The headline to this post is, of course, from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verses 6-7. I’m not saying these are the end times. After all, people have said that since Christ walked the earth, ignoring his own declaration that “about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). Nevertheless, there are so many conflicts breaking out that it must surely give any reasonable man pause to wonder.
We’ve been watching events in the Russia-Ukraine conflict for several months now. China’s been saber-rattling over Taiwan, although that hasn’t (yet) escalated into open hostilities. A few days ago, Azerbaijan (backed by Iran and Turkey) launched yet another military assault on Armenia (part of Russia’s hegemony), and fighting is still going on. In Ethiopia, a years-old civil conflict may at last be drawing to a close, but there have been ceasefires before there, and all of them have broken down. Who knows how long the present efforts will bear fruit? The list of ongoing armed conflicts is extensive; and, for all that most of them are “small wars”, one can end up just as dead in a small war as in a big one. (Examines scars on own body, nods sagely, mops brow in relief.)
Now the Iran-Israel conflict looks to be building up a new head of steam. An Iranian general has announced a new drone aircraft that is “specifically designed to attack Tel Aviv and Haifa” in Israel; and Israel has revealed the existence of an Iranian factory in western Syria that is allegedly producing “precision-guided missiles for Iran and Hezbollah, thereby disrupting the balance in the region“.
Of all the wars going on right now, I think the Iran-Israel conflict is the most likely to produce nuclear exchanges. Iran has openly declared, over and over again, that its objective is the eradication of the state of Israel; and Israel has demonstrated its unwillingness to be eradicated by several operations inside Iran, to say nothing of a few wars here and there since its foundation. Unlike rational people, Iran’s leaders aren’t scared by that, because they’re religious fanatics who believe that if they precipitate nuclear war, that will force the return of the Twelfth Imam, and bring about the Shi’ite Islamic version of the parousia. Israel is no less determined to ensure its own survival.
If Israel escalates its attacks on Iranian forces and facilities in Syria (which have been going on for several years already), the pressure for Iran to respond in kind (or have its proxies in Hezbollah and Hamas do so on its behalf) will be well-nigh irresistible. Israel, in turn, is not likely to be daunted by that prospect; and, if Iran looks to be on the verge of acquiring a nuclear capability (rather than just bragging about it), I think we’ll see a response from Israel that will leave several extensive, glass-topped parking lots across large sections of the Iranian countryside. If that happens, it’s likely to drag in the superpowers, because the USA is committed to Israel’s defense, while China is a major ally of Iran.
Each of these festering conflict zones can cause an escalation that might draw in other powers, or encourage other belligerent nations to act instead of talking about it. They’ll hope that others will be so preoccupied or distracted by other conflicts that they won’t do anything effective to stop yet another war until the belligerent has had time to snatch what it wants. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee of that; and once this pattern gets started, with outbreaks of violence here, there and everywhere, it’s very, very difficult to stop it. (Look at how World War I and World War II got their start, with small conflicts blowing up very fast into bigger ones.)
Right now, the world economy is in an utterly parlous state, financially and structurally. I don’t think any nation is in a position to afford a major war. However, there are those who’ll apply the “Rahm principle“, and seek to use a war as a tool to impose their agenda on their countries and others. They might actually prefer to see a widespread war as a way to implement policies that they couldn’t impose any other way. (Yes, World Economic Forum, I’m looking at you!)
With economies worldwide in trouble, and famine threatening almost every nation to a greater or lesser extent, and wars popping up like pimples on the geopolitical landscape, it’s no wonder people all over are feeling frightened, unsettled, uncertain. They’re looking for answers, and more than ready to blame anything that looks like it might be blame-able for these uncertain times.
All I can say is, the good Lord never promised us a life of milk and honey, or wine and roses. He promised us grace to cope with whatever confronted us. That hasn’t changed – for which, thanks be to God.
Peter
"Azerbaijan (backed by Iran and Turkey)"
Backed by Iran? Got a source for that?
Amen! Jesus is still in control!
@JaimeInTexas: Try an Internet search on "Iranian support for Azerbaijan".
in this world you shall have troubles
prophet described nuclear holocaust precisely
not until our age has that capability existed
This comment has been removed by the author.
The deleted post was messed up. I was trying to say that most prophets (profiteers?) don't bother reading furthers.
Several thoughts: during WWII the entire world was at war and I imagine that many Christians thought that was the end times; the USA has abandoned God almost in its entirety, thus, what would keep him from allowing death and destruction to descend on us. We also have allowed millions of our enemies to infiltrate via the southern border.
May God have mercy on us!
Hi Peter.
I have smart friends who are absolutely convinced that the End Times are upon us…. but I look at history and I can’t feel any certainty, either way. There have been greater levels of conflict and oppression for most of recorded history. I’m also looking at the other signs in the following verses of scripture, and I’m not seeing them, either. Flood, fire, famine, storms and earthquakes are nothing exceptional – yet. Deaths due to physical events of this nature are 1/10th what they were around the end of the 19th century.
If we were heading into a End-Times period, I would expect creation itself to be responding. Current events seem mostly to be limited to human stupidity
I’m also not convinced that the WEF is capable of taking over and ruling the world. A couple of reasons will do.
