The United States honored its 250th birthday with unprecedented fanfare on July 4, 2026. From coast to coast, Americans gathered to celebrate freedom and display their patriotic spirit. The celebrations included tractor parades in the Midwest, a nine-hour military flyover in Washington, D.C., an armada of historic ships on the Hudson River in New York, Revolutionary War reenactments, small-town parades, and big-city extravaganzas.
On the National Mall in Washington, D.C., stalwart Americans braved oppressive humidity and triple-digit temperatures to listen to speeches, performances, and prayers of dedication. Many refused to go home even when severe thunderstorms forced them to temporarily evacuate. They came back by the thousands to hear the U.S. President deliver a 40-minute speech on politics, patriotism, and history, and to witness what may have been the biggest fireworks show ever.
Despite political divisions, the celebrations brought people together to honor the nation’s common heritage and the ideals that have made it great. Yet the Bible predicts that our nation, which has long been a bastion of religious freedom, will one day outlaw the true worship of God.
America’s Founding Ideals Allow Faith to Flourish
The United States of America first declared its freedom on July 4, 1776. On that day, the Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence, which reads in part:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
These founding ideals—liberty, self-government, equality—have made the United States the freest nation on Earth. Though America has often failed to live up to these ideals, it has nonetheless provided a haven for millions seeking freedom to build their lives and worship God according to their conscience.
Though the first citizens of the fledgling nation were predominantly Christian, they did not enshrine their religious beliefs in civil laws. The First Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, guarantees that the federal government shall not establish a state religion and that each individual has the right to freely express their own religious beliefs. These two protections created a country where Christianity could prosper.
The Second Great Awakening grew out of this religious freedom, and revival swept through the nation in the early 19th century. During this time, a popular preacher named William Miller discovered that the prophecies of Daniel seemed to point to the second coming of Christ in the early 1840s. Free to publish his views without restriction, Miller shared his insights widely, and many were converted.
People must be given the opportunity to understand and follow all of God’s law.
Despite a misunderstanding of the prophetic symbols and the believers’ great disappointment when Jesus did not return at the expected time, God continued to lead the believers toward a deeper understanding of the Bible. The truths about the Sabbath, the state of the dead, the heavenly sanctuary, and the soon return of Jesus anchored the believers’ faith and gave power to their message. The three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 became their watchword and marching orders.
America’s commitment to religious liberty provided the nurturing soil that allowed the nationwide “Advent movement” to flourish and become a worldwide one.
Moving Toward a Prophetic Destiny
As the Advent believers pored over Revelation, they discovered that chapter 13 points to the rise of a beast from the earth with “two horns like a lamb” (Revelation 13:11). Diligent study led them to conclude that this lamb-like beast could be none other than the United States. The lamb-like beast:
- Comes to power as the papacy receives its deadly wound (Revelation 13:3, 11)
- Rises from the ground, indicating that it came from a place with few people (Revelation 17:15)
- Has two horns but no crowns, symbolizing the USA’s commitment to civil and religious liberty.
Sadly, the prophecy also says that the USA will “speak like a dragon” (Revelation 13:11). The time is coming when the United States will abandon its commitment to religious liberty and will begin to speak and act like the dragon (Satan).
While perhaps not a widespread belief today, it is worth noting that Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, chair of the Religious Liberty Commission, has stated that the term “separation of church and state” has no basis in the Constitution and should not affect public policy.
Sharing the Three Angels’ Messages on America’s 250th Anniversary
“This country is the home of freedom… and has been the hope, the promise, the light and the glory among all of the nations of the world,” President Trump said during his speech celebrating America’s 250th birthday on the National Mall. That is something we can all celebrate.
Yet as Bible-based Christians who preach the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6–12, we must shout the good news that Jesus is coming and warn that the United States will not always be a place where freedom of conscience is upheld by the rule of law. People must be given the opportunity to understand and follow all of God’s law.
That’s why over twenty Spirit-filled missionaries converged on the National Mall earlier this year to distribute last-day truth. They passed out 15,000 Amazing Facts’ Freedom 250 bags containing the America in Prophecy magazine, The Fall & Rise of Jerusalem (a reprint of Great Controversy), an America & the Ten Commandments booklet, and a Religious Freedom 250 card with a QR code for Amazing Facts’ online documentaries. Thousands more received other books about the true Sabbath and plastic cards pointing them to an online version of the Great Controversy.
Our prayer is that many will read these timely resources and choose to join His commandment-keeping remnant so that they can experience true freedom in Christ.
Will you join us in that prayer?
If you’d like to learn more about what the Bible says about the United States in Bible prophecy, please watch Pastor Doug’s sermon on “The Final War Over Worship” or review the “The USA in Bible Prophecy” Study Guide.
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