EB: 12 Hatred for America

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Chapter 12 Hatred for America

A) The 10-nation Endtime Coalition’s hatred for America

B) The Resurrected Antichrist’s Hatred for America

C) God’s hatred for America

Primary Points

An intense hatred for America exists especially in countries currently in the SCO, a biblical candidate for the Coalition that will hate Endtime Babylon.
Think for a moment about ALL of the enormous amount of money, effort, and planning that Russia and China have invested and dedicated for decades for one specific purpose: safely destroying America with nuclear weapons. Do you get a sense of how much they hate us?
The Antichrist will hate America because its enormous wealth and promotion of the idolatrous religion of Money, will rival his own worship. The Antichrist’s rise to full worship and authority in the world cannot happen until he destroys America just as predicted in Revelation 17:16.
There is abundant biblical evidence that the time is coming when God Almighty Himself will hate America enough to cause its destruction with nuclear weapons.
The millions of innocent babies murdered in America for the sake of convenience is essentially the same sin as the pagans who sacrificed their babies to false gods, and God hated it.
About 40% of Americans aged 18-24 claimed to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ). God may cause the destruction of America just to mercifully relieve Americans of the great misery caused by their sin.
Ruth Bell Graham: “If God doesn’t judge America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!” This is because like Sodom and Gomorrah, America has become the world’s foremost promoter of homosexuality.
In the OT God wiped out peoples and places practicing these sins. Why would anyone think America will be different?
America perfectly matches the description of a people at the moral “point of no return” in Romans 1. Therefore, it should expect divine discipline instead of spiritual revival.
There are more born-again Christians in China today than America.
What we actually have in America is the greatest concentration of fake Christians in the entire world.
When Russia, one of the most wicked countries in the world, is in a legitimate moral position to preach to America about its immorality and disrespect for Christianity, you know we are reaching the bottom of the downward spiral of depravity.
America should be very afraid. Instead, America is very arrogant, which is something else God really hates and loves to punish.

The previous chapters have essentially been the study of this one text of prophetic Scripture:

The ten horns that you saw, and the beast will hate the Prostitute, and these will permanently remove all people from her and strip her naked and they will devour her body and will burn her down with fire.

This will happen because God has put a desire in the hearts of the ten kings to accomplish His purpose. They will agree to give the beast their power until God’s prophecies for the Prostitute are fulfilled. (Rev 17:16-17)

The previous chapters have provided biblical and reasonable arguments to conclude that this is predicting the destruction of America with nuclear weapons. If that is so, then this brings up some important questions. What other biblical support is there for the claim that God would so mercilessly destroy America? That will be the topic of this section IV of Endtime Babylon.

This chapter and the next (chs. 12-13) will be a biblical study of God’s multiple promises to destroy Endtime Babylon (America) and why He would do that. Chapters 14-15 will address an even more important and difficult question. Does the Bible support the claim that God would destroy America even if many of His own people will be living there?

Again, biblical arguments have been provided for the sobering claim that the prophecy above (Rev 17:16-17) is predicting God is going to punish America in a horrible way. And there is one more sobering thing to notice in this prophecy: The great hatred toward America, including even God’s hatred for the nation. That will be the sobering topic in this chapter.

A) The Endtime Coalition’s Hatred for America

The prophecy says, the ten horns … will hate the Prostitute. Why would the 10-nation Endtime Coalition hate America enough to permanently remove all people from her and strip her naked and … burn her down with fire with nuclear weapons?

That kind of intense hatred for America exists now, especially in countries currently in the SCO, a biblical candidate for the Coalition that will hate Endtime Babylon. Russia, China, and Iran are currently among the foremost enemies of America. Russia and China have recently been pursuing an unprecedented friendship, apparently fueled by their mutual hatred for the United States. In 2022, “Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin described their relations as “entering a new era” with “no limits.” ^[1]

Virtually all military experts claim that China poses the greatest threat to America in the world. One resource relates:

It is not an exaggeration to say China is the greatest long-term threat to the U.S. way of life, but China also poses the greatest challenge to the Defense Department, DOD’s policy chief said. John C. Rood, undersecretary of defense for policy, made the assertion during a panel discussion today at the Center for European Policy Analysis Forum in Washington.

Rood said it’s important to recognize the scale of China’s ambitions. China wants not only to become the world’s largest and most influential economy, but also to be the world’s largest and most influential nation in all spheres of life.

The undersecretary talked about China’s ambitions to have a world-class military. In the last 10 years, the United States has witnessed a 750% growth in China’s defense spending. ^[2]

Granted, some of the current members of the SCO (e.g. India and Pakistan) currently have good relations with America. However, it should not be ignored that Pakistan is a radical Muslim nation, and India is a radical Hindu nation, and both of these nations especially despise and persecute Christians. Therefore, it seems likely that the Antichrist could persuade such nations to hate the “Christian” Prostitute as well (Rev 17:16).

