When you look at this world, you see so much hate. This ought to terrify more people and make us think much more seriously about the next few months and years.

Exhibit one, of course, is Black Lives Matter (blm) and Antifa, and the radical left in general. These people openly confess to harboring a deep hatred for America and Britain, and especially for Donald Trump and his supporters. Led by fanatic politicians, academics and celebrities, and backed by the mainstream media, these people vehemently hate traditional, Judeo-Christian America.

But the surging hate isn’t confined to blm and Antifa. All across the world, hate and all its offspring—harassment, intolerance, abuse, protests and riots, persecution, violence and murder, even genocide—flourish. In his Trumpet Brief yesterday, Joel Hilliker revealed the shocking hate Buddhists in Myanmar have for the Rohingya, a Muslim minority group. Anti-Semitism is rising. Racial and ethnic conflicts are universal. Citizens increasingly despise their leaders and governments. We learned this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin despised his political opponent so much, and no doubt hated the thought of being toppled by him, he had him poisoned. Everywhere you look, hate grows.

Here’s why this is utterly terrifying: It is the nature of hate to stimulate more hate. Hate manifested—whether in heated arguments, the perversion of justice, dishonest journalism, destructive riots, beatings and murders—always encourages more hate. Even when the victim does not initially hate the aggressor, the persistent mistreatment and abuse compel him to frustration, anger and, eventually, hate. Hate is reciprocal.

This cycle of hate was on display last weekend in downtown Portland, Oregon, which continues to be held hostage by Antifa and blm. For three consecutive months these people have hurled vile attacks on America and on President Trump and his supporters. They have violently attacked people and smashed and burned homes, businesses and government buildings, inflicting millions of dollars’ worth of damage. On Saturday, the object of blm’s and Antifa’s hate responded. Hundreds of trucks loaded with Trump supporters traveled in a caravan through downtown Portland; they were expressing their disgust with the rioters.

We saw what happened. There was tension, conflict and violence. Scuffles and fights broke out. Trump supporters shot the rioters with paint balls. A Trump supporter was publicly executed, after which the rioters were heard singing in celebration.

This was inevitable. This is how hate works. It will happen again.

What happened in Portland last Saturday did nothing to soothe the hate of either side. To the contrary, for blm, Antifa and the left, the Trump supporters’ resistance only confirmed their view that they are racists and deserving of hate. Meanwhile, the Trump followers—including the millions who watched it unfold on a screen—undoubtedly came away with a stronger grasp of how much they are hated. It’s impossible that after witnessing this, many Trump supporters will not despise blm, Antifa and those who support these groups even more.

This is how hate works. It rarely fizzles; it only intensifies. This is where America is right now, and there is no turning back. When it reaches a certain point, there’s no way to stop the cycle of hate. It appears America has passed this point.

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry recently pointed to a quote by Abraham Lincoln, delivered in Springfield, Illinois, in January 1838. Lincoln was only 28 years old. There was a lot of hatred between the abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates at the time. America was sliding into “mob law” and social disorder, and the government’s response was apathetic and slow-footed.

Facing these conditions, Lincoln said, “[G]ood men, men who love tranquility, who desire to abide by the laws, and enjoy their benefits, who would gladly spill their blood in the defense of their country; seeing their property destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives endangered; their persons injured; and seeing nothing in prospect that forebodes a change for the better; become tired of, and disgusted with, a government that offers them no protection; and are not much averse to a change in which they imagine they have nothing to lose” (emphasis added).

Lincoln’s observation is a warning: Even law-abiding, peaceful people will become filled with anger and hatred when “their property [is] destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives endangered; their persons injured.” This is the way human emotions work. Without divine intervention (more on this later), hate reciprocates.

When people are attacked, viciously and personally, when they see their nation and livelihood under threat, their cities burning, and when they see that those in authority are unwilling to defend them, they are compelled to respond. It is human nature to protect one’s self, including your family, your home and livelihood, your community and friends. And your nation. In America, law-abiding citizens who love their country are being forced to choose: Surrender to the radical left and lose everything, or grow angry and fight.

People are being driven to hatred and retaliation because the only alternative is death. But their resistance, which is entirely rational, only entrenches the irrational views and hatred of the attacker. To the aggressor, the victim’s resistance only confirms his belief that he is right, and that the victim must be punished.

This is where we are today. Any person accused of being a racist who denies being a racist, must be despised as a racist. Any person unwilling to support blm must hate blm and what it stands for and is, therefore, the enemy. The more Antifa, blm and the radical left are filled with hate, the more the anger and hate of their victims grow.

