The Breastplate of Judgment
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years (Revelation 20:4)
In this technological age of computers and especially artificial intelligence (AI), more and more people are offloading decision-making to such AI tools such as ChatGPT. And while it can be useful at times to free up mundane tasks -- or what is called "cognitive offloading" -- it appears that more and more young people are using AI for help with their homework -- according to a recent survey, about one in four teens has used ChatGPT for schoolwork, which is double the number reported just three years ago. But what is even more worryingly, it's also being used for life-changing decision making. "While these tools can be beneficial in productivity, the downside is that students may cut corners that prevent them from deeper thinking. They can over-rely on AI to generate a 'perfect' response, when in truth, we learn from our mistakes." (Michigan Medicine)
ChatGPT is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI. Originally released on November 30, 2022, the product uses large language models—specifically generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs)—to generate text, speech, and images in response to user prompts. ChatGPT was quickly adopted, reaching 100 million monthly active users two months after its release and 900 million weekly active users in February 2026.The chatbot has also been criticized for its limitations and potential for unethical use. It can generate plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers, known as hallucinations. Biases in its training data have been reflected in its responses. The chatbot can facilitate academic dishonesty, generate misinformation, and create malicious code. (wikipedia.org)
Consider: What if...
Consider for a moment the possible outcome of using AI back in the 1962 Cuban Missile crisis if it had been available, when the Russian submarine B-59, carrying a nuclear-tipped torpedo with the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb, was being hunted in the Caribbean by US naval forces. Due to various technological problems, the sub was cut off from all communication with Russian HQ and all around them US ships -- not realising the sub was armed with a nuclear weapon -- were dropping practice depth charges, meant as signals and not weapons, but the Russian crew had no way of knowing this. The sub's commander presumed the explosions meant an attack and convinced the war had started, he gave the order to prep the nuclear torpedo in response. Soviet protocol required unanimous approval from three officers. Two agreed to fire, but one -- Vasili Arkhipov -- refused. Drawing on hard-earned personal experience from a prior nuclear accident aboard another sub, he argued this wasn't war and that a launch of their torpedo would doom the world. Without Arkhipov's restraint and analytical thinking, we probably wouldn't be here to read about the incident.
A similar close call happened in September 1983 when the Soviet Union's early-warning systems detected an incoming missile strike from the US. Computer readouts suggested several missiles had been launched and the protocol for the Russians would have been to retaliate with a nuclear attack of its own. Although the computer system was telling duty officer Stanislav Petrov that the reliability was "highest", with five missiles having been launched from the US, he hesitated to inform his superiors as he was supposed to, because he was suspicious about just how strong and clear the alert was. It turned out to be a system malfunction. As he reported in a conference some years later, he was the only officer in the team that had received a civilian education -- his colleagues were professional soldiers who had been taught just how to give and obey orders, i.e. not to think for themselves, but to "tick the boxes" regardless.
Purpose for Life
Using artificial intelligence to make our decisions for us flies in the face of the reason we were created in the first place. From the Personal "Emotional Maturity" in the Plain Truth of August 1978, Mr. Armstrong explains:
More and more I am impressed with a most important truth we humans are prone to overlook. While animals are guided by instinct into the course intended for them by the Creator, man is given powers and potentialities infinitely higher. The spirit in man imparts to the brain the powers of the human mind – an intellectual and even spiritual quality....
