In the decades following World War II, the United States took on the role of global guarantor—projecting power, maintaining trade routes, and most crucially, protecting smaller and less powerful democratic nations from aggression. But what happens if America turns inward, choosing isolation over engagement?

This question is no longer hypothetical.

In recent years, a shift in American foreign policy—highlighted most strongly during the Trump administration—has signaled to allies that the era of unconditional security guarantees may be waning. And if these trends continue, we could see a more dangerous world unfold, one where countries feel forced to go nuclear.

And according to the Bible, this dangerous trajectory is no surprise.

The Domino Effect: When Trust in U.S. Security Wanes

For decades, countries like Japan, South Korea, and Germany chose not to develop nuclear weapons—not because they couldn’t, but because they didn’t need to. America’s military umbrella offered them credible protection from hostile neighbors.

But that trust has eroded.

Donald Trump’s “America First” stance—and his questioning of NATO, U.S.-Korea defense cost-sharing, and alliances in Asia—sent shockwaves through the post-war security order. In a world where nations are expected to defend themselves, nuclear weapons are seen as the ultimate equalizer: cost-effective, fearsome, and a powerful deterrent.

Here’s a look at the nations most likely to reconsider their nuclear stance:

Countries Most Likely to Pursue Nuclear Weapons

 South Korea:

• Stage: Actively debating nuclear options; majority public support for it.
• Why: North Korea already has nukes. Trust in U.S. intervention is weakening.
• Risk: Moderate to high. A South Korean bomb could spark a Northeast Asian arms race with Japan and possibly Taiwan.

 Japan:

• Stage: Technically capable, politically restrained.
• Why: China’s aggression and North Korea’s missile tests. Historical trauma from Hiroshima and Nagasaki still casts a long shadow.
• Risk: Low for now, but a shift in public sentiment could change that rapidly if U.S. protection falters.

Saudi Arabia:

• Stage: Publicly stated it will go nuclear if Iran does. Working on enrichment capabilities.
• Why: Regional rivalry with Iran, and increasing skepticism about U.S. staying power in the Gulf.
• Risk: High. A Saudi nuclear weapon could spark proliferation across the Middle East—Egypt, Turkey, and even the UAE may follow.

Taiwan:

• Stage: Highly sensitive; has considered it historically.
• Why: Threatened daily by China. Lacks formal U.S. defense treaty.
• Risk: Very high. If Taiwan were to go nuclear, China could strike preemptively.

Germany and NATO Europe:

• Stage: Low, but not unthinkable. Some discussion of a “Eurodeterrent.”
• Why: Russian aggression and fading U.S. leadership in NATO.
• Risk: Moderate in the long term, especially if U.S. military presence in Europe is significantly reduced.

 The Dangers of a Nuclear Multipolar World

Unlike the Cold War—with its terrifying but stable balance between the U.S. and the USSR—a multipolar nuclear world is inherently unstable. Here’s why:

• More fingers on the trigger means more room for miscalculation, miscommunication, or panic during crises.
• New nuclear states may lack the command and control systems to prevent accidental launches or rogue actions.
• The temptation to strike first becomes stronger if countries fear a decapitating attack on their limited nuclear arsenals.
• No central authority or treaty structure is strong enough today to manage so many nuclear actors.

If the U.S. fully retreats from its role as the “security balancer,” the world may rapidly become a far more volatile and unpredictable place.

A Prophetic Warning from Scripture

What’s even more sobering is that the Bible foresaw a world like this—filled with fear, destruction, and the looming shadow of annihilation.

Jesus Christ Himself gave a dire warning for the last days:

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”  Matthew 24:21–22 (NKJV)

“No flesh would be saved.” Before the 20th century, that verse was almost poetic. But since the dawn of the nuclear age, it has become terrifyingly literal. Only in our modern era do we have the capacity to wipe out all life on Earth—something that aligns chillingly with Christ’s words.

Hope Beyond the Chaos

But this prophecy is not without hope. Christ said that for the elect’s sake, those days will be shortened. That means God will intervene before humanity completely destroys itself. His intervention will usher in the Kingdom of God—a time of peace, true justice, and righteous rule.

The current chaos we see—the rising threat of nuclear war, the unraveling of international alliances, and the collapse of man-made peace—is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of the end of this world’s broken system.

A new world is coming. And that’s the good news of the Kingdom of God.