DO YOU KNOW: That people in general long for lasting global peace among the nations, but that it always seems very hard to achieve?
• That many view with alarm and fear the continued great stockpiling of deadly weapons, especially nuclear missiles and neutron and other bombs, capable of destroying all mankind?
• That this stockpiling fulfills the Bible prophecy, "Prepare war … beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong" (Joel 3:9, 10)?
• That worldwide there is much sentiment for mutual reduction in making and stockpiling nuclear and other weapons, but the contending nations fear that adequate inspection of one another's arsenal will be impossible and that some nation will continue building up its arsenal secretly?
• That while some measure of reduction in the manufacture and stockpiles of nuclear and other deadly weapons may come from negotiations between the great world powers, such disarmament negotiations will surely end in failure to reach the desired goal of true and lasting peace among the nations?
• That though there is good in it, the present order on earth is Biblically called "this present evil world" and Satan is called "the god of this world" (Gal. 1:4; John 14:30; 2 Cor. 4:4)?
• That God is not powerless to thwart Satan and his evil rulership, but that He has permitted evil in order to work out His purposes, teaching all, including God's people, many valuable lessons?
• That God's permitting evil has nearly accomplished His desired purposes, and that the time has come for Him to destroy Satan's evil empire?
• That since 1914 God has caused the greatest Time of Trouble ever (Dan. 12:1), and that before it is over Satan's evil rule will be ended?
• That the Prophet Elijah, representing God's true Church, saw a vision of a great destructive wind, earthquake and fire, representing God's Church seeing great war, revolution and anarchy destroying Satan's empire and humbling mankind, so that they will listen to God's "still small voice" speaking real peace (1 Kings 19:11, 12)?
• That taking his view after the Time of Trouble, the Psalmist says prophetically, "Behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth; he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted in the earth" (Psa. 46:9-11)?
• That since 1914 there have been two great World War phases, much revolution and anarchy and there is considerably more to come in this great worldwide Time of Trouble, and that if it were not checked by God, all humans would be killed, but that He by the intervention of Jesus and His Church will spare some (Matt. 24:21, 22; Zeph. 2:3; 3:8, 9)?
• That "this present evil world" with its false religious systems ("heavens") and social order ("earth") is to be fully destroyed by the destructive trouble ("fire") of this "day of the LORD," and will be replaced by the new religious system of Jesus and His Church ("the new heavens") and their new social order on earth ("the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness"—2 Pet. 3:7-13; Isa. 25:6-9; 35:1-10; 65:17-25; Dan. 2:1-49)?
• That this same Time of Trouble is described in Heb. 12:26-28 as an earthquake, which violently shakes the heaven and earth, that all things not based on truth and righteousness will be shaken out, and only those properly based—the things of God's Kingdom—will remain, that thus the new government on earth, "the desire of all nations, shall come" (Hag. 2:6, 7; Rom. 8:19-22)?
• That Jesus, the great Prince of Peace, will establish the new government of earth, into which people of all nations will come and in which "they shall beat their swords into plowshares … nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." "They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid" (Isa. 2:2-4; 9:6, 7; Psa. 22:27-29; 72:1-20; 86:9; Mic. 4:1-4)? This will be the real, lasting long-sought universal peace!
• That besides bringing peace eventually to all nations worldwide, Jesus brings peace to all who put their trust in God and Him?
• That if one wants to please God, he first "must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him" (Heb. 11:6)?
• That we must all recognize that we are sinners of Adam's death-condemned race and repent for our sins and accept Jesus as our own personal Savior, thus having our sins forgiven and becoming justified by faith (Acts 20:21); and that "being justified by faith we have peace with God [and fellowship with Him—1 John 1:3-7] through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5:1, 2)?
• That if we dedicate, or consecrate, our lives to God (Prov. 23:26; Matt. 16:24; Rom. 12:1), we get a serenity of heart and mind, a deeper, fuller peace, "the peace of God, which passes all [human] understanding, [which] shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ," keeping us from fear in a fear-filled world (Psa. 119:165; Isa. 26:3, 4; John 14:27; Phil. 4:6, 7; Col. 3:15)?
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