I’ve heard it said many times that the United States is not mentioned in the Bible as part of end times. Most of the other major world powers are, but the Bible is strangely silent when it comes to the United States. As a direct reference or mention, these statements are true, and the reasonings behind it are provocative.

However, there are passages all throughout the Bible that have specific application to our nation. One of these passages is found in the book of Isaiah, chapter 5. This chapter is the parable of the vineyard. The vineyard is the nation of Israel. Still, there are eye-opening portions that describe the current condition of the United States heading into 2010.

We live in times so vividly described in the Bible that Chuck Missler issues the following challenge:

We believe that we are being plunged into a period of time about which the Bible says more than it does about any other period of time in history, including the time that Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed the mountains of Judea! That’s a preposterous statement. If you accept that view, you flunk the course: I hope you challenge it! –Chuck Missler: Hidden Treasures.

Today we begin a six-part series on “America: Parading Down the Road to Judgment.”

The Six Woes of Isaiah: Woe #1 – Covetousness

Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, until there is no more room, so that you have to live alone in the midst of the land! In my ears the Lord of hosts has sworn, “Surely, many houses shall become desolate, even great and fine ones, without occupants. For ten acres of vineyard will yield only one bath of wine, and a homer of seed will yield but an ephah of grain.” –Isaiah 5:8-10.

If we cannot see the parallels in these passages to America’s real estate crisis the in the last 12 months, we simply are closing a blind eye.

We bought houses we could not afford and the banks wanted to loan us the money for their own profits. Both arose out of greed and covetousness! We all wanted what we couldn’t have and we wanted it now! And now we are reaping what we have sown.

Just as in Isaiah’s day, we, too have seen “many houses [becoming] desolate, even great and fine ones, without occupants.” It’s a startling verse with direct implications to our time. How many news broadcasts have shown beautiful tract homes vacant with “For Sale” signs swinging out in front?

The latter part of the verse may need a little clarification. “One bath of wine” is equal to 5.8 gallons. An acre is an acre: which is just short of a football field. So imagine, a ten acre vineyard–or about 10 football fields–only yielding six gallons of wine!

A “homer” of seed is about six bushels or 58 gallons. That’s a lot. But in this passage it is only yielding “an ephah” or 22 liters of grain. An homer is 10 ephahs. So the yield is only one tenth!

Both of these are God’s judgment on Israel in Isaiah. But with our own economic conditions, it seems evident that God is also judging our own nation. By our covetousness, we are depleting the richness of the earth. It’s a form of idol worship! Instead of worshiping the Creator, we are worshiping the creation buy using its resources to build bigger and bigger houses and to buy more and more junk!

Jesus warns of such things as these:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. No one can serve two masters …. You cannot serve God and wealth.” –Matthew 6:19, 24.

What’s Next?

The next passage we will look at deals with alcohol and its abuses.

Are you dealing with covetousness in your own heart? Are you suffering from the effects of it right now?

May He Increase!