We can’t go a day without hearing about North Korea on the news, on social media, and its delusional dictator, Kim Jong Un. He has been launching ballistic missile tests and ignoring UN sanctions, as well as ignoring UN resolutions against N. Korea.
Kim Jong Un isn’t just the typical dictator. Most past evil dictators (such as Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin) had delusions of grandeur (as does he). But the big difference here is that Kim Jong Un was raised from the cradle being told he was a “god.” He truly believes he is a deity, and so he also believes he is invincible. That is a dangerous combination of ideology to possess for one who has procured nuclear weapons.
He demands worship and obedience from N. Korean citizens. They starve while he is well fed to the point of obesity. His own military members were recently told to steal foods growing in the fields to sustain them. The atrocities he has committed against the citizens are numerous.
Lil’ Kim regularly imprisons anyone who dares speak even a hint of dissension; and not just the accused person… but entire families are often sent to slave camps, where they are forced into grueling manual labor without enough food to sustain them. Christians in N. Korea (or even those merely accused of being Christian) are often slaughtered in the public arena for all to see, as a threat to other citizens. Sadly, they are usually first humiliated and physically tortured prior to being executed.
The good news (what little there is of it concerning N. Korea) is that South Korean Christians have been sending Bibles to N. Korean people by means of drones and helium balloons. Yet, for those receiving these Bibles, it’s very dangerous for them to obtain and keep them. They must hide them well. Fortunately, the Bibles are sent in flash drives, SD cards, and micro-SD cards, so they are small and easier to hide than the printed word.
Nonetheless, our prayers are needed for their safety, and also that many N. Koreans would come to Christ in these last hours of the age of grace/church age.
The missile launches and tests are not a new thing, however. We’ve been hearing much more about them since President Trump took office. Why is that? The mainstream media is predominantly bought-and-paid-for propaganda by extreme leftists and globalist elites. There is very little journalism now; instead it’s scripted propaganda, read by faux ‘journalists’ (nothing more than mouthpieces) coming down from the elites who’ve bought them out. That is only one of the reasons.
Another reason is that Russia and Iran are pushing Kim Jong Un into a paranoid frenzy. It’s beneficial to both Russia and Iran to keep the US occupied and bogged down with the N. Korean problem. It’s the old “watch the left hand, so you don’t see what the right hand is doing” trick.
Let’s look back on the history of N. Korean nuclear ambitions:
In 2005 (Bush Jr. years), N. Korea test-fired short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan. They also (unsuccessfully) test-fired the Taepodong-2 missile in 2006. In 2009 they failed to launch a satellite, and again in 2012 another failure until the successful launch in December 2012 of the Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2 satellite aboard a three-stage rocket. Another successful satellite was launched in Feb. 2016 (the Kwangmyongsong-4).
Also in 2009 (Obama years), they successfully test-fired missiles (the Scud type, with a range of around 400 kilometers). In both 2014 and 2015, N. Korea successfully test-fired missiles as well. In May 2015 N. Korea claimed to have had a successful missile launch from a submarine.
In April 2016, they tested an engine designed for an intercontinental ballistic missile. Even worse, in August 2016 North Korea claims to have launched a Pukkuksong-1 missile capable of striking the United States. The missile is a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
They’ve had other failed missile tests prior to President Trump taking office as well. And yet we’ve heard very little of this mentioned in the news. Why? Because MSM is loath to admit that President Obama (and his predecessors Bush Jr., Bill Clinton, and Bush Sr.) did nothing to curb or curtail N. Korea’s nuclear ambitions. It is also widely rumored that Bill Clinton even helped N. Korea to procure nuclear means.
In 1994, (then president) Bill Clinton made a nuclear agreement with N. Korea. Much like the Iranian “deal” Obama made, Clinton paid huge sums of bribe money to Kim Jong II (Lil’ Kim’s father). In both instances, the agreements weren’t worth the paper they were written on; and if anything, our US taxpayer dollars actually helped those nations to fund their nuclear ambitions.
Predictably, the agreement Clinton made with N. Korea collapsed in 2002, when the CIA discovered that N. Korea was secretly enriching uranium for further weapons production. And yet nothing was done to curb N. Korean ambitions back when it would have been far less of a threat to deal with them. Now it’s no longer possible to just ignore the situation.
The past four presidents did nothing to diminish the N. Korean threat. We’ve heard them loudly proclaim, “North Korea must never be permitted to obtain nuclear weapons”…. and yet they did nothing to stop it. So here we are today with N. Korea openly putting on a show for the world to see…. launching missiles which can now strike anywhere in America, according to the experts.
