| Highlights of DAWN | September 1986 |
The following excerpt from Time Magazine of June 23, 1986, presents an all-too-realistic reminder of the present peril under which we live.
It reads: “An all-out Soviet nuclear attack on the U.S. could entail an intercontinental blitzkrieg: thousands of missiles launched from enemy territory, letting loose tens of thousands of deadly warheads surrounded by a nebula of hurtling decoys and debris. In half an hour, this lethal ‘threat cloud’ would be over the U.S., raining destruction on cities and military targets alike.”
Is our world destined to end like this?
What does the Bible say?
God’s Assurance of Survival
“Thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” —Isaiah 45:18
LESS than one hundred years ago, the wise men of the world were acclaiming their belief that civilization had at last reached such a high pinnacle of development that nations would no longer need to go to war to settle their differences, that a peaceful solution could be found for their problems by sitting down at a conference table and talking things over. Many outstanding churchmen were echoing the same sentiments, implying that the Bible’s predictions of calamitous events which would occur at the end of the age were quite out of line with what would actually take place.
Now, however, the stark reality of what the world is facing testifies to the accuracy of the testimony given by God’s holy prophets. The people of every land wait in fear and trembling, not knowing what moment the warning sirens of disaster will announce the approach of rockets laden with potentials of destruction capable of destroying all life from the earth.
Throughout the ages of man’s hectic existence upon the earth there have been many periods of distress affecting one or another, and at times, whole groups of nations. Civilizations, so-called, have risen and fallen, and new ones have taken their places, but never before has the entire human race faced the possibility of utter destruction, such as is the case today. There is still much national pride; and nations, as well as groups of nations, are on the alert to seek their own best interests as the battle of international politics rages increasingly intense. Yet the thought uppermost in the minds and hearts of the people of all nations is not so much what might be immediately advantageous to them but whether or not they will even survive when the top flight diplomats are no longer able to prevent the shooting from beginning again on a global scale.
Evolutionist Darwin gave stimulus to the false theory that man was evolving to a higher plan of existence, and thus laid the foundation of false security which was voiced by the wisdom of this world just before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Then was emphasized the idea of the survival of the fittest. Now, however, it is openly admitted by the best minds in the world, that neither the fit nor the unfit will survive once the latest products of the scientists are unleashed upon a helpless and distraught human race.
Perhaps today the idea of survival is uppermost in the minds of the people. Not that they have any assurance they will survive, or that the human race itself will exist upon the earth much longer, for they have no such assurance. The possibility that they will not survive often haunts their thoughts, as scientists, lawmakers, philosophers, and others, continually warn what to expect when the next global war breaks out in all its fury.
Various of God’s holy prophets foretold this very time in which we are living. The general testimony of the Scriptures points out that the basic cause of this threatening crisis is human sin and selfishness, and selfishness is not eradicated by science and invention. The spirit which induced Cain to murder his brother, Abel, will just as readily order the dropping of atom bombs, even though, as in the case of Cain, there can be no hope for real advantage.
Sin and selfishness have predominated in human affairs ever since the fall of man. There have been noble exceptions to the general trend. Those in commanding positions in world affairs, supposing that none is able to challenge their authority nor rob them of their bounties, are often noble and charitable in their attitude, even toward their enemies. But should the position of these be seriously challenged, they seldom hesitate to adopt any measure whatever for self-preservation.
Thus man’s inhumanity to man throughout the ages has been tempered largely by circumstances and by the effectiveness of the inhumane instruments available at the time. The slingshot, the bow and arrow, the battle axe, the original but clumsy musket, the automatic rifle, the machine gun, the cannon, the bombing plane, the jet fighter, have in their times and turns all been utilized for defense and for aggression, with each nation madly attempting to outstrip the others in the development and perfection of these instruments of death.
And man has not changed! The possibility that atom bombs may destroy the entire race will not deter the nations from using the deadliest of all missiles of destruction whenever it is thought expedient to do so. This has been proved by the terrible and ever increasing destructiveness of the First and Second World Wars. It was proved by the actual use of nuclear weapons on the helpless civilian populations of Japanese cities toward the close of the last global struggle.
The brutal destruction experienced by the human race beginning with 1914 would have been thought impossible a century ago. Indeed, up until the moment the First World War started, the philosophers among the nations said it could not happen. But the Bible said it could, and would. Jesus said there would be upon the earth “distress of nations with perplexity.” (Luke 21:25,26) He also said there would come a time of “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time.”—Matt. 24:21
In forecasting this great tribulation, Jesus quoted from Daniel 12:1, where this Old Testament prophet forecast a “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.” Daniel explains that this time of trouble would be the result of the “standing up” of “Michael.” Jesus evidently understood this to be a reference to himself, for he quoted the prophecy in answer to the disciples’ question as to the sign which would mark the time of his return and second presence.
