What would happen if a nuclear weapon such as those in the arsenals of India and Pakistan were detonated? Perhaps 122,000 people would die per detonation. So if the two nations exchanged only one weapon each, nearly a quarter of a million casualties would result immediately.

Additionally, anyone within 100 miles who looks at the detonation would be instantly blinded. Of course, radiation continues to kill beyond those destroyed in the initial blast. The "kill zone" of the type of nuclear weapons these nations have is 2,500 square miles. That's why Britain and the United States warned their citizens to leave both countries at the height of the tension. Clearly, some military personnel who are fighting the War on Terror would be in the kill zone of radiation fallout.

How far would the radiation fallout extend? According to Dr. Garner, it would definitely reach the U.S. mainland. How damaging it would be at that point is anyone's guess and might be difficult to measure. Consequences would present themselves in increased cancer rates—something that might be difficult to attribute to a single cause.

Back to India and Pakistan, there is an additional and frightening result of radiation poisoning beyond the kill zone. Radiation is known to lower the immune system of those exposed to it. People outside of the kill zone would suffer enough radiation poisoning to seriously lower their immune system, resulting in the eruption of diseases that haven't been serious problems for decades. And new diseases will arise.

Regardless of what radiation fallout does in other parts of the world, the diseases that spring from radiation poisoning in the war theater will spread around the world, warned Dr. Garner. He cited how difficult it is to contain disease in this world of regular international travel.

Thankfully, it appears that India and Pakistan have moved back from the brink of a nuclear exchange. But the rhetoric between these long-time antagonists leaves one with little confidence that the threat has disappeared.

Jesus warned that as mankind approaches the end of this age, we would hear of "wars and rumors of wars" (Matthew 24:6). Modern technology has raised the ante in this no-win game, so that "rumors of wars" are exceedingly disturbing. Christ went on to encourage His followers to remain calm, assuring them that this bad news is necessary just before the close of the darkest time of human history. And, with the close of this evil age will come the dawning of the wonderful world of peace under the management of God's Kingdom.