Remember what you read in chapter 10 of BBP about Russian and Chinese efforts to gain a military advantage over America. Think for a moment about ALL of the enormous amount of money, effort, and planning that Russia and China have invested and dedicated for decades for one specific purpose: safely destroying America with nuclear weapons.

Both Russia and China are relatively poor compared to America. There are so many other things they could spend their resources on. But one of their greatest priorities is doing whatever it takes to be able to destroy America. Do you get a sense of how much they hate us? ^[3]

It is hard for Americans to believe anyone would hate them that much. We do not hate other countries like that. Many of us are nice people. America has done a lot of good in the world. We have built our military to defend us and help others, not to invade, destroy, and take over other countries. Why would countries like Russia and China hate us so much?

First of all, this will happen because God will put a desire and a hatred in the hearts of the ten kings to accomplish His purpose (Rev 17:17). For reasons shared below, God will hate America and the Coalition will simply be serving Him.

Why do Russia and China in particular hate America? Why are they investing so much energy and resources into figuring out how to destroy us? Because they envy America. They cannot deny in their hearts that America is the most successful country in the history of humanity. And we achieved it in a relatively very short period of time. No matter what criticisms Russia and China may publicly say about America, they envy our economy, wealth, military, worldwide influence, and prosperity. What does Scripture say? Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous (Pro 27:4 NIV).

Therefore, it should not surprise us that Russia and China will be among the ten horns of the Endtime Coalition who will hate the Prostitute America and use their nuclear weapons to burn America down with fire (Rev 17:16).

B) The Antichrist’s Hatred for America

The prophecy also states, the beast [Antichrist] will hate the Prostitute (Rev 17:16). Why would the Antichrist hate America? It is possible, even probable, that the initial Rising Antichrist will not hate America. America may be supporting the Rising Antichrist in his military victories. Scripture predicts that the Rising Antichrist will become very strong, but not by his own power (Dan 8:24). Some of his military power may initially come from America.

But when the Antichrist is killed and resurrected from the dead, he will be a very different and demon-controlled person who will hate the Prostitute, especially because it is America. Why will this be?

First, because America will hinder the Antichrist’s purpose and desire to rise to full worship and authority in the world. In chapter 3 it was explained that the descriptions of the woman [Endtime Babylon] sitting on the beast [Antichrist] and riding the beast (Rev 17:3, 7 NIV) portray America’s suppression of the Antichrist in the world. The following was more fully demonstrated there:

Notice in these descriptions that at this point in the Endtimes the Antichrist is not completely free to reign and be fully worshipped by the world. The woman Endtime Babylon is sitting on top of the Antichrist, and she rides him. Accordingly, Beale comments:

That she ‘sits’ both here and in vs. 3, 9, and 15 connotes that she is able to control the multitudes and the beast because of her powerful influence.”

More specifically, Endtime Babylon will be suppressing the Antichrist’s ability to rise to absolute power over the world at the beginning of the Endtimes.

Therefore, contrary to many Bible scholars, both the meaning of the Greek in Revelation 17:7, and the context of the passage as whole, clearly describe Endtime Babylon’s economic, military, and political power suppressing the Antichrist and 10-nation Coalition from gaining power over the world. That is why they hate Endtime Babylon and destroy it. Accordingly, NT scholar Thomas Edgar concludes after a lengthy discussion on the matter:

The beast and the ten kings with him … will hate … the harlot [Endtime Babylon] that keeps them from complete freedom to carry out their own plans… The beast and his confederates chafe under the restricting influence and control of this economic entity and eventually throw off her dominion by military force. ^{^[4]}

Likewise, Andersen notes:

This necessitates understanding Babylon the Great as an entity outside of the antichrist’s dominion, an entity which at the beginning of the [Endtimes] wields greater power and influence than the antichrist’s realm, and which has been the world’s greatest superpower throughout the era of history leading up to the [Endtimes]… The destruction of this entity is therefore necessary to facilitate the antichrist’s rise to power. ^{^[5]}

This is why, later in the prophecy, we read:

The ten horns that you saw and the beast will hate the Prostitute and these will permanently remove all people from her and strip her naked and they will devour her body and will burn her down with fire. (Rev 17:16)

Again, Antichrist’s description during The Greatest Persecution reflects a time when he has become its unrivaled worldwide Dictator. That cannot happen while the wealthy and powerful people and place of Endtime Babylon exists. ^[6]

The Antichrist’s rise to full worship and authority in the world cannot happen until he destroys America just as predicted in Revelation 17:16. But not for reasons that many would assume. It is tempting to think that the Antichrist will destroy America because its people and military will strongly resist his rise to worldwide power. It is difficult for us to imagine America allowing any dictator to take over the world including taking over America! Its people are very independent, and its military is second to none. Wouldn’t the Antichrist have to destroy America in order to rule the whole world?

