Peace on Earth
The song lyric, "Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me," sounds Christian but it's not Biblical.
The desire for world peace has been a human desire since the human race was separated from God at the Fall in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit.
Biblically speaking, peace on earth cannot be brought about by man or woman.
It begins when Jesus returns to Earth as foretold in many Bible scriptures.
Only Jesus can restore what mankind lost at the Fall.
Fortunately, through God's present grace steps can be taken to alleviate human suffering.
There has always been and always will be ruffians, world leaders who don't want to have world peace and no amount of statesmanship will bring it about.
While fundamental Christians and many other people pray for peace and try to live peaceably with all men, they must understand that global peace will not come until Jesus returns and reigns on this earth during the Millennium.
In fact, many Christians are skeptical of secular programs proposed to bring in world peace.
Peace will not come from the efforts of the United Nations or the Republican Party, or the Democratic Party, or the Libertarian or even the Woman's Missionary Society.
No amount of human efforts will be able to do it.
There will be at times moments of peace here and there in different parts of the world and in different countries.
But that is not complete peace.
Prior to the millennium there will be what appears to be global peace.
But watch out.
That bit of calm will be what is described in the book of Daniel 8:25 "...
and he [the Anti-Christ]...
by peace shall destroy many.
" That period of peace will take place during the Great Tribulation.
But it will not last very long.
The colonial American, Patrick Henry presented some important truths in his great speech.
"It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter.
Gentlemen may cry, Peace, peace--but there is no peace.
Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" Patrick Henry was saying he didn't want peace with England if there was no liberty.
If he were here today, he might say that this talk of world peace is a trap and is not what we are looking for; world peace sounds so good and so Christian.
There are many secular theories that hope to bring global peace.
The Democracy theory says that it will lead us to world peace.
But democracy requires a majority.
What about the minority that doesn't want what the majority gives them? And there is the Communist theory that says world revolution will lead to a communist world peace.
A revolution does not sound like world peace, it sounds like promoting war.
Also, the Communist definition of world peace is "we are in control.
" That's not peace, that's control, world dominion.
The theory of Cobdenism believes that international free trade will result in world peace.
The theory of Mutually Assured Destruction (M.
A.
D.
) believes that if every one is fully armed with nuclear weapons, no one will attack another country knowing it will mean their own immediate destruction.
Some believe the theory of globalization will bring world peace.
Others believe in Isolationism; that nations should focus only on domestic affairs to avoid wars.
And some believe in Self-organized peace.
That is where human cooperation on international projects will bring the human race together to get world peace.
There are many religious theories that hope to bring peace on earth.
Buddhism believes that people need to establish peace in their minds and abandon negative emotions.
If that is so, then why have so many Buddhist monks set themselves on fire? Liberal Christians believe that a demonstration of Christian goodwill will bring in the Kingdom of Christ as believe the proponents of covenant theology.
Islam believes world peace will come when the Prophet returns and all humanity realizes that it descended from a common pair, Adam and Eve.
Orthodox Jews believe world peace will come when the Messiah comes.
Conservative Christianity believes that because man is naturally corrupt and does not have the ability to live in peace that world peace will not come until Jesus returns and overcomes His enemies at the Battle of Armageddon and rules the earth with a rod of iron.
Jesus said that nations will rise up against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms but there will be no peace till He gets back.
So about the only thing we can do is to try to get along.
But that won't be easy to do because someone is always going to want to get the upper hand and the lower hand won't like it.
The desire for world peace has been a human desire since the human race was separated from God at the Fall in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit.
Biblically speaking, peace on earth cannot be brought about by man or woman.
It begins when Jesus returns to Earth as foretold in many Bible scriptures.
Only Jesus can restore what mankind lost at the Fall.
Fortunately, through God's present grace steps can be taken to alleviate human suffering.
There has always been and always will be ruffians, world leaders who don't want to have world peace and no amount of statesmanship will bring it about.
While fundamental Christians and many other people pray for peace and try to live peaceably with all men, they must understand that global peace will not come until Jesus returns and reigns on this earth during the Millennium.
In fact, many Christians are skeptical of secular programs proposed to bring in world peace.
Peace will not come from the efforts of the United Nations or the Republican Party, or the Democratic Party, or the Libertarian or even the Woman's Missionary Society.
No amount of human efforts will be able to do it.
There will be at times moments of peace here and there in different parts of the world and in different countries.
But that is not complete peace.
Prior to the millennium there will be what appears to be global peace.
But watch out.
That bit of calm will be what is described in the book of Daniel 8:25 "...
and he [the Anti-Christ]...
by peace shall destroy many.
" That period of peace will take place during the Great Tribulation.
But it will not last very long.
The colonial American, Patrick Henry presented some important truths in his great speech.
"It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter.
Gentlemen may cry, Peace, peace--but there is no peace.
Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" Patrick Henry was saying he didn't want peace with England if there was no liberty.
If he were here today, he might say that this talk of world peace is a trap and is not what we are looking for; world peace sounds so good and so Christian.
There are many secular theories that hope to bring global peace.
The Democracy theory says that it will lead us to world peace.
But democracy requires a majority.
What about the minority that doesn't want what the majority gives them? And there is the Communist theory that says world revolution will lead to a communist world peace.
A revolution does not sound like world peace, it sounds like promoting war.
Also, the Communist definition of world peace is "we are in control.
" That's not peace, that's control, world dominion.
The theory of Cobdenism believes that international free trade will result in world peace.
The theory of Mutually Assured Destruction (M.
A.
D.
) believes that if every one is fully armed with nuclear weapons, no one will attack another country knowing it will mean their own immediate destruction.
Some believe the theory of globalization will bring world peace.
Others believe in Isolationism; that nations should focus only on domestic affairs to avoid wars.
And some believe in Self-organized peace.
That is where human cooperation on international projects will bring the human race together to get world peace.
There are many religious theories that hope to bring peace on earth.
Buddhism believes that people need to establish peace in their minds and abandon negative emotions.
If that is so, then why have so many Buddhist monks set themselves on fire? Liberal Christians believe that a demonstration of Christian goodwill will bring in the Kingdom of Christ as believe the proponents of covenant theology.
Islam believes world peace will come when the Prophet returns and all humanity realizes that it descended from a common pair, Adam and Eve.
Orthodox Jews believe world peace will come when the Messiah comes.
Conservative Christianity believes that because man is naturally corrupt and does not have the ability to live in peace that world peace will not come until Jesus returns and overcomes His enemies at the Battle of Armageddon and rules the earth with a rod of iron.
Jesus said that nations will rise up against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms but there will be no peace till He gets back.
So about the only thing we can do is to try to get along.
But that won't be easy to do because someone is always going to want to get the upper hand and the lower hand won't like it.
