Wars and Rumours of Wars

Christ predicted a time of war just prior to His second coming. Has it already arrived? asks Geoff Garne.

The nightmare of war has haunted humankind throughout history. So the fact that it still threatens at the beginning of the 21st century shouldn’t surprise us. What is surprising, though, and deeply disappointing, is that in spite of the phenomenal increase in knowledge over the 20th century, we find ourselves not one step closer to a formula for amicably resolving international conflicts than we were a hundred years ago!

The 20th century, which was blessed by space exploration, the elimination of diseases and burden-easing inventions, was also the bloodiest of history! The Great War (1914-18) was, because of its ferocity and death toll, optimistically (and hopefully) referred to as “the war to end all wars.” The architects of the Peace of Versailles in 1919 sincerely believed and declared that never again would such a war recur. The Peace Palace was built in Geneva and the League of Nations founded.

But only 20 years later, World War II broke out, infinitely more devastating than its predecessor with as many as 40 million victims. It ushered in The Atomic Age, then gave birth to the United Nations Organisation (UN), dedicated to world peace. This would be the arena in which all international conflicts would be settled by negotiation and arbitration. Never again would there—could there—be another war!

In spite of the UN’s yeoman-like efforts to avert war, we’ve experienced horrific wars and conflicts in Vietnam, on the Korean Peninsula, in China, Cambodia, Uganda and Rwanda, the Balkans, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and significant conflicts in South and Central America.

The 21st century and new millennium were heralded as the era of everlasting peace. But just three years old, it’s already witnessed bloody conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East, and then the invasion of Iraq by the “coalition of the willing,” which despite its initial victory, could still break into wholesale war between Christian and Muslim nations worldwide. The broader Middle East conflict has the potential to make the Iraqi conflict look like a mere fireworks display. But all is not gloom and doom; there’s good news for the times ahead.

Jesus, speaking of our times in answer to an inquiry by His disciples about the time just prior to His second coming, said it would be characterised by “wars and rumours of wars” (Matthew 24:6). His was the time of the Roman Empire, which had conquered the world, battle by battle, so obviously He was predicting an escalation in the occurrence of war.

He also mentions an increase in the occurrence of famines and earthquakes (verse 7). While they’ve always existed, they appear to have greatly increased in recent times. Certainly their impact is greater, as population numbers are far greater. The scale and extent of famine has escalated worldwide to an alarming extent.

The King James Version of the Bible includes the word “pestilence” here, which reasonably includes epidemics. Although we’ve beaten smallpox, polio and dysentery, we now have HIV/AIDS, which threatens the entire population of Africa. It is in this context that we are to understand the prediction of Jesus with regard to war—the phenomenon of war would spread to epidemic proportions, just as do earthquakes and famines.

Although this is a gloomy picture, as Jesus wants us to see and understand it, it is also a glimpse of good news, for we can gather confidence from the accuracy of His prediction.

The dictionary defines a rumour as general talk, reports or hearsay of doubtful accuracy, an unverified statement or assertion. Words, however, change their meaning with time. The “rumours” of Christ’s statement aren’t to be understood as groundless speculations. Rather, they are the reports of preparation for imminent war, something which we see all around us.

We can gain courage from the accuracy of the fulfilment of Christ’s prediction. He foretells a situation in which “wars and rumours of wars” would constitute the climate of the age. I like the New Living Translation of this text, which reads: “Wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic” (my emphasis). The things Jesus said would happen are happening. That should engender hope!

Another indicator of the age that Jesus gives is that the times would be as “in the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37). He was alluding to the Old Testament description of the earth prior to Noah’s flood found in Genesis 6. The society described there is characterised by several elements, all of which we increasingly see about us today: an immoral and evil society (verse 5), filled with corruption and injustice, and violence (verses 11-13). Christ says the condition in which the earth is filled with violence (that is, verse 13) is to be repeated in earth’s last days.

Today warfare has taken on a new dimension: it’s undeclared, unconventional, aimed often at civilians including children, and is ubiquitous, having no frontline or specific battlefield. This is the war of the terrorist, which at present reflects the age-old animosities of Abraham’s sons Isaac—the Jews—and Ishmael—the Arabs (see Genesis 16; 21:8-20).

The world was horrified when Jewish athletes were targeted by Palestinian terrorists at Munich, Germany, and it was shocked and appalled when a Boeing 747 nose-dived into Lockerbie, Scotland. These were somewhat isolated instances then; now they occur with such regularity that air passenger numbers are falling to the point that airlines are collapsing. Since the destruction of the World Trade Center towers, New York, on September 11, 2001, followed by attacks on peaceful holiday resorts in Bali, Malaysia and Mombasa, we wonder less about whether it will happen again and more about when.

Then, in the midst of Christ’s portrayal of war and violence as signs of His return, He gives a wonderful word of encouragement in which all can find hope. He tells us that despite the “anguish and perplexity” of the times, as we see His predictions come to pass, we are to “lift up our heads, because your redemption [salvation] is drawing near” (Luke 21:25-28).

The present condition of our world can only fill your heart with despair. Our only hope is to look for the second coming of Christ and the age of peace that it ushers in. His arrival will “swallow up death for ever,” “wipe away the tears” and remove “the disgrace of His people” (Isaiah 25:8).

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