From Babylon to America – The Perils of Nationalism Infecting God’s People

Paul glorified the Church on earth as the pillar and ground of truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Throughout his writings and expressions in the New Testament, we feel his concern that believers stand fast to abide in truth, as any belief that intrudes on our identity in Christ is the genesis of departing from the relationship with the Father (Galatians 1:6). Yet we see that Christ, who is the Judge and supreme Witness, even over His apostles’ witness, will let those who want to believe a lie to believe it. The Word of God has always been His sufficient warning and it would seem that even Paul had to submit to this reality.

An intrusive and permeating lie that assaults a believer’s identity in Christ is American nationalism, or more broadly, western exceptionalism. Nationalism is defined by way of identification. It is an identification with one’s own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations. Christ and His Apostles taught explicitly that there can be no worldly identification outside of Christ Himself:

 “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:16).

Nationalism is not limited to a teaching; it is a formation of thought passed on from generation to generation, having persuasive elements that appeal to the emotions and insecurities of broad social groups. It taps into the human need to find security and significance. Christian Biblical language is evoked to provide a pathway for nationalism to meet these needs in very a convincing manner.

Secular slogans such as “In God We trust”, “God keep our land glorious and free” and “God save our Queen” are not theologically based on Apostolic teachings, but instead express an appeal for God’s favor in terms that are economic and materialistic. These slogans and other patriotic proclamations are not an expression of worship. They are instead, as in the manner of appeasement to deities of other religions, an appeal to God to preserve and protect the institutions in which they actually do find security. This security is not in Christ, and this becomes evidenced when these securities are threatened. This author finds the integration of God in secular society in this manner a precursor to the deception ahead (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

Sabbatarians in the United States have for decades trusted and fueled ministries that have directed a significant amount of attention to political and economic threats as   a platform for their outreach programs and membership retention. Embedded in these messages is the use of fear, where threats to the world status of America both domestic and international are a constant focus. These threats, whether real or perceived, are contextualized as Divine judgments on the horizon. Even the Christian faith itself is portrayed as the pathway to restoring National Security– in that unless there is national repentance and restoration of Judeo-Christian ethics, God will no longer protect America’s interests, nor support its military nor protect its wealth. He will, as some claim, cause the foreigner –the immigration of non-Christians–to rise up and rule. Behind this belief is that America, or the Anglo world is like, or is in fact, the modern Israel, and therefore the Word spoken through God’s servants from Moses to the prophets of Israel are fully relevant to the modern Republic.

This betrayal of the brethren is generally rooted in capitulating to the presumption that America (and the British Commonwealth), with its wealth and power, is clear evidence of God’s favor. The military supremacy, prosperity, worldwide influence and the advancement of Christianity has been a persuasive background behind this presumption. This view and variations of it have unfortunately evolved into existence through a biased lens that is a reflection of status and self-proclaimed privilege, not divine revelation.

Where there is a doctrinal vacuum or void, there are many lies looking to fill it. Given the prominence of America in the world, there is pressure for ministries to identify it in prophecy. America is indeed part of prophecy, but its real identification may not sit favorably with some deeply indoctrinated in the idea God has favored and blessed America.  The good news is that if we are freed from this belief we will find a renewed freedom of worship that need not be conformed and handicapped to worldly values (Romans 12:2). In doing so we will see there is nothing for us to fear, which will be replaced by a true reverence of God’s judgment and mercy.

This article, through a brief historical narrative and Biblical exposure of biased worldviews, is offered in the hope of helping and protecting the faith of believers. We pray that God can forgive the purveyors of the lies that have damaged the faith of so many.

AMERICA THE MESSIAH?

 Much of the nationalistic appeal from pulpits comes from the idea that America was founded on Christian principles. This is in part true, but America was also largely founded on Roman principles as well.

One of the most overt ways in which Rome has shaped the modern world is the area politics and government.  The United States was founded and designed as a deliberate imitation of the Roman Republic. This is why it possesses such features as a Senate three branches of government a system of checks and balances and vetoes all of which were components of the Roman Republic.  The emphasis on citizenship and the participatory role of citizens are based on a Roman paradigm exemplified by the legendary Roman citizen soldier farmer Cincinnatus .  The founding fathers were steeped in classical ideas and self-consciously set out to fashion a new Rome.¹Dr. Gregory S. Aldrete, The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome, Season 1, The Great Courses Signature Collection

Though the constitution of the United States was a seminal event in the history of human liberty, the God of the Bible was not the central concern in its underpinning. Because of the experience the Founding Fathers had with religion, they opposed the institutionalization of religion and therefore kept the Constitution free of direct references to God, Christ or the Bible. When Benjamin Franklin proposed that the founders begin each day at the Constitutional Conference with a prayer to God for guidance, his suggestion was defeated.

The original Pledge of Allegiance—meant as an expression of patriotism, not religious faith—also made no mention of God. It was not until the religious revival of the 1950s did the mention of God enter the pledge of allegiance. “In God we Trust” did not get on paper money until 1955.

Nevertheless, Christian thought had been a dominant cultural factor, and the belief in Divine favor developed early (and earlier in the British Empire). We can go to the mid-19th century for an example of the early traces dominant in Christian thought in the writings of Herman Melville in White-Jacket:

We Americans are the peculiar, chosen people– the Israel of our time; we bear the ark of the liberties of the world.   God has given to us for a future inheritance, the broad domains of the political pagans, that shall yet come and lie down under the shade of our ark, without bloody hands being lifted. God has predestinated, mankind expects, great things from our race; and great things we feel in our souls.     Long enough have we been skeptics with regard to ourselves, and doubted whether, indeed, the political Messiah had come. But he has come in us, if we would but give utterance to his promptings. And let us always remember, that with ourselves – almost for the first time in the history of earth – national selfishness is unbounded philanthropy; for we cannot do a good to America but we give alms to the world.²Melville, H. (1850), White-Jacket or The World in a Man-of-War, London, Richard Bentley

This nation-messiah complex still persists today. It is prevalent in modern Sabbatarian Church of God website material:

Yet God faithfully fulfilled His promises [to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob] by raising up the modern nations of America and Britain. But the same requirement to obey God’s laws applies to these nations today. The same God will call to account these peoples for their moral sins and mistakes. Unless there is a change of heart and an acknowledgement of the true God, there will be another day of reckoning and even the power of the mighty United States will fade, as Britain’s has.

The author continues his piece with an extraordinary claim:

But God is not finished with America, Great Britain or any other nation. The good news is that the same kingdom they were to model, the Kingdom of God, will become a reality on the earth.³ McNeely, D. (2008, June 4), God Blessed America, Retrieved from https://www.ucg.org/world-news-and-prophecy/god-blessed-america. This article typifies the distorted worldviews in Sabbatarian circles, particularly offshoots of the Worldwide Church of God

There is nothing new as in the above sample in the misguided idea of a nation state being the beacon of Christian faith, even Messianic in its calling.

In the early part of the post 9-11 world of America, various Christian writers were invited to participate in a compendium project of theological essays to express the anxieties of our time.

A contribution by Stephen Chapman, When Caesar Interprets Scripture, reflects on a former empire that held the same self-interpretation as a powerful Christian state:

The early church historian Eusebius (263-339 C.E.) celebrated the Christian conversion of Constantine, emperor of Rome, as a key moment in the history of the church because from that moment onward  the church of the outsiders became the church of the insiders, an establishment  church  that  could  be protected and promoted  by  all  the  structures  of imperial power. This “Constantinian turn” had profoundly consequences to the church’s later history, reaching arguably right up to the present day. As self-evident as Constantinian Christianity has usually seemed to be for Christians since, its accommodationist character cannot avoid doing violence to the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. ⁴Chapman, S. B., Imperial Exegesis: When Caesar Interprets Scripture, in Wes Avram, , Anxious about Empire: Theological Essays on the New Global Realities (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2004) 91-102

When Christians adopt a cognitive orientation that integrates nationalism, in even the smallest of measures, they undermine in themselves what is distinctive about the Christian faith itself. In America Christianity has become so successfully domesticated that it interprets its own nation as “good” – that its power, wealth and Christian orientation is evidence of divine favor.

The dominant prevailing catalyst behind this worldview is the comparison of America’s extraordinary rise in power, wealth and liberties in contrast to its less fortunate global neighbors. Nationalism integrates these favorable attributes into the worldviews of believers, thereby undermining Christian identity. Throughout history, replayed countless times, patriotism and allegiance to the nation’s cause is often well integrated into church culture, and has often trumped being a Christian as a primary allegiance and identity. To call on God to protect its military at war being sent to further the nation’s aggressive ambitions crosses dangerous lines:

You shall not take the Name of your Lord in vain … (Exodus 20:7)

With these American worldviews in mind, what are power, wealth and liberty of a nation in the mind of Jesus Christ?

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Matthew 4:8-10).

Jesus Christ therefore rejects worldly power. Satan’s temptation has worked well in both mainstream Christianity and Sabbatarian groups who claim the Anglo-world has a God given prerogative, and His blessings, to have the sovereign power to represent God on earth. This is reserved for God’s servants alone, in Heaven and on earth. Jesus would reject Satan’s claim today if he offered Him America and all its glory, past and present–should we not do the same?

