Does America Appear In Bible Prophecy II

I had one professor in Bible College define a 'cult' as a 'religion fashioned around one person or one groups particular interpretation of usually a single Bible passage.' Of course he was referring to those cults that use the Bible as their base.
I merely say that as a caution whenever I speculate with different passages of the Bible because I'm a believer that likes to study those Bible passages which possibly have some bearing on the current events of our day. I don't believe it's wrong to do so, though you may disagree.

Concerning this topic (America In Bible Prophecy) I began last week with a look at a passage in Obadiah where the prophet speaks of a land who has set it's nest among the stars just before God's judgment falls. Those people were identified with an eagle, which some have taken to mean America's National Bird. They were a proud people, though greatly despised by other nations. Some have taken this to mean America; others that it is talking about the Edomites who were said to have built their cities on the mountain tops.

Today I want to look at another chapter in the Bible and check out some different translations. The passage is the entire chapter of Isaiah 18. Since it is the whole chapter I want to break it down as I go. At the conclusion of this entry I will post the entire chapter.

Right from the start there is a woe pronounced.

[1] "Woe to the land shadowed with buzzing wings, which is beyond the
rivers of Ethiopia,"

(NKJV) In every major city of America the buzzing wings of helicopters and small aircraft can be heard. In Todays New International Version (TNIV) it says "Woe to the land of whirring wings which accurately describe helicopters.
"Beyond the rivers of Ethiopia" is not taken as a compass direction but rather to describe the boundaries of known civilization as recognized by a Jewish prophet who lived seven centuries before Christ. He then goes on to describe this nations ambassadors traveling swiftly over the sea in vessels made of reeds.

[2] "Which sends ambassadors by sea, Even in
vessels of reed on the waters, saying, “ Go,
swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of
skin, To a people terrible from their
beginning onward, A nation powerful and
treading down, Whose land the rivers
divide.” - NKJV

To reach countries on five continents US ambassadors must travel over sea. They travel swiftly. Today they don't use ships, but travel in aircraft. Aircraft are constructed of aluminum tubing. The central structure of the aircraft itself is the fuselage which is basically a closed tube - like a reed. And it is swift!

"...to a nation tall and smooth of skin, To a people terrible from their beginning onward..."

From America's founding she took on the mightiest military in the world and won.

"A nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide.

Todays New International Version reads it this way: "...to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers."

Young's Literal Translation renders it thus: "...Unto a people fearful from its beginning and onwards, A nation meeting out by line, and treading down, Whose land floods have spoiled."

The meeting out by line in today's language would be "measured out." The next phrase says, "and treading down." Measured out and treading down could be a direct reference to a highway system in the minds of those who believe this is America.

[3] " All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it. (NKJV)

The world recognizes the American flag which is backed up by the most advanced military on earth. But even the most powerful nation is only a 'drop in the bucket' to God Almighty, and He is watching.

[4] "This is what the LORD says to me: "I
will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place,
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of
harvest."
[5] For, before the harvest, when the blossom is
gone and the flower becomes a ripening
grape, he will cut off the shoots with
pruning knives, and cut down and take away
the spreading branches.
[6] They will all be left to the
mountain birds of prey and to the wild
animals; the birds will feed on them all
summer, the wild animals all winter." (NKJV)

Disaster now hits this nation and it is reduced to a shell of its former self. God prunes her to clear away the deadness so that she might once again be fruitful. In the end she is fruitful and is shown presenting gifts to the Lord God Almighty in Mount Zion - a reference to Jerusalem when all nations are ruled by Christ.

[7] "At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned,
from a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
whose land is divided by rivers—
the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion,
the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty."

I don't know if this is a reference to America. I've presented here a viewpoint that Most Bible scholars, even the ones I look to the most say it is a reference to Egypt and has nothing to do with America. Yet there are some amazing paralells to America here, don't you think so?

Here is the chapter, in it's entirety from the New King James Version:

1 Woe to the land shadowed with buzzing wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, 2 Which sends ambassadors by sea, even in vessels of reed on the waters, saying,“ Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin, To a people terrible from their beginning onward, A nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide.” 3 All inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth: When he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it; And when he blows a trumpet, you hear it. 4 For so the LORD said to me,“ I will take My rest, And I will look from My dwelling place Like clear heat in sunshine, Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” 5 For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect And the sour grape is ripening in the flower, He will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks And take away and cut down the branches. 6 They will be left together for the mountain birds of prey And for the beasts of the earth; The birds of prey will summer on them, And all the beasts of the earth will winter on them. 7 In that time a present will be brought to the LORD of hosts From a people tall and smooth of skin, And from a people terrible from their beginning onward, A nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide— To the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, To Mount Zion.