....Man was put on earth to develop and attain to something infinitely higher than animal destiny. Man was intended to develop spiritual character – to become like the Supreme God. This all comes through the marvelous human mind. One comes to knowledge of God through the mind. One realizes sin and repents of it in the mind! God’s Spirit entering is the Spirit of a sound mind! Not only spiritual development, but also emotional maturity, is developed through the mind. It comes by right knowledge, creative thinking, right decisions, the use of will, self-discipline. To rightly direct his actions is man’s purpose in life. (Emotional Maturity - PT August 1978)
The Urim and Thummim
In Old Testament times there was an unusual apparatus that was worn by the High priest, consisting of a robe to which was attached an apron-like garment called an ephod. Fasted onto the ephod was a breastplate which was to be placed over the High Priest's heart. It contained twelve precious and semi-precious stones -- representing the 12 tribes of Israel -- and two more at the shoulders. In a pocket in the breastplate were two items called Urim ("lights/illuminations") and Thummim ("perfections/truths") -- the instruments by which God revealed His will to His people. (See Exodus chapters 28, 39 and Leviticus 8:7,8)
- And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. (Exodus 28:30)
But the anomaly is that although the breastplate itself is described in intricate detail, the objects by which God was to give His judgment are not! Knowing human nature, mankind no doubt would have turned these items into object of worship, as Israel did the brass serpent that God commanded Moses to make for the healing of the congregation. (Numbers 21:9 and II Kings 18:4)
What they were and how the Urim and Thummim were to be used has caused a great deal of conjecture. Possibly gemstones; dice; black and white sticks or stones that would give a yes or no answer to the questioner when shaken. In Revelation 22 we read of Christ: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Revelation 22:13) and it's been theorised that these stones were engraved with the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet: Aleph -- the first letter is the initial letter of the word Urim and Tau is the initial letter of Thummim. And it's been thought then that Urim with its Aleph was seen to mean Yes and Thummim with Tau was seen to mean No. It's also been surmised that the gemstones on the shoulder of the High Priest would light up if God was present -- or even that one of the two stones would light up to show which one God had chosen.
Seeing that the Urim and Thummim along with the Ark of the Covenant disappeared when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple and sacked Jerusalem, and the fact that we are NOT given a detailed description of the Urim and Thummim themselves should tell us something -- that we don't need to know that particular detail, but what IS important is how we are to go about making decisions and judgments today, after all, we have a very special calling:
- But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. (Isaiah 61:6)
How They Were Used
It would seem most likely that they were two stones, as it's mentioned in Proverbs 16 ; "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD (Proverbs 16:33) The word "lot" here is Strong H01486, which has the meaning of "pebbles use for systematically making decisions". We can see how tailoring the question to a yes or no answer could have worked in these examples:
In Judges chapter one, Israel wanted to know who was to fight again the Canaanites and God answered "Judah shall go up;" (Judges 1;1,2) Presumably they mentioned each tribe separately in order and waited for the Yes from the High Priest. And in Joshua 17 we read how it was determined that the sin of taking the forbidden spoil was attributed to Achan.
- And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. (Joshua 17:18)
We're not given all the details of each "enquiry", but reading between the lines it appears that relying on a Yes or No from God meant that the individual had to carefully formulate his question in order to know what God's will was in a particular situation. (see II Samuel 5:22-25)
What we can gather from the incident with Saul and the witch of Endor, is that it would appear we need to get our relationship with God on track if we want to get His advice and guidance, so it can't be a matter of just throwing "dice" and expecting God to answer us. So the concept that one of the stones would light up to show God's presence seems feasible.
- And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
- And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. (I Samuel 28:5,6)
The Yes/No Principle
The business world in particular has caught on to the value of using the Yes/No principle in decision-making, and there is a plethora of articles/books/seminars to be found on the internet along that line, even advising ChatGPT to help. We can certainly use many of the principles that we find on these websites, such as initially identifying the problem; determine a solution based on different alternatives and then find the answer that has the best fit. But as useful as so many might be, there will be a vital missing link with its advice. Keeping in mind how today's technology -- AI especially -- has far exceeded anything Mr. Armstrong knew back in the early 80's this warning from him seems even more relevant to us NOW:
Worldwide News, December 22, 1980: "A Voice Cries Out: What's Wrong with Science and Technology!".
After all, the principal contribution of science and technology [including artificial intelligence] to civilization has been the development of constantly more terrifying weapons of mass destruction! This has brought us to today’s No. 1 problem – HUMAN SURVIVAL!
