Hope For A Fear Filled World

Millions of young men fought and died in a global struggle which it was hoped would make an end of aggression and rid the world of fear. When the objectives of that struggle were announced, one of them was declared to be freedom from fear. It was a noble objective, but when the war which was fought to obtain it was blasted to a close by the dropping of those first atomic bombs on Japanese cities, it left the hearts of all filled with a more dreadful fear than had ever before been experienced by man. And, as though that were not sufficient to destroy faith in human objectives, the failure of every effort since to settle differences among nations, which, if not settled, will sooner or later lead to another global war, has caused that fear to increase.

there is real cause for fear, for now the whole world knows that no nation can be assured of immunity from destruction by nuclear warfare. The cities of the United States may well become piles of rubble similar to those which marred the beauty of much of that part of God’s earth which is Europe.

as everybody know, while this in itself will mean a terrible loss of life, the aftermath of chaos would be still worse, for it would preclude the last possible chance the world has of even a partial recovery of economic stability.

No Evident Solutions

The fears of the world today are deeply rooted in the failure of human leaders to find workable solutions for the problems engendered by selfishness and hatred. There was a time - that is, prior to the First World War - when the wise men of earth were telling the people that the human race, by a process of evolution, were steadily progressing toward a higher state of civilization and that wars would soon become a thing of the past. The world is getting better, they said, and soon we will have a utopia of peace and goodwill, which has been the dream of the prophets and the song of the poets.

As proof that this bright outlook for the future was justified, we were reminded of the progress of education and were told that an enlightened world would know better than to attempt the settlement of international disputes by means of war. We were asked also to consider the advancements in science, that this too would contribute to lasting peace among the nations. Furthermore, it was claimed that Christianity was making such rapid gains in the earth that soon the whole world would become so thoroughly imbued with the philosophy of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that war would be impossible.

We know too well how all those and the many other claims that were made before the First World War have miserably failed. The horrible implication of these failures did not at first dawn upon mankind. The propaganda machines of the various nations engaged in the first global conflict saw to it that the minds of the people were turned away from the stark fact that a world had begun to come to an end. We were told, for example, that the war was caused by nations which were not ruled by democratic forms of government, and that in order to prevent another such catastrophe we must now wage war to the bitter end to make the world safe for democracy. This sounded good, because all would like to see the world safe for democracy, for, after all, democracy is the best form of government known to man. But the world was not made safe for democracy. Most of the European world was, instead, made safe for dictatorship. The only real change which had been forced by the First World War was that hereditary ruling houses gave place to dictators; and these were quite willing to, and did, plunge the world into another war. The forces of democracy had actually lost ground as a result of the First World War, and in the emergency, even these United States became threatened with dictatorship - at least, so said the politicians. In any case, the world was not made safe for democracy.

The forces of science, education, and religion, have failed to prevent the second global struggle in one generation. We were told that in a world where there was no want and no fear, and where both individuals and groups were free to say and publish what they thought would be for the best interests of all, there would be no causes of war. So, through war, there was an energetic effort to make the world free from want, free from fear, and to give it freedom of expression along political and religious lines. It was a noble task, but it failed. Now, while we are enjoying a fitful, uncertain peace, it is a peace that is threatened by the fact that so large a portion of the human race is slowly starving to death. Meanwhile, fear grows apace, so that even the most fortunate of the nations are by necessity burdened with the maintenance of gigantic military organizations, in order, as they claim, to prevent war, or in case they fail in this, to be ready for war, when they can no longer hold out against its inevitability, occasioned by the fears and wants of a chaotic, starving world.

Our Day in Prophecy

While this time of fear and distress came upon the world unexpectedly and despite the claims of an ever-advancing civilization, it was not a surprise to careful students of the Bible; for throughout its pages God’s inspired prophets had predicted it. The Prophet Daniel, for example, foretold this very era in human experience and described it as a "time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation." (Dan. 12:1) Jesus quoted this prophecy of Daniel, and explained that its fulfillment would be at the time of his second presence and the end of the age.