1. Human nature being what it is – tribal and egotistical – it seems unlikely that any group can impose worldwide control on hostile groups. I can’t see the likes of Putin and Xi accepting that they should take orders from a group of business-lobbyists. Or that the Mad Muzzies will take orders from infidels.
You (Peter) should know this, having spent years in one of the most controlled and locked-down environments in existence. Even in high-security jails, there were still factions and violence. Turning the whole world into a jail isn’t going to change that facet of human nature.
2. War takes power away from business and puts it in the hands of the Men with Guns. How many Divisions has Bill Gates? We can talk all we like about “profiteering”, but when politicians can control supply, markets and labour – which they always do, during a major war – and can nationalise your industry “in the national interest”, promoting war involving your own country is not a good gamble….
3… Centralised control of economies has failed every time it has been tried. The idea that turning the whole world into a larger version on North Korea would make things “better” is far from obvious . How many North Koreans own Bill Gates’ products?
If the WEF aren’t smart enough to understand this, why on earth should we think that they are smart enough to effectively rule the world?
Being smart enough to cause trouble, and being smart enough to avoid unintended consequences…. are two different things.
Cheers…… Peter
Interesting times… and time to put our trust in the Lord.
I've been thinking of Revelation for several years now.
You all be safe and God bless.
Just been listening to Niall Ferguson on the subject of disaster and disaster-preparedness.
He starts off by pointing out that nothing we are currently experiencing is comparable with the deaths of the great plagues. It occurs to me that the same can be said for armed conflict. We are not seeing the Mongol hordes coming over the horizon, WW1 and WW2 are not yet being repeated.
The point he makes about these things is that it is mostly human response that determines the outcomes. He talks about a tendency to blame leaders while not listening to experts, but I’m going to suggest that during Covid, we have seen leadership abdicate responsibility by rubber-stamping recommendations by experts with a very limited range of expertise.
My argument is that the big failing in the modern world, is the abandonment of personal responsibility .
At a personal level, we see it in both the dependence on government to make our decisions and pay for our shortcomings, whether that is in education, health, income , safety or failure to work. That is paralleled by the mass-abandonment of forms of religion that require us to be personally responsible to an ultimate judge.
At a bureaucratic level we see the decision-makers insulated from the consequences of their decisions. They neither die on the front lines, nor get sacked for giving bad advice. They pay no price for not considering what may happen if things go wrong.
At leadership level, we see widespread failure to acknowledge that “the buck stops here”. Disasters are always blamed on somebody else, regardless of the leader’s responsibility to anticipate and guard against what “somebody else” may do.
Disasters are blamed on “poor advice”, without accepting the leader’s responsibility to both choose his advisors, AND judge whether to accept or reject that advice.
The takeaway for me is that the more I see Bad Times coming , the more responsibility I have to prepare for and mitigate them. Blaming the Labor Government, the Chinese, the Russians or Climate Change Is. Not. Good. Enough. It’s the same kind of excuse as “the devil tempted me and I ate” or, “I was just following orders”.
None of this shit would matter much to your readership if the United States (and boy are they united) of America would just Stay the Fuck Out of Other People's Business. Too late now.
@Genji: I entirely agree with you.
GMTA, Peter.
I was thinking on the same verses just yesterday morning.
Almost reads like Somebody knows the End since before the Beginning.
I don't plan on allowing my country or myself to be overtaken by the PTB if and when we're still here when the Antichrist chooses to reveal himself.
Took a look at the search phrase you recommended.
Iran supports Azerbaijan territorial integrity and with regards to Nagorno-Karabah, Iran position is that lands needs returned to Azerbaijan.
Iran has "cordial" relations with Armenia and also supports Armenia's territorial integrity.
Iran is allied with Russia.
Iran and Turkey view each other with suspicion. They accuse each other of supporting terrorists inside each others borders.
Azerbaijan is allied with Turkey.
Azerbaijan closed its airspace to Russian military aircraft.
Turkey's airspace is closed to Russian civilian and military aircraft.
Peter, the way I understood what you wrote, in no way matches my understanding of the relationships in the region.
If anything, Turkey (with NATO?) may be using Azerbaijan as a proxy to disappear Armenia and isolate Russia and Iran.
Iran will not support losing its air corridor (over land) with Russia.
Below is an example of a perspective regarding Iran and its Northern neighbors.
Perspectives | How Iran views the Nagorno-Karabakh truce
https://eurasianet.org/perspectives-how-iran-views-the-nagorno-karabakh-truce
Every 50 years or so some empire slouches it's way towards Megiddo. Greeks, Romans, Persians, Arabs, Franks, Turks, Egyptians, Richard I, Napoleon, the British, Germans, etc. There is definitely something going on with that area. Lucifer goes "it's time". The LORD goes "Not Yet".
And, my take on Mathew 24 is simple. Life will going on it has then the end comes.
Was Mat 24 fully, partially fulfilled already or yet in the future? Or one of those prophecies that are also waiting for another parallel future fulfillment?
One thing for sure, when the full judgment in the Day Of The Lord falls on this Earth, we do not want to be in it.
Until then, we do stupid things we suffer the consequences.
Matthew 24:36
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
I have said it here before that it may not be the end of of days but for most it will sure feel that way. With world wide famine a distinct possibility and widespread war seemingly inevitable one cannot help but think the four horsemen of the apocalypse are mounting up to ride.
Here at Road's End Sanctuary we continue to prepare and pray. I suggest you do the same.