Richard Ames: Armageddon Postponed?

Richard Ames and Bob Thiel, October 8, 2012

In his latest commentary Living Church of God Evangelist Richard Ames has the following:

Commentary: Armageddon Postponed? Fifty Years After the Cuban Missile Crisis

By Richard F. Ames | Monday, October 29, 2012

Sunday, October 28 marked the 50th anniversary of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s momentous announcement that his nation would withdraw nuclear-armed medium-range ballistic missiles from Cuba, just 90 miles from the United States. After weeks of tension and fear, the world breathed a collective sigh of relief, as nuclear cosmocide was averted. Or was it merely delayed?

On October 22, 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy told his nation and the world: “It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.” For a time, many were almost certain that a devastating attack, and response, would come.

I personally remember seeing the empty shelves of my neighborhood supermarket as thousands of neighbors had begun stockpiling food in panic. They were not alone. “‘You got the sense that even there, people in New York were scared.’ Mayor Robert F. Wagner called for a recruiting campaign for civil defense volunteers, and schoolchildren practiced duck-and-cover drills” (New York Times, October 28, 2012).

Dozens of U.S. B-52 bombers had been flying 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready at any moment to retaliate against a Soviet attack. The U.S. Strategic Air Command was operating at Defense Readiness Condition 2—DEFCON 2—one step below DEFCON 1, a full-out nuclear war.

Behind the scenes, negotiations continued. The Atlantic magazine online published a photo-essay recounting those dangerous days leading to the dramatic resolution when, on October 27, Khrushchev and Kennedy reached a secret agreement. “Kennedy would order the removal of missiles in southern Italy and Turkey, and Khrushchev would remove all missiles in Cuba. Over the following weeks, U.S. forces monitored the departure of 42 missiles aboard eight Soviet ships, and the crisis was averted.”

Fifty years ago, our world came very close to Armageddon, hardly more than a decade after General Douglas MacArthur had characterized the state of the world in his farewell address to the U.S. Congress: “Military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be the way of the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blocks out this alternative. We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, our Armageddon will be at our door” (April 19, 1951).

Since MacArthur’s speech, has the world devised “some greater and more equitable system”? No! Will Armageddon soon “be at our door”? Your Bible reveals a great prophetic climactic battle, popularly referred to as “Armageddon,” described in Revelation 16:14, when “the kings of the earth and of the whole world” will gather for “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” This present age will end with a climactic battle between the forces of good and evil, and the returning Jesus Christ—the coming King of kings—will win that battle (Revelation 19:1-21)!

Even those who do not take the Bible seriously admit the danger of nuclear catastrophe. On January 10, 2012, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the minute hand of their symbolic doomsday clock one minute closer to midnight. They announced, “[F]ailure to act on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty by leaders in the United States, China, Iran, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Israel, and North Korea and on a treaty to cut off production of nuclear weapons material continues to leave the world at risk from continued development of nuclear weapons. The world still has approximately 19,500 nuclear weapons, enough power to destroy the earth’s inhabitants several times over.”

The Bulletin announced: “It is five minutes to midnight.” The scientists concluded their announcement with this sobering warning: “The Clock is ticking.”

Thankfully, there is hope beyond the coming Armageddon, for those who repent and obey their Savior. To learn more, read our booklet, Armageddon and Beyond, or order your own free printed copy.

The Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) is coming and relatively soon thereafter, Armageddon. It will be the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) and repentance is the answer.

Some articles of related interest may include:

Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2019 or 202x?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2012, 2013, or 2014? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000?
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?
Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge.
What is the Gospel? True religion should be based upon the true gospel. What are some of the different gospels and where did they come from? Do you believe the true or a false gospel?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about?
What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
True vs. False Conversion Are you really converted or willing to be? What is true conversion? What is false conversion? What are the dangers of false conversion? Evangelist Roderick Meredith provides information on those important questions.