When someone threatens war, we find it frightening. Especially if it is the dictator of a rogue nuclear-armed nation making seemingly crazy threats!
Take Kim Jong Eun, for example. He’s the recently installed leader of North Korea. Since he came to power, he has done his level best to belittle and threaten the United States and its allies, and to continue to build up his country’s nuclear weapons program.
Recent nuclear tests conducted by North Korea leave us in no doubt that it is now a full-fledged nuclear power. What is worse, it is a rogue nuclear power—seemingly with the will to use its newfound nuclear capability.
The nuclear option
But isn’t North Korea too small to seriously challenge the mighty United States? Won’t it quickly be put in its place?
North Korea is small and very poor. However, such a threatened conflict promises to be no conventional war. Think back to the devastation caused by the two atomic bombs dropped by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, during which nearly a quarter million people lost their lives! Much more powerful weapons have been developed since, leading to a world under the threat of “overkill”—total annihilation.
Nuclear weapons can change the rules of war.
And now rogue nations have these and other weapons of mass destruction in their arsenals!
Bargaining chip or clear and present danger?
According to the South African radio program “AM Live,” April 3, 2013, Kim Jong Eun is trying to stamp his authority on the world, and he wants to achieve respect for his insignificant country from the rest of the world. He is using his nuclear capability as a “bargaining chip” to obtain concessions from the world. The radio program further predicted that North Korea would not act without the sanction of its ally China and the support of Russia.
Perhaps. But currently tensions are escalating rapidly, and irresponsible statements by either side could make the situation even more volatile and dangerous.
What about Iran?
Clearly today things are a lot more complicated than in the days of the Cold War, when East and West continually monitored each other. Now we have a situation where several rogue nations possess or are on the verge of possessing nuclear weapons. The whole world wonders, when will Iran have the bomb? Who will be next?
How does one apply control and reason to such nations’ indiscriminate threats and ambitions?
The answer, of course, is that no nation wants to commit suicide. So inevitably these rogue nations will back down at some stage during the process.
Until one day, one of them doesn’t.
Jesus Christ’s warning
How do you protect yourself against a potential holocaust like that? Jesus Himself warned humanity, “Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:22, emphasis added throughout).
Today an attitude of irreverence and contempt for God is typical among people the world over. God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to state that the heart of man is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9).
Revelation 6:1-8 warns us of war, famine and pestilence that will run rampant on the earth before Jesus Christ’s return. Millions of people will die—one quarter of the earth’s population (Revelation 6:8). These disasters will be followed by a Great Tribulation, including religious persecution (Revelation 6:9-11). Then two disastrous battles will occur—a world war unlike any other before (Revelation 9)!
That you may be counted worthy to escape
You don’t need to experience being caught up in the traumatic times about to engulf us! God offers His protection!
Jesus Christ says to a group of His people, the Church of God at Philadelphia, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10). He involves all of us in this message by saying, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (3:13).
Jesus also said, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass” (Luke 21:36).
Jesus instructs us here to carefully monitor world events as well as our own spiritual state, and to “pray always.” This means we need to urgently build an intimate and personal relationship with God, so that He might deem us worthy to escape the terrors yet to unfold.
Jesus instructs us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). How? Jesus again said: “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).
We need God’s Spirit to help us truly surrender and obey Him—before the bubble bursts!
“Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). Wise advice—soon we may not be able to learn the true way to salvation. “The night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). Spreading this knowledge will not be possible then. We must listen now—while there is still time!
Grasp the opportunity now. How?
By diligent and dedicated study of the Bible (this website has resources that can help you in this).
By increasing your knowledge of the 10 Commandments and other laws God has laid down and by doing your utmost to obey them.
By sincere and heartfelt repentance before God for all the sins you have committed.
Pray that God will guide you in understanding His Scriptures. And ask Him to help you live by His Word daily. God will bless you abundantly if you truly submit yourself to Him in willing obedience.
As a starting point, study the article “How to Repent.” Feel free to contact us if you have further questions.
Date Posted: April 11, 2013
About the Author
Larry Murray
Larry Murray, a member of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association in South Africa, is an electronic engineer who has worked for several multinational computer organizations, including Hewlett-Packard. Upon leaving HP, he was called into the Church of God after reading a book by Herbert W. Armstrong. He now lives in Pretoria with his artist wife and his son and daughter.
