Warm hellos friends, brethren, co-workers, spiritual family, and scattered children of God, from here on the Gulf Coast. My wife and I pray your week has been reflective and encouraging as we’ve observed this week of Unleavened Bread, and this last Day of Unleavened Bread was one of rejoicing as a family worshiping before and with God.

In the news we continue to see developments of an even more unsettled and fragile world. In my daily walks, folks stop and chat here and there as it normal for many here in the south. Hardly a day goes by where someone doesn’t mention “do you think there will be nuclear war?” It IS on people’s minds.

I read an article several years ago that included and quoted a top nuclear expert, Greg Mello, who stated, “…virtually everybody in the world would die if World War 3 broke out as a result of a confrontation between the United States and Russia.”

Fast forward to today, and still what a sobering and troubling prediction! If you are focusing attention away from the main stream media, we still see threats by North Korea to use nuclear weapons and the determination of Iran to build nuclear weapons and develop long range missiles. Realizing the huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons, the U.S. and the Soviet Union put a brake and extreme caution on their use with the reality of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) decades ago.
I grew up not far from Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska. I all too well remember very clearly Strategic Air Command (SAC) and with planes flying over all day long, brought to mind the very real threat of nuclear war.

But, is this about to change? Who knows?

A war of this magnitude would affect many other nations, and ultimately this planet. None are really exempt anymore. The old saying, “one can run, but he/she can’t hide”.

What do the Scriptures say about the future of mankind and whether weapons of mass destruction will be used?

Will a future nuclear war destroy all mankind?

First, here is a quote from the great prophet, Jesus of Nazareth, in His teaching labeled the “Olivet Prophecies”.  “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 (alive); but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:21-22) God Says He will intervene before mankind destroys himself with weapons of mass destruction. But, mankind will come very close to wiping out all humans!

There are those who teach that the coming calamities will result in the death of all human beings and that the earth will be uninhabited.

Notice the words of Isaiah. “The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the LORD has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish.” (Isaiah 24:3-4) These words sound quite foreboding and might be construed to mean that the earth will be emptied of people. However, notice verse 6. “Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left.” Yes, many will be burned, but there will be some left (even though they will be relatively few in number)!

There will be a tremendous loss of life as a result of future wars and other accompanying events.

Revelation 6 records the opening of the seven seals to introduce end time religious deception, war, famine and disease epidemics. We are told of the consequences of these events, “And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” (v.8) Then more death accompanies an end time martyrdom of believers. The past martyrs are allegorically told, “. . . that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” (v.11)

Following the opening of the seven seals, Revelation 6 describes trumpets that are sounded to announce astounding devastation on the earth.

A third of the trees and all green grass is burned up. (v.7) A huge mountain-like mass enters the sea and one third of the sea waters are turned to blood causing a third of the sea creatures to die. A third of the ships on the sea are destroyed with no doubt the humans on board. (vv.8-9) A third of the rivers and springs of waters are made bitter and likely poisonous “and many men died from the water.” (vv.10-11)

The sixth trumpet announces the onslaught of a two hundred million man army! The result was “to kill a third of mankind.” (Revelation 9:13-15) Over a fourth of the earth’s population has already been killed. With the death unleashed by this massive army and their weapons, more than half of mankind will have been killed over a relatively short time.

It’s hard to know exactly what weapons are described in chapter 9, but they might include chemical and biological weapons, and possibly missiles with tactical nuclear warheads.

I don’t want to leave you hanging with “doom and gloom”, so we’ll continue next time with the examining the description of the fall of “Babylon the great” and then see what God clearly lays out for the future of this planet and mankind…

Arms up friends! Our prayers and thoughts are with you daily. Please do pray for us as well.