The 20th Century saw the rise of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). These WMD are far beyond the weapons of war from previous centuries. Before the 20th century the closest thing to a biological or chemical warfare agent would have been the use of blankets infected with smallpox given to the Indians during the French and Indian War (1689-1763), or perhaps during ancient and medieval times the tainting of wells with plague infected corpses, or catpults used to fling the plague infected corpses into enemy fortresses. These could be considered a type of ancient biological warfare. However upon entering the 20th Century the scientific and industrial use of WMD really began. It was during WWI that the Germans began using blister agents like mustard gas. These various gases were responsable for nearly 30% of casualties in WWI.

Gas warfare was so destructive that most nations agreed to avoid the use of bio-chem weapons. However, Iraq used chemical weapons during the Iran and Iraq War from 1980-1988. Saddam Hussien also used chemical weapons against Iraqi Kurdish citizens, who were seeking independence from Iraq.

In the present era, the use of microorganisms and the toxins they produce as WMD is the poor man's alternative to nuclear weaponry. Certain agents, such as serin nerve toxin, are so deadly that just a drop on your skin is enough to short circuit your nervous system and kill you in minutes.

William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense, said on CNN

"I think... It's not surprising... we've had intelligence reports for some time now indicating that al Qaeda and others were trying to get their hands on chemical and biological weapons. We know that there was an attack by... Aum Shinrikyo with the seren gas attack in the Tokyo subway some time ago."

Radiological warfare became possible with the development of atomic weapons during the 1940's. The developement and use of the atomic bomb was the largest single step in the developement of weapons of warfare in all of history. Never (in this author's estimation) has a weapon been developed and not used.

Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger said the neutron bomb, "adds very substantially to the capability of the United States and its allies to deter an attack based upon a tremendous preponderance of armor..."

According to the Cato institute...

The neutron bomb, or "enhanced radiation warhead" as it is called in scientific circles, is basically a hydrogen bomb without the uranium-238 jacket which would absorb neutrons to increase the blast. By eliminating that jacket the full fusion emission of neutrons is released. A one-kiloton neutron bomb will spread a lethal dose of neutron radiation to exposed people over a one-mile radius. It would take a 13-kiloton fission (atom) bomb to produce a combined lethal dose of neutron and gamma radiation over that same distance. Although the lethal radius for people inside tanks would be somewhat less because of the protection, pure neutron radiation is more penetrating than a mixture of neutron and gamma, and the lethal radius would be greater for a one kiloton neutron bomb than for a 13 kiloton fission warhead. But the radius of destruction from blast and heat would be considerably less for the former...

According to CNN China tested a neutron bomb over a decade ago ; see this link

The Inventor of the Neutron bomb, Sam Cohen, graduated with a physics degree from UCLA and then enlisted in the Army after Pearl Harbor. In 1944 Cohen was assigned to the top-secret Manhattan Project to develop atomic weapons at Los Alamos. Cohen's job was calculating how neutrons behaved in "Fat Man" the name of the bomb dropped on Nagasaki.

According to Cohen, one obstacle to creating a nuclear bomb is the need for plutonium, but red mercury is the key ingrediant to the neutron bomb and is evidently available from the Russian black market. Cohen said that when U.N. inspectors went to Iraq to examine the Iraqis' nuclear weapons capabilities, the U.N. team found documents showing that they had purchased quantities of red mercury. With red mercury a neutron bomb can be built "the size of baseball" that is able to kill everyone within several square blocks.

In the light of Bible prophecy it is interesting to note the trends. The Prophet Daniel was told, "O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Dan 12:4) Certainly in this information age, when processor speeds double and memory chips are made smaller every year or two, when we have unlocked the DNA code, are splicing species, have created virtual reality and nano technology, and when speed of light and quantum computing are nearly within range... Certainly Now is a time of an increase of knowledge such as never was before.

Jesus said of the last days, "except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved..." (Matt 24:22) Indeed, because of the increase of knowledge and the wickedness of man's heart, Weapons of Mass Destruction have made it possible to kill every man, woman, and child on the planet within an hour.

We see the hints of nuclear weapons in the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39, Isaiah 17, and Zechariah 14:12...

"Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth."

It is certain that we have entered the information age, the atomic age, the age of Globalism, the age of terrorism, and the age of weapons of mass destruction. With each passing day we draw a day closer to Armegeddon and the Lord's return. Our days are numbered. History is a cycle of increasing trends. Mankind is sure to meet its fate. Will you be ready to meet your maker?

What must I do to be saved?