When Valerian became emperor in 253 AD, the Roman Empire was amid the ‘Crisis of the Third Century’— plagues, inflation, escalating conflicts, growing social tensions, rising crime, declining trade, and a struggling economy. It finally collapsed when its once-legendary military had a historic military recruitment crisis on its hands. Rome wasn’t just unable to attract the best and brightest to its ranks; it was practically unable to recruit anyone at all. Long gone were the days when a career in the Roman legions was considered an honorable profession. Roman citizens were simply no longer interested in serving. And Roman patriotism wasn’t just dead, it was laughed at.

To address these challenges, Valerian expanded the use of mercenaries. He essentially bribed new recruits, including and especially foreigners, offering money, citizenship, and land grants in exchange for serving in the military. This marked a clear and obvious turning point in Rome’s history: empires last because they sustain their strength— and that strength requires both a prosperous economy AND a powerful military. it’s incredibly difficult to have a powerful military when nobody wants to serve.

The US military finds itself in a similar position today. In fact, the US in general is going through a similar period as Rome’s “Crisis of the Third Century”, complete with political scandal and instability, inflation, massive deficits, border incursions, and even a pandemic.

And the parallels between Rome’s third-century military and the state of the US military today are strong.

Last year, the US military missed its recruitment goal by 41,000 troops, which is a staggering, record-high figure. The active-duty US military is now at its smallest size since 1940. As a result, mission readiness is down. Fitness standards are being abandoned. Recruiting bonuses have skyrocketed. Some politicians have even suggested offering citizenship to illegal immigrants in exchange for serving in the US military.

One of the biggest reasons for this recruitment crisis is that 77% of young people in America do not meet the basic standards to join the military, whether for physical, mental, or moral reasons.

And that last one— moral— is the fastest growing part: young people aren’t interested in serving because they are being indoctrinated to hate their country.

Teachers at Fort Lee High School in New Jersey and in Berkeley California, were recently caught, for example, teaching that Hamas is a peaceful resistance movement… while Israel is genocidal.

The teacher’s union covering school districts in Portland, Oregon recently published lesson plans which praised Hamas… yet completely failed to mention their October 7 terrorist attack murdering innocent Israelis.

By the time students make it to university, they are filled with hate for their country; it’s so palpable that the supreme leader of Iran, one of America’s biggest enemies, recently praised American university students. “You are currently part of the Resistance Front,” the Ayatollah told America’s youth, “and have waged an honorable battle despite the relentless pressure of your government.”

The kids in the street wearing their keffiyehs and screaming about their pronouns have no interest in serving.

Meanwhile, the patriotic Americans who filled the military’s ranks for decades have been maligned as “extremists”. These are the very people who love America so much that they were ready to die for their country— and kill the enemies of their country, which is no less consequential.

Yet instead of embracing the people the military so desperately needs, the government practically lampoons them and their core beliefs.

The Army used to have slogans like “Be all you can be,” and “Army Strong”. Those have been replaced by recruiting ads about soldiers with lesbian moms. Even the CIA recruits by catering to the woke, Diversity & Inclusion crowd. It’s bizarre to see recruiting ads tailored to radicals who hate their country and have no interest in serving. And gee what a surprise— the woke recruiting campaigns have failed.

Now the Defense Department has resorted to bribing people. Of course, the military has long offered recruitment bonuses and college tuition in exchange for service. But it was typically one of the reasons to join, not THE reason. That’s no longer the case. Just ask the soldiers who make TikTok videos about why they joined: “For a Camaro”, “To pay my bills”, “For the money”,

Need more evidence? An online recruiting advertisement for the US Coast Guard that I recently saw: “Think you’re too old or out of shape for the U.S. Coast Guard? Think again.” Bribing people to join only got them so far, and now they are begging people to serve who are too fat and old.

Strong nations need both a robust economy AND a powerful military.

Robust economy: America is facing a future economic tsunami; the government itself forecasts the national debt to grow beyond $55 trillion over the next decade. Social Security will run out of money in 9 years. The US dollar is on the road to losing its global reserve status soon.

Powerful military: Unable to recruit period, let alone the right people. Most major weapons systems, from fighter jets to naval warships, are rapidly becoming obsolete… yet there is no money to replace them.

Apostate Church: Most of the Institutional churches have compromised with the world. They no longer uphold Biblical inerrancy and permit gay marriage, homosexual pastors, and transgenderism.

We are living in the time of the end. There are 2000 Biblical prophecies of Jesus’ second coming to Earth. Jesus tells us it will be a time of lawlessness, like in the days of Noah when God judged the Earth with a worldwide flood.

“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:37-39

America does not feature in Biblical end-times prophecy. The Antichrist who rises from the Middle East reigns supreme perhaps as the head of the United Nations. China and Russia have a military presence but the USA is no longer a military power.