Years back, in 1985, the former atheist professor whom we have often mentioned, Dr. Howard Storm (now Reverend Storm) and who had a near-death experience that was hellish said he was placed by Christ in the company of several angels who not only review his own life with him but also the mission and future of the U.S.

Storm claimed they told him that America had been blessed with material abundance unlike any nation in history and had been expected to take that wealth -- and innovations like water treatment and hygenic technology and spread them around the world to the less "fortunate."

Instead, he says he was told, the U.S. had hoarded most of what had been gifted to it and so, during the following one hundred to two hundred years, it would be turned into a third-world country, and its mission -- to reach out to lesser countries, in a fully altruistic manner, and spiritually -- would be entrusted to another nation that would rise up.

In the U.S., we see glimmerings of what indeed may be substantial permanent decline while other nations -- India, China -- rise rapidly around us. Indeed, those two are even expected to soon pass our gross national product. We are heavily in debt to China, to the tune of nearly a trillion dollars!

Which nation would fit the bill most readily as be raised to help others?

We can't choose China, the "Red Dragon," where there is forced abortion and where animals and humans are treated is less than proper regard.

We can't choose Russia.

Though it is advancing back toward Christianity at tremendous speed, it does not seem to have the economic and technological wherewithal to replace the U.S.

There is Poland: a truly robust nation, it has supplanted Ireland as a nation producing Catholic priests and missionaries. But is it big enough to rise as an economic force?

There is Africa. In fact, many Polish priests have helped turn major regions of the "dark continent" into strong Catholic strongholds, on this continent that is swiftly becoming the most vigorously Catholic one! The two countries on track to make the biggest population gains are Nigeria and Ethiopia. Nigeria currently boasts 166 million people, but by 2050 its population is expected jump to 402 million. Ethiopia's population will likely triple from 91 million to 278 million, bringing the east African nation into the one of the top 10 most populous countries in the world for the first time, while the U.S. ranking in population remains about as it is.

Somewhere on this continent could conceivably rise a nation or coalition of nations that fit the spiritual bill as well as the economic one, rich as many parts of Africa are in natural resources -- but, alas, not technology. It has countries that are expected to increase to up to 300 million in population in the next few decades -- but, alas, it promises to remain a continent in need of help, not one that would be able to export it.

The Philippines?

There is no more Catholic -- and Marian -- a nation. It is like Poland. Strong, strongly Catholic -- and that level of Christianity helps in all ways.

But this island-nation has many domestic issues, from political corruption to creeping secularism to Muslims who persecute Christians. It will be busy contending of those, as well as poverty.

South America?

Perhaps somewhere there (if so, we would think Brazil; but the entire continent already has been quite Westernized culturally).

That leaves us with a surprise choice, at least at this point:

India.

This is a nation that, first of all, is projected to join China in surpassing the U.S. economically in the next several decades.

That's one aspect: a truly robust economy.

It is also a booming high-tech area. Indeed, computer manufacturers are establishing outposts here, and many phone support technicians are located here (we all have gotten them on the phone, from time to time).

India's population may exceed even China's -- by 2025: a total of perhaps more than 1.3 billion!

Couple that with its spirituality: although it struggles mightily with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, India is rocketing in Christian fervor. In fact, some of the holiest priests in the U.S. have been imported from India. Catholics are on fire there!

But it still has huge obstacles (including the overwhelming number of pantheists: those who believe in more than One God, persecuting Christians without mercy), and so we are left, in the end -- in choosing what nation might one day find itself as the "new U.S. (if the prophecy is true) -- with another mystery.

We are also left with a question: is it really too late for the U.S., or cab it make a dramatic rebound, spiritually?

[see: What the world will look like in 2050]

[see also: Buchanan: Overextended U.S. empire is coming down]

[resources: Retreat in Denver and The Bridge to Heaven]

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