On Saturday, March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 carrying 239 passengers departed from Kuala Lumpur on its way to Beijing, China. Instead of arriving at its destination, it was lost in what seems to be the Indian Ocean. As we watch this mystery unfold and the search that follows, there is a bigger picture than just a lost commercial aircraft or the vulnerability of air traffic security in a post-9/11 world.

MH 370 disappeared with passengers and crew from fifteen countries. A multinational force of twenty-six countries was involved in the search. Some countries contributed ships, airplanes, radar data, satellite images and airline crash expertise to the cause. They used civilian and military assets to participate together. It was wonderful seeing the global village coming together in a crisis.

The world news event of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 uncovers Southeast Asian tensions over political boundaries and economic resources. Where does this conflict go from here? Watch the regional cold war of Southeast Asia grow into a hot war between the red horse of China and the black horses of the United States and India. Revelation 9 describes the last war of the Church Age and the first war of the Tribulation. We know it as World War III.

The sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice ... saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, day, month, and year, to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred million: and I heard the number of them (Revelation 9:13-16).

References: 21st Century Revelation: World Wars, Iraq Wars & End Wars Chapter 25 - Iraq War III, Malaysia Airline Flight 370

However, this picture of cooperation focused on finding the lost airplane was drawn in a background of regional unrest. China as the soon to be world economic leader is taking an aggressive stance to control uninhabited islands in the South China Sea.  The whole neighborhood is in chaos with their defenses raised. These little islands are home to one-third of all shipping traffic along with fishing rights, potential oil and gas reserves and bragging rights. Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are fighting a cold war among themselves for territory and the seas in Southeast Asia.

While countries released some radar and satellite information, they kept quiet on civilian weaknesses and military strengths. Thirty years ago, at the correct angle satellite images could give clear images of car license plates. With modern technology, these photos can probably see "Made in China" on debris floating in the Indian Ocean. Those grainy Chinese satellite images made public were degraded. Countries would not divulge their blind spots in radar systems. It is amazing in this modern surveillance era that we could lose a 200 million dollar commercial airliner. The picture of harmony also shows distrust among regional and world powers.