| HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN | December 2001 |
Neither Shall They
Learn War Any More
|
“Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” |
THIS IS THE TIME OF the year when the Christian world is reminded that approximately 2,000 years ago the Prince of Peace was born. It was then that Joseph and Mary arrived in the little town of Bethlehem, when Mary was “great with child,” and they could not find lodging in the inn. (Luke 2:5-7) They made the journey from Nazareth because Caesar Augustus had decreed that all the world should be taxed. Since Joseph and Mary were both of the house of David, they had to go to Bethlehem at a difficult time for Mary. That evening she gave birth to the babe, Jesus.
THE BIRTH OF JESUS
The world did not know of this marvelous child being born, but the Lord revealed it to shepherds on the hills of Judea who were watching their flocks by night. An angel appeared unto them and said, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”—Luke 2:10,11
After giving them the sign they were to look for, “suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”—Luke 2:13,14
This was a promise that would be fulfilled in the future when Jesus would become king over all the earth, and bring lasting peace. Today the world still agonizes over broken peace pacts and cease-fire agreements where warfare exists and never seems to end. This is true of the very land where the multitude of heavenly hosts proclaimed peace on earth and good will toward men.
PARENTAL SUPPORT OF SUICIDE BOMBERS
The news media told of the constant interruption of attempts to cease fire in an article entitled, “Israel Boosts Its Policy of Retaliation,” which appeared on August 15, 2001 in the Los Angeles Times. It was interesting because it revealed how early in life children are taught to hate. The article read:
“Abde Adel, a slight 13-year-old, proudly displayed marks on his arm and his leg, scars he said are from having been shot by rubber bullets while throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers. ‘When I grow up, I want to be a Hamas militant and help plan suicide bombings,’ he said.
“As Abde beamed and the adults around him smiled, a woman came in looking for her husband. She said her 9-year-old son had collapsed at home, overcome by tear gas he was exposed to while throwing rocks at soldiers. Asked if she had warned her son to stay away from the troops, she said calmly, ‘Oh no, I want him to be brave.’ She said she has six sons and encourages all of them to throw stones. ‘God willing, they will all become martyrs,’ she said.
“Israeli officials are hoping that their strict payback policy will eventually wear away at such resolve and force the Palestinian leadership—if not the people—to blink first. Though he agreed this week to allow Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to carry on cease-fire talks with the Palestinians, Sharon threatened Tuesday to seize additional property—even though his government has been criticized at home and abroad for taking control of Orient House, the Palestinians’ de facto headquarters in Jerusalem.
“‘If Palestinian violence continues, the Palestinians will lose further property,’ he told a meeting of high-ranking police officers, ‘and from today on there will be no more violation of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem and no more terror activities.’”
PARENTAL EXCEPTIONS IN ISLAM
The attitude of the parents in Islam is not the attitude of all parents. The same paper, on August 26, 2001, published an article entitled, “Anguish, Not Pride Fills Parents of Suicide Bomber.” The article said, “By the norms that exist in Palestinian society after 11 months of bloody conflict with Israel, Shuhail and Fatima Masri should be proud. Their son, Izzedine, became an instant Palestinian hero the day he walked into a pizza restaurant crowded with families in downtown Jerusalem and detonated explosives that killed him and fifteen other people.
“But the mood in the Masri household is one of profound sorrow at the terrible way their child chose to die.
“‘There is no mother who wants to see her son lost,’ Fatima Masri said. ‘Any mother who says she rejoices in her son’s death does so only because she is obliged to say such things by a society that celebrates such attacks as the ultimate patriotic sacrifice,’ Masri said.
“‘If he would have come to me and told me of his plans, I would have locked my arms around him and stopped him from doing this,’ she said. ‘I would have told him, I don’t want Palestine. I don’t want land. I just want you with me.’
“Shuhail Masri, a wealthy man who owns restaurants, shops, and land around the West Bank city of Jenin, says he grieves not only for his son but for his son’s victims.
“‘This wound is so deep in me,’ he said, ‘I didn’t wish this on anybody—not on Jews, or French or English. As I feel the pain of the loss of my son, I can imagine how the parents who lost children that day feel for their children.’
“The Masris’ expressions of grief and empathy are rare in a conflict that has so polarized Israelis and Palestinians that each side has difficulty seeing the other as anything but an enemy and itself as anything but a victim.”
In this case, the strong emotions of parenthood prevailed over the current trends in Muslim society to elevate those who are willing to sacrifice their lives in patriotism. There is a minority among the Muslims who cite their law as being opposed to terrorism. Nevertheless, as this last article notes:
“To Israelis and the outside world, Palestinian suicide bombers commit acts of inexplicable viciousness against innocent civilians. But to increasing numbers of Palestinians, the bombers are the ultimate patriots.
“They are respected not only for being willing to die for the cause of liberating the Palestinians, but for inflicting pain and suffering on Israelis. The death tolls from their attacks—even if they include children, as in the pizzeria bombing—are seen as a grim evening of the score for the hundreds of Palestinians who have died and the thousands who have been injured since fighting broke out in September.”
In spite of efforts made by some Islamic clergy to convince the world that Islamic Law, as originally taught, was opposed to terrorism, it is recognized that modern Muslim terrorist groups are more rooted in national liberation ideologies of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries than they are in Islamic tradition. This is why in Pakistan there are over 8,000 Madrasas, or religious academies, that have sprung up during the past two decades because of Pakistan’s deteriorating educational system. More than a million youths are enrolled, and boys of 10 to 12 are told how they can go to heaven (as suicide bombers). They are prepared to join the jihad (holy war) and are taught military skills.