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God outright rejects all highly esteemed American concepts of security, societal success, secular hierarchical government structures and religious freedoms:

“My Kingdom is not of this World” (John 18:36).

The only representation of God’s Kingdom on earth is expressed through the metamorphosis of a believer as accomplished by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

The SVM audience is primarily  Sabbatarian, and may be familiar with the claims of the Worldwide Church of God and its corporate offshoots that America has been blessed by God through Biblical promises to Abraham. ⁵This distortion of scripture and history is discussed in further detail in British Israelism – A Brief Exposure and Refutation by this author, and can be found at www.shepherdsvoicemagazine.org.

The orientation of these teachings is nationalistic and undermines the faith of individual Christians – who are to recognize as part of their transformation to know no home or sense of place in America or anywhere else in the world. If we are to be more responsible in interpreting our times now, and how we might better interpret the future, our worldviews need to be re-examined.

The developed world, America especially, is simply the product of the evolution of empires as prophesied in post- exilic scriptures. The Gentile world was released by God to develop for purposes both in executing His judgment on Israel, to bring judgment on themselves, and to bring the Gospel to the world. God’s judgement holds a supremacy to which we must humbly submit, and the terror of His judgment should also override any pride or loyalty we have.

FORGET THE DOOM OF THE END TIMES FOR A MOMENT

When I am in discussions as to whether or not we are in the “end times” I suggest we are not based on the book of Daniel. The book tells us when those days will be:

 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon” (Daniel 11:40-41).

Michael, who watches over the sons of Israel, not the Gentiles, will at that time enter into the events and what is often referred to as the Great Tribulation (Daniel 12:1). Christ refers to this time as well as the worst time to be experienced in the history of the world (Matt 24:21). Yet, we are not to assume this is also a worldwide event. It is an event that is centered around Jerusalem.

As these events are not occurring, I am not paying too much attention to it. The understanding of the events is explicitly sealed until the time of the end (Daniel 12:9). The God-fearing among us realize we are in our “now times,” the time we are most responsible for.

DANIEL’S PROPHECIES

Daniel was a person with a passion for his people Israel. Even though Daniel and his people did not comprehend the prophecies they did find comfort in them.

He wrote first to show God’s future program for the nation of Israel during and after ‘the times of the Gentiles’ (Luke 21:24). The times of the Gentiles is that extended period of time in which the land given in covenant to Abraham and his descendants is occupied, controlled in indeed aided by other nation powers. This period began with Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Jerusalem in 605 B.C. and will continue to dominate worldwide until Christ returns.

Daniel wrote to show what the believers’ present response should be as they await the return of the Kingdom to Israel. ⁶Daniel and his generation would interpret the land promised to Israel being restored to them through Messianic fulfillment (cp Acts 1:6). Christians can appreciate reading Daniel in the manner of both the restoration of the Levant to Abraham’s descendants, and also recognizing the eschatological Spiritual Kingdom of God. Daniel encouraged his readers to remain faithful to God as they recognize they live in a society with a confusing mix of hostility, prosperity and deception while waiting for God’s promised redemption.

We are privileged to better understand the prophecies of Daniel because we have seen how the historical record of successive empires has fulfilled these predictions. The disconnect is that in many ways, when Christians interpret Biblical prophecies such as the images of the beasts of Daniel and the beasts of Revelation their tendency is to distance their own nation and society from the judgments that come on the beasts in a way that affirms one’s prior beliefs or hypotheses – that being on the side of God’s favor.

 

KNOWLEDGE WILL INCREASE

After the Angel’s discourse to Daniel regarding the Time of The End in Daniel 12:1-3, the Angel gave Daniel specific instructions regarding the prophecy:

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4).

 Roughly at that time it was customary for the scribe who recorded important documents, such as in contractual promises, to run a seal across the cylinder of the scroll   to guarantee its authenticity. As this amounted to a contractual promise, by sealing it Daniel would certify that the scroll’s contents were exactly what God had revealed to him through His angel. It was a promise God would keep to execute His own will and keep His promise to Daniel’s people.

It has been suggested the last part of this verse refers to the attempts of people in the future to understand this revelation, but there is a broader context the Angel is referring to as we look at the prophecies in Daniel as a whole and how history has unfolded in the developed world. These words describe in part the interim activity of mankind throughout history that God has purposed as He executes His will. This was not a casual offering of words; as to suggest knowledge will increase by mankind’s futility or simply as a matter of course of study and investigation. These words are for wise consideration. There is purpose in the to and fro and the growth of knowledge that is connected to the Angel’s revelation.

