Nuclear Holocaust

The experts tell us that a nuclear winter will result from a nuclear war. That means the climate will be chilled because of a prolonged blockage of sunlight by dust clouds from the exploding bombs. Of course, there will also be heavy nuclear fallout. Men, animals and plants will be exposed to deadly radiation.

The problems are almost too horrifying to even contemplate. But God’s prophets knew man had to face his own sins.

Habakkuk’s Belly Trembled

The Prophet Habakkuk wrote about nuclear winter. He discussed a “bitter and hasty nation” attacking Israel. The people are treated like fish in a net. They are shown no mercy. That is not the worst part though.

“When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops” (Habakkuk 3:16). Habakkuk wrote about “the day of trouble” for Israel—or the Great Tribulation. His main vision was about the end time. He had never envisioned anything so completely terrifying! His belly trembled and his lips quivered! He was having a difficult time fulfilling his prophetic office.

Still, the problem grew worse. Rottenness entered into his bones. Indescribable terror kept his bones from holding his body together! The bones are man’s strongest parts. They keep the frame of the body together. Habakkuk almost became like a shapeless blob! This was the effect of the shattering alarm and acute pain he suffered because of this vision of nuclear devastation!

God revealed to Habakkuk a vision of the most terrifying time ever to afflict this Earth! He saw nuclear war and the consequences very vividly! Just seeing it in a vision awakened him. What will it do to people who experience it?

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls” (verse 17). Why won’t the fig trees even blossom? Because the Chaldeans will have attacked Israel with nuclear weapons! Even conventional warfare would not prevent the fig trees from blossoming. This is clearly discussing a massive nuclear attack!

There are no grapes on the vines. Even if the vineyards were unattended, they still would produce some grapes. Only nuclear fallout could prevent these trees from producing any fruit at all. There are no olives on the olive trees. Invading armies, prior to the nuclear bomb, could never have so totally devastated an area! This is a new and unparalleled kind of terror! The fields yield no crops. Total failure. Why? Nuclear fallout causing nuclear winter is the only explanation! Bombs are dropped on the cities, but the farms are also affected.

There are no sheep in the pens or cattle in the stalls. None! Only nuclear power could inflict such grotesque damage! It’s just as bad as Christ said it would be (Matthew 24:21; see also Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1). If only we could get people to awaken! Nothing can prevent these prophecies from being fulfilled—except godly repentance.

We have brought this monstrous nightmare upon ourselves. Only God can save us from this coming disaster.

“Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel. The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up. For thus saith the Lord God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that [the same city of 1,000] which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel” (Amos 5:1-3). The city is a target. Nuclear bombs are going to be dropped on cities! A 10 percent loss in a military campaign is disastrous. Here, 90 percent of the people in a city die immediately! Then only 10 percent of the survivors remain alive. Only 10 out of 1,000 are left—10,000 out of a million. This is speaking of 99 percent destruction of the population of our major cities!

“And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die. And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord” (Amos 6:9-10). This is talking about nuclear holocaust, as it does in other scriptures. This will be the worst trouble ever known to man!

An uncle comes in and burns the bodies and takes some bones out of the house. Undoubtedly, because of the radiation, everybody was dead in the house. There is no indication of an army invading. Still, death fills the cities.

“For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts” (verse 11). The word breaches is rare. The Anchor Bible says there is “no other occurrence of any word with the same root.” The Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon defines this word breaches as “drops of dew” (emphasis mine). If you carefully read the context there seems to be no doubt that this is referring to nuclear fallout!

The word clefts means fissures. That is “a break or lesion in the tissue, usually at the junction of skin and mucous membrane,” according to Webster’s Dictionary. The root word means “to tear in pieces.”

“Drops of dew,” or nuclear fallout, certainly will “tear in pieces” human flesh. Nuclear warfare is coming! Many Bible scriptures tell us that! We can’t hide from it.

This is a hard message to receive. The land could not bear the words of Amos! (Amos 7:10).

Tradition indicates that Amos was killed for delivering God’s message. The Philadelphia Church of God must deliver a far stronger warning today. Our job is not an easy one.

Message of Hope

Although Habakkuk vividly saw the coming nuclear horror, he was not depressed. He realized the final outcome was all very positive. He knew the government of God was finally going to be restored to Earth. “Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places …” (Habakkuk 3:18-19). He became so excited by that knowledge, it was as if he could walk on air. Habakkuk could leap like a deer.

Those of us in the Philadelphia Church of God must strive to be like Habakkuk! Even though we are going through the toughest trials of our lives, it is for a great purpose. We are now in the final testing, being prepared for our reward as a pillar in the temple of God. God is preparing us as firstfruits so we can help Him harvest the world in the near future. God wants you and anyone who will heed to avoid the coming catastrophe.

The book of Habakkuk was to be given to the chief singer (verse 19). It was to be sung on the day of Pentecost. In his day, this song would have been like a lone voice receiving little attention. But if heard, the book of Habakkuk would have been a message of great hope in a society about to gasp its last breath.

It is not unlike the work of the Philadelphia Church of God today. Though we are small, and partly unheard, we have a beautiful song to sing. Our message is one of great hope. Our work is marvelous. Though the immediate future is dark, Jesus Christ will return soon and a new day will dawn for all of mankind. Let us all rejoice and finish the Work!

Continue Reading: Epilogue: Victory Prophesied!