“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6; Luke 21:9)

AFP PHOTO/ED JONES

​There is no indication in prophecy of a nation like the United States standing as a world superpower at the time of Christ’s return, giving reason to understand that America will have collapsed sometime prior. In addition, North Korea is also not directly mentioned in Bible prophecy.

For decades the greatest danger to America and its allies was Russia, but now North Korea seems to have taken that position due to its unpredictability and open threats to use nukes against the United States. It’s no secret that the United States’ ongoing war of words with North Korea is intensifying, with the spat between Kim Jong un and President Donald Trump taking some startling rhetorical twists and turns.

North Korea has nuclear weapons. They’re working to build long-range missiles. And many believe dictator Kim Jong-un is insane. He’s promised to blanket his neighbors in “a sea of fire” and threatens the United States on an almost daily basis. To some, war is imminent, and they’re fearful of what they see coming. Even Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, has estimated the chance of war at 50-50.

Although it’s the world’s 51st most populous country, North Korea according to some sources fields the earth’s largest army with 1.3 million men under arms, led by “supreme leader” Kim Jong un.

North Korea's also got a deadly partnership with Iran - a country that is mentioned in the End Times. For more than six decades Iran had been engaged in efforts to develop nuclear energy technology. Iran and North Korea are already working together. Iranian scientists have attended nuclear tests in North Korea. If Iran doesn’t already have nuclear weapons, they’ll have them soon. North Korea is also testing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). If North Korea develops ICBMs, it’s safe to say Iran will have them soon thereafter.

North Korean leader Kim Jong un claims, "The entire mainland of the US is within the range of our nuclear weapons and the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office."  

Jesus tells us there will be “wars and rumors of wars” towards the end of the age. Kim Jong-un’s saber rattling certainly fits the definition of “rumors of wars”. Rumors of war between the United States and North Korea fill the daily headlines. Rumors of a regional war escalating into a worldwide conflict also dominate the headlines. Here's some recent headlines:

• North Korea to unleash ‘NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST’ on USA as Trump has ‘declared WAR’
• Winter Olympics could spark 'NUCLEAR WW3' between US and North Korea
• The US appears to be quietly preparing for nuclear war with North Korea
• World War 3 fears: North Korea ‘will NOT back down’ Russia warns USA

Could the absence of any mention of both America and North Korea in the Bible's descriptions of the end of the world imply the two nations will be decimated before the apocalypse strikes? No one can say with certainty, but what we can say is that the United States is going to fade as a world power, and that could be for one of three possible reasons:

1. The United States might be destroyed in a nuclear war. 
2. The United States may simply decline as a world power. The more secular the country becomes, America will soon have to face the consequences of sin.
3. The United States may have a great revival, causing hundreds of millions of Americans to vanish when the rapture takes place, resulting in America's demise as a nation.  

Most Americans don't realise this, but atomic war with North Korea is presently nearer than it has ever been previously. So don't underestimate the risk that North Korea postures. Unlike the past, North Korea's accelerating missile development program and nuclear attack capability, has clearly changed. Let us just hope and pray that it does not happen any time soon.

"Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel's name is remembered no more." With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you." (Psalm 83:4-5)

Psalm 83 foretells of a future 10-member alliance, comprised of the Arab territories that mostly share common borders with Israel, who will form an alliance and seek to wipe Israel “off of the map”. Verses 6-8 of Psalm 83 reveal the ancient identity of the nations in the alliance, which could also include notable terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS and more.

"It includes the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre. Even Assyria has allied with them, lending its strength to the descendants of Lot. (Selah)" (Psalm 83:6-8) 

These groups are no longer identifiable by their ancient names. The modern-day equivalents of these nations, that will form an alliance and will be plotting to destroy the nation of Israel, include: