| Highlights of Dawn | August 1951 |
Plowshares into Swords
“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” —Joel 3:9,10
NO PERIOD in human history has witnessed such wide scale preparations for war as have continuously been in progress during the lifetime of the present generation. For years prior to the first World War, these preparations were going on in many countries of Europe, and when the war started other nations the world over were soon compelled to increase their armies and their armaments. The result of this, together with the war, was the fatal weakening of the economic and social fabric of what men had been pleased to call civilization.
Following that war there was an effort made to disarm, but it proved futile, and soon the nations of the earth were again engaged in an armament race, each hoping to outdo the other, and each claiming that preparation for war was the only way to save the peace. We all know the horrible results to which this led. And now again on a more gigantic scale than previously it would have been possible for the human mind to visualize, the world is madly engaged in “preparation for peace”; but doing so by increasing its armaments, and each nation trying to outwit the other in the invention and construction of horrible instruments of destruction, hoping, of course, that this will frighten the others from daring to start another war.
Today the armament program is a co-operative one in which the nations, divided into two general groups, are participating. These two groups are now often referred to as the “free” nations and the “slave” nations. Not so much is known of the progress being made among the “slave” nations or behind the Iron Curtain. Great stress, of course, is being placed upon the production of atom bombs and atomic weapons. Recently Senator Brien McMahon, in a statement made to a press interviewer, said that the Soviet Union is very busy in the field of atomic energy.
Senator McMahon said that he had complete access to confidential intelligence reports from inside Russia, and upon the basis of available information, he is certain that eventually Russia will possess sufficient atom bombs to make it possible that a surprise attack on the United States would be considered. Asked if it were not possible that, although the great powers would all possess atomic weapons, they would refrain from using them in the event of war, he answered that this was merely “wishful thinking.”
The Senator explained that in. his opinion the American stock-pile of atom bombs was buying time for the free nations in which they could “wage peace.” He explained that the power stored in atom bombs now being stockpiled in the United States, if not eventually used for war, “will bring giant industrial progress in the future. This is a case [he said] where swords can literally be beaten into plowshares—or, indeed, be beaten back into swords.”
Another reminder of the colossal preparation for war being made is the recent “Operation Umbrella.” This was the staging of a mock air raid over large areas of western Europe. It was an experiment in which an attempt was made to co-ordinate the air defenses of the various European nations participating in the Atlantic Pact. Fighter planes from several west European countries attempted to intercept these bombers. It was a spectacular event, and impressively demonstrated the careful preparations which are being made to protect what is left of the “old world” civilization.
Meanwhile the factories of all nations are manufacturing munitions of war at a rate which staggers the imagination, while countless millions are hungry, unclothed, and without homes because the resources of the earth are thus being diverted into war potential. Surely we could not possibly have a more striking demonstration of beating plowshares into swords and pruninghooks into spears, as the Prophet Joel foretold would occur in this end of the age!
In Joel 3:14, the time when this was to occur is identified as “the day of the Lord,” and he declares that there would be “multitudes in the valley of decision.” This, of course, is not a literal valley, but a symbol of the lining up of world powers in a life and death struggle to settle the ideological controversy between the two armed camps of the present evil and dying world. Each side hopes to win in this great struggle; and thus be in a position to establish a world in keeping with its own ideals. While this is the hope of both the “free” world and the “slave” world, the people as a whole, on both sides of the controversy, recognize that once the battle starts on a global basis, both sides will lose.
In Joel 3:2 this “valley of decision” is described as the “valley of Jehoshaphat,” Jehoshaphat meaning that “Jehovah hath judged.” The real decision in this final struggle of a dying world, therefore, is not in the hands of the warring nations, but is the Lord’s.. The prophecies clearly show that he has already rendered his decision, that regardless of the viewpoint of men and nations, in the final analysis it is the Lord who is gathering the nations to this final struggle. His purpose in doing this is stated in Zephaniah 3:8, where we read, “Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms; to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.”
From this prophecy it is evident that the Lord’s decision has already gone against the nations of earth, that he does not consider any of them worthy to represent him in the new world, hence that all the “elements” of this “present evil world” must be destroyed to make way for the rulership of his righteous kingdom under the direction of Christ. (Gal. 1:4; II Pet. 3:10-12) From this standpoint, the people of God who understand the prophetic significance of what is occurring throughout the earth are not fearful of the outcome; for they know that the Lord will be victorious, and that his kingdom is very soon to manifest itself in power and great glory.
