The United States in Prophecy

THE United States—What are they? Two hundred years ago, this question could not have been answered; it could not even have been asked. Now it can be answered by the dwellers in every quarter of the globe. Then, a few small settlements of earnest men who had fled from the religious intolerance of the Old World, dotted a narrow strip of coast line on our New England border. Now, a mighty nation, with a vast expanse of territory stretching from ocean to ocean, and from regions almost arctic on the north to regions equally torrid on the south, embracing more square leagues of habitable land than Rome ruled over in its palmiest days, here holds a position of independence and glory among the nations of the earth.

And the sound of this new nation has gone into all the world. It has reached the toiling millions of Europe; and they are swarming to our shores to share its blessings. It has gone to the islands of the sea; and they have sent their living contributions. It has reached the Orient, and opened as with a password the gates of nations long barred against intercourse with other powers; and China and Japan, turning from their beaten tracks of forty centuries, are looking with wonder at the prodigy arising across the Pacific to the east of them, and catching some of the impulse which this growing power is imparting to the nations of the earth.

One hundred years ago, with three millions of people, the United States became an independent government. It has now a population of over forty millions of people, and a territory of three and a half millions of square miles. Russia alone exceeds this nation in these particulars, having forty millions more of people, and four millions more square miles of territory. Of all other nations on the globe whose laws are framed by legislative bodies elected by the people, Brazil, which has the largest territory, has not quite three millions of square miles; and France, the most populous, has not probably, considering her late reverses and misfortunes, a greater number of inhabitants than our own country. So that in point of territory and population combined, it will be seen that the United States now stand at the head of the self-governing powers of the earth.

Occupying a position altogether unique, this government excites equally the astonishment and admiration of all beholders. The main features of its history are such as have had no parallel since the distinction of nations existed among men.

1. No nation ever acquired so vast a territory in so quiet a manner.

2. No nation ever rose to such greatness by so peaceable means.

3. No nation ever advanced so rapidly in all that constitutes national strength and capital.

4. No nation ever rose to such a pinnacle of power in a space of time so incredibly short.

5. No nation in so limited a time has developed such unlimited resources.

6. No nation has ever existed founded on principles of justice so pure and undefiled.

7. No nation has ever existed in which the consciences of men have been left so untrammeled and free.

8. In no nation and in no age of the world, have the arts and sciences so flourished, so many improvements been made, and so great successes been achieved, as in our own country during the last fifty years.

9. In no nation and in no age has the gospel found such freedom, and the churches of Christ had such liberty to spread abroad their principles and develop their strength.

10. No age of the world has seen such an immigration as that which is now pouring into our borders from all lands the millions who have long groaned under despotic governments, and who now turn to this broad territory of freedom as the avenue of hope, the Utopia of the nations.

The most discerning minds have been intuitively impressed with the idea of the future greatness and power of this government. In view of the grand results developed and developing, the discovery of America by Columbus, not four hundred years ago, is set down as the greatest event of all secular history. The progress of empire to this land was long ago expected.

Sir Thomas Brown, in 1682, predicted the growth of a power here, which would rival the European kingdoms in strength and prowess.

In Burnaby's Travels through the middle settlements of North America, in 1759 and 1760, published in 1775, is expressed this sentiment: "An idea, strange as it is visionary, has entered into the minds of the generality of mankind, that empire is traveling westward; and every one is looking forward with eager and impatient expectation to that destined moment when America is to give the law to the rest of the world."

John Adams. Oct. 12, 1775, wrote:— "Soon after the Reformation, a few people came over into this New World for conscience' sake. Perhaps this apparently trivial incident may transfer the great seat of empire to America."

On the day after the Declaration of Independence, he wrote:— "Yesterday the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America, and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men."

In 1776, Galiania Neapolitan, predicted the gradual decay of European institutions, to renew themselves in America. In 1778, in reference to the question as to which was to be the ruling power in the world, Europe or America, he said:—

"I will wager in favor of America."

Adam Smith, of Scotland, in 1776, predicted the transfer of empire to America.

Governor Pownal, an English statesman, in 1780, while our Revolution was in progress, predicted that this country would become independent, and that a civilizing activity, beyond what Europe could ever know, would animate it; and that its commercial and naval power would be found in every quarter of the globe. Again he said:—

"North America has advanced, and is every day advancing, to growth of state, with a steady and continually accelerating motion, of which there never has yet been any example in Europe."

