World War III will result in the death of one third of mankind (Rev. 9:14-18). This is in addition to the millions who will die due to famine and disease. As a result of this combined devastation the Lord tells us in Isaiah 24:1-6 that He will make the world “empty” and a place of “waste.” He will turn it “upside down” and “scatter” its remaining inhabitants because man has refused to obey His Law, changed His ordinance and broken His covenant. Because of this His curse will devour the earth and those who dwell on it will be burned. Few people will be left alive. Lesson 1: Disobedience to God’s Law is sin; the wages of sin is death at the hands of the Giver of the Law. Lesson 2: “Sinners saved by grace” will not be saved, but rather destroyed.

Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:37-39 that His return will catch all but the true saints by surprise. Even in the midst of the worst terror the world has ever known the world’s people will be totally preoccupied with the cares of the world just as in the days of Noah before the flood that destroyed the world’s population except for eight people. Here God is comparing the spiritual condition of the world’s pre-flood population to the spiritual condition of the world’s pre-advent population. His allowing only eight out of millions to survive gives us a good idea of the percentage of mankind that will be alive when Jesus is finished with their modern counterparts. As He said, few will survive.

Last evening I was discussing the world’s condition, specifically that of the United States, with a woman who is very religious but knows very little about God’s Word. In other words, she is a typical churchite. She believes that if church people would truly repent that God would “heal our nation.” What she will not accept is the Biblical fact that, though Israel was in fact God’s people, that did not prevent Him from sending enemies against her who defeated and enslaved her. We are where Israel was when they were defeated and enslaved. This is coming. Be ready. To be continued. L.J.