U.S. Navy No Longer Elicits Fear

For decades, Britannia ruled the waves. Then, the baton was passed to the United States during World War II. But God warned that curses would come upon the Israelite-descended nations if they rejected Him, stating: “I will break the pride of your power” (Leviticus 26:19). One of the greatest evidences of British and American power has been their militaries—particularly their navies. Today, Britain’s navy is only a fraction of what it once was—and the pride in as well as the fear of America’s navy are beginning to disappear.

We see this decline playing out in real time in the Red Sea. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are targeting both commercial and military ships in the area, moving the U.S. to spearhead an allied naval coalition representing at least 20 nations to ensure safe passage of goods through the Red Sea (Defense News, December 19, 2023). But the Houthis are unfazed and have threatened to continue and even increase attacks—including targeting American naval ships. In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece last month, Jerry Hendrix, senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute, a military think tank, recently observed that the deterrent capacity of the U.S. navy is waning (December 19, 2023). The Houthi rebels’ leader commented in a televised speech just last week, “We, the Yemeni people, are not among those who are afraid of America. We are comfortable with a direct confrontation with the Americans” (New York Times, January 11, 2024). According to Mr. Hendrix, “America’s failure to expand and maintain its fleet, or stand by its word, may have already entirely eroded U.S. naval deterrence.” As the article’s online subhead noted, “America isn’t very scary anymore.” This failure to engender fear may be seen as a good thing by some, but with 80 percent of global trade moving by sea, the prospects are sobering. U.S. carrier strike groups used to instill fear into the hearts of rogue nations and potential enemies like the Houthis, but apparently no more.

For many the rapid decline of American naval power is surprising. But for students of Bible prophecy, it should not be. To understand why the modern Israelite nations, such as the U.S., rose to power and why they are facing troubles today, read or listen to The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.