David Hartley wrote from England in 1777: "At sea, which has hitherto been our prerogative element, they [the United States] rise against us at a stupendous rate; and if we cannot return to our old mutual hospitalities toward each other, a very few years will show us a most formidable hostile marine, ready to join hands with any of our enemies."

Count d'Aranda, one of the first of Spanish statesmen, in 1783 thus wrote of this republic: "This Federal Republic was born a pygmy, so to speak. It required the support and forces of two powers as great as Spain and France in order to attain independence. A day will come when it will be a giant, even a colossus, formidable in these countries."*

Of these prophecies, some are now wholly fulfilled, and the rest far on the road to fulfillment. This infant of yesterday stands forth to-day a giant, vigorous, active, and courageous, and accepts with dignity its manifest destiny at the head of powers and civilizations.

Such in brief, is the answer to the question proposed at the opening of this chapter. Another question immediately follows: Does the prophetic pen, which has so fully delineated the rise and progress of all the other great nations of the earth, pass this one by unnoticed? What are the probabilities in this matter? As the student of prophecy, in common with all mankind, looks with wonder upon the unparalleled rise and progress of this nation, he cannot repress the conviction that the hand of Providence has been at work in this quiet but mighty revolution. And this conviction he shares in common with others.

Governor Pownal, from whom a quotation has already been presented, speaking of the establishment of this country as a free and sovereign power, calls it—

"A revolution that has stronger marks of divine interposition, superseding the ordinary course of human affairs, than any other event which this world has experienced."

De Tocqueville, a French writer, speaking of our separation from England, says:— "It might seem their folly, but was really their fate, or, rather, the providence of God, who has doubtless a work for them to do, in which the massive materiality of the English character would have been too ponderous a dead weight upon their progress."

Geo. Alfred Townsend, speaking of the misfortunes that have attended the other governments on this continent (New World and Old, p. 635), says:— "The history of the United States was separated by a beneficent Providence far from this wild and cruel history of the rest of the continent."

Again he says:—

"This hemisphere was laid away for no one race."

If Providence has been thus conspicuously present in our history, we may look for some mention of this government in that Book which records the workings of Providence among mankind. On what conditions have other nations found a place in the prophetic record? First, if they have acted any prominent part in the world's history; and secondly, and above all, if they have had jurisdiction over, or maintained any relations with the people of God. And both these conditions are fulfilled in our government. No nation has ever attracted more attention or excited more profound wonder, or given promise of greater eminence or influence. And certainly here, if anywhere on the globe, are to be found a strong array of Christians, such as are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.

With these probabilities in our favor, let us now take a brief survey of those symbols found in the word of God which represent earthly governments. These are found chiefly, if not entirely, in the books of Daniel and Revelation. In Dan. 2, a symbol is introduced in the form of a great image. In Dan. 7, we find a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a great and terrible nondescript beast, which, after passing through a new and remarkable phase, goes into the lake of fire. In Dan. 8, we have a ram, a he goat, and a horn, little at first, but waxing exceeding great. In Revelation 9, we have locusts like unto horses. In Rev. 12, we have a great red dragon. In Rev. 13, we have a blasphemous leopard beast, and a beast with two horns like a lamb. In Rev. 17, we have a scarlet colored beast, upon which a woman sits, holding in her hand a golden cup full of filthiness and abomination.

What governments and what powers are represented by all these? Do any of them symbolize our own? Some of these certainly represent earthly kingdoms; for so the prophecies themselves expressly inform us; and in the application of nearly all of them there is quite a uniform agreement among expositors. The four parts of the great image of Dan. 2 represent four kingdoms, Babylon, or Chaldea, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The lion of the seventh chapter also represents Babylon; the bear, Medo-Persia; the leopard, Grecia; and the great and terrible beast, Rome. The horn, with human eyes and mouth, which appears in the second phase of this beast, represents the papacy, and covers its history down to the time when it was temporarily overthrown by the French in 1798. In Dan. 8, likewise, the ram represents Medo-Persia; the he goat, Grecia; and the little horn, Rome. All these have a very clear and definite application to the governments named; none of them, thus far, can have any reference to the United States.

*These quotations are from an article by Hon. Charles Sumner, entitled, "Prophetic Voices about America," published in the Atlantic Monthly, of September, 1867.