Behold a Red Horse

• Man tells us that the world is getting better;
  God says they will become increasingly worse.
• Man says that peace among nations is close at hand;
  God says there will be wars and rumors of wars, kingdom against kingdoms…
• Man expects to win the battle against disease, famine, and hardship;
  God says there is to be fearful judgments of disease, famine, and hardship.

As we survey the fabled “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” the second one we are exploring is the one who represents “War.” (We previously reviewed last time one of the most dangerous “mistaken identities” of all: the White Horse(man).)

As we explore the classic literature regarding the “art” of warfare, we, of course, encounter Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, Richardson, Herman Kahn, et al. The history of man has included the essential skills to defend himself, his country, community, and family. It is impressive to realize how the continued regard of the classical literature continues to influence the most modern strategies.

However, as the technology has increased, so has the scale of violence. It was the economies of scale that created the nation-state with the advent of gunpowder, etc. This has escalated to the point where the 20th century was the bloodiest century in history. Jesus warned us:

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

— Matt 24:22 KJV

Did you realize that this is a “technology” statement? (This would make no sense if we were studying this during the Civil War in 1860. We can’t visualize mankind destroying itself with muskets and bayonets.) Did the requisite technology exist prior to our present nuclear age? Today, the nuclear cloud hangs over every geopolitical decision on the Planet Earth.

The Quest for the Super-Soldier

There are four key technologies that are accelerating beyond belief: genetics, robotics, nanotechnologies and artificial intelligence. Each is impacting the others. Each is the object of increased research and development budgets among all of the major nations on the earth. These are driven in the quest for the “super-soldier” in the belief that these capabilities will prove decisive in future conflicts.[1] The apparent achievements rumored from current (but secret) laboratories stagger the imagination, and stretch far beyond the ken of current entertainments.

Robot-Wars

The resources already available today are astonishing in their impact on current warfare. Today there are hundreds of unmanned drones conducting warfare in Afghanistan, yet being controlled remotely from Virginia or Florida. These unmanned “Predators” can gather surveillance, identify targets, and deliver deadly missiles thousands of miles away from the pilots controlling them in the comfort of the armchairs.

As these techniques continue to multiply, it is altering the very nature of warfare itself. Even small, rogue (but well financed) groups can wreak havoc on major targets of opportunity. Small, but elegantly designed, robots can navigate across continents and deliver lethal results with virtual invisibility. The economies of scale of violence are being reversed into deniability.

Today, small electronic devices not only permit personal communications globally, they are controlling our most routine tasks, in our families as well as our corporations.

EMP: the Great Equalizer

As our global society grows increasingly dependent on electronic communication, another spectre raises its terrifying threat: the electromagnetic pulse (“EMP”).

We have always known that Israel can be viewed as a “one bomb target”: a single thermonuclear warhead could end it totally.

What comes as a shocking surprise is that even the United States can be now viewed as a “one bomb target”: one nuclear warhead, detonated at sufficient altitude, could return the entire country back to the 19th century. The resulting EMP effects could disable telecommunications, power, and the other supporting logistics of the major metropolitan centers permanently! The EMP Commissions have estimated that within 12 months of a nationwide blackout, up to 90% of the U.S. population could possibly perish from starvation, disease and societal breakdown.

If you haven’t read the reports of the vulnerability of the U.S. to an EMP attack, you should review the readily available reports.[2] The alarms are clear and unequivocal. The resulting responses have been negligible. Some would describe this as the reckless endangerment of the entire population.

And nuclear techniques are not the only threat. There is suggestive evidence that there are alternative means to exploit the EMP possibilities.

In our currently featured review of the “Second Horseman” of the fabled “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” we explore these topics and focus on the principal battles that are predicted in the Bible itself. It is surprising to recognize the technologies that are detailed in this review. Even some of the classic engagements take on an entirely new perspective when viewed carefully in the light of current technologies.

The Safest Place?

The many hazards and threats to ourselves and our families are truly formidable. Many continue to ask, where is the safest place to be?

Are you “saved”? That’s the first and most critical question to answer. The second is also critical: have you discovered your calling? The safest place to be is in the center of His will for your life. Then little else matters.

There is a remarkable quote attributed to Mark Twain:

The two most important days in a person’s life are the day he is born, and the day he discovers why.

What has God called you to do? Without Him you can’t. Without you, He won’t.

The “ball” is in your court. It’s your call.

Notes