Does Isaiah 18 Refer To America?

Q

I have been interested in end-times prophecy for over 20 years. But, I still see and read things that surprise me. (I’m really amazed at how things are happening so quickly now.)

I’ve always heard that the U.S. is not clearly mentioned in Bible prophecy. Some time back I was told that there was a chapter in Isaiah (18) that could be a reference to the U.S. Could this possibly be talking about America? Was there ever a partial fulfillment of this chapter. I would appreciate your insight.

A

There are those who see the United States in Isaiah 18, primarily because of verses 2 and 7 which both say the same thing.

“Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.”

While this is an apt description of the US today, the prophecy was given against Cush, also called Nubia and Ethiopia. The Nubians were a tall smooth skinned people (because they kept themselves shaved) who ruled over Egypt in the general time of Isaiah’s writing. I’m not aware of any Biblical connection that would tie these people to the US today, as is usually the case in dual fulfillment prophecies