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6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Matthew 24:6-8 ESV)
1) The Rumours of Wars
Who is the Lord Jesus?
No one has ever seen God before, but more than 2,000 years ago, God chose a very unusual way to meet with the human beings that He loves, and showed them His infinite love with His actions. God humbly became a newborn baby, and He’s Jesus Christ. Today, except the isolated tribes that have never heard of Christmas before, I believe most people would be familiar with this festive season. Although people know that they should do good, they don’t have the endurance to do it. For this reason, when Jesus Christ was thirty-three years old, He died on the cross for the weaknesses and sins of all humankind. On the cross, Christ showed how He treasured and loved human beings dearly. The Lord Jesus conquered death and rose from the dead three days later. Also, He appeared to His followers to show them that He had overcome death and He was the Lord of resurrection. Before He ascended to heaven, He promised to come back again.
The Rumours of Wars
After the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies were in rivalry. This kind of bitter relationship had lasted for almost 50 years. We call this the Cold War. However, the Cold War is like playing with fire, and it could have escalated to an actual conflict. In 1962, as the Soviet Union promised to defend Cuba, Soviet nuclear-armed missiles were to be installed there. And because of that, it almost brought the United States and the Soviet Union to war. Before the Lord Jesus returns to earth, there would be some signs of His Second Coming, and one of the indications are the rumours of wars. If you pay close attention to current affairs, we often hear about potential conflicts between countries. Watch out for the latest development in the Middle East. The relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians are very fragile. If one party makes an inappropriate action, a conflict could have happened immediately.
2) The Facts about Wars
The Lord Jesus makes it clear that before He returns to the world, “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” would be an inevitable phenomenon. The English word “ethnic” comes from a Greek word, which is translated as “nation” in Matthew 24:7. Also, Jesus spoke of kingdoms against kingdoms. Does “nation will rise against nation” mean some sort of ethnic wars or civil wars? We cannot be sure of that. Does “kingdom against kingdom” imply conflicts between countries? But, most Bible commentators are silent about it. However, we have heard and witnessed numerous civil, ethnic and international wars in human history.Human beings can be lovable, but they can also do terrible things as well. In the name of “ethnic cleansing”, people use threats and violence to force another ethnic group to leave their homeland. In many cases, people maliciously destructed another ethnic group’s monuments, cemeteries and houses of worship. When Yugoslavia collapsed, this country was torn apart. For power, profit, and so-called national pride, not only people used “ethnic cleansing” to deal with other races, but they also employed “genocide”. During the Bosnian War, the Serbians used “ethnic cleansing” to deal with the Muslims. In fact, they violently raped the Islamic women and murdered their poor countrymen. This was a “genocide” in disguise. The tensions between nations still exist today. The Yemeni civil war has continued for several years now. It has already caused at least 10,000 deaths and pushed millions to the brink of starvation. Before 2018 comes to a close, there are still ongoing civil wars in various parts of the world. For example, Sudan and Syria are still suffering from internal conflicts.
3) The Reminder of Don’t Panic
Many children are afraid of loud thunder and lightning at night. Without the comfort and presence of their parents, they can’t sleep at all. Before the Second Coming of Lord Jesus, horrifying wars would definitely appear, but He reminded His followers, saying, “See that you are not alarmed”. Why shouldn’t Christians panic? The reason is very simple: God is the Lord of history and the Master of our lives. Dear friends, life is full of uncertainties and we cannot foresee the highs and lows of our lives. Father God is the Ruler of human history. Also, He knows our needs. Let me encourage you to commit your life to His hands.
Kenneth Thumb Ministry 譚約珥事工 