You hate to listen to the news these days because it’s mostly bad news. A good day in Chicago means that only ten people have been shot. Anti-Semitism is up tremendously since the conflict in Israel, with increasing attacks on Jewish people around the world. We should not think that we could not be next. In fact, the whole world will hate us.
Luke 6:22 says: “How blessed are you whenever people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because of the Son of Man!” (International Standard Version throughout). The reason is: We do not fit in. A people willing to kill the unborn and turn their nose at obeying God will not tolerate righteous people within their midst because those who obey God make them look bad.
However, there will eventually be peace on earth without wars, conflicts and killings, when the glorious Kingdom of God will rule. Let us look at some encouraging Scriptures in regard to this.
Isaiah 2:2 tells us: “It will come about in the last days that the mountain that is the LORD’s Temple will be established as the highest of mountains, and will be raised above the hills; all the nations will stream to it.”
Isaiah 2:3 continues: “Many groups of people will come, commenting, ‘Come! Let’s go up to the Temple of the God of Jacob, that they may teach us his ways. Then let’s walk in his paths.’”
Isaiah 2:4 says: “He will judge between the nations, and will render verdicts for the benefit of many. ‘They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nations will not raise swords against nations, and they will not learn warfare anymore.’”
War and hatred are taught at a very young age, but in the future, peace and love will be taught instead, and killing and violence will be abolished.
Also note this setting:
Isaiah 11:6 reads: “The wolf will live with the lamb; the leopard will lie down with the young goat. The calf and the lion will graze together, and a little child will lead them.”
This depicts an era of safety for children, where they are not abused or harmed in any way. Zechariah 8:5 elaborates: “The city parks will be filled with boys and girls. They will play in the city’s open parks.”
Again, these Scriptures picture a time of peace and safety for children and all of mankind.
Today, we read of children being shot in the streets, kidnapped and abused by evil people. All of this will change in the not too distant future, so we must not be discouraged by events going on, but look to the future when all the evils in this world will cease once and for all.
I recall a song sung by the Ambassador choir, titled: “It won’t be long now.” The time is much closer than when this song was sung in the seventies, and it cannot come soon enough.
