Before going fully nuclear, there is a divine rescue. On the 1st of Tishri (Trumpets) in September, Jesus Christ takes His children. The word harpazo (Greek) or rapturo (Latin) means to seize, carry off, snatch away. The context of the Rapture is the beginnings of World War III. Like Noah and Lot, God rescues His people before judgment begins.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [raptured] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The Tribulation begins as World War III worsens. The battlefield widens from China to India and Iraq. China's 200 million army crosses the Euphrates River in Iraq and controls the oil in the Middle East. China forces the United States to surrender Iraq or fight World War III. If China stays in Iraq, they replace America and rule the world. The US, devastated by ~30-50 million Christians disappearing, uses tactical nuclear weapons and the war turns MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) to kill the massive army. China, India and United States sustain the most casualties (2.5 billion). The war ends 3½ years later after the 10th of Nisan (April) and the coronation of the Antichrist.

The second woe [6th Trumpet] is past; and, behold, the third woe [7th Trumpet] comes quickly (Revelation 11:14).

Jesus Christ was born ~7-1 BC and died ~27-33 AD. See First Coming. Then ~2027-2033 could be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. There is a reason why the world looks like it is on the edge of the Tribulation. See Timeline.

References: 21st Century Revelation: World Wars, Iraq Wars & End Wars, Chapter 20 - Players in the Game, Chapter 23 - World Wars, Cold Wars, Chapter 25 - World War III, Olympic Games, Korean War, North Korea WMD, Potential Superpowers

The 2018 Winter Olympics are held in PyeongChang, South Korea. Thousands of athletes participate from ninety nations. The original games were a competition of city-states held in the ancient city of Olympia in Greece. Winners received a crown of olive leaves. During the games, there was an Olympic truce. In 1894, the modern Olympic were revived to encourage physical fitness that became the premier global sporting event. The games promote athletic competition, cooperation among nations and world peace. For two weeks, nations of the world come together in the name of sport. Some Olympics are overshadowed by war. This year, it is about nuclear North Korea.

Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is controlled in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

After World War II, Japanese occupied Korea was divided along the 38th parallel between the north, allied with Soviet Russia and south, allied with the United States. On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea and captured most of the southern territory. After a counter attack, the south captured most of the northern territory. Then massive Chinese forces joined the fight. The war stalled until an armistice was signed July 27, 1953 ended fighting but not the war.

The Kim dynasty is a brutal communist dictatorship ruled by Kim Il-sung (1948-1994), Kim Jong-il (1994-2011) and Kim Jong-un (2011-Present). In 1962, North Korea committed to building a strong army and developing nuclear weapons. In the 1994 Agreed Framework signed during the Clinton administration, North Korea agreed to replace graphite nuclear reactors with light water reactors. See Iran. In 2002, the agreement fell apart as Pakistan and later Iran assisted North Korea's nuclear development. In 2003, North Korea withdrew from the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty. From 2003 to 2009, six-party talks (China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South, Korea, United States) tried to limit nuclear development. Since 2006, North Korea tested six nuclear weapons. During Kim Jong-un, they tested more than eighty missiles. At the same time, economic sanctions and a war of words increased between North Korea and the United States.

China is North Korea's leading trading partner. The US pressures China to enforce economic sanctions. However, China has a long relationship with North Korea. Both cooperated during the Japanese occupation and the Chinese Civil War. North Korea distracts the US from China's military buildup and trade imbalance.

In the last one thousand years, war always preceded a change of superpower. China is the most populated country in the world. Their economy is third to the European Union and United States but is on track to pass the US. A growing Chinese economy supports increased military spending. China claims islands and navigation rights in the South China Sea. China is tired of US demands and uses North Korea as a pawn to fight the US for superpower.

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. 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 (Revelation 9:13-14, 15-16).

One Possible Scenario

Like World War I and Iraq War I, World War III begins the 9th of Av (Kadesh Barnea) in July/August with a limited strike. However, North Korea has a defense treaty with China. India enters the war to balance the massive populations. The war escalates from limited to regional to world war.