Science and technology are not evil in themselves but an important facet in a good civilization – if we had one. It is the materialistic CONCEPT – the approach to life and its functions and problems from the materialistic “GET” attitude instead of the spiritual “GIVE” attitude of outflowing LOVE. For that reason modern science is a false messiah! It threatens to become the Frankenstein monster to destroy the mankind that produced it! (WN - Dec 22,1980 - what's wrong with science and technology)
Our High Priest
From time to time some of us might think it would be helpful to get an email from God outlining what He feels is the best direction in a particular circumstance ... whether it's a job issue, or family worries, or moving house. Or even, as they did in the OT, going to the High Priest and getting an answer through those two stones! What we might forget is that we DO have a High Priest and He is more than willing to guide us through the maze of this life's worries and decision-making. After all, He has been there already:
- Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death He could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil),
- and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.
- For surely His concern is not for angeles, but He is concerned for Abraham's descendants.
- Therefore He had to be made like His brothers and sisters in every respect, so that He could become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the people.
- For since He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18 NET)
From the World Tomorrow, The Priesthood of Christ:
Now, everyone of you are having your troubles. You know, we see a little baby and he'll begin to try to talk and make a few little sounds, and one thing and another and we think it's a lot of fun. You know, we tell it now, "Come on, tell us your troubles." Yes, he has his little troubles and a little child has his troubles that are just about as serious to the child. But when you grow up, you still have your troubles. And there isn't a one of you listening, that doesn't have problems and troubles and discouragements and disillusionments and all that sort of thing. You meet a lot of problems that you don't know how to handle. Sometimes, you are in real trouble. You get into real deep water. And what you don't seem to realize is that there is a supernatural power, that there is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is not hanging dead on a cross, but who rose from the dead and ascended to heaven and is there now to help you, and God Almighty has assigned Him to that job and He's busy on the job. But it's a free moral agency proposition and you're not going to get that help unless you go after it....
And it is recorded here in this book of Hebrews that tells us about Christ and His present position. He has a job and He is on the job and He's very industrious and very busy on it and it tells us in the first chapter that Jesus Christ has so much power that He sustains this entire universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).
He upholds and sustains and keeps in force and in motion, all of the laws; such as the law of gravity, all of the laws of physics, all of the laws of chemistry. Now, how much help could He be to you? (World Tomorrow, The Priesthood of Christ)
Not only in Old Testament times didn't they have access to the scriptures but neither was the Holy Spirit generally available, hence going to the High Priest for advice. The last recorded use of the lot in the New Testament is in Acts chapter one, where Peter points out that a replacement was needed for Judas Iscariot. It appears they had already "thinned out the field" to two men, but needed God's input -- His Yes or No -- as to which man He had chosen:
- Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
- And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
- And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
- That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
- And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:22-26)
But with the fulfillment of the Day and Pentecost (Acts 2) and now with access to the Word of God and His Mind through the Holy Spirit, we can have wisdom in decision-making that excels anything artificial intelligence can come up with! There are over 60 references to "wise" in the book of Proverbs and over 20 in Ecclesiastes.
- Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
- But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:...
- But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
- But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
- For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
- Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (I Corinthians 2:6,7,9-12)
Replacing Today's Governments
- For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
- The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
- The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
- And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. (Isaiah 3:1-4)
The big news in the UK right now is a new Labour Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, and each time there is a new PM, we witness another cabinet re-shuffle -- people being put into important government offices for which generally they have had no experience, no training, and have been raised in a God-less environment, with no real foundation for their decision-making. In contrast, in the National Portrait Gallery in London there is a painting that, although an imagined scene, it reflects the attitude and viewpoint of the mid nineteenth century. In the painting Queen Victoria is pictured as receiving an African envoy:
"When asked by a diplomatic delegation how Britain had become so powerful, 'our beloved Queen sent him, not the number of her fleet, not the number of her armies, not the account of her boundless merchandise, not the details of her inexhaustible wealth … but handing him a beautifully bound copy of the Bible, she said 'Tell the Prince that this is the Secret of England's Greatness'. (The Secret of Englands Greatness)
The Word of God -- in writing and as our High Priest, is also the secret of OUR individual greatness! Each day of our lives we are in training for the position of kings and priests in GOD'S government, guiding those under our care, with "this is the way, walk in it"... (Isaiah 30:19-21). Until that day, God has given us full assurance that we can get all the help and guidance WE need, we just have to make use of this priceless and unparalleled resource, given to so few today:
- Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
- For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
- Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
The new age of
WARFARE: 2026
The World Is Getting More Dangerous
“The world is getting more dangerous while leaders keep running out of good options. A lot happened overnight, but one pattern keeps showing up. Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 drones at Kyiv, killing at least 11 people in the second massive strike on the capital in less than a week. Ukraine says its Patriot missile interceptors are running low, raising a simple question.