Jesus outlined some of the details of this time of trouble, saying that there would be upon the earth "distress of nations, with perplexity," and that the hearts of the people would fail them for fear as they looked forward to the things coming upon the earth (Luke 21:25, 26). Jesus’ reference to the fear that would fill the hearts of the people is sufficient to indicate that he was referring to the present time, for never before has there been such widespread fear on the part of the people, especially the leaders, as there is today. When Jesus said there would be upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity, he illustrated this thought by likening it to the roaring of the sea and the waves. This is a very apt symbol indeed of the restless, discontented masses of mankind today as they strive hopelessly to avert the havoc which they fear will be wrought by the onrushing tide of human selfishness implemented by the very science that at one time boasted its ability to lead the world into peace and goodwill.

The Prophet David also foretold this time in which we are living; and, like Jesus, he too likened the chaos of the world to the relentless lashing of sea and waves, as the clamorous demands of men and nations strike out against the bulwarks of a civilization that was once thought to be impregnable. David’s prophecy is addressed to those who have faith in the Word of God, and of these he declares, "Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." - Ps. 46:2,3

"We will not fear," declares the prophet. As Christians, we need not fear what is coming upon the earth; that is, we will not fear if we acquaint ourselves with the prophecies of the Bible and have faith in what they declare concerning today and tomorrow. The prophecies of the Bible contain the only genuine explanation of the cause of present world distress, and furnish the only hopeful view of the final outcome of this present dark period of fear. To know the plan of God pertaining to human destiny is to have peace and joy in our own hearts, despite the fear with which we are surrounded, and also be in a position to radiate comforting assurance to others. According to the Bible, what is to be the outcome of this tragic time of fear and distress? It has been said that this present time has a rendezvous with destiny. This is right, but God holds the controlling hand over that destiny, and the implications are so far-reaching that the imagination is almost staggered when we try to grasp them. Briefly stated, the facts, as pointed out in the Word of God, are these:

We are reaching the end of an age in the plan of God. Yes, even more than that, we are reaching the end of the world. It will not be, as many once erroneously supposed, the end of the earth (Eccles.1:4), but the end of Satan’s rulership over the earth, which is to be supplanted by the rulership of Christ. We are now living at the time of his return and the preparation for the establishment of his kingdom.

The Signs of His Presence

When Jesus foretold the characteristics of our day, declaring that it would be a time when the hearts of the people would be filled with fear, it was in answer to questions asked him by his disciples. Those questions were: "What shall be the sign of thy presence, and of the end of the age?" (Matt. 24:3). In quoting these questions we have used a correct translation of the Greek words used by Jesus. In the Authorized Version of the Bible this passage is mistranslated to read, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" However, the disciples were not asking how they might know when the time was near for Jesus to return, but rather, how they would know when he had returned.

The Master’s answer to these questions furnishes the only reliable explanation of present world conditions and the only genuine hope of better days to come. It reveals that we are nearing the end of the present age and at the time of his second presence. This, in turn, means that the time is near for the fulfillment of those many promises of God’s Word which tell of the blessings of peace and joy and life which will be made available to mankind as a result of the coming thousand-year reign of Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

This does not mean that Jesus will reign on the earth as a man. His first visit to earth was as a human being, in order, as he explained the matter himself, that he might give his flesh in death for the life of the world. (John 6:51) But having provided the means of release from death by the sacrifice of his humanity on Calvary‘s cross, he was raised from the dead a glorious divine being, of the same nature as the Creator himself, "whom no man hath seen, not can see." - 1 Tim. 6:16

By an altogether too literal interpretation of some of the prophecies of God’s Word, very crude conceptions of Christ’s Second Advent have been developed. It has been supposed by some that when he returned he would be seen as a man suspended in the skies, and simultaneously there would be tremendous upheavals of nature in the heavens and on earth which would dwarf in destructiveness anything man has even been able to accomplish, even by the use of the nuclear bomb.

