Military clashes have not ceased, and diplomacy fails to cover the divided reality.
As of May 2025, the world outwardly speaks of peace, yet is in a crisis on the brink of full-scale war. In the Middle East, the possibility of direct conflict between Iran and Israel is becoming more real, and armed clashes with Lebanon, Syria, and Hamas have become everyday occurrences. The U.S. has already deployed multiple aircraft carriers and strategic weapons near Israel, and Russia is strengthening military cooperation with Iran, clearly dividing alliances.
The war in Ukraine continues into its third year, fundamentally changing Europe’s security landscape, with NATO and Russia intensifying their arms race. In Asia, tensions rise as China stages military demonstrations toward Taiwan and asserts dominance in the South China Sea, while North Korea repeats long-range missile launches and nuclear threats. All these situations suggest that a global military conflict is a matter of time.
Yet diplomatic language remains focused on “peace,” “deterrence,” and “dialogue.” Summits are held, councils maintained, and the media portrays the crisis as manageable. However, reality is different. Although no official declaration of military conflict exists, countries are already operating in wartime mode.
Defense budgets have skyrocketed, war material production has shifted into full gear like vaccine production during the pandemic, and advanced weapons markets are dividing faster than diplomatic negotiations. At a time when the U.S., China, Russia, and major European nations are restructuring their military forces more intensively than since the Cold War, the word “peace” sounds strangely hollow.
This duality closely resembles the biblical portrayal of the last days. “When they say, ‘Peace and safety,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them…” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Surface stability cannot mask real threats, and diplomatic rhetoric does not guarantee genuine restoration.
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God warned, “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:14). This is today’s reality. People want diplomacy to be the answer and hope to avoid war. Yet fundamentally, the world is preparing deeper division and reorganization under the guise of a “temporary truce.”
Notably, the nature of war itself has changed. Conflict is no longer only about weapons. Economic sanctions, information warfare, currency battles, energy dominance, and cyberattacks have all expanded into battlefields, permeating the lives of every citizen.
Inflation, rising prices for essentials, global supply chain collapse, immigration and refugee issues, financial instability — these daily crises stem from clashes within the global order, ultimately rooted in a “power-driven restructuring” at its core. Tanks and fighter jets no longer solely symbolize war. Even when weapons are silent, war already penetrates society.
From a biblical perspective, this era is also marked by “false unions.” Prophets say that at the end times, nations will appear united outwardly but will operate under an anti-God order at their core.
Countries unite for different reasons, but their cohesion is based on interests, not trust, and cannot endure. Peace cannot hold without justice, and unity cannot last without truth. The global structure being formed cannot sustain peace by human wisdom or strategy, making it all the more precarious.
In this situation, what should Christians observe? It is not just a matter of fearing or avoiding war. We must discern that the current events are not mere geopolitical moves but represent a “structural shift of the era” and a “biblically foretold flow.” When weapons fall silent, warnings become clearer; the more the word “peace” is repeated, the closer the real danger comes. Therefore, believers must remain vigilant, seeing the world with deeper insight than news and a higher perspective than politics.
When weapons are silent, we must be more alert.
Peace is not merely the absence of war. True peace must be established on truth and only exists under God’s order, not man’s. The world may be temporarily quiet, but this stillness does not mean genuine peace. When all seems calm, we must discern more deeply and pray more earnestly.
When weapons are silent, God’s people must be more awake and wait for God’s shalom that surpasses worldly peace. That peace exists only in Jesus Christ and will be fulfilled when He returns.
Maeil Scripture Journal | Today’s World, A View Through the Word
