[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]
A Call to Arms
It is never good to bet against God. If He says it is going to happen, it will, even if it looks impossible at the moment.
When skeptics doubted that Germany would rearm, we here at Tomorrow’s World never shied away from saying without reservations that Germany would experience a turning point from pacifism to militarism. Why? Because of Bible prophecy.
Following WW II, Germany had no appetite to return to its military past. It appeared to all—and still does for most people—that the nation had learned its lesson and will never again wage offensive war against its neighbors. The United States nuclear umbrella would keep its neighbors to the east at bay, and with the fall of the Soviet Union, the threat of war appeared to come to a close. The Cold War was over.
Military preparedness declined, but the United States still carried the load to protect the continent.
While American presidents failed in pressuring NATO nations to pay their agreed upon 2% of GDP on military spending, Russian President Vladimir Putin, by invading Ukraine, managed to accomplish that goal overnight. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave his famous Zeitenwende speech, meaning a turning point, on February 27, 2022—a mere three days after the invasion. Germany was not alone among NATO nations announcing increases in military spending. And this is not the whole story, as we see a massive arms buildup around the world.
Who would have thought even a year ago that European nations would boost defense spending to a whapping 5% of GDP? Yet today that is the trajectory on which most are committed.
And the speed in which European countries are ramping up military spending and preparing for war is astounding.
Joel 3 End-Time Prophecy Is Happening Now
I said in the introduction to today’s program that the future is found in the pages of the Bible, and indeed it is. What we see happening before our eyes is the fulfillment of a very specific biblical prophecy for our time. The world is currently arming for war. And this is true for Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America and elsewhere. Do you realize this was foretold long ago? Notice this prophecy in Joel 3.
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).
There have been other times of military buildups. The second World War was certainly such a time. Never before in history had there been a truly worldwide conflict that ended taking the lives of an estimated 70 to 85 million people.
The Day of the Lord Prophecy and Timeframe
So what makes Joel’s prophecy so significant? The answer has to do with the timeframe. The focus of Joel’s visions is the Day of the LORD. Notice it in chapter 2, beginning in verse 1.
Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the Day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand: A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness…. A people come, great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations (Joel 2:1-2).
The Day of the LORD is found in both testaments of the Bible and is directly mentioned 32 times in an end-time setting when Jesus Christ returns.
Feast of Trumpets’ Prophetic Meaning: The Day of the Lord
It’s the fulfillment of the biblical Feast of Trumpets, called Rosh Hashanah by the Jews. Specific plagues make up that day and are laid out with the sounding of seven trumpets in the book of Revelation.
It’s at the last trumpet that Christ returns, and the prophet Isaiah reveals that the Day of the LORD—the time of these seven trumpet blasts—takes place during a one-year period of time. Here it is in Isaiah 34:8.
For it is the Day of the LORD’s vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
Everything about the Day of the LORD shows that it is a time of war and destruction when God’s wrath will be poured out on unrepentant, rebellious mankind. Here’s what we read from the prophet Zephaniah in chapter 1 and verses 14-16.
The great day of the LORD is near; it is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers (Zephaniah 1:14-16).
Joel’s Prophecy: A Global Arms Race
The massive worldwide military buildup that we see is a direct fulfillment of a prophecy found in the biblical book of Joel. But as I pointed out earlier, there have been other times in history when nations geared up for war. However, God’s prophecy as recorded by Joel is specific to a unique time in human history. He’s not speaking about the 1500s, the 1700s, or even last century. He speaks under inspiration from God of a one-year period of time referred to in 30 scriptures as the Day of the LORD—a series of events that culminates in the return of Jesus Christ.
Joel 3:10 Precedes the Day of the Lord
Notice that this call to arms is in the context of the final battle when the nations of this world—as difficult as it is to believe—square off against their Creator (Joel 3 beginning in verse 9).
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.” Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat [just outside of Jerusalem]; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision (Joel 3:9-14).
