Revelation’s Final Countdown

As we look around the world today, there is a tragic lack of peace on every corner. Although men have been striving and seeking for peace for decades, centuries and millennia, still there is conflict and turmoil in every direction. As we survey the tumultuous world scene, it leads us to question, “Can we find peace in this turbulent world we call home?” If so, why have we not found it yet? If not, what do we have to expect for our world and our country?

Political leaders and activists have been appealing and working toward a new era of peace and prosperity for a troubled world. On December 7, 1988 in an address to the United Nations, Mikhael Gorbachev coined a phrase that would spread rapidly throughout the political world. He called for a New World Order, an attempt to bring peace to this troubled world through a new and unique world order. Then President George H. W. Bush picked up this line of thought and declared in the State of the Union Address on April 29, 1991, “What is at stake is more than one small country, it is a big idea—a new world order, where diverse nations are drawn together in a common cause to achieve the universal aspirations of mankind; peace and security, freedom and the rule of law. Such is a world worthy of our struggle, and worthy of our children’s future.” Since that time this idea has appeared dozens of times in United Nations press releases by various political leaders at different times. (See the official United Nations website: www.un.org) Indeed it sounds good, but it has not yet been achieved. Will the vision ever become a reality? Can we expect peace in our turbulent world?

Bible Prophecy Predicts Diminishing Political Peace

Matthew 24:12  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Jesus predicted that in the last days, lawlessness, or the breaking of God’s Law, would be seen everywhere. Has this prediction met its fulfillment in our time? No one can deny that lawlessness is in every direction that we look. It does not matter what large paper you pick up or what day it is, undoubtedly there will be a dreadful record of crimes and lawlessness. No location is exempt and no society is immune. From the outback of Australia to remote villages of Africa into the ancient acropolises of Europe to the major industrial and economic meccas of our land, crime is abounding and exploding around us. From a sniper on a rampage through Virginia and Maryland during October 2002 to the horrific school shootings and violence from Colorado (4/20/99) to Germany (4/26/02) to Japan (6/9/02) to Yemen (3/30/97), crime and lawlessness abounds. One can look at some of the largest bankruptcies in US history (Enron, WorldCom, etc.) and see the crimes of extortion and robbery against thousands of innocent employees and stockholders. From the grotesque and appalling crimes to the minor shoplifting at the corner store, the words of Bible prophecy stand fulfilled and verified.

We would like to think that with an enlightened and educated populace, heinous crimes would become a thing of the past, but the events transpiring around us and our experience reveal another tragic story. Jesus looked down the ages to our day and foretold that “lawlessness will abound.” All of man’s best efforts to contradict these words have been of no avail and the words of prophecy stand sure—we cannot expect nor hope for peace in the moral fabric of today’s society.

A Form of Godliness

II Timothy 3:1-5  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Paul enumerates an entire list of unenviable character traits that will prevail in society in the last days. Among all of these fifteen plus descriptions of mankind in the last days of earth’s history, not one is found that is desirable or admirable, yet Paul says all of these characteristics will be prevalent in our time. Has Bible prophecy hit the bull’s eye again? Without question.

Perhaps what is the most disconcerting of all is despite the fact that all of these traits abound (such as brutality, slander, etc.); they exist in those who have a “form of godliness”! Paul’s unlovable list is not describing prisoners or gang members, but those who make a profession of religion and Christianity! These terrible traits are no doubt to be found in those of the world, but even more than that they are to be found among the pew-warmers themselves! Has this prophecy met fulfillment in our time?

In the winter and spring of 2001 a rush of articles came out such as, “Can the Catholic Church Save Itself?” Cover article, Time, April 1, 2002, or “Can the Church Save its Soul?—As the scandal widens, shocked Catholics search for solutions.” Cover article, US News and World Report, April 1, 2002. The nation was horrified as one allegation after another came out. The figures were far worse than anyone had imagined, and yet they did not stop. (According to a New York Times survey and reported by Associated Press Sunday 1/12/03, 1,205 priests or 1.8% of all priests ordained from 1950-2001 have been accused of abuse.) These are not hardened criminals; these are men who have taken a vow of consecration to godliness. Indeed they had a “form of godliness,” but the power was lacking and case after case of molestation has been opened to the public. Indeed, the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy were fulfilled, but he gave no intimation that it was going to get better. He simply chronicles what was prophecy then, but now has taken its place in history as continuing through the “perilous times” of the “last days.”