How does this cycle of hate end?

Have you ever seen footage of a pile of tires on fire? A tire fire is often impossible to extinguish. It stops only after the tires have burned out. It’s the same with the cycle of hate. It will stop only after the hate has burned itself out. It will stop only when those with the hate are gone.

Sadly, the cycle of hate in America now appears far past simply simmering down. The destructive hate coursing through America’s cities is only growing.

And it’s not just America. Look at its brothers—the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada. While we have yet to witness scenes of hate as dramatic as those in Portland or Kenosha, the same fault lines and emotions are welling in these nations. The radical left thrives in these countries too. And it’s deep, deep hatred of these nations’ traditional Christian heritage is deepening the anger, resentment and hatred of those it seeks to destroy.

Just like the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and all the other Commonwealth nations are trapped in a devastating cycle of hate!

Bible prophecy tells us how this will end. In Matthew 24:22, Jesus is talking about the end of the age of man and warns, and He says: “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved ….” Humanity will be so filled with hatred, which will be demonstrated through mass violence and worldwide war, man will bring himself to the cusp of extinction. The “great tribulation,” as Jesus Christ calls it in verse 21, is one colossal explosion of hate.

“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another,” verse 10 says.

Man does not fully comprehend the destructive power of hate. This is because he doesn’t understand the ultimate source of this powerful emotion. The Bible reveals this source. It is revealed in passages such as 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:2 and Revelation 12. These passages reveal the presence of Satan the devil, a spirit being who embodies hate, whose every thought and action is inspired by hatred toward God, His truth and His plan.

Revelation 12 gives insight into just how much hatred the devil has for God and His plan. In verses 3-4, he’s referred to as a “great red dragon” who tries to “devour” God’s people. Verses 7-8 describe how the devil actually waged a colossal war on God. During this battle, the devil was cast down to Earth, where he is now confined (verse 9). Verse 12 addresses those on Earth today, warning that “the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

All the hatred on the streets of America’s cities and tumbling from the lips of politicians and media pundits on cnn and the like—it all originates from the devil’s bottomless well of “great wrath.”

The Apostle Paul calls Satan the “god of this world” who “blinded the minds” of men, and the “prince of the power of the air.” In Chapter 2 of Mystery of the Ages, the late Herbert W. Armstrong explained these verses in detail and revealed how the devil broadcasts to human beings through our emotions, attitudes and impulses. And when it comes to emotion, Satan’s favorite language is anger and hatred. He is the grandmaster of hatred, and one of his favorite pastimes is teaching humans how to hate.

This is why the Bible cautions us to be careful with our emotions and attitudes, especially with feelings of anger and hatred. Consider Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:25-27: “Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (Revised Standard Version).

In this passage, Paul recognizes that there is a time for righteous indignation, or godly anger. Righteous indignation is an aspect of God’s love. It gets angry at sin. It hates sin, but not the sinner. Sadly, we see very little of this sort of righteous indignation today. The angriest people on Earth are usually the greatest sinners.

But then Paul specifically cautions the people to be careful with their emotions, especially anger and frustration. Never let the “sun go down on your anger,” he warns. We must be extremely careful not to allow anger and hatred to fester and get out of control. And we should never deliberately stir up anger and hatred. Yet this is exactly what blm, Antifa and the radical left does. Their leaders are trained to arouse hate. These groups thrive on hatred!

This is a dangerous game. When people well with hate, Paul says, they “give … opportunity to the devil.” Unbridled anger, hatred, resentment, bitterness—these emotions are invitations to the devil, welcoming him into our minds and lives. Many of those people torching cars and tearing down buildings are under the influence of the devil.

When you look at America (and humanity) collectively, there is no evidence of any movement toward repentance that would reverse the trend toward destruction it is taking—though, if the nation did genuinely repent, God would certainly respond with mercy. Individually, though, the path to repentance is open to you. You can escape the cycle of hate, which will soon end in a massive climax called the Great Tribulation. How?

Ultimately, we escape this future by conquering our human emotions and impulses, our attitudes and human will, the powerful pulls of the carnal mind and flesh, and by surrendering our lives and minds completely to God, His law and His government. This is not an easy task; it cannot be done on human power or talent. It can only be done using the power of God’s Spirit, which we receive upon repentance and faith.

To learn more about this way—the only way to escape the coming global explosion of hate — request our free booklet How to Be an Overcomer, by Gerald Flurry.