Message About Government

Next Part The History of Conscientious Objection

Like a newscaster born way ahead of His time, Christ came announcing a complete change in the way the world will one day be governed. Everywhere He went, He spoke about the coming kingdom of God. It was the subject of most of His parables. But when He used the term “kingdom,” what did He mean?

Prior to the birth of Christ, an angel appeared to His mother, Mary. The following extensive passage describes this encounter and what she was told. Notice:

“The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto…Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favoured…You shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the THRONE OF His father DAVID: And He shall REIGN over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His KINGDOM there shall be no end” (Luke 1:26-33).

Recall that in John 18:36, Jesus stated, “My KINGDOM is not of this world.” In this account, He stood before Pilate, on trial for His life. Pilate asked Him, “Are you a KING then?” Christ responded, “You say that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world” (Jn 18:37).

Jesus Christ was born to be a KING!

Here is what was prophesied about Christ in Isaiah: “For 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. 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” (Isa. 9:6-7).

When Christ establishes God’s government on earth, it will bring peace to all nations! But, in order to bring peace, He will have to literally “declare war against war.” After He does, permanent peace will “break out.” (Read our booklet How World Peace Will Come! to learn how and when this will happen.)

Fighting God’s Punishment

The last phases of God’s great plan are now being carried out at the end of mankind’s rule. It is possible to directly fight against God’s unfolding prophesied purpose. Christians must be very careful to both understand and remain in harmony with it. They must never consciously or unconsciously work against it.

The United States, along with the generally English-speaking democratic peoples of the Western World, are the modern-day nations descended from the ten “lost tribes” of ancient Israel. Today’s Israelis represent one of the twelve tribes (Judah) that descended from the patriarch Jacob (later named Israel).

(Take time to read our book America and Britain in Prophecy to learn where these tribes are found today.)

These nations, with the entire world, have rebelled against God. Their sins have cut them off from Him (Isa. 59:1-2). They rejected and disobeyed the wonderful laws that He had once given them! In addition to a few others, the modern nations of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and the United Kingdom will be the special recipients of a prophesied time of terrible national punishment for their spiritual crimes, lawlessness and sins against God!

Carefully examine this extensive prophecy concerning our peoples’ short-term and long-term future. It begins with bad news, but ends with a wonderful picture of good news. Let’s read the prophecy before discussing it:

“And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning ISRAEL and concerning JUDAH. For thus says the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask you now, and see whether a man does travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: IT IS EVEN THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE; but he shall be saved out of it…Therefore fear you not, O my servant Jacob, says the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with you, says the LORD, to save you: though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet will I not make a full end of you: but I will correct you in measure, and will not leave you altogether unpunished. For thus says the LORD, Your bruise is incurable, and your wound is grievous. There is none to plead your cause, that you may be bound up: you have no healing medicines. All your lovers [allies] have forgotten you; they seek you not; for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy [our enemies are merely tools in God’s hands], with the chastisement of a cruel one [certainly this is the very essence of war and terrorism], for the multitude of your iniquity [lawlessness]; because your sins were increased. Why cry you for your affliction? your sorrow is incurable for the multitude of your iniquity: because your sins were increased, I HAVE DONE THESE THINGS UNTO YOU. Therefore all they that devour you shall be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil you shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon you will I give for a prey. For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds” (Jer. 30:4-7, 10-17).

First, notice that this remarkable prophecy pertains to both Israel and Judah. These are not one and the same! Then notice how many times God speaks of “fear,” “trembling,” no “peace” and “faces turned to paleness,” in what He describes as the “great…time of Jacob’s trouble.”

Next, notice how many times God describes these nation’s incurable “wounds,” “bruises” and “sorrow,” and our loss of “lovers” (allies). Now notice how many times God says that all of this has come upon us because of our “iniquities”—our “sins.” Further, notice how God repeatedly says that HE is the One doing this to Israel and Judah—“I have scattered…I have wounded…I will correct…I have done these things…” These verses bluntly describe that what is happening—and will continue to happen—to our lands is God’s doing!

Finally, notice how many times God says that He will “restore…heal…save…” Israel and Judah. God absolutely promises a time of restoration, healing and deliverance—as surely as He promises a time of terror, wounds, punishment and correction to precede it. These prophecies are certain. God keeps His promises and fulfils His purpose!

In the end, the good news is that America, her Israelite allies and the rest of the world will finally have world peace when Christ returns and establishes the kingdom of God.

World Peace—But Not By Human Effort

Those who go to war invariably believe themselves to be serving some higher purpose. But they are directly contradicting God’s purpose and the prophesied punishment in store for both mankind and the modern descendants of Israel.

God’s people are not activists seeking to “make this world a better place”—to bring world peace. They have their “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15). They walk with their “feet” covered in the knowledge of how the true gospel spells the way to final world peace. They understand the certainty that the kingdom of God is coming. They know what lies ahead for this world.

They do not go off to serve and kill in the endless, futile wars of men and nations. They do not take matters into their own hands, thereby effectively seeking to thwart or neutralize God’s purpose, which is to show man that he is not capable of governing himself.

Paul wrote, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they [leaders and religionists] shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief” (I Thes. 5:2-4).

All who understand the truths in this booklet need never again be in the dark about God’s Plan!

It is interesting that Paul also wrote, citing Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of PEACE, and bring glad tidings [the good news of the gospel] of good things” (Rom. 10:15). In Rom 10:16, he went on to cite another passage from Isaiah: “But they have not all OBEYED the gospel. For Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report?” (Isa 53:1).

Most people will not believe “God’s report” of what is ahead for the world. And they will not believe that they are unable to bring world peace through human effort. Many will shout, “Peace, peace!”—“when there is no peace” (Jer. 6:14; 8:11, 14-15)—and most will eagerly believe their false predictions.

Will you?

Millions of professing Christians will continue desperately striving to bring about world peace. Deceived religious leaders will tell them that this is their “Christian duty.” Some will see this as the sole mission of their church. They will seek happiness, abundance, peace and security around every corner, but will be terribly disappointed. This is because world conditions, leading into a final devastating period of global calamity, will get much worse before they ultimately get better.