Introduction and Review of Previous Points

Weaver reviews the first three ways God destroys nations: religiously, socially, and governmentally, as covered in prior sermons.

Let's open our Bibles to Isaiah chapter 19, and we'll read the first 17 verses. Isaiah 19. And we're still on the series, How God Destroys Nations. And let's read, beginning with verse 1. Isaiah 19, verse 1:

And the water shall fail from the sea, and the rivers shall be wasted and dried up. And they shall turn the rivers far away, and the brooks of the fence shall be emptied and dried up. The reeds and the flags shall wither. The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and everything sown by the brooks shall wither, be driven away, and be no more. The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the water shall languish. Moreover, they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded, and they shall be broken in purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.

The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived. They also have seduced Egypt, even they that are of the state of the tribes thereof. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof, and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit. Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do. In that day shall Egypt be likened to women, and it shall be afraid in fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts which he shaketh over it. And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, and every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts which he hath determined against it."

Now, as we've been looking at this short series on how God destroys nations, I've covered three points so far. First of all, God destroys nations religiously, and I dealt with that in verse 1 and especially in verse 3. And certainly when God destroys that which binds people together, very obviously, the only thing left is dissolution and seeking individual wizards and charmers and idols. That's exactly what he says. And you go and splinter into a zillion pieces. And I just simply pointed out that historically, our nation was begun as a Christian nation. Doesn't matter what denomination you were, every original colony, every original state said that in order to be a ruler, you must acknowledge the deity of Jesus Christ, believe in him, and confess the inspiration of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. And this country was founded upon Christian principles.

And for years, even our courts ruled that way. But now, of course, you see how our nation has disintegrated, and we have become a multicultural and multi-religious society, so that everything under the sun is tolerated in this land except biblical Christianity. So God has basically destroyed us religiously. And then I pointed out, secondly, when God destroys nations, He does so socially. That's why in verse 2 He said, "And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians, and they shall fight everyone against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom." And I went on to show you how that our country once again has become a multicultural society, and we have not only the racial and ethnic groups, we have all these various religious groups, and what is basically happening in this country now, it's not just simply blacks against whites or whites against blacks.

You have the Hispanics, you have the Orientals, you have everything under the sun, and basically we have left the law of God in this country and we don't even know how to treat each other. That's why God says you're to have one law for he that is born in the land and one law for the stranger that is among you. In other words, what God is saying is we must all at least honor his law and act according to his law toward each other, or there's going to be nothing but division, chaos, and confusion. And that's exactly what has happened. So God destroys a nation not only religiously but socially. And then last week I dealt with the third point and how God destroys nations governmentally. And I gave you five specific ways that God destroys nations governmentally. The first one was through tyrannical corruption.

That's why I said in verse four that I will give Egypt over into the hand of a cruel lord and a fierce king shall rule over them. And then, of course, the second way was through political imbecility. That's why I said in verse 11, "Surely the princes of Zoan are fools. The counsel of the wise counselors of Pharaoh has become brutish." And then once again, he says in verse 13, "The princes of Zoan have become fools." And let me tell you something, people, you don't have to look far in our country to find political imbecility. It reigns supreme everywhere. It's just unbelievable. God does not have to use tyrannical corruption. He makes. But he also can use political imbecility, also, thirdly, moral turpitude. He says in verse 14, "The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof, and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, and as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit." You look around in our nation today, and we have so many immoral, wicked, ungodly perverts that are in authority. And the fact of the matter is, God can destroy a country not just through tyrannical corruption, not just through political imbecility, but because of immorality, that is moral turpitude, and bad government always produces bad citizens.

And God can also turn government into a curse as well. So God destroys nations governmentally. Now, today I come to the fourth point. The fourth way that God destroys nations is economically. You'll find that in verses 5 through 10. Look at it. "And the water shall fail from the sea, and the rivers shall be wasted and dried up. And they shall turn the rivers away, and the brooks of defense shall be emptied and dried up. The reeds and the flags shall wither. The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and everything sown by the brooks shall wither and be driven away and be no more." Read all the way down to verse 10, and you have what you and I would call natural phenomena that God is using to destroy the nation economically.

Economic Destruction Through Natural Phenomena

God uses nature—drought, crop failure, plagues, and weather—to destroy a nation's economy, as seen in Isaiah 19:5-10.

Now, today I come to the fourth point. The fourth way that God destroys nations is economically. You'll find that in verses 5 through 10. Look at it. "And the water shall fail from the sea, and the rivers shall be wasted and dried up. And they shall turn the rivers away, and the brooks of defense shall be emptied and dried up. The reeds and the flags shall wither. The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and everything sown by the brooks shall wither and be driven away and be no more." Read all the way down to verse 10, and you have what you and I would call natural phenomena that God is using to destroy the nation economically.

You see, the most obvious form of economic destruction is that which you and I refer to as nature. You see, the humanists refer to God's acts of sovereign providence as Mother Nature. Most do not understand that it is God Himself that is in control of all of these elements. You've heard me say it. I'm going to say it again. There is no such thing as luck, chance, fate, or fortune in a world that is ruled by God. God controls everything, including the weather.