It is true that a significant number of Christians are in positions of political and military leadership in America, and these might offer some resistance to Antichrist’s worship. But we cannot ignore what Scripture predicts will happen for all unbelievers when the Antichrist is Resurrected. God will send a powerful delusion upon the world so that they will believe the lie (2 Thess 2:11 NIV) that the Resurrected Antichrist deserves their worship. As explained elsewhere (BBP ch. 13), when the fatal wound … of the beast is healed … the whole world will marvel at this miracle and follow the beast and proclaim, “Who is as great as the beast?”… And all the people who belong to this world will worship the beast (Rev 13:3-4, 8 NLT, NIV). Do you understand that will include every unbeliever in America?

The Antichrist will not need to defeat America’s military. All non-Christian politicians, generals, and soldiers in the United States will worship the beast. If the ten kings of the Endtime Coalition will give their military, economic, and political power and authority to the beast (Rev 17:12-13), why would America (or Europe) be any different?

The Resurrected Antichrist will not need to wipe out Christian resistance in America. The overwhelming percentage of pagan Americans and fake Christians who will worship the beast, will easily drown out any Christian protests. Our refusal to worship the Resurrected Antichrist will be the beginning of what Jesus predicted when He said, “You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers” (Matt 24:9 NLT). Christian accusations that the most beloved man in the world is the Antichrist will seem mean and stupid to all the people who belong to this world who will worship the beast (Rev 13:8).

It is neither America’s military, people, nor Christians that will be a threat to the Antichrist. It will be Endtime Babylon’s (America’s) enormous, superior, and idolatrous WEALTH. It is true that today Satan is worshipped and served through wealth (cf. Matt 4:8-9; 1 Tim 6:9-10; 1 John 2:15-16; 5:19). Therefore, the wealth of Endtime Babylon will be serving him as well, and be a means of worshipping the Devil.

So why would he want Endtime Babylon (America) destroyed? Because Satan will want his worship to grow increasingly DIRECT in the Endtimes. Now he is rather indirectly worshipped through the World’s wealth. But at some point he will be more directly worshipped when he personally indwells the Antichrist. And destroying the idol of wealth at that time will mean more direct worship.

The NUMBER ONE DESIRE of the Antichrist, and the Devil who will empower him, is this: FULL WORSHIP. The Antichrist’s greatest goal will be God’s own First Commandment: “You must not have any other god but me” (Exod 20:3 NLT). Satan knows that what Jesus Christ said is true:

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matt 6:24)

And you cannot serve and worship and depend on both the Antichrist and money. If Jesus said money is even God’s greatest rival on Earth for worship, then the same will be true for the Antichrist.

Indeed, Antichrist’s Resurrection will cause the whole world to marvel at this miracle and follow the beast (Rev 13:3). But the history of Israel demonstrated that miracles are not enough. Pagan hearts are fickle. Idols, especially the idol of Money, will compete in the hearts of the world for Antichrist’s worship. Satan and the Antichrist know Israel’s history: Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land, as the LORD had commanded them. Instead, they … worshiped their idols, which led to their downfall (Ps 106:34-36 NLT; cf. Deut 7:16). The Antichrist will not make the same mistake.

Which is why the Antichrist will hate the Prostitute America and permanently remove all people from her and … will burn her down with fire (Rev 17:16). America’s promotion of its idolatrous religion of wealth will rival Antichrist’s Religion and his worship. America’s international businessmen are currently the important people of the world (Rev 18:17, 23). That cannot be tolerated by the Antichrist. Which is why the prophecy predicts that in one hour, the Antichrist will cause such great wealth to be brought to ruin! (Rev 18:17 NIV) by destroying America.

One more reason for Antichrist’s hatred of America can be suggested. The Antichrist will want the full worship of Jews in Israel. Currently, they greatly depend on the military, economic, and political support of America. When that is destroyed, they will be ready to seek someone else to depend on. Which is precisely what the Antichrist will want and why he will hate and destroy America.

C) God’s hatred for America

C.1) God’s hatred for sinners and sinful nations Ps 5

We have discussed the very serious topics of why the 10-nation Endtime Coalition and the Antichrist would hate America enough to destroy it with nuclear weapons. Their potential wrath is sobering. But Revelation 17 is predicting something much more horrific than the hatred of mere people or even the Antichrist. There is abundant biblical evidence that the time is coming when God Almighty Himself will hate America enough to cause its destruction with nuclear weapons.

The prophecy states that it will not only be the ten horns … and the beast who will hate the Prostitute. Ultimately, they will permanently remove all people from her and … burn her down with fire… because God will put a desire in their hearts … to accomplish His purpose (Rev 17:16-17).

The previous chapters have attempted to give some idea of how horrific the punishment of Endtime Babylon will be. It has also been argued that America best fits the biblical description of Endtime Babylon. Therefore, a very important question arises. Would God cause such a thing to happen to America?

Many American Christians would immediately reply, “No!” This is because they think too many real Christians live in America. This objection will be discussed in chapter 14.

