Putin’s
‘Global Catastrophe’ and the biblical ‘Time of Trouble’
Just a
few days ago, Putin summarized the North Korean drama with the warning of a ‘global
catastrophe’ should any war break out in the Korean Peninsula. For the sake of
history it needs to be pointed out that ever since 1953 Koreans’ War, two orphans
emerged after the war between the superpowers: North Korea and South Korea.
North Korea orphan was given to Russia and China to take care of and South
Korea orphan was given to the USA. 64 years later the two orphans differ as day
is from night. Russia and China did very well over these years the weapon
industries and their orphan learnt a lot from them as well and with support.
South Korea enjoyed their freedoms on all sectors of life and is even skilled
in the high elite roles of professional peace-dove. Saberrattling is not their
strongest point. What can one expect from a nation that according to tourists
in that region is suffering from propaganda day and night, restrictions of
movement, conversation content and more is not necessary to say. Seoul for 64
years developed on all sectors and north of the DMZ development was in missile
technology and hydrogen bomb enlargements. Two different foci. Now this orphan
of China and Russia is threatening the USA and South Korea and Japan still with
the support of China and Russia, at least with actions of oil and food supply
if it is not with words. The difference between the North and the South is
biblically described by the feet in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of successive kingdoms
until the Second Coming, in Daniel 2. It is the feet of clay and iron. What is
iron? Iron is a government model that is functioning with suppression of
freedoms that it views a threat to the government, like the Bible etc. It is
working with propaganda that is plastered on every bulletin board, field
boards, buildings, even on people’s pins of their clothes. They sleep, eat and
think only militaristic, defense, offense, attack, protect. Everything else is
secondary. Clay is not a dictatorship style but also have propaganda, but
implicitly built into the sophisticated rhetoric of narration of the media in
such a way that the public do not even recognized that they are cowtailed in a
certain direction. It is the suppression of freedoms using the popular opinion
instead of a small group of key-figures in the government like the iron style. It
is freedom providing under the name of Democracy. People have freedom of
movement which they do not have in the iron model. The iron model is scared of
any outside or foreign influence. When iron and clay try to mix, they can’t.
That is what Daniel 2 says. For the historical record the North tested a
hydrogen bomb that is 5 times larger than Hiroshima’s bomb. Just a week ago.
Worldwide tension can be seen in the media. Except the two Trustees of the
North, China and Russia who is trying to calm everyone down. Why? Could it be
that just as the USA has troops stationed in South Korea, that these nations
have their troops and equipment stationed in the North and the cutting off of
oil will affect “private companies” as Putin said, but private companies of
their own soldiers, for example the 300 Russian families living in Pyeungyang
has the Japanese media said in 2002?
At this
point only the tension between the North and South were highlighted. Actually
the whole world is currently locked into sectional wars almost in every
country. If it is not between parties like the USA with Democrats and
Republicans, it is India and China. Within a country it can be the war between
the government and the druglords and there are many examples of that. Even the
Vatican is partitioned and in a war of words and language. Ratzinger and
Francis are not the same in worldview and outlook. 'Vatican wars' is a subject of
another space. Even all the above examples need another space to elaborate or
resolve.
Back to
Putin’s words that a ‘global catastrophe’ is lurking around the corner, even
the Bible said that. We call this the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble Theology”.
What is the main tenets of this doctrine in the Bible?
Daniel
12:1-2 is the locus classicus for the analysis of this doctrine.
Daniel
says, that at the End of Time or the Eschaton, or the Last Days of this world’s
history, there will be a Time of Trouble like there never was. It will be
global. It is during this time of Trouble that Michael comes to resurrect the
saints. Michael is Christ and it is the Second Coming that is described here.
There you
have it. No-one can see Jesus coming on the clouds alive without going through
this Time of Trouble like it never was.
What does
the Bible say about this time?
Isaiah
24:4-13 explains that it will come during a time of a leadership drain on earth
(24:4); spiritual pollution exists all over the globe “for they transgressed
laws, violated statutes” (24:5); global warming (24:7); musical performances
will cease (24:8); city of chaos is broken down (24:10); joy is turned to gloom
(24:11); desolation are in the city (24:12) and this is not just one city but “thus
it will be in the midst of the earth” (24:13). It is your ‘global catastrophe’
that Putin is unknowingly talking about.
Isaiah
48:20 asked the remnant of faithful people to leave the cities and ‘come out of
Babylon’ message. The message is not only in Israel with the Fall of Jerusalem
but “send out to the end of the earth” (40:20c). The wicked will not experience
peace (24:22).
