I was not alive in 1976, but I’m told it was quite a celebratory year in America. It was the bicentennial of 1776.
The closest I got to that celebration—as a kid in the 80s—was collecting the specially minted bicentennial quarters, dated 1976, honoring the founding of America 200 years prior (1776).
It’s amazing what one generation of postmodern public schooling can do.
Fast Forward To The Year 2020
This year also marks a special anniversary. The 400th Anniversary of something almost as important as July 4, 1776! And we haven’t heard a peep about it. (You’ve probably heard more about the revisionist 1619 than the foundational year, 1620.)
What was that great event in 1620? It was none other than the historic arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in 1620.
Every year, as we near American Thanksgiving, I have a custom of reading a selection to my family from Chapter 16 of The Great Controversy, entitled, “The Pilgrim Fathers.” (And other books about the Pilgrims, as well.)
Is it still ok to celebrate this monumental moment in human history?
As a kid in a Christian Reformed elementary school, while we didn’t have the benefit of the light revealed in The Great Controversy, we knew the historic meaning of 1620. We would dress up in Pilgrim or Indian hats/head-dresses and listen to the stories of the hardships of the Pilgrims who came across on the Mayflower, many paying the ultimate sacrifice on a quest for a refuge where they could teach their children to love and revere God.
Revelation 12:16 actually prophesies these very historic movements that began in 1620 – movements of persecuted Christians fleeing Europe to find freedom and opportunity in America:
“And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.”
Why haven’t we heard any fanfare or even a simple nod to this massively significant anniversary?
Maybe we’ve just got Covid on the brain and so we ain’t got no time for history – who cares about history anyway?
But as Christians who subscribe to the historicist interpretation of Bible prophecy, history and prophecy are synonymous. One looks forward and the other, backward – but at the same events.
As members of an apocalyptic, prophetic movement we must be able to present prophecy as history. And to do so accurately.
So it is essential that we avoid falling into the nonsense that academia has put into the minds of teachers for the past generation, not only because the clarity of our prophetic message depends upon it, but also because the academic upheaval of our American heritage presents a clear and present danger to freedom, peace, and order.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the very concept of nationhood – especially American nationhood – is under attack.
In the blink-of-an-eye, in one generation, we went from celebrating the bicentennial in 1976 to “July 4 IS RACIST!”
There’s even a new racial slur where you call a white person, “Pilgrim,” a word that used to carry a feeling of historic honor, but now has become a straight-up racist insult.
Then there’s the famous protest chat, “No borders, no wall, no USA at all!”
Christians Should Oppose Nationalism?
This latter idea in the protest chant of ‘no borders’ even seems to have invaded the boundaries of Christian thought.
I noticed a curious (and not so subtle) suggestion made about four years ago in a devotional presented by a person in church leadership. Speaking against the rise of nationalism, he stated, “national borders are human fabrications, human constructs, that God does not see.”
In one sense, he was absolutely correct – Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. Our real citizenship is in heaven. And God does not recognize national identity when it comes to salvation, since all souls are given free access to Him through Christ.
But does the existence of the kingdom of God negate human governments and nations in this present world? Should we, as Christians, speak against national borders, as this church leader did?
We will answer that in greater depth below, but at first glance, this notion against national borders, when stated without any qualifiers, is a degradation of nationhood and national boundaries, a prescription for anarchy, and an undermining of the civil government and its national sovereignty in its proper sphere.
In this same devotional, ‘nationalism’ was defined by the speaker as a sense of “superiority over other nations,” and he concluded with, “this the Bible condemns as wrong.”
So in a short devotional he managed to oppose both nationhood (by saying it’s a human fabrication that God doesn’t recognize) and nationalism (by opposing the idea that one nation could be called superior over another).
Americanism IS Actually Superior
Let’s think about that last claim for a moment. Does the Bible condemn the idea of the superiority of America, as the devotional speaker suggested?
If I have a sense of my own superiority over someone else because of my race or ethnicity or nation, the Bible does condemn that as wrong. As thoughtful and spiritual people, we don’t need to get into the chest-thumping, ‘better-than-you’ attitude that sometimes injects a toxic element into one’s expression of national identity.
But when we evaluate the quality of different systems of government throughout history, we notice that the Bible does actually prophesy that the American nation – not the people necessarily, but the institutions and constitutions – would truly be exceptional.