International Plagues

Matthew 24:7  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in their publication State of Food Insecurity in the World 2002, 840,000,000 people are malnourished everyday and over 6,000,000 children under the age of five die from hunger every year. Although we live in an age of modern science and farming techniques, we still cannot feed all of humanity and experts predict it will only get worse as the population continues to grow. Human Development Report 2002, Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World, published by the United Nations Development Programme states that 30,000 children die from primarily preventable and treatable disease everyday. Pestilences are sweeping through the world. Although diseases like leprosy seem to be diminishing other disease such as cancer, aids, and heart disease take the lives of millions every year. By 2001, 22,000,000 people had died from AIDS, causing 13,000,000 children to lose one or both parents and 40,000,000 are currently living with AIDS. (Ibid.) Natural disasters are afflicting our world almost daily. In 2001, there were 712 reported natural disasters ranging from floods, to volcanic eruptions, from hurricanes to earthquakes, affecting 170,000,000 people and costing billions of dollars. (World Disasters Report, Jonathan Walter, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, www.ifrc.org) Earthquakes continue to be a major scourge to our world, despite the opinion of skeptics. In 2002, eighty-two significant (a magnitude of 6.5 or greater or causing fatalities, injuries or substantial damage) earthquakes rocked our world and we are now told that we can expect 20,000 earthquakes a year—fifty everyday. (United States Geological Survey, www.usgs.org)

Fear and Uncertainty in the Air

Luke 21:25, 26  And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Although the world has advanced in enormous strides in almost all areas of life – technology, medicine, education, etc., fear and uncertainty plague the minds of millions. Millions are on anti-depressants and similar drugs—“men’s hearts failing them for fear.”

Wars and International Tensions

Matthew 24:6, 7  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

Jesus, in looking down the ages to the last day just before Armageddon, saw wars and clash of arms. Not only wars, but rumors of them, international tensions abounding everywhere, nations allying themselves against other nations. What more striking fulfillment could be seen today? Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, China, Korea, Congo are only a few. We have been involved in more skirmishes and battles than at any other time in history. Since World War I (the Great War to end all wars), a day has not gone by without war or tensions somewhere in the world. The deaths by wars and other atrocities for the twentieth century far outnumber that of any other century. For example, Zbigniew Brzezinski in his book Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the Twenty-first Century (1993) estimated between 167,000,000 and 175,000,000 “lives deliberately extinguished by politically motivated carnage” in the twentieth century. This has been divided out into 87,500,000 deaths from war (33,500,000 military personnel and 54,000,000 civilians deaths directly related to war) and 80,000,000 resulting from political oppression. Others have put the number over 200,000,000 (M. Cherif Bassouni, cited in Chicago Tribune, 25 Oct. 1998) While we cannot verify with complete accuracy exactly how many died from wars and political upheavals in the twentieth century, enough information is known to be assured that Jesus’ prophetic words stand out in unquestionable and stark fulfillment.

Predicting and Seeking Peace

I Thessalonians 5:3  For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

During the last century there was a great push for peace among the nations, but it did not seem to work. In 1899 the International Peace Conference was formed, but did that stop World War I? After World War I, the League of Nations was founded, but along came World War II. After World War II, the United Nations was formed and President Truman succeeded in bringing the United States in, as well. Yet the peacekeeping forces of the UN have not succeeded in bringing peace to this world. Countless wars and lives have been lost since the formation of the United Nations. Bible prophecy predicted that in a time when lawlessness fills our streets, when international tensions could not be higher, when famines and pestilences are filling our world, people would be crying “Peace and safety!” Do you hear that cry today?

Increasing Strife and Tensions Leading to Armageddon

Daniel 12:1  At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.

Revelation 16:14  For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Despite the desperate attempts and cries for peace, prophecy predicts continuing and increasing strife leading to the dreaded battle of Armageddon. “A time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” There can be no question about it, God’s Word does not give any semblance to the idea that peace will abound on the earth in our time. On the contrary it pictures crimes, wars, disasters only increasing until our world is catapulted into the final, fateful battle. As we look around, we see no peace and as we trace the prophetic record we see no assurance of political peace in our poor, shattered world.

True Peace Promised

While it would be wonderful to think that world peace will be achieved and everyone will live in harmony and contentment, the Prophetic Word of God plainly declares that this will not be. We are given no promise or assurance that world peace will be achieved. On the contrary, it repeatedly states that things will get worse and worse. Crime will continue to explode, even professedly religious people will continue to commit heinous crimes, international plagues of famine, pestilence and earthquakes will continue to ravish the earth, fear and uncertainty will continue to plague the hearts of mankind, wars and international tensions will continue to take the lives of thousands and millions and yet while man is continuing to predict peace the world will be catapulted into Armageddon. It is not a very bright picture, but Prophecy has not left us without a solution and hope for tomorrow.

