Prophetic trouble in the wake of a burst real estate bubble

According to one conservative US economic forecaster, "In terms of the international purchasing power of the dollar, which has declined precipitously, the median price of a single-family home has fallen more than 35 percent to levels last seen in 1998. That's due to the decline in the international purchasing power of the dollar since 2001, coupled with the decline in housing prices in dollar terms … The decline in the value of the dollar will become an important stabilizing factor in U.S. real estate prices. It means more foreign investors should soon be investing in U.S. property … Indeed, based on my travels, particularly through Asia, and considering especially metropolitan areas and their suburbs in places such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and even Bangkok – I would say that U.S. property prices now represent some of the best bargains on the planet" (uncommonwisdomdaily.com, June 29, 2009).

The current world economic situation is sobering to watch from any vantage point. It is emotionally gut-wrenching to watch friends, neighbors and family members lose their homes and property. It is especially sobering to watch the loss of property that has been passed down through a family for generations; property intended as an inheritance for future generations.

On the other hand, these sobering economic events are also arguably exciting, for true Christians, because they are evidence that God is working out His plan here below. God warned long ago that with the declining morality and increasing disobedience to His law among Israelite-descended nations, hard times would come.

One prophecy that is closely related to the above real estate statistics is found in both Deuteronomy and Lamentations. God warned ancient Israel and the modern Israelite-descended nations, that "The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail" (Deuteronomy 28:43-44).

We see this warning continued in the book of Lamentations. This book is God's dual lament over the destruction of Jerusalem, ancient Israel's capital, and the future fall of the Israelite-descended nations. Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God prophesied of a future perspective of His people, "Remember, O Lord, what has come upon us; Look, and behold our reproach! Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens, and our houses to foreigners" (Lamentations 5:1-2).

As US home and property prices drop on the world market and "foreigners" purchase more of them, Americans will truly "lose the inheritance" of many generations, as they sell their homes and property. This sobering reality is a fulfillment of one of God's end-time prophecies – a prophecy that must come to pass unless the Israelite-descended nations (the US included) return to God and His way.

But there is a silver lining to this sad story. God also prophesied that one day, in the not-too-distant future, He will return a precious land to the Israelite-descended nations: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness [Jesus Christ]; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely … but, as the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them. And they shall dwell in their own land" (Jeremiah 23:5-6, 8).

This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled! Christ has not retuned to the earth as King, and the twelve tribes of Israel were never given back their land to dwell in. As we see hard times happening to people living in the Israelite-descended nations, we can rest assured that God has a better future planned for everyone.

To learn more about who the Israelite-descended nations are and what their future holds, please see our booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.