THE RAM AND THE GOAT

For our purposes, as will become more evident later, we will examine the prophecies of Daniel Chapter 8 before looking at the broader prophetic image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Chapter 2

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time. I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai. Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great (Daniel 8:1-4).

The two horns of the ram depict the Medes and the Persians. The Persians were the stronger of the two, symbolized by the higher horn. Cyrus was the King of Persia and his armies did indeed push in all the directions as predicted in taking Libya, Egypt all of Asia Minor and India to the east. This created the largest empire of the time. Once these conquests were consolidated, he captured Babylon.

Cyrus was good to the people held captive by Babylon. He allowed the Jews to return to their land to rebuild the temple and restore worship (Isaiah 44:28, 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1:1-3, 6:2-5). He also allowed them to take the sacred vessels back (Ezra 1:5-11).

Cyrus was prophesied in Isaiah 41 and 45, and was even called the Lord’s Anointed. He was a Gentile king called for the sake of Jacob. The reader should note here that the Gentile world has both opposed, indeed brutally opposed, but also aided the people of Israel to accomplish divinely ordained purposes. ⁷When a Gentile nation went beyond God’s limits in their treatment of Israel, God would take note to recompense (Zechariah 1:15 The modern scene of the Nation State of Israel was approved by the United Nations (read United Gentiles) and recognized by the United States. The establishment of the Nation State of Israel appears to be the precursor to future Biblical fulfillments. Modern aid by America and the west is not without precedence, as we have seen with the Medo-Persian Empire. We should also consider though there is Divine purpose that permits circumstances to change where favor for Israel may not be sustained.

And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand (Daniel 8:5-7).

What Daniel reported was not just another prophetic beast of the field on a rampage for trophies as often depicted in Church of God literature. Alexander founded cities that are still around today, he spread the Greek language, a very precise language used to write the New Testament. He spread Greek culture and population that influenced the course of history, and he influenced the emerging Roman Empire, one of the strongest and most influential empires in the history of the world. Alexander’s legacy extends much further than just military success; he changed the course of history. Without Alexander the Great the modern world could be a very different place including America, and America would have perhaps not come into existence at all.

Most importantly, what Alexander did by his great conquests served a purpose by the design of God to prepare the way for societal development needed for the coming Christ and His message that was to go out into all the world.

Many have been programmed to think these war machines have no place in the advancement of the Gospel message, but that is not so. To take the reader outside the normal sphere of teachings of organized religious groups heavily influenced by popular worldviews, it will be helpful to turn to academic writings that can interpret past events in a manner that that does not have an expressed need for readership persuasion.

Below is an excerpt from The Environment of Early Christianity by Samuel Angus ⁸Dr.Angus was a Presbyterian but Unitarian in his Theology. He was a brilliant linguist and scholar. He believed that traditional, conventional Christianity was an unhealthy mixture of Judaism and Greco-Roman mystery religion. He affirmed controversial beliefs in the nature of Christ’s Divinity that are not supported by SVM and most readers, however the work specifically referenced here by SVM is supportable. (1914). The reader is directed here on the SVM site where we include the introductory content of the book to allow the reader to consider the broader context of history as Christianity began to emerge, and how the Gentile world was made ready to receive it.

What did Alexander accomplish for humanity and for Christianity? Conquest, usually the synonym for Alexander, forms the least of his achievements. Briefly we may say that Alexander:

a) Shook the ancient world to its very foundations and did for it something like what Napoleon did for his and our age. Men like Alexander, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon render it impossible for mankind to loiter in the old ruts; they compel them to re- examine their dogmas, test their traditions, and ask whether society can still be held together by the accepted methods of cohesion. All great events, like the conquests of Alexander, the rise of the Roman Empire, the discovery of America, have given a new impetus to the spirit. Alexander compelled the old world to think afresh.

b) He also, like the Greeks before him and the Romans later, arrested the Oriental danger which threatened to swamp Western Greece was exhausted, and Rome had not yet grown to her might, so that, but for Alexander, Persia might have over- whelmed Greece and all that Greece stood for.

c) Alexander not only arrested the ‘Yellow peril’ and the northern Barbarian peril of his day and protected Greek civilization, but he greatly extended Greek culture, opened an unbounded future for it, and inspired it with new life. He did not destroy the Orient, but made it easier for it to deliver its message, while he greatly facilitated the growth of the Western spirit.  We who have sat at the feet of Hellas can better appreciate Alexander’s services to the Hellenes than they themselves.

