WORLD NEWS & PROPHECY
God’s State of the Union Address to America If God were giving a State of the Union Address to the American people today, what would He say? How does He view the state of the nation? by Scott Ashley
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descendants of ancient Israel are. We know that the modern State of Israel in the Middle East is made up of people descended mainly from only two of the ancient 12 tribes of Israel—Judah and Benjamin. They are called “Jews” because they are mostly from the tribe of Judah. But the other 10 tribes of Israel were carried away into exile by the Assyrians in the 700s B.C. and disappeared from history, becoming known as “the lost 10 tribes.” Yet a careful study of history and Bible prophecy shows what happened to those lost 10 tribes. After many centuries, their descendants migrated to northwestern Europe, with the most prominent tribes among them populating the British Isles and America and fulfilling the physical promises of tremendous material blessings and greatness that God had spoken to Abraham—promises that were not completely fulfilled in ancient times. (To learn more, search for “America in Prophecy” at our website, ucg.org.) The State of the Union is strong? We also know that much of Bible prophecy is dual— that it had application for the time in which it was given, For most of the last 40 years, the president has tradiknown as the initial or early fulfillment, but that it also tionally started the State of the Union address with the often has a primary later fulfillment. (To learn more, words, “The State of the Union is strong.” But the State of download or request our free study guide You Can the Union is clearly not strong, and anyone with a sense Understand Bible Prophecy.) of historical perspective clearly realizes this. This is especially true of many of the prophecies of Isaiah, In the pages of Beyond Today we write a lot about curJeremiah and Ezekiel. In fact, when God prophesied through rent news and events in the light of Bible prophecy. We Ezekiel, that prophet was already in captivity along with othsee our mission as one of making the news make sense to our readers. We can do this because of our understanding er exiles from Judah—long after the northern tribes of Israel had been taken captive. He wasn’t prophesying backward of of the prophetic identity of the major English-speaking what had already happened to Israel; he was prophesying nations—the United States, Canada, the United Kingforward of what would happen to the end-time descendants dom, Australia and New Zealand. The amazing prophof Israel before the final coming of the Messiah. esied story of these nations and what will come of them in the end times is explained in our free study guide The God’s State of the Union message for America today United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. With this in mind, consider that God is the ultimate Because so few understand these nations’ prophetic head of state (Daniel 4:17). If He were to address the identity, most people are in the dark when it comes to nation today, what would He say? comprehending where these nations are heading—and Rather than starting with “The State of the Union is indeed, where they already are. strong,” God would convey quite a different message, Understanding America’s identity in Bible prophecy perhaps in such terms as “The State of the Union is one At Beyond Today we understand prophetically who the of great danger.” very year the president of the United States gives what is known as the “State of the Union” address. Usually the State of the Union address spells out the president’s agenda and the budget priorities that flow from that—how the president thinks trillions of dollars of taxpayer money should be spent. It spells out what the president plans to accomplish and the legislation he wants to see enacted. It describes his vision of what the nation ought to be, what it ought to look like and how its citizens should act. The recent presidential campaign highlighted two very different visions for America’s future, with half the nation supporting one and half supporting the opposite. As a result, a very divided nation will watch the next State of the Union address, half with joy and half with a mixture of anxiety and anger, if they tune in at all.
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