Korean peninsula heats up.

Last week, North Korea celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of the nation’s founding president, Kim Il-Sung. The centerpiece of the celebrations was a rocket launch to put a satellite into orbit.  However, the rocket disintegrated a few minutes after lift-off.  South Korean president Lee criticized the launch, and “said the estimated $850 million cost of a rocket launch… could have bought 2.5 million tons of corn” for the starving, food-aid dependent nation. The South also unveiled a “new cruise missile said to be able to reach any target in the North.”

In retaliation for what it called “defamation of its leadership,” “North Korea’s military Monday threatened ‘special actions’ soon to turn parts of the South Korean capital to ashes… It said the actions ‘will reduce all... to ashes in three or four minutes... by unprecedented peculiar means and methods of our own style’” (Agence France-Presse, April 23, 2012).  Whether tensions on the Korean peninsula escalate to the highest level remains to be seen.

Bible prophecy indicates that at the time of the end, a 200-million-man Asiatic army will advance on Jerusalem from the East (Daniel 11:44; Revelation 9:13-19; 16:12). To support such an army, there must be a certain level of unity among Asiatic nations—including Russia and China—a situation that currently does not exist. We need to watch where the dynamic events in Asia are going to lead.

For more information on end-time prophecy, review our booklet Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!