Other American Christians would also object to God wanting America destroyed because they only think of Him as a merciful and forgiving God. There is not space in this chapter to fully discuss God’s attitude toward unbelievers. Still, we should not ignore God’s holiness and hatred for not only sin, but sinners. Perhaps you have heard the saying, “God hates the sin, not the sinner.” That is not biblical. In Psalms we read that even now God hates sinners, not just sin:

The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, LORD, detest. (Ps 5:5-6 NIV)

In another Psalm we read: God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day (7:11 NLT). If we are going to biblically evaluate God’s attitude toward the sinful people in America, we need to start with God’s holiness and hatred for sin, even sinners. Because of the great sins Americans are committing against a holy God, it is biblical to conclude God hates America.

Other Christians may still think America and its people are too good for God to punish the nation. But we are not good judges of sinfulness. We are all more sinful than we think we are, and America is much, much more sinful than we can even imagine. Do we doubt that God sees much more sin in our lives and this country than we do? God will not punish America based on our human evaluation of its sinfulness. He will punish it according to His true evaluation.

Of course it is difficult to believe the place you live in will be punished by God. The OT Prophets encountered the same problem when they warned God’s people of His coming judgment. Because of the people’s fear, worldliness, and pride, they rejected the Prophets. For the same reasons, American Christians might reject the true interpretation of Revelation 17-18 because it points God’s finger at their own country.

Still, there may be some seemingly logical reasons that some would reject the view argued for in Endtime Babylon. For example, some would object that America has been a foremost source of good on the Earth, and wonder why God would judge it so harshly. America has been a foremost source of good. But all Christians recognize that America’s morality has quickly and drastically eroded.

C.2) God’s punishment for abortion and homosexuality Lev 18

In Leviticus, God listed sins that were especially destructive for a nation. Note how He mentions abortion and homosexuality and the consequences of these sins:

“Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.”

Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable…

Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants… And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. (Lev 18:21-22, 24-25, 28 NIV)

The pagan God Molek was worshipped by the Ammonites. It was their practice to burn their babies alive at a statue of this god in the hopes that he would bless them and make them prosper. Unfortunately, desperate for divine blessing, the Israelites adopted this same practice (cf. Lev 18:21; 20:2-5; 1 Kgs 11:7, 33; 2 Kgs 23:10; Jer 32:35; Amos 5:26; Acts 7:43). Killing your children to a false god in the hope it makes your life easier is quite similar to abortion. Surely God sees no difference. And it is estimated that “There are nearly one million abortions per year on average in America (and that’s just the ones reported!).” ^[7]

Most in America want to deny it, but abortion is murdering innocent and defenseless babies who have often been conceived because their parents chose to act sinfully against God’s laws for sex. Therefore, their innocent sons and daughters pay the price with their life, for the sin and selfishness of their parents, who should have loved and protected them, instead of murdering them for the sake of convenience.

Some understandably think an abortion is acceptable to God if a pregnancy was caused by rape or incest. But it is estimated that “only 1.5% of abortions are due to rape and incest.” ^[8] That means that at least 98.5% of the babies murdered in the womb are killed because the mother chose to sin against God in sexual immorality, and/or, the mother did not want the inconvenience of a baby.

We are foolish if we think there will be no divine consequences for a nation when an average of one million innocent babies are murdered every year. America needs to be afraid because God said of His own chosen people Israel:

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to false gods. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves. Therefore the LORD was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. (Ps 106:37-40 NIV)

Americans have defiled the land by desecrating it with the innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters. Therefore, God will destroy the land of America, and will punish the American people for practicing and supporting the murder of a million innocent babies every year. But He may be even more angry that America is by far the greatest promoter, champion, and financial provider for abortions all over the world (cf. EB ch. 6, sec. D).

It can be hoped that recent actions of the Supreme Court will reduce the number of abortions in America. But many of the states’ laws regarding abortion will continue. Some of those laws are truly wicked. For example, “as of 2019, New York abortion law allows for abortions all the way to full-term!” ^[9] That is a law allowing for murder. Because of these laws in New York, “for African American women in New York City, more abortions happen than babies born.” ^[10]

But notice the wickedness of Americans in their response to the violent murders of one million innocent babies every year. How have they responded to the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the Roe vs. Wade ruling that provided so much support for murdering babies in our country? “A majority of Americans disapprove” of the ruling, ^[11] which means they actually approve of mothers murdering their innocent babies.

A nation’s morality and readiness for divine punishment is reflected in its leaders. Therefore, we should be very alarmed that President Joe Biden called the court’s decision to confront the murder of innocent babies in our country, “a sad day … for the country” because it violated “basic principles of equality,” and places “the health and life of women in this nation at risk.” ^[12] Does our President recognize how cold and cruel he is? He said nothing about the murder of innocent babies, because he cares nothing for them. The President went on to say he will continue the supposedly noble and moral “fight” to help mothers murder their babies. Millions of people in our country have followed the President’s lead and publicly protested in rallies demanding that a mother’s right to murder her baby be defended.

