A.A. Allen’s Vision of America
Received July 4, 1954

As I stood atop the Empire State Building, I could see the Statue of Liberty illuminating the gateway to the New World. Here, spread before me like an animated map, was an area sixty or eighty miles in diameter. I was amazed that the Spirit of the Lord should so move me there atop the Empire State Building. Why should I feel such a surge of His Spirit and power there?

Suddenly, I heard the voice of the Lord. It was as clear and distinct as a voice could be. It seemed to come from the very midst of the giant telescope. But when I looked at the telescope, I knew it hadn’t come from there, but directly from Heaven.

The voice said:

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein you have done foolishly; therefore, from henceforth, you shall have wars.”

Immediately upon hearing the voice of God, I recognized it as a quotation of Scripture. But never before had anything come to me so forcibly by the power of the Spirit. The ticking of the telescope stopped. The man before me had used up his time. As he stepped away, I knew I was next. I stepped to the telescope and dropped in my dime. Immediately, the ticking started again. It was an automatic clock allowing only a limited time.

As I swung the telescope to the north, suddenly the Spirit of God came upon me in a way I had never known. Seemingly in the Spirit, I was entirely caught away. I knew that the telescope itself had nothing to do with the distance I was suddenly enabled to see, for I saw far beyond its natural range.

It was simply that God had chosen this time to reveal things to me. As I looked through the telescope, I did not see Manhattan Island, but a far larger view. Though that morning’s view had been foggy, as the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, the fog cleared. It seemed I could see for thousands of miles.

But what I saw was not Manhattan—it was the entire North American continent, spread out before me like a map. It was not the East River or the Hudson River I saw on either side, but the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Instead of the Statue of Liberty standing in the bay on her island, I saw her standing far out in the Gulf of Mexico. She stood between me and the United States.

I realized then that the telescope had nothing to do with what I was seeing. To prove it, I took my eyes away from the lens—but the same scene remained.

There, clear and distinct, lay all of North America with its great cities. To the north lay the Great Lakes; far to the northeast was New York City. I could see Seattle and Portland to the northwest. Down the West Coast were San Francisco and Los Angeles. In the foreground lay New Orleans at the center of the Gulf Coast area. I could see the towering Rocky Mountains and trace the Continental Divide.

Suddenly, from the sky, I saw a giant hand reach down. That gigantic hand reached toward the Statue of Liberty. In a moment, her gleaming torch was torn from her hand, and a cup was placed there instead.

Protruding from the great cup was a giant sword, shining with terrifying brightness. I had never seen such a sharp, glistening, dangerous sword. It seemed to threaten the entire world.

As the cup was placed in the hand of the Statue of Liberty, I heard these words:

“Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, ‘Drink ye and be drunken, spue and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send.’” —Jeremiah 25:27

I was amazed to hear the Statue of Liberty speak in reply:

“I will not drink!”

Then, like thunder, I heard the voice of the Lord again:

“Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, ‘Ye shall certainly drink.’” —Jeremiah 25:28

Suddenly, the giant hand forced the cup to her lips. She was powerless to resist. The mighty hand of God made her drink every drop. As she drank the bitter dregs, I heard:

“Should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of Hosts.” —Jeremiah 25:29

When the cup was withdrawn, I saw the sword was gone. The cup’s contents had been completely consumed. I knew the sword symbolized war, death, and destruction—which were now surely coming.

Then, like one drunken with wine, the Statue of Liberty became unsteady and staggered. She splashed in the Gulf, trying to regain her balance, fell to her knees, rose again, and staggered drunkenly. My heart was moved with compassion.

But I heard again:

“Ye shall drink and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more because of the sword that I shall send among you.”

I wondered: would she rise again? With all her strength, she staggered to her feet, swaying. It seemed she would fall again—possibly never to rise.

“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.” —Psalm 91:5–6

Then, to the northwest over Alaska, a huge black cloud began rising. It was shaped like a man’s head, then a skull. A gap appeared, revealing a gaping mouth. Shoulders and arms formed as it rose, looking like a skeleton cloud, stretching forth its hands—one toward New York, the other toward Seattle.

It bent over the U.S. from the waist, focused entirely on America. Then from its mouth came wisps of white vapor, like smoke. The vapors spread, covering the eastern U.S.

Then another puff—this time toward the West Coast.

Then a third—toward the central U.S., covering St. Louis, Kansas City, New Orleans—until it reached the Statue of Liberty.

She gasped and coughed violently, clutching her chest. Her lungs had been seared by the vapors.

What were they? Nerve gas? Biological weapons?

Then the Lord spoke:

“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty… The earth mourneth and fadeth away… The curse has devoured the earth… and few men are left.” —Isaiah 24:1–6

The Statue’s coughing worsened. She moaned, groaned, clutched her lungs, and finally gave one last desperate effort to rise. Then she fell face-first into the Gulf, motionless.

“A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness.” —Joel 2:3

Then came screaming sirens: “Run for your lives!”

People everywhere ran—but few got far before collapsing. Their lungs had been seared. I heard screams, moans, and cries for mercy.

A few reached shelters. Then I heard:

“A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth… the Lord hath a controversy with the nations… and the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other…” —Jeremiah 25:31–33

Then I saw rocket-like objects rise from the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Gulf—leaping like fish from water, aimed at the U.S. Interceptor rockets rose from within the country—but none succeeded.

The enemy rockets exploded. A huge ball of fire appeared—like the H-bomb tests in the South Pacific. I felt the searing heat in the vision.

As desolation spread, I thought:

“While our defenders have quibbled over weapons, neglecting the true defense—faith and dependence upon the true and living God—the thing she feared has come upon her.”

“Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” —Psalm 127:1

Then, as the battle noise subsided, I heard this from Joel 2:

“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble… A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds… A fire devoureth before them… the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them…” —Joel 2:1–3