In Revelation 13 you see America as the only nation ever prophesied to have lamb-like (Christian) qualities for a period of time – two lamb horns, representing civil and religious liberty.
Think about the significance of that. Prior to the rise of this nation, 100% of the nations prophesied were portrayed with beastly characteristics. And each one of them did turn out to be monarchical and oppressive conquerors.
There is just one solitary and shining example (a ‘city on a hill’ if you ask the Pilgrims) that was reserved by God to protect freedom in order to facilitate the gospel work in the last days; a nation with ideals so exceptional and superior in the history of human governments that it shows up as lamb-like in Bible prophecy!
And we would speak of national borders and nationhood as if that’s irrelevant to the Christian or even something we should speak out against? God forbid.
There’s plenty to criticize in America’s past, but that’s not where The Great Controversy invests the ink. Because as far as human nations are concerned, American nationalism has been the single most generous gift to the free exercise of religion in history.
You cannot read Chapter 16, “The Pilgrim Fathers,” and come away with any impression other than that this nation is indeed a gift from God through those who sacrificed so much in founding this country.
The Declaration of Independence is called “that grand old document,” (GC, 295.2) and America’s founding documents are even quoted at length, verbatim. These words God claims as His own truth by incorporating them into an inspired text! If that doesn’t indicate the superiority of this nation in the scope of God’s prophetic narrative, I don’t know what does.
The reader walks away from that chapter an admirer of the exceptionalism of this nation. You’re instantly a ‘nationalist’ in that you agree, “Yes, God had a hand in this; yes, this is superior; yes, we should celebrate and preserve this republic!”
This doesn’t take anything away from our citizenship in heaven, nor does it puff up man’s pride. Rather, “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake” (Ps. 115:1).
But if you’re still not feeling the patriotism, Chapter 16 at the very least requires us to acknowledge the entity of the United States of America – its Constitution, its national borders and its national institutions – rather than demeaning the nation’s sovereignty as a “human fabrication that God does not see.”
But, again, God does more than recognize American nationhood. Chapter 16 of The Great Controversy, covering the founding of the American nation, not only assumes nationhood in explicitly describing the nation, but it celebrates the virtues of that American nationhood as superior – i.e. nationalism.
Far be it from us, as Adventists, to actually speak against American nationhood by saying God doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of its borders, giving fuel to subversion of the civil government in our society.
Far be it from us, as Adventists, to speak against what The Great Controversy does in uplifting the principles that make the American constitutional republic superior to most human governments throughout history.
People of all nations stood in admiration of America, seeing in action what prophecy had shown – God was allowing the earth to help the woman (Rev. 12:16) and absorb the tide of persecution coming from the dragon. In America’s founding, beginning with the Puritan colonies,
It was demonstrated that the principles of the Bible are the surest safeguards of national greatness. The feeble and isolated colonies grew to a confederation of powerful states, and the world marked with wonder the peace and prosperity of “a church without a pope, and a state without a king.” (GC 296.3)
National greatness. Because of God and to His glory.
The Subversion of Americanism
The attack on nationalism was well underway when I was a graduate student in the social sciences at Cal State, San Bernardino. Even in my undergrad 20 years ago at a relatively conservative Christian college in my hometown in Grand Rapids, Michigan, there was a moral distinction made in the Political Science department between patriotism and nationalism. Patriotism good. Nationalism bad. (Because nationalism denotes superiority of the American nation.)
It all began in academia by re-defining nationalism in the context of European racial nationalists and neo-Nazis, particularly in Germany. The open and tolerant tradition of American nationalism then became guilty by association. (What association? I know. The only association is the word, itself… ‘nationalism’ sounds scary when you’re talking about neo-Nazis, so our brains turn off.)
It’s the same confusion that exists today.
An American statesman celebrates American sovereignty with a non-shocking, non-surprising statement “I’m not a globalist, I’m a nationalist…” (isn’t that a prerequisite to hold office in America?) and a CNN host feigns total shock and horror, as if the man just said, “I’m a white nationalist.”
Minor difference between nationalism and white nationalism. They are opposites.
America’s nationalism, as portrayed in the national motto (E Pluribus Unum – ‘out of many, one’), is anti-racist. We have enjoyed an extremely rare and surprisingly successful experiment in unifying a pluralistic society under a set of ideals. “American,” as defined in the motto, doesn’t refer to an ethnicity or a race, it denotes pluralism and inclusion.
