Biblical Signs of the End Times | Wars & Rumors of Wars
KEY VERSE:
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places.” (Mat 24:6-7 – NKJV)
Context:
Although increase in war and consequent casualties is a well known fact, let us examine it in greater detail. Look closely at Jesus’ words – you will HEAR of wars and rumors of wars. With the advent of cutting edge technology in the field of communication, it is no longer surprising to us, when we HEAR about conflicts in various parts of the world. News and information travel fast and reach right into our homes for us to see and hear at leisure.
The second noteworthy point in Jesus’ words is rumors of wars. In spite of having latest communication technology which provides us information quickly, the news and information we receive is not always accurate. With the advent of the Internet, information available to us is multiplying at an unprecedented rate.
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Dan 12:4 – NKJV)
However, information does not necessarily mean truth. There is a lot of deception and lies hidden behind the information we receive. One of the examples, is as Jesus says, we will hear rumors of wars.
For instance, The Americans used an attack by the North Vietnamese on the US destroyer Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964 as the excuse to begin bombing the north (N. Vietnam). It now appears that there actually was no such attack. Nevertheless, under presidents Lyndon and Johnson, more and more US troops were sent to fight for South Vietnam. (Source: http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide20/part05a.html )
You would have noted another instance if you have read Pastor Benny Hinn’s autobiography closely. During the six-day war between Israel and the Arabs in 1967, Pastor Benny Hinn was a child living in Jaffa, right in the heat of the war zone. He mentions listening to Egyptian radio which kept proclaiming victory over the Israelis even days after the Egyptian Air Force was completely destroyed. People who defied the government order and listened to BBC got the correct picture. (Source: ‘He Touched Me – Autobiography of Benny Hinn – Page 39)
What I mean to say is, this happens all the time during war. Information we receive is more of nationalistic propaganda rather than truth. Even otherwise, on many sensitive political matters, diplomatic issues, historical disputes and business matters, what we get is nationalistic propaganda reeking of vested interests. How true are the words of Jesus!
Wars of the 20th Century:
Approximately 35 to 40 million soldiers have died in the wars of the 20th century, nearly 75% of them in the two World Wars. Here is a table showing the biggest wars of this century in terms of death toll.
| Sr | Dates | War | Military Death Toll |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1937-45 | Second World War | 20,000,000 |
| 2 | 1914-18 | First World War | 8,500,000 |
| 3 | 1950-53 | Korean War | 1,200,000 |
| 4 | 1945-49 | Chinese Civil War | 1,200,000 |
| 5 | 1965-73 | Vietnam War | 1,200,000 |
| 6 | 1980-88 | Iran-Iraq War | 850,000 |
| 7 | 1918-21 | Russian Civil War | 800,000 |
| 8 | 1927-37 | Chinese Civil War | 400,000 |
| 9 | 1945-54 | French Indochina | 385,000 |
| 10 | 1911-20 | Mexican Revolution | 200,000 |
| 11 | 1936-39 | Spanish Civil War | 200,000 |
| 12 | 1954-62 | French-Algerian War | 160,000 |
| 13 | 1980-89 | Afghanistan | 150,000 |
| 14 | 1904-05 | Russo-Japanese War | 130,000 |
| 15 | 1921-26 | Riffian War | 100,000 |
| 16 | 1956-72 | First Sudanese Civil War | 100,000 |
| 17 | 1919-20 | Russo-Polish War | 100,000 |
| 18 | 1967-70 | Biafran War | 100,000 |
| 19 | 1932-35 | Chaco War | 90,000 |
| 20 | 1935-36 | Abyssinian War | 75,000 |
(Source: http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/war-list.htm)
And these are just the ‘big ones’. Wars and conflicts are going on continuously in various parts of the world and millions of soldiers and innocent civilians are being butchered. Take a look at this:
| Years | No. of wars | Average / year | Source link for details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900-1944 | 93 | 2.11 | http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-wars-1900-1944 |
| 1945-1989 | 103 | 2.28 | http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-wars-1945-1989 |
| 1990-2002 | 43 | 3.30 | http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-wars-1990-2002 |
| 2003-current | 32 | 4.57 | http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-wars-2003-current |
Besides, the list of ongoing conflicts includes 29 wars starting from 1948 which means that the conflict is ongoing for more than 60 years.
(Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/ongoing-conflicts )
Jesus said, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom”. If you see the list of ongoing conflicts, most of the wars are internal to the countries in the form of insurgency and guerilla warfare or terrorism. Rather than one political country fighting another, it is a conflict between people of different tribes, caste, ethnicity, religion, etc fighting for domination over the other. This is a very serious and dangerous problem threatening the very existence of humanity for which the world political establishments have found no solution for. The possibility of nuclear weapons falling in the hands of terrorist organizations is a real threat and the consequences unimaginable.
For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. (I Thess 5:3 – NKJV)
Yet we can find hope in the words of Jesus;
“See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet”.
All these things have to happen as the signs of the end times, but the end of the age – the final culmination of it all is still ahead. There is a joyous hope for His Church because the Rapture will take place much before the end of it all and they will meet their Glorious Savior in the skies.
Are you ready to meet Jesus now?
Are you ready for the Rapture now?
Maranatha! Our Lord is coming soon.
Written by: Samson
How do you feel about what you’ve read? Has Jesus spoken to you? Use the comments link below to express your thoughts, feelings, suggestions and ideas. Be Blessed.
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