Michael Snyder on ‘ How To Survive A Nuclear War,’ and the Bible on ‘Jesus’ promise of protection’
(Pixabay photo)
Michael Snyder posted the following:
How To Survive A Nuclear War
We live at a time when the potential for conflict between major powers that possess nuclear weapons is constantly in the headlines, and it is just a matter of time before someone crosses a line that will never be able to be uncrossed. When that day arrives, it is imperative that you have a plan. 05/29/24 https://endoftheamericandream.com/how-to-survive-a-nuclear-war/
Yes., we should have a plan, but it needs to be well in advance of such a day.
Continuing, he wrote:
If you plan to keep on living once a nuclear war erupts, the first thing that you will need to do is to be located somewhere that is at low risk of being attacked.
That means that you won’t want to be located anywhere near any military installations. If you are not sure if there is a military base close to you, you can find a list of military bases in the United States right here.
In addition, population centers that are of strategic importance such as Washington D.C. and New York City will also be targeted during an all-out nuclear conflict.
For those that are considering relocating, experts suggest looking “in remote and rural areas with warm climate and access to water and farmland”…
Real estate experts have concluded that the places in America that are best suited for nuclear war survival are in remote and rural areas with warm climate and access to water and farmland.
They have recommended against densely populated urban cities and places with mass transportation, shopping centers and other convenient amenities that are traditionally desirable for living.
I think that is very good advice.
Once a nuclear war starts, you will not have any time to evacuate.
The above is basically true.
Now the Bible shows that some few will survive destruction and captivity and will go to the mountains:
16 ‘Those who survive will escape and be on the mountains
Like doves of the valleys,
All of them mourning,
Each for his iniquity.
17 Every hand will be feeble,
And every knee will be as weak as water. (Ezekiel 7:16-17)
Yet, notice also something from the prophets Amos and Jeremiah:
9 ‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; See great tumults in her midst, And the oppressed within her. 10 For they do not know to do right, ‘Says the Lord, ‘Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.’” 11 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “An adversary shall be all around the land; He shall sap your strength from you, And your palaces shall be plundered.” 12 Thus says the Lord: “As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out Who dwell in Samaria — In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch! 13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”Says the Lord God, the God of hosts, 14 ‘That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; And the horns of the altar shall be cut off And fall to the ground. (Amos 3:9-14)
19 They pursued us on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the wilderness (Lamentations 4:19).
The above indicates that some will be hiding in the mountains and other places in the USA while others are will be taken out of the USA (which is the prophetic Samaria–see Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New). Most of the Anglos that are not killed will be made slaves. Hiding in the mountains may protect a few for a time, but it will be relatively few that survive that way for long.
They will be pursued.
But didn’t Jesus teach to flee to the mountains?
Well, yes for the mountains of Judea:
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15-16)
But He also did not say one should plan to stay in them. Consider that Jesus then added:
17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! (Matthew 24:17-19)
Now this does not mean that Jesus expected one to go to a stocked bunker. Only that those in Judea who have not fled before they see the abomination will not have time to do anything then but flee. In time, any who are Philadelphian Christians will go elsewhere (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra).
As far as what will be hit, in the last century, the late Radio/Worldwide Church of God Pastor General Herbert W. Armstrong taught:
The indication is the armies of the “beast” of Revelation 17, entering Jerusalem…From this time (Daniel 12:11) to Christ’s coming will be 1290 days. … Forty-five days later “the beast’s armies” will surround Jerusalem. Thirty days later the Great Tribulation will probably start with a nuclear attack on London and Britain–and possibly the same day or immediately after, on the United States and Canadian cities. (Armstrong HW. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General’s Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979, Page 2)
And there will be many cities hit.
Michael Snyder’s article also has the following:
Following the explosion, radioactive particles known as nuclear fallout will start raining down from the sky…
If the detonation was a surface blast or the bomb hits the earth, large amounts of fallout are produced. The dust and debris kicked into the atmosphere rains down, bringing with it dangerous amounts of radiation. The fallout may rain down as contaminated black soot known as “black rain,” which is very fatal and may be of extreme temperature. Fallout will contaminate anything it touches.
It may take more than a week for all of the nuclear fallout from an explosion to return to the ground.
So it is really important for you to stay inside during this time.
Do verses in the Bible support the idea of something like a nuclear war?
Yes.
Consider the following:
23 ‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’ 24 All nations would say, ‘Why has the Lord done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?’ 25 Then people would say: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; 26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. 27 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. 28 And the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’ 29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:23-29).
The whole land being “brimstone, salt, and burning” is consistent with a nuclear type of attack.
Consider also the following from the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel:
19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts
The land is burned up,
And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother.
20 And he shall snatch on the right hand
And be hungry;
He shall devour on the left hand
And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. 21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah (Isaiah 9:19-21).6 In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste (Ezekiel 6:6).
Nuclear and certain other modern attacks tend to burn land up and make waste cities.
Jesus said that the time was coming when “there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened’ (Matthew 24:21-22).
Devastation that is consistent with at least a nuclear war and probably something worse is coming according to Jesus.
