. . . As everyone is now completely distracted with the looming prospect of yet, another, Middle East military engagement to be waged by the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize recipient (Barack Hussein Obama), something of a far greater importance may be about to unfold.
A few years ago I said, “I expect to turn on the news and learn that a chemical or biological terrorist attack has killed hundreds, if not thousands of people in some major city.” I had no idea that act of terror would be conducted by a leader using those deadly substances against his own people. Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad has likely used nerve gas to kill 1,300 people in a Damascus suburb controlled by rebel forces.
Up until now, the last major terrorist attack using chemicals occurred on the morning of March 20, 1995. Members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult placed eleven double-layered plastic bags, each containing the deadly nerve agent, sarin, in the Tokyo subway system.
The quality of the sarin in the Tokyo attack was actually rather poor. The mixture was only about thirty percent pure, three of the bags were never punctured, and only about 4.5 kilograms of sarin leaked out. The amount released still had enough potency to kill twelve people and caused more than 5,000 to seek medical care.
It is extremely easy to make a chemical bomb that has the ability to harm large numbers of people. The basic ingredients can be readily found at any hardware store. Because of terrorist laws, I think it is much harder to acquire the components of a conventional bomb. Chlorine gas can be purchased from any industrial supplier, and you don’t need a PhD in science to manufacture nerve gas.
I believe the hand of God is the reason why we have gone eighteen and a half years without seeing the use of chemical or biological weapons. The Lord keeps evil in check until the wickedness of mankind causes him to lower his hedge of protection.
We seem to be following the same timeline that made suicide bombings a common event in the Middle East. They started with the Palestinians around the year 2000. You may remember the breaking news flash, as bomber after bomber would go into Israel and blow up him or herself up in crowded areas. This method of mass murder quickly moved to Iran and Afghanistan where it is now so, routine, that most attacks don’t even make the major news feeds.
I’m now wondering if the nerve agent attack in Syria is the dawn, of a new phase that will see the use of chemical weapons, become a regular occurrence. The lack of resolve on the part of nations would seem to confirm the shift. The British House of Commons voted down a motion to support in principle, military action against Syria. Russia and China have said they will block any UN vote that calls for punitive strikes. Even if President Obama decides to go it alone, any missile strike will have limited impact on the Syrian military.
The worst outcome would be for nothing to happen. Since Obama dramatically drew his redline over Syria’s use of chemical weapons, and if he does nothing, every dictator and terrorist would get a clear signal to have that redline crossed would not have any consequences.
I hate to think what would have happened if the Boston bombers used deadly chemical in their attack on the Boston Marathon. The killing of three people and injuring an estimated 264 others turned the city into a police state. If a thousand people had suddenly dropped dead with untold numbers sickened, the whole nation would have been placed on lockdown.
In any discussion about the end-times, the question of how bad will it get always comes up. Because the Bible said the Lord Jesus will come back for the church at a time when people are saying “peace and safety” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3), there would seem to be a limit on how disruptive things can get. However, the passage that has Jesus pointing to signs of the times also talks about horrors so great that men would die from fear. Whatever is the case, I think we will soon find out.
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:25-26).
