Again, the commentary is presented from an Amero-centric perspective because, indeed, at this particular time in history, America is at the heart of the geopolitical milieu.

Much of what has been happening has been influenced by the actions of those in control of the government of the United States. For example, when Donald Trump was president, Russian leader Vladimir Putin held in check his aggressive nature—or at least the Restrainer, the Holy Spirit, did so. At any rate, Putin threatened Ukraine because of its leaders talking about joining NATO on occasion. Mr. Trump is said to have let it be known (I don’t find the exact quote) that if Putin invaded Ukraine, Moscow would be the target for being nuked. Trump didn’t hide his intentions. He was blunt and always followed through on his promises/threats—at least for the most part.

Putin realized this, no doubt, and never came close to invading the former Soviet state.

The Trump administration put the Chinese Communist Party leaders on notice that to assault Taiwan or to disrupt American (or any other) shipping in the South China Sea would bring America’s naval might to the area, and it would be used if necessary. As a matter of fact, there was increased American naval presence there during all years of the Trump administration. Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist dictator, got the message and, again, with Holy Spirit restraint, thought better than to unleash his missiles, navy, and army upon Taiwan.

The Chinese are known for their patience, however—in waiting for the right opportunities that will inevitably come. Xi Jinping has been watching the Russian invasion and all attendant to it.

He has considered the present American president and his response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I’m convinced, as stated in previous commentaries, that Xi Jinping will, at some point soon, decide to take over Taiwan, the island state Chinese dictators have long considered part of mainland China.

This might be done sooner rather than later, as it is said. Xi Jinping knows that the American political environment is chaotic—that the Democrat Party is, at this point, due to take a drubbing in November elections. If things don’t change drastically, the presidential elections in 2024 will be calamitous for the Democrat Party also.

Almost certainly, the new governing elements within Congress and then in the White House will bring back strong leadership in direct opposition to all that is going on at present, with the Biden administration doing all it can to disassemble America as founded and to bring the nation into the globalist sphere. For example, Biden, immediately upon taking office, adopted the radical, green demands of the left, severely curtailing the Keystone Pipeline System, making America again dependent on global sources of energy, thus putting the nation under the thumb of the globalist elite.

The November 2022 election change to a pro-America (nationalist) administration will doubtless include a reconfiguration of the US military, with replacement of the present Joint Chiefs of Staff being almost a surety.

I believe the Communist Chinese leadership very likely might have concluded that now is the opportunity they have longed for since Taiwan broke away in 1945. Another such opportunity might not come until a future such weakened America and Western world—thereby with diminished resolve to oppose such aggression—might again come into being.

Now, understand that the above is offered with the absolute assurance that God’s mighty hand is in all of it. We know that from God’s Word.

“And now ye know what withholdeth [the Holy Spirit] that he [Antichrist] might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he [the Holy Spirit] who now letteth [restrains] will let [restrain], until he [the Holy Spirit] be taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).

So why do we “watch,” as the title of this blog suggests?

Because we are commanded to do so by the Lord Jesus Himself, to begin with:

“And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:37).

“And when you see all these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your head, for your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).

His command is more than enough to make clear that God wants us to be aware of His impending return to earth as the moment of that glorious appearance nears. He said to look up when we “see all these things begin to come to pass.” The Judaizers of His First Coming to present Himself as Israel’s Messiah and King couldn’t see the truth. Jesus was that Messiah. Christians must not be oblivious. We are commanded to be aware of the time of Christ’s return to put an end to the carnage that is happening now and is scheduled to take place in judgment and wrath during the seven years of Tribulation.

We are to thus warn those who are lost and headed for Hell of these things to come while witnessing the loving gift offering of God’s only Son in sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

To know that Bible prophecy tells the end of all things from the beginning does one thing more for the Christian who “watches” as Jesus commanded. It offers comfort and assurance—assurance that there will not be nuclear exchanges that end civilization. There will not be World War III, as so many are fretting about right now. People will be doing all the things of normal life at the very moment of His next intervention into human history. All will be normal for the times in that regard, while the times are chaotic just like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Boy howdy! Are we ever at that point right at this moment?

Jesus, Himself, promised this would be the condition of humanity in just one passage I continue to repeat for all who will listen.

“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).

The Lord Jesus gave the most important promise of all as recorded in the following passage. And remember that “the last day” begins with the Rapture!

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40).

A number of questions have come in with the worry over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s Vladimir Putin seems to be in the process of fulfilling the Gog-Magog prophecy in the opinion of some of those among whom have sent emails, etc.

