The Apostle Paul describes the generation that will be on the stage of earth’s history during mankind’s final scenes of this cribes Our Timedispensation perhaps better than any other human author. We’ve gone over his many characteristics of end-times man in a number of commentaries. But Paul’s prophetic words about perilous times to come—except for the very few times he says are him, not God, speaking—are inspired by the One who is the Word. Jesus is the true Author of the Bible (John 1:1).

So when we read words issued straight from the Lord’s own mouth, they have special significance. No one but God knows the end from the beginning. His Word proves that again and again. So Jesus’ words on things to come are profoundly important to read and heed.

With that in mind, let’s consider Jesus’ words as juxtaposed against the issues and events of these troublous times that so often vex us, as Lot, the believer of ancient times who lived in Sodom, might have put it.

Jesus, when asked by His disciples about the signs of His Second Coming, said:

Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:10–11)

The Lord, in other places, described these signs as coming upon the earth in birth-pang-like convulsions. There would be an increase in frequency and intensity of these issues and events. It will be, He indicated, much like a woman when she is having painful contractions in the process of giving birth.

One of the key indicators for us to look at in Christ’s prophecy is the term “nation against nation.”

We’ve pointed out many times that the Greek word for “nation” in this case is ethnos. Jesus was foretelling a time when there would be a tremendous rise in ethnic conflicts. This is one of the key descriptions of our times.

We have to look no further than our own nation, the United States, to determine that we are in ethnic turmoil. And it is contrived turmoil, foisted upon us by globalists who want to move America into a one-world configuration.

The Black Lives Matter and Antifa are proven to be groups organized and funded by the likes of George Soros, a man dedicated to creating a global order.

These organizations have ginned up the ever-intensifying rage of rebellious anarchists within those who harbor racial hatred that has literally brought American cities to ruin societally, culturally, and, most assuredly, economically.

In my view, the so-called COVID pandemic continues to be used by the globalists as a bludgeon against America’s people. The powers and principalities of Ephesians 6:12 are fomenting this nation-against-nation, end-of-the-age conflict.

This brings together the terms in Jesus’ prophecy, “ethnic hatreds and pestilence.” Although COVID and its proliferating strains is a contrived pestilence, it is pestilence nonetheless. It is a precursor to the great, real pandemics that will kill millions during the Tribulation era. What we are seeing now is implementation of a control mechanism that is laying groundwork for the coming Antichrist regime to use.

Jesus, the greatest of all prophets, described precisely this racial hatred that would be prevalent just before He returns to put an end to this wicked, rebellious cabal. God’s Word warns about this evil and its fatal destiny in Psalm 2.

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. (Psalm 2:2–5)

Jesus stated further:

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring. (Luke 21:25)

Although a case can easily be made for astonishing evidence of things going on in space that have people looking into that dark vastness for answers, it is the second part of this prophecy that is profoundly relevant to this time so near the end of the Age of Grace.

Economic turmoil caused by the worldwide COVID lockdowns has the nations in distress with great and growing perplexity. Great Britain, France, Australia, and other major Western economies are experiencing conditions like those described by the Lord.

America, the nation to whose dollar most all the world is intricately linked, is but one event or occurrence away from total collapse.

Although our government and the mainstream media won’t confess this before the American people or the world that depends on the dollar, that collapse could come at any moment, it is feared by many in the know.

Some perhaps not so much in the know, in terms of economic acumen (yours truly, for example), understand in their spirits that the moment that breaks the proverbial camel’s back is about to occur.

I write, of course, about the Rapture of all believers in Jesus Christ for salvation of their souls.

Jesus’ words are recorded, finally, pointing toward that moment of removal from the Tribulation that will follow that great event.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21: 28)

Podcasters, some of whom I respect, but others whom I find alarmists beyond their acumen about geopolitical intrigues, are more and more these days forecasting fears of attacks on America. Many of the assaults they talk about involve cyberspace invasions and the like. But increasingly, the talk is of direct military action—invasion of our nation from the north and the south.

Russia, they say, will invade from the north, I suppose in concert with the cooperation of the Canadian government. China, they fear, already has troops in large numbers ready to cross the U.S. southern border. Mexico, I suppose, along with countries farther south, is in collusion in some way with this planned invasion.

The enemies most mentioned are Russia and China. We might expect direct military action by as early as the fall, according to the direst warnings the podcasters are predicting.

Daily the bloggers talk of the burgeoning military capacity of both of these enemies that voraciously look at the grand prize—the United States of America. Their submarine forces—according to the bloggers—are simply without peer and surround our nation, poised to launch missiles that are hypersonic—whatever that means in terms of diverging in effectiveness from missiles that are already capable of speeds that can’t be defended against.