Civic Nationalism and Unity
Yes, it’s difficult to be a nationalist in Europe and not portray a sense of cultural exclusivity, since the nation-state naturally organized around groups with a common language and culture.
But America’s nationalism has always been what scholars refer to as a unique form of civic nationalism; meaning, the unity of our people is not ethnic or racial, but in the civic ideals we all cherish (personal freedom, limited government, etc.), making nationalism in America a no-brainer.
Our civic nationalism used to be taught in schools. Immigrants were required to take a test about American history and our Constitution. And our holidays and centennials were times to celebrate the superiority – yes superiority – of the ideas and institutions that protect life, liberty, and property like no other place in history.
It must be these ideals that Satan hates so much; since the anti-American sentiment in popular culture and academia always seems to be aimed at the identity of America in its lamb-like phase.
The Bible calls our founding lamb-like; the world attacks our founding – and even advocates “dismantling” the remaining vestiges of the republic.
Ellen White speaks highly of George Washington; Satan’s mobs tear down statues of the man.
Romans 13 upholds the civil order under the magistrate in his sphere; misguided Christians say ‘God recognizes no nations or borders’ and they speak against both.
We’ve been down this road before as a church – in a divided and imperiled nation, with our very nationhood under attack.
And we were all nationalists last time.
The year was 1862 and we were in the midst of the Civil War.
At that time James White spoke boldly in defense of the nation against the rebellion and subversion of their day. In his article entitled, “The Nation” (yes, our pioneers recognized the concept of the nation with its borders, institutions, laws, and sovereignty), he was able to say, emphatically, “We know of not one man among Seventh-day Adventists who has the least sympathy for secession.”
With civil unrest, rebellion, and subversion brewing in our nation today, it’s now a different story; many Christians believe it’s a virtue to fuel the mobs of rebellion and subversion, repeat their slogans and echo their outrageous propaganda.
In America, with all our differences and flaws, there was something (until recently) that held the social fabric of American society together – a society composed of vastly different religions and cultures.
What was that glue that gave us the unparalleled freedom and prosperity we’ve enjoyed, which even to this day has a billion people wanting to move here?
It’s none other than the ideals of Americanism as expressed in our unique form of civic (rather than ethnic) nationalism – that is how Divine Providence actualized the world’s first, best, and only prophetic lamb-like nation.
As the tidings spread through the countries of Europe, of a land where every man might enjoy the fruit of his own labor and obey the convictions of his own conscience, thousands flocked to the shores of the New World (GC 296.1).
Nationalism is Like a Brick
In referring to the lamb-like nation in the previous paragraph, I just said the word ‘nation!’ That’s a bad word!
How did it get this way? This is insane! Well, through academia.
But also, you might have heard of a guy named Adolph Hitler. He believed in his racial and national superiority and even named his party the National Socialist German Worker’s Party.
Unlike the international socialist movement that announced, “workers of the world unite, we have nothing to lose but our chains,” Hitler’s socialism claimed to simply unite German workers (and Arians generally) as a superior race.
But Hitler’s so-called nationalism didn’t seek to keep Germany’s borders as they were. He became an international socialist as soon as he rose to power, seeking to conquer other nations and subdue them under Nazi rule, just like the Soviet Union did to Eastern Europe.
Rather than being for nationalist self-determination, Hitler’s imperial conquest betrayed the basic nationalist principle of national sovereignty and respect of borders.
But to say that nationhood is bad because Hitler used his nation to kill millions of people is not rational. The nation-state can be used for good or for bad.
Nationalism is like a brick. A brick can be thrown by a BLM/Antifa activist through the window of an African-American-owned business… or it can be used to build a Christian school for orphaned children.
The brick is not inherently good or bad; it depends how it’s used.
Nationalism is like surgical tools. In the hands of a skilled physician, they can be used to remove a tumor… or in the hands of the genocidal eugenics organization, Planned Parenthood, they can be used as a weapon in “dilation and evacuation” – i.e. ripping a baby apart (also most likely in a black neighborhood).
Like bricks and surgical tools, a nation with borders… a nation-state… nationalism, is amoral.
Abraham Lincoln Was the First American Nationalist
American nationalism actually began with Abraham Lincoln. (Quite an opposite historical figure to Hitler.)
Prior to the Civil War the concept of “the union” was not very strong. The various American states were a federation of states under one flag, but still retained much of their own identity and autonomy.
In 1812 you’d say “the United States are going to war with Britain.” But after Lincoln the language shifted to “The United States is going to war with Spain.”
