| HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN | May 1998 |
Peace through Christ’s Kingdom
A PREVIOUS ISSUE of The Dawn magazine had an article entitled “When There Is No Peace,” which quoted from a news article in which the writer forecast that global peace would be an unlikely prospect in 1998. Many people are unaware that the threat of war exists in the world today. Such troubled areas exist because of the availability of huge quantities of conventional arms from industrialized countries selling billions of dollars worth of arms to smaller nations, encouraging them to threaten war. In that article the major trouble spots in the world were mentioned. First they listed small countries around the Caspian Sea in Central Asia. Many are newly independent nations, having emerged from a breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Three major powers are the players in this drama. We quote again from the article:
“China has launched a major effort to lock up Caspian energy supplies, directly challenging U.S. firms vying for contracts. Russia still considers the region its backyard, and is trying to use economic pressure and the stationing of military troops along its borders to obtain oil concessions.”
Additionally there are ethnic conflicts which, when combined with a rivalry over a resource such as oil, make this region a powder keg.
Closer to the U.S. border is the trouble in southern Mexico’s province of Chiapas. Peace appeared to be attained when, over a year ago, the poor people of that province—the poorest in Mexico—revolted and then the government officials negotiated a truce. Suddenly, on December 22nd, there was a massacre of forty-five peasants by Mexican paramilitarists.
There is an ongoing dispute between Taiwan and mainland China. Taiwan wants independence. China wants Taiwan as a part of China, and has threatened military action for a number of years. The United States has a treaty to defend Taiwan and would feel pressured to send troops to the region if a military conflict breaks out.
Closer to home is Colombia, where Marxist guerrillas have allied with drug warlords to fight the elected government. Again, in another area, peace appears to have been successfully forced by UN peacekeepers in Bosnia-Herzegovinia, but trouble looms to the south in Kosovo—originally part of Yugoslavia—where 90% of the people are Albanians, but where Serbs are in power. The Albanians have peacefully protested for eight years, and now have formed the Kosovo Liberation Army which violently attacked Serbian police stations. Albania and Greece could become involved in this area.
Other trouble spots are Iraq, under Saddam Hussein; Central Africa, where widespread war made 1997 the continent’s most violent year since the nations became independent in the 1960’s; and Central and South Africa, where small wars never seem to stop. Islamic fundamentalists are a threat to destabilizing Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and other countries along the Persian Gulf where the U.S. has bases.
There is the hope that the United Nations will in some manner find a way to peace. Indeed, the United Nations was formed for the very purpose of maintaining peace. Posted at the UN headquarters, for all to see, is the Scripture text, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”—Micah 4:1-4
The United Nations is, of course, a powerful organization, and it is hoped that through its influence for good the nations of earth will actually see the advantages of not going to war. The purpose is good, and the motive doubtless sincere, but will this particular ‘peace front’ really result in peace? Certainly the United Nations is, in certain areas of human relationship, accomplishing a great deal of good. It is helping to build up some of the backward nations of earth, especially in the fields of medicine and hygiene, and in other respects which contribute to human well-being and happiness, but the UN has been unable to keep the peace.
In the matter of the political maneuvering of the great nations of earth, the UN has proved itself to be almost without power. The veto in the Security Council means that a powerful nation can prevent what other nations may wish to accomplish toward peace through the United Nations. This means that the real moves on the international diplomatic checkerboard are being made outside of the UN.
A NEW WORLD GOVERNMENT NEEDED
The lesson of history is that armament races and balances of power do not prevent war. With fallen human selfishness dictating the policies of nations, the only hope for peace is in the establishment of an authority in the earth powerful enough to impose laws of justice and righteousness which transcend the petty jealousies and selfish ambitions of individual nations. Such an authority cannot stem from any existing nation or government of earth. Only the kingdom of God is capable of exercising such an authority and of executing justice and righteousness in all the earth.—Zech. 14:9
But in this, many earnest students of the Bible have failed to realize that in the outworking of the Divine plan there is to be an actual government of righteousness established in the earth, a government that will effectively rule the nations and assure peace and happiness to all mankind. Despite all the marvelous references in both the Old and New Testaments to this ‘kingdom’ which is to have “dominion” from “sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” (Ps. 72:8), many insist that God’s kingdom is merely a righteous spirit, or disposition, in the hearts of individuals.
This false concept of the kingdom is based on the expression, “The kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21) These are purported to be the words of Jesus, but they are a faulty translation of what he actually said. The Pharisees had asked Jesus “when the kingdom of God should come.” Replying, he said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation [Marginal Translation: ‘with outward show’]: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you [Marginal Translation: ‘among you’].” (Luke 17:20,21) A more exact translation of this statement would be, “God’s Royal Majesty is among you.” (Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott) This brings it into harmony with the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees.
LACK OF FAITH
The Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the great King of the Old Testament prophecies. From their standpoint, how could he set up a kingdom in opposition to Rome, liberate Israel, and extend peace and joy to all nations? He had no army. His friends were not people of importance. What could embarrass him more than to be asked just when he expected to set up his kingdom? Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and answered accordingly. The kingdom of God, he explained, was not to come into power in the manner of other kingdoms or governments. There would be no outward show—no armies, no wars of conquest, and no display of armament. As a matter of fact, as he pointed out, the King-to-be in this kingdom was even then in their midst, although they refused to believe it. Jesus’ work at his First Advent was related to his future kingdom, but no soldiers were needed to accomplish it. The expression, ‘the kingdom of God is within you’ could not be true, for Jesus was talking to the Pharisees whom he had styled “hypocrites,” “whited sepulchres,” “children of the Devil.” (Matt. 23:27; John 8:13,44) How could the kingdom of God be within them? It was not; and later Jesus cast them off from ever having any share in the rulership of his kingdom.
