US to retaliate in cyber war with China? Are there other ramifications?

CBS is reporting the following:

U.S. weighing options in response to China cyber attacks

April 22, 2013 5:02 AM

The Obama administration is considering taking aggressive actions against China following repeated warnings. CBS News’ Bill Plante reports.

China is believed to be engaging in multiple forms of “cyber warfare.” Primarily, the attempt to learn various military secrets to use to improve its weaponry as well as probing for weaknesses in various systems in the USA to be able to interfere with various communications in the USA when it wants.

While major war between the USA and China is not specifically prophesied in the Bible (though China may, at least somewhat, support the final King of the North Beast power, for a time against the USA and its interests), this internet tension is showing the USA that China truly is not interested in being a friend (of course the USA has taken steps to show that it is also not China’s friend).

Actually, I believe that part of the reason that the USA will be able to be taken over by a European power is that it will conclude that China and others are a much bigger risk than Europe, and hence will shift more and more of its defense strategy towards dealing with China and others. Instead of considering Europe a threat, the USA will embrace it and rely on it for part of its military defense. The USA has already taken several steps along this line.

Now getting back to China and cyber warfare, notice something that was published yesterday:

Pentagon expands cyber-attack capabilities – USA Today

WASHINGTON – The U.S. military is increasing its budget for cyber-warfare and expanding its offensive capabilities, including the ability to blind an enemy’s radar or shut down its command systems in the event of war, according to two defense officials.

In the 2014 defense budget released last week, the money allocated for cyber-operations rose to $4.7 billion, up from $3.9 billion…

The expansion is a recognition that cyber-war will probably at least be part of any future conflict. In recent years, the Pentagon has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on building cyber-capabilities, an effort that has gained urgency as China, Russia, North Korea and other nations have been using cyberspace to attack adversaries or steal secrets.

Notice also the following reports that came out a few days ago:

April 19, 2013

Cispa bill on cyber security passed by the US House

The US House of Representatives has passed the controversial Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act.

Cispa is designed to help combat cyberthreats by making it easier for law enforcers to get at web data.

This is the second time Cispa has been passed by the House. Senators threw out the first draft, saying it did not do enough to protect privacy.

Cispa could fail again in the Senate after threats from President Obama to veto it over privacy concerns.

A substantial majority of politicians in the House backed the bill.

The law is passing through the US legislative system as American federal agencies warn that malicious hackers, motivated by money or acting on behalf of foreign governments, such as China, are one of the biggest threats facing the nation.

“If you want to take a shot across China’s bow, this is the answer,” said Mike Rogers, the Republican politician who co-wrote Cispa and chairs the House Intelligence Committee.

Is Cyber War the New Cold War?

China and the U.S. both want a rules-based cyberspace, but do not see eye to eye. A potentially dangerous Cyber Cold War awaits if they cannot agree on some rules of engagement.

Cyberspace matters. We know this because governments and militaries around the world are scrambling to control the digital space even as they slash defense spending in other areas, rapidly building up cyber forces with which to defend their own virtual territories and attack those of their rivals…

The United States, in particular, appears to have run out of patience with the stream of cyber attacks targeting it from China – Google and The New York Times being just two of the most high-profile victims – and which President Obama has now insisted are at least partly state-sponsored. Although setting up a cybersecurity working group with China, Washington has also signaled it intends to escalate. U.S. Cyber Command and NSA chief General Keith Alexander signaled this shift of policy gears earlier this month when he told Congress that of 40 new CYBERCOM teams currently being assembled, 13 would be focused on offensive operations..

China’s cyber operations, for all their notoriety, have essentially been acts of theft – either criminals attempting to extract privileged data, or incidents of state-sponsored espionage (some of which, admittedly, had national security implications, such as the extraction of blueprints for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter). But these operations did not seek to cause any physical destruction, and so would be hard to interpret as acts of war. This may explain why the U.S. government has been quite tolerant of Chinese hacking until now, seeing it as an irritant rather than as anything more provocative.

However, other states – notably the U.S. with its use of the Stuxnet virus against Iran – have arguably engaged in acts of cyber aggression.

Of course, this is not to say that the USA itself does not have its own plans, as the above pointed out. Additionally for the USA, this seems to also involve additional surveillance of its people. Notice a report from November 21, 2012:

The National Security Agency has refused to release details of a secret presidential directive which experts believe could allow the military and intelligence agencies to operate on the networks of private companies, such as Google and Facebook.

As we reported last week, an article in the Washington Post, cited several US officials saying that Obama signed off on the secret cybersecurity order, believed to widely expand NSA’s spying authorities, in mid-October.

