Mike Hile, my great friend of many years who has kept this old, blind purveyor of Bible prophecy between the ditches in our many travels, sent an interesting report and a suggestion I believe has tremendous relevance at this late hour of our fleeting age.

We hear from all the news reports and punditry almost hourly that World War III might break out at any moment. And, looking at the many hostilities around the globe, we could easily conclude that, indeed, all-out nuclear conflict is on the brink.

The Russian-Ukrainian war still rages. Israel is still dealing with the war-making of Hamas and the terrorist evil that comes against the Jewish state and people. Other smaller wars and rumors of war occur and threaten because of the likes of the North Korean dictator and other minor tyrants.

And of the major tyrants, recent news isn’t good. While China still threatens to invade Taiwan and wreak havoc in other regions, it seems for the moment to be more focused on keeping its communist dictatorship from imploding due to economic pressures–many of these being brought to bear by one Donald John Trump.

Russia, also under terrific economic pressures, threatening the dictatorship of Vladimir Putin with internal degradation, rather than backing down at Trump’s sanction actions, warns of the nuclear option.

My friend Mike weighed in on all this, reminding me of why he and I, and anyone who studies Bible prophecy from, particularly, the pre-Trib viewpoint, can look at this development with calm assurance. There will not be all-out nuclear World War III as long as we remain in this Age of Grace, also called the Church Age.

These two major tyrannical entities, we believe—China and Russia—are prophetically scheduled (that is, we are told through God’s foreknowledge, His omniscience) to fulfill their dastardly destructiveness at a time yet future—a time after all believers in Jesus Christ have been taken (paralambano) into the gathering we call the Rapture of the Church.

Russia, we believe through much intensive study by ourselves and others, will be the lead national force that takes the coalition of Israel-hating hordes toward Jerusalem in the Gog-Magog assault described by Ezekiel the prophet.

China, we are convinced, will be the king (or lead nation) of the massive force called the “kings of the east” that will destroy a third of the world’s population at the time of crossing the dried-up Euphrates River. This war-making venture is found in Revelation chapters 9 and 16.

So, with this as a prophetic backdrop, I insert part of my friend Mike Hile’s email to me that precipitated this commentary:

It is interesting how the Lord (Holy Spirit—The Restrainer) keeps China on a leash with weather problems (also Russia with war in Ukraine) so that they do not accelerate the prophetic process (think an evil thought) beyond what the Lord’s plan is and what He allows them to do. Look at the list of weather events at the end of this article that China has been dealing with.

At least 30 people died and more than 80 000 were evacuated in Beijing, China, after record rainfall from July 26–28, 2025, caused severe flooding and landslides.

Record-breaking rainfall from July 26–28, caused severe flooding across Beijing, leaving at least 30 people dead and forcing more than 80 000 to evacuate, Beijing Municipal Government officials confirmed on July 29. (By Reet Kaur Tuesday, July 29, 2025, https://watchers.news/2025/07/29/30-dead-80-000-evacuated-extreme-rainfall-beijing-china/)

Mike’s information went much more in-depth, making his point that China is being diverted in its wicked ambitions to control the world through its rapidly building military might.

The Trump administration is greatly inhibiting this evil regime from being able to complete its long-game plans to rule the world, through President’ Trump’s economic savoir faire. And this president is doing the same to stymie Vladimir Putin’s apparent desire to reconstruct the old Soviet Union—despite Russian saber-rattling recently in threatening nuclear war if America intervenes in their bloody war-making against Ukraine.

However, it is the God of Heaven who has the chains of restraint around the necks of the tyrants of Russia and of China–and around the necks of the other dictators of this violent world. We can be assured that that chains of restraint will stay firmly in place, so far as preventing all-out nuclear war, until God’s people, the Body of Christ—are removed to the shelter, Jesus, in the clouds of Glory.

You want to be part of that removal to the shelter when God’s judgment and wrath begin to fall on this rebellious world. Here is how to go to Christ when He calls the Church:

That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9–10)