North Korea – is not what it appears to be – Update 4/11

I’ve been meaning to post about the situation in North Korea for the past several days, and some of you may have gotten e-mails from me while I was researching and refining the ideas I wanted to share. This post won’t be so much about prophecy directly, as it will be some of my observations about politics in the far east and how it might affect the broader landscape across the globe, and especially in the middle east.

In order to follow my post you have to accept one concept – In the world today there are many nations who see the United States as their number one adversary. They say nice things in diplomatic circles and are happy to sell us their exports, and if necessary buy some of our products, but the truth is they’d rejoice if the United States were knocked out    of its position of economic and military dominance. This has been happening already, gradually, but I suspect there is a day coming that the US will suffer a crucial blow that will diminish the significance of its economy, and force it off the world stage militarily. There was a time when the US market was too critical to China, Russia and others – now I don’t know if that’s true any more. Also, if the US looks like it’s on its way to recovery, and greater energy independence – I can see how that would appear very threatening to China and Russia if they were seeing dark clouds gather over their own economy and energy exports.

As Pastor Brian commented earlier today, the North Koreans have not been escalating their rhetoric to its current heights these past few weeks without at least tacit acceptance from China and Russia. If either of them wanted to shut down Mr. Kim and his regime they easily could, but I don’t see a good reason they’d want to. Both benefit from the tension that is brought to the region by North Korea – it takes the focus off of them and anything they might be doing to expand their influence over the Pacific theater.

These past two weeks I’ve seen everyone from the US government and media (which don’t seem to be separate organisms any more, sadly) attempting to downplay the threat of North Korea. They focus on how backward and poor the nation has become, and how his missiles couldn’t possibly have the range to deliver a nuclear warhead from North Korea (NK) to the US mainland. My opinion is that they have greatly underestimated NK’s creativity and their desire to hurt the US. In this age of IEDs and guerrilla warfare it’s ridiculous to think that the only way a rogue state could deliver a nuclear weapon is via an ICBM. I’m sure there are people out there working on defending against non-traditional types of attacks (like a mobile missile launch platform concealed on the deck of a cargo ship or large fishing vessel) but it amazes me that universally the risk is being downplayed as slim to nil since their ICBMs don’t have the range.  There is a pretty good analysis of the threat here: http://www.afcea.org/content/?q=node/1032

I agree with Pastor Brian as well. There are many in the world that would prefer to see the US become less and less involved in Middle East affairs. They may think the problem would have been solved many times over if not for the US meddling in the region and supporting Israel against the Palestinians and her neighbors. They do not realize that when the US stops being involved in the region – that the maker of the universe Himself will come to Israel’s aid and destroy those who would wish to destroy her. Back to the other players –  this situation in the middle east and probably others are sufficient to inspire powerful nations to at the very least not hinder, and possibly provide aid to the psychotic ambitions of NK.

All of the analysts I’ve heard also seem to count on North Korea realizing it would be completely obliterated by US response if it attacks. This assumes that Kim Jong-un cares at all what happens to his people. The interment camps and rampant starvation of his people are strong evidence that he only cares about one North Korean – Kim Jong-un. I’m purely speculating here, but if I were another nation who wouldn’t mind seeing the US severely crippled, but didn’t want a war myself, I might secretly send word to Mr. Kim that he would be safe to flee to my country if he attacks the US. I may have no intention of honoring that promise, but if I make it convincingly enough, he might just go and do the awful thing that will destroy his nation, cripple the US and give me a chance to emerge as the next great global power. Another thing to consider, due to the size of North Korea and its proximity to Russia, China, South Korea and Japan it’s not like the US could unleash a punishing nuclear response to any attack – because the fallout would be carried on the winds to either Japan or China depending on the season (this time of year I think the winds would carry it directly over Japan). The US could still inflict massive damage on certain parts of NK – but I don’t think it given the terrain it would be as easy to destroy as Iraq’s military was, and I honestly don’t think the leadership there cares. There has been speculation in the news as well that preparations are being made for the fall of the NK govt from within. This further underlines my suspicion that the leaders there like Mr. Kim are aware of this and may see it as their last chance to strike out at those they see as their mortal enemies – who they blame for destroying their country. If they are about to fall anyway – why not poke the  US in the eye as hard as they can, and then run away.

I suppose I should make one last speculation. How does this relate to prophecy? I am not really sure, but many of the studies I’ve done and works I’ve read on end-times prophecy indicate that the US is not directly referred to at all. I know some may debate this, but I really have yet to see anyone make a clear, convincing case based on a very plain reading of scripture that the US is at all a leader or a key play in the last days. Is this one of those things that begins to push this country off the world stage? I don’t know, I just know that this is a far more dangerous time than people that run our government and mass media want us to believe.

On a personal note, I have a step-daughter who is currently living about 30 miles northwest of Washington DC – which is one of the primary targets in a first strike scenario. Thankfully that puts her upwind of the city, but if this continues to deteriorate please keep her in your prayers.

Update 4/10/2013

Read this article at Extinction Protocol.

http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/north-korea-warns-it-is-on-brink-of-nuclear-war-with-south/

He outlines why and how this crisis is different than other blusters from North Korea in the past – how Kim Jong Un hasn’t left himself and out, and how Obama foreign policy is further exacerbating the situation.

Update 4/11/2013

It’s now 1 day past when North Korea had indicated they may attack. There are reports that they’ve readied a missile along their east coat -I personally think that it’s a distraction from what they are really doing. It’s kind of like the magician doing the card trick – he makes the big flourish at the deck or item you’ve chosen with one hand while his other hand is quietly positioning your card or planting one up his sleeve. Also the most important news story in my opinion, that no one picked up – Iran has vowed to defend North Korea if they come under attack.

Iranian Military Chief Vows to Defend North Korea from US

As indicated yesterday – in the normal sense their strategy makes no sense at all, and backs him into a corner. I think that is by design, I am guessing Kim will continue to bluster and make grandiose, aggressive claims, and appear more and like his forces are about to attack – until someone blinks and launches a pre-emptive attack to stop them, and only then do he and any of his allies launch their real attack  that is intended as a single crippling blow to the US. At that point he and his allies, whoever they may end up being can run to China and Russian claiming self-defense in order to blunt the response from the US. These are all just educated guesses on my part – but I’m with Brian and others that believe there is a lot more going on here, and a lot more that has been orchestrated than is being talked about by the media.