“He set the boundaries of the peoples. . .” Deuteronomy 32:8
Mass, illegal migration is perhaps the hottest, current topic among policy makers in western countries. As I write this France is bracing for another weekend of violent riots fueled by a coalition of Islamic migrants and far left agitators. And France is not alone either. Italy, Belgium, Portugal, and other nations are experiencing similar phenomena. In a recent New York Post opinion piece, Brendan O’Neill states the obvious - “Surely no one can now deny the lethal error of throwing open a nation’s borders to the world, while sacrificing the ideals of integration at the altar of multiculturalism.”[1] And just this week, even German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted that the riots are “most likely” the result of “non-integrated people” due to “migration”.[2]
On our side of the Atlantic, similar dangers lurk. Mass immigration without assimilation has been a bipartisan blunder for at least a generation. What a shame that our own Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has been found aiding and abetting this process. In a previous news item on Fulcrum 7, it was reported that hundreds of migrants from Central America have formed a caravan headed for the US border, anticipating a change of border policy if Democrats take control of congress in the mid-term elections. ADRA was named as one of two major NGOs supporting this caravan.
If this were merely a question of policy, we could ignore the whole matter. And there are some of our people who want to frame the conversation only in these terms - Democrat vs. Republican, left vs. right, etc. Still others see this as a question of social justice, and feel that supporting mass migration is a righteous cause. But could it be that we are failing to look at these issues through the prophetic lens of the Bible, and especially in light of the Great Controversy motif? It is a fact that one of the devil's favorite strategies is to get human beings to sympathize with things that are against the divine law. He presents himself as the abused one in the Great Controversy - wrongfully expelled from heaven. He encourages fallen humanity to sympathize with him. A great many do. In this respect, the Great Controversy has everything to do with illegal migration, borders, and who has the right to be where. So what does the Bible teach about all this?
For starters, Scripture establishes the right of every man to protect his own house from unlawful entry, permitting even the use of lethal force in the case of a night break-in. If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed (Exodus 22:2). Note the assumption here - that anyone who unlawfully enters a dwelling, under cover of darkness, does so with malicious intent. Is it reasonable to assume anything different of people who knowingly violate a nation’s immigration laws upon entry? And surely the policy makers who encourage this practice are acting in direct opposition to the interests of the people they are supposed to represent.
But God has also established national boundaries. Deuteronomy 32:8 says this - “When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.” The NT echoes these thoughts. Paul says, “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,” Acts 17:26. It is true that there are also injunctions to care for the stranger, and warnings against oppressing strangers. (Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 19:33,34). These must not be ignored, but neither can they be legitimately used to erase the clear statements regarding the divine establishment of nations with borders.
A few generations after the global flood of Noah’s day, an attempt was made to unite the inhabitants of the world under one government. God struck down this plan by confusing the language of the people - effectively separating them into people groups, each developing its own culture. We should recognize God’s establishment of borders as part of a divine, preventative strategy in opposition to the oppressive unity of the Babel builders. In our day, we should understand mass migration as part of a satanic strategy to undo the separation God ordained in order to prepare the inhabitants of earth to fall under the sway of the final manifestation of Babylon - “that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18).
How is it that we - the remnant of prophecy - are missing the two main reasons that the devil wants illegal mass migration? Are we spending too much time listening to the news media and the social justice warriors?
The first reason is quite simple - illegal mass migration destabilizes nations. This is exactly what is happening in Europe. It will eventually happen here too. People are generally resistant to change, even when it’s positive. To get them to accept a more oppressive order of society requires making the current order so chaotic and unstable that they will welcome anything that promises some sort of return to normalcy. So, destabilization is absolutely necessary to bring in the new order we read about in Revelation 13. Mass migration is one of the chosen vehicles. Should we be supporting this?
The second reason is that illegal migration tends to de-Protestantize Western nations, which is why it is focused on those nations. They are being flooded with masses of people who do not see value in self-government, the rule of law, free markets, and a cohesive and orderly society. All these things are byproducts of the Reformation. Satan wants them all gone. His efforts appear to be succeeding. In the dark ages the church of Rome manipulated political systems to the extent that borders were subject to its whims. Rome still desires to wield this power. What would serve its interests better than to dilute the strength of national borders once again? So, is de-Protestantization something we should get behind?
Why are we failing to discern what is happening? Why are we cooperating with this diabolical scheme? Let me suggest two reasons - political affiliation and money. Some in our leadership class lecture us about being political - and I agree - we should not allow political concerns to influence us. At all. The Bible is our guide! But it is apparent that they themselves are so marinated in the doctrine of the political left that they no longer can smell it. The left supports unfettered migration. So they embrace it uncritically as gospel truth.
Then, of course, there’s the money. An examination of tax filings available online shows that from 2020-2024 ADRA has been the recipient of nearly six hundred million dollars from government grants - funded by the American taxpayer. Do we really believe that came with no strings attached? Our government has unwisely brought in a flood of immigrants from everywhere and anywhere for roughly 40 years. Are we tempted to keep the revenue flowing by cooperating with the agenda?
Now before anyone calls me a xenophobe, let me clear up your misconception. I’ve personally written letters for people so that they can get their green cards. I live in a town that is majority non-white. I will not be lectured about racism by anyone. Are there problems with our immigration system? Certainly there are. We should fix the problems, but not in any way that opens the door for people to come here that have no intention of assimilating to American values. If they have other values or loyalties, let them remain where they are or go to a country that holds their values.
It is a fundamental principle that no one has the right to become a citizen of any country without first being vetted. That’s not a political statement - it is a heavenly precept. Keep this in mind - heaven allows no illegal immigrants. Many will desire to enter the heavenly country, but on their own terms. But God will not allow anyone to enter there who is not fully in harmony with the law of liberty. We should remember that the first act of judgment in the Great Controversy was the mass deportation of Satan and his followers from heaven after it was demonstrated that they were out of harmony with the divine law. Likewise, the final act of judgment in the Great Controversy will be the repulsion of this same fallen angel and his lawless host who attempt to unlawfully enter the Holy City, New Jerusalem. “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” Revelation 20:9.
****
Skip Dodson