Now, I want you to listen to this question that God asked. He asked this in Amos 3 and verse 6. Here's the question.

Now, remember. All these ancient cities, you had watchmen upon the walls, and when that trumpet blew, what did that mean? Danger was imminent. You better take care. So here's the question.

What is God asking? Can anything wicked and evil come upon a city or people without the Lord?

And the answer is no. What is that teaching us? It is teaching us that we must see God's hand of judgment in every natural catastrophe that exists. Now, how does God destroy the economy of a nation? Well, I'm going to give you two answers today. The first way is naturally, by using nature itself. Do you realize that all God has to do to destroy the economy of a nation is to withhold the sunshine, or the rain, or the nourishment that the land needs to produce? When that nourishment is withheld, then crops naturally wither and die.

Plagues, insects, worms, and other natural predators are indeed equally a part of God's judgment. Let me show you. I want you to look in your Bibles very quickly, first of all, to Jeremiah chapter 14 and verse 22. Jeremiah 14 and verse 22. And look, if you would, please, at what is said. Jeremiah 14, verse 22. Here's the question. Jeremiah 14, verse 22.

And by the way, the word vanities there refers to idols or false gods. So here's the question.

Or can the heavens give showers? Art not thou he, O Lord our God? Therefore, we will wait upon thee, for thou hast made all these things." In other words, showers and rain do not come apart from the blessing of God. God is the only one that can send the rain.

Now look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Amos, chapter 4, and I want you to see some of these judgments that God sends upon the people because of their unrepentant attitude. Amos chapter 4. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Amos chapter 4. And let's begin reading there with verse 6. And I want you to see the hand of God against these people economically. And look at what these judgments consist of. Amos 4 verse 6.

"And I have also given you cleanness of teeth in your cities," that is famine, "and want of bread in all your places. Yet you've not returned to me, saith the Lord." Now, if God has sent famine, that means there has been crop failures. Watch verse seven. "I also have withholden the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest, and I caused it to rain upon one city and caused it not to rain upon another city. One piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered into one city to drink water, but you were not satisfied, yet have you not returned unto me, saith the Lord." Now watch, "I have smitten you with blasting and mildew."

"When your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them. Yet have you not returned unto me, saith the Lord. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt. Your young men have I slain with a sword, and have taken away your horses, and have made the stink of your camps to come up in your nostrils. Yet have you not returned unto me, saith the Lord." And then God goes on and talks about other judgments, but the point I'm trying to make is this. When God sent the palmerworm, when God sent the locust, when God sent all of those natural predators, when God withheld the rain, when God sent famine and drought, it was equally the judgment of God as when God sent the military or when God sent fire from heaven. God does not have to burn us up to destroy us.

I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Job. Right before the book of Psalms, you have the book of Job, Job 38. And I want you to note what God says, beginning there with verse 22. We talk about the frost, we talk about sleet and snow and hail in Job 38 and verse 22. Look what God says, Job 38, verse 22.

"Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail?" Now look, look what God says, "Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war." You know what God can do? God can use what you and I would call natural phenomena, that is, inclement weather, and destroy a nation economically. Let me tell you something, when hail falls the size of baseballs, it's not just your crops you better look out for, you better be on the run. I have seen much smaller hail fall in my days and strip crops bare in the field. Knock every leaf from every stalk. God says, "These are my treasures that I have reserved for the time of judgment."

Now, look in your Bibles to the book of Nahum. Right after the book of Micah, you have the little book of Nahum. And I want you to note what Nahum says in Nahum chapter 1. Book of Nahum, right after Micah. I'm sorry, right after Micah and right before Habakkuk. Okay? Nahum chapter 1. And let's begin reading there verse 3. I'm just showing you how God is in control of what you and I would call Mother Nature. I don't like that term, but I'm just simply saying that's what the world calls it. Here it is. Nahum chapter 1 verse 3.

"The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked. Now look. The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind, and in the storm, and in the clouds, and in the dust of His feet." Who do you think sends the hurricanes, and the tornadoes, and the cyclones? Verse 4, "He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers." "Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at Him." Who sends the earthquakes? "And the hills melt, and the earth is burned at His presence. Yea, the world and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His indignation, and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and rocks are thrown down by Him." Let me tell you something. If you and I cannot stand up to what you and I would call the natural judgments of God, who in his right mind could ever think he could stand up to God Himself? The tsunami that hit?

I saw a picture of that huge tidal wave before it hit the land and one report said that it was traveling at 500 miles an hour initially. Who in the world can outrun something like that? You can't. Now may I remind you, without you having me turn there, but if you read Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, you'll find especially in verses 12 and verse 24 of Deuteronomy 28, that the blessing, that is the giving of rain, or the curse, or the withholding of rain, is tied to obedience and disobedience. God promises as we obey him, he will send the rain in due season. God promises also that if we disobey Him, He will curse us and withhold the rain.