The U. S. government says that in 2021, 19,384 people died in America from gun related deaths. ^[13] That’s tragic. Some of those people were innocent. But how many of those people were criminals and drug dealers themselves? Therefore, think about how much publicity, focus, and horror there is in our country about gun violence. Is there any recognition or concern that 5,000% more (1 million vs. 20 thousand) murders are occurring in our country from mothers killing their babies (all of whom are innocent), than those being killed in gun violence? There is not.

God also warned in Leviticus above: “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable” (Lev 18:22). Yet America proudly promotes this detestable sin and criticizes those who would call it sin. In a 2021 study, about 40% of Americans aged 18-24 claimed to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ). Apparently, many in the up and coming generation of Americans are practicing the most vile sexual sins.

We are reminded here what Ruth Bell Graham, the wife of evangelist Billy Graham, famously said even many years ago: “If God doesn’t judge America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!” This is because like Sodom and Gomorrah, America has become the world’s foremost promoter of homosexuality. Therefore, let us not forget what God did to Sodom and Gomorrah because of this very thing.

In Leviticus above, what did God say would be the result of a nation practicing these sins? Those nations … became defiled. So much so that God sent His people Israel into those nations to kill every man, woman, and child in them (e.g. Deut 20:16-17; Josh 6:21; 10:28). And what did God say would happen to His own chosen nation if they practiced and promoted homosexuality and sacrificed their children to false gods? “If you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you” (Lev 18:28). Why would it surprise us that God would wipe out America for these very same sins?

Therefore, what was once a nation that represented God and His holiness to the world, has become the foremost promoter of sinful values. Like ancient Israel, America has become a great embarrassment to God. And like ancient Israel, God will not simply overlook that.

C.3) America’s “point of no return” Rom 1

The description of the moral decline and depravity of pagan people in Romans 1, is nowhere better reflected in the 21st century, than in America. As you read this passage, think especially of the next generation of Americans currently in the public schools. This is a description of the vast majority of adolescents, teenagers, and young adults in America today.

[Read Romans 1:18-32]

The Apostle described the downward spiral of depravity that a nation of people experience. When a nation practices and promotes homosexuality, it is nearing the bottom. At that point, God [gives] them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. Then they … become filled with every kind of wickedness (v. 28-29 NIV). The very bottom of this downward spiral of depravity is when a people not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them (v. 32 NIV).

This describes America. Again, about 40% of Americans aged 18-24 claimed to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ). Among these youth and throughout the nation, something as depraved as homosexuality and transgenderism are not only practiced, but glorified as honorable things. To even speak against such disgusting sins is considered a “hate crime.” Such things are evidence that America has reached a point of no return. It is being prepared to be destroyed by God’s wrath to put its people out of their moral misery, and end their toxic and polluting influence on others.

How is it possible that millions of Americans do not recognize the wickedness of mothers murdering their innocent babies? How is it possible that the President of America and millions more want to fight for a mother’s right to murder her innocent baby? Why do the majority of American think homosexuality is an acceptable, even respectable lifestyle?

Because they have morally reached “the point of no return” described in Romans 1. God has given them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done… they have become filled with every kind of wickedness and not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them (vs. 28-29, 32 NIV).

What will God do to a nation like that? He warned His own chosen nation Israel:

Woe to those who say that evil is good and good is evil [like homosexuality and abortion], that dark is light, and light is dark…

Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

That is why the LORD’s anger burns against his people, and why he has raised his fist to crush them. The mountains tremble, and the corpses of his people litter the streets like garbage. But even then the LORD’s anger is not satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike! (Isa 5:20, 24-25 ^[14])

This is how God felt towards his chosen people Israel. How much more anger does He have toward Americans who have no covenant with Him?! Woe means “a condition of deep suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief; ruinous trouble.” ^[15] Woe and divine wrath are what America’s wickedness is storing up for itself. God does not leave the guilty unpunished (Exod 34:7 NIV) and that divine punishment may come before casting American unbelievers into Hell. They may be punished now when God punishes America.

Romans 1 reveals that America has reached a moral “point of no return.” Therefore, it should expect divine discipline rather than spiritual revival. Likewise, speaking of Endtime Babylon, the Prophet Jeremiah said:

We would have helped her if we could, but nothing can save her now. Let her go; abandon her… For her punishment reaches to the heavens; it is so great it cannot be measured. (51:9 NLT)

C.4) The prevalence of fake Christians & Christianity The Laodicean church

Some might object that one reason God would not punish America is because it still has the most Christians of any nation on Earth. Probably not. The most reliable and recent studies have found that real born-again Christians are, “just 7% of the adult population.” ^[16] Therefore, there are probably many more born-again Christians in China today than America. ^[17]

The sharp decline in real Christians in America may be another reason God would punish the nation. One study claims that in 2000, 45% of Americans were practicing Christians and attending church at least once a month. By 2020 this had fallen to 25%. ^[18]

What we actually have in America is the greatest concentration of false and fake Christianity in the entire world. In a recent survey, 73% of Americans claimed to be Christians. ^[19] Yet, another study found that “Most American Christians do not believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit exist.” ^[20] That’s because they are not real Christians, and it angers God for them and us to continue to claim they are.