The U.S. went from a ‘they’ to an ‘it.’ From a collection of entities to a single entity with constituent parts. This was the real beginning of American nationalism as we know it today. In preserving the union, Lincoln actually strengthened the union (incidentally, at the same time as several European nation-states were unifying and strengthening).
So there’s Lincoln’s nationalism where we uphold the principle of national sovereignty, borders, and self-determination… and there’s Hitler’s “nationalism.” Two opposite manifestations of the nation-state.
Let’s Speak in Defense of American Nationalism
It is now more important than ever to promote and celebrate American civic nationalism. Shortly, America will betray its lamb-like status and will speak like a dragon (Revelation 13:11). We want to oppose the dragon and promote the lamb.
So there’s the American nation of Chapter 16 of The Great Controversy (which speaks of the Pilgrims, of Roger Williams, of the Declaration of Independence…) and there’s the rogue America of the final events of Bible prophecy.
First, nationalism in its good form (as a haven for those being persecuted for their faith).
Next, a demonic distortion of America (as a persecuting power).
Let’s own the first one and disavow the one to come.
In its demonic form, America will actually betray its civic nationalism in a way that would make Hitler blush. “[O]ur country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution…” (5T 451.1), and this not only on American soil, but she will lead the entire world (in violation of the nationalist principle of self-determination) in enforcing the mark of the beast.
“And all the world wondered after the beast.” Call it globalism, imperialism, Romanism… whatever you call it; when America enforces the beast’s mark it is NOT an expression of American civic nationalism, but it is a repudiation of our precious ideals.
Thanks to the media and the schools, our society is more divided than ever. We’ve lost sight of the basic ideals that all freedom-loving humans used to agree upon, and without a national identity, we are now on the brink of civil war. The death and destruction we saw this summer was only an appetizer of what is to come if we continue tearing down the principles that bring some measure of peace to a pluralistic society.
Now is the time for rational people, especially Christians, to speak up in defense of nationalism.
Presently the four angels are holding back those winds of strife soon to blow. And to the extent that we still have a ‘USA at all’, to the extent that our national ideals are still celebrated and protected, Americans can continue to enjoy the freedoms we’ve enjoyed for so long.
May we leverage the last remaining ounces of civic virtue that remain and apply our energy into the final push in our gospel commission with the liberties that haven’t yet been vanquished.
In Closing…
It’s worth mentioning the famous architecture of the European Parliament building. It is constructed as a modern tower of Babel, an artistic portrayal of an attempt to reverse the national distinctions that God began by confusing the languages.
It’s not an accident that the building was constructed this way; it is nothing less than globalists thumbing their nose at God in their attempt to build a super-state that obliterates national sovereignty and nationalism entirely.
Yes, there is a danger of irrational patriotism and yoking ourselves with the flag-waving ‘take-America-back-for-God’ zealots who will seek to enforce religious observances. We must guard against that with vigilance and call it what it is – truly anti-American. The dangerous leftist assault on American ideals that has manifested itself in recent years does not diminish the coming danger from the religious right in the least. Stay vigilant on that front.
But remember that Revelation 13 paints a picture of global enforcement of religion, not nations respecting sovereignty and borders (i.e. nationalism). America “repudiates” its civic nationalism in the final events, and global intolerance is enforced.
And there is not only a danger, but a certainty, that in lining up against nationalism we promote a dark and anti-Christian globalism that has been slowly building for the last 100 years. (Space doesn’t allow for a complete account of how nationalism’s foil, globalism, is – historically and currently – openly satanic. Maybe another time.)
Let us just take this moment, on the quadricentennial (400th anniversary) of Plymouth Rock, to kneel as the Pilgrims did and thank God for this land and for the freedoms He has so generously lavished upon us. This is a historical moment that prophecy and the Spirit of Prophecy identify as something good and true and beautiful – the founding of the American nation.
And rather than tearing down nationalism, may we use our freedoms to His glory to win every soul from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Let’s be a church that transcends national boundaries in our gospel mission, bringing unity in Christ; but also let’s be a church that doesn’t echo the globalist anti-American refrain of opposing borders, which can undermine the order and virtuous nationhood of our land, which currently aids in holding back the winds of strife while we finish the work.
Scott Ritsema is the founder and director of Belt of Truth Ministries and Media on the Brain. He lives in Lakeview Michigan with his wife Cami and three amazing children!
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