These past four presidents ‘kicked the can down the road,’ and now we’ve run out of pavement. Sadly, President Trump has inherited this mess (along with many other messes from the past administration).
There is truly no good solution to the problem, and yet inaction is not feasible any longer.
Diplomat talks and pressure from sanctions hasn’t worked. China hasn’t fully complied with using all the sanctions and boycotts against N. Korea that it could; but even if they did… Lil’ Kim isn’t likely to respond in a positive manner. His irrational actions are somewhat unpredictable. But since he has no problem harming and killing many citizens in his own nation, there is little doubt that he wouldn’t think twice about using nuclear weapons on other nations, should he have the opportunity.
Since President Trump took office, we hear daily about the N. Korean threat. In February of this year, North Korea test-fired a Pukguksong-2 missile over the Sea of Japan. This was the first (known) launch of the new medium-range ballistic missile. Then in March of this year N. Korea launched four ballistic missiles from the Tongchang-ri launch site in the northwest. Some flew 620 miles before falling into the Sea of Japan.
In April of this year, numerous missile tests were performed by North Korea. They test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile from its eastern port of Sinpo into the Sea of Japan, then they test-fired an unidentified land-based missile from the naval base in Sinpo, but it exploded almost immediately after takeoff. Finally, they test-fired an unidentified missile from Pukchang airfield. The missile, believed to be a medium-range KN-17 ballistic missile, faltered and broke apart minutes after liftoff. All of those missile tests were just in the month of April alone.
In May, North Korea test-fired a Hwasong-12 missile from a test site in the area of Kusong. The missile was later revealed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which traveled 30 minutes, reached an altitude of more than 2,111.5 km, and flew a horizontal distance of 789 km (489 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan. Such a missile would have a range of at least 4,000 km, reaching Guam, to 6,000 km.
Also in May was the test-firing of another N. Korean Pukguksong-2 medium-range ballistic missile from Pukchang airfield, which traveled approximately 300 miles before falling into the Sea of Japan. And at the end of May, North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan.
In June of this year, North Korea fired several missiles into the Sea of Japan. They are believed to be anti-ship missiles. The South Korean military said the launches show the reclusive regime’s precise targeting capability. Later that same month, North Korea tested a new rocket engine that
could possibly be fitted to an intercontinental ballistic missile. Should we opt for a military strike, it could cause mass casualties if N. Korea is given even a few moments to strike S. Korea, Japan, or Guam (or anyone else). And then a mass refugee problem would ensue.
We are now at the point where the military option seems to be the only recourse we have. If Kim Jong Un is permitted to continue his nuclear ambitions unfettered, there is little doubt he will use those weapons and kill many more people than would be killed if a US military strike was to be the action taken.
The only way this could be pulled off successfully against N. Korea at all, is an extremely coordinated and pinpointed, accurate strike which first takes out Kim Jong Un, his administration/loyalists, every N. Korean military base, military equipment, and weapons cache—all in one coordinated strike. Sadly, I can’t see that happening. As good as our brave US military is, nothing ever goes exactly as planned. It’s also very likely that N. Korea would get some missile strikes against S. Korea (and likely Japan, Guam, and others) if they aren’t decimated first.
Then there is the question, what happens afterwards? Even if (not likely) a military strike against N. Korea was completely successful, then what becomes of the nation? China would likely take it over effectively, and would be a threat to S. Korea as much as N. Korea already is – just as Russia, Iran, and Turkey have (effectively) taken over Syria, with ambitions to go much further.
Iran has filled the vacuum left behind in Iraq as well.
There is no good answer. The US can’t afford to take in millions of N. Korean refugees, nor massive amounts of refugees from S. Korea, Japan, or Guam, should they be struck by nuclear weapons/contamination by N. Korea.
More worrisome than previous tests, North Korea tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) named Hwasong-14 on July 4. It launched from the Panghyon Aircraft Factory 8 km southeast of Panghyon Airport. It was aimed straight up at a lofted trajectory and reached more than 2,500 km into space. It landed 37 minutes later, more than 930 km from its launch site, into Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Aiming long, the missile would have traveled 7,000-8,000 km or more, reaching Alaska, Hawaii, and maybe Seattle. Its operational range would be farther, bringing a 500 kg payload to targets in most of the contiguous United States 9,700 km away. This is much more than a mere missile launch; it’s a threat to the US and any other nation within range.
Later in July, N. Korea test-fired yet another ICBM. The CIA assessed that Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Boston, and New York appear to be within range. There were more missile tests (some medium-range and some short-range ballistic missiles) in the month of August and September.