What happens if the attacks keep getting bigger but the air defenses keep getting smaller? The timing does not look accidental. Zelenskyy is expected to meet Trump in Ankara this week, putting even more pressure on talks over military support and the next phase of the war. Then there is China. Beijing tested a submarine launched ballistic missile in the South Pacific, calling it a routine launch with a dummy warhead. Maybe it was. But Russia is escalating in Europe while China is demonstrating strategic weapons in the Pacific. Those are not isolated headlines.
They point to a world where MULTIPLE FLASHPOINTS ARE HEATING UP AT THE SAME TIME.” (citizenwatchreport.com)
The World Is “Learning War”
All around the world, people are “learning war”! It is a way of life. Several governments are looking at conscription, getting young people to do one or two years of military service - teaching war!
Mankind’s range of weapons has changed much over the years, from swords and spears to bow and arrows. Then they moved on the knights of old, trying, of course, to keep the peace. Then came the age of gunpowder, followed quickly with bombs and missiles, and then nuclear weapons being used as the ultimate deterrent. The costs are now enormous.
“The B61 nuclear bomb is the primary thermonuclear gravity bomb in the United States. In 2012, the roughly 400 B61-12s were estimated to each cost ‘more than its weight in gold’ – $28 million apiece.” (wikipedia.org)
Today, Iran fights with drones, costing between $20,000 and $50,000 each. These are intercepted with missiles costing $millions! Is warfare changing yet again? Are we entering the age of the drone?
Gunpowder Ended The Age Of Knights
Now Drones Will Upend The Modern Military Order
“The war in Ukraine has fundamentally reshaped the nature of modern warfare. The Ukrainians have proved that resourcefulness, imagination, and technical skill go far further than sheer might, be it military or financial. They have revolutionised drone warfare, holding their own, and even now shifting the tide, against an opponent with plenty of heavy-duty tanks and missiles (thanks in part to an ongoing supply from its authoritarian partners worldwide, especially China).
In the new military age we are entering, countries with the largest military budgets will no longer have the overwhelming advantage on the battlefield; instead, it will be those who can stay ahead of technological breakthroughs that will come out on top.
Faced with manpower and munition shortages, Ukraine developed an innovative domestic drone industry.” (telegraph.co.uk)
Cheap Drones Cause Chaos Across The Middle East
“Donald Trump said Iran’s missiles and missile industry would be ‘totally obliterated’ when the US began launching air strikes on the country on Saturday - but he didn’t mention its drones. Six days on, Iran has launched more than 2,000 low-cost drones at targets across the Middle East in a bid to overwhelm defences and spark chaos in the region. These ‘kamikaze’ Shahed drones carry explosives that detonate on impact and can cause significant damage. The deadliest strike on US forces so far was from a drone hitting a base in Kuwait in which six US troops were killed.” (bbc.co.uk)
Iranian Drones - Shahed-131 & 136
“The Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 are one-way-attack (OWA) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often called ‘kamikaze drones’ or ‘suicide drones’ in the media. Whilst derived from UAVs, these munitions are essentially guided missiles — flying towards pre-designated targets and exploding on impact. The Shahed series are originally of Iranian design and were first documented in use with Iranian and Iranian-backed forces in the Middle East.
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia began to receive shipments of these drones from Iran, designating them the ‘Geran-1’ (Shahed-131) and ‘Geran-2’ (Shahed-136). Russia then reportedly received permission to begin domestic mass production of the munitions with Iranian assistance. Each Shahed is reported to have an estimated cost between $20,000 and $50,000, making them cheaper than most other long-range, OWA UAVs. This low cost, along with a low-altitude flight profile and self-sacrificial nature has seen Shaheds labelled ‘the poor man’s cruise missile’.
