A list of recent headlines included: "North Korea Approves Nuclear Strike on US," "North Korea Says It Has Approved the Use of Its 'Cutting Edge' Nuclear Weapons," "North Korea Nuclear Weapons Usher in Perilous New Era of Instability," and "Kim Jong Un Dismantles Years of Diplomacy."

A sidebar to a March 26, 2013, USA Today article titled "North Korea Threatens Guam, Hawaii, Rest of U.S." recounted 24 major North Korean provocations from 1965 through 2012. They continue today unabated.

The text of the main USA Today article counters: "'The U.S. is fully capable of defending ourselves and our allies against an attack' by North Korea, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Jack Miller said. 'We are firmly committed to defending the Republic of Korea [i.e., South Korea] and Japan'" Hopefully, if tested, this commitment would turn out to be genuine.

In reality, however, America seems to want to rely on China to calm the reckless outbursts of Kim Jong-un, supported by his unruly rogue regime. Have we forgotten that Red China came to the rescue of North Korea after U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur's forces had driven the North back inside their own territory?

This five-star general belonged to an old world, traditional school of thought. He understood, along with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, that the objective of war was victory. MacArthur was willing to use the full power of American military might to achieve total victory in Korea.

America and Britain had the power, but at that time had begun to lose the will to wield that power for decisive victory. God told ancient Israel that He would "break the pride of your power" (Leviticus 26:19), and this prophecy certainly applies to Jacob's descendants today in both America and Britain. (Read the Bible study aid guide The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy to learn more.)

Rightly or wrongly, President Harry Truman did not agree and fired Gen. MacArthur. The end result, however, is that the North Korean threat stubbornly remains very much with us today—some 60 years since the Korean War ended by dividing North and South at the 38th parallel on the map. An agreed-on armistice had ended the fighting, but periodic North Korean threats continued.

Of course, while the increased threats of recent days may be mere bluster and bravado, the fact that these are coming from an emerging nuclear power means they must be treated very seriously. (Source: USA Today.)