This set off a flurry of additional UN sanctions and promises from China to rein in the delusional dictator, Kim Jong Un. But rather than rein him in, it merely infuriated him; and in response they launched yet another North Korean ICBM from the vicinity of Pyongsong on Nov.28th. The rocket traveled for 50 minutes and reached 2800 miles in height, both of which were new milestones. The missile flew 600 miles east into the Sea of Japan. Unlike summer launches, the Japanese government did not issue cellphone alerts to warn its citizens. North Korea called it a Hwasong-15 missile. Its potential range appears to be more than 8,000 miles, able to reach Washington and the rest of the continental United States.
As we can readily see, the time for diplomatic measures such as talk/discourse, sanctions, and boycotts is effectively over. There really is no other option but military now that Kim Jong Un possesses nuclear means to strike many nations, especially the US mainland. The question is: Will China step into the fray if the US does take action?
Russia and Iran have been provoking Kim Jong Un into a frenzy against the US. Kim Jong Un is already a mental case, and his paranoid delusions and delusions of grandeur are at a fever pitch. Russia and Iran want the US bogged down with this mess, because they (along with Turkey and N. Sudan and what’s left of Libya) are building a coalition in the Middle East. They intend to take over much land mass where ISIS has been eradicated in the Middle East.
Russia, Turkey, Iran (and other more minor factions) have intentions to invade Israel soon. That won’t go as planned (Ezek.38-39), but nonetheless it’s soon coming. It’s more complex than that, but that’s it in a nutshell.
We also know that China and Russia have become quite chummy. It may be that China desires to show its military might by coming to N. Korea’s defense. After all, China has erected numerous manmade “islands” in disputed waters of the S. China Sea. China is also none too happy that Pres. Trump wants to negotiate trade deals which are more fair to the US.
There is also the threat of an EMP attack. In February 2016, with the successful N. Korean launch of the Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite, the path of the satellite went above the Super Bowl and above many US states as well. There was talk in the media that if N. Korea would have had access to using EMP technology, they could have struck the US with electro-magnetic pulses and crippled our power grids.
While N. Korea truly is a threat to S. Korea, Japan, Guam, and many other Asian nations, they are now also a threat to the US and any other nation within range. But will N. Korea use an EMP strike against the US?
Who would benefit most if the US was struck with EMP’s (or other similar weaponry such as graphite bombs, etc.)? Who would benefit most by our power grids taken down? Mass casualties would ensue within the first few months… the population would be reduced, the citizenry would become more readily acceptable of just about any law forced down their throats or government mandates (including gun confiscation) if they were starving, lacking medical care for themselves and loved ones, and were offered “help” after maybe 4-6 months of going without all the amenities, and even necessities of modern life in the US.
If our power grids were downed, there would be little to no communications. The phones, laptops, tablets, and TV’s would be fried in an EMP strike. Any vehicle manufactured within the last 20 years has computerized parts that would also be fried and rendered useless. Even if they had an older vehicle in operable condition, there would be no way to procure gasoline or diesel fuel for it. People wouldn’t know what was happening five miles away, much less what was occurring across the nation, or the world.
Who is it that would desire this outcome most? Who is it that desires to hand over the reins of the US to globalist powers (and doesn’t even try to hide it now)? Who is it that wants a “New World Order,” a globalist world, where there is no national sovereignty? Who is it that tries to equate national sovereignty erroneously with the evils of Nazism or fascism? Who is it that refuses to accept the results of a duly-elected president even an entire year after the election? Who is it that proclaimed that vaccines can effectively reduce the population? Who is it that is pro-abortion, which is yet another means to reduce the population?
Why not take some time to ponder these questions individually, and give this some serious thought? Who would benefit most?
Yes, N. Korea is an actual threat. Yes, the dictator there is mentally unbalanced and delusional. Yes, the US will likely have to act militarily to vanquish the threat Kim Jong Un poses to the entire world. These things are all true. But what else is true?
We are seeing the possibility of an EMP attack promoted on all media today: Conservative media (what few there are now), and liberal-leftist (which most mainstream media now is, as they’ve been bought off by globalists to promote leftist, globalist propaganda)… they are all pushing the EMP threat often. But apparently none of them has asked the question: Who would benefit most by an EMP attack on the US?
And another question might be: Why hasn’t our US Congress done anything to update our power grids? Could it be that they have a good reason not to? Why is it that they despise President Trump so much? Could it be that he also is a threat to their plans?
