| News and Views | August 1945 |
Unsolved Problems
THE United Nations’ conference at San Francisco has now ended, and the hundreds of delegates have returned to their respective countries, all hopeful that their efforts at San Francisco to formulate a world charter by which the inter-relationships of nations can be controlled upon the basis of good will may be crowned with at least a measure of success. The frank admissions of the delegates who expressed themselves, however, indicate that they all have misgivings concerning the real value of the charter as written and adopted.
Thomas A. Warren, of Wolverhampton, England, president-elect of Rotary International, told the Rotary Club of Chicago recently that in the period covered by written history, 6,000 peace treaties have been made, but that the average length of the pacts has been only two years. This continuous and universal failure of human efforts to keep the peace does not in itself, however, prove that nations will never be able to dwell peaceably together, but it is a warning not to expect too much from what was done at San Francisco.
The conference did not, of course, write a peace treaty. The work of that body of world leaders was to write a constitution, or charter, by which the nations are to be guided in the making and maintaining of peace. Much is being said and written concerning the weaknesses and virtues of that charter. Every detail of it will be analyzed. From the standpoint of the Scriptures and the plan of God, however, the fact that it proposes to keep the peace by force of arms foredooms it to failure.
Those who have faith in the Word of God enjoy absolute confidence in its promises that lasting peace will come to the nations, but they know that when it does come, it will not be a peace enforced by the sword, but a peace which will be the outcome of disarmament, when nations shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks, and when nations will not even learn war any more.—Isa. 2:4; Micah 4:3
It is too much to expect, of course, that nations approaching the problem of war from the standpoint of selfishness should write into a world charter regulations which love alone could express. And it is right on this point that the conference ignored the world’s most fundamental problem—the problem of human selfishness. Nor would the delegates at that conference have been able to do anything about this problem had they given it consideration. Only the Kingdom of Christ will be able to deal with it, hence, not until that Kingdom comes, and God’s will is done among the nations, will there be genuine and lasting peace.
Men recognize the problem of selfishness but know that they are powerless to cope with it. Recently two travelers were discussing the outlook for peace, and one remarked that there cannot be peace as long as the human heart is selfish. To illustrate the point he reminded the other that even school children quarrel over their marbles and other games, and that the same spirit causes grownups to quarrel over matters which they consider more important than marbles. In reply to this, the other traveler remarked, “In which case, the world will never have peace.”
But he was wrong, for God has planned a program of education involving the rewriting of His law in the hearts of the people. They will be taught the advantages of love and the disadvantages of selfishness and hate. They will “learn war no more.” Not only this, but even more important, they will learn to look to God for guidance. The promise is that God will turn to the people a pure language, or message, and that they will all learn to call upon and serve Him with one consent.
Other Problems
Because human wisdom is unable to solve the major problem of selfishness, no genuine solution can be found for the incidental problems that prevent the establishment of an ideal world order. From the prophetic standpoint it is interesting to view these “trouble spots” in the light of that which is being done in the earth by God. Briefly, this is the gradual overthrow of “Christendom” in preparation for the establishment of the true Kingdom of Christ.
“Christendom,” the pseudo Kingdom of Christ, stemmed from the ideology of Papal Rome—an ideology containing an admixture of false religion promoted by fear, which justified the selfish exploitation of the underprivileged by titled aristocracy. With the claim that God was the sponsor of their exploits, the nations of Europe throughout the centuries made war on each other whenever it served their selfish purposes to do so.
Whether in war or in peace, the poor of the people were at the mercy of the ruling classes, and the least sign of protest would bring forth from the religious rulers dire threats of increased purgatorial sufferings, or, in the case of Protestants, the even worse doom of eternal torture. The land, the basic wealth of the world, was owned and controlled almost entirely by the ruling classes, both civil and religious. Titled land owners, together with the false church, co-operated to keep the peasant class ignorant and poor and powerless.
