Prospect of World-Wide Peace
By Calvin P. Bollman
How and When Will It Be Realized?—May We Expect Peace While Preparing for War? THE numerous peace conferences and congresses of recent years attest the world-wide desire for universal peace; but desirable as peace is, we are still without the pleasing assurance that it will ever be realized. Civilization has tried to supersede war by arbitration. Humanitarianism has endeavored to assuage its horrors. The gospel of the Prince of peace gives it no countenance. Nevertheless the fear and dread of it are still with us. Note how values fluctuate in the great money centers of the world at even the rumor of war. The financial, the industrial, and the social world alike shrink from this monstrous and unnatural thing. Yet much of the wealth of the nations is spent in preparation for war. Civilization is groaning under the burden of building Dreadnoughts and super-Dreadnoughts, equipping navies, and drilling, accoutering, and maintaining armies, but the nations find no way of escape from this burden. Dream of Peace and Awake to War
Men fondly dream of peace only to awaken to the stern realities of devastating war. A few brief months after the czar called the first peace congress at the Hague, his own armies were engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the forces of the mikado, while at home his empire from the Baltic to the Urals was filled with strife. Practically nothing was accomplished by the first peace congress; and aside from laying the corner-stone of the great peace palace, or temple, as Mr. Carnegie prefers to call it, the second congress was equally fruitless of practical results, as have also been all the efforts since that time. Indeed, the difficulties encountered in securing disarmament and arbitration have been emphasized rather than minimized by the various efforts to establish permanent peace. It Is the People, Not God, Who Saw It
But it may be asked, Does not the Bible foretell a time when “nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more”?
To this question we answer, No. The language quoted occurs in the Bible, but only as telling what “many people shall go and say.” It is the language of the people, not of the Lord; and to-day we see in the Hague and other peace conferences a beginning at least of the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isa. 2:3 and Micah 4:2, 3. That the language referred to in Isaiah and Micah is not from the Lord, but from the people, is evident from the basis of, or the reason for, the anticipated peace, as stated in Micah 4:5: “For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever.” The reader may rest assured that the true God is not a party to any such compromise. Righteousness, union with God, is the only basis of peace recognized by the Creator. “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.” Isa. 48:22. And of all false objects of worship Jehovah says: “Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.” Jer. 10:11. When asked by His disciples for signs of the closing of the gospel age and of the end of the world, our Saviour said, “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” Matt. 24:7. Has the world seen war in the past? Remember it was only the “beginning,” a mere foretaste of what is coming. This is foreshadowed in other texts also. In the third chapter of his second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” He then gives a list of seventeen sins characteristic of the last days, and in view of the conditions described he solemnly charges Timothy to “preach the Word.” “For the time will come [we can now say, ‘has come’] when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.” 2 Tim. 4:2-4, A. R. V. One of these fables is that an era of peace is to be ushered in by conferences and agreement between nations. The Lord, through the prophet, warns His people against this delusion thus: “Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” Isa. 8:12. Verse 17 shows that the prophecy speaks of the last days, for it says, “And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him. One of the most vivid prophetic descriptions of latter-day conditions in the entire Old Testament Scriptures is found in the fourth chapter of Jeremiah. Only those who have never felt the peculiar emotions occasioned by an unexpected and sudden view of some terrible scene, can fail to appreciate the force of the prophet’s striking description of the terror inspired by the vision opened before him. In agony he exclaims: “I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I can not hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?” Jer. 4:19-21. And then follows the complaint that at this time even many of God’s professed people do not understand the real situation. Some Things the Prophet Saw
That a series of events reaching to the end of time was shown to the prophet is evident from the fact that after hearing the alarm of war at a time when even God’s people are foolishly looking for peace, he describes the earth as “without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.” He beholds the mountains tremble, and all the hills move lightly. “I beheld,” says the prophet, “and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.” Verses 23-25. If any one does not know that this description applies to the end of the world, let him compare the prophecy under consideration with the third chapter of 2 Peter and Rev. 6:12-17. A terrible awakening awaits not only the non-professing world, but a careless and backslidden church. One of the charges brought by the Lord against false shepherds in the last days is, “They have seduced My people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace.” Eze. 13:10. Referring to the same time, the apostle says, “When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” 1 Thess. 5:3. He adds, however, these encouraging words: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” Will Reap What They Are Sowing
“Be not deceived; . . . for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” This is just as true of nations as of individuals. The nations have sown hundreds of millions of dollars in providing fighting machines and in training men in their use. The harvest will be war. The disposition to fight must be taken out of individual hearts before it can be eliminated from national experience; but naval and military training stimulates the war spirit. As long as sin curses the world, just so439long will there be war between the nations. Not until Christ shall take the throne of His father David will the dove of peace find a permanent abiding-place in this world. “Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” Isa. 32:16, 17. This will be realized, however, not in this earth, but in the earth of which our Lord speaks, saying, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth,” and to which the apostle refers when he says, “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Matt. 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13.