Of particular interest in this regard is Russia’s sending the warning to Israel that Russia no longer considers the Golan, etc., to be Israel’s sovereign territory. i.e., apparently, it’s now open for Russia’s taking it over because of Israel’s dealings with Syria in some perceived unjust way.

Putin took unkindly to Israel saying they supported the Ukrainian people in opposing Russia’s assault on their nation.

During all this perhaps stage-setting for the Gog-Magog attack of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, another powerful player of prophetic dimension is starkly in view. The developments in the regions east of the Euphrates, the oriental world, are indeed worth delving into in terms of likely prophetic progression.

I refer to the matter of the persistent probing into Taiwan’s air space with military jets. The actions are intended not only to intimidate but to see just how not only Taiwan itself but how the western powers – particularly the U.S. – will react and respond.

Of course, China is the culprit in all this. Taiwan’s monstrous neighbor, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has had for many years a festering hatred for that democratic republic just miles off China’s coast. They are now making that hatred manifest for the world to see.

Vladimir Putin’s daring invasion of Ukraine has, without a doubt, given China’s despot, Xi Jinping, the evidence he needs that confirms America’s weakness of leadership. The current presidential administration’s perceived inability to deal with Putin and his aggression with military action or even with other effective means to deter Russian incursion have no doubt caused Xi Jinping to become more aggressive by the day in probing Taiwan’s vulnerability.

The buildup of China’s aggressiveness has been coming more clearly into the picture of events shaping for prophetic fulfillment for several years of late. The building of artificial islands in the South China Sea, for example, has been part of this buildup. They have thus challenged navies and anyone other who passes through that sea, even though that is legally, in terms of maritime law, open waters for movement of ships from around the world. China has proclaimed it as its sovereign waters and has threatened military action even against U.S. naval ships.

So among the questions I’ve gotten through email and in personal conversations as well as on TV and radio interviews is: “Do you think China will attack Taiwan and take it over?”

People who are well-versed in Bible prophecy already can see the proverbial handwriting on the wall when it comes to Russia. They are fairly certain the Russian actions, with their taking of Ukraine (or at least parts of it at this point), is a sure signal that it might be all setting up the Gog-Magog assault at some point. Russia’s aforementioned threatening of Israel, denying the Jewish state’s sovereignty in the matter of the Golan, strongly adds to the evidence that the Gog-Magog attack must be somewhere in the not-too-distant future.

But China is another matter. The questions concerning its intentions, etc., are not issued with any certainty that they see potential prophetic fulfillment within the matters involved.

“Will China attack and take over Taiwan?”

The question has been ruminating within the aging gray matter and within my spiritual neurons that want to know, too.

Here is my assessment, or at least my best epiphany, if that’s the correct term.

I do believe that because of this American presidential administration’s weak actions and reactions to most everything that involves aggression, China will decide to take Taiwan. If they wait until the midterm elections in this nation, they will face much stronger opposition if, as expected, there is a complete rout of the Democrat Party, particularly in the House of Representatives.

If they await the presidential election of 2024, their prospects for successfully taking the Taiwan island-state without use of nuclear weapons might be even more greatly diminished.

Bible prophecy tells of the massive force of 200 million troops that will cross the dried-up Euphrates River at the end of the Tribulation period. This force is called the kings of the east. I have always believed that China, who now can easily put together that size force, joined by all the other “kings of the east” in that oriental part of the world, will be the lead nation in the demonically-possessed horde. I believe that China will be the King of the kings of the east in that attack that will kill one-third of people on earth.

If this generation is at the very end of the Church Age (Age of Grace) – as many of us believe the world is – all prophetic progression must soon come together in preparation for the wind-up of history this side of the Tribulation and the Triumphant Return of Christ. Just as the Gog-Magog forces seem to be coming together at present, so, too, the things in the oriental world must be coming together.

China, by bringing Taiwan into its hegemonic embrace, is almost a certainty in firming up the kings of the east assault force. Xi Jinping, or whomever is the Chinese leader, will soon be bringing all of those oriental nations that are now independent, sovereign countries into their orb through whatsoever means necessary.

I don’t believe those means will be nuclear – at least not this side of the Rapture of the Church. That would throw the world into configuration other than prophesied by the Lord Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24:36-42 and Luke 17:26-30. It would not be business as usual if there were nuclear exchanges all over the world, or, I believe, even on a limited basis.

No matter the way things will play out within the near term, the God of Heaven is in complete Control. We can be absolutely certain of that Truth. And He will take Christ’s Bride, the Church, out of this doomed world because of its rebelliousness before His Wrath must fall.

Here again is how to avoid that coming Judgment and Wrath.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10: 9-10).