The Shahed-131 is a smaller munition with a range of 700–900 km, while the larger Shahed-136 has a range of at least 2,000 km. Their relatively slow speed and the loud hum of their engines has led to Shaheds being called ‘flying mopeds’ by Ukrainians living under their flightpath. Shahed munitions may be launched from both static rail mounts as well as vehicles, with one video published by Iranian media showcasing five Shahed-136 munitions being launched from a truck’s cargo hold. Since their first use by Russia, there has been evidence of significant adaptations beyond Iran’s initial design.
The first confirmed use of a Shahed-series munition — specifically the Shahed-131 — was during a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities in September of 2019. These attacks, attributed to Iran, involved nearly two dozen munitions flying in close formation and performing sequenced strikes on infrastructure at the Abqaiq oil facility, causing extensive damage.” (osmp.ngo)
Ukraine’s Drones Reach Siberia
“Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign is pushing deeper into Russia, increasing pressure on Moscow’s energy system and forcing the Kremlin to defend targets far beyond the front lines. Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s largest refinery in Omsk on Monday, sparking fires nearly 1,500 miles from Kyiv-controlled territory. The strike marked a major expansion of Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign, which had largely focused on European Russia. The drones used in the Omsk operation can fly as far as 2,100 miles, according to Ukrainian manufacturer Fire Point. That range puts more of Russia’s oil-and-gas industry, military facilities, pipelines and pumping stations within reach.
Omsk sits deep in Siberia, well beyond the areas Russia had prioritized for protection against Ukrainian drone attacks. The Wall Street Journal reported there was little air defense around the refinery because Russian authorities had assumed it was too far from Ukraine to be at risk. The attack also hit as Russia was already grappling with fuel shortages, long lines at gas stations and rationing.
The deeper Ukraine can strike, the more territory Russia has to protect. That creates an increasingly difficult air-defense challenge. Russia must defend the front line, occupied territory, major cities, military sites and energy infrastructure across the world’s largest country. Ukraine is also intensifying strikes closer to the front lines. In occupied Crimea and southern Ukraine, guided drones have targeted fuel tankers, storage sites, military logistics and electricity infrastructure.” (san.com)
Porsche Drone Breaks Speed Record
“The Apex drone by Porsche-backed Quantum Systems will be certified as the world’s fastest electric flying object. Intended for use in interceptors, the technology will undergo payload speed tests for two more records in a German-Ukrainian collaboration, too.
During field testing on June 26, Germany’s Quantum Systems N3XT team clocked its Apex Recordhunter drone at 699 km/h (434 mph) in level flight. This world best for a battery-powered aircraft now awaits FAI certification along with two more records pending from the company’s Ukrainian arm.
The electric aviation industry’s current benchmark is held by Rolls-Royce’s Spirit of Innovation, which set the crown for years at 555.9 km/h, in its turn dethroning the Siemens-powered Extra 330 LE’s 337.5 km/h”. (notebookcheck.net)
MIT Puffin Robot Now Swims And Flies With Same Wings
“This thing is honestly pretty wild. MIT engineers built a robot inspired by the Atlantic puffin. The same wings let it fly through the air… then paddle and move through the water. Most drones are built for one environment. This one switches between both. The part that caught my attention is what happened during testing. The robot took off directly from Lake Geneva without catapults, boosters, or any outside help. It lifted itself out of the water using the same flapping wings. That has been one of the biggest challenges for hybrid drones. Water is dense. Air isn’t. Designing one set of wings that works well in both has been a huge engineering problem. Now imagine where this goes next. Ocean research is the obvious answer. Military surveillance is another. A drone that can disappear beneath the surface, then pop into the air and keep flying creates a very different kind of reconnaissance platform. That’s probably why defense companies are already paying attention. It may look like a robotic bird. But it feels more like the first step toward a whole new class of drones.” (citizenwatchreport.com)
The Implications Of These Changes
“The implications of these changes go beyond military confrontation itself; they will ripple into every segment of society. Military infrastructure has historically always been the primary mode of maintaining political power. Methods of warfare determine how militaries are structured, which in turn dictates where money is spent to procure needed supplies, and where qualified soldiers are recruited.
