not even alluded to by name. There nevertheless remains room to ponder." And we ponder, hmm, why did not God, why didn't God include America in prophecy?

And again, I believe we're going to see some reasons why going forward. But I want to look at some of the views that have been taught out there where people have tried to place America in the scriptures. And again, some of it is just, I'll be honest with you, just ridiculous. So look at this first one. This is from the book of Isaiah, chapter 18, verses 2 and 7. And Isaiah chapter 2 and 7 talks about a scattered and peeled people or a tall and smooth people.

Again, people have tried to say that this refers to America. Now again, some of this stuff is just, you know, it's almost prophetic gymnastics to try to make it fit, a scattered and peeled people. This really has nothing to do with America in Bible prophecy. Look at this next one. This is found in Ezekiel chapter 38, verse number 13, which deals with the merchants of Tarshish and all the young lions.

Now, out of all of the verses there, this one is closer to fitting. But again, what these merchants of Tarshish and the young lions are going to do is very minuscule, you know. And again, me personally, I'll be honest with you, I don't see this as representing America at all. This is during the time of the Ezekiel war and again, you know, what the merchants of Tarshish and the young lions do is very minuscule, but people try to put America in prophecy there and again, to me, it doesn't stand the test of dispensational accuracy.

Now, look at this next one. This is Revelation chapter 12, verses 13 through 17. Now this is dealing with the Great Eagle. In chapter 12 of Revelation, you find this is at the midpoint of the Great Tribulation. It deals with the sun-clothed woman. And here the Bible talks about that God's going to help Israel with a Great Eagle and because of this verse here, they say the Great Eagle that's going to help Israel during the time of the tribulation is America.

Now, we know that America, we have the bald eagle as our great emblem and it represents America. But I want to say to you, this is really pulling scriptures out of context. You know, God used a Great Eagle or the term back in the Old Testament when he delivered the nation of Israel. It's a term that God has used before. America was not around during the time of Egypt.

Here again, this is a false interpretation, a misappropriation of scripture, I believe. America will not help Israel during the time of tribulation. As a matter of fact, I believe this. I believe that God is weaning Israel off of the breast of America. You know, God's not going to let no nation have glory for delivering Israel other than himself. God is going to be the one that's going to deliver Israel, not America.

America will not be the one to say that we were the ones that came to Israel's rescue. Again, this is a misappropriation of scripture, I believe. Look at this next one. Revelation chapter 18, verses 1 through 24. Now this deals with the literal fall of Great Babylon. Now, Great Babylon here, I believe that this will be a literal visitation of God where God again comes and the Bible says Babylon will come back into the mind of God.

God is going to judge Babylon. It talks about a wealthy city. Now, some of the characteristics of this prophecy does sound like America with the wealth and all of the ships and different things like that. But in context, this has nothing to do with America. Babylon the Great here is not America and again, I believe it's a major falsehood.

God is going to revisit the land of Iraq. The literal city of Babylon will be visited by God, I believe that based on scripture. It's going to be a literal judgment of God on the literal city of Babylon in the future. The scripture says that Babylon will come back into the mind of God and the scripture said that God would judge this city in one hour. It will become a habitation of foul birds and demon spirits. God's going to judge Babylon.

Now let me give you one last view of America that I think is just ridiculous. It is just unbelievable, it's literally funny. And this last one is the name Jerusalem. Now, what I'm going to do, I'm going to bring in the name Jerusalem. You see Jerusalem here? Look in the center of Jerusalem and what do you see? You see the USA.

I literally heard a prophecy guy or a pastor on the radio. He was saying that the United States is in prophecy because the USA is in the center of the name Jerusalem. You know something? That is sloppy theology. That is unbiblical but again, people have taught that, people literally believe that. They want to put America in prophecy so bad that they have gone to these type of gymnastics to try to make us fit. Again, America is not there in Bible prophecy.

