TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY IN BIBLE PROPHECY
Lesson 21: The Old Testament's description of a second atomic
war that will ruin the nations at the end of the age.
I Isaiah's description of the three main causes of death
during an atomic attack.
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O
inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the
noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that
cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the
snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the
foundations of the earth do shake (Isa. 24:17-18).
A Isaiah listed "fear" first, as one cause of death from a
nuclear attack.
- Some will die of fear when they hear the incredible noise
from the blasts rolling across the continents.
B Others will head for a "pit" or some type of bomb shelter
when they hear the blast noise, only to find people who
were already in the bomb shelters running to get out.
- Due to the shaking of the Earth from "earth penetrator"
warheads, the bomb shelters will break up and collapse.
C Those who make it out of the underground shelters alive
will be taken in "the snare."
- "The snare" is the atomic explosion whose initial stage
is a bright flash, accompanied by a surge of heat far
hotter than the breath of a blast furnace, moving
outward in all directions with the speed of light.
D Truly "the windows from on high are open" over those
caught in "the snare" of an atomic blast.
1 President Reagan used the term "window of vulner-
ability" in 1982 to explain his opposition to a simple
freeze by both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. of existing
nuclear arsenals, saying it would be "disadvantageous--
in fact, even dangerous" to the United States.
2 Reagan defended his position with a reference to his
belief in a U.S. "window of vulnerability." "The
Soviet's great edge (in total number of missile
launchers) is one in which they could absorb our
retaliatory blow and hit us again," said Reagan,
implying that this situation must be remedied before
the U.S. could agree to a freeze.
3 Hence, the Bible's use of an open window from on high
to describe the direction of a nuclear attack and
Reagan's warning concerning a "window of vulner-
ability," which could leave U.S. airspace open to a
Soviet second strike missile attack, are at once
equally clear to twentieth century minds.
E King David of Israel also used the word "snare" in a
prophecy describing the nuclear destruction of the
wicked in the last atomic war of the nuclear age.
5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the
one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone
and burning wind will be the portion of their cup
(Psalms 11:5-6, NASB).
1 The word "snares" is translated as fiery coals in the
NIV while the King James version translates "burning
wind" as a "horrible or burning tempest."
a People caught in the open, twenty-three miles away
from a 20-megaton air-burst atomic bomb, would be
burned to death by the burning thermal pulse.
b King David's 3,000 year old description of nuclear
fireballs and accompanying "burning winds" remains
clear to the nuclear generation.
2 How do we know David's statement is prophetic?
- "He will" [future tense] declares that the features
to look for in the prophecy's fulfillment--a
general judgment involving the raining of snares,
fire and brimstone, and burning wind upon the
wicked--were future to David's time since they have
not yet come to pass.
II Isaiah's description of how AWWII will ruin the earth.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean
dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and
shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression
thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not
rise again (Isa. 24:19-20).
A "The earth is clean dissolved" is an exceedingly
forthright description of what happens to the ground
itself where a warhead goes off.
1 For instance, a one-megaton surface blast can excavate
a crater 200 feet deep and 1000 feet in diameter.
2 Between 100,000 and 600,000 tons of the soil displaced
from the crater is actually vaporized and renucleated
while the blast is lifting it to a high altitude.
B At the same time the crater is being formed by the
explosion, "the earth is moved exceedingly and reeling to
and fro like a drunkard" as the initial concussion and
high winds from the blast sweep several million tons of
surface debris away.
C When AWWII is over the Earth will be left "utterly
broken down."
III Isaiah placed Christ's Second Coming to establish His
earthly kingdom, immediately after AWWII.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD
shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high,
and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are
gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison,
and after many days shall they be visited (Isa. 24:21-22).
A "And it shall come to pass in that day," refers to the
day the nations will be systematically leveling the
continents in the course of fighting AWWII.
B This is the day the prophet speaks of when the Lord shall
step in and arrest those responsible for starting the
world's Second Nuclear War.
C "The host of the high ones that are on high" is a
typical reference to the religious leaders of the Jews,
(e.g., see Dan. 8:8-10 and Dan. 8:21-24).
D The high priest and priests, exercised a vast dominion
over the Jewish nation, and in many respects, were
regarded as elevated even over the kings and princes of
the land.
E The international religious leaders, kings of the Earth,
and various other people holding important positions of
authority, shall be shut up in prison, "on that day," for
their part in starting AWWII.
F "Visited," in the phrase: "and after many days shall
they be visited," may also be translated as: found
wanting or punished.
G As used here it means the people in high places around
the globe, who will help start AWWII, will be tried for
their crimes, subsequently found guilty of mass murder
and rebellion against God and sentenced accordingly.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed,
when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in
Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously (Isa. 24:23).
A "The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed" refers
to the sun and moon's light being blocked by the immense
clouds of smoke generated from numerous atomic explosions
used in the fighting.
B The adjectives "confounded" and "ashamed" are used here
in the sense that the light from these heavenly bodies
will be considerably dimmed as a direct consequence of
the planet's atomic-smoke filled atmosphere.
C The pronouncement: "When the LORD of hosts shall reign
in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem," immediately follows
the portrait of the sun and moon's light being darkened
after AWWII.
D Christ, therefore, will literally descend through the
post-AWWII smoke and proceed to set up His earthly reign
in Jerusalem.
E "Before his ancients gloriously" specifically identifies
the elders of His people to be His ancient people, the
nation of Israel.
F After the overthrow of the world's kingdoms, those
entrusted with authority under Christ's rule, will
subsequently witness His glorious reign of peace on
Earth administered from Jerusalem.