Now, I want you to look in your Bibles in Isaiah chapter 19, because I want you to see how God uses, first and foremost, natural phenomena to destroy a nation economically. Look what he says in verse 5. "The water shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up." Now, I don't know how much you know about the land of Egypt, but Egypt was not a land that had rain in it. Egypt got all of its fertile soil from the overflowing of the Nile River.

Now, when he says the river shall be wasted and dried up, what does that mean? It means there's not going to be any fertility. Because when that river failed to reach its normal height and failed to overflow, then there was nothing left but barrenness and famine. So when that river is dried up, metaphorically speaking, what God is saying is this, I'm going to destroy your commerce. I'm going to destroy your economy. Egypt was famous for its river. The Nile River was known for its beauty and for its strength, for its wealth. And also, the Egyptians idolized that river. They treated it as a god. God said, I've got news for you. Your god's going to fail.

Let me tell you something, folks. You think the American economy is a god? You think it can't fail? The Egyptians thought the Nile River couldn't fail either. But God said, I will dry it up. I'm not going to allow nature, which God created, to favor you anymore. I'm going to withhold my blessings. I'm going to curse you. And God does so economically, but he does so naturally. Everything by the river also dries up. Look what he said. Verse 6.

"And they shall turn the rivers far away, and the brooks of the fence shall be emptied and dried up, the reeds and the flags shall wither. The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and everything sown by the brooks shall wither and be driven away and be no more." The drying up of the river is the absolute destruction of the economy of Egypt. Now, I want you to see that the entire fishing industry of Egypt is destroyed. The entire fishing industry. Do you remember how the children of Israel in Numbers chapter 11 and verse 5 whined and complained against God and they said,

In other words, there was an abundance of fish in the land. But now when God dries up the river, he's going to be killing the fish, which means one of the main food sources of the land of Egypt is gone. Can you imagine what it would be like to Darien, to Brunswick, maybe to Jacksonville, Southern Alabama, for all of the fishing industry all of a sudden to be totally, absolutely destroyed?

How about Maine? How about Massachusetts? All those people up there that rely upon all types of fishing industry. Now, I want you to watch. Look in verse 8. He says, "The fishers also shall mourn, and all that cast angle into the brook shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish." In other words, everything related then to the industry is going to be destroyed. Do you realize among the children of the world, genuine tears are shed over lost jobs and lost money. And here God says everything in this fishing industry is going to be destroyed. Those who made it their business to keep fish, look at it. Skip down to verse 10. They're going to be ruined as well. He says, "And they shall be broken in purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish." So when you made a sluice, then the water ran into your pond. And that's where you kept your fish after you had caught them. Always easy to get right out of the pond, but because the sluices are going to dry up, the ponds are going to dry up. That is, the entire fishing industry is gone.

You're getting no fish from the river. You have no fish in your ponds. Everything is gone. Look what else God says. Verse nine. "Moreover, they that work in fine flax and they that weave networks shall be confounded." You know, it's amazing to me. And you and I never think about this, but it's amazing to me how many occupations are tied together and stand and fall upon each other.

Can you imagine what would happen in this country if just the transportation industry was shut down for one week? What about the power grid? You see what I'm saying? Everything is dependent upon electricity. Everything is dependent upon transportation. Egypt was famous for its fine linen and for its flax. Even Solomon traded for this fine linen in 1 Kings 10 and verse 28. Egypt was known for their flax, and the finest hands in Egypt worked that flax.

But now God says, look, that's going to be destroyed as well. Do you understand that the decay of trade weakens and wastes a nation by degrees and brings it to ruin? Do you realize the trade deficits that exist in this country? You say, well, we sell China $100 million worth of goods every year. Yeah, they sell us 10 or 20 billion dollars worth every year. In other words, there's more coming in than there is going out. And what God is saying in Egypt, He's going to destroy this nation economically by ruining their trade. He's going to ruin their industry. In fact, he's going to destroy it so much so.

And people will not be able to work. Look down at verse 15. Look what God says. "Neither shall there be any work for Egypt which the head or tail, branch or rush may do." It doesn't matter if you're high and mighty, or low and impotent. God says there's not going to be any work for you to do. Do you realize something, folks? When there is no work for a people, when people are unable to work or unwilling to work, destruction slowly descends upon the nation. Let me tell you, one of the problems we have in this country today is not that we do not have work. We just have too many who are unwilling to work. And those who are unwilling to work are willing to freeload off those who are willing to work. And what does God say? "If any man will not work, what? Neither should he eat." I have no sympathy for anyone who will not work. I have no sympathy for anyone who will not make his own way. But God says, look, I can ruin you economically.

Do you realize, folks, I saw a—I was raised on a farm and I saw a bumper sticker that I really liked. Of course, farming today has become so socialistic and so governmentally controlled that it's almost impossible for a farmer to do what he needs to do or even make any money. But one bumper sticker I saw that I did like, it said, "Don't criticize a farmer with your mouth full." But stop and think about that. When the farms go under, you needn't go to the grocery store because their shelves will be bare as well. Everything is tied together. And when God destroys a nation economically, one of the easiest and one of the most obvious ways that he does it is through a natural phenomenon, the judgments of nature. Secondly, God may also destroy the economy of a nation institutionally. Now what do I mean when I say that God may destroy the economy of a nation institutionally? Well, since money is in the realm of government, in one sense of the word, that institution, government, may destroy the nation economically. Now one way that governments destroy the economy of a nation is by debasing or destroying the money supply. When money is debased, it loses its intrinsic value.