The discovery of America and the coming to these shores of many of the oppressed eased the situation for those who were fortunate enough to find their way to a world where all, at least in theory, have been blessed with equal rights. But this did not change Europe except as the example of the new world began to awaken the masses throughout those various countries which once constituted the Holy (?) Roman Empire.
But what is occurring in Europe and throughout the world today is primarily the result of the prophetic increase of knowledge. Even the advantages and blessings enjoyed in America are the result of this increase of knowledge. Nor is the restive condition which is now posing so many problems in Europe, and which has been caused by the increasing enlightenment of the people, confined to Europe. It is apparent everywhere—in China, Japan, India, the Near East, in South America, and the islands of the sea.
Its symptoms are many and varied. The people, suffering from real and fancied injustices, are rallying around the magic slogan of “liberty,” and in its name are calling directly or indirectly for the overthrow of almost everything which formerly was called “civilization.” They want imperialism destroyed. They want empires abolished. They want kings dethroned. They want church and state separated. They want the land divided among the people. They want the wealth of the world shared by all. Claiming that religion served the interests of titled aristocracy as an opiate of the people to keep them submissive under the evils of selfish exploitation, the more extreme of the masses want it banned.
Either directly or remotely, nearly all the problems confronting the nations today are a reflection of this universal clamor for human rights. The French, for example, want British influence in Syria and Lebanon removed; while the natives want both of these foreign powers to move out. India wants to be free from the imperialism of Britain. And while the demand for freedom through change is heard the world around, those who have gained under the old system are resisting change; so the world is divided into two camps made up of the progressives and the reactionaries—the so-called liberals and the conservatives.
The struggle between these two groups is seen not only in the friction between nations, as in the British, French, and Near East controversy; but also within nations, as in Poland, Belgium, Italy, and others. And the upheavals within nations are but parts of the general unrest, and are often brought about in part by pressure from the outside; as, for example, in the case of Poland, where revolutionary Russia is not only sponsoring changes, but using her strength to force the ousting of the old regime.
What the intentions of Russia may be in Poland and elsewhere constitutes one of the very serious problems confronting the nations which are still struggling to maintain the status quo of the pre-1914 order of things. According to a recent press dispatch from England, Mr. Churchill reportedly is convinced that there may still be a possibility of preventing complete Soviet domination of continental Europe. Whether or not Mr. Churchill is right, his “hope” in the matter reveals the deep-rooted fear existing in those circles of conservative government still existing.
And why do the status quo rulers of the world fear Soviet Russia’s growing influence? A very close censorship is being maintained in the various countries and sections of countries occupied and dominated by Russia, but the information which does leak out leaves no room for doubt that landed estates are rapidly being distributed among the peasants, that “liquidation of the kulaks” (fascists) is proceeding apace. The general consensus of opinion is that already Russia is in a position to carry elections in any territory she occupies.
The Russian Revolution, from its inception in 1917, has to the revolutionary-inclined in all nations been the symbol of world revolution, and it has been the fear of the reactionary rulers that it would become worldwide. Now, these fears are turning out to be well-grounded. The sphere of Russia’s controlling influence is rapidly spreading throughout Europe; and in countries not actually dominated by Russia her example of communism is rapidly gaining prestige among the masses.
It is claimed by some that Russia has modified some of her radical methods of government, particularly her attitude toward religion. It is said that there is now religious liberty in Russia and in the countries dominated by Russia—and probably there is what Russia calls religious liberty. Each religious group in Russia is permitted to conduct its ceremonial forms of worship, but none is allowed to engage in any effort to teach its religious views to others. Religious liberty of this limited sort can but lead to the strangulation and ultimate death of all religion, which is the intention of those who grant it.
