Journal: Grace Journal
Volume: GJ 09:1 (Winter 1968)
Article: Adumbrations of Our Lord’s Return: Political Alignments
Author: Raymond E. Gingrich

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GJ 9:1 (Wtr 68) p. 3

Adumbrations of Our Lord’s Return: Political Alignments

Raymond E. Gingrich

Professor of Bible
LeTourneau College

China detonates its first nuclear device and the knowledgeable world raises its collective eyebrows in response to this feat. Mao Tse-tung explodes a fifth atomic test-shot and that same world growls its displeasure and makes painful calculations of the possible time lapse before the Chinese dragon becomes a real threat to world security.

The Soviet Union engages in another underground nuclear test and the western world stirs uneasily in its self-imposed complacency and smug dependence upon a questionable arsenal of intercontinental weaponry. France continues with its nuclear development and the other powers in this select circle look askance at Charles of the House of Gaul.

The United States explodes its largest-to-date underground nuclear apparatus and the so-called hawks preen their collective feathers in prideful recognition of having passed another milestone in the contest for world domination. The doves just sit on their roosts and coo in the temporary security of their aviary.

What is the meaning of this strange behavior? Such suspicious attitudes may have been acceptable for nations of antiquity, but certainly not for the advanced cultures of this century. How can these things be?

Perhaps we had better take another look at our vaunted superiority and view today’s world apocalyptically. Our boasted progress has brought us to the very edge of self-destruction—to the point of mass suicide. The very men who work with the raw material, and condition it for its “refined” use are in the vanguard in the dissemination of this pessimistic viewpoint.

Within the United Nations organization there are three primary political blocs: the Democratic bloc; the Communistic bloc; and the Neutralist bloc. One might make a good case for a fourth one: the playing-both-ends-against-the-middle bloc, of which Egypt may be cited as a shining example. Nasser seems to have a record for applying this philosophy, having cleverly capitalized on American and Soviet competition to his own advantage. Currently, Russia is playing uncle to his ambitions; hence Nasser is in the Soviet camp at this date. Each of these groups of nations, under the stimulus of an ambitious personality within its bloc, strives for positions of advantage for attaining its objectives. Many attempts have been made to evaluate

GJ 9:1 (Wtr 68) p. 4

these group struggles, and foresee what the future will bring forth. We join them in this effort, as we take a long hard look at the present and prophetic Political Alignments.

The Present Internat...

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