John 16:33  These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Nowhere in the Holy Bible do we find a promise or assurance that world peace will be brought about in our poor, shattered world, but Jesus has promised something much better. He has promised that while the multiplicity of problems is swirling around us, we can have peace in our hearts and souls. The words of Jesus resound down to our time bringing hope, assurance and promise to all who are willing to accept them. Does fear and uncertainty threaten to engulf us? There is hope for the future. Do the trials, problems and heartache seem more than you can bear? Jesus has the answer. In the midst of wars, strife, international scourges and commotion all around, we can be of good cheer because Jesus has promised peace.

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The promised peace of our Lord is totally unlike anything found in the world. Paul states that it surpasses all understanding. It does not matter how hard we try, we will be unable to fathom the peace that He gives. While the bombs are bursting around, the peace of God can keep our hearts and minds strong in Christ Jesus. When all earthly support is torn out from under a person, the peace of our Savior can still be an abiding principle in the heart. When friend, brother, parent, lover or spouse forsakes us, Christ’s peace can still be the bulwark of our lives. Whatever is going on around us in the political or personal world, the peace of God can reign in our lives. What the Lord has promised is infinitely superior to the fragile political and economic peace that the world is pursuing. It is a peace that stands undaunted from external turmoil and difficulties, and only grows stronger when outside pressures threaten its existence.

How Can This Peace be Found?

Ecclesiastes 2:3-11  I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself waterpools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

Deep inside the hearts of mankind is this inborn longing for fulfillment and contentment, but tragically few realize the avenues that lead to true inner peace. Solomon, one who was highly favored of God and endowed with great wisdom, lost his early connection and experience with the Lord and spent much of his life in a downward spiral. During the years of estrangement from his Savior, he sought to fill the aching void within his heart in many different ways. In the twilight of his life, he turned again to the God of his fathers and related his lamentable experience. He relates how he vainly sought to fill the emptiness deep within his heart. He built houses and developed lands. He planted vineyards, orchards and groves. He accumulated mass quantities of silver, gold and wealth. He sought for fulfillment from wine, music and banquets, but at the end of his fruitless search for peace, he testifies, “all was vanity and grasping for the wind.” Wealth and elaborate possessions do not give peace—else Solomon would have found it. Allurements of the flesh such as alcohol, feasting, music, drugs, promiscuity cannot give inner fulfillment—else Solomon would have been satisfied. All over the world people are the same. In Africa, in Asia, in Europe, in the cities and villages of our land, people are longing for something that they do not have, but they are taking the wrong roads to finding it. Millions, like Solomon, are running in every direction but the right one to fill the emptiness and longing deep inside. Some may try to hide it, but all will eventually come to the same conclusion of Solomon. All the external pleasures and possessions of the world are simply “vanity and grasping for the wind.”

Isaiah 57:1, 2, 20, 21  The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.... But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

Job 22:21  Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.

The Word of God clearly establishes the dividing line between those who have true inner peace and those who are cannot find what their heart desires. Regardless of what happens to the righteous man, still he enters into peace and rests upon his bed in ease, while the wicked are like a troubled sea and have no rest. The secret to true inner peace is to “acquaint yourself with Him.” Only in knowing the Lord can the void and emptiness of the soul be filled. Millions are looking to the possessions and vices of the world attempting to quench the thirsting and longing, while the Lord looks on in sadness giving His tender appeal and plea to all who will listen:

Isaiah 55:1-3  Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you—the sure mercies of David.

The Equation of Peace: Knowing Him

II Peter 1:2, 3  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

John 17:3  And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Isaiah 26:3, 4  You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

A divine equation is given as in any other mathematical equation; if the conditions are met the outcome will always be the same. The equation to find true inner peace is clearly given; it is in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. The Lord has promised that if our mind is resting upon Him, then perfect peace will be the result. As Jesus slept in the midst of the hurricane type gale upon the Sea of Galilee, so all may have an assurance of peace and rest if we comply with the conditions. The conditions are not hard exacting tasks, but simply a knowledge of our Lord. A true knowledge of Him will lead to the true inner peace that all are seeking.

