Perilous Times

As we get closer to the return of Christ, we can expect to see what 2 Timothy 3:1 calls perilous times. Since we don’t exactly have anarchy in the streets, perilous times seems like it could be far off but we are seeing political posturing that reduces our security.

President Barack Obama has declared that the United States has changed its doctrine on using nuclear weapons essentially saying that they will not be used against nations that do not possess them. This sounds good on the surface (a la, imagine a world without nukes); but it completely disregards the realities of human nature…

You have to ask yourself, does narrowing our nuclear weapon options make us safer or less safe? The answer to this question depends which side of the ideological divide you are on. I’m sure that secular humanists will think it is one step closer to world peace. But those of us with a biblical world view know that reducing the nuclear deterrent will only make this world more dangerous.

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (NKJ). The only thing that keeps wicked hearts at bay in this world is the threat and use of force. Resolving to back off on that force allows wickedness to grow bolder. There are a number of specific results I expect will be seen from Obama’s new nuclear doctrine…

This new nuclear weapons posture seeks to appease those who would like to see the demise of the United States. History shows how well appeasing despots work; it fails every time it is tried. The timing of this in the midst of growing Islamic Jihad is pretty significant. This new policy encourages Islamic Jihadists to use chemical or biological weapons to test our resolve not to punish a nation that harbors them.

I think this new policy makes Ezekiel 38-39 more likely to happen since there is less risk that the United States would intervene on behalf of Israel. Many will ask what the danger is in the Ezekiel 38 war to the United States… I think a close reading of Ezekiel 38-39 reveals that it describes a nuclear war that escalates (see especially Ezekiel 38:22 and 39:6). The reference to “fire on the coastlands” may well include the United States. The real danger of nuclear weapons is that their use by any nation is guaranteed to escalate.

President Obama’s new policy makes the US less of a military super power and thus more likely to go along with the will of the world community of nations. I’m sure many will applaud that feature. I’ll only point out that this is designed to be coupled with our reduced economic super power status to make it easier for a world government to emerge.

President Obama thinks his new nuclear policy is a step toward peace in the world. But what it does in fact is reduce our security by encouraging those with terrorist visions. This is one more sign that God’s restraint of evil is being removed. “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).