Wars of Biblical Proportions

Modern Warfare Paves the Way for End-Time Prophecy

When the United States and Israel launched a coordinated attack against Iran on February 28, the attack was hardly unexpected, considering the firepower that had been moved into the area not long before. But the timing of the attack took the Iranian leadership by surprise. Certain that the attack would not happen during daylight hours, they gathered for a meeting—and dozens of Iran’s top leaders died together, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had held that post since 1989.

Geopolitical events now play out at warp speed. It remains to be seen just how far the conflict will progress between the time I write this article and the time this magazine is published. But one thing is certain—we are living in an increasingly dangerous world. Between now and Christ’s return there will be times of relative calm and peace, but the overall trajectory is not good. Even when it appears that the long-hoped-for peace has finally come, it will be followed by sudden destruction (1 Thessalonians 5:1–3).

Man’s capacity to kill his neighbors knows no bounds, and warfare constantly evolves in its weapons and tactics. We read of Cain killing his brother in the first act of human violence. Exactly how he murdered Abel is not revealed, but it must have been primitive, up close, and personal.

Weapons of war have progressed from sticks and stones to swords and spears, from catapults to longbows, crossbows, and cannons. Ships and boats were later joined by submarines. The first use of a submersible as an offensive weapon took place in New York Harbor in September of 1776—250 years ago—during the American Revolution. It was called the Turtle, and it was a barrel-like structure propelled underwater by a man using foot pedals to turn a propeller. “The plan was to have the Turtle make an underwater approach to a British warship, attach a charge of gunpowder to the ship’s hull by a screw device operated from within the craft, and leave before the charge was exploded by a time fuse. In the actual attack, however, the Turtle was unable to force the screw through the copper sheathing on the warship’s hull” (Britannica.com).

Too Many Weapons of Mass Destruction

Modern submersibles have, of course, advanced far beyond the failed Turtle. U.S. Ohio-class submarines can carry up to 24 Trident missiles, each capable of carrying ten independently targeted nuclear warheads. To put that in perspective, “each of those individual warheads was designed to generate a 475-kiloton blast. These ships were essentially ‘World War II in a can,’ capable of delivering the equivalent of nearly 8,000 Hiroshima explosions from nearly 1,400 miles (2,250 km) away” (Britannica.com). Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs)—whether submarine- or land-based—are possessed by the U.S., Russia, the United Kingdom, and China, with India and Pakistan working to build their own MIRVs for potential use against each other.

The number of missiles and warheads that the U.S. and former Soviet Union can maintain—at least in theory—was limited by treaty, but the overall potential is still catastrophic. Mankind’s desire to wage war is insatiable. Unmanned one-way drones are being used to great effect in Ukraine and the Middle East. As one country develops a new offensive weapon, the others adjust to counter that weapon. Meanwhile, all sides work on novel weapons of deadly destruction.

Where is all this going? Does anyone know? Many would be surprised to learn that the answer is found in the pages of the Bible. That source accurately describes where our world is heading and even gives us clues regarding futuristic weapons that will be deployed.

The Great Tribulation—and God’s Intervention

The Bible tells us explicitly that humanity is diving headlong into a very difficult time, but there is good news in the end. Jesus laid out in the starkest terms the potential for human annihilation: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:21–22). However, He did not stop there, but went on to say that “for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (v. 22). Yes, God is going to intervene to save mankind from destroying all life on planet Earth.

It would be almost 2,000 years before Jesus’ prophecy could become a reality. Until the dawn of the Nuclear Age, humanity lacked the technology to utterly destroy our planet, and it took a few years following Hiroshima and Nagasaki before the Soviet Union and the U.S. had built enough hydrogen bombs to accomplish that insane feat. But nuclear bombs are only one means of destroying all life. We now have biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction, and while cyber-warfare may not directly destroy all life, it is already being used by nations and individuals alike and can disrupt power grids, create significant financial loss, and bring chaos that inflicts genuine harm. And with the growing reach of A.I., who knows what breadth of harm it can cause in military matters?

As It Was in the Days of Noah

Jesus explained that the end of this age would be similar to the times that brought God’s wrath on two past civilizations. “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man…. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot…. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26, 28, 30).

The account of Lot is not the focus of this article, but you may read about it for yourself in Genesis 19. And what was it like in the days of Noah? “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:5, 11).

