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.