The unbelieving world and a large percentage of those belonging to professed Christian churches either scoff at, or at least disbelieve, the idea of Christ’s return. This is the one reason they readily accepted the delusion that the world had so advanced in knowledge and culture that wars could be considered evils of the past. They believed that man would accomplish his own salvation, so did not look to God to do anything for them, or to interfere in their affairs. That a civilized world could become embroiled in a great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, was to them unthinkable and impossible.
Not Doomsday
On the other hand, there are a few, and have been right along, who continued to believe the testimony of the Scriptures that Jesus would return. However, they have erroneously believed that his return would signal cataclysmic disturbances of nature—that mountains would fall into the sea, and the earth itself would disappear in literal flames of fire. These failed to see that the symbolic prophecies describing the immediate result of our Lord’s return were to be fulfilled in the great tribulation Jesus foretold, and that this would mean a destruction of a social order rather than the burning up of the earth itself.
A proper understanding of the prophetic testimony as a whole leads to the assurance that while the trouble associated with the return of Christ is worldwide and distressing—such as never was since there was a nation—the earth itself is not to be destroyed, that this is not what is implied by the prophetic ‘end of the world’. Our text declares that the Lord has established the earth. Ecclesiastes 1:4 informs us that “the earth abideth forever.” In Psalm 78:69 we are informed that the Lord has “established” the earth “forever.”
The disciples asked Jesus concerning the sign, both of his coming (or presence, as it is in the Greek text), and the end of the world. The same sign, or signs, would apply to both. In their reference to the end of the world, the disciples used the Greek word aion, meaning ‘age’, or ‘period of time’. They had in mind particularly the waiting time between the first and second advents of Christ.
In other prophecies pertaining to the end of the world, the Greek word kosmos is used. This word simply means ‘order’, or ‘arrangement’, and as used in the prophecies refers to a social order or civilization. It is this word that the Apostle John used when, in an admonition to the Christians he wrote, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”—I John 2:15
Paul refers to “this present evil world,” or aion. (Gal. 1:4) It is the same Greek word, aion (meaning ‘age’) that Paul uses in his informative statement that Satan is “the god of this world.” Certainly Satan is not the god of the earth, for the Scriptures declare that the “earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”—Ps. 24:1
It is this evil world, or age, that comes to an end as a result of Christ’s return, or when Michael stands up. From one standpoint, the world in its selfishness destroys itself. This would have occurred centuries ago had the nations been equipped with the potentials of destruction they now possess, including rapid means of travel and communication. But the prophecies show that this increase of knowledge was not due in the divine plan until the time of the end.—Dan. 12:4
From the standpoint of timing in permitting man to discover and unleash some of the pent-up powers of nature, the Lord has had a hand in these events which are bringing a world to an end. For this reason some of the prophecies speak of the Lord gathering the nations, and assembling the kingdoms—gathering them for the “battle of that great day of God Almighty.”—Zeph. 3:8: Rev. 16:14-16
The Scriptures use various symbols to illustrate the effect of these world-destroying events. The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “The Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. … The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.”—Isa. 24:1-4
Isaiah also wrote concerning this same time of trouble: “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman: I will destroy and devour at once.”—Isa. 42:13,14
Isaiah also foretold concerning the nations assembled before him for judgment at this time, “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies.”—Isa. 34:1,2
Jeremiah wrote, “The Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Again, “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.”—Jer. 10:25,32
Speaking for the Lord, the Prophet Joel wrote, “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. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen [Gentiles], and gather yourselves round about: … Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.”—Joel 3:9-14
Concerning this same gathering of the nations, and the divine purpose in connection therewith, the Prophet Zephaniah wrote, “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 [social order] shall be devoured with the fire [destructive forces] of my jealousy.”—Zeph 3:8
All of these prophecies are descriptive, each from its own standpoint, of the calamitous events through which the world has been passing since the outbreak of the first global struggle in 1914. Their united testimony forecasts increasing chaos among the nations, as feverishly they gather themselves together for self-protection and for war. It is no longer a matter of citing these prophecies as a warning of catastrophes to come, for the events which they describe are already upon us.
In view of the sin and selfishness of the world, this trouble was inevitable. The causes have been, and are, at work, and no human power is able to arrest their operation and progress toward the certain end foretold in the Word of God. No hand but the hand of God can stay the progress of the present current of events; and his hand will not do so until the bitter experiences of this conflict shall have sealed their instruction upon the hearts of men. And the great lesson to be learned by all is, that apart from God and from obedience to his laws of righteousness and love, the people cannot properly govern themselves successfully, and that all efforts to do so will ultimately lead to utter destruction.