We’ve not yet come to the time known as the Day of the LORD, but it takes time to manufacture weapons of war. When Joel says, “Prepare for war,” this obviously must precede the final battle spoken of a few verses later.
More Bible Verses About the Day of the Lord
Let’s explore further what the Bible describes as this Day of the LORD. Do you realize that this is the theme of the Book of Revelation? Note it in chapter 1 and verse 10. Here we find the aged John, the last living of the original 12 apostles, being given visions from God about events to come while being a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos in the Aegean Sea (Revelation 1:10).
I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.
3 Reasons the Day of the Lord Is Not Sunday
Now some preachers tell us that the Lord’s Day means Sunday. As Kenneth Taylor’s Living Letters Bible scandalously paraphrases:
It was Sunday and I was worshiping. (The New Testament from 26 translations)
There are three reasons why the idea that Revelation 1:10 is not referring to a day of the week.
- The Bible never refers to the first day of the week (that is Sunday) as the Lord’s Day.
That is a narrative invented long after the crucifixion and is never found in the Scriptures. In fact, quite the opposite is true. And that brings me to:
- If it were talking about a day of the week, it would be the seventh-day Sabbath.
There are only three scriptures that tell us what day of the week Jesus is Lord of, and it’s not Sunday.
When the Jews of His day condemned Jesus for breaking their humanly imposed ideas about how to keep the Sabbath, He turned to an Old Testament example before stating emphatically what day He is the Lord of (Mark 2:27-28).
And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Now if the Sabbath were done away, as many proclaim, He could not be Lord of it. Consider carefully. He is not Lord of something that does not exist. Note also from this passage that Jesus said that the Sabbath was made, not for the Jews only, but for man. And when was it made? At the very beginning (Genesis 2:2-3).
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
Theme of Revelation Is the Day of the Lord
However, Revelation 1:10 is not referring to a day of the week. And that brings me to:
- The theme of the book is the LORD’s Day, or to say the same thing differently—the Day of the LORD.
The message is contained on a scroll that is sealed by seven seals. Only the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, can open these seals. The first four are what are popularly known as the Four Horseman of Revelation (or of the Apocalypse). The fifth seal represents a martyrdom of some of the servants of God. Terrifying heavenly signs are seen when the sixth seal is opened, and what follows is something many cannot imagine (Revelation 6:15).
And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17).
Yes, the Day of the LORD is nothing other than the wrath of the Lamb of God.
Few think of Jesus in terms that go beyond sentimental love. They fail to understand His love coming in the form of a terrific spanking—one that is necessary to bring us to our senses.
Mankind is arming even as I speak for a future that they do not foresee. When Joel spoke of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, he was referring to what many call Armageddon, but that term is badly misunderstood.
What is Armageddon? What does it mean for the world? What does it mean for you and your loved ones? And will anyone survive it?
Prepare for War in the Last Days
We are living in the last days when nations around the world are arming for war, and according to Bible prophecy, wars of unimaginable proportions are coming. However, there is good news and I’ll explain that a little later, but with all that is to happen, it is difficult to understand how this terrible time ahead can catch people by surprise. Yet, that is exactly what the apostle Paul says will happen. How can this be?
Revelation 18 speaks of commerce and wealth in the midst of all the troubles. Life carries on and it appears that it will carry on very well for many. That will no doubt be part of the reason, but here is the warning I spoke of before the break. There is also a moment when the world will think the long hoped-for time of peace has finally arrived. When that happens, when people think that peace has at last come, don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the euphoria of the moment. It will not last.
Like a Thief in the Night | 1 Thessalonians 5:2
Here’s what it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4.
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. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
No matter the good intentions of men and women who seek peace, mankind simply does not know the way to peace. So says the word of God in Isaiah 59 and elsewhere. And so says 6,000 years of history.
