Wars and Rumors of Wars

Rev. Sudha Mehta©

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Matthew 24: 4 Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.(BSB)

Today we look at verse 6 only:

Matthew 24: 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. 

I think we all can agree that in all of human history wars have been happening since the beginning. In a rudimentary form, Cain waged a war against Abel, killing him. Left to his own devices, and indwelt by a sin nature that corrupts, man has an innate desire to push the limits and conquer. This desire stems from a number of things like pride, jealousy and covetousness which is a desire to own what belongs to someone else. It is a quest for power over others, a demonstration of a lack of contentment . . . in short all things that come from Satan, NOT from God.

In my life time I have seen nations form, nations disappear, geographic boundaries fought over by military force. The World has seen two World wars, the blast of two Atom Bombs, and is at some point going to see yet more.

from wallpapercave.com

The end of World War II brought about the birth of the Nation of Israel, and during the same time frame my parents saw the independence of India, though it too was filled with bloodshed in it’s efforts preceding and post independence. The country divided into two and eventually three. 

I was only 20 when I came to the US in 1970. Though I was born in 1950, and thankfully missed all the turmoil and chaos of the partition when my family had to leave their lands and property in what is now known as Pakistan and flee  for their lives, my twenty years of growing up in India were not war-free.  India went to war once with Pakistan and once with China during those years. Isreal, formed about the same time, very quickly saw several wars as well. The Korean war, Vietnam war, the Cold War are  just some others to name.

According to sources such as Necrometrics, in the 20th Century wars took a toll as never before. While the numbers vary, deaths related to wars, and warring activities resulted in unimaginable loss of human life, young and old. Here are some sources:

Zbigniew Brzezinski, Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the Twenty-first Century (1993)

“Lives deliberately extinguished by politically motivated carnage”: 167,000,000 to 175,000,000.

Rudolph J. Rummel, Death By Government

“Democides” – Government inflicted deaths (1900-87)

• • • 169,198,000
    • Including:
      • Communist Oppression: 110,286,000
      • Democratic democides: 2,028,000 Not included among democides:
        • Wars: 34,021,000
        • Non-Democidal Famine (often including famines associated with war and communist mismanagement):
          • China (1900-87): 49,275,000
          • Russia: (1921-47): 5,833,000
          • Total: 258,327,000 for all the categories listed here.

No matter which figure you look at, it is astronomical.

So, when Jesus said:

Matthew 24: 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. 

It does makes sense to listen, doesn’t it?!

Here is a link for you to see how many wars have happened just since the year 1900:

http://war-memorial.net/wars_all.asp

And we are just two decades into the 21st Century. 

from csmonitor.com

There isn’t a weapon that mankind has ever made that has not been put to use. What is made has  been used . . .  always! Yes, every single kind of weapon! So, if you think that all of modern day weaponry, including nuclear, will not be used sooner or later, you, my friend, are dreaming! No one will be able to disarm every nation, it is human nature . . . someone will light the wick, someone will pull the trigger, someone will get angry enough to give an order and things will change! Somewhere, it will start! 

Yes, Jesus said “when” (not “IF”) you see these things happen, consider it a sign the end is nearing, but it is not yet. He knows, He rules!

Psalms 66: 7 He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah(NKJV)

Nothing is hidden from God. He sees all, and He cares for those who call on His Name:

Psalm 33: 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.(NKJV)

Here, in Luke, Jesus says something even more interesting:

Luke 21:  28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

So, when things look absolutely hopeless, He asks us to “look up because redemption is coming?!”  Incredulous . . . right?!

Truth is all of us would love to live forever in a Utopian world where there is no war, or dissension of anykind, ever. We would all love to be at peace with our neighbors, and have the children play without fear outside, no matter where we live.

We would love to see an end to all rioting, and violence from the mobs. It would be great if no stray bullet ever hit and killed a loved one asleep in the bed or crib. No driveby shootings.

The World be so much better if there were no drug cartels ruling our inner cities, no mothers weeping over their child’s coffins whether the death occured from an overdose, a bullet or a knife.  We all want a place where children are not abused physically or sexually, where women are not beaten for causing some little displeasure to their husbands, where lives, young and old are not sold in underground makets for profit.

I for one would love to see no animals abused in any way.  Who wouldn’t like to live in a place where even the animal kingdom is at peace with mankind and each other?

Man cannot usher in such a time, but God can! It will come, my friend!

Isaiah 2: 4b 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.(NKJV)

The Bible tells us not even in the animal kingdom will there be a hint of danger:

from wildbranches.blogspot

Isaiah 11: 6“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.(NKJV)

Photo from pinterest

I cannot imagine a more peaceful world. Can you?!

Weapons will be destroyed and there will be peace. An era without guns that so many of you long for will come. The above Scripture speaks in the language of the Old Testament assuring us of a time of peace in the future. The signs of turmoil today merely point to this time coming. Jesus said to look up, for in truth God is our only hope.  

This time is prophesied in the Bible from the beginning in Genesis to the end in Revelation. We are promised that Jesus our Savior will come and set up His rule here on Earth. A literal, physical rule where He will be the only King and govern our World.  I suspect many of you recoil when I say that He will come actually physically and be with mankind. He will be visible, have a physical body that can be touched by human hands. It sounds incredulous, but my friend, He lives! Before you file this away as madness, consider this: 

The World did not believe a worldwide flood would come . . . it did!

Pharoah did not believe ALL the firstborn of His Empire would die in one night . . . they did!

No one thought the sea would part to create a path for an entire nation, yet drown the Egyptian armies . . . it did!

No one imagined one angel would destroy an army of 185,000 in one night . . . he did!

Sounded unbelievable when the prophet said a Virgin would bear a Child . . . she did!

They said He was crazy when He said He would rise from the dead . . . but He did!

He said He would send the Holy Spirit after He ascended . . . He did!

He said He will come again . . . won’t He??!!

In light of all this, it is wiser to be seeking Jesus rather than mocking the prophecies of the Bible.

Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.(NASB)

Finding the Lord is easy, you just have to do it sincerely not half heartedly. If you do it whole heartedly, His Word promises He will reveal Himself to you.

Since it is not His desire than any should perish, and He Himself has paid the ultimate price, it makes no sense to think that He doesn’t want to be found by people who are sincerely looking for Him.

2 Peter 3:  9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.(NASB)

Furthermore, He also promises to never forsake you:

Hebrews 13: 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (NKJV)

This may seem crazy to you, but I think it is very difficult to go to hell. I think the Lord loves humans so much that He actually places roadblocks in the way of people walking in darkness on the road to hell, so they will want their eyes opened to see the danger they are in, and cry out to Him.

I believe prophecy in the Bible serves this purpose of opening eyes. Prophecy is the roadmap that gives us all the signs we need to follow. It lends clarity to life and the world around us. If we understand prophecy, we can avoid the pitfalls, the sharp bends in the road, and cliffs that lead to dangerous falls.  It gives us hope when things do not look good for we know He will not abandon His children. Prophecy is a roadmap as well as a timeline, so we have an understanding of things from a higher perspective. 

Next week we will look at:

Matthew 24: 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.(BSB)

I hope you will stay with me.

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