NOT OF THIS ORDER
Another statement of Jesus which also has been greatly misunderstood is the one he made to Pilate, when he said, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” (John 18:36) This has been taken by many to mean that all the promises of God pertaining to a kingdom are to be fulfilled in the experiences of Jesus’ followers when they die and go to heaven. After all, say these, the kingdom promised in the Bible has nothing to do with this world of sin, because Jesus said so.
The difficulty here lies in the translator’s use of the word ‘world’ to translate the Greek word kosmos, which means ‘order’ or ‘arrangement of things’. What Jesus said was that his kingdom was not of this present order of society. The Bible reveals that there are three ‘worlds’, ages, or social arrangements in the plan of God. The kingdom social order is the one which follows the present one. The new social order is ushered in by the return of Christ, at his Second Advent. It is during that time when his kingdom becomes established, that the “government shall be upon his shoulder” and the promise will be fulfilled, “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.”—Isa. 9:6,7
The disciples at first did not understand this, so Jesus related a parable to illustrate it. It was a parable concerning a certain nobleman—which was himself—who went into a far country to receive a kingdom, and to return. (Luke 19:12) In his introduction to this parable, Luke explains that Jesus related it because his disciples thought that his kingdom “should immediately appear.”—vs. 11
All of Jesus’ teachings were related directly or indirectly to God’s promised kingdom. They do not all pertain to the blessings which will reach mankind through the agencies of that kingdom. Many of them relate to various aspects of preparation for it, and Jesus’ death as man’s Redeemer is in this category. The Divine plan is that the Messiah of promise was not to rule over a dying race, but a race redeemed from death—each individual of which would be offered the opportunity, upon conditions of obedience, to live forever.
A NEW WAY OPENS
On the other hand, the disciples of Christ are offered the opportunity of reigning with him if they are willing to suffer and die with him. (II Tim. 2:11,12) The Gospel call to those willing to accept these terms of discipleship has been going out during the entire Gospel Age since the First Advent, and this has been in preparation for the kingdom. Many of Jesus’ parables relate to this Gospel Age work, illustrating from one standpoint or another the joys, blessings, difficulties, and trials of these “children of the kingdom.”—Matt. 13:38
Not understanding the plan of God, it was easy to conclude that all the kingdom promises of the Bible related simply to the enjoyment of a home in heaven for all eternity; for there are many heavenly, or spiritual, promises associated with the theme of the kingdom. However, these promises are to those called to be rulers in that kingdom, and not to its subjects. When Jesus, the King of kings, was raised from the dead, he was highly exalted to the Divine nature, having given his flesh for the life of the world. Those who will live and reign with him in his kingdom are promised that they will be made like him, and share his heavenly home and nature.—John 6:51; I John 3:2,3
THE EARTHLY PHASE
These spiritual rulers in the kingdom of God will have human representatives on earth. The religious rulers of Israel thought they were to represent God in his kingdom, and they could have, had they qualified through humility and obedience. These were in line to be the “children of the kingdom” (Matt. 8:12) but when the kingdom is established they will discover that through unfaithfulness they forfeited the right to any official position therein. Jesus explained this, saying, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.”—Luke 13:28,29
The expression, ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’, is descriptive of the chagrin and disappointment to be experienced by those who, while once in line to be used in the kingdom, find, when they are raised from the dead, that this desired position is occupied by Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, who also then will be raised from the dead in what the Apostle Paul speaks of as a “better resurrection.”—Heb. 11:35,40
These earthly representatives of the kingdom are prophetically referred to in Psalm 45:16 as those who will be made “princes in all the earth.” This will be the earthly phase of Christ’s kingdom, which will represent and operate in conjunction with its spiritual phase, made up of the glorified Jesus and his faithful followers, who, in the “first resurrection” (Rev. 20:6) are exalted to live and reign with him.
These two phases of the kingdom of Christ are symbolically described in Micah 4:1-4 as “Zion”—the spiritual, and “Jerusalem”—the human, or earthly. This prophecy also refers to Jesus and his followers, the “sons of God,” as the ruling “house of the Lord,” symbolized in this prophecy as the “mountain [kingdom]” of the Lord. The prophecy reads:
“In the last days [of this present evil order] it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills [controlling all nations, large and small]; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.”
ALL NEEDS PROVIDED
Peace will come to mankind through Christ’s world government. It will not be a peace through mutual fear, but a peace so complete and enduring that there will he freedom from fear—for none ‘shall make them afraid’. But peace alone, even peace with economic security as symbolized in this prophecy by the idea of dwelling under vine and fig tree, would not be wholly satisfactory. Even with these much desired and sought-after blessings attained, there would still be sickness and death. However, another Old Testament prophecy in which a ‘mountain’ is used to symbolize Christ’s kingdom, assures us that even death is to be destroyed. We quote:
“In this mountain [kingdom] shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees … well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering [superstition and ignorance of the true God] cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, 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. 25:6-9
What more could we ask? And how apparent it is that these inspiring kingdom promises mean more—so much more—than merely a righteous sentiment in the hearts of individuals, that they describe a literal and genuine government which will rule the world in righteousness, bringing peace and health and life to all mankind. (Isa. 26:9) It will be the rulership of this government that will bring the answer to the Christian’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”—Matt. 6:10
A booklet entitled, “Peace through Christ’s Kingdom,” is available free upon request.