The shocking events of recent times should serve as a powerful wake-up call to the United States and other nations that sprang from Britain. God repeatedly warns that He will bring punishment on the modern descendants of Israel until they turn from their disobedience and repent.

Notice the following message God gave through the prophet Ezekiel: "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to Israel: The end is here! Wherever you look-east, west, north, or south, your land is finished. No hope remains, for I will unleash my anger against you. I will call you to account for all your disgusting behavior. I will turn my eyes away and show no pity, repaying you in full for all your evil ... With one blow after another I will bring total disaster!

"The end has come! It has finally arrived! Your final doom is waiting! O people of Israel, the day of your destruction is dawning ... Soon I will pour out my fury to complete your punishment for all your disgusting behavior. I will neither spare nor pity you. I will repay you for all your detestable practices ... None of these proud and wicked people will survive. All their wealth will be swept away. Yes, the time has come; the day is here!" (Ezekiel 7:2-12, New Living Translation).

Ezekiel's prophecies are remarkable in that he prophesied long after the ancient kingdom of Israel had been crushed and its people taken away at the hands of the Assyrian Empire. His message could not have been for exclusively for ancient Israel-because that kingdom no longer existed!

No doubt Ezekiel directed some of his message toward the kingdom of Judah, at that time threatened by the Babylonian Empire. But parts of his message were unmistakably directed to the "whole house of Israel"—all 12 tribes (Ezekiel 39:25)—and are applicable to the time of the end.

The book of Ezekiel contains many similar warnings that are applicable to the modern descendants of Israel-both from the house of Israel and the house of Judah. God condemns their rampant corruption, greed, violence, oppression and immorality. He abhors their self-inflicted defilement with corrupt religion and their profaning of His holy things and His Sabbaths (Ezekiel 22:7-13).

Because of their moral degeneracy, as descendants of the ancient house of Israel, God also says: "I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the LORD" (verse 15-16).

This prophesied "scattering" will come at the hands of a foreign power. Other prophecies indicate that this power, unwittingly acting as God's "rod" of punishment (Isaiah 10:5-7), will be a modern revival of ancient Assyria and Babylon. Centered in Europe, it will also be a resurrection of the Roman Empire. The book of Revelation calls this power the "beast." It will be ruled by a coming totalitarian dictator- also referred to as the beast. (To learn more, please read our Bible study guide The Book of Revelation Unveiled.)

When strong, the United States has been a restraining force against tyranny in the world as we've seen. But, sadly, America's decline, beginning at its moral foundations and ultimately extending to its national power, will open the door to the worst tyranny ever to envelop the world-the final beast power. America, which values freedom so greatly, is in danger of having its freedom ripped away-as its civilization is destroyed, its abundance turned to ruin and its populace decimated and scattered.

Unless America repents, this is the future that prophecy indicates awaits it.