Now, I want to give you my observation of America in Bible prophecy. This is how I see it. I do believe that America is in Bible prophecy but not in the examples we have just seen. America can be found when she is compared to Israel in its relationship with God. God will respond favorably or unfavorably to America as long as she obeys his word. As long as Israel obeyed and honored God, she was a blessed nation.

America was founded on godly principles. The forefathers of this great nation knew that in order for America to be a great nation in the eyes of God, it must first obey and honor the God of heaven. America was a great nation at one time and I say was, but today she has lost her moral footing. It was known as a Christian nation and looked upon as the moral conscience of the world.

Almighty God has blessed America with great wealth, strength, and influence but somewhere in the abundance of her blessing, she has forgotten the God of her forefathers who made her great. The scriptures declare a very powerful statement and it's found in the Gospel of Luke chapter 12, verse 48. It says, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required."

To whom much is given, much is required. God has blessed America so greatly and God gave us great responsibility but to whom much is given, much is required. And again, we've been a blessed nation for all these years but you know something? We have wasted the prosperity of God. We have forgotten the God that gave us great wealth and strength. And again, I really believe we're going to pay a great price for that.

We think again that God, he's not going to judge us because we're so great. But you got to understand, there are many examples all through scriptures when a nation turned her back on God or when Israel turned her back on God, God judged his chosen people. This nation Israel was the apple of God's eye and they thought that they were so great that God would never judge them. And God literally used their enemies to judge Israel and America I think will have the same fate.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Friends, we're listening to teaching from Evangelist Donald Perkins on America in Bible prophecy. And what you're listening to is a portion of a DVD recorded of Evangelist Perkins sharing this wonderful teaching. That DVD, America in Bible Prophecy, is available at swrc.com. That's swrc.com or give us a call at 1-800-652-1144. That's 1-800-652-1144 and just mention America in Bible Prophecy DVD by Evangelist Donald Perkins.

Now, let's rejoin Evangelist Perkins as he begins to explore the founders of the United States of America.

Donald Perkins: Let's look at the founders of America in their own words. And again, these founders, we're going to look at some presidents and men that were part of writing the Constitution and different aspects. These men, when this nation was founded, I really believe that God's sovereign hand was involved in making this America a great free nation.

So what we're going to do, we're going to look now at the founders of America in their own words. Some of these presidents, what these men said was just godly statements. And again, we're going to see that. Now, I want to start off here, the first one we're going to look at is James Madison. Now, James Madison, he was a signer of the Constitution. He was the author of the Federalist Papers. He was a framer of the Bill of Rights. He was the Secretary of State and he was the fourth president of the United States.

Listen what James Madison said. He said, "A watchful eye must be kept on ourselves, lest while we are building ideal monuments of renown and bliss here, we neglect to have our names enrolled in the annals of heaven." He said we got to be very careful. We're building these great monuments but you know something? You better make sure that your name is in the book of life, that your name is enrolled in heaven.

We're building these grand renown monuments and buildings. You better make sure your name is written in heaven. This man had an eternal perspective and I really like that. Let's look at the next one. This is Benjamin Rush. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Surgeon General of the Continental Army. He was also the father of American medicine. He was the Treasurer of the US Mint. He was the father of the public schools under the Constitution.

Listen what he said, Benjamin Rush. He said, "The gospel of Jesus Christ prescribed the wisest rule for just conduct in every situation of life. Happy they are or are enabled to obey them in all situations." He said, "My only hope of salvation is in the finite transcendent love of God manifest to the world by the death of his son upon the cross. Nothing but his blood will wash away my sins." He quotes Acts the book of Acts chapter 22, verse 16. He said, "I rely exclusively upon it. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly."

And he quotes Revelation 22:20. Now this again is Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He depended on the work of Christ and he said, "Come, Lord Jesus." These were some godly men. Now they weren't perfect. We know history tells us that they were not perfect, but these men were godly men and God allowed them to do what they did to found this great nation.