Likewise, a recent study claimed: “a high percent of born-again Millennial Christians (28 percent) describe themselves as LGBTQ.” ^[21] That reveals the depths of false Christianity in America, and the depth of deception about what a real Christian is. God’s word warns:

Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6:9-10 NLT)

It is still far too common in America to claim to be a Christian, but not be one at all. As a result, America is no longer a Christian nation. Instead, American Christianity is the foremost modern reflection of the fake kind of Christianity that Jesus sharply rebuked in Laodicea when He said:

“These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of My mouth [so you no longer represent Me].

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are [spiritually] wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see [and be saved].

Those whom I love [philō] I rebuke and discipline [paideuō]. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Rev 3:14-20 NIV)

This was spoken to a church. A church full of people claiming to be Christians, even good Christians, but were neither. They certainly had acquired wealth, but they were not very spiritual. Their lukewarm Christianity exposed them as not being Christians at all. As Thomas explains: “Lukewarm is a description of church people who have professed Christ hypocritically but do not have in their hearts the reality of what they pretend to be in their actions.” ^[22] Accordingly, these lukewarm people were doing Christianity in their own will power instead of the Holy Spirit’s power. Christianity was a religion to them, not a personal relationship with Christ. They were no better than the Pharisees.

And like the Pharisees, their lukewarm Christianity made it difficult for them to recognize they were not real Christians. This is why Christ described them as spiritually wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Jesus would not describe born-again children of God in that way. This is why Jesus told them to repent and open the door of their church and hearts to Him so He could have real fellowship with them (cf. 1 John 1:3-7). Still, these fake Christians represented Christianity to those around them. Which is why He warned that He would spit them out of His mouth, so they no longer represented Him and made a mockery of Him.

Christ said two things to this church that seem contradictory. On one hand, He said, “I love you.” It may be significant that Jesus did not use the normal word for the unconditional love God has for Christians (agape). Instead, He used philō here which can merely mean “to have a special interest in someone.” ^[23] Nonetheless, it is obvious that Jesus cared about this church.

But He warns them, “I will discipline you.” The Greek word used here (paideuō) means “to assist in the development of a person’s ability to make appropriate choices … with punishment.” ^[24] As we will see in chapter 14, just because God loves someone does not mean He will not severely discipline them for their sin.

Unfortunately, there is much about the Laodicean Church that describes American Christianity. For one reason, there is so much fake Christianity in America. Christ’s warning to the Laodicean Church tells us how He feels about so many fake Christians in America representing Him.

For example, the Pew Research Center conducted a study on how religious beliefs affect a person’s view on abortion. ^[25] According to the study, 55% of Muslims in America believe abortion should be legal. But fake Christians in America are hardly better. The following are percentages of professing Christian groups who also think abortion should be legal: Mainline Protestant (60%); Orthodox Christian (53%); Blace Protestants (52%); Roman Catholics (48%).

Even among Evangelical Protestants, who are the most likely group to be real Christians, 33% claim abortion should be legal. That’s more than Mormons of whom 27% believe the same. And that’s almost twice as many as Jehovah Witnesses among whom only 18% believe abortion should be legal. It would be difficult to believe that a large number of real Christians could be deceived to think murdering innocent babies should be legal. Therefore, these statistics give some evidence of the number of false Christians in these groups.

There are similar statistics regarding homosexuality. Remember that those who believe homosexual marriages are acceptable, also believe homosexual sex is acceptable. That is in direct rebellion to God’s word (cf. Lev 18:22; Rom 1:27; 1 Cor 6:9). Still, another study reveals the percentages of professing Christians who support homosexual marriages: White Mainline Protestants (79%); Hispanic Roman Catholics (78%); Hispanic Protestants (68%); White Catholics (67%); Black Protestants (57%); other Christian denominations (56%); White Evangelica Protestants (41%).

If any of these people are real Christians than God is even more disappointed with them. But again, such statistics primarily expose the amount of fake Christians in America who do not respect God’s word. Unfortunately, those fake Christians represent God to the world. Therefore, like the Laodicean Church, God will lose His patience with fake American Christianity and punish it severely. God would say to these fake Christians:

Stop bringing meaningless offerings!… I cannot bear your worthless assemblies… I hate [them] with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening… Take your evil deeds [like defending homosexuality] out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed (like innocent babies!). (Isa 1:13-17 NIV)

C.5) The sinfulness and arrogance of America

One mark of America’s immorality is how we compare with even wicked countries in the world. As far back as 2013, Vladimir Putin said in his state of the nation address that Russia was now the moral leader of the world. His reason was that other countries (clearly implying the U.S.), promote homosexuality. His country has made it a criminal offense to promote homosexuality. How much would American Christians like to have that law in the U.S.?

Likewise, as noted earlier in EB, Russia has made it illegal to produce pornography in its country. Russia recently banned the use of two of the world’s most popular pornography websites in the world (cf. ch. 6, sec. D). How much would American Christians like to have their country do the same?