It’s as if American military forces have shrunk to the extent that they make these diabolist aggressors impervious to any fear of being themselves destroyed—like they feared during the Cold War era of MAD (mutually assured destruction).

From my reading of prophecy yet future I can say with assurance that war on the scale that would result from such an attack won’t eventuate as these folks forecast. Both of these aggressor-nations are prophetically scheduled to instigate such war, but not at this time—unless the Rapture is immediately upon us in that twinkling-of-an-eye moment we all, as believers, long to take place.

Both aggressor nations are destined to be totally decimated when they do instigate such warfare. That said, there are preparations for war on an unfathomable scale being planned by Satan and his minions, both demonic and human, that will make all other wars of history seem mere skirmishes. Again, we have God’s Holy Word on this eventuation.

Nuclear—and even more horrific instrumentalities of war-making—are in development. And the preparations for unleashing such instrumentalities are in the scientific/technological incubators of a growing number of nations as they make plans for war that God’s prophetic Word foretells is on the way.

An article of interest frames those developments:

A Pentagon report secretly published in 2020 and first disclosed this week, raises the potential for some form of armed conflict between nuclear-armed powers.

The Pentagon’s “Joint Nuclear Options” report, dated April 17, 2020, was released through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted by the Federation of American Scientists.

The report states, “Despite concerted US efforts to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in international affairs and to negotiate reductions in the number of nuclear weapons, since 2010 no potential adversary has reduced either the role of nuclear weapons in its national security strategy or the number of nuclear weapons it fields.”

“Rather, they have moved decidedly in the opposite direction,” the report continues. “As a result, there is an increased potential for regional conflicts involving nuclear-armed adversaries in several parts of the world and the potential for adversary nuclear escalation in crisis or conflict.”…

The report notes Russia is modernizing Soviet-era nuclear systems and developing and employing new nuclear warheads and launchers, three new intercontinental-range nuclear weapon systems; a hypersonic glide vehicle; a nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered ground-launched cruise missile; and a nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered, undersea autonomous torpedo.…

On China, the report states, “China continues to increase the number, capabilities, and protection of its nuclear forces. China has developed a new road-mobile, strategic, intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM); a new multi-warhead version of its DF-5 silo-based ICBM; and its most advanced ballistic missile submarine armed with new submarine-launched ballisticmissiles (SLBMs). It has also announced development of a new nuclear-capable strategic bomber, giving China a nuclear triad.”

The Pentagon report states, “North Korea‘s continued pursuit of nuclear
weapons capabilities poses the most immediate and dire proliferation threat to international security and stability.”…

“Iran’s development of increasingly long-range ballistic missile capabilities, and its aggressive strategy and activities to destabilize neighboring governments, raises questions about its long-term commitment to forgoing nuclear weapons capability,” the Pentagon report adds. (Ryan Morgan, “Pentagon Sees Increased Chances of Nuclear Conflict, Newly Disclosed Report Says,” American Military News, July 8, 2021)

As has been stated, no weapon has ever been invented that hasn’t been used to kill in wars. It is obvious that the buildup of weapons of war—ultimate weapons in terms of destructive capacity—is taking place at a pace worthy of the alarmism the podcasters are forewarning. It’s just that their perspective isn’t biblical with their forecasts. Some are partially from the right perspective, that of Bible prophecy. But the forecasters fail to take into account that the Restrainer of evil is still present in this soon-to-be-judged world of corruption and rebellion. God the Holy Spirit is still resident with in each believer–the collective of which is the Church–the Body of Jesus Christ.

The most horrific war-making of human history is yet future, and It can’t take place until the Church is removed in the Rapture, and God again begins dealing with the nation Israel and all of humanity in judgment and wrath–a time out of which Israel will emerge, in remnant form, to become the head nation of the world, from which King Jesus will rule and reign.

Russia, if it attacked America from the north, would be completely destroyed. China, if attacking from the south, would be completely destroyed. Our Pentagon generals and admirals are not that far diminished in their fealty to duty, honor, and country that they wouldn’t respond with massive retaliation.

Russia must be around, prophetically speaking, according to the prophet Ezekiel, to lead the invasion against Israel. This is where God, Himself, will completely destroy that Gog-Magog juggernaut, except for one-sixth of their forces. China must be around to cross the dried-up Euphrates, as prophesied in Revelation chapters 9 and 16. They will, after destroying one-third of the earth’s population with their nuclear weapons and massive hordes of demonically driven military troops, be utterly smashed to bits along with all other war-making peoples on the killing field called Armageddon. The Lord Himself will bring about the destruction of both of these satanic, tyrant-led nations.

All of these considerations point to one prophetic truth. War on an unfathomable scale is about to take place. This assurance from God’s own Word is encapsulated in the following prophetic utterance given John the Revelator:

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Revelation 6:3)