Isaiah
49:10a says that the remnant faithful will not hunger or thirst in their
tribulation or persecution time. Christ is their Navigator Who “has compassion
on them will lead them” (24:10c).
Isaiah 49:17b-c promised that destroyers and
devastators ‘will depart from you’.
Isaiah
24:17-20 describe the faithful who will say: “Woe is me . . . the treacherous
deal treacherously” (24:16); “terror and pit and snare confront you, O
inhabitant of the earth” (24:17); people are going to flee from terror (24:18);
like in Libya currently with migrants in prisons as the BBC is reporting this
week, “he who flees the report of disaster will fall into a pit” (24:18). The
earth is broken asunder, the earth is split through, the earth is shaken
violently, the earth reels to and fro like a drunkard and it totters like a
shack (24:19-20).
Cities
will be destroyed during the Time of Trouble. Isaiah 6:11b-c-13b explained that
“cities devastated without inhabitants. Houses are without people” as we have
in Aleppo today. This is due to migrationism (6:11b-c). “The Lord has removed
men far away” (6:12). Any military trick on earth during this time has actually
the hand of God allowing, permitting, and guttering it to fulfill His last
purpose to punish the evil cities for their evil. There are many forsaken
places (6:12b).
The
wicked will be hungry and curse their rulers during this time (8:21).
The
faithful ones “walk in darkness [of the tunnel of global persecution] will see
the great light [at the end of the tunnel] (9:2a).
The Lord
shall break the yoke and staff on the shoulders of the faithful and the rod of
the oppressors (9:4b). Every soldier “the booted warrior” and cloak rolled in
blood [of violence] “will be for the burning, fuel for the fire” (9:5a-b).
Plaques
of God will fall on the coastlands (59:18c).
At the
time of the end the nations will be in uproar (17:12-14). It is a period of
global migration and confusion.
The
faithful will be in trouble (26:16a-c).
The
remnant will hide (26:20a-c). Indignation is to run its course (26:20d).
This time
will be like darkness covering the earth (60:2a). Then the “Lord will rise upon
you” (60:2c). “His glory will appear upon you [remnant]” (60:2d).
Evil will
make this place “like heat clear in sunshine” (18:4c). They will make it “like
a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest” (18:4d).
God will
be a defense for the needy in distress (25:4a). He will be “a refuge from the
storm” and a “shade from the heat” (25:4c). The breath of the ruthless and
violent is “like storm a wall.”
God will
come and remover the reproach of His people from all the earth (25:8).
Those who
want to be protected during the Time of Trouble has to say: “in You is his
trust” (26:3a).
The
remnant is encouraged during this time: “He gives strength to the weary and to
[who] lacks might He increases power” (40:29a-b).
The
afflicted and needy during the Time of Trouble “shall rejoice in the Holy One
of Israel” (29:19).
The
faithful “shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale” (29:22).
Food and
water will be in abundance to the remnant (30:24-25).
The Lord
shall be “our salvation also in the time of distress” (33:2c).
The ID of
the people of the Time of Trouble is given in Isaiah 33:19a-19d: “a fierce
people (33:19a); unintelligible speech (33:19b); no one can comprehend them
(33:19b); stammering tongue (33:19c); no one can understands (33:19d).
God is
with His faithful (41:10a). Those contending will perish (41:11b); quarrelsome
ones and warmongers will become nothing (41:12a-b). God is holding the hand of the
remnant (41:10c).
Those
afflicted by the plaques of God during this Time of Trouble will be in need of
water (41:17a). The remnant though will receive water through miracles by God
to them (41:20).
The
faithful are not to fear: “take courage and fear not” (35:4b).
The ones
participating in Apostasy that will come also, “turn justice to wormwood” and “leave
righteousness on the ground” (Amos 5:7). God is the one Who “strengthens the
robbed [Third World Order] upon the strong [First World Order] and the robbed
shall come upon a fortress” (Amos 5:9-10). They hated law and order “hated him
who reproves them” since they did not want to admit that they are stealing
unlawfully and they despise him who speaks uprightly and according to the law
legally (Amos 5:11). They trod upon the poor, the burden of grain was taken
from the poor, they built houses of hewn stone but they will not dwell in it as
punishment from the Lord. These will happened near and at the Time of Trouble.
God
promise to protect the faithful during this Time of Trouble like a farmer his
vineyard (Isaiah 27:2b-5c). God waters the vineyard and His kindness still
extends a hand of friendship (27:5). “Let him make peace with Me” (27:5c) is
God’s invitation to the hardnecked evil person just before the Time of Trouble.
That chance to make peace with God is now.
Dear
Lord
We
want to make peace with You. Save us in Your Kingdom to come. In Jesus Name,
Amen.