Let's look at this next one. This is Abraham Lincoln. I love Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln, he served in the US House of Representatives from 1847 to 1849. He was the 16th president of the United States. Listen what Abraham Lincoln said. He said, "The Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side.

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in number, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us. And we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own."

He said God has blessed us. We've had the most choice bounties of heaven and we've forgotten that this was a blessing from God. We think that we have become a great nation of ourselves. Again, this is dangerous. This was Abraham Lincoln talking about America. And again, he said here, we thought that we did this of our own virtue. We have not. This nation was founded on biblical principles and again, we got to see that going forward.

Look at this next one. This is Daniel Webster. Daniel Webster, he was a US senator, he was the Secretary of State, and he was also a defender of the Constitution. Listen at this. Daniel Webster said this, "The Christian religion, its general principle, must ever be regarded among us as the foundation of civil society. Whatever makes good Christians makes them good citizens.

To the free and universal reading of the Bible men are much indebted for its right views of civil liberty. The Bible is a book which teaches man his own individual responsibility, his own dignity, and his equality with his fellow man." And again, this is clear what the Bible teaches. This is Daniel Webster.

Now let's go a step further. We're going to look now at Noah Webster. Now Noah Webster is key here. Noah Webster, he was a judge, he was an educator. Now we're going to see this. He was the schoolmaster to America. He was the author of the first American Speller and the first dictionary. How many of you have Webster's Dictionaries?

It's a direct result of Noah Webster. He was the one of the first dictionaries. Listen what Noah Webster said. He said, "The Christian religion in its purity is the basis or rather the source of all genuine freedom in government. And I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of that religion has not a controlling influence."

He said, "The moral principles and precepts found in the scriptures ought to form the basis of all of our civil constitutions and laws." In other words, the Bible should be the foundation of our rules and truly, a lot of our laws that we have today were literally founded on the word of God. And today we have a culture in America that wants to remove the Bible from all the courts, remove the Ten Commandments from all the courts, remove the word of God.

Don't let the word of God be a part of nothing that we do. To do that is to bring judgment of God upon America. Now again, this man here, he was the first, he was the author of the first American Speller and the first dictionary. I'm going to read something coming forward going forward in regards to the Webster dictionary that's just amazing.

The Bible says in Proverbs 29:2, it says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." America was blessed because the founders, they put God first. Now when the leaders turn away from God, the people mourn.

Southwest Radio Ministries: Well, we're going to have to jump in right there and conclude today's episode. Join us again tomorrow as we hear what Brother Perkins is going to say as the sins of this nation are reaching to heaven. How can America move forward? Is there any hope for this nation? The answer is yes. Tune into tomorrow's program to discover what that hope is and how America can recover what has been lost.

Friends, if you've listened to Donald Perkins over the years, you know he has a unique ability to take some of the most challenging topics in Bible prophecy and make them clear, understandable, and deeply relevant to the days in which we're living. That's why I'm excited to tell you about the Donald Perkins teaching collection.

This special set includes six outstanding DVDs covering questions Christians are asking right now: America in Bible Prophecy; Heaven; The Reality of Hell; Beware of False Christs in the Last Days; Bible Prophecy, God's Order of Events; and Has the Church Replaced Israel? Whether you're trying to better understand God's prophetic plan, defend biblical truth, or simply grow in your faith, these messages will encourage and equip you.

Donald teaches directly from scripture, helping you connect the dots between Bible prophecy and today's headlines. I encourage you to get this collection for yourself and perhaps even for a friend or family member who wants to learn more about God's word and his plan for the future. To order this special collection, call 1-800-652-1144 or visit swrc.com. That's 1-800-652-1144 or swrc.com.

Donald Perkins and Josh Davis will continue their look at the topic of America in Bible prophecy on tomorrow's program. Watchman on the Wall is a production of Southwest Radio Ministries and is supported by you. To learn more, visit swrc.com.