IV Jeremiah described how AWWII will systematically ruin all
the nations on the earth.
* SETTING: Jeremiah introduced his prophecy directly after he
announced the imminent downfall of the kingdom of
Judah.
15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the
wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the
nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because
of the sword that I will send among them (Jer. 25:15-16).
A "The wine cup of this fury" symbolizes the production and
stockpiling of nuclear weapons.
- The nations "drinking" from the "wine cup of this fury"
is a picture of the nations using their stockpiled
weapons in all-out nuclear war.
B God predicts that the nations will "be moved, and be
mad," because of the nuclear weapons, or "nuclear sword,"
that will be among them.
1 In earlier times, U.S. nuclear strategy was predicated
on the so-called MAD(mutually assured destruction) idea.
2 Its basic "message" to be conveyed to missile
launchers was the single command "retaliate."
3 Nothing more needed to be said.
C Once an atomic war breaks out, it will not matter what
nuclear fighting strategy a nation has officially
established since the choices available to many
commanders will remain the same.
1 They will have to use their warheads or face losing
them to the enemy, often in a matter of a few minutes.
2 Thus, when the atomic wars break forth it will be even
as God has said; the nations will "be moved and be
mad, because of the sword that...[He] will send among
them."
D A Wall Street Journal article, Aug. 23, 1993, pointed out
the exposure the "MAD" nuclear strategy poses for the U.S.
since the break-up of the Soviet Union.
1 "MAD" proponents argue that smaller nations wouldn't
dare make a missile attack on the U.S. because of its
enormous retaliatory capability.
2 "But if, say, some future ayatollah in Kazakhstan decided
to fire off a few ICBMs at Washington and New York, what
exactly would the U.S. retaliate against, Alma Ata?"
17 Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the
nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
18 To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings
thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation,
an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;
19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his
princes, and all his people . . .
26 And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with
another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon
the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink
after them (Jer. 25:17-26).
A Jeremiah declared that "all the kingdoms of the world,
which are upon the face of the earth," will drink from
the cup of atomic destruction at the end of the age.
B "The King of Sheshach shall drink after them" declares
that the Kingdom of Sheshach will be the last kingdom
destroyed by atomic fire.
1 Sheshach is a mystical name for Babylon, derived from
the name of the Babylonian goddess Shach.
2 The Kingdom of Sheshach does not exist at the present
time, but according to Bible prophecy it will be
established in the near future and it will be
destroyed by nuclear fire.
3 (This subject will be examined in more detail in a
later lesson.)
27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD
of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and
spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword
which I will send among you.
28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine
hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith
the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink (Jer. 25:27-28).
- Jeremiah stated further that even the nations that will
"refuse to drink," or arm themselves with nuclear weapons,
will not avoid the destruction wrought by man's last
nuclear war.
29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is
called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye
shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon
all the inhabitants of the earth saith the LORD of hosts
(Jer. 25:29).
A Interjected here is a reminder that God is about to
bring judgment on the city of Jerusalem because of their
wickedness and rebellion against Him.
B God states further that all the inhabitants of the Earth
will likewise not go unpunished for their wickedness.
30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words,
and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and
utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall give a
shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the
inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for
the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead
with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the
sword, saith the LORD (Jer. 25:30-31).
- The text again declares the complete overthrow of the
nations by the world's Second Atomic War.
32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth
from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised
up from the coasts of the earth.
33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one
end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they
shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they
shall be dung upon the ground (Jer. 25:32-33).
A The statement "evil shall go forth from nation to nation"
begins to outline how man will arrive at this
preposterous level of his own destruction.
1 "And a great whirlwind shall be raised up from
the coasts of the earth" defines man-made atomic
explosions as the "evil" that will destroy the nations.
2 (Jeremiah previously defined nuclear explosions in
terms of "whirlwinds" in Jer. 23:19-20.)
3 Thus, today's proliferation of nuclear know-how,
manufacture of related atomic materials, and
ultimately, nuclear weapons development and
deployment, has become the final spreading of
evil among the nations.
B Jeremiah's closing pronouncement "and the slain of the
LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even
unto the other end of the earth" is in keeping with
today's estimates that hundreds of millions will die
during and after a global nuclear war.
C Jeremiah's observation that the dead will be left on the
surface of the earth like "dung upon the ground" and
"they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor
buried" (for lack of a safe way to enter the
contaminated zones and bury them), is also correct.
1 The first Americans to enter Nagasaki after the atomic
destruction of the city in 1945, found circles of fine
white ash--the remains of people instantly incinerated
by the heat from the explosion--at point zero.
2 Captain Morton Sontheimer recalled that all of the
spots of human ashes in the area "looked alike."
There was "nothing left to bury."
V Malachi the prophet also recorded how people will be reduced
to ashes from the heat generated by the nuclear weapons, used
in AWWII.
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;
and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith
the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root
nor branch.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be
ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall
do this, saith the LORD of hosts (Mal. 4:1, 3).
A The use of the abrupt introduction: "behold, the day
cometh, that shall burn as an oven," or furnace, serves
to impart the terrible and sudden burning nuclear
destruction that will burst forth upon the heads of the
wicked during man's last nuclear war.
B According to Malachi's account, the intense heat from
the nuclear firestorms will "burn up the proud, yea and
all that do wickedly."
C When it is over, the remains of the wicked will end up
as "ashes under the soles of the feet" of the survivors.
VI In summary, if atomic weapons have come to be built
according to the awesome scale of destruction spelled out
in the Bible's description of two future atomic wars, then
this same impressive evidence makes it illogical to doubt
Isaiah's closing statements describing Christ's return at
the end of AWWII.