The Drying Up of Egypt's River and Industries

The failure of the Nile River leads to the collapse of fishing, flax, and other industries, illustrating total economic ruin.

Now, I don't know how much you know about the land of Egypt, but Egypt was not a land that had rain in it. Egypt got all of its fertile soil from the overflowing of the Nile River. Now, when he says the river shall be wasted and dried up, what does that mean? It means there's not going to be any fertility. Because when that river failed to reach its normal height and failed to overflow, then there was nothing left but barrenness and famine. So when that river is dried up, metaphorically speaking, what God is saying is this, I'm going to destroy your commerce. I'm going to destroy your economy. Egypt was famous for its river. The Nile River was known for its beauty and for its strength, for its wealth. And also, the Egyptians idolized that river. They treated it as a god. God said, I've got news for you. Your god's going to fail.

Let me tell you something, folks. You think the American economy is a god? You think it can't fail? The Egyptians thought the Nile River couldn't fail either. But God said, I will dry it up. I'm not going to allow nature, which God created, to favor you anymore. I'm going to withhold my blessings. I'm going to curse you. And God does so economically, but he does so naturally. Everything by the river also dries up. Look what he said. Verse 6.

"And they shall turn the rivers far away, and the brooks of the fence shall be emptied and dried up, the reeds and the flags shall wither. The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and everything sown by the brooks shall wither and be driven away and be no more." The drying up of the river is the absolute destruction of the economy of Egypt. Now, I want you to see that the entire fishing industry of Egypt is destroyed. The entire fishing industry. Do you remember how the children of Israel in Numbers chapter 11 and verse 5 whined and complained against God and they said,

In other words, there was an abundance of fish in the land. But now when God dries up the river, he's going to be killing the fish, which means one of the main food sources of the land of Egypt is gone. Can you imagine what it would be like to Darien, to Brunswick, maybe to Jacksonville, Southern Alabama, for all of the fishing industry all of a sudden to be totally, absolutely destroyed?

How about Maine? How about Massachusetts? All those people up there that rely upon all types of fishing industry. Now, I want you to watch. Look in verse 8. He says, "The fishers also shall mourn, and all that cast angle into the brook shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish." In other words, everything related then to the industry is going to be destroyed. Do you realize among the children of the world, genuine tears are shed over lost jobs and lost money. And here God says everything in this fishing industry is going to be destroyed. Those who made it their business to keep fish, look at it. Skip down to verse 10. They're going to be ruined as well. He says, "And they shall be broken in purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish." So when you made a sluice, then the water ran into your pond. And that's where you kept your fish after you had caught them. Always easy to get right out of the pond, but because the sluices are going to dry up, the ponds are going to dry up. That is, the entire fishing industry is gone.

You're getting no fish from the river. You have no fish in your ponds. Everything is gone. Look what else God says. Verse nine. "Moreover, they that work in fine flax and they that weave networks shall be confounded." You know, it's amazing to me. And you and I never think about this, but it's amazing to me how many occupations are tied together and stand and fall upon each other.

Can you imagine what would happen in this country if just the transportation industry was shut down for one week? What about the power grid? You see what I'm saying? Everything is dependent upon electricity. Everything is dependent upon transportation. Egypt was famous for its fine linen and for its flax. Even Solomon traded for this fine linen in 1 Kings 10 and verse 28. Egypt was known for their flax, and the finest hands in Egypt worked that flax.

But now God says, look, that's going to be destroyed as well. Do you understand that the decay of trade weakens and wastes a nation by degrees and brings it to ruin? Do you realize the trade deficits that exist in this country? You say, well, we sell China $100 million worth of goods every year. Yeah, they sell us 10 or 20 billion dollars worth every year. In other words, there's more coming in than there is going out. And what God is saying in Egypt, He's going to destroy this nation economically by ruining their trade. He's going to ruin their industry. In fact, he's going to destroy it so much so.

Economic Destruction Through Institutional Means

Governments destroy economies by debasing money, replacing gold and silver with worthless paper, and creating perpetual debt.

But stop and think about that. When the farms go under, you needn't go to the grocery store because their shelves will be bare as well. Everything is tied together. And when God destroys a nation economically, one of the easiest and one of the most obvious ways that he does it is through a natural phenomenon, the judgments of nature. Secondly, God may also destroy the economy of a nation institutionally. Now what do I mean when I say that God may destroy the economy of a nation institutionally? Well, since money is in the realm of government, in one sense of the word, that institution, government, may destroy the nation economically. Now one way that governments destroy the economy of a nation is by debasing or destroying the money supply. When money is debased, it loses its intrinsic value.

Let me give you a scripture from Isaiah 1 in verse 22. Here is a complaint that's lodged against the people by God himself. He says this,

What does he say?