The feudal system of the Middle Ages, with its elaborate hierarchy of nobility, serves as an example. While land ownership and divine authority were the superficial justifications for the rankings, knights were the binding glue of the system, receiving their estates in exchange for military service. What good is the claim to a parcel of land if it can’t be defended? Knights were the linchpin around which the entire network of fiefdoms was sustained. From the king to the dukes, earls, barons, and all the way down, all leaned on the knight to protect their power from the serfs, who far outnumbered them.
It was the introduction of gunpowder that ultimately led to the demise of the medieval structure. While gunpowder was first used on the continent over a century before the feudal hierarchy began to collapse, its increasingly widespread use made the institution of knighthood obsolete. There was no longer a need for knights, ready to enter valiantly into hand-to-hand combat, when infantries of peasants outfitted with firearms could do the job more efficiently at a distance.” (telegraph.co.uk)
The Seismic Shift In Warfare
“Today we are experiencing no less than the seismic shift that marked the end of the medieval period. The details may look different, but the high-level formula remains the same, as it has throughout history: a paradigmatic change in warfare in turn radically transforms politics, industry, and culture.
The age of warfare now coming to an end – and its corresponding societal architecture – is rooted in innovations of the 1980s and 1990s. This was a period in which the major breakthroughs that power today’s largest militaries took place, from stealth aviation to precision-guided munitions. They were revolutionary at the time, but, as with any inventions, they are steadily being replaced by newer ones better suited for present-day needs.
In some ways this shift is not so dissimilar to that from the fiefdoms of the Middle Ages to the absolute monarchies of Renaissance Europe. The knight in shining armour was starting to look clunky in light of the latest technical developments. NATO’s armoured vehicles looked similarly ridiculous in recent wargames carried out by the alliance, in which Ukrainian drones successfully neutralised entire battalions in mere hours.” (telegraph.co.uk)
The New Economics Of Warfare
“Across the region, relatively inexpensive drones and missiles are forcing the United States and its Gulf partners to expend some of their most advanced and expensive defensive systems. Iranian one-way attack drones such as the Shahed-136 cost roughly $20,000 to $50,000 each. Yet defending against them often requires interceptor missiles costing millions of dollars. Patriot interceptors cost roughly $4 million each, while a THAAD interceptor can cost $12–15 million.
Even the Iranian ballistic missiles these systems are designed to defeat, such as variants of the Fateh-110 series, are estimated to cost only a few hundred thousand dollars each.
The imbalance does not stop there. The sensor systems that underpin missile defence networks are even more expensive. The AN/TPY-2 radar that supports the THAAD system can cost upwards of $1 billion. Yet two were recently disabled by Iranian drones costing roughly $30,000 each – a cost-exchange ratio of more than 30,000 to one.
This cost asymmetry is already placing strain on Western arsenals. Iran’s strategy relies on launching large numbers of relatively cheap drones and missiles in mixed salvos to stretch defensive systems and consume interceptor inventories.
Even when attacks are intercepted, they still impose costs. Every interceptor fired must be replaced through complex supply chains that can take years to replenish, while the attacker can produce additional drones quickly using commercial components and relatively simple manufacturing processes.
In this environment, the side that can impose the highest costs on its opponent while keeping its own costs low gains a powerful advantage. Ukraine’s battlefield innovation demonstrates that relatively small forces equipped with mass-produced precision systems can impose disproportionate costs on a larger adversary.” (epc.eu)
The Hidden Cost Of A Missile
“Since late 2023, the US Navy has fired nearly $1 billion worth of munitions to protect ships in the Red Sea from low-cost Houthi drones and missiles. The headlines that followed have rightly pointed out the absurdity of firing multi-million dollar missiles against cheap drones. BUT THOSE HEADLINES MISS THE BIGGER PICTURE.
