Earlier this week, a Japanese newspaper reported that North Korea is planning on launching their Taepodong-2, long-range missile, toward Hawaii between July 4-8. The missile however is not exptected to reach Hawaii due to the fact that the missile can only travel approximately 4,000 miles and fortunately, Hawaii lies 500 miles beyond that, but it would definitely give new meaning to the phrase, "and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air". 
This announcement is just one of several in the past few weeks that has had North Korea on front-page headlines. At the end of May, North Korea declared that it would no longer abide by the 1953 armistice (truce) that temporarily put an end to the Korean War, although it never officially ended that war. Last week, the U.N. members agreed to impose new sanctions against North Korea after the country's violation of previous sanctions when it conducted its second nuclear test on May 25, the first being back in 2006. This in turn caused North Korea to announce that it would step-up its efforts in its nuclear and atom-bomb making program. Finally, a few days ago, North Korea warned that it would retailiate "a thousand fold" if their sovereignty was threatened.
While this may just be a political power struggle or a bullying tactic, it still could have some serious consequences, if these threats were carried out. In fact a South Korean state-run paper is quoted by USA today as saying "the Korean peninsula is becoming an area where the chances of a nuclear war are the highest in the world." Couple all this with the fact that a cult of personality is centered around its"Eternal President" the late, Kim Il-Sung, and its current "Dear Leader", Kim Jong-Il and the fact that Kim Jong-Il is currently grooming his 26-year old son, Kim Jong-Un for leadership (which often times, young men tend to be more zealous than their fathers) and you have a recipe for an impending crisis.
In Matthew 24:6 we are warned by Jesus that before the time of the end, "[y]ou will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." It cannot be denied that this situation with North Korea is at the very least a "rumor of war", which has the potential to escalate into something much more. Now some may argue that this world has always been plagued by wars and rumors of wars but Jesus goes on to say in verse 8 of chapter 24 that "...these are the beginning of birth pains." So as the time of the end moves closer, there will be an increase in number and intensity of these events, which is already evident by two world wars, millions upon millions deaths due to war, and the invention of nuclear technology, just to name a few. According to the Bible all of this will finally culiminate in the War to end all wars. Are you ready?
For more information check out these articles:
UN powers agree on North Korea sanctions
North Korea Pulls Out Of Armistice
N. Korea Warns U.S. of 'Thousand-Fold' Military Action
N. Korea Warns of Nuclear War Amid Rising Tensions