Instead of a pure coin, instead of honest money, you now have silver debased by mixing a baser metal with it. Some of you may know this, but Henry VIII of England had a nickname. His nickname was Old Copper Nose. And he got that name because he took the gold coins of the realm and debased them and put a covering of copper on it to kind of make it look like gold. And when the people would have it in their pocket and hold it in their hands, that which came off first was that around the middle of the coin where they would hold it, which would expose his nose. It was copper coins, you know, just gold covered. And so he got the nickname Old Copper Nose because he had debased the coins of the realm.

Now, folks, let me tell you something, God says in Proverbs 25 and verse four,

God is talking about pure silver. Then he says in Proverbs 26 and verse 23, "Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross." In other words, silver dross is absolutely worthless. It is not pure. It is not good for anything. Do you understand that all the coins that we have in this country today are absolutely and totally worthless? There are no governmental coins of value unless you happen to find something that has been minted in time past or they do a special mint. And most of these so-called governmental special mints that they are offering on TV, why, you can get this $20 gold piece for $19.95.

I hope you're not stupid enough to buy one for $19.95. I mean, there's not enough gold in that to do anything with. I mean, let's be honest, folks. We have been duped. And we have been conned into believing that fake money is real money. It is not. It cannot be. And it will never be. And all the coins that we have in our possession are absolutely and totally worthless. Now, please understand something. You do not necessarily have to debase the coinage to destroy an economy if you can replace that coinage with a worthless supply of paper. You see, the trick is to deceive people into believing that something that is inherently worthless is valuable.

Let me say that again. The trick is to deceive people into thinking that something that is intrinsically worthless is valuable. Have you ever wondered why people rob banks? I mean, just stop and think about that for a moment. Suppose you had a satchel full of paper. What good is it? I mean, stop and think about it. Someone has said, and I don't know the author of this quote, but I really like it. Someone has said the government is the only entity that can take a perfectly good piece of paper, slap some ink on it, and make it completely worthless.

One of my favorite stories is about the counterfeiter in Russia before the fall of Tsar Nicholas. He was counterfeiting. And he was so good at it, he never got caught. And the last issue that he did of the government money had a picture of Czar Nicholas in it. And here's why he quit. Because around the picture of Czar Nicholas he had engraved in real small letters, but still legible, "My money is worth more than yours." And he had to quit counterfeiting because it wasn't paying to counterfeit. The money was going down in value so quickly that the supplies that he was buying and purchasing was worth more than the money.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this, folks. Everybody talks about inflation. Inflation is not higher prices. It is a hidden tax, and it is indeed a means of confiscating our wealth. In our system, it is the Federal Reserve that causes inflation. Inflation is not higher prices, it's because the Fed prints more and more money, and therefore continues to sink the value of the paper money that's already in circulation. I'm going to give you a quote by Franklin Sanders. Those of you who read The Last Money Changer read this in it. He said, "The Fed," talking about the Federal Reserve, "the Fed was conceived in inflation, born in inflation, raised up in inflation, flourishes in inflation, and will perish in inflation. The Fed is inflation." And that's a fact.

Now, I want you to listen. You will find this in Bouvier's Law Dictionary. But I'm going to give you a definition of a dollar. Dollar, money. A silver coin of the United States of the value of 100 cents or the 10th part of an eagle. What is the definition of a dollar? The 10th part of an eagle, a silver coin. Here's what an eagle is. Money. A gold coin of the United States of the value of $10. It weighs 258 grains of 1,000 parts, 900 are of pure gold, and 100 of alloy. According to an act of January 18, 1837, listen carefully, I'm still continuing to quote, "Gold, silver, and some other less precious metals in the progress of civilization and commerce have become the common standards of value in order to avoid the delay and inconvenience of regulating their weight and quality whenever passed.

The governments of the civilized world have caused them to be manufactured in certain proportions and marked with a stamp which attests their value. This is called money." What is called money? When you have gold or silver minted and guaranteed to be of a certain value. Here is the Coinage Act of 1792 established by Congress, and here's the definition. A dollar is a certain weight of silver shaped into a coin that is minted and placed in circulation and authorized by the minting of the United States of America as silver dollars, and then we go and talk about the gold eagles, etc., etc., right on down the line. But what is a dollar? A dollar was a silver coin. We now have today a Federal Reserve note which does not promise anything, is not redeemable or demanding anything of intrinsic value, and which has been unilaterally decreed as legal tender, but which is not and cannot ever be considered as lawful money of the United States of America. So that which we carry in our pockets, which we call Federal Reserve Notes, is not and cannot be lawful money according to the laws of our land, even according to our Constitution.

The Debasement of Money and the Federal Reserve

Weaver explains how fiat currency and the Federal Reserve cause inflation, confiscate wealth, and enslave the people.

Let me give you a scripture from Isaiah 1 in verse 22. Here is a complaint that's lodged against the people by God himself. He says this,

What does he say?

