Why Does the U.S. Exist?

Today is the 4th of July, as many of us know here in the United States. It is a special celebration for our country this year because we're celebrating the 250th anniversary of our formalized existence in this modern age. There will be barbecues — families grilling out, friends getting together, many going to fireworks displays (unless you're in Beaver Lake, apparently that got canceled). Everybody will be enjoying this holiday. This 4th of July, at least in this part of the country, there seems to be more patriotism than normal. I believe that's true in other parts of the country as well, but there's a cloud hanging over things with a lot of the politics going on, unfortunately.

Historians are baffled by what's often called the "American experiment." With God, we know nothing is an experiment — everything is true and tried, and it will work out. However, historians are baffled. This little tiny colony, over 250 years ago — actually 260, 270 years ago — succeeded in seceding from the most powerful nation in the world at the time. That nation brought forth its armies to get everyone back in line, and it didn't happen. When they were unsuccessful — as we know from the Revolutionary War — it was over.

There was another war, the War of 1812. Again, this country should not have survived the War of 1812; there are many miracles in that history that we don't have time to cover today. From an outsider's perspective, one might ask, "How is that even possible? Are they just that lucky?" We had a Civil War, and many nations that go through civil wars don't survive intact — they end up splitting into two countries. We see this in examples throughout Europe, Africa, and the rest of the world. Once a country goes through a civil war, it's rarely the same again — it's rare for it to come back together stronger than before it started.

This country had success in World War I. In World War II, we defeated our enemies and became the de facto leader of the free world. In 250 years, this country has become one of the most powerful nations the world has known. How is this possible? Historians, philosophers, and highly educated people cannot figure this out. How is it possible that this ragtag group of people who wanted to get away from England and other countries defeated one of the most powerful nations in the world and continued to survive on a principle of freedom?

In today's sermonette, we are going to explore why the U.S. has become so successful and been blessed by God. The title of this message: "Why Does the U.S. Exist? Successful Experiment or Divine Providence?"

This topic has a lot to it. For a deeper study, I'd recommend picking up the booklet The United States and Britain in Prophecy — I'm sure there are some copies in the back. Also, there's a study paper that's part of the Bible Reading Program UCG has put out called Birthright Blessings Delayed for 2,520 Years, available on UCG.org. If you're really interested in this topic, I'd recommend both of those — there's a lot of insight there.

So how did it start? Where did it start? Why was the United States blessed? For this blessing, there had to be an originating event. This event, as most of us probably know, began with a patriarch called Abram, later renamed Abraham, because of his faithfulness. We can't go into all the details, but turn with me to Genesis 22, verses 16 through 18.

Leading up to this, Abraham had been told, "Get out of your country, forsake all the foreign gods of your lands, and do what I say. I will give you a great blessing if you do this." So he traveled to the land of Canaan, which would later become Israel. Through all his trials and tribulations, Abraham stayed faithful. One thing he and his wife did not have was a son to bear the inheritance. So when his wife — around 99 or 100 years old — bore a child, God then said to him, "I know the promise I've made to you, but I need you to sacrifice this son to me." Abraham, from what's recorded, asked no questions. He took his son — probably a teenager — and prepared to sacrifice him to the Lord as God commanded.

Genesis 22:16 says: "And God said, 'By Myself I have sworn,' says the Lord, 'because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son.'" Verse 17: "Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies." In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.

So God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, and Abraham obeyed. At the last minute, God said, "No, I don't need it — I was only testing your faith." Abraham showed both faith and action, and that's what God wanted to see. So God said, "Because of your faith and your actions, your descendants will be blessed."

Fast forward: Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob, and Jacob had twelve sons. The birthright passed through Isaac and then through Jacob, and typically the birthright would go to the eldest son. But a couple of things happened along the way. The birthright actually passed to Joseph's sons — Ephraim and Manasseh, the twelfth generation from Abraham through Jacob (Israel), who considered them his own sons.

So why didn't Reuben, the firstborn, receive the promise? We read this in 1 Chronicles 5:1–2: "Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel — he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph's." So at the time these Chronicles were written, Judah appeared to hold leadership, and it seemed as though they had the birthright — but that wasn't the case. The birthright passed through Joseph, and 1 Chronicles clearly lays out how that promise was to be transferred.