Do you believe that?
So now, we are at a time when Europe is seriously in the process of spending more on its military while also looking to develop its own nuclear arsenal.
In my 2017 book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I warned of “unintended consequences” in “Europe, and elsewhere that have and will occur because of Donald Trump’s statements and actions.” The increase of European military spending and its serious consideration of acquiring nuclear weapons because Donald Trump may become president again, is consistent with those warnings.
Some may think that since the USA is the strongest military in the world that it cannot be defeated by Europe.
However, the Bible shows that in the end time, the strongest military power will be defeated:
Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:39)
The “he” above is the European King of the North Beast power.
Could USA friends and allies really attack and win?
Yes.
Notice also that allies/friends are prophesied to do that:
1 How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies. (Lamentations 1:1-2)
The USA has been great among the nations, but it will be destroyed by some of its allies.
Devastation is coming.
However, the good news of the Kingdom of God is that Jesus will return and put a stop to the type of nuclear and/or other devastation that will happen during the Great Tribulation:
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:29-30)
6…And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
Real peace is coming (check out the free online booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God).
But the Great Tribulation, which will include something at least as bad as nuclear destruction, will come first.
Thus, while certain levels of preparation for disasters is logical and biblically-correct, most of those who believe that they will be able to ride out the coming Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord are deceiving themselves, as did the Granite Mountain Hot Shots.
Don’t think that you cannot be affected:
10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’ (Amos 9:10)
There will be a time to flee (e.g. Matthew 24:15-20; Jeremiah 51:6; Zechariah 2:6).
Yet, many will not realize it–including many Christians. Notice the following:
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:13-17)
There are two groups of Christians above–the Philadelphians which are protected, and the non-Philadelphians which are not.
We know the Philadelphians are protected because Jesus said the following:
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. (Revelation 3:7-11)
But despite other Christians keeping God’s commandments and having the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 12:17, 14:12), they are not protected.
Unlike the non-Philadelphians, the Philadelphians better obey what God says through the prophets, like Zephaniah (hence they have not denied His name).
God inspired the Prophet Zephaniah to write the following:
1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, (Zephaniah 2:1)
Although it has certain misunderstandings, the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary realized that the gathering together was intended for a religious group or assembly:
Zephaniah 2:1
Gather yourselves together – to a religious assembly, to avert the judgment by prayers, (Joel 2:16, “Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders,” etc.) (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
When are they to gather together?
2 Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! (Zephaniah 2:2)
The gathering is to take place well before the day of the Lord (which happens about 2 1/2 years after the Great Tribulation of Matthew 24:21 begins) and before some type of decree is issued.
Consider also what the New Testament teaches about the importance of gathering together as we get closer to the end:
23 We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming. (Hebrews 10:23, Gods Word Translation)
Who does God want to gather together?
The most faithful end time Christians.
How do we know that Zephaniah 2:1-3 is related to Christians? Because the decree is for the end time and because of what else God inspired Zephaniah to write:
3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. (Zephaniah 2:3a)
The above is a reference to Christians as they are to be the “meek of the earth” (Matthew 5:5) and to Philadelphians who “have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility.”
These are Philadelphian Christians who understand that church leaders need to have integrity and are willing to be humble enough to accept the authority of a church led by a low-level prophet in the absence of a clear apostle (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-15). They are humble enough to not think that they should remain ‘independent,’ as many Christians, such as those who once were part of the old Worldwide Church of God have done.
Why does God tell them they may wish to be gathered together? So:
3…It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger. (Zephaniah 2:3b)
So, it is those who have taken the prepatory step to “gather together” that may be protected from what is coming. By the way, the Bible shows that God is displeased and/or angry with the Sardis and Laodicean Christians at the end (Revelation 3:1-6; 3:14-22).
Interestingly, the Hebrew words translated as Zephaniah means “Yahweh Hides” or “Yahweh Has Hidden” (Holy Bible: Vine’s Expository Reference Edition, p. 826).
Why have I written that Zephaniah 2:1-3 has to do with Philadelphian Christians?
For they are the only ones who will actually ‘gather together’ as they should.
A decree will be issued that may allow those who are gathered together and who listen to it an opportunity to be protected (Zephaniah 2:1-3). A decree that the Philadelphians will listen to and fly/flee.
Those who gather together to support the end time Philadelphian work (Revelation 3:7-13) are the only Christians promised protection during the “hour of trial that which shall come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10). And they, unlike the Laodicean Christians (Revelation 3:14-22), will have gathered together in time.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos. Here is a link to a related sermon: Physical preparedness for Christians.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety,’ Zephaniah 2 to ‘gather together,’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on fleeing to a place–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of related interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here are two related items in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra? and Existe un Lugar de Seguridad.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2024, 2025, or 2026? 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? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Tribulation in 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses some early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, CG7-Salem, Jerusalem 7DCG, and COG-7th Day-Denver. Here are two historical sermons: Sardis Church Era: Beginnings, Doctrines, and Leaders and Sardis: SDBs, SDAs, & CG7s.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in over 1,000 languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons: The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
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