On Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a military offensive against Ukraine. According to the Russian president, the objective of this military operation was to protect the populations of Donetsk and Luhansk, to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.

“My dear fellow citizens, my dear friends, NATO’s war machine is advancing. I have therefore decided to conduct a special military operation. Its objective is the defense of a population that for eight years has been subjected to genocide by Kyiv. For this reason, we will strive to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.”

Excerpt from the speech of V. Putin.

Several days after the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, voices were raised in several countries—particularly Western countries—firmly condemning the military action carried out by Russia in Ukraine.

Russia was thus subjected to severe sanctions in nearly every sphere (economy, media, sport, etc.). Alongside these sanctions, Europe also decided to provide military support to Ukraine, hoping for a withdrawal on Russia’s part. However, in the face of this shower of sanctions from Western countries, Russia does not intend to back down either; it does not intend to abandon the military action undertaken in Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden recently declared that “the alternative to sanctions against Russia would be a Third World War.” In response to President Joe Biden’s statement, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, for his part indicated that a Third World War would be nuclear and devastating.

Statement by Joe Biden on Russia

In the face of such tensions and statements, can the Russia–Ukraine war constitute the starting point of a global conflict? Should the world expect a Third World War between Russia and its allies on the one hand, and the Western countries on the other, following the Russia–Ukraine war? What does the Bible say about the real cause of the Third World War? What does the Bible say about the starting point of the Third World War?

Biblical Prophecies Concerning the Third World War

The Bible prophesies that there will be a Third World War at the end of this age, more precisely before the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible bears witness that this war will be nuclear; that it will kill a third of mankind—that is, more than two billion people; and that at the conclusion of it the Beast, commonly called the antichrist, will appear—an appearance that will result in the effective establishment of the World Government.

What the Bible Says About the Cause of the Third World War

Revelation 9:13–15 (KJV) : “¹³And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, ¹⁴Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. ¹⁵And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.”

By examining this portion of prophecy concerning the Third World War (the sixth trumpet) that the Bible reports to us, we can note that the Bible does not give us exactly the cause (political, economic, etc.) that will trigger the Third World War. The Bible only tells us about four (4) fallen angels (demons) who will influence men to unleash this final world war. That is all! We can therefore also perceive at this level that behind all the wars (the First and Second World Wars, for example) of which we are victims on this earth, there are invisible forces acting in the background—demons operating behind the scenes.

What the Bible Says About the Starting Point of the Third World War

It is true that the Bible does not give us with precision the cause of the Third World War. Nevertheless, it does give us with precision the starting point of it—where the war will begin. Let us examine the prophecy.

Revelation 9:14 (KJV) : “¹⁴Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.”

The Bible announces that this Third World War will begin along the Euphrates River. Now the Euphrates is an ancient and great river (Genesis 2:14) found in the Middle East. From this, the Bible simply indicates that, if we are to speak of the starting point of this final world war, we will speak of the Middle East.

Dear friends, there are so many things to say about this Third World War that we cannot set forth in this article. We therefore strongly recommend that you read the teaching we have written on this subject. You will find more details concerning this war in that teaching.

To read: Teaching on the Third World War

What Conclusion Should Be Drawn Concerning the Russia–Ukraine War ?

In light of the biblical prophecy we have just examined—particularly where the Third World War will begin—the Russia–Ukraine war cannot, as such, constitute the immediate cause of the Third World War. Just as with the tensions between China and Taiwan in the China Sea, the Russia–Ukraine war constitutes one of the flashpoints likely to sustain the tensions that will lead the earth into a global conflict.

May the peace of the Lord be with you!