Visitors to the United Nations in New York may notice a statue of a muscular man beating a sword into a plowshare for agricultural use. It was sculpted by a Russian artist and gifted to the United Nations by the former Soviet Union. Do you know where the inspiration for this impressive statue come from?
The message comes from the book of Isaiah and is Messianic in nature. In other words, it depicts the rule of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, following his return to rule on earth and bring an end to war. Notice it in Isaiah 2:4.
They 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.
This is also repeated by the prophet Micah in Micah 4:3.
Does this sound too good to be true? More importantly, do you believe it?
Don’t think this won’t happen. If God could foretell a massive worldwide military buildup to occur just prior to the return of His Son, can He not bring about peace when He says He will?
Great Tribulation Coming Soon | Matthew 24
Again, it never pays to bet against God. Peace will come, but only after humanity has come to the brink of global suicide. That message is found in the Bible. That is what Jesus said in Matthew 24:21-22.
“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; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
Is World War 3 Coming? Yes
We see two contrasting biblical prophecies for the time we are in and just ahead of us. The prophet Joel describes a massive worldwide military buildup, leading to a titanic battle near Jerusalem between the nations of the world and the returned Jesus Christ. Notice it again in Joel 3:9-10.
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.’”
Any informed person realizes that these words are being fulfilled even as you view this program. Not since World War II has there been a time when nations were more intent on preparing for a war that they truly believe is coming. Yes, there was the Cold War when the Soviet Union and the West built massive stockpiles of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them that they might guarantee “mutually assured destruction”—the idea that if each side possessed enough destructive power, neither would dare to use it. It was a dangerous game of blind man’s bluff, with each side desperately hoping no mistake would start an unthinkable chain of events that would destroy civilization as we know it. Thankfully, though there were some close calls—much closer than most people realize—that did not happen.
For insight into just how close we came to nuclear war, go to our YouTube channel and check out our 2021 award-winning program Cold War Secrets Revealed.
During the Cold War, East and West prepared for war, but hoped it would not come.
Europe Rearming in Response to Russian Threat
However, European nations today are preparing and expecting that war will come—and in the very near future.
They are seriously preparing to square off against a nuclear-powered Russia. Deputy Director General Ragnar Vaiknemets of the Estonian Health Board, which oversees war preparedness, stated emphatically:
“It’s not a question of if [Russia] will attack. It’s a question about when” (“Europe’s frontier countries ready their hospitals for war,” POLITICO).
And the BBC reported German General Carsten Breuer as saying:
“We are threatened by Russia. We are threatened by Putin. We have to do whatever is needed to deter that”…. He warns that Nato should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years…. “And the sooner we are prepared the better” ( “Germany decides to leave history in the past and prepare for war,” BBC.com, March 31, 2025).
Now that was in March 2025. By the time you view this program, “as little as four years” is now “as little as three years.” Whether that happens exactly as feared remains to be seen. But the point is that whatever the cause, God through His prophet Joel describes a massive military buildup for the end-time and that is happening just as He said. Ultimately, those war preparations will be turned against the King of kings.
How Close Is the World to World Peace?
But on the positive side of things, Isaiah prophesies exactly the opposite of Joel. Instead of turning instruments of agriculture into weapons of war, mankind will turn his weapons of war into instruments for agriculture. Let’s notice a more complete section of this beautiful passage in Isaiah 2:2-4.
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they 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.
Yes, it is a beautiful passage, but it’s more. It’s for real.
Jesus Christ’s Return Will Bring World Peace
Just as God’s prophecy through His prophet Joel is coming to pass before our eyes, so God’s prophecy through Isaiah will come to pass.
Jesus Christ will return to save us from our insanity and set up His Kingdom of peace and prosperity. That’s when the servants of God will be resurrected to rule with Him. That’s the message Jesus proclaimed for three-and-a-half years prior to His crucifixion. That is the message of the Kingdom of God—the message we proclaim here at Tomorrow’s World.
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