Unless
Jesus prophesied that this would be the case. Forecasting the time of great tribulation which would identify the time of his second presence, and the end of the present age, he said that unless this period of tribulation be shortened “there should no flesh be saved.” (Matt. 24:22) These prophetic words of the Master are very much in keeping with the dire predictions of our scientists and other wise men of today, the difference being that Jesus foretold this situation more than nineteen centuries before it became a reality.
But Jesus, who, by prophetic vision, foresaw what the wisdom of this world denied until the evil day was upon them, also assured us that this tribulation would be cut short by the Lord before it went the full and horrible lengths dictated by human ambition and selfishness. Since Jesus was right in the first instance, and contrary to the wisdom of the worldly wise, we can have confidence in his assurance that the tribulation will be brought to an end before all flesh is destroyed. Yes, we can be confident that despite the seriousness of the trouble, and despite the ominous clouds of doom now hanging low over the nations and filling the hearts of the people with fear, the human race will not be destroyed; for, through his Word, the Lord has given the human race this blessed assurance of survival!
For the Elect’s Sake
Jesus prophesied that “for the elect’s sake” the days of “great tribulation” now upon the human race would be brought to an end before all flesh is destroyed. (vs. 22) There are two classes mentioned in the Scriptures as being God’s chosen or elect people. The first to merit this distinction was the Jewish nation. Since the first advent of Jesus, the self-sacrificing footstep followers of Jesus have been recognized by God as his elect people.
However, although the people of the Jewish nation lost their national privilege of being joint-heirs in his long-promised kingdom as a result of their failure as a nation to accept Jesus, nevertheless, they are still loved by God, and in this end of the age are being specially dealt with by him. Their restoration to the Promised Land is a marvelous fulfillment of God’s promises to them, and it is being accomplished exactly on time according to the prophecies.
The Prophet Joel, speaking as the mouthpiece of God, wrote: “In those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations.” (Joel 3:1,2) This prophecy reveals that the regathering of Israel to the Promised Land was due at the time when all nations would be gathered, and when, as verse two states, the Lord would “plead with them there for my people … whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.”
It should increase our faith in the prophecies when we note the manner in which the Jewish people have been regathered into their Promised Land during the very time when the Gentile nations have been relentlessly destroying one another. The Lord said that these two events would occur at the same time, and we stand in awe as we note the marvelous manner in which they are being accomplished.
While the Scriptures do not reveal the details of developments in a way that can now be understood, they do indicate the final act in his care for his elect, or chosen people, Israel. This is shown particularly in the prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter thirty-eight. The time is still future—how far we do not know. Israel is shown as dwelling confidently and prosperously in the land which God gave to their fathers. This is somewhat true at the present, but we should have no doubt that it will be true in God’s due time.
The prophecy reveals that the people of Israel, in their prosperous and, at the same time, defenseless, position, will become a coveted prize of war. It will be then that aggressor hordes will come down from the “north” against the nation, assisted by various allied armies. The details of this attack which will be mounted against God’s elect people do not need to be understood in order for us to have faith in the promise recorded in verses twenty-two and twenty-three of this prophecy of Ezekiel, assuring us of divine intervention on behalf of Israel.
This intervention, the prophecy assures us, will result in the opening of the eyes of “many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.” Since this divine intervention will occur while the time of great tribulation is threatening the whole world, it will result in shortening the trouble before it has resulted in the destruction of all flesh. Certainly when the nations see this demonstration of divine power, and their eyes are opened to behold his glory, they will begin to look forward toward him for a solution to their problems.
“Swords into Plowshares”
Seemingly it will be then that the prophecy of Isaiah 2:1-4 will be fulfilled. It reads in part, “It shall come to pass in the last days that … many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain [kingdom] 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 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.”
It is noteworthy that this is a prophecy depicting the culminating events of the last days. It is not the last days of human experience upon the earth, but the last days of the reign of sin and death. The effects of sin and selfishness have been cumulative throughout the entire course of human history, and reach a climax in the last days when the nations angrily destroy one another, and ultimately would destroy the human race itself, but for divine intervention.
Meanwhile, God has all the agencies of his kingdom prepared and ready to assume control of the nations. The spiritual and human phases of this kingdom are symbolized by the terms Zion, and Jerusalem—Zion being the spiritual phase of the kingdom, composed of Jesus and his church; and Jerusalem being the human phase in which the resurrected Ancient Worthies will be the “princes in all the earth” to represent the divine Christ.—Ps. 45:16
Thus the last days, the period during which the present evil world comes to an end, will not be climaxed with the destruction of the human race, but by the establishment of divine authority among the nations, which will lead to the full answer to the Christian’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”—Matt. 6:10
The human race will not perish, although all evils which ‘now afflict the people will ultimately be destroyed, including death itself, for the promise is that Christ must reign until all enemies are put under his feet, the last enemy to be destroyed being death. (I Cor. 15:25,26) It will be the last days of sin, selfishness, greed, graft, corruption, crime, war, pain, and death. It will be the beginning of that abundant life of peace and joy which was provided for our first parents in the Garden of Eden, but which they forfeited for themselves and for their progeny when they disobeyed the law of God.
