A note from a frequent emailer friend in India brought to my spiritual understanding that indeed all we see happening on the peace-effort front might have prophetic significance beyond what I’ve fully covered.
I’ll just mention his name as “KS.” He proffered his thought that we could be right at the point near what’s described in 1 Thessalonians 5:3:
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
KS then indicated that his thoughts included a nuclear deal with Iran and talks for a two-state solution that might be key to bringing about the Rapture and the “sudden destruction” Jesus spoke of in His “days of Lot” prophecy (Luke 17:2 8–30). The destruction might then eventuate to be the foretold permanent removal of Damascus as a city (Isaiah 17:1) and possibly the Psalm 83 war many believe to be in the near future (I still don’t agree with that).
It’s not that I haven’t considered the many issues involving possible war and peace under the light of Bible prophecy for the end times. It is just that there are so many major war dynamics erupting so often, I must now explore them more closely than ever. We have examined these things many times, based upon the words of the greatest of all prophets:
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Matthew 24:6)
Jesus made it clear that as the end of this age (the Age of Grace) approaches, there will be a ramping-up of wars across the world. Yet He we shouldn’t be troubled; these terrible wars and dire warnings of war to come will not mean it is the end.
How in the world could the Lord say we shouldn’t be troubled–that this didn’t mean it is the end?! If there are to be more of these wars–many with the possibility of nuclear exchanges—shouldn’t that be reason for being more troubled, not less?
Our own time at present in facing war is certainly not at an end. Ukraine versus Russia is at a critical phase, with obstacles against which even our own president, a master negotiator, can’t seem to make headway. Israel versus Iranian terrorist proxies rage and build daily toward becoming a truly troubling conflict. And my friend who lives in India faces rumors of nuclear war with Pakistan, where another of my friends makes his home and conducts Christian ministry. Both India and Pakistan now have heating-up hatreds long simmering, each possessing nuclear weaponry.
And, at the same time, a profoundly perilous “rumor of war” threatens regional and world peace.
Iran, with fanatic Islamic leadership that daily threatens to destroy the much-hated Israel, and that sponsors terrorism globally, is perhaps days from developing nuclear weapons it will use to accomplish its blood-vowed intention.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised Iran will never be allowed to develop such weaponry. He is backed by a president of the United States who has proven he will follow through with what he promises. He has promised that if negotiations don’t work and the Iranian regime gets close to having an atomic weapon, the US military will lead the way in taking out Iran’s underground facilities.
Russia has signed pacts with the Iranians, and such lethal actions as will be necessary to destroy the underground weapons labs would make Russia put up or shut up in its friendship of protection with Iran.
This is indeed a “rumor of war” to consider!
The following news item tells of dangers involved in terms of the tenuousness of peace for Israel and the Middle East:
[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking in JNS interview]
“I’m saying this for the ambassadors who are here—all of you know this,” he said. “We just tried a Palestinian state in Gaza,” he continued. “You saw what that brought, right?”
The Jewish state had been “attacked savagely, horribly” on Oct. 7, 2023, said Netanyahu. When German Chancellor Olaf Schultz, who visited Israel early in the war, “saw the film of the horrors and visited the sites, he said there: they’re exactly like the Nazis,” the Israeli premier recalled.
“And I said, well, they’re different. Not in intent, not in savagery—but the Nazis tried to hide their crimes. And these people carry GoPro cameras, live, you know, they’re ecstatic about the blood they shed, the people they butcher, the women they rape, the men they beheaded, the babies they burned,” he continued.
“You cannot build peace and security on lies. If you do so, sooner or later, these lies will crash on the realities of the Middle East,” he said…
“So what’s left? Well, quite a few things and many opportunities, but obviously they’ll all go down the tube if Iran gets nuclear weapons,” he added, vowing to work with Washington to ensure that Tehran will not be able to enrich uranium under a possible deal. (“ ‘Folly’ to Think Palestinian State Will Produce Peace, Netanyahu Tells JNS,” JNS staff, JNS.org)
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