Russia generally has stricter abortion laws than most states in America. In Russia unborn infants are protected after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Many states in America allow you to kill a baby in the womb up to 28 weeks old.

Still doubt that Russia should be the moral envy of Christians in America? Russia has a law “that makes it a criminal offense to ‘insult’ the religious sensibilities of [Christian] believers.” How much would American Christians like to have a law like that?

When one of the most wicked countries in the world is in a legitimate moral position to preach to America about its immorality and disrespect for Christianity, you know we are reaching the bottom of that downward spiral of depravity.

Recognizing how wicked America has become is one more good reason to believe the Endtimes are near and Revelation 17-18 is describing America. Many might think it is foolish to suggest this prophecy is describing God’s punishment of America. But what is actually foolish is ignoring the repeated biblical history and promises of God to punish the kind of wicked nation America has become. It is only Americans’ arrogance that leads them to believe they will be exempt.

Above, the sinfulness of the current President Joe Biden and his attitude toward abortion were noted. His political rival Donald Trump is hardly better. The man personifies the sinful wealth, idolatry, sexual immorality, and arrogance of Endtime Babylon as no other President in American history. And he has the audacity to claim he is a Christian. His slogan, “Make America Great Again” refers primarily to its economic power, which is precisely what the leader and people of Endtime Babylon would say. It is a motto for America’s idolatrous worship of itself, and the fact that many Christians have adopted it exposes their idolatry as well.

Speaking of the arrogance of sinful Endtime Babylon, Mr. Trump demonstrated it well when he said the following at a G-20 Nations Summit:

I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph. ^[26]

Mr. Trump and a great number of Americans believe the same because they cannot and will not recognize how sinful America has become and how God will respond to that. Unfortunately, the “values” of “the West” are primarily pagan and idolatrous. Therefore, God Himself will destroy the West, which is especially empowered by the United States of America.

Which is why this warning from God, given specifically to Endtime Babylon, should be heeded by America:

“See, I am your enemy, you arrogant people,” says the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “Your day of reckoning has arrived—the day when I will punish you. O land of arrogance, you will stumble and fall, and no one will raise you up. For I will light a fire in the cities of [Endtime] Babylon that will burn up everything around them.” (Jer 50:31-32 NLT).

This prophecy originally spoken to ancient Babylon has never been fulfilled in history. There are many biblical reasons to believe its complete and future fulfillment will be experienced by the United States of America. America should be very afraid. Instead, America is very arrogant, which is something else God really hates and loves to punish.

There is an indication that even American Christians do not recognize the sinfulness of America and the justice and glory of God to punish it. Christians are commanded regarding the destruction of Endtime Babylon (America):

Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes. (Rev 18:20 NLT)

Can you rejoice over how God would destroy America to punish it for its sins? We can only do this if we agree that America is as sinful and deserving of punishment as God thinks it is. When you can obey the command in Revelation 18:20, then you know you understand the depth of America’s depravity and the need for God to destroy it for the sake of His own glory and justice.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/09/china-watches-as-ukraine-war-makes-us-eu-and-japan-show-unity.html ↑
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/1968704/china-poses-largest-long-term-threat-to-us-dod-policy-chief-says/ ↑
Vladimir Putin has made it clear that he hates America. If he is in power in Magog when the Endtimes begin, then surely he will be one of ten kings in the 10-nation Endtime Coalition who will hate the Prostitute America and work to permanently remove all people from her and … burn her down with fire (Rev 17:16). Of course, the ultimate reason this will happen is because God will put a desire in the hearts of the ten kings to accomplish His purpose … until God’s prophecies for the Prostitute are fulfilled (v. 17).

But some have offered explanations for why Putin hates America so much:

Western inability to grasp what motivates our enemies is nothing new. Fifteen years ago, in the aftermath of al-Qaida’s attacks on the world Trade Center and the Pentagon, everybody wanted to know “why they hate us.” President George W. Bush spoke the received Beltway wisdom when he explained that jihadists and Islamists hate us because of our “freedoms.”

Such escapism, while flattering to American self-perceptions, was completely wrong. The answer was right there since jihadists talk nonstop (especially online) about their worldview. Their hatred for Americans and the West has nothing to do with our freedoms, which radical Muslims care nothing about. It has everything to do with our policies—especially our support for Israel and our military presence in Muslim countries—plus our decadent way of life, particularly Western post-modern sexual mores, which jihadists see as literally invading their countries through media and entertainment.

In this viewpoint, which I have termed Orthodox Jihadism, the West is an implacable foe of Holy Russia with whom there can be no lasting peace.

To get a flavor of what Putin’s worldview looks like, simply listen to what Moscow says. It’s easy to find fire-breathing clerics castigating the West and its pushing of feminism and gay rights, which they openly term Satanic. The Russian “think tank” (in reality it’s just a website) Katehon is a Kremlin-approved outlet which offers heavy doses of geopolitics suffused with militant Orthodox nationalism. Significantly, its name comes from the Greek term for “he who resists the Antichrist”—and Katehon makes perfectly clear that the decadent, post-modern West is what they mean.