d) Alexander commenced the task of reconciliation among the nations and brought East and West into those relations of inter- action which have never since been broken, and which have benefited both. The Greeks regarded Alexander’s victories as an opportunity of wiping out old scores: they viewed the Orient as their spoil or as a field for their exploitations. Even Aristotle advised Alexander to behave toward the Greeks as a leader but toward the non- Greeks as a tyrant. But Alexander had larger thoughts than either Greek or Macedonian could appreciate: his object was not to avenge or to destroy. He introduced a novel feature into war in treating the conquered not as slaves without rights but as men. He offended his countrymen and the Greeks by blotting out the distinction between conquered and conquerors. As a means of amalgamation, he tried the expedient of intermarriages, himself marrying Persian princesses; at Susa, in 325 B.C., 100 of his officers and 10,000 soldiers married Asiatic wives. He paved the way for a larger humanity, and made it easier for men to believe in the unity of mankind.… He inaugurated that comprehensive cosmopolitanism which reached its apogee in the Roman Empire. ⁹Angus, S., (1920) The Environment of Early Christianity, New York, NY, Charles Scriber’s

Where the author has correctly taken us, is that what ended with the Roman Empire started with what Alexander and the Greeks began – the environment that prepared the way for the coming Christ

From the casual reader of prophecy to self-proclaimed prophetic authority of our time, no one would deny God as Overseer of history. We praise Him for having foreseen it, but we often fail to recognize the means and motivation through which divine providence has purposed it. If we were to have witnessed or had been victim to the bloody and ruthless carnage of Alexander’s troops in conquest, we in our modern righteous and domesticated “Christian” judgment would consider Alexander’s motivations as anti- God–Alexander as an egomaniac, a terrorist invader who even despised his own troops. All this and worse is true, yet America and the developed world are the beneficiaries of Alexander’s agenda, and the beneficiaries of military conquests and oppression throughout history. This less than comfortable reality is avoided by reinterpreting the past, and repackaging the present. The repackaged version would have us believe that our modern civilization, its wealth, wisdom and advancements has emerged primarily out of Christian ethics.

We deliberately move through this brief and narrow narrative of history to maintain our focus on what relates to our topic of interest and the prophetic words of the Angel “… and knowledge will increase.” Setting aside our idealism, knowledge must increase to facilitate an environment through which the Gospel must go forth where it is no longer centralized in Jerusalem or a physical Temple. The knowledge that increases in the Gentile world produces wealth, greater stability in society, and the move from autocracies toward democracies with greater individual rights and freedoms. This as we have seen so far, is according to God’s will to further the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and God has used human empires and systems to do it. We will continue the discussion in this regard.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

 Much of what is pictured of the Roman Empire in most prophetic Christian literature and media is a militaristic, policed state that was persistent in its oppression of Jews and the newly emerging Christian faith. Secular movie productions also give us this impression. ¹⁰The relationship between the Roman authorities and Jews and the emergence of Christianity cannot be fully explored here. For most of the first three hundred years of Christian history in the empire, Christians were able to live in peace, practice their professions, and rise to positions of responsibility. Tensions existed by virtue of the monotheistic religion of the Jews and Christians as it was not about to assimilate in the state established polytheistic system of gods and the social caste system. Under Nero Christians were horribly targeted and persecuted in 64 AD. It was generally considered disruptive and was not without opponents, but much of the treatment of Jews and Christians was under the jurisdiction of local authorities

The Gentile kingdoms of Daniel 7 have been described in church literature as “destructive kingdoms” that were war making machines. Alexander and his army are portrayed as a leopard with “cunning cruelty.”

These interpretations can be considered accurate. The beasts as described in Daniel 7 are not particularly pleasant, especially the fourth beast depicting the Roman Empire as

“…dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet.” (Daniel 7:7)

The animals depicted are powerful creatures and are used to symbolize the particular strengths of the nations. The composite Beast of Revelation 13 carries the strengths of these beasts in one. What in fact is evil about these nations are the heads, or the horns that grow out of them. The little horn that grows out of the fourth beast of Daniel 7 speaks pompous words. John sees the same beast in Revelation 13 with the heads and horns.

Given these Biblical descriptions of the Roman Empire, along with our present experience, and current worldviews, had we lived within the Roman Empire as its citizens, would we be so astute to recognize it as a destructive power? We would presumably feel we would, but this author challenges this assumption.

We consider our world separated by many centuries from the Greco-Roman age in which the early Church was established. Yet, we are not so far separated as we might think or hope to be. We can say, although with certain evident qualifiers, those who live in developed countries today may find a number of familiar elements and behaviors within the heart of the Roman Empire.

In the empire people traveled for business, pleasure and education. The banking business was highly developed, one could deposit money in a bank for interest, and representative documents for the exchange of money could be used, such as with our check system. The international exchange of goods, thought and religion were prevalent activities. Means of communication were abundant.

