“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Matthew 24:6-7a, NIV 1984)
My Musings – Jesus was speaking during the period of history known as Pax Romana (Latin for Roman peace). This was a prolonged period of relative peace and minimal military expansion that was experienced during the Roman Empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, this period of peace spanned approximately 206 years (27 BC to 180 AD). Pax Romana is said to have been a miracle of sorts because prior to it there had never been peace for such an extended span of time in any given period of human history up to that point. Since that time, of course, history has been full of “wars and rumors of wars.”
July 28, 2014, marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I. Up to that point, it was the deadliest conflict in the history of the world. At the time it was considered the “war to end all wars.” Originally known as the Great War, it received a number after World War II, which taught mankind it needed to number them. The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I was estimated at over 37 million. This included 16 million dead and 20 million wounded. Before that generation had passed away, the world was engaged in its second world war. World-wide casualty estimates for World War II were approximately 15 million battle deaths, 45 million civilian deaths and 25 million wounded in battle. Estimates are imprecise and can vary widely, depending on the source. For example, the number of civilian deaths in China alone, by some estimates, might have been well over 50 million.
As the 21st century began, any hopes that mankind would turn the page from the “century of war” was shattered (at least for the United States) on September 11, 2001. On this date, the nation experienced its second “day of infamy,” and the United States has essentially been at war continuously ever since in its battle against terrorism. Nevertheless, along with the warning of “wars and rumors of wars,” Jesus also said “…see to it you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” Apparently, mankind will not put an end to war as a prelude to Christ’s return. Ultimately, a worldwide conflict far worse than either of the world wars, will culminate in the true “war to end all wars” called Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ.
My Advice – While there will continue to be “wars and rumors of wars,” we must do all that we reasonably can to contain them to merely rumors and so prevent them from escalating into outright conflict. It may be futile, but we must try.
Sources:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
http://www.nationalww2museum.org
The Brew Is A Musing 