Despite numerous conferences, negotiations and efforts to establish peace, no true and lasting peace exists between nations, between ethnic groups, between religions, or between the various socio-economic groups in today’s world.
Man has fought two world wars and innumerable smaller conflicts to bring peace. Instead, they have brought nothing but more conflict.
What does the Bible say about peace? The Apostle Paul writes about the last days of this present evil world in these terms: “While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape” (1 Thess. 5:3, New American Standard Bible).
Paul’s words aptly describe our day of conflict and strife. There can be no peace until the reasons for conflict—selfishness, unrighteousness, inequality, and oppression—are taken away. Man has rebelled against God and his righteous laws, and this has brought conflict—between God and man, between man and his neighbor, and between man and his environment. The only way conflict can be ended is if man is brought back into harmony with God and his principles of truth and righteousness.
God gave his only begotten son Jesus—to bring man back into harmony with himself, and bring man back to peace. At his First Advent, Jesus gave his perfect human life as a ransom for Father Adam. This sacrifice was critical to releasing the human family from divine condemnation and giving them an opportunity to come back into harmony with God. At his Second Advent, Jesus will establish his earthly kingdom, and apply the value of his sacrifice to seal the New Covenant, and bring Israel and Judah back into relationship with God (Jer. 31:31-34). He will apply the value of his sacrifice to release the human family from Adamic condemnation and the associated penalty of death (Isa. 42:6,7). Then, he will raise the dead, heal the sick, and teach the human family righteousness.
Christ’s kingdom will establish a way of holiness in which a man may walk. This way will be designed to bring the willing and obedient back to perfection of heart and mind and harmony with God. Those who finish the journey, will recover everything Adam lost through sin—mental, moral, and physical perfection, sonship with God, and everlasting life. They will once again become children of God in a perfect earth (Isa. 35:5-10).
Christ’s work of bringing mankind back to peace with God and with one another is described in our Lord’s title “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6, NASB). In Christ’s kingdom there will be peace, as Isaiah writes in Isaiah 11:9 (NASB): “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Concerning this kingdom, Isaiah writes, God will bring peace to Israel “like a river” (Isa. 66:12, NASB).
How we long for the soon establishment of Christ’s earthly kingdom which will bring true and lasting peace to all mankind.