Women became prominent and dressed to impress. Entertainment theaters were in regular use.  Comforts were accessible with public meeting places to lounge about. Public baths were well equipped. Public libraries also emerged. There was an imperial post, and perhaps other courier systems so that messages and news traveled quickly.

There was the pursuit of luxury and wealth and gambling. Men bet on their favorite horses. The pace of life existed that may not rival ours, but a pace that they considered feverish.

Why do we consider the social, economic environment of the Roman empire?

Our main emphasis continues in that we say without question the systems and laws of the Roman Empire were made available under God’s continuing providence to facilitate delivering the gospel message. Church literature is largely devoid in educating believers on the developed conditions of the Roman empire that contributed to taking the Christian message throughout it.

The infrastructure of the Roman empire, the roads and bridges, mail delivery, enabled people to travel and share ideas and information and conduct business.  The Roman authorities enforced the law throughout its dominion and this system gave peace and security never before experienced. Consider the case of Paul, where even the government paid the bill sometimes for missionaries to travel.

Most students of prophecy identify the Roman Empire of the past as a prefiguration of a future resurrected Roman Empire in Europe, that will one day be the final Beast power that will wage a war against God’s people and God Himself. Indeed, the prophetic scriptures indicate this to be the case, however there is one certain flaw in that interpretation – that the final configuration is entirely European. The scriptures do not geographically constrict the influence of a latter-day empire. This requires our attention.

As with all empires they are driven by their self-justified need for influence and control to sustain and increase wealth and security, and capitalism exemplifies this. This is amplified by the audacity of the Christian West by its own self-importance as it considers itself on the side of God. Wars that are conducted by America are justified by means no different from the leaders of the empires of the past:

There may be arguments about the best way of raising wheat in a cold climate or of re-afforesting a denuded mountain. But such arguments never lead to organized slaughter. Organized slaughter is the result of arguments about such questions as the following: Which is the best nation? The best religion? The best political theory? The best form of government? Why are other people so stupid and wicked? Why can’t they see how good and intelligent we are? Why do they resist our beneficent efforts to bring them under our control and make them like ourselves? ¹¹ Huxley., The Politics of Ecology, 1963, Santa Barbara: Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions (now defunct

It is beyond the scope of this paper to conduct a full moral investigation into the activities of a nation such as America, nor conduct what would be an admittedly flawed argument to fully compare America and Rome. Neither is it necessary–as Apostolic teachings guide us away from that arena of discussion. What needs to be challenged is any Christian identification with western exceptionalism, as there are serious implications that can emerge that could undermine a Christian’s growth.

In brief however it is challenging for the American who remains within the safety of the confines of its borders to consider the Roman style aggression that his own nation is conducting. While the United States sets its own standard at home, it so often scoffs at this standard outside its own borders and does so unknown to most of its citizens. This can be a difficult realization. As it asserts itself abroad, America is known to use international law with fluid practices to support its ever-changing agenda while ignoring discontent from both enemies and allies. American aggression in military and foreign policy activity tramples over and breaks the bones of the opposition. (For those who have difficulty in accepting this reality, suggested introductory reading can be found by such books as Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins, or America’s War Machine: Vested Interests, Endless Conflicts by James McCartney)

At the beginning of a new century, there can be no doubt that the Unites States is a global titan. It is able to project and protect power like no other nation in recorded history. Yet Americans have never wished to be an empire despised by others, and that is the fate of all empires. Our American self-conception stands in the need of a reality check. The way is clear to be a good, even admired, neighbor among other nations in the global neighborhood or a distrusted, violent, and self-absorbed empire. Self-assertions of goodness by a nation that acts abroad in naked and narrow self-interest are worse than laughable; they are dangerous to us and to others.¹²Hudnut-Beumler, J., Imperial Exegesis: Shock and Awe – Life in Mr. Rumsfeld’s Neighborhood, in Wes Avram, Ed., Anxious about Empire:    Theological Essays on the New Global Realities (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2004) 91-102

Thus, we find ourselves facing the sobering reality of our times. What is our reality? That America is an empire, and is no more godly than empires of the past, because the standard of judgement of a nation rests in the hands of God alone, not in our own measure of goodness, nor our own reasoning.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM

 We turn our attention to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image and Daniel’s interpretation of it:

“My king, as you were watching, a colossal statue appeared. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its stomach and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were partly iron and partly fired clay. As you were watching, a stone broke off without a hand touching it, struck the statue on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them. Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

 “This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. Your Majesty, you are king of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and glory. Wherever people live—or wild animals, or birds of the air—He has handed them over to you and made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.