So what is this birthright promise? It has two parts, passed through Joseph's two sons: Manasseh received the promise of a single great nation, and Ephraim received the promise of a company of nations. Whenever God makes a promise, He keeps it — these promises were unconditional. However, the timing of their fulfillment depended on Israel's obedience.

God delivered Israel from Egypt, and they could have received the birthright blessing at that time. However, they disobeyed God. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the commandments, one of the first things the children of Israel did was say, "Moses has been gone a while — we don't know if he's coming back. Let's build ourselves a god we can see, praise, and worship." So they built the golden calf and did not obey God. Because of their disobedience, the birthright promise was delayed.

We see this in Leviticus 26:18: "And after all this, if you do not obey Me, I will punish you seven times more for your sins." "Seven times more" is translated from the Hebrew sheva yasaph. The first word, sheva, means seven. The second, from the root yasaph, means "to add" or "to increase." Together, this denotes intensity — the punishment would be seven times more intense than a normal punishment, because of their disobedience.

The second part of that promise of punishment appears later in the chapter. Leviticus 26:23–24: "And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I will also walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins." Notice that this second occurrence of "seven times" does not include the qualifier "more." This changes the meaning: sheva without yasaph indicates a duration — the punishment repeated over equal durations of time. This is the "seven times" punishment.

Leviticus warns that if Israel disobeyed, God would punish them for seven prophetic years. One prophetic year equals 360 days (different from our modern calendar's 365). God also established the principle of a day for a year, which we find in Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6, and in Revelation as well. So: seven prophetic years times 360 days gives us 2,520 years — the period of national punishment, during which the birthright blessings would be withheld from Israel. This indicates the blessings were to be fulfilled in the end times.

So when does this clock start? We have Israel delivered from Egypt; the time of the Patriarchs; the Exodus; the period of the Judges; then King Saul, King David, and King Solomon — followed by a long line of kings, some good, but on the whole disobedient to God. Because of this, Israel (the Northern Kingdom, not Judah) was taken into captivity by the Assyrians. That marks the beginning of the physical punishment and its duration.

The Assyrian captivity of Israel took place roughly between 734 and 722 BC. Depending on which specific event you count from — the initial incursion, the major deportation, or the Fall of Samaria (the capital of the Northern Kingdom) — the end of the 2,520-year period lands somewhere between 1776 and 1800 AD. Is that a coincidence? (An infographic tracing specific events from the Fall of Israel to the founding of the United States was distributed separately for those interested.)

So the fulfillment happens in modern times — the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and to Jacob. As many of us know, Manasseh can be identified as the United States — a single great power, the "younger brother." Ephraim, the "older brother," was promised a company of nations, which can be identified as Britain and its descendants — Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others.

So what happened around 1776, near the time this fulfillment was to take place? From 1776 to 1783, we had American independence. From 1787 to 1789, the U.S. Constitution was written and the nation was established. In 1798, Britain's (Ephraim's) naval supremacy defeated Napoleon's fleet, making Britain the de facto ruling empire of the world. Between 1800 and 1803, the U.S. Capitol was established in Washington, D.C., and the Louisiana Purchase occurred, doubling the size of the country. During this period, both nations were clearly blessed — nobody could defeat the United States, and nobody could defeat the British Empire, of which it was said "the sun never set," because of its colonies spanning the globe.

So the U.S. and Britain are blessed through Abraham's faith, belief, and actions. Those blessings came through the birthright passed from Jacob to Joseph — that is, to Manasseh and Ephraim. Because of Israel's disobedience, the punishment was seven times more intense and delayed 2,520 years. The descendants of modern-day Manasseh and Ephraim — believed to be the English-speaking peoples — are the beneficiaries of that promise.

In conclusion, the United States and Britain are truly blessed. Without knowing the true identity of modern Israel, this success isn't even explainable — it isn't even possible by ordinary means. God always delivers on His promises, His deadlines, and His timelines.

As we apply these principles to our own spiritual journeys: when things are going tough, God always has a plan for each and every one of us. It may not be clear to us, and there may be factors we don't fully understand that God sees — but His plan for each of us will hold true. That's why He called us.

One final scripture, Isaiah 55:11: "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." In other words, God's will be done — as it was done in Israel, so it will be done in each and every one of us.