Instead of a pure coin, instead of honest money, you now have silver debased by mixing a baser metal with it. Some of you may know this, but Henry VIII of England had a nickname. His nickname was Old Copper Nose. And he got that name because he took the gold coins of the realm and debased them and put a covering of copper on it to kind of make it look like gold. And when the people would have it in their pocket and hold it in their hands, that which came off first was that around the middle of the coin where they would hold it, which would expose his nose. It was copper coins, you know, just gold covered. And so he got the nickname Old Copper Nose because he had debased the coins of the realm.

Now, folks, let me tell you something, God says in Proverbs 25 and verse four,

God is talking about pure silver. Then he says in Proverbs 26 and verse 23, "Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross." In other words, silver dross is absolutely worthless. It is not pure. It is not good for anything. Do you understand that all the coins that we have in this country today are absolutely and totally worthless? There are no governmental coins of value unless you happen to find something that has been minted in time past or they do a special mint. And most of these so-called governmental special mints that they are offering on TV, why, you can get this $20 gold piece for $19.95.

I hope you're not stupid enough to buy one for $19.95. I mean, there's not enough gold in that to do anything with. I mean, let's be honest, folks. We have been duped. And we have been conned into believing that fake money is real money. It is not. It cannot be. And it will never be. And all the coins that we have in our possession are absolutely and totally worthless. Now, please understand something. You do not necessarily have to debase the coinage to destroy an economy if you can replace that coinage with a worthless supply of paper. You see, the trick is to deceive people into believing that something that is inherently worthless is valuable.

Let me say that again. The trick is to deceive people into thinking that something that is intrinsically worthless is valuable. Have you ever wondered why people rob banks? I mean, just stop and think about that for a moment. Suppose you had a satchel full of paper. What good is it? I mean, stop and think about it. Someone has said, and I don't know the author of this quote, but I really like it. Someone has said the government is the only entity that can take a perfectly good piece of paper, slap some ink on it, and make it completely worthless.

One of my favorite stories is about the counterfeiter in Russia before the fall of Tsar Nicholas. He was counterfeiting. And he was so good at it, he never got caught. And the last issue that he did of the government money had a picture of Czar Nicholas in it. And here's why he quit. Because around the picture of Czar Nicholas he had engraved in real small letters, but still legible, "My money is worth more than yours." And he had to quit counterfeiting because it wasn't paying to counterfeit. The money was going down in value so quickly that the supplies that he was buying and purchasing was worth more than the money.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this, folks. Everybody talks about inflation. Inflation is not higher prices. It is a hidden tax, and it is indeed a means of confiscating our wealth. In our system, it is the Federal Reserve that causes inflation. Inflation is not higher prices, it's because the Fed prints more and more money, and therefore continues to sink the value of the paper money that's already in circulation. I'm going to give you a quote by Franklin Sanders. Those of you who read The Last Money Changer read this in it. He said, "The Fed," talking about the Federal Reserve, "the Fed was conceived in inflation, born in inflation, raised up in inflation, flourishes in inflation, and will perish in inflation. The Fed is inflation." And that's a fact.

Now, I want you to listen. You will find this in Bouvier's Law Dictionary. But I'm going to give you a definition of a dollar. Dollar, money. A silver coin of the United States of the value of 100 cents or the 10th part of an eagle. What is the definition of a dollar? The 10th part of an eagle, a silver coin. Here's what an eagle is. Money. A gold coin of the United States of the value of $10. It weighs 258 grains of 1,000 parts, 900 are of pure gold, and 100 of alloy. According to an act of January 18, 1837, listen carefully, I'm still continuing to quote, "Gold, silver, and some other less precious metals in the progress of civilization and commerce have become the common standards of value in order to avoid the delay and inconvenience of regulating their weight and quality whenever passed.

The governments of the civilized world have caused them to be manufactured in certain proportions and marked with a stamp which attests their value. This is called money." What is called money? When you have gold or silver minted and guaranteed to be of a certain value. Here is the Coinage Act of 1792 established by Congress, and here's the definition. A dollar is a certain weight of silver shaped into a coin that is minted and placed in circulation and authorized by the minting of the United States of America as silver dollars, and then we go and talk about the gold eagles, etc., etc., right on down the line. But what is a dollar? A dollar was a silver coin. We now have today a Federal Reserve note which does not promise anything, is not redeemable or demanding anything of intrinsic value, and which has been unilaterally decreed as legal tender, but which is not and cannot ever be considered as lawful money of the United States of America. So that which we carry in our pockets, which we call Federal Reserve Notes, is not and cannot be lawful money according to the laws of our land, even according to our Constitution.

Now, listen carefully. You may rightly call these things Federal Reserve Notes, but they're not really valid as promissory notes. They may be bills of credit. Usually such are called scrip, fiat money, funny money, bogus, worthless, fake, or monopoly money, but it's not money. It is not and cannot be. I want to read you a quote. Thomas Jefferson was writing to Samuel Kercheval in 1816. And I want you to listen to what Thomas Jefferson said. I did a double take when I saw this quote. Listen to what he said.