Violence comes in many forms. We live in a world where murder or rape are the price of admission to violent gangs, where drug cartels fight one another for turf and wealth, and where random acts of cruelty are inflicted upon people waiting for a subway or commuting on a train. Children are abducted and sold as slaves to purveyors of pornography, and women are raped and murdered at random. However, the greatest violence takes place in our wars—some of which seem entirely unjustified, while others are seen as justifiable attempts to stop another nation’s aggression and terror, as with the recent war against Iran, whose leaders have terrorized their citizens and neighbors for nearly five decades.

Justified or not, the big picture is that the number of people killed directly or indirectly in war is staggering. According to Maryland University’s School of Public Policy, an astounding 231 million people—both military and civilian—perished as a result of wars during the last century. A short list of conflicts includes World Wars I and II; genocides in Rwanda and Cambodia; the war between Iran and Iraq; and civil wars in China, Russia, Spain, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Angola, and Ethiopia. The number of conflicts that killed tens and hundreds of thousands, even millions, is so high that all but a very few of us would fail in a “Twentieth Century Wars” category on Jeopardy!

Our present day is indeed similar to the days of Noah, as wars continue into the twenty-first century. Sadly, they are only destined to grow worse—far worse—according to Bible prophecy. Yet your Bible does give us good news. Jesus Christ will return to stop us from ending the human race.

Jerusalem a Major Focal Point of Conflict

The picture we see in the Middle East today was foretold in the Bible thousands of years ago. Today’s Jewish state (Israel) is a remarkable development. The House of Judah (the Jews) went into captivity in 586 BC. The Jews returned to Jerusalem after the fall of Babylon but ceased to be a regional power—until now. After Jerusalem fell in AD 70 to Roman forces under Titus, there was no independent Jewish state until 1948. The Jews did not control all of Jerusalem until the Six-Day War in 1967. Therefore, specific prophecies requiring a Jewish state controlling Jerusalem could not be fulfilled for nearly 1,900 years—from AD 70 until 1967!

The Jews are among the twelve tribes descending from Abraham’s grandson Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. At the end of Jacob’s life, he called together his twelve sons and told them what would become of their descendants in the last days. “And Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father’” (Genesis 49:1–2). Israel first addressed his sons Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. He next foretold what would become of Judah, the father of today’s Jews.

Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people (vv. 8–10).

As a side point, note that this prophecy accurately predicted—nearly 18 centuries in advance—that the Messiah would come from the Jews. That is remarkable in itself, but also note the prophecy’s statement that they would be militarily powerful, acting as a lion ready to take its enemies by the throat when provoked. This military prowess was later confirmed by Zechariah, who wrote in roughly 500 BC that Jerusalem would be a troublesome stone, that all nations would be against the Jews, and that the Jewish state would defeat all nations going up against it.

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it…. In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left (Zechariah 12:2–3, 6).

Jerusalem’s Fall and a False Sense of Peace

Zechariah 14 is set at the time of the Day of the Lord, the time that will culminate in Christ’s return to be King over all the earth. In that chapter we learn that there will be a war that the Jews do not win. “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city” (vv. 1–2). Half the city going into captivity indicates what we see today—a divided city.

The Bible also indicates that there will come a point in the near future when the world naïvely thinks peace has finally come—but it will be a deceptive mirage. “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 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” (1 Thessalonians 5:2–3).

From the Bible we learn who the major powers will be at the end of the age, and Revelation 9 describes the clashing of two powerful forces. We know from other prophecies that there will be a revived Roman Empire, controlled by a powerful secular leader—the infamous Beast of Revelation—and a charismatic religious leader, the false prophet or Antichrist. This European system, made up of ten leaders who give their power to the Beast, will possess massive quantities of weapons—described in a way that calls to mind helicopters or drones—and these weapons will carry a yet-unknown futuristic instrument of misery that appears to be chemical or biological (Revelation 9:1–10). With it, this Beast power will be free to torture rather than kill its enemies and will reign freely for five months.

And perhaps it will also have the means to disable modern electronic weapons, as we read of a counterattack from the east (Asia) by an army so great that it defies our understanding of modern war. “And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying… ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ So the four angels… were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them” (vv. 13–16).

This will be during the Day of the Lord, the year that will end with Christ returning to stop mankind’s madness. The number of combatants indicates that this will not be in the nature of today’s warfare, in which we see weapons traveling long distances with fewer frontline soldiers. This passage of Scripture can only be understood as describing a desperate, all-out war for survival involving sheer numbers to overwhelm the enemy.

The World Is Arming Now

Many are familiar with Isaiah’s “swords into plowshares” prophecy, but they may not be as familiar with Joel’s reverse of Isaiah: “Proclaim this among the nations: ‘Prepare for war! 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”’” (Joel 3:9–10). This prophecy describes the leadup to the final, climactic battle between the nations of the world and the returning Christ (vv. 11–16).

Today we see an arms race underway, the likes of which we have not seen since the Cold War. The late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev rightly summarized the future when he said that “it looks like the world is preparing for war.” He went on to say that “no problem is more urgent today than the militarisation of politics and the new arms race. Stopping and reversing this ruinous race must be our top priority. The current situation is too dangerous” (The Independent). Those comments were made five years before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That conflict, along with prodding from Washington, has created an even greater arms race in Europe and beyond.

The U.S. and Great Britain Defeated for Their Sins

Great Britain is the epitome of stately pride. Even its best-known patriotic song exudes proud grandeur. Americans might know its sound as “Pomp and Circumstance,” most often played without words at graduation ceremonies. “Land of hope and glory.… Thy fame is ancient as the days, as Ocean large and wide: a pride that dares, and heeds not praise, a stern and silent pride….” But Britain’s empire is no more. Its influence in the world is diminishing, its indomitable power gone—only its fading pride is left.

The U.S. is celebrating its 250-year anniversary, and many still believe it is invincible. Will it last another 250 years? Sadly, no—not in its current state. God told the ancient Israelites that if they obeyed Him, they would reap unbounded blessings, including power over their enemies (Leviticus 26:1–13)—but if they despised His commandments, He would appoint terror over them (vv. 14–17). And He said further, “I will break the pride of your power” (v. 19).

Few realize who the U.S. and the British-descended peoples actually are. As we saw earlier, Jacob (Israel) foretold what would happen to Judah (the Jews) and to his other eleven sons in the last days. We also saw that the Messiah would come from the Jews, just as was prophesied more than 1,500 years in advance. But not all prophecies about the sons of Israel involve the Jews.

Here is a profoundly important statement that is almost universally unknown, even by those who study the Bible: “Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler [the Messiah], although the birthright was Joseph’s” (1 Chronicles 5:1–2).

Where are the descendants of Joseph today? The answer to this question is vitally important, as without it we cannot truly understand current events. For a thoroughly documented explanation, see our free resource The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy, which you can order as a printed booklet or read here at TomorrowsWorld.org.

God said He would “break the pride of your power.” This can only happen to a nation that has both power and pride. Has there ever been a time when more pride was invested in America’s power? The U.S. appears invincible to many, but so did Babylon, Rome, and other past civilizations. Unless America, Britain, and the British-descended nations turn back to God, their pride will be broken!

The Rise of the Beast and the False Prophet—and Their Fall

Revelation 17 describes seven revivals of the Roman Empire. Six have already come and gone, with a seventh to rise in the very near future. Don’t doubt what God proclaims in His word. The Jewish state started small in 1948, but it has become the most powerful military force in the Middle East—just as foretold in two prophecies dating back 2,500 and 3,500 years. Even now, groundwork is being laid for that future European superpower, known as the Beast, as NATO nations are committing to spending 5 percent of GDP on their militaries. All they are waiting for is a strong political leader, a charismatic religious leader, and a very few years to build more weapons. What even they do not realize is the course of their own future.

When Christ returns, most people will accuse Him of being the Antichrist. The false prophet, working with the Beast, will gather the earth’s armies to fight against what will seem to them an invader from outer space.

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], out of the mouth of the beast [European leader], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [the charismatic religious leader who will work with the Beast]. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty (Revelation 16:13–14).

This is confirmed in the next chapter: “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb [Jesus Christ], and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (17:12–14).

Christ’s Return and an End to All Wars

This is why the nations of the world, without realizing it, are beating “plowshares into swords,” as we read earlier in Joel. There is an unseen and unrecognized spirit power guiding the course of this world (Ephesians 2:2). And he is even now inspiring an arms race among nations that have no idea where it is leading.

Mankind has resisted its Creator from the beginning, and the results have always been the same—hatred, greed, and violence, among other spiritual plagues. However, God’s mercy is great enough to send His Son back to the earth to save us from our own insanity (Ephesians 2:4–7). Then will come the time when people throughout our world “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Micah 4:3).