In Matthew 24:21 and Mark 13:19 we are told that the horror to be visited on the earth during the end times will eclipse anything ever before experienced by mankind. But the New Testament writers were not the first to foretell a time of great tribulation which most of mankind would not survive. In 12:1 the prophet Daniel describes the same event, noting that only those whose names are written in the Book (of Life) will survive. These people are identified by God as “the children of your (Daniel’s) people.” Daniel was an Israelite, about whom, for whom and to whom the entire Bible was written. In Jeremiah 30:7 the prophet calls this coming terror “the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he will be delivered out of it.” In that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, Jeremiah is referring to the hundreds of millions of Israelites scattered throughout the world who are today known as Gentiles. A tiny remnant of Israel comprises most of the true Church of God. See White Fields. Since Matthew, Mark, Jeremiah and Daniel all describe a time of danger that will have no equal, it is clear that they are all referring to the Great Tribulation that is to come just prior to the return of Jesus Christ to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

The prophet Joel was allowed to know about the time of tribulation soon to come upon the earth. In his prophecy he describes a level of destruction and death that could only be brought about through the use of nuclear, chemical and biological weaponry that has been available only in modern times. Undoubtedly some of the scenes shown to the Prophet John as recorded in Revelation 9 are describing the carnage left when such weapons are used. The “creatures” he describes are obviously symbolic of weapons that will be used in the world’s final war.

In order for mankind to develop such nuclear, biological and chemical weapons world-wide a common language had to be developed that would enable men all over the globe to understand each other and to work together toward a common end. That language is English–the official language of science, math and THE INTERNET. Today man can communicate globally. Also, man is able to access “secret” information from their enemies. Combine this with the highly lucrative trafficking of vital information that goes on continually and we have the perfect technological storm. Today there are several nations with nuclear capability that could initiate World War III with the push of a button. AND IT WILL HAPPEN. The only question is: when?

But this is not the first time the world’s people all shared the same language and technological expertise. Let us return some 4000 years to the plains of Shinar when God was forced to intervene to prevent man from doing what he wanted to do–create one race and one language. In Genesis 11 we find the world’s peoples all gathered in one place, sharing a universal language and attempting to create one racial gene pool. In verse four we find them discussing the building of a tower that would rise high enough to prevent them from being wiped out in case God sent another global flood. They wanted to keep themselves united for then, as God said, nothing would be impossible to them. In order to frustrate their plans, God once again separated mankind by race, gave each race a new language and sent them off in different directions to settle in the geographical areas He had assigned to them. Race-mixing is modern man’s attempt to create one race of people with one gene pool and one language, which is against the will of God as He plainly shows in His Word. See Genesis 11: 5-9. The word “Babel” in reference to the tower and the city means “confusion.” God deliberately confused their languages in order to keep them from uniting. This was not a new phenomenon. Read Genesis 10 concerning how God physically separated the tribes of Shem, Ham and Japheth and sent them off in different directions following the flood. Note in verses 5,20,31,32 that, after separating them geographically He gave them different “tongues.”  To be continued. L.J.