“The new directive is the most extensive White House effort to date to wrestle with what constitutes an “offensive” and a “defensive” action in the rapidly evolving world of cyberwar and cyberterrorism.” the report states. http://www.infowars.com/nsa-refuses-to-release-secret-obama-directive-on-cybersecurity/

I do believe that cyber spying is being allowed to increase by many governments and that this is dangerous. Governments are looking at ways not only to spy but to have more control over internet content (China is fairly well known for that already).

The Bible talks about the fact that God will finish the work and cut it short (Roman 9:28). Notice also the following which could be related to that:

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)

The above could only happen in the 21st century if the internet was down and/or internet content related to the truth of God was no longer permitted. Governments are taking steps, including cyber warfare research, which could bring that about.

In my article on the King of the North, I have the following quote from the late Herbert W. Armstrong:

And the abomination that maketh desolate set up.” What is this abomination? This refers to Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15…From this time (Daniel 12:11) to Christ’s coming will be 1290 days. Now, verse 12, “Blessed is he that waiteth, and comes to the 1335 days.” Never before have we understood these periods of 1260, 1290. and 1335 days. But it seems evident, now, a blessing is pronounced on us–GOD”S CHURCH–who wait and endure until the 1335 days–approximately 1335 days prior to Christ’s coming. But since no one can know the day or hour of His coming, we probably shall not be able to know the exact day this 1335 days begins. But apparently that is the time when OUR WORK SHALL END. That will be a time when the UNITED Europe shall appear–the revival of the medieval “Holy Roman Empire.” (Armstrong HW. Personal. Good News magazine January 1980).

As the above shows, Herbert W. Armstrong clearly wrote that there would be a future fulfillment of Daniel 11:31 and other verses in Daniel. And as the above shows, he taught that something would stop the work forty-five days prior to Daniel 11:31.

Most likely this occurs because the people of the holy covenant are proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 24:14, as that immediately precedes “the end”) and teaching that the King of the North is fulfilling prophecies in Daniel 11. It is my belief that after the peace deal in Daniel 9:27 has been made and/or confirmed by “the prince to come,” that the group that best represents the “sect of the Nazarenes” (the remnant of the Philadelphia era of the church per Revelation 3:7–11) in the 21st century (currently best represented by the Continuing Church of God) will begin to publicly identify the person who confirmed the deal (“the prince”) as the one who fulfilled Daniel 9:27. This apparently enrages the King of the North so much that he initially tries to eliminate these people through political pressure and selected persecution.

Even the Catholic Jerome indirectly understood some of this concerning these passages in Daniel 11 as he wrote:

Verses 27—-30…”And his heart shall be against the holy covenant, and he shall succeed and return into his own land. At the time appointed he shall return and shall come to the South; but the latter time shall not be like the former. And the galleys shall come upon him…But these events were typically prefigured under Antiochus Epiphanes, so that this abominable king who persecuted God’s people foreshadows the Antichrist, who is to persecute the people of Christ (Jerome. Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11. Translated by Gleason L. Archer. (1958). http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm viewed 12/20/08).

The work may be stopped by government officials (like on the internet, radio, etc.) and persecutions began because people of the holy covenant are warning the world of the results of their sins (which they will not want pointed out) and teaching that the King of the North is fulfilling these prophecies in Daniel 11. The faithful may be saying things that are not “politically correct” to the point that one or more governments will take action.

Jesus clearly taught that persecution would affect His people just prior to the Great Tribulation beginning:

7 And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another (Matthew 24:7-10).

21 For then there will be great tribulation (Matthew 24:21).

So notice that after “the beginning of sorrows,” the true Christians will be delivered up and many killed and many will be betrayed by those pretending to be Christians. And then the Great Tribulation will come shortly thereafter. This clearly ties in with the events of Daniel 11.

In my opinion, giving the government more power over internet content will allow it to suspend the internet portion of the work of God, and perhaps fulfill prophecy in that way.

By the way, the one I am watching as the potential King of the North, Karl Guttenberg has a position in the European Union related to the internet:

Digital Agenda: Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg invited by Kroes to promote internet freedom globally Brussels, 12 December 2011 – European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes has invited Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a former Federal Minister of Defence, and of Economics and Technology, in Germany, to advise on how to provide ongoing support to Internet users, bloggers and cyber-activists living under authoritarian regimes. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/1525&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Thus, Baron Guttenberg has, and apparently will develop more, expertise in computers and surveillance. The Baron’s appointment should sound out potential alarms to all who understand Bible prophecy, as the final Beast power will develop frightening economic control, probably using 21st century technology.

Notice something from the Bible:

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:15-18)

It will likely take computers aided with artificial intelligence to aid in the fulfillment of the above scriptures. Thus, even though I do not believe that there can possibly be a computer takeover of the world coming next month, I do believe that cyber monitoring will be used by the European Beast, King of the North, 666 power.

The US government and others are now taking steps that are helping to set the stage for this.

Some articles with more related details include the following:

China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the COG views this, and compares this to Ellen White.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the German Defense Minister one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet”. Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer.