Left of Bang: Recognizing What's Ahead
I first read Left of Bang about 10 years ago. I was on the safety committee at the organization I was working for and was researching ways to prepare for various threats – attacks in the parking lot, unapproved visitors in the building, active shooters, etc. Left of Bang turned out to be a treasure trove of practical, actionable information.
The authors of the book, Patrick Van Horne and Jason A. Riley, both served America as Marines. While taking the Combat Hunter Course at Camp Pendleton, they were impressed with the value of what they were learning and realized it had practical application beyond the military. “Left of Bang is not for combat warriors only,” they say in the intro. “It’s for you on the subway, you in a bad part of town, you with the sharks in the corporate boardroom. It’s for your wife when she’s home alone, or entering a dark parking structure, or walking the kids on vacation overseas.”
The book is well worth reading (get the free pdf here). In today’s blog, however, I want to use it as an illustration for something a little different: Bible prophecy.
Let me explain.
God’s Word gives us a dozens of clues regarding what’s ahead for the human race.
In their book, Van Horne and Riley provide clues about human behavior that can help us see dangerous situations before they happen. If you’re paying attention, they explain, you can often anticipate bad things in advance. The “bang” in the title is the event (attack), which they compare with the firing of a gun. Right of bang is after the gun goes off. Left of bang is before the gun fires.
God’s Word gives us a dozens of clues regarding what’s ahead for the human race. (Approximately 27% of Scripture is prophetic, with at least half of that having already been fulfilled. See this post for more.) Most people are oblivious to these “signs of the times.” Just as we tend to not notice the sketchy thug who follows us for two blocks until after he pulls a knife and demands our wallet, we seldom pay attention to the clear signals that, according to the Bible, tell us we are hurtling toward... (insert ominous music here...) the end.
What follows is an attempt to reorient our spiritual focus to the left of an impending “bang” – in this case, something referred to as the Tribulation (a seven-year period of very-not-fun cataclysms involving God’s wrath). If we take the Bible seriously, we can discern the indications, analyze the evidence, and make decisions that will enable us to avoid the coming calamity.
Here are just a few of the things the Bible says will happen in the (more ominous music here...) last days preceding the return of Jesus Christ.
1. The Rebirth of Israel – Deuteronomy 30:1-5; Ezekiel 36:24-34; Jeremiah 16:14,15; Jeremiah 30:3; Isaiah 66:8
Often referred to as the “super sign,” this was fulfilled on May 14, 1948. After nearly 2000 years of dispersion, the Jews miraculously returned to their homeland and the nation of Israel was reestablished.
2. Wars and Rumors of Wars – Matthew 24:6
The 20th century was the most violent in history, and the 21st is off to a deadly start. According to the Global Peace Index, there are currently 56 ongoing conflicts involving 92 countries.
3. Earthquakes, Famines, Pestilences – Luke 21:11
According to a report by the Geological Society of America, there has been a worldwide surge in great earthquakes. “The global rate of ‘great’ earthquakes nearly tripled in recent years.”
More people have died in the past 100 years from famine than died from famines throughout the rest of history. According to the World Health Organization, “the world is moving backwards in efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.” Over a quarter-billion people are currently suffering from severe hunger and malnutrition.
Global pestilences of the 21st century include COVID, Mpox, Bird Flu, Disease X...
4. Signs in the Heavens – Luke 21:11; Genesis 1:14
Eclipses, Star of Jacob, second moon... Just sayin’.
5. One World Government (Peace and Security) – Revelation 13; 1 Thessalonians 5:3
The urgent push by the United Nations, World Economic Forum, and various other organizations to form a singular “global governance” was predicted in the Bible thousands of years ago.
There are many more left-of-bang signs, but in the interest of keeping this blog under a bizillion words... let’s consider these.
For the biblically observant, the message is clear: a “bang” is coming, just as God warned that it would.
Is it just a coincidence that the things the Bible says to watch for as the world winds down are present today? Some might ask, “Haven’t we always had wars and diseases and famines and earthquakes...?” Sure. Filtering out 1 and 5 above (which are unique to our day), the rest have been around forever. But not at the same time, and not with the growing frequency and intensity we are now witnessing.
For the biblically observant, the message is clear: a “bang” is coming, just as God warned that it would. It will be the most destructive “bang” in history. (See Matthew 24:21; Revelation 6+; Isaiah 24; Jeremiah 30:7...)
Jesus put it this way, “When you see all these things, know that it is near, right at the door.” In other words, as these indicators start to coalesce, it means the “gun” is about to go off. To stay left of that event, action is required. Immediately!
Van Horne and Riley say one of the most important aspects of proactively identifying threats based on cues from one’s surroundings is the ability to make an important decision in a limited time with limited information. This enables us to effectively sidestep danger.
That is precisely what I’m advocating here. If you haven’t already, please take note of the left-of-bang signs that are rapidly occurring all around us. According to the Bible, they are harbingers signaling things are about to get worse. MUCH worse.
As Van Horne and Riley point out in the final chapter of their book, “Bang happens.”
My word to you: The stage is being set for hellish conditions to engulf the earth in the very near future. God’s “bang” is about to happen. Stay left of it! Put your faith in Jesus Christ right now!
Editor’s Note: Even if you disagree with all of the above, you can’t deny that we will all eventually die. At that point, the Bible says, we will face God in judgement. Yet another reason to determine your eternal destination - before it’s too late.
Time is running out. Make that decision before the “bang” hits the fan.