At this moment in time, once again the world is looking into the tragic face of war. My heart is torn as I watch the news and see the suffering of the Ukrainian people. Parents, children, and the elderly in Ukraine are all experiencing the sudden upheaval of every fabric of their lives. As Christians, we must pray that believers in Ukraine will have a great open door to share the only real hope and peace in the world – faith in Jesus Christ.
One of the strong signs of the end-times is the collapse of peace and security. While speaking about the last days, Jesus said, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and [pandemics], and earthquakes, in [different] places” (Matthew 24:6-7). While speaking about the Tribulation Period, the Apostle Paul wrote, “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” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
This current invasion of Russia into Ukraine illustrates that we are living at a time when our world is in turmoil. The United States has been the strong nation of freedom and peace around the globe since the end of WWII. As the U.S. shows signs of weakness, it is sending a message to the tyrants of the world, that now is the time for them to make their move to acquire more power, wealth, and resources. Therefore, President Vladmir Putin has made his dramatic move against an independent sovereign nation along his border. He wants to control and acquire more energy resources and to restore Russia to its glory days of the former Soviet Union. We can expect other tyrants, like those in China, North Korea, Iran, and Turkey to follow in the footsteps of Russia.
According to the prophetic Word of God, our world is heading into the most dangerous and volatile time in modern history. The 20th century saw two World Wars. During World War II, about 80 million people [3 percent of the global population] died. During the final seven years before Christ returns to earth from heaven, the world will face human suffering and fatalities that will boggle the human mind. There will be numerous wars as the final global dictator attacks every nation on the planet to set up his global kingdom. In the first half of the Tribulation one-half of the global population will die because of wars, famines, pandemics, and an attack by demonic hordes from hell (Revelation 6:8; 9:15). The last half of the Tribulation will be more horrific than the first half. Isaiah 24:6 declares, “Therefore, hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.”
The final war, Armageddon, will involve every nation on the planet. This war will end when the Lord Jesus comes back to earth in a display of great power and glory (Matthew 24:30). He will strike dead all the armed forces that accompany the Antichrist in his attack upon Jerusalem (Revelation 19:11-21).
Jesus will return to earth to establish a global kingdom of peace. For 1,000 years the world will not experience any conflict or war. The Bible declares, “And 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” (Isaiah 2:4).
The Bible teaches that peace treaties will not work in a world filled with depraved souls. History demonstrates that conflict and war are a part of the sin nature of mankind (James 3:14-17). Human governments must rule from a position of strength to deter violence and lawlessness (Romans 13:1-4). Therefore, Jesus will rule the world with an iron scepter (Revelation 19:15). Jesus will rule over depraved humanity during the kingdom from a position of strength. There will be no peace until the Prince of Peace comes to establish His kingdom of peace!
My friend, our world will not get better. We are moving into the most dangerous period this world has ever experienced. The only way to escape is to receive Jesus and exit the world in the Rapture before the Tribulation period begins. Now is the time to receive Him. Don’t wait another day!
Until that time comes, cry out to the Lord to give you wisdom to live in a fallen world filled with violence, war, and death.