Redemption and Recovery
When Adam and Eve sinned against God and were driven out of their garden home to die, they lost the privilege of living in an earthly paradise. This loss would have been eternal had it not been for the redemptive work of Christ. By some unscriptural twist of reasoning, the theory developed that the coming of Jesus to be the Redeemer of the world was a provision by God to enable sinners to repent and go to heaven. On the contrary, it was to make possible the return of the dead and dying race to life on the earth.
It is true that there are promises in the Bible of a heavenly reward, but these are only for the footstep followers of Jesus. Paul, for example, spoke of those who are partakers of a “heavenly calling.” (Heb. 3:1) It is a mistake to suppose that these promises represent God’s provision for the entire sin-cursed and dying race. They apply only to those who are willing to suffer and die with Jesus in order that they might live and reign with him, and the purpose of his thousand-year reign is to restore mankind in general to life on the earth—to “that which was lost.”—Matt. 18:11
It is this glorious outcome of God’s loving design toward the human race which is emphasized by him in our text, in which he assures us that he created the earth not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited. Unscriptural human philosophy has claimed that in the last days the earth would be destroyed, and the unbelieving of the human race consigned to an eternity of torture. This would mean that God did create the earth in vain, and that it never would be inhabited except partially, and by a sinful, dying race.
The predictions of the scientists that the human race might well destroy itself by their own inventions, if true, would also mean that God created the earth in vain. Let us take courage, then, in the promise that it is God’s intention that the earth be inhabited by his human creation, and that man’s original sin did not defeat this purpose.
The Creator has given us assurance of his intention toward mankind by sending his beloved Son to redeem the fallen race from death. When created, man was given dominion over the earth, and this dominion, according to the Scriptures, is to be restored. This was God’s original intention concerning man. But Paul wrote that “we see not yet all things put under him [man],” but, he adds, “we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”—Heb. 2:8,9
Yes, we now see that the purpose of Jesus’ death was that an escape from death might be provided for the sin-cursed race and an opportunity be given to all to have that original earthly dominion and home restored to them. This opportunity will be extended to humanity during the thousand years of Christ’s reign. That is why our text declares that the Lord did not create the earth in vain, but formed it to be inhabited.
The human race will not perish from the earth. Evil and evil institutions will be destroyed, and death will be swallowed up in victory, but man will continue to live, and will have his tears wiped away. (Isa. 25:8) The Lord will make “wars to cease unto the ends of the earth,” and the nations will be commanded to “be still” and know that he is God. (Ps. 46:9,10) Knowing and obeying him, the people will gain life everlasting.
The days in which we are living are indeed made dark and frightening by the increasing threat of total destruction in an all-out nuclear war. But, as the prophet wrote, we will not “fear, though the earth [social order] be removed, and though the mountains [governments] be carried into the midst of the sea [restless, discontented masses].”—Ps. 46:1-3
We need not fear because we know that while this present evil world will be destroyed, the great tribulation which brings this about will be shortened in time to prevent the destruction of all flesh. Besides, even though many may perish in this time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, they will later be awakened from death and be given an opportunity to participate in the blessings of the new day, that glorious kingdom day when the knowledge of the glory of God will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.—Hab. 2:14; Isa. 11:9
It will be true, of course, that in that day when the kingdom of Christ is exercising control in the affairs of men, the only ones to receive its permanent blessings of peace and life will be those who seek the Lord and obey his laws. In the prophecy from which our text is taken, the Lord says, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”—Isa. 45:22
Those who go through the great Armageddon struggle alive, as well as the ones who perish in the great tribulation and are later awakened from the sleep of death, will have to look unto the Lord in order to survive eternally. That will be the time prophesied by Moses and repeated by Peter when it shall come to pass “that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet [the Christ], shall be destroyed from among the people.”—Acts 3:22,23
But those who do obey, who “bow the knee” and “confess” their allegiance to the new king, will live. “I have sworn by myself,” saith the Lord, “the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” (Isa. 45:23) When, in the kingdom age now near, the people look unto the Lord in this manner, they will be saved.
Yes, they will be saved from selfishness and war, and saved from sickness and death. The dominion over earth which was lost through sin will be restored. The human race will survive and enjoy their home on earth forever, for God created the earth not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited.