A Drone, a Spark, a World on Edge—a Wake-up Call!

On October 17, NATO forces downed what may have been a Russian drone flying near a military base hosting U.S. troops in Eastern Europe (UK Defense Journal, October 30, 2025). Drones were also seen “at a Belgian military base believed to host U.S. tactical nuclear weapons” (Newsweek, November 2, 2025), and each incident adds more tension to a situation already near the breaking point. What may have once been dismissed as minor skirmishes now carry ominous weight, because they occur against the backdrop of a war in Ukraine that has already drawn in the world’s most powerful nations in several ways, pulling NATO deeper into the conflict.

This latest confrontation is not an isolated event but part of a pattern that blurs the line between “support” and “participation.” As Tomorrow’s World warned in its article “Sleepwalking into World War III,” history shows how nations often stumble into catastrophic wars not through one decisive act but through a series of incremental steps—each justified at the time yet collectively leading to disaster.

The parallels to the 1930s are striking. Then, too, the world underestimated the consequences of unchecked aggression. Small sparks—such as the Marco Polo Bridge incident in Asia and the remilitarization of the Rhineland in Europe—ignited the war that consumed continents. Today, a drone shot down near a NATO base may seem minor, but it could prove to be one of those sparks.

The warning is clear: Humanity is once again drifting toward a conflict no one can afford. Leaders speak of deterrence, yet each escalation makes retreat harder. We are clearly warned not to sleep but rather to “watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). The drone incident in Eastern Europe is an alarm urging us to wake up before we sleepwalk into a war that could engulf the world—with sudden destruction that many will not be able to escape (v. 3). You can learn more about how world events relate to Bible prophecy by subscribing to Tomorrow’s World magazine or by reading it online at TomorrowsWorld.org.