Even the establishment Republicans despise him, and many refuse to work with him. Even the establishment Republicans (and of course, the Democrats) make regular insulting comments about him in the media. Why is that? Has there ever been a president shown such little respect?
And why does our Congress have so many members who now openly oppose national sovereignty? Do they not realize that our Constitution is based on that, as well as on freedoms given to us by our Creator? Who is it that now pretends not to know the difference between freedom OF religion (which our Constitution proclaims) compared to freedom FROM religion (which it clearly does not state, nor is it implied)?
Yes, N. Korea is a threat. But we may do well to consider who else is a threat, and who would benefit most from an EMP strike on the US.
We believers also keep in mind that the unsaved world is rapidly spiraling toward the tribulation. The antichrist-beast global system will one day be foisted upon the masses. We know that the Church is raptured prior to the 70th week of Daniel commencing, so we will not be here to witness these events, nor suffer through God’s wrath on an unbelieving, Christ-rejecting, God-hating, sin-loving world.
Jesus has promised us grace/church-age believers deliverance from the wrath to come (1 Thes.1:10, Rom.5:9, 1 Thes.5:9). As we see Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 align with scriptural precision, we also recognize that the events foretold to occur in the tribulation are also aligning as well. All nations will succumb to globalism by the mid-point of the tribulation when the false prophet rolls out the mark of the beast system (Rev.13:15-18).
We’ve witnessed much of Europe already giving up their national sovereignty. Even Australia has confiscated the citizens’ guns. What will bring down the USA’s national sovereignty? What would cause citizens to give up their guns here?
I would like to think that the rapture itself is what causes the loss of the constitutional rights here in the US, but an EMP strike would very likely do the same. But again, I would like to think that an EMP strike (or similar) could happen in conjunction with the rapture. Or it may happen just after the rapture. They will have to have some excuse to give as to where millions of believers went.
I’ve never thought that the unsaved people left behind would believe the alien theory that I’ve heard promoted by some. I just don’t think that’s plausible. But we do know these two things…
National sovereignty must be taken away from all nations, and there will be some excuse given as to where believers went when the rapture occurs. I can think of no better way for the globalist elite to ‘kill two birds with one stone.’ An EMP strike (or similar) on nations who still have national sovereignty would cripple those nations rapidly, and it could also serve as the cover story for where believers went when we are taken up in the rapture. Admittedly, this is merely a theory. But I can think of no better theory that would serve both purposes simultaneously.
We would also do well to study Ezekiel 38-39 thoroughly (as most of you likely have).
Sadly, I’ve noticed a trend within numerous Christian groups on Facebook, and the troublesome trend is that professing Christians are skipping Bible study themselves and are relying solely on videos for eschatological “study.” Yet, I doubt that to be the case here on Rapture Ready, as the readership from the articles as well as the other in-print active pages content is huge. So I would expect that many more believers here on Rapture Ready are more apt to study scripture themselves.
Ezek. 39:29 foretells that, by the end of the Ezek. 38-39 war, God will be pouring out His Spirit upon Israel. When we study Romans 11:25, we recognize that Israel is currently “blind in part. Yet there is an end-date for that temporary blindness, and that is “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” Once that happens, the rapture of the church occurs. All believers will be taken up. Then God turns His attention to Israel again.
Both dispensations cannot be occurring simultaneously. So we grace/church-age believers may see Isaiah 17 come to pass (but that does not have to be the case, as the rapture is imminent); we may even see the beginning of Ezek. 38-39, but we cannot be here by the end of that war, since God will be pouring out His Spirit on Israel, and dealing directly with Israel… they will no longer be blind in part.
I often wonder if the account of Saul, who became Paul, was given to us as an example of how God is going to deal with Israel. He blinded Paul so that he had to have the scales removed from his eyes (Acts chapter 9). Is that not like Israel today? They also have been blinded in part, and need the scales removed from their eyes. When God defeats Israel’s foes in the Ezek. 38-39 war, they will recognize He is “the Lord their God from that day and forward” (Ezek. 39:22).
As we witness these events align as foretold, we recognize the lateness of the hour. I’ve heard some profess that they believe the rapture could be another decade or more out… I cannot agree with that summation. While only the Lord knows the exact day He has appointed for the rapture, we believers can recognize the season in which we live. He gave us Bible prophecy to prepare us, and to comfort us. Christ is Our Blessed Hope. Rather than fear, we should rejoice, take comfort, and comfort one another.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7 KJV Bible)
“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thes. 5:11).
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thes. 4:16-18).
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Maranatha!