World Peace—How and When?
WORLD peace is one of mankind’s fondest dreams. But to think that human governments can achieve it is an illusion. The lessons of history agree with what the Bible realistically affirms: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”—Jeremiah 10:23.
Only the almighty Creator of the universe, Jehovah God, can bring lasting peace. And he has given his promise that he will do so. How? Not by human endeavors but by means of what Jesus Christ made the theme of all his teaching—the heavenly Kingdom of God. (Matthew 6:9, 10) The Ruler of that Kingdom, Christ Jesus, is called in prophecy the true “Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) And God’s promise is that under the rule of the Kingdom, there will be an “abundance of peace” in all the earth.—Psalm 72:7.
However, the Bible clearly shows that before this can come about, this present warring system of things must be put out of the way. (1 John 2:15-17) And Bible prophecy indicates that its destruction is imminent.—Matthew 24:3-14, 22, 34; Luke 21:25-28; 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
This, therefore, is the unchangeable purpose of the God “who cannot lie.” (Titus 1:2) Thus, should not the religious leaders, especially those of Christendom, have offered up prayers in harmony with this purpose? Should they not also have been acting in harmony with that purpose? Yet, none of those religious representatives at Assisi made any mention of this system’s near end and the incoming rule of God’s Kingdom, the fundamental message of Jesus and God’s Word.
This is not surprising because those religions have not taught their followers the truth about God’s purposes. Instead, they are part of this world under Satan, and they concentrate their efforts on perpetuating it. As a result, their people have become divided, putting more faith in nationalism than in God’s Kingdom. This has led them to kill one another in this world’s conflicts. Thus, these words apply to such religions: “Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.”—James 4:4.
Hence, the appeals for peace by these religions fall on deaf ears. They bring to mind the situation in the prophet Jeremiah’s time. Back then the false religious prophets declared: “There is peace! There is peace!” But, in reality, ‘there was no peace’ for them.—Jeremiah 6:14.
Worldwide Educational Work
Yet, God’s purpose will be fulfilled. (Isaiah 55:11) So today a worldwide work of Bible instruction is underway. This is in harmony with the prophecy at Matthew 24:14, which states: “And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”
Since those who are part of this earth-wide movement of true worship submit to God’s requirements, they have eliminated the divisive influence of nationalism among themselves. They have become a peaceful society of people who love one another and who live for God’s Kingdom. As a result, they are fulfilling the thrilling prophecy at Micah 4, which says:
“And it must occur in the final part of the days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah [his true worship] will become firmly established above the top of the mountains [all other types of worship], . . . and to it peoples must stream. And many nations will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ . . . And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”—Micah 4:1-3.
It is abundantly clear that this prophecy cannot have been fulfilled by the meeting at Assisi. The ones who are streaming to the symbolic mountain of pure worship are persons who are being instructed in Jehovah’s peace-loving ways and who walk according to his purpose and requirements. They are not people who remain in their previous religions, divided by conflicting doctrines and practices. Instead, they are gathered together as Micah 2:12 foretold: “In unity I shall set them, like a flock in the pen.”
The result of this educational work is that over three million people in all the earth have become proclaimers of the “good news of the kingdom.” They have become peaceful persons, and under no circumstance will they take the life of their fellowman. Just as Micah foretold, they have already beaten “their swords into plowshares . . . ; neither will they learn war anymore.” And many millions of other interested people throughout the earth are being taught by them.
Jehovah’s Witnesses look forward to the harmonious new world in which Micah 4:4 will be fulfilled toward all mankind: “They will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble; for the very mouth of Jehovah of [heavenly] armies has spoken it.” Next, in Mic 4 verse 5, Micah draws a contrast between those who worship the multiplicity of false gods and those who worship the one true God, saying: “All the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever.” Apparently, God’s name was never even mentioned at Assisi. However, would you not like to learn about this God of the Bible? Jehovah’s Witnesses will be happy to help you in this.
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Who have really beaten their swords into plowshares?