While listening to the horrible news of the terrorist attacks in Paris last night, Shepard Smith, the news anchor on Fox News, made the statement: “Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of the world, never!” I thought to myself that perhaps Shepard may not remember his studies of world history that are filled with stories of mass killings that certainly outnumber those who died in such attacks. For instance, on December 30, 1066, Muslim mobs stormed the royal palace where Jewish vizier Joseph ibn Naghrela had sought refuge and crucified him. In the ensuing massacre of the Jewish population, many of the Jews of Granada were murdered. The Jewish Encyclopedia tells us that more that 1500 Jewish families, numbering 4,000 persons, fell in one day. The massacre was apparently started by a rumor that Joseph was going to have the Muslim king assassinated. This rumor today is that ISIS is retaliating because of the drone attacks that have killed some of their most notorious savages and the hunt that is on for their leader.

But more than that, this idea of people being so spooked by the threat of terrorism that at the slightest boom or rumor they will run for cover. Listen to what it says in Isaiah that would be the case in the last days: “A thousand will run away at the threat of one; at the threat of five you all will run away.” (Isaiah 30:17). Then later on in Isaiah it talks about an incident referred to as “the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall.” (Ibid. 30:25). Notice, it says “towers.” How can one not think of the twin towers in New York that fell on September 11, 2001, when over 2600 died in the attack on the World Trade Center.

Even more interesting is the reason given in Isaiah for this sudden destruction. The LORD told Isaiah: “Look at my children. They don’t obey me. They make plans, but they don’t ask me to help them. They make agreements with other nations, but my Spirit does not want those agreements. These people are adding more and more sins to the ones they have already done.” (Ibid. 30:1). Yet all is not lost, because the LORD offers this word of hope: “Syria will be frightened by the Lord’s voice and the stick that will beat them. And as the Lord beats Assyria, His people will keep the rhythm with their drums and harps.” (Ibid. 30:31).

So what will it take for God to intervene, Isaiah has this to say: “The Lord is waiting to show His mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you. T he Lord is the God who does the right thing, so He will bless everyone who waits for His help.” (Ibid. 30:18). Yes, I know, this prophetic message was from God to the Jews living in Judea during that era, but the principle involved shows how God is anxious for His people to put Him first, to consult Him first, to be careful who they make alliances with before thinking it through. If it was true back then, why can we not accept it as true today. After all, we have a God who never changes.