“Peace and Safety,” then Sudden Destruction

No one knows the day or the hour of the Lord’s return. Time after time, people who have tried to pinpoint the day, month, or year, are proven wrong. The Bible does instruct us to be ready for that day over and over again. Some of the words or phrases it uses to warn us are: to be sober, be alert, must also be ready, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch. Many of these instructions are accompanied by descriptions of how people will be asleep, drunk, eating, drinking, marrying, and even scoffing about the Lord’s return. The spiritual blindness enveloping the world has them believing things will continue as they have been. In this article, we will view deteriorating global conditions through the clear biblical lens that warns:  people will say, “peace and safety,” and then sudden destruction follows. 1 Thessalonians 5:1

Sin, spiritual darkness, moral decay, and decadence have blinded many of this world’s inhabitants to the fact that a day of reckoning is coming. This planet will see economic chaos, wars increase, natural disasters mount, and evil unhinged on every side as history reaches its final climax. The Bible warns us numerous times about how severe global conditions will be prior to Jesus’ return. I believe there are several reasons for the Bible’s warnings. One reason is the fact that understanding the perilous times we live in will motivate us to live holy lives as believers. 2 Peter 3:11

Another primary reason for the Bible’s warnings is the fact that a majority of the people in this world are blind to the fact that Jesus is coming soon and there are clear signs everywhere pointing to that climatic event. A biblical understanding of the times we live in should motivate every Christian to witness to others. We have been commissioned to go into all the world and preach the gospel. In my heart, knowing that time is short creates a sense of urgency to tell people about the coming judgment and salvation through Christ alone.

I can understand how people in the world are not discerning about the perilous times we live in, but I cannot fathom the depth of apathy regarding Bible prophecy and the nearness of the Lord’s return I see as widespread in the church today. I explain the root cause of last days apathy among many believers in detail in previous articles: Is Bible Prophecy Relevant Part One and Twoapathy-pill

It’s safe to say that many Christians are clueless about how current geopolitical conditions point to the nearness of Jesus’ return because they don’t study Bible prophecy or simply ignore it altogether. That’s a shame because there are things happening all around us that point to the fact that, this world is growing darker, more volatile, and more desperate with each passing day. Let’s take a look at some of the news from just the last few days to get a realistic view of current global conditions:

The situation in the Middle East is unstable on every side. Tensions are rising in the region and Israel faces increased threats than ever before:

Lt. Col. Steinberg, Commander of Battalion 931, said his forces do not encounter Hezbollah on the border fence daily, but that didn’t mean their forces and 100,000 rockets were not there. A considerable risk remains of an inadvertent conflict breaking out and escalating quickly. This could begin with a Hezbollah response to IDF action, with Hezbollah moving advanced missiles into southern Lebanon.  -Jerusalem Post

Iran and its proxy Hezbollah are entrenched and empowered by the presence of the Russian military in Syria. Iran has operators in Syria and Lebanon and their goal is long-term and united. Their ultimate goal is to destroy the Jewish State. Both Iran and Hezbollah have free reign in the region do continue gaining ground unimpeded, except for the Israeli Lebanese border where the IDF keeps close tabs on weapons shipments and has conducted airstrikes to stop weapons convoys from being delivered into terrorists’ hands.

It is still unclear whether Russia has a plan for how its adventure in Syria might end and if its new military assets on the ground, like the modern fighters and S-400 anti-aircraft missiles, will remain there. Given this, it seems the longer the Russian military campaign in the region lasts, the stronger Moscow’s alliance with Iran, Hezbollah, and possibly Iraq will become. This alliance threatens strategic Israeli interests with regard to Iran and Hezbollah. –Jerusalem Post 

It remains unclear what role the Russians will play in the short term, but Ezekiel 38 tells us that there will be a day when the Russian army will lead a vast invasion from the North to plunder Israel.

The situation in the Asia-Pacific region could certainly boil over at any moment.

Although I don’t believe China or the United States desire a large-scale conflict it may be inevitable.  With all of the saber-rattling in the region and the influx of weaponry into the contested South China Sea arena, conflict may ensue by accident, miscalculation, or calculated risk.

About Howard Green
I'm Howard Green, an evangelist and writer at Concerning The Times. My work has appeared in The Christian Post, Olive Tree Views, Rapture Ready, Levitt Letter, The Berean Call, and other Christian media and radio. I preach on evangelism, discernment, and bold Christian living in light of end-time Bible prophecy. I'm ordained and affiliated with Christian Ministerial Fellowship International-CMFI cmfi.org.uk. My wife Erika and I have four children and live in Carmel, Indiana.