 “After you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours, and then another, a third kingdom, of bronze, which will rule the whole earth. A fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron; for iron crushes and shatters everything, and like iron that smashes, it will crush and smash all the others. You saw the feet and toes, partly of a potter’s fired clay and partly of iron—it will be a divided kingdom, though some of the strength of iron will be in it. You saw the iron mixed with clay, and that the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly fired clay—part of the kingdom will be strong, and part will be brittle. You saw the iron mixed with clay—the peoples will mix with one another but will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with fired clay.

 “In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever. You saw a stone break off from the mountain with- out a hand touching it, and it crushed the iron, bronze, fired clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation certain” (Daniel 2:31-45 HCSB).

 The image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is significant as it is the complete projection of history of the dominant Gentile world from the time of his reign in Babylon to the Return of Christ. It is a symbolic figure, but its interpretation of it by Daniel is certain (verse 45).

The interpretative reference for this dream is Daniel 7:37- 38, and forms the basis of interpreting the balance of the dream. This interpretation takes us from the time of complete autocratic control to the democracies of today.

Nebuchadnezzar had God-given supreme authority over the world in his relatively short time of roughly 45 years. His empire was not extensive as those that came after, but he exercised absolute control like no other that followed. His word was gold; his word was law and no law or earthly entity could challenge his will. Jeremiah predicted his supremacy (Jeremiah 27:6-7, 14). The Babylonian Empire fell to the unified nations of the Medes and Persians.

The Medo-Persian Empire for a time led by Cyrus the Great is depicted by the inferior metal silver. It was inferior in that the authority of the king was restricted.   A law could not be annulled once it came into effect. This truth was highlighted by Daniel’s experience by his accusers (Daniel 6:8, 12). The empire was superior in that it covered a larger geographical area. It also lasted longer, approximately 208 years.

Greece succeeded Medo-Persian rule by the successful conquest of Alexander the Great. It lasted even longer–300 years. The even more inferior metal of bronze depicts the lack of unified strength of its predecessors. Its democratic form of government gave more power to the people.

Rome defeated the Greek Empire and ruled the longest, with the Western Roman Empire until 476 A.D. and the Eastern Empire to 1453 A.D. It dominated the map more extensively and with brutal strength trampled down all opposition. The iron is yet inferior to bronze where in terms of absolute authority, it was inferior. The senate had a significant role in setting policy and even controlled the emperors to a certain extent.

Daniel’s transition to the interpretation of the toes makes no mention of the emergence of another kingdom. The fact the iron remains from the legs to the feet, and to the toes is indicative that elements of fourth empire remains until the end of this age. Moreover, the multicultural integration of peoples in modern empires and nations as Daniel expressed by the clay, has also clearly emerged.

Democracies that govern the western nations and the multicultural makeup of their citizens have many obvious advantages over other forms of government. In particular the freedoms citizens enjoy and the ability to exercise them. What is also becoming increasingly obvious in America, a nation that champions democratic ideals, is the inherent weakness in the checks and balances imposed by laws. Political expediency is highly limited through the division of governmental powers. The Executive Branch, where the head of state resides, the President, can have his executive orders blocked by a Federal Judge.

 As to whether or not America, as it constitutionally exists today, will be part of the formation of an end time configuration of powers is unknown but should not be ruled out. This however is not the concern of this article. The essential point here is that America, the British Commonwealth, and European nations are the latest precipitates in what the image and Daniel’s interpretation had predicted. Whether they exist or not at the time of Christ’s return, they along with all that preceded them must come to an end to be replaced by the arrival of God’s Kingdom:

“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will  set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 7:44).

No religious rival or call to national repentance will change this.

THE CHRISTIAN IN AMERICA

The Constitution of the United States did not come about suddenly by only the inspiration of God by God fearing men with Bibles. The Constitution is the product of close to three millennia of increasing knowledge and learning as the Angel predicted, and also reflected in the laws and constitutional rights of other nations. The origins of America and its wealth traces itself back to Babylon, not to the promises made to Abraham as many try to claim.

This writer appreciates the freedom and liberty that exist in my former home in Canada and now current home in the United States. These were granted by God for the purpose of creating an environment for the Gospel to go further with less hindrance than it has encountered before. Indeed, the publication of even this article would not be permitted if these freedoms and protections did not exist.  However, Christ Himself made it clear that there is to be no misguided loyalties or affections. Moreover, Christ exemplified His loyalty to the Father by rejecting the glories of the world’s kingdoms, and would not comprise this even for all their benefits and freedoms it may offer His people (Matthew 4:8-10, Luke 4:5-8).

