We are still dealing with some of the important questions being asked in this time, such as: If the foundations of the nations are crumbling, is it not a waste of time to try to shore them up? Why should we not spend our effort and time in building the kingdom and just let the world crumble as it is destined to do?

    We have already discussed our mandate to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, so if the earth is falling into increasing darkness, it is because our light has failed. Even when Moses was sent to free God’s people, he went to Pharaoh to witness to him about what God was doing and to give him a chance to let the Israelites go so that the destruction of Egypt would not be required. This has also been happening in our times. Clear prophetic warnings are being given to leaders of nations, coming in undeniable power to demonstrate their Source. The truth is that few leaders respond positively, but often want to use the prophets for their own purposes and gain. However, some do listen and humble themselves before the Lord.

It was the pride of Egypt that destroyed Egypt. Much of the destruction that will take place in our own times will be determined by how arrogant man acts when confronted with the will and purpose of God. However, God was faithful to even give the most arrogant a chance to repent.

In Scripture, Egypt often represents this present evil age, but we also see in Scripture that God has a special love and purpose for Egypt at the end of this age. Egypt may have mistreated God’s people by enslaving them, but Egypt has also been used as a sanctuary to preserve God’s people—even to preserve Jesus when He was being sought by Herod. We therefore see this great calling upon Egypt in Isaiah 19:19-25, which is yet to be fulfilled, but we can count on it happening before the end of this age:

    In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD near its border.
     And it will become a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them.
    Thus the LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the LORD and perform it.
    And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them.
In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

    In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,
    whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance."

The biblical Assyria includes all of the land from Egypt through present day Iraq, with the exception of Israel. This prophecy is an enigma because it completely flies in the face of the basis for many end-time scenarios in popular eschatology. They either omit any reference to it or relegate it to the millennium, but this makes no sense because we will not have the kind of conflict that surrounds, which is a basis for this prophecy in that age. Certainly it seems that all of these nations listed here are those that will “become” the kingdom of our Lord, which we referenced last week in Revelation 11:15.

Obviously, at the end of this age some nations will fall into chaos, while others will be transforming into a part of the highway in Isaiah 40, which is built to prepare the way for the Lord. This is a great conflict in much eschatology because not many can see that actually both of these are happening. When we begin to see this, it resolves many other biblical prophecies of the end of the age. No doubt there will be great darkness and tribulation, but there will also be great glory and building, such as we see in Isaiah 60 and other places.

If Egypt, and all of the nations that now comprise what was biblical Assyria, which is now the source of the greatest conflict in the world, becomes a part of the highway of God on which the kingdom comes, should we not have hope for our nation? What other nations might be included in this? The ones that have a church which resolves to be the salt and light that it is called to be.

No nation on earth right now is the kingdom of God, but many are turning to the Lord and His ways. Some, such as the United States, are turning away from the Lord and His ways. In the United States, there has even been the demanding that any reference to God be removed from public places, and then people will wonder where God is when all of the terrible things begin to happen there. Can the United States return to the Lord? That depends on His people here, just as it does with every nation.