"To preserve the independence of the people, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt." Now, wait a minute. Listen to that again. "To preserve the independence of the people, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude." Now listen. "If we run into such debts as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, and our necessaries, and our comforts, and our labors, and our amusements, for our callings, for our creeds, as the people of England are, our people, like them, must come to labor sixteen hours in twenty-four, give the earnings of fifteen of these to the government for their debts and daily expenses, and the sixteenth, being insufficient to afford us bread, we must live as they now do on oatmeal and potatoes, listen, have no time to think, no means of calling the mismanagers to account, but be glad to obtain

subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow sufferers." Can you believe that? He said, if we do not understand this, and if we do not make it clear that we cannot be in debt as a nation, we must be taxed in our meat, in our drink, and our necessaries, and our comforts, and our labors, and our amusements, our callings, our creeds, everything. What he has said has come to pass. And what he has said is equally true, that we are riveting their chains around our necks. I find it interesting, he said, once the government gets to this place, he says, we will have no time to think. Isn't that amazing? And no way to call the mismanagers to account. You see, folks, God can destroy a nation institutionally through their money and destroy it economically. You see, the choice is between real money and credit. When we had real money, the dollar was easy to define.

It would be 412.5 grains of pure silver in coin form. Now that 412.5 grains was the average. Usually it was 416 when it was minted and it was traded as a dollar, when it fell below 409 grains, it was then traded proportionately. But if it got much lower than that, then the coin was called back and reminted to come out to weigh what it was supposed to weigh.

So banks then would recall the coins of least value and remint them. Then you could go up to a banker and ask him what a dollar was, and he could tell you. He wouldn't have to refer you to the controller of the currency. He wouldn't have to refer you to the Federal Reserve. He wouldn't have to refer you to the United States Treasury. He could just say, it's 412 and a half grains of pure silver, and it's what it is. That's a dollar.

Do you realize money is one of the basics of society? And it should not be extreme to suggest the fact, without sound money, you cannot have a sound society. And if money, if the money of a society is inherently dishonest, what does that tell you about the people who issue it and the people who accept it? The point I'm trying to make is simply this. We live today in a credit society. We have no money. And the stupidity of what the average American eats for news is absolutely phenomenal. Well, the government this past year created two million more jobs. Folks. The government cannot create jobs. Let me give you an illustration. I'm the government. Let's say there are 20 people in this room. 10 of you have jobs, 10 of you don't. Well, I'm going to put the other 10 to work. We're going to get you out here, and we're going to let you pick up trash, and we're going to let you dig ditches, and we're going to let you do this, and we're going to let you do that. And now I can say that all 20 are working. Isn't that wonderful? Now, whereas 10 were working, now I've got 20 working. One problem. Since I'm the government, and I don't have anything inherently. How do I pay these people of these new jobs I created? Oh, oh, that's right. I forgot. I've got the tax you 10 over here so I can have some money to pay these people. Oh, have I created jobs?

The Illusion of Job Creation and Government Theft

Government cannot create real jobs; it merely redistributes wealth through taxation and inflation, impoverishing citizens.

And the stupidity of what the average American eats for news is absolutely phenomenal. Well, the government this past year created two million more jobs. Folks. The government cannot create jobs. Let me give you an illustration. I'm the government. Let's say there are 20 people in this room. 10 of you have jobs, 10 of you don't. Well, I'm going to put the other 10 to work. We're going to get you out here, and we're going to let you pick up trash, and we're going to let you dig ditches, and we're going to let you do this, and we're going to let you do that. And now I can say that all 20 are working. Isn't that wonderful? Now, whereas 10 were working, now I've got 20 working. One problem. Since I'm the government, and I don't have anything inherently. How do I pay these people of these new jobs I created? Oh, oh, that's right. I forgot. I've got the tax you 10 over here so I can have some money to pay these people. Oh, have I created jobs?

Oh, yes. We have the illusion of 20 people now working. How much money is still in this little group? The same amount. I've just spread it out. I've just taken from some and given to the others and created a new job. And let me tell you something. You say, well, you don't have to tax me. You're the government. Just print more money. Yes, thank you. I shall do that. I'll just print the money and pay these ten men. And guess what? That which you have still goes down in value. You still lose. Now, I'm just saying, folks.

God can destroy us economically. And he has. Would you really like to know the answer to this question? Would you really like to know why we do not have silver and gold as money in this country? Would you really like to know why we are not on the gold standard? Let me tell you why. Without the gold standard—let me rephrase. If we were on a gold standard, if we had gold and silver coins in this country as money, we could not have deficit spending, we could not have a government out of control, and we could not have endless bureaucracies to eat out our substance and enslave us.

The Gold Standard and Economic Freedom

Without gold and silver money, deficit spending and government overreach are inevitable; Alan Greenspan's 1966 quote is cited.