Now we see, however, that the prophecies which were used as a basis for this erroneous concept of the Second Advent of Christ are symbolically descriptive of the upheaval of man-made institutions which have formed our civilization. It is this that the prophecies describe as the end of the world - not the end of the earth, but what the Apostle Paul describes as "this present evil world." (Gal. 1:4) Jesus referred to Satan, the Devil, as the "prince of this world"; hence the end of the world means the end of Satan’s empire, the end of his sovereignty over the minds and hearts of men. -John 12:31

Every Christian should be glad to note any evidence tending to show that the end of the world is near. All mankind will rejoice when they realize that Satan’s world has come to an end; for then they will have the opportunity of becoming citizens in a new world - not another humanly constructed civilization, but a new order in which the authority and the laws will be those of the kingdom of Christ.

The world that is even now coming to an end has never been entirely satisfactory, not even to those who have been most enthusiastic in their efforts to perpetuate its existence. True, there has been much good in it, but sin and evil have predominated. Sickness, pain, and death have been the dreaded heritage of all. Hatred and war blighted the happiness of the people and destroyed the peace of the nations.

Fear of worse things to come, both here and hereafter, has helped to rob men and women of the joy which temporarily, at least, might otherwise be theirs. Truly, as the Scriptures declare, it has been an evil world, and the more we study its characteristics the more we realize that Jesus knew what he was talking about when he declared Satan to be its prince.

Yes we can all be glad that such a world is coming to an end, and that, as the Scriptures declare, its ruler is to be bound and finally destroyed. Jesus said that those living at this time who had faith in his Word, when they saw the things transpire which he foretold, should lift up their heads with hope and rejoicing, for the time of their deliverance, and the deliverance of mankind, from sin and death would be near.

Enemies Destroyed

In an inspired prophecy of Christ’s kingdom given us by the Apostle Paul he declares that Christ must reign until all enemies are put under his feet and that the last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Cor. 15:24-26) This indicates that one purpose of the reign of Christ is for the destruction of enemies - enemies of God, of man, and of righteousness. While death will be the last of these enemies to be eradicated by the rulership of Christ, other enemies will be destroyed prior to that time, and among the first of these are the selfish and sinful institutions of earth which stand in the way of Christ’s rulership of justice and righteousness. The The destruction of these implies temporary trouble and distress to the people who have been held in bondage by them. It is this that is described by the Prophet Daniel as "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation." - Dan. 12:1

In the prophecy of the Second Psalm, Jesus is referred to as the great king of earth whom God has appointed to rule. It was prophesied that before he began his reign in power and glory the nations of the world would be experiencing a time of "tribulation" such as was not "since the beginning of the world to this time." (Matt. 24:21) In connection with this foretold catastrophic overthrow of an order of things, this generation has already witnessed the destruction of many of the hereditary ruling houses of Europe, and the chaos in world affairs which has followed. In Jesus’ own prophecy of these events he declared that all the tribes of the earth would mourn because of his presence, and we see the beginning of this mourning today in all the countries of the world.

But we can thank God that this distress is only temporary. The return of Christ was designed to bring peace and joy a life to a dying world - and this will be the ultimate result. But to accomplish this, a new rulership must be established, and this calls for the overthrow of that rulership in which Satan has been the unseen and, in most instances, the unrecognized prince.

If you have ever wondered why the statesmen of the world, enjoying all the advantages of twentieth century culture and education, have not been able to snap the world out of its tailspin toward destruction, the answer is found in the prophecies of the Bible. The answer is that a Divine influence has intervened in the affairs of men in preparation for the establishment of a new order - an influence that is gradually being exerted through the invisible presence of the Divine Christ.

But the overthrow of the institutions of sin and selfishness - those institutions which have fostered oppression and war - is only the beginning of the work of the Divine Christ. It is like the surgeon’s knife used to save the life of a dying patient. For approximately six thousand years the human race has been dying. Man himself has not been able to find a remedy for the poisonous sting of sin which is inflicting death upon all. Now Christ, the great physician, has come to change all this, and the first necessary move is to place mankind, the patient, in a new environment, and under just and righteous laws. It is the preparation for this that is causing the breakdown of human authority everywhere throughout the world.

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