Knowing Him as our Savior

John 4:42  Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

II Timothy 1:10-12  But has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

I John 4:14-17  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

It is not enough just to know about our Jesus, though. We must know Him as our personal Savior. It is only a knowledge of Him as our personal Savior that will result in the unexplainable, but coveted peace. Many knew of Jesus while He walked the earth and many know of Him as a historical figure. In our day, even a skeptic of religion, if he is educated, will not deny the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth. The historical proof for the life and deeds of Jesus is too voluminous and well attested to deny, but a knowledge of the historical Jesus is not enough to bring the precious commodity of peace. Although the Pharisees knew of Jesus, they found no peace through their mental knowledge of His existence. The curious crowd thronged around Him, yet many received no real benefit. Only those who knew him as an intimate friend and Savior were filled with the peace He came to give. It was to these that Jesus said, “Peace to you!” (John 20:21). It is to those who know Him as there intimate Savior that He becomes the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Acts 5:31  Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Luke 5:31, 32  Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Luke 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

II Corinthians 7:9-11  Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Knowing Him as our intimate Savior means that He leads us into an attitude of repentance. Repentance can simply be stated as the state or act of being sorry. When we come to know Jesus as our personal Savior, we realize what He has done for us and we are sorry for the sins that we committed which nailed Him to the cross for us. When we truly know Jesus as our Savior, we realize the depth of love that He has for us and the magnitude of what He has done and is doing to save us from our pit of misery and sin into which all humanity has sunken.

Romans 3:10, 23  As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one:...” For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Isaiah 53:3-6  He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; he was despised and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for 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.

Hebrews 6:6  If they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

When we realize what Jesus has done and that it was actually our sins that caused His most intense suffering, we are led to deep, heartbreaking sorrow, or repentance. The result of true repentance brings us to confess that we are sorry for what we have done and to long to be made whole again.

Psalm 32:5  I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Proverbs 28:13  He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

I John 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Knowing Him as our Savior, gives us a realization of what He has done for us in order that we might have peace with God and this leads us to repentance and confession of our sins to Him. Although it may be humbling, in order for us to have peace, we must acknowledge to our Lord our spotted past and plead His merits to blot out our sins.

Romans 10:9, 10  That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.

Knowing Him as our Lord

Romans 5:1  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Although it is essential that we know Jesus as our Savior, this in itself is not enough. It is crucial, but there is more to experiencing “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) Thousands do not know the full extent of what the Lord promises to give because they go no further than accepting Jesus as their Savior. While He is our Savior, He must also be the Lord of our lives.

Mark 8:34-37  When He had called the people to Him, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Matthew 9:9  As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

Matthew 4:18-20   Now Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they immediately left their nets and followed Him.

Jesus longs to be known by each of His followers as the Lord and Master. Those living when Jesus walked the earth knew very well what a Lord or Master was. During the days of the Roman Empire many were slaves and thus subjected to Masters who told them exactly what they must do and they implicitly obeyed or were severely beaten. Jesus wants us to willingly become His servants or slaves and do whatever He asks of us. Repeatedly throughout the gospels we find the simple command, “Follow Me.” Jesus is asking that we, His followers, simply follow Him. It is not some hard grievous task, but a joy and delight to follow where He leads. While He does not give us a tedious list of requirements, it is not always easy to follow where He leads. For the early disciples, Jesus asked them to give up their occupation. Not an easy request considering their families had been fishermen for many generations and it was their only known means of earning a livelihood, but Jesus still said, “Follow Me,” and He is saying the same today. In order to truly know Him, we must realize the love that He has for us caused Him to give up everything, that we might live and follow Him as our Lord wherever He leads us. Although it might not always seem easy, it is in following and obeying the Lord in all that He says that we find the “great peace” that all are longing for.

Proverbs 3:1, 2  My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.

Psalm 119:165  Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.

Peace Fills the Earth Again!

II Peter 3:10-13  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Revelation 21:24-27  And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Isaiah 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Prophecy predicts that a time is coming when peace and righteousness shall abound through the remotest corners of the earth again. Not that we can expect world peace among the squabbling nations of today, for Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34) The promise is that He is going to recreate new heavens and a new earth and then peace shall be the note that is sung throughout the globe. But only those who have experienced the peace of Christ here in this present shattered world will be given admittance into the new heavens and new earth in which peace will know no end.

The future of this world and the future of America are overshadowed by lowering clouds of uncertainty. If our hopes are centered in this world, we are sure to be disappointed. The sure word of prophecy has established where we are in history and what is soon to break upon our little world. Many things have already come to pass and many more are predicted, but what it is essential for us to realize is that no New World Order, United Nations, NATO, or any other organization will be able to bring peace to this world. The only assurance of peace offered is the peace of Christ reigning in our hearts and finally admittance into the kingdom of peace. Do you know Jesus as your Lord and as your Savior? Is He more than a miracle worker of two thousand years ago, but the miracle worker in your heart and daily life? Has He bestowed upon you the blessed benediction of true inner peace, which He alone can give? Have you complied with the conditions to experience the results of the equation of peace? Will you choose to experience that peace and love and joy in your heart today?