There is a brief article on jw.org entitled: What Does the Bible Say About War? The opening paragraph poses another question:
In ancient times, the Israelites waged war in the name of their God, Jehovah. Does this mean that God approves of modern warfare?
As is well known, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not participate in the wars of the nations. Does that mean that God disapproves of modern warfare? The simplistic answer that most people will accept is that God does not approve or take sides. But is that it? Is that really what the Bible says about war? No. There is more to it.
It is true that at times, Jehovah commanded the Israelites to make war upon nations, although other times, God commanded them to stand down and not act militarily. Sometimes, God personally intervened to make war upon the enemies of his people.
During the exodus from Egypt, Jehovah fought against Pharaoh and his army and destroyed them in the Red Sea. Inspired by the occasion, Moses composed a victory song that is recorded in the 15th chapter of Exodus, part of which says: “Jehovah is a powerful warrior.Jehovah is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea, and his finest warriors have sunk into the Red Sea. The surging waters covered them; down into the depths they sank like a stone. Your right hand, O Jehovah, is great in power; your right hand, O Jehovah, can shatter an enemy. In your great majesty you can throw down those who rise up against you; you send out your burning anger, it eats them up like stubble.”
At other times, though, God waged war against those whom he called “my people.” He did so by means of proxies, not unlike the so-called proxy war the Anglo empire is currently waging against Russia utilizing Ukraine. During the era of the judges, God allowed the Philistines (the ancestors of the Palestinians) to plunder and oppress his people in order to punish and discipline them. Eventually, it became necessary for God to take even stronger measures against His wayward people. The first phase came when Assyria conquered the 10-tribe kingdom of Israel. However, when the arrogant king of Assyria moved against Jerusalem, Jehovah dispatched a warrior angel who slew the entire Assyrian army.
However, the surviving Jews did not take God’s salvation to heart. They refused to listen to the prophets sent to them, such as Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Ezekiel. So God brought in another punishing agent in the form of the ruthless Chaldeans. Habakkuk recognized that the powerful warrior God, Jehovah, had sanctioned Nebuchadnezzar’s unstoppable juggernaut. Speaking to God, the prophet said: “O Jehovah, you appointed them to execute judgment; My Rock,you established them for punishment.” — Habakkuk 1:12
Nebuchadnezzar’s army conquered Jerusalem, razed Solomon’s temple to the ground, and dragged the surviving Jews off to Babylon. But it didn’t end there. The prophets foretold that Babylon was going to execute Jehovah’s judgments against many nations—not just Judah. Indeed, Moab, Ammon, and Edom were condemned to be annihilated, never to reappear again as nations. The grand city/kingdom of Tyre was on the list of kingdoms to be overthrown, along with Egypt.
What is the relevance of these proxy wars that Jehovah waged against the nations in Bible times? Babylon’s conquest of the region of the world now known as the Middle East is what is known as a type. In other words, it foreshadows something much grander that will occur in the future. The event foreshadowed is called an antitype.
Jehovah’s Witnesses ought to know that the book of Habakkuk speaks to the future. The Watchtower used to quote a passage from the second chapter of the prophecy and imply its relevance to our day: “For the vision is yet for its appointed time, and it is rushing toward its end,and it will not lie. Even if it should delay,keep in expectation of it! For it will without fail come true. It will not be late!”
It should not be lost upon upon us that we are to keep in expectation of the thief-like coming of Christ. Virtually every vision and prophecy in the Holy Scripture points to the advent of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, what does the invasion of Jehovah’s punishing agent foreshadow? Well, what does Revelation reveal will occur when Michael, the warrior prince of Jehovah’s army, begins his campaign? Let us peer into the revelation and see: “When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creaturesay: “Come!”Another came out, a fiery-colored horse, and it was granted to the one seated on it to take peace away from the earth so that they should slaughter one another, and he was given a great sword.”
It is beyond the scope of this brief article to debunk the Watchtower’s 1914 creed. There are already hundreds of articles that disprove the doctrine. Since coming online 22 years ago, it has always been my position that there will be another world war, along with all the other things Jesus foretold —famine, pandemics, etc. —and these future events will fulfill the composite sign and mark the beginning of the end—otherwise known as the conclusion of the system of things. As the drumbeat of war grows louder by the day, do you still think I am an apostate who doesn’t know anything?
Since the onrushing vision of Habakkuk is yet for the appointed time, does that mean the fiery-colored horse that is granted to take peace away from the earth was foreshadowed by the Chaldean conquest of the Middle East? In a word, yes.
The vision of Habakkuk has global implications, confirmed by Isaiah, who published God’s message concerning Babylon: “I have issued the command to those whom I have appointed. I have summoned my warriors to express my anger, my proudly exultant ones. Listen! A crowd in the mountains; it sounds like a numerous people! Listen! The uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathered together! Jehovah of armies is mustering the army for war. They are coming from a distant land, from the extremity of the heavens, Jehovah and the weapons of his wrath, to bring ruin to all the earth. Wail, for the day of Jehovah is near! It will come as a destruction from the Almighty.” — Isaiah 13:3-6
Was God employing hyperbole when he said Babylon was going to bring ruin to all the earth when, in reality, it was only the Middle East? No. As stated, Jehovah’s appointment of Babylon as his punishing agent foreshadows how the present global system will be brought to ruin by an earthly military force sanctioned by the Almighty.
The 2nd chapter of Joel’s prophecy similarly speaks to this coming war and imminent global catastrophe.
Blow a horn in Zion!Shout a war cry in my holy mountain.Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Jehovah is coming! It is near! It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick gloom, like light of dawn spreading out on the mountains.There is a people numerous and mighty; never before has there been one like it, and never again will there be another through the years of all generations. Ahead of it a fire devours, and behind it a flame consumes.The land ahead of it is like the garden of Eden, but behind it is a desolate wilderness, and nothing can escape. Its appearance is like the appearance of horses, and they run like warhorses.The sound is like that of chariots as they leap on the mountaintops, like the crackling of a blazing fire that consumes stubble.It is like a mighty people drawn up in battle formation.Because of them, peoples will be in anguish.Every face will grow flushed.They charge like warriors, they scale a wall like soldiers, each keeps to his own course, and they do not swerve from their paths.They do not shove one another; each man advances in his course.If the weapons cause some to fall, the others do not break ranks. Into the city they rush, on the wall they run.Onto the houses they climb, through the windows they enter like a thief.Before them the land trembles and the heavens rock.Sun and moon have become dark, and the stars have lost their brightness. Jehovah will raise his voice before his army, for his camp is very numerous.For the one carrying out His word is mighty; for the day of Jehovah is great and very awe-inspiring.Who can endure it?”
In the space of just three chapters, the book of Joel uses the expression “the day of Jehovah” five times. Laughably, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has declared that the prophecy of Joel no longer has a modern fulfillment. No wonder Joel’s opening words are addressed to them: “Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!”
Sober Bible readers can easily discern that Jehovah is speaking of events accompanyingChrist’s second coming. Does not the prophecy of Malachi pose the same question as above, namely,“Who will endure the day of his coming?” And did not Jesus use similar apocalyptic language, saying the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken?
Considering this brief overview, I hope at least a handful of readers will come to appreciate that the Bible has much to say about war. Unfortunately, the Governing Body and their Helpers and all of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and all of the world for that matter, are going to have to learn firsthand what Jehovah’s military force is when it is unleashed to wreck all the earth.
