For years, the Church of God has warned, based on Bible prophecy, that sudden tragic events would strike America and her European cousins. However, it is still sobering to see these horrific events actually happen. The suddenness of such a spectacle, with people jumping to their deaths and buildings bursting into flame and imploding—all captured on live television—stunned America and sent shock waves around the world. In a matter of hours, the whole world changed.
In Europe, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder condemned the terrorist attacks as a “declaration of war against the entire civilized world.” European Union foreign ministers met in special session. In Belgium, flights were cancelled over Brussels, the home of NATO. The Frankfurt stock exchange was evacuated, as were several important buildings in London. In France, military personnel were posted to airports, railway terminals and other public buildings. Europol, based in The Hague, established a 24-hour crisis center to coordinate antiterrorist information in the EU. European leaders realize they are much more vulnerable to terrorist attack than the United States—and even less prepared to mount a response.
In the months ahead, it will be instructive to observe what happens in America and in Europe in light of Bible prophecies. Prayers for peace will be offered, yet the Bible states that God will turn a deaf ear to prayers from people who claim to worship Him but ignore His divine instructions (cf. Isaiah 1:15). God plainly reveals that, because of our disobedience to His laws and commandments, we will begin to experience increasing national punishments at the hands of foreign nations and evil men. As a result of our national sins, God states that “an adversary shall be all around the land; he shall sap your strength from you, and your palaces shall be plundered” (Amos 3:11). The Bible states that God will use “the worst of the Gentiles” to accomplish His purpose of humbling our proud, independent, yet beneficent people (Ezekiel 7:23–27).
As a result of the terrorist attacks in America, events in Europe could move ahead even more swiftly towards the development of a European super-state that the Bible indicates will emerge before the return of Jesus Christ. Calls are being heard for new policies to improve European security, as Europe moves to take a bigger role in the Middle East and other parts of the world. Increased security measures could include the introduction of compulsory identification cards, restricted freedom of movement and the limitation of human freedoms. More personal information will be entered into government computers, and an atmosphere of suspicion could prevail (The Irish Times, Sept. 13, 2001, p. 18). All this fits the prophesied scenario of a “beast power” that is to arise in Europe from the ashes of the Roman Empire as the end of the age approaches (Revelation 13; 17). Bible prophecy indicates that there will be logical reasons for implementing policies for social control, but these tools will be put to evil uses. The stage is being set for the ultimate fulfillment of sobering and long-prophesied end time events.
An editorial in Ireland’s Evening Herald (Sept. 12, 2001, p. 14) got it partly right when it blamed this terrible slaughter of human beings on “the evil at the heart of mankind” and observed that our hope—that the world would become a better place after the fall of communism—was naïve. However, the lesson we are told we should learn from the recent tragedy is to be less cynical of our leaders, to stop running down our political system and to reaffirm our democratic ideals. While this sounds reasonable, it will not solve our problems. The real solution to human problems is the return of Jesus Christ, to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth. This was the ultimate message of the Old Testament prophets. It was a significant part of the gospel that Jesus brought (see Mark 1:14–15). It was a fundamental belief and a driving force in the early Apostolic Church. The Living Church of God proclaims this same message today.
The unabridged version of this commentary can be found on the Church Web page, www.livingcog.org, in the Commentary Library, along with many other commentaries on key topics facing our world.