Is it Possible to Appease Evil?

Terry Dashner

“Is it possible to Appease evil?”

Neville Chamberlain in 1938 tried to appease Hitler, but Hitler would not be appeased. You see, 1938 was a terrible time for Europe. Hitler’s Nazis were running through sovereign nations like a hot knife through butter. England and its European allies were deeply alarmed to say the least, and they hoped to negotiate peace with Hitler without having to go to war against him. Chamberlain, Prime Minister of England, flew to Munich to meet with Hitler.

From this meeting comes the Munich Agreement which effectively allows Adolf Hitler to annex Czechoslovakia (I guess the Czechs were suppose to like the agreement or lump it). Chamberlain’s belief that satisfying each of Hitler’s escalating demands for control of more and more territory was naïve. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister flies home and meets the British press on his arrival. Holding up a piece of paper for all to see, Chamberlain cries out, “We’ve achieved peace in our times.” One year later, Hitler invades Poland and the Munich Agreement is now worth no more than the paper it’s written on. England is forced to declare war on Hitler, and Chamberlain falls to Winston Churchill. Hitler could not be appeased.

Someone real smart once said that those who fail to learn the hard lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. I’ll give you a modern day example. Obviously modern Europe has not learned the lessons of Chamberlain’s appeasement policies because they are turning a deaf ear to Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities and saber rattling against Israel and the West in general. Iran is boasting of her ability to strike Israel with nuclear weapons and no one is denouncing them but the United States. I guess the Europeans think to do so would be promoting a policy of “preemption” and that is evil. (One of the major problems with America’s war in Iraq—according to many Europeans—is America’s preemptive policies toward terrorists.) I believe that very soon—within the next couple of years—Iran and Israel will be at war. I also believe that Iran will use nuclear weapons against Israel. Will this be the beginning of the end?

Does the Bible say much about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? It says more about His return than it does about His first coming. Even the Old Testament prophets spoke about the restoration of the nation Israel and the Messiah’s Kingly rule from Jerusalem, over all the earth. In John’s Gospel, chapter 14 and beginning with verse one, it says: “You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also.”

Often Jesus denounced the religious people of His day because they could predict the weather by reading the signs in the atmosphere, but they were ignorant regarding the prophetic words of His first and second comings. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus was quick to point out that His Second Coming would be announced by signs. He said that when wars escalate, extreme weather patterns prevail, pestilence destroys thousands, earthquakes are common, stars fall from the heavens, and the sun turns dark, then we are to know that Jesus is near, even at the door. Now I’ve never been much of a “star gazer” but recently something keeps prompting me to look up. I believe that the Holy Spirit is directing me to stay alert to the signs of the times because spiritual lethargy in this hour would dull my senses to the sudden coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And I certainly don’t want that to happen. What about you?
(Sources cited are Available)

Keep the faith. Stay the course. Stay ready.

T. Dashner