Wars and War Preparations

“…Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around…” (Joel 3:9-11)

Joel 3:1 identifies the events of this chapter as occurring during the regathering of Israel. As already seen, the regathering of Israel is a proof of Christ’s presence, therefore, in the days of Israel’s return (Joel 3:1), wars and intensified preparations are further signs of Christ’s presence. A phenomenon of our era is the two World Wars affecting every corner of the globe. Presently as of 2018, there are 449 civilian breeder reactors (commercial nuclear reactors) in the world. All nuclear reactors produce plutonium in their spent (or used) fuel as a byproduct of reactor operations, thus, any reactor is a potential source of plutonium for weapons, even if ostensibly being used for other purposes.

Sociologist Andreski, the noted expert on wars, writes, “Our own century has so far been much more warlike than its predecessor.” 123+ millions have died in wars since the beginning of the 20th century, while only about 6,000,000 died in the 19th century. The premium is on nuclear armaments. Wars and intensified war preparations are another proof of the return of Christ.

“Let the Weak Say I Am Strong“

The previous scripture in Joel 3:10 reveal that during the intensity of war and war preparations, the weak nations say, “I am strong.” For centuries the weaker nations placated and satisfied the whims of the stronger nations in fear of the consequences. This has changed in our day. In the United Nations, the weaker powers stand up to the great powers, verbally assailing and influencing them as never before. The bar of world opinion and power politics limit the harassment of weaker nations by major powers.

The greatest power in the world today, the United States, has bitterly experienced the “weak” saying, “I am strong.” In the war against North Korea and again in the conflict with North Vietnam, the United States was unable to wage total war for fear of the consequences of world opinion. With hat in hand, the United States gradually withdrew from Vietnam, hoping not to lose too much face in an impossible situation.

The strangle hold of the small oil-rich nations on the economies of the great world powers is another fulfillment of this sign.

The weak nations saying, “I am strong,” is still another proof that Christ has returned.

“Peace and Safety“

“Men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth…” (Luke 21:26) “…For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them…” (1 Thess 5:2, 3)

“The Day of the Lord” is marked by fearful nations crying for peace in conferences, but to no avail. The trouble comes upon them in spasms, as “travail upon a woman with child.”

In 1907 a world court was set up in The Hague, Netherlands, to arbitrate international disputes. War was outlawed. “Peace and safety” were assured. Then World War I shook the world with an impact unprecedented in history as a whole world order began to crumble. In 1938 Neville Chamberlain “appeased” Hitler with part of Czechoslovakia and returned to England pronouncing, “peace in our times.” Shortly after, the nations were embroiled in World War II.

Since the end of World War II, no previous generation has witnessed such a frenzy of peace-efforts, both on the United Nations level and nation-to-nation negotiations. Yet, war and sudden destruction continued to erupt as in Korea, Vietnam, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, etc. The Cold War ended with the fall of the Soviet Union. No longer was there rivalry between two super-powers, the United States and the Soviet Union. Seemingly, the world would now have peace. Then small wars like Desert Storm, Afghanistan and the Yugoslavian ethnic wars broke out. Despite conditions in Russia today the scriptures indicate that Russia will once again become a power to reckon with. The unprecedented peace efforts prove the presence of Christ.

Unprecedented Trouble

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved…” (Matt 24:21, 22)

This unprecedented trouble is a sign of Christ parousia (presence, not coming). Christian’s who are awake discern Christ is invisibly present during this “*great tribulation,” therefore it cannot possibly apply to a seven-year period between “a secret rapture” and his visible return.* (See the blog post entitled “Seven-year Tribulation?”)

Historians agree we are in such an era of unprecedented trouble even now. For example:

Looking back from the vantage point of the present we see that the outbreak of WWI ushered in a twentieth-century “Time of Trouble”…from which our civilization has by no means yet emerged. Directly or indirectly all the convulsions (birth pangs) of the last half century stem back to 1914 A.D. and Sarajevo: the two World Wars, the Bolshevik Revolution, the rise and fall of Hitler, the continuing turmoil in the Far and Near East, the power-struggle between the Communist world and our own…—Edmond Taylor, The Fall of the Dynasties, Doubleday, N.Y., 1963, p. 16.

We have seen that twentieth century wars have cost the lives of 100 million+, but unprecedented wars are only one aspect of this great tribulation.

Tribulation as a result of Christ’s presence is everywhere. It has never been so widespread and intense.

*Note: a distinction is made between the great tribulation as a whole, which began in 1914 A.D. with the pouring out of the first plague (WWI), and the climax of this great time of trouble which will end in Armageddon, and thus bring about the end of this “present evil world”. (Excerpts were taken from the booklet, “I Will Come Again” Edited)

Continued with next post.