THE TWIN TOWER TRAGEDY
About fifty young men trained in philosophies and terrorist skills came to the United States of America and nineteen of these hijacked four commercial airliners, managing to destroy the famed twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. They commandeered the airliners and managed to strike the towers, causing them to collapse in a matter of two hours, with the loss of more than five thousand lives. A less devastating but equally destructive strike was made at the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C. Still another planned strike at the White House was averted when passengers on a fourth hijacked airliner fought with the hijackers and the plane crashed in a wooded area enroute to its target.
These events have focused the world’s attention upon the animosity and philosophy of fundamentalist Muslim groups against the Western world, and particularly the United States of America. A ‘holy war’ was declared by Afghanistan Muslim clerics against the United States. Meanwhile, the United States has laid plans for flushing out other members of the plot, their supporters and financiers. Also, bombing of military sites and terrorist training camps in Afghanistan began several weeks after the twin tower tragedy. In places where there is no battlefront, war has intruded.
THE ART OF WAR
The Western world continues to teach its young men how to make war by conscripting or enticing young men to become a part of their standing armies, navies, and air forces. Even the third world poorer nations manage somehow to do the same, using as an excuse self-defense, or in many cases to create armies for dictatorial leaders to control the nations. The learning of war continues even though some nations want to promote peace. The United States of America has wanted to promote peace in other parts of the world, but many times it is for its own self-interests. Recent statistics show that the United States is the leading producer and seller of munitions and weapons of war in the world. No nation wants war, yet in their eyes war is necessary. The devastating terrorist attack on this nation has stimulated advancement of more weaponry in the interest of self-preservation.
As a rule, people don’t want war and don’t want to develop the emotions that cause war and bigotry. During this country’s pre-civil-rights era a Broadway play, “South Pacific,” had lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II which explains the reason for the many ills of our society. The lyrics of the song by Rodgers and Hammerstein were called to this country’s attention by a syndicated columnist who published them in her column.
You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear.
You’ve got to be taught from year to year,
It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear,
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a different shade,
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late.
Before you are 6, or 7, or 8
To hate all the people your relatives hate;
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
PEACE THROUGH CHRIST’S KINGDOM
How will the angelic message of ‘peace on earth’ be fulfilled? Old Testament prophecies have made it plain that peace will come through the establishment of a world government that will arbitrarily impose upon the people of all nations just and righteous laws. The keeping of these laws will assure universal and everlasting peace. The announcement of the angel at that time was that the principal figure in the fulfillment of these Old Testament prophecies had been born. This is similar to the beautiful prophecy of Isaiah when he wrote, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.—Isa. 9:6
“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”—vs. 7
This same prophet later refers to this ruler as the Arm of the Lord (Jehovah) saying, “The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isa. 52:10) This is a prophecy that has not been fulfilled. A few verses later Isaiah asks, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” (Isa. 53:1) As he continues, he mentions that this great leader would not be accepted by the people—“there is no beauty that we should desire him.” He is described as “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:” and that he would be “smitten of God, and afflicted,” and “wounded for our transgressions.” The entire prophecy deals with our Lord brought as a “lamb to the slaughter,” and made an offering for sin. (Isa. 53:1-12) It was necessary as a first step, that all of Adam’s family should be redeemed from the penalty of death, and this is why this Prince of Peace first had to die as a “ransom for all.”—I Tim. 2:6
A second step in bringing peace on earth consists of finding those who will assist our Lord in the dispensing of the kingdom blessings. These have not only been called but also chosen by our Lord. (Matt. 22:14) They are spoken of as being baptized into his death, or, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” (Rom. 6:3) Nothing is made more clear in the Bible than the fact that the disciples of Jesus in this age are invited to follow in his steps of self-sacrifice even unto death. Associated with these conditions of discipleship are the promises that those who prove faithful will reign with him in his kingdom.
As Paul wrote, “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” (II Tim. 2:11,12) Again, “If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Rom. 8:17) After his resurrection Jesus said, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Rev. 3:21), and “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10) Then there is that wonderful promise to these faithful ones that they shall come forth from death in the “first resurrection” to live and reign “with Christ a thousand years.”—Rev. 20:4-6
THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LORD
As the last members of that ruling class are being developed, the Scriptures say that the judgments of the Lord begin against the institutions and rulers in power now. One such prophecy is found in Joel. The Lord says, “Behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joel 3:1,2) The timing of this prophecy is definitely when Israel is gathered back to her own land. The prophecy continues and tells of huge preparations for war and an attitude of the financially weak nations of boasting of their strength.
“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, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be awakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.”—Joel 3:9-12
We note in particular how the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ There is no comparison possible between the economies of Afghanistan and that of the United States. Yet Afghanistan, encouraged by her success in subduing a great superpower like Russia, is declaring holy war against the United States. This prophecy in Joel says that “the Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: … So shall ye know that I am the Lord.”—Joel 3:16,17
THE DESTRUCTION OF WEAPONS OF WAR
These same events are described more dramatically in the forty-sixth Psalm, which says, “The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
“Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder, he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”—Ps. 46:6-11
This prophecy tells of the cessation of war. The only way that this can be done is to destroy the weapons of war. Our Lord does this as he makes himself known to all nations.
To assure that wars never start again, the prophecies that tell us of the establishment of God’s Kingdom, such as Isaiah 2:1-4 and Micah 4:1-3, also say that nations shall not “learn war any more.” The destruction of all weapons of war, and the cessation of teaching the art of war, are the ways that the Prince of Peace will bring permanent peace to earth. Above all, the Christ will teach mankind to discard all emotions of hate and bigotry, and to develop the fruits of the Spirit such as kindness and love. Let us praise God for his wonderful plan!