Behind each intercept lies a vast and expensive ecosystem: the carrier strike group and its escorts, the logistics tail that keeps them fueled, the training pipeline for crews, and the command-and-control networks that make the engagement possible. In reality, the cost of downing each drone is not a few million dollars, but hundreds of millions in operational and sustainment expenses.” (warontherocks.com)
The Way Of Peace
Over time, mankind’s attitude hasn’t changed. Around about the time of ancient Israel’s defeat and captivity (721-718 BC), the prophet Isaiah wrote:
“The way of peace they know not;” (Isaiah 59:8)
Around 2,000 years ago, the apostle Paul made the following comments:
“Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have they not known:
There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:15-18)
War In The 20th And 21st Century
“Conflict took place in every year of the 20th Century; the world was free from the violence caused by war for only very short periods of time. It has been estimated that 187 million people died as a result of war from 1900 to the present. The actual number is likely far higher.
- Boer War, 1899-1902
- First World War, 1914-1918
- Russian Civil War, 1917-1922
- Third Afghan War, 1919
- Irish War of Independence, 1919-1921
- Irish Civil War, 1922-1923
- Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939
- Arab Revolt in Palestine, 1936-1939
- Second World War, 1939-1945
- Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine, 1944-1948
- Partition of India, 1947
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, 1948 onwards
- Cold War, 1947-1991
- Malayan Emergency, 1948-1960
- Yangtze Incident, 1949
- Korean War, 1950-1953
- Kenya Emergency, 1952-1960
- Cyprus Emergency, 1955-1959
- Vietnam War, 1955-1975
- Suez Crisis, 1956
- Brunei Revolt, 1962-1963
- Indonesian Confrontation, 1963-1966
- Aden Emergency, 1963-1967
- ‘The Troubles’ [in Ireland], 1969-1998
- Falklands Conflict, 1982
- Gulf War, 1990-1991
- Sierra Leone Civil War, 1991-2002
- Bosnian War, 1992-1995
- Kosovo War, 1998-1999
- War in Afghanistan, 2001-2021
- Iraq War, 2003-2011
- Libya Conflict, 2011 to date
- Syria Conflict, 2011 to date
- Ukraine Conflict, 2014 to date
- Yemen Conflict, 2014 to date
- Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, 2014 to date”
The Words Of The Apostle Paul Still Ring True,
They Still Apply Today
“Their feet are [still] swift to shed blood:
Destruction and misery are [still] in their ways:
And the way of peace have they not known:
WHY?
There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
(Romans 3:15-18)
Re-educating The World
“Modern education has been based on a false, erroneous, untrue foundation. The supposedly educated of this world – even the great minds – have absorbed false knowledge. They have been trained in a false approach to knowledge. Almost always, error is based on a false assumed premise or hypothesis, taken for granted, never questioned – and, of course, unproved. The ‘educated’ minds have been filled with such false hypotheses. They have allowed a false sense of values to flood their minds…
It may actually take them longer to come to a knowledge of truth – to become truly educated – than the illiterate of this world. God’s inspired Word, the Holy Bible, is the foundation of knowledge. But they have been trained to hold this true foundation in prejudiced contempt.
Yes, indeed, the educating and reeducating of the world will be one of the most important tasks the Kingdom of God will face, after Christ returns to rule. Today people follow the false and deceptive values. Their entire thinking will require a reorientation – a change of direction.” (Tomorrow… What It Will Be Like - Chapter 5)
“Learning War”
Soon To Be Obsolete!
“And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; AND NONE SHALL MAKE THEM AFRAID:
FOR THE MOUTH OF THE LORD OF HOSTS HATH SPOKEN IT.” (Micah 4:2-4)
“You don’t have to believe it!
It will happen, regardless.
It is sure – the world’s only sure hope.
This advance good news of tomorrow is as certain as the rising of tomorrow’s sun.”
Latest Audio - 2026-07-18
“Just what is an APOSTLE?”
Today we find the Church of God in a “wilderness of religious confusion!”
The confusion is not merely around the Church – within the religions of the world outside – but WITHIN the very heart of The True Church itself!
Read online or contact email to request a copy