We do not rejoice in the thought that additional suffering is facing the world, but there is a solace in the assurance that it will prepare the way for that long-promised kingdom of God which will make an end of all suffering. Today the unbelieving world is facing what is considered the inevitable struggle between the East and West, with varying degrees of fear and mixed emotions. In most countries of Europe, where the people have already suffered the ravages of two global wars, and where large areas of their cities still lie in ruins, they seem for the most part apathetic toward coming events. The people as a whole discuss but little what they all seem sure will come. They simply go about their daily tasks of earning a meager living, waiting in a fatalistic sort of way for what ever may happen.
Here in America it is different. The screaming headlines of the papers, and the fear-arousing broadcasts over the radio tend to give the impression that atom bombs may start to drop on the large cities at any moment. Naturally the people are kept in suspense by these startling methods of news reporting, and fear is taking an ever deeper hold upon their hearts. Probably the people of the old world are just as fearful; but having experienced the awfulness of two wars, they wish now not to think or talk about another one. Their viewpoint is that it will be time enough to suffer when it actually comes.
The Lord’s people, who know from the assurances of God’s Word what the real outcome of this great “time of trouble” will be, have the great privilege of doing what they can to “say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.” (Isa. 35:4) Yes, it is not only our privilege, but our responsibility as well, to “declare the day of vengeance of our God.”—Isa. 61:1-3
A proper declaring of the “day of vengeance” does not mean the proclaiming of a vindictive message of hate toward the crumbling institutions of the world, but rather, an explanation of the true significance of what is taking place. The world fears the increasing trouble because they can see no good resulting therefrom: All they can see is the inevitable destruction of what they call civilization. Beyond that they see nothing but darkness and despair. But it is our privilege to say, “Fear not,” this trouble is the result of God’s vengeance upon the sinful world; but his purpose is not to cause suffering, for his hand of vengeance is now upon the world because the time has come for the kingdom of Christ to manifest itself in bringing salvation to the people—that salvation which was promised when God said to Abraham that in his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed.—Gen. 12:3; 22:18
And how wonderful it is to know, and to be able to testify to the people, that the nations will not always be beating their plowshares into swords and their pruninghooks into spears, that the time is near when this will be reversed. This glorious fact is also set forth in the prophecies pertaining to these “last days” in which we are now living, but they portray events which are of a later development in this “day of the Lord.” The Prophet Isaiah declares:
“It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”—Isa. 2:2-4
The “house” of the Lord is his ruling house of sons. Jesus, the “King of kings,” is the Head over this house, and those who during this age suffer and die with him, and who, begotten by God’s Spirit, are also his sons, will reign with Christ as members of the divine ruling house. It has required the entire age to prepare this divine ruling house of sons, but the Scriptures indicate that now this work is nearly completed, and that soon this “house of the Lord” will be “established” in the “top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills.”
This beautiful symbolic language suggests that the Lord’s kingdom will take a dominating position over all the peoples of the earth. Indeed, in Daniel’s prophecy, this “mountain” [kingdom] is said to have “filled the whole earth” (Dan. 2:35) Even now, in this “day of vengeance,” earth’s new King is rebuking the nations, and ultimately, in God’s due time, this will result in their saying, as the prophecy states, “Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.”
When the rebuked nations and peoples of earth reach the point where they recognize their own extremity, and begin to look to the Lord for help and are willing to learn and practice his ways, then they will recognize the futility of war and will turn their efforts, under the guidance of the kingdom, toward the pursuits of peace. Thus they will beat their swords into, plowshares and their spears into pruninghooks. It will be then that “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Now the nations are being gathered to “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Rev. 16:13-16) But when this gathering is over, and the Lord has “devoured” the whole earth “with the fire of his jealousy,” there will come the foretold gathering unto the kingdom of Christ—the “mountain of the house of the Lord.” It is this glorious fact that we are privileged to proclaim to the fear-filled world of today. What this means is that while the Lord has indeed “come with vengeance,” his objective is to bring salvation, that salvation from death which was provided by the death of the Redeemer when he gave himself “a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”—I Tim. 2:4-6
This salvation will result, as Isaiah clearly shows, in the opening of all the blind eyes, the unstopping of all deaf ears, and the healing of all the lame. In other words, it will mean the restoration of the people to health, and giving them the opportunity to live forever in the restored earth. Yes, even the dead will be restored to life, for, as the prophet states, “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”—Isa. 35:3-10