Much of it boils down to depictions of the post-modern West as Satan’s project designed to subvert traditional religion and family life. These complaints sound a lot like what hardline Muslims say about the West. Just like Islamists, Kremlin ideologists claim that, since the West is spiritually attacking Russia and Orthodoxy with feminist and LGBT propaganda, all of Moscow’s responses—including aggressive military moves—are therefore defensive.

To be fair to Putin and his ilk, we’ve been doing a good job of making their anti-Western polemics seem plausible. Under President Obama, the State Department really has pushed feminism and LGBT rights hard—including in Russia. Washington’s official effort to coerce small, impoverished countries like Macedonia into accepting our post-modern views of sexuality has raised Russian ire, not least because Macedonia is a majority-Orthodox country.

The bottom line is that Putin’s Russia is driven by a state-approved ideology which hates the post-modern West and considers us a permanent existential threat [even a moral threat!] ↑
Thomas R. Edgar, “Babylon: Ecclesiastical, Political, or What?,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 25, no. 3 (1982): 340-41, underlining added. ↑
Andersen, 19, cf. 11. ↑
Excerpt from EB, ch. 3, sec. C. ↑
Ibid. ↑
https://firstchoiceprc.com/pro-life-movement ↑
Ibid. ↑
Ibid. ↑
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/07/06/majority-of-public-disapproves-of-supreme-courts-decision-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/ ↑
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/06/24/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-supreme-court-decision-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/ ↑
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm. ↑
The translation of Isa 5:20, 24-25 is the NLT except Woe replaces the NLT sorrow. As stated, the Hebrew means, “a condition of deep suffering” not just sorrow. ↑
Webster’s. ↑
See extended discussion of surveying the number of real Christians in America in Kurt Jurgensmeier, Biblical Apologetics chapter 5.16, section A.2 at http://www.trainingtimothys.com. ↑
There are an estimated 1.5 billion people in China. Conservative estimates place the number of born-again Christians at 10% of the Chinese population, or 150 million. If only 7% of the population of America is real Christians, that is only about 23 million. ↑
https://www.barna.com/research/changing-state-of-the-church/ ↑
American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS). ↑
http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/260-most-american-christians-do-not-believe-that-satan-or-the-holy-spirit-exist ↑
https://www.newsweek.com/nearly-40-percent-us-gen-zs-30-percent-christians-identify-lgbtq-poll-shows-1641085

Although the news report notes:

The results differed significantly from a February Gallup poll that showed just 5.6 percent of U.S. adults of all ages are not “heterosexual or straight,” though that poll said that 7.6 percent of respondents refused to answer the question and another 5 percent said they had “no opinion” as to whether they are heterosexual or straight. The Gallup survey concluded that one in six (16%) Americans ages 18-23 were gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. ↑
Writing of the church in Laodicea, Thomas says:

The obvious question is, What was the spiritual status of this people? Clearly their problem was not spiritual immaturity. Jesus would not express dissatisfaction of a young Christian passing through a justifiable stage of Christian growth. It is not sufficient to analyze them simply as spiritually complacent. Nor can they be seen simply as those who have shown some interest in the things of God, but have fallen short of the true testimony of Christ. Neither of these goes far enough in explaining the terrible plight of the ones addressed. Lukewarm is a description of church people who have professed Christ hypocritically but do not have in their hearts the reality of what they pretend to be in their actions. (511).

MacArthur agrees, writing:

There are many people in churches, even entire congregations, who are lost. They may be sincere, zealous, and outwardly religious, but they reject the gospel truth. They have all the rich New Covenant teaching about Christ’s life, death, and resurrection contained in Bibles they neither believe nor obey. As a result, they are doomed, just as unbelieving Israel was. Paul described them as those “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power,” and then wisely counseled believers to “avoid such men as these”(2 Tim. 3:5). The church at Laodicea represents such apostate churches as have existed throughout history. (Rev, 132)

Unfortunately, Mounce (106) and Osborne (216) claim Christ is describing real Christians in Laodicea. This kind of theology in the Church is one reason so much fake Christianity is accepted in America. ↑
BDAG #1. ↑
BDAG #2.b. ↑
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/views-about-abortion/ ↑
Also, as a leader of a G-20 nation, Vladamir Putin was present to hear Trump’s boasting about the West. As a man bitterly jealous of the West, and possessor of nuclear weapons, one wonders what Putin thought of Trump’s speech when he heard it. In fact, the speech was given in Poland, and it centered on how Poland bravely defeated Russian forces in WWII. Do not underestimate how such a public rebuke of Russia would make a man like Putin carry a grudge that could make him insanely bitter enough to “teach America a lesson in humility.” Especially when his nuclear arsenal gives him the power to do it. ↑

Chapter 12

Hatred for America

Contents

Primary Points