Nuclear War: Is It Biblical?
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.’ (Isaiah 2:19); ‘(12) I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, (13) and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. (14) The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. (15) Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.’ (Revelation 6:12-15)
One of my favorite old movies is ‘Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb‘. It was a dark comedy, where a deranged Air Force general (‘Jack D. Ripper’) launched the B-52s carrying nuclear bombs into attacking the Soviet Union. After the President of the US talked with the Soviets, all but one B-52 was turned around or shot down. Unfortunately, the B-52 was damaged and its comms were out so it did not get the recall order and was still flying. The iconic image of actor Slim Pickens climbing on top of the nuclear bomb his plane was carrying, then ‘riding’ it down to many “yips and yees” until it hit Moscow was comedic gold. Of course, the Soviets had to retaliate but not before there was apparent time for both some American and Soviet elites made it to mines, bunkers, and other safe spaces.
Some do not believe the Bible discusses the horrors of nuclear war. It may not be discussed in the terms us ‘modern’ folks would use. It is quite certain that Isaiah or the other prophets of his day, or John and the other Apostles never said the word ‘nuke’. (They did not ‘nuke’ their food in a microwave, as microwave ovens did not exist in their day.) The concept in those days, when the ‘big’ weapon was likely the bow (shooting arrows from a distance) or horse-mounted cavalry (being faster and taller than the typical foot soldier). How would one in 700BC (Isaiah) or in 90AD (the Apostle John) describe a nuclear explosion? Are there descriptions of nuclear weapons, in terms they would have used, and their effects in the Bible?
The answer is… perhaps. Two passages that somewhat describe what many will do (or think they will do) in the case of a nuclear exchange is in Isaiah 2:19 and Revelation 6:15. In both accounts, written almost 800 years apart, do not describe exactly in minute detail the effects of a nuclear war, but they do both describe a great fear of the Lord’s wrath that causes the people to flee to caves, underground holes or bunkers, and among mountains. The description of the opening of the Sixth Seal in Revelation 6:12-13 goes into greater detail, describing stars falling out of the sky (missiles re-entering the atmosphere?), the heavens receding like a scroll (a mushroom cloud?), mountains and islands moved, and a ‘strong wind’.
Another passage is Zechariah 14:12, which describes a rotting of the skin, tongue and eyes while people are standing still. For Zechariah, it is possible in his vision he saw the devastation upon people caused by the immediate effects of a nuclear weapon – not a ‘rotting’ but an immediate tearing away. This , will also affect animals and livestock (Zechariah 14:15) in the same manner. Like Isaiah 2 and Revelation 6; Zechariah 14 is considered an End Time prophecy, for events that have not yet occurred. Another passage to be considered is in Ezekiel chapters 38-39, describing the encounter Israel has with Gog and Magog, and there is in Ezekiel 39 descriptions of a massive number of bodies that will be eaten by birds and other animals before a seven-month effort to bury the bodies will be completed.
As stated before, though, the answer again is ‘perhaps’. If these do not describe a nuclear weapon exchange, these at least describe a powerful devastation, at least as severe as what a nuclear war would be if unleashed upon the earth that will be coming, one that will have people running away to seek shelter from God’s wrath.
But we Christians must note that the people fleeing to hide in the caves from the devastation fear the presence of God. We who are His people, us who are Saved by His Grace, do not have this fear. We may fear the effects of the devastation, and (if we are not yet Raptured) may seek shelter, but it will not be us seeking to hide from the Lord. Those who do not fear the Lord need not fear death and will not need to fear the effects of the devastation, whether that devastation is from a nuclear war He allows to occur or from His own hand.
Could a nuclear war really occur? One already did; in August 1945, the US used its entire nuclear arsenal at the time (2 weapons) to attack its enemy, Japan. It is not outside the realm of possibilities that another may occur that does not fall into being the End Times. The passages above (and several others I did not touch on) likely foretell of at least something as destructive and deadly occurring. Know that we should not fear what has been prophesied and we do not fear our Lord, as we know at the conclusion, we have Eternity assured with Him!
