More Nuclear Brinkmanship

Last week, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile over northern Japan in an event North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called a “meaningful prelude to containing” Guam. He also promised more missile tests in the future (The Guardian, August 30, 2017). “Japan has in the past vowed to shoot down North Korean missiles or rockets that threaten to hit its territory” (The Guardian, August 29, 2017). The missile launch has made both the Japanese and South Koreans nervous. Not long after the test, “the UN security council unanimously condemned the launch and repeated demands that Pyongyang halt its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes.” The security council also noted that the missile launch threatened not only the stability of the region, but of all UN member nations. Russian President Putin has warned that all the sabre rattling about North Korea could lead to a “global catastrophe” (nbcnews.com, September 5, 2017).

Although wars have always been part of history, Jesus Christ prophesied that “wars and rumors of wars” would be one of the prominent signs of the end of the age (Matthew 24:6; Mark 13:7). The clear implication of these and other prophecies is that we should watch for ever-increasing wars and rumors of wars on a global scale just before the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. For more on this important topic, read Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return.