Given the appreciation for America’s wealth, freedoms and liberty, it is difficult for the professing Christian within its borders and protections to interpret the environment of their world through the same lens as the Apostles:

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing (1 Corinthians 2:6).

This includes the all the collective wisdom that contributed to the Constitution of the United States and all that brought  it to being. This does not mean that the Constitution is wrong or even evil, it is in fact an extraordinary achievement.  It means Paul is sharing what we, if we are to be wise, must come to terms with – there is no measure of democracy, liberty or economic system that we have experienced that prefigures the Kingdom of God (John 18:36).

The tragic reality is that much of the outreach literature and video messages from various Christian groups appeal to the patriotic, economic, and societal welfare concerns of this generation. This opposes Apostolic teaching. Often these appeals point to various existential threats on the horizon, which include political leanings deemed “socialist”, the threat of globalists and Islam. As immigration from Asian countries continues, various preachers with followings point to this immigration as a threat to the values and security of America. Scriptural references from Leviticus and Deuteronomy directed at the nation of Israel are often evoked as backing for the modern backsliding nation–and they are regrettably believed.

Even behind these projected concerns are the ideologies that tend to be material and economic, defining human representative value to God in terms of social influence, or the production and consumption of material goods from the wealth of the land.

It is difficult to escape the bias that anchors these cognitive distortions of God’s will once they have set in. We live in a culture that has been nominally Christian for so long that, unless there is deep consternation and self-realization, and repentance, individual Christians and fellowship groups are at risk of losing what it is distinctive about the real identity of Christianity, including many in the Sabbath-keeping community who have been so successfully misguided by the proud nationalist assertions of men.

WARNING AND WISDOM

The Babylonian system controls the politics of the world. It is described as that great city that reigns. The city represents financial and economic power and is a system that at least reaches all developed nations. The Babylonian system offers wealth and security for those fortunate enough to be benefiting from it, and that includes this writer and many of the readers of this article.

Yet, the Apostle John heard an ominous warning from heaven:

“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues for her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her inequities” (Revelation 18:4-5).

We live short lives in the course of history, and our memories and historical studies are limited by historical rewrites and cognitive biases that are shaped by our loyalties and experiences of the present. Yet, God remembers clearly, and He will not forget what the nations have done, including our own.

Nationalism sunders Christian unity, putting in its place a sectarianism of the most violent kind–killing on behalf of the collective that is smaller than the church universal, indeed one that often requires killing other Christians in the interests of the state. ¹³ Budde, M, J., Selling America, Restricting the church, in Wes Avram, Ed., Anxious about Empire: Theological Essays on the New Global Realities (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2004) 87

 “And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth” (Revelation 18:24).

To come out of Babylon is to abandon any worldly identity outside of Christ we have with it. We violate our Christ centered identity when we allow our security and significance to be infiltrated by the lie that is Babylon.

The Apostles advised that we subject ourselves accordingly to the authorities of the nations (Romans 13:1, 1 Peter 2:13- 14). Even Jesus Christ recognized the power of Caesar, as He would recognize the power of the United States; and He would expect us to as well (Matthew 22:20-22, Mark 12:17). Even so, all nations are subordinate to what is coming, and no claim to the Kingdom of God, either in prefiguring or advancing, can be made by America or any other empire. Beyond recognizing the civil power of the nation where a Christian resides, there is no other national loyalty, expressed or implied that a Christian should identify themselves with.

Christ and the Apostles never expressed the need for believers to concern themselves with the overall welfare and persistence of the nation state. Prayer for those in power in nations should only be for the welfare of the Christian and the progression of the Gospel (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?” He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand” (Daniel 12:8-10 NIV)

Our source of wisdom must be from God’s Word and not from the “righteous” rhetoric of the world.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace (James 3:17-18 ESV).

“Wisdom” born out of nationalist leanings is extremely partial, unreasonable and opposes the traits that the wisdom from above brings believers.

As much past and current empires along with their institutions have aided in carrying the Gospel forward, geographically and through generations of people, Christians must not make the mistake and of falling for the deception of honoring an empire beyond the boundaries Christ has set.

John in his second epistle characterizes the problem that is the subject of this entire article:

Whoever transgresses (goes ahead) and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds (2 John 9-11).

The danger John is addressing is that going beyond the limits of God’s Word is dangerous to those who purvey and receive it.  John is addressing the motivation behind this, which is to offer scintillating information to supplement the message of Christ to attract hearers.

In the final analysis, Christians need to make the willful decision, which will come at an expense, either to be products of the Holy Spirit or products of a secular environment, including popular nationalist teachings packaged and disguised as “Christian.”

If we fail to follow the Holy Spirit in this decision we are just part of the problem. May God grant us the ability to see through the deception