Topics Menu
We are a Christian Fellowship meeting in North London with a strong interest in teaching the Bible and understanding our time in
the light of Bible prophecy
Messiah and world peace
Present day efforts to create peace in the Middle East and in the world
generally are unlikely to be successful. The conclusion we have come to is a
pessimistic one in the immediate future - that the present world system will
not succeed in bringing about peace, but rather the opposite. Does that mean
we are against peace? Not at all. If there was a genuine peace on offer we
would be for it 100%. We just do not think that peace will be attained by
making agreements with terrorists and dictators who agree to a temporary
cease fire while they gain what they can by diplomacy but still reserve the
right to use force when it suits them.
All of this ties up with the end time words of the Bible about a false peace
as described in Isaiah 28.14-22 when leaders who reject God's wisdom make a
'covenant with death' in order to save themselves from 'the overflowing
scourge', but find out that they have made 'lies our refuge' as the covenant
is broken and the thing they feared comes upon them. It also relates to the
7 year peace treaty which Daniel 9.27 speaks of in which the man of sin or
the Antichrist makes a treaty through lying offers of peace (see also Daniel
9.24,27).
In both of these prophecies there are those who do not enter into this false
peace covenant, and do not act rashly, but according to Isaiah 28.16, they
put their trust in God who says, 'Behold I lay in Zion a stone for a
foundation, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation.' This
is a reference to Psalm 118.22, a Messianic Psalm which says, 'The stone
which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This was the
Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.' This verse is referred to
Messiah Jesus in all the Gospels, in the Acts and in 1 Peter.
There is a story relating to this verse that as the builders were putting
the great hewn stones of Solomon's Temple in place, they came across a stone
which was an odd shape and did not fit anywhere. So they rejected it and put
it on the rubbish heap. As they came to the end of their building they found
that there was an odd shaped space at the head of the corner. One of the
builders who had been there at the beginning of the work remembered the odd
shaped stone and they looked on the rubbish heap and found it. It was a
perfect fit for the odd shaped space they had left at the head of the
corner.
This story has an amazing message in relation to the Messianic claim of
Jesus. When He came the first time, for many Jewish people He did not fit
the idea of Messiah and He was put on the rubbish heap spiritually and
rejected. At the end of days as the final conflict rages around Jerusalem
the remnant of Jewish people they will look upon 'him whom they have pierced
and mourn for him as for an only Son.' Zechariah 12.10. They will understand
that He is the only one who can fit the empty space in their lives and
fulfil their hopes of the Messiah. Then He will return and take up His place
of honour and deliver Israel from destruction and create world peace.
One of the major reasons why Jesus does not fit as the Messiah is the view
taught by the Rabbis that when the Messiah comes He will bring world peace.
In almost all attempts to refute the claim that Jesus is the Messiah that I
have read one major argument is that He did not create world peace as
described in Isaiah 2.1-4 therefore He cannot be the Messiah.
It is interesting that in His teaching at no point did Jesus promise world
peace in this present age. In fact He told His disciples that they would
have tribulation and be put to death by hostile forces (Matthew 10.16-26,
24.9-10, John 16.33) and that they should not seek to avenge themselves, but
should love their enemies (Matthew 5.43-45). When Peter tried to prevent
Jesus' arrest by force, Jesus said 'Put your sword in its place, for all who
take the sword will perish by the sword.' There has been an attempt by
Liberal Jewish and Christian scholars to rewrite the Gospel story making out
Jesus to be a revolutionary against the Roman occupation. This was the
subject of a TV documentary, 'The Real Jesus'. I have written an answer to
the distortion of the truth that this programme portrayed which is available
on request.
On the subject of war, Jesus said specifically that the present age would be
characterised by 'wars and rumours of wars' and that in the period
immediately preceding His second coming 'Nation will rise against nation and
kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences and
earthquakes in various places (Matthew 24.7).' This would lead to a time of
'great tribulation' which would lead to the end of all life on earth if God
did not intervene (Matthew 24.21-22).
The reason why wars would continue in this age is the sin in human hearts:
'Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your
desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You
murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war.' (James 4.1-2). The
evil that causes wars comes from within human beings (Matthew 15.18-19) and
it is only through repentance and faith in Jesus' sacrifice for our sins
that we can be delivered from this evil human nature. Only a minority choose
to follow this way in truth (Matthew 7.13-14) and so war and violence will
be with us until the Day of Judgement. In fact they will increase the nearer
we get to that day.
There is a Messianic prophecy which tells us that the coming of the Messiah
will be followed by a time of war. In Daniel 9.26 we read, 'Messiah shall be
cut off (die a violent death) but not for himself (not for his own sins);
and the people (the Romans) of the prince who is to come (the Antichrist who
will come out of the revived Roman Empire) shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary (the destruction of Jerusalem and the second Temple in 70 AD). The
end of it shall be with a flood (an invasion) and till the end of the war
desolations are determined (wars and desolations will follow this first
coming of the Messiah).' (My comments in brackets).
Although modern Rabbinic writings almost always see a single coming of the
Messiah or a single Messiah, bringing world peace after he has regathered
Israel and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem, there is an older Jewish
tradition of two Messiahs, one a suffering servant Messiah called 'Moshiach
ben Joseph' (Messiah son of Joseph - i.e. Joseph in Genesis) and the other a
reigning king Messiah called 'Moshiach ben David' (son of David). The first
Messiah comes to be rejected and killed in the Wars of Gog and Magog. Then
the second Messiah resurrects him and brings in the Messianic age of peace
and justice prophesied by Isaiah and other Hebrew prophets.
The alternative (and more convincing) explanation of the apparent conflict
between the two portraits of the Messiah is that they both speak of the same
Messiah coming on two different occasions. The first time Jesus came He
fulfilled Isaiah 53, the Suffering Servant Messiah, bringing peace and
eternal life to the individual who believes in Him: 'He was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our
peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have
gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord has laid
on him the iniquity of us all.' (Isaiah 53.5-6). In the time in which we are
living (between his first and second coming) He offers individual peace, but
not international peace.
When He comes the second time, He will judge the nations according to how
they have responded to His offer of salvation. After separating those who
are saved from those who reject Him, He will then fulfil the prophecies of
the reigning king and bring world peace: 'For out of Zion shall go forth the
Law and the world of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the
nations, and shall rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into
ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.' (Isaiah
2.1-4).
If you want to be ready for that day now is the time to get right with God.
Pray the following prayer and contact us for further information on living
the new life in the Messiah Jesus:
'Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe
that Jesus the Messiah died in my place paying the penalty for my sins. I am
willing right now to turn from my sin and accept Jesus the Messiah as my
personal Saviour and Lord. I commit my life to you and ask you to send the
Holy Spirit into my life, to fill me and to take control and to help me
become the kind of person you want me to be. Thank you Father for loving me.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