Now if you think I'm over-exaggerating, I want you to listen to Mr. Alan Greenspan before he became chairman of the Federal Reserve. Here's what Alan Greenspan said in Gold and Economic Freedom in 1966. Here are his exact words. Listen carefully. "This is the shabby secret of the welfare statists' tirades against gold. Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the hidden confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights. If one grasps this, one has no difficulty in understanding the statist antagonism toward the gold standard." What? Mr. Greenspan in 1966 said, the reason our nation will not go back to the gold standard willingly is because it would mean a cessation, that is an end of governmental theft, governmental confiscation, and the end of the international banking cartel. Now you know why we don't have silver, and now you know why we don't have gold. While billions are stolen from the American people by usury, banking, and governmental agencies. That is an incentive for them to keep the scheme going as long as they can.

Do you realize we are ruined as a nation economically and we don't even realize it? Let me go a little bit further. Do you realize the average American cannot afford to miss one week of work? The average American has no savings. He has nothing laid up for a rainy day. And if the motor blows up in his vehicle, he has to go to the bank and borrow money to get it fixed. Moreover, listen to me carefully, those who do have perceived wealth, have it in the bank in electronic digits. CDs, paper, bank deposits, stocks and bonds, all of which are basically worthless and can be made worthless overnight.

The Vulnerability of Modern Wealth

Paper assets, electronic digits, and property are all vulnerable to confiscation, taxes, and economic collapse.

Why do you think there were millionaires jumping out of the windows, killing themselves in 1929? Because they went to bed a millionaire and woke up penniless as paupers. Overnight, their paper money was gone. Isn't that interesting? Dross. Silver and gold always has some value. Someone will always barter and trade for silver and gold. You look at the hyperinflation in Germany in 1923, I think it was.

You know what they did to their German marks? They papered their walls. They used it for wallpaper. It was worthless. One objection say, "Oh, brother Weaver, I understand exactly where you're going. I know exactly what you're saying. Boy, I wouldn't have that paper stuff. I wouldn't have that. My money is tied up in property, and I'm sure that's safe." Let me ask you a question. What about taxes? What about confiscation? What about eminent domain? Thousands of people have lost their property due to property taxes, debt taxes, inheritance taxes.

How in the world do you think that England came to possess and own all of those fine castles throughout the land? The answer is very simple. They taxed the people to the extent that the people could not afford to live in the castles. The taxes was more than they made. They literally gave the castles to the government. And the government then graciously allowed them to live in them since their families had been there for 500 years. But the castles are owned by the government, not by the people.

Let me tell you something, folks. You can have land worth $200,000, but if your taxes are $500,000, you can't afford to keep it. I don't know how many of you have gotten your property taxes this year or not. But I got news for you. You're going to find a huge increase in them across the board in the state of Georgia. All you've got to do is read the book of Ezra and Nehemiah. You'll find out how those in charge who were wicked always stole from those who were not in charge. You'll find out how those who had authority enriched themselves at the expense of others.

Our economy is being destroyed slowly but surely, even by our own government. Look at NAFTA. Look at GATT. Look at the World Trade Organizations. Ask yourself, where are our jobs going? Where are our factories going? Why are they moving overseas? Who made those agreements? Did you or did the government? You see what I'm saying? God can either destroy us by natural means or by institutional means. And let me just point out, if you do not have silver and gold, you don't have any money. It's just that simple. I don't care what you have. You do not have any money. Silver and gold have always been, number one, biblical money. And number two, historical money.

Conclusion: A Nation Unaware of Its Destruction

Weaver concludes with Isaiah 42:22-25, warning that America is being destroyed economically but does not realize it.

You can have tons of paper and it turned out to be absolutely worthless. Have we been and are we being destroyed in this nation? What's the answer? Yes. Let me read to you once again, Isaiah 42 verses 22 through 25. I want you to understand this. I read this verse or these verses in the first message, and I want to read them again, because this passage refers to what you and I would call a slow judgment.

Here's what God says, "But this is a people robbed and spoiled. They're all of them snared in holes. They're hidden in prison houses. They are for a prey and none delivereth. For a spoil, and none saith restore. Who among you will give ear to this, and who will hearken and hear for the time to come? Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned?

For they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his law. Now watch. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of the battle, and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew it not. And it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart." God says, you're on fire and you don't even know it. You're being destroyed and you don't even know it. The trick is getting the people to believe that something inherently worthless is valuable in and of itself. No. Money is gold and silver. You may have numerous items that are worth bartering with and bartering for. And it can be like money, but historically, biblically, money is silver and gold. And God says, when you don't have this, you're snared, you're a prey, you're robbed, you're spoiled, you're being burned, and you don't even realize it.

Folks, let me tell you. We have been burned in this country for a long, long time. And we've been burned by our rulers, by our government, who've taken from us everything of value and left us, as Thomas Jefferson said, bowed down and riveted chains around our necks. Let's pray. Father, we're thankful for Jesus Christ today. We're thankful for the truth of your word. And we know, dear Lord, that your word is powerful.

And it never returns void. Father, we pray that you would make this effective, not only the lives of our people, but in the lives of those who hear this message. And may we protect ourselves, not only, Father, by first and foremost obedience to Thee and Thy Word, but obedience and understanding what real money is, and looking around and seeing how our nation is being destroyed economically. The Bible says the prudent man foreseeeth the evil and hideth himself.