Though Jesus warned us that the Tribulation would be preceded with wars, it doesn’t make them any less awful. What we are witnessing in Israel and Ukraine right now are tragedies. Entire neighborhoods and cities have been decimated. As a result, far more tragic than damage to structures, has been the injury and loss of life of innocent civilians. I can’t imagine their constant fear or having to abandon one’s home or nation.
It is one thing to observe the atrocities of war from the comfort of our living rooms. Yet, those who actually have been in war have witnessed horrors that often haunt them for years. Whether soldiers fight from a distance or so close that you can see the “whites of their eyes,” war is brutal.
I don’t know all the details of these conflicts, but when women are raped and babies are killed, it is clearly the work of the devil. He is the mastermind behind it. I can’t imagine the fear or grief of the Palestinian people living in the Gaza Strip or that of the Jews in Israel nor of the Ukrainian people seeing their homes under bombardment.
I’m not assigning guilt. I’ll leave that up to God. But in my opinion, Putin, Hamas, and Hezbollah don’t care who they hurt as long as they get their way. We have people like that here in America, too. While most people want to live and carry on business in safety, there is the criminal element who are bent on terrorizing others, using fear as a weapon.
Many missiles have been launched by both sides, but many more prayers have pleaded with God to stop the fighting. The wars aren’t His fault, but that of the wickedness of these men who have committed such atrocities. If everyone lived in obedience to Jesus, none of this would happen. There would be no crime, prejudice, drugs, cartels or gangs. Of course, as long as sin infects the human heart, this isn’t going to happen.
Why do Hamas and Hezbollah have such hatred for Israel? Why the Holocaust and now this? It’s satanic. When the devil’s attempt to overthrow God failed, he has forever been on the march to get back at God by attacking the Jewish nation because God loves them and made a covenant with them. This does not give the Jewish people a special coupon or right to get into Heaven, though. They have to go through Jesus, just like everyone else.
In fact, as you read the Bible, you will quickly see that Israel has not always followed God and acted righteously. So, I’m not claiming that they are 100% innocent. But when God first spoke to Abraham, He said, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3) I believe that promise is still in effect. God has blessed all peoples on earth when He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, into the world to redeem repentant sinners.
But the greatest atrocity of history and the greatest demonstration of satanic hatred was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Born to a virgin Jewish mother, and raised in a poor Jewish community, there was no reason to hate Him. Yet, Satan worked through Judas Iscariot to arrest, try, and convict Him. Satan’s lips must have broken into a hideous smile when He saw Jesus nailed to His cross.
But the repulsive grin turned into a horribly-sounding screech on the third day when the tomb opened and the resurrected Jesus walked out. “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)
Jesus can even turn a terrorist into a redeemed follower of Jesus, if only he will repent of sin and surrender to Jesus’ authority.
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