How Will God Bring Peace? And When?
“Since the dawn of civilization, Man’s master institution has been states . . . There has never been one single state embracing the whole living generation of mankind all round the globe.”
“There has always been a multitude of states . . . and their collisions have precipitated the wars that have been one of the maladies of civilization.”
“The present-day global set of local sovereign states is not capable of keeping the peace.”—Arnold Toynbee, Mankind and Mother Earth.
IN THE light of the above statements, what is one of the principal impediments to the establishment of peace? It is the division of mankind into sovereign states. Put more simply, it is nationalism.
Historian Arnold Toynbee described nationalism as the “most powerful and most vicious of the three post-Christian Western ideologies. [The others being, according to Toynbee, ‘world communism’ and ‘world capitalism.’] . . . Nationalism is about ninety per cent of the religion of about ninety per cent of the whole human race.” Yet nationalism has divided mankind for thousands of years. Then how can the God of peace rid the earth of this scourge?
Basis for a Change
In a quiet way the change is already taking place. The germ of peace and supranational thinking is being sown in the minds of millions of people around the world. How is that being accomplished? By the earth-wide educational work being carried out by Jehovah’s Witnesses. This religious group has shown by its record that it is apolitical—completely neutral on political and nationalistic issues. This position is based on following the teachings of Christ, which in turn are based on the fundamental truth that “God is love.”—1 John 4:8.
Jesus said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” He also stated: “Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you.” (John 13:35; Matthew 5:44) In view of Jesus’ words, how could true followers of his learn war anymore? How could they hate and kill on the arbitrary basis of nationalism? Really, they could not!
That is why Jehovah’s Witnesses already form a worldwide brotherhood that is preparing itself for life in a new order here on earth under the rule of God’s heavenly Kingdom. They are living proof that it is possible to reeducate people so that they will live in peace with their neighbors of all races and tribes and tongues. In a sense, they already form one organized body embracing representatives of all mankind the world around. Even now millions of Witnesses and their associates have ‘beaten their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears.’ They are not willing to take up arms against their fellowman or to learn war anymore.—Isaiah 2:4.
Big Changes Near
Over 2,500 years ago the Bible said regarding events during the time of the end: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. . . . It will crush and put an end to all these [competing political] kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.” (Daniel 2:44) This is the very Kingdom that Christians are taught to pray for in the Lord’s Prayer. Jehovah’s Witnesses are announcing that Kingdom government, and they know that God will not fail to bring it about because “it is impossible for God to lie.”—Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2.
For God to bring peace to the earth, another big change is necessary—a change of spiritual rulership. Satan must go. That is one of the reasons why Christ Jesus had to die as a martyr, “that through his death he might bring to nothing the one having the means to cause death, that is, the Devil.” (Hebrews 2:14) In accordance with the prophecy in Revelation, Satan will soon be put out of action. Then there will be no more political rulers influenced by him to put out warmongering propaganda. Peace-loving people will be able to turn toward the God of peace for rulership and tranquillity.—Revelation 20:1-3.
In a beautiful vision, John saw this new heavenly government in operation toward the earth, and he heard a voice from heaven that said: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. . . . And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:1-4.
You, too, can find peace even now, and perfect peace in the future, by getting to know God’s purposes toward mankind and this beautiful, if abused, earth.
[Blurb on page 12]
The germ of peace and supranational thinking is being sown in the minds of millions of people around the world