It is increasingly hard not to notice the discord between what is sung in Australia and what is done. “Advance Australia Fair”—Australia’s national anthem—begins:

Australians all let us rejoice,For we are young and free ….

In many ways, however, Australia is a land of slaves. Aussies lead the global pack in using recreational drugs. Young lower-class Australians in particular are blissfully gorging on party drugs. The United Nations annual drug report places Australia at the top of the charts when it comes to drug usage. It ranked first in ecstasy usage, third in methamphetamine usage, and fourth in cocaine use.

Australians aren’t just using party drugs at pubs and clubs—prescribed drug use is also high. Australia ranked a close second behind the United States with approximately 3.3 percent of people between 15 and 65 considered regular users. Pill-popping is especially prevalent in women.

Popping, injecting and snorting aren’t the only things young Australians are doing. They are also smoking. More than 10 percent of Australia’s working population reported using marijuana in the 12 months prior to data being collected in 2010. Since that time, availability has increased.

Drinking is also a problem for many, particularly the youth. According to a National Council on Drugs report, one in eight deaths for people under age 25 is related to alcohol consumption. Twenty percent of Australians are drinking at levels that put them at risk of permanent harm from injury and disease. Sixty percent of all police call-outs are alcohol related.

The report said that while young Aussies drank less frequently overall compared to some nations, when they did drink, they drank far more—binge drinking. Nearly two thirds of those age 18-29 said they drank specifically to become intoxicated.

With one in five young Australians ending up in a hospital because of alcohol-related incidents, there is little cause for rejoicing at the sight of our “young and free” citizens.

We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil,Our home is girt by sea ….

Australia certainly has enjoyed an immense amount of wealth for toil over the decades. The Murray Darling Basin, for example, has long provided some of the most fertile farmland in the Southern Hemisphere. But today, even that golden soil is under immense pressure.

Drought has been an ongoing problem down under for years. Even when one region is swamped by torrential storms and hurricanes, the vast portion of the nation languishes under the oppression of poor soil and little to no rain. Combine that with unsustainable farming practices that deplete the water table and ruin the soil, and you have an agricultural nightmare in the making.

Industry above ground is not the only sector suffering. The mining boom that has sustained Australia’s economy seems all but over. The boom that was never supposed to end now appears to have come to a sudden stop, swelling the ranks of Australia’s unemployed.

Singing “wealth for toil” implies people will be able to toil. Unfortunately, the nation’s jobless rate will top 6 percent for four consecutive years according to the latest federal budget.

Our land abounds in nature’s gifts,Of beauty rich and rare ….

Australia has some truly stunning landscapes, from Kakadu to the mountains of Tasmania. But even this incredible beauty is oftentimes marred by the weather it faces.

Erratic weather patterns have been a deadly norm for Australia in recent years. In 2012 alone, 123 weather records were broken in 90 days. Drought, bushfire and floods all take their toll, leaving few people in the nation untouched.

In history’s page, let every stageAdvance Australia Fair.

Australia has a rich history that ties directly to the British Empire. However, the move to break away from the British royal family and form a republic has grown steadily over the years. The idea of empire is frowned upon today, but it was through the empire that Australia grew to where it is today.

The old saying that Australia was founded as a penal colony serves to distract people from the nation’s history since that time. Today, Australia is a close ally of England and the U.S., in no small part to the wars that these nations fought alongside one another, and the close diplomatic and trade ties that exist today.

While most Aussies are quick to forget their past when swept up in the trials of the present, there is also a future that they should be more aware of.

In joyful strains then let us sing,Advance Australia Fair.

Australia’s future is intricately tied to its past. It is a history that is forged under the crown. That history is explained in our book The United States and Britain in Prophecy. That book, more than any other, proves that the ancient history of the English-speaking peoples is much more ancient than most realize. It will give you an understanding of the foundation upon which our freedoms have been built. It reveals the history—and the mind-boggling future—that the British throne will yet have in a government that will impact all nations. Even if Australia were to become a republic momentarily, the nation is destined to come under that throne for the entire duration of its future as a nation.

That is prophesied in your Bible!

If you look at Australia’s anthem, and see the juxtaposition between what is sung on the football field and what is actually happening within the nation, then you would do well to read Australia: Where to Now? This booklet by late Trumpet columnist and Australian, Ron Fraser, explores the prophetic significance that surrounds the issues Australia faces on a day-to-day basis.

The great blessings that have been prominent for so long in Australia are slowly being taken away. How long will it take before the land down under sits up and takes notice?