Christians Take Courage
It is not discouraging to Christians to note these world changes, but encouraging. The truth-enlightened Christian knows that no part of the old order of selfishness can be carried over into the Kingdom of Christ, that every vestige of the counterfeit kingdom mis-styled “Christendom” must be abolished ere the prayer, “Thy Kingdom come,” can be answered. And the prophecies make it clear that dissolution of the old order will be accomplished in large measure by the divine strategy of turning every man’s sword against his brother. (Ezek. 38:21) Also, that the “mountains” or kingdoms of this world will be melted by the “blood” of their armies.—Isa. 34:3
And so it is that when viewed From the standpoint of what God is accomplishing, the “trouble spots,” which are such vexing problems to man, are but indexes to the progress that is being made by the King of kings, as He marches on to victory in preparing the world for His reign of righteousness and peace. This doesn’t mean, though, that the selfishness which dominates the so-called liberating forces of the world is any less selfish than that which caused the rulers to hold everything for themselves as long as they could.
We are not to suppose that any arrangements formed by man can ever be a part of the Kingdom of Christ. All that can be said is that through the increase of knowledge God is enlightening the people to a sense of their rights, that He is developing in their hearts a desire for better things, and that in this sense they will be ready to accept the provisions of the Kingdom when it is established. All human efforts to secure these blessings apart from God will but lead to disintegration, and chaos—ultimate anarchy.
God is able to make even the wrath of man to praise Him. (Psa. 76:10) He uses man’s selfishness and wrath to destroy that which human selfishness has created, and may yet create. But when it comes to His Kingdom for the blessing of the people He will use only those in whose hearts have been developed the divine principles of justice, righteousness and love, the chief of whom will be the resurrected and highly exalted Jesus. Papacy claims that the church should reign with Christ; and the true church will reign with the true Messiah, and as a part of the Messianic company. But everyone who qualifies to be a member of the glorified church of Christ will, like Jesus the Head of the church, have love as the motivating influence of life.
Christ and the church will be the spiritual rulers of the world in the divine Kingdom soon to be established, but it will have human representatives. These as the Scriptures reveal, will be the resurrected ancient prophets and other worthy ones of the ages preceding the first advent of Jesus. These, too, received their initial training in the principles of righteousness and love by the experiences their faith was called upon to endure. They, even as Jesus and the church, demonstrated their willingness to lay down their lives for the Messianic cause. They demonstrated their willingness to do this because they loved God and wanted to please Him, and because they were stirred by the hope of the Messianic Kingdom—a Kingdom which they knew would be for the blessing of the people—for “all the families of the earth.”
The miracle of Jesus’ resurrection marked the beginning of the Gospel age; and the miracle of the resurrection of the church, and later the resurrection of the ancient prophets to represent The Christ among men, will manifest the beginning of the Kingdom age. Divine power represented in these miracles of resurrection will continue to operate through these divinely appointed Kingdom agents, guaranteeing the fulfillment of all that God has promised of peace and joy and life.
While we wait for this Kingdom to solve the unsolved problems of the fallen and dying race, may we strive more earnestly to be worthy of a share in it as joint-heirs with Jesus. (Rom. 8:17) We can sympathize with the poor groaning creation, as one effort after another fails to bring the security and peace which all desire. We may give them credit for trying to solve their problems, but let us whose hope is in God and in the Kingdom of His Son, continue to point to the real remedy for the world’s ills.
As millions in the world view the situation, Christianity has failed, and what a glorious opportunity now is ours to announce that real Christianity is about to triumph, and that its triumph will be glorious, bringing to the people the fulfillment of the angelic message of peace on earth and good will toward men. We have the privilege of explaining that what is failing is not true Christianity, but a nominal, false conception of God’s purpose in Christ.
God’s true purpose in Christ cannot fail. Jesus’ enemies put Him to death but this laid the foundation for the redemption and salvation of the world. And now the risen Christ—Jesus and, together with Him, the church—will soon become the spiritual rulers of the world and the divine purpose in the creation of man will be accomplished. For a thousand years that reign will continue, and as a result the knowledge of God’s glory will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. (Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14) Then the people will say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord: we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”—Isa. 25:9