In consideration of what happens with the sounding of the first four trumpets, it is interesting that visibly, the land area of the continents of North and South America represents approximately one-third of the land area of the earth.  Just a quick glance at a globe will reveal that the earth's land area is roughly one-third on our side of the earth and two-thirds on the other side.  This means that one-third of the land area is in the hemisphere of which the United States is a part, and two-thirds is in the hemisphere of which Israel is a part.

     Much more interesting is how the earth's land areas figure out by the data we have available to us in our day.  For example, from the popular Internet encyclopedia, Wikepedia, is the following data concerning the seven continents of the earth and the percentages of the total land area each represents (just Goggle continent area percentages):

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North America     16.4%

South America     11.9%

Antarctica               9.4%

Asia                          29.6%

Africa                       20.2%

Europe                     6.8%

Australia                    5.7%

                          ----------

                              100.0%

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     If a globe is dissected perfectly into two halves, one including the United States and the land area in its hemisphere, and the other including Israel and the land area in its hemisphere, the percentage of the total land area each half would contain is thus (giving each half an equal part of Antarctica):

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North America     16.4%

South America     11.9%

1/2 Antarctica        4.7%

                          ----------

                                33.0%

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Asia                          29.6%

Africa                       20.2%

Europe                     6.8%

Australia                   5.7%

1/2 Antarctica       4.7%

                          ----------

                                67.0%

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     It is easy to see that the land area in the hemisphere of which the United States is a part equals one-third, almost exactly (actually, 1/3 = 33.3% and 2/3 = 66.6%).  As can be seen, there is not even a full one percent discrepancy!

     Now, there were no globes in the Bible days, and the people who lived then could have had no concept of this.  But, John got the opportunity for a little different perspective (Rev. 4:1)!  It is easy to imagine that what he saw was more on the order of what astronauts get to see and what we are blessed to be able to see on our televisions and computers.  The devastation that John witnessed at this time, he referred to as affecting "the third part."  It looks like John may have been pretty sharp on them fractions!

     The possibility of the destruction of North and South America is major and would represent all of the Far West from the perspective of Israel.  Also, it is conceivable that the impact of an asteroid sizable enough to wipe out the population of our hemisphere would be prevented by the earth's mass from having the same effect on its opposite side.  Moreover, if an impact like this were to occur in our hemisphere, the land of Israel is situated such that it would be shielded from tidal waves resulting from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  Furthermore, the resultant dust, vapor, and smoke from such an impact could fill the atmosphere to the point of affecting day and nighttime light by one-third (Rev. 8:12).  The earth, being a sphere, is ideal for a cataclysm resulting in such as this to occur.  Of course, the size of what impacts the earth, its speed, angle of impact, and exact place of impact are all factors---but no problem for God!  Admittedly, this possibility is beyond what we can know for sure, before the fact, but it is more than pure conjecture.  It has both relevant substance and strong scriptural support.

     Concerning the United States, from the perspective of what has been brought out so far, it is reasonable to wonder if God's primary purpose for bringing to pass the discovery of the Americas in the first place was to provide a further refuge for the Church as the population of the world increased.  Refuge from what?  My mind goes to the activity of the horseman of the 4th Seal (PROPOSITON P).  But, with the rapture, the Church will cease to need this refuge!  At that time, whatever might be left over here would seem to only complicate matters for anything related to Daniel's 70th Week.  The bottom line may be this:  As with the Church, our hemisphere does not fit in the picture of Daniel's 70th Week, the same as it did not fit in the picture of the other 69 weeks.  If  THE DAY OF THE LORD is a fitting title for the book with seven seals, and Daniel's 70th Week begins a short while after it is opened, is it not reasonable that the first thing in God's plan for that time would be to remove from the picture what doesn't fit that time?

     The nature of what we have been considering supports the possibility that just prior to Daniel's 70th Week, there will be a systematic reversal of world conditions, so that in a very short while, things upon this earth may be looking much as they did in the Bible days.  If this is what John is describing, this would be like a giant leap backward in time to the pre-Church era, the stage being reset for the fulfilling of Daniel's 70th Week and also for the Jew's witnessing of Jesus' Second Advent, this time as their King of kings, and Lord of lords---the same Jesus they rejected as their Messiah some 2000 years ago.

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