The United States and the "kings from the east"

One of the questions students of Bible prophecy often have is, "where does the United States fit into end-times prophecy?" Many theories exist on the topic, however the consensus is that the U.S. does not appear in Bible prophecy. For a thorough examination of the topic I would suggest reading The Late Great United States by Mark Hitchcock. I believe this book is a must read for all Christians in the United States.

If the United States does not appear in Bible prophecy than something must happen to the most powerful empire the world has ever known to render her unimportant in last days' events.

Another aspect to consider in studying the Biblical prophecies of the last days is that there will be a powerful nation come from the east, Revelation 16:12. Many Biblical scholars agree this is a reference to the area of Asia we would refer to as the far east, which includes Japan and China.

With these two ideas in mind, the eventual decline of the U.S. and the rise of the "kings from the east", I would like for you to read these articles.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/24/AR2010022405168_pf.html

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/02/chinas-debt-to-us-treasury-more-than-indicated//print/