Flame throwers, battleships, aircraft carriers, submarines & torpedoes, radio, telephone, fighters, bombers, machine guns, artillery capable of blasting through yards of solid concrete, utterly ruined cities, fighting in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and islands in the Pacific, ruined economies and millions of casualties.
World War Two? Well, yes, but also true of World War One! Aside from nuclear weapons, WWI had just about all the technology WWII did to kill, maim and destroy. WWII’s weapons were more lethal, but their WWI ancestors were lethal enough that they killed and permanently disabled millions of people. 100 years ago WWI (1914-1918) was in its 3rd bloody year. Many more would be killed and wounded before its end in November 1918.
Some people think Jesus’ end-times prophecy began to be fulfilled in 1914 with the outbreak of WWI.
‘And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.’
Matthew 24:6-7 ESV
They may be right. As an Army officer I had classroom instruction on WWI. It was an ugly, brutal war. If someone was shipwrecked in 1913 and not rescued until 1919, he would find the world drastically different. Great monarchies were no more. Russia was communist. Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were no more. Germany was no longer ruled by the Kaiser and was in great economic and social stress that would lead to the Nazis and WWII. Technology and medicine had greatly improved. Japan and the United States were world powers, and knew it. I find WWI absolutely fascinating, in part because it could have turned out so differently. For example, I believe Germany could have won, the US could have remained neutral (with much less post-war influence), and Russia could have stayed a democracy after it got rid of the Czar. Fascinating!
These are some YouTube resources if you want to learn more about the tragedy of WWI. The Great War Channel posts each week what was going on 100 years ago that week. Each of these is the link to the first in a series of videos:
What’s this post’s spiritual lesson? War’s days are numbered. War is an unfortunate consequence of sin, and when sin goes away, so will war. Good riddance!
He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
Isaiah 2:4 ESV
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10 ESV
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:3-4 ESV
Do you know Jesus, and does He know you, so you can enjoy an eternity of peace? Are you following God’s plans?
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
Are you following God's plan for your life? You should. Your plan sucks. It really, really sucks. Suckage Maximus. Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Jesus is coming. Are you ready to meet Him? Give your life to Jesus Christ. Time is running out.
Lift Up Your Eyes! 