World Peace Coming Soon

The world is at war. Islamic State terrorists are slashing their way across the Middle East. Iran continues building nuclear weapons. The United States and North Korea are in a nuclear standoff. People in Africa, South America, Asia and even Europe are suffering armed conflicts, and terror continuously threatens the free world. Right now, there are over 20 wars or significant armed conflicts taking place around the globe, directly or indirectly affecting the lives of millions. On top of all this, we suffer violence, corruption, crime, greed and deceit in our nations, our cities and our homes.

Today, the number one problem facing us is actually human survival!

Will we ever see world peace? Many leaders in government, science and education agree that world peace is possible only through world government. But they also agree that such a government is impossible.

Is universal peace impossible? Is world government just a theory? Are we doomed to live in this violent world until it finally explodes?

You need to understand what the Bible says about this. It accurately describes our modern world and specifies that it is headed for even worse violence in the immediate future. But it also forecasts a future filled with hope—to occur in your lifetime! Open your Bible and answer the questions in this study directly from the Scriptures, and prove this inspiring vision of soon-coming peace!

A Coming World Government

God revealed the course of future history to a young man more than 2,500 years ago. During the time of the great Chaldean Empire (circa 626-539 b.c.), King Nebuchadnezzar had a startling dream. None of his magicians and astrologers could tell him the dream. But the dream and its meaning were revealed to a young Jew named Daniel. In Daniel 2, we see that this dream actually revealed the scope of world events that would flow from that time right up to the present day!

1. What was the dream? Daniel 2:31-35. And what was the interpretation? Verses 36-43.

2. After viewing the last symbol in this succession of world-ruling empires, what did Nebuchadnezzar see in his dream? Verses 44-45.

This final empire that will crush everything that went before it will actually be the Kingdom of the great God!

3. God also sent a very special messenger to the Earth with important news for all humanity. Who was this messenger, and what was His message? Matthew 4:23.

Jesus Christ was a news reporter who brought advance news. He reported news before it had happened! He delivered a sensational announcement of the most colossal future event ever to occur in human history. His message was the gospel, or “good news,” of a coming government—the Kingdom of God. This government will be a literal, world-ruling government established here on Earth.

4. Who will lead that impending world-ruling regime? Luke 1:30-33; John 18:36-37; Revelation 11:15.

5. But where is Jesus Christ now? Will He return to Earth? Acts 1:11; John 14:3.

6. What will be His primary task when He comes back? Acts 3:20-21.

Verse 21 talks about a restitution, or restoration, of all things. As we will see, at one time the world was at peace. Christ is looking forward to His return so He can restore that peace to the whole Earth!

7. When He returns, what will His office be? Zechariah 14:9.

In order to restore all things, Christ will return as King of kings and begin by restoring the government of God over the entire Earth (Revelation 19:16; Isaiah 9:6-7).

The Cause of World Violence

At one time, perhaps millions of years ago, the peace-producing government of God existed on this planet. God placed angels here to administer that government and beautify His creation (see Job 38:4-7, where they are called “morning stars” and “sons of God”). But these angels failed at this job when Lucifer, the archangel over them, rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:14-15; Jude 6).

1. What was Lucifer’s sin? Isaiah 14:13-14.

2. Lucifer rebelled against his Creator. Did man do the same thing? Genesis 3:2-6.

God gave the first human beings a choice. They could obey Him and restore His government, or they could create a society of their own making—not based on His perfect law and government, but on their own ideas, influenced by Lucifer (now named Satan) and his adversarial lifestyle of hatred, competition, envy and war. Adam and Eve chose the latter, founding the world we live in today.

God allowed the first human beings to make this choice, but He did not give up on restoring His government—nor did He give up on mankind. He allowed our Satan-influenced world to continue to develop to demonstrate to mankind the ugliness and violence produced by godless civilization. As our current situation proves, the result of humankind’s experiment with self-government is impending self-destruction!

3. Jesus Christ prophesied that He would return. Do we know when? Matthew 24:36; 25:13. Yet can we know approximately when it will take place? Matthew 24:32-33.

4. What signs did Jesus say would precede His Second Coming? Verses 3-31. Many of these problems have existed throughout human history. Does Christ give us specifics about world conditions immediately before His return? Verse 21. What would be the end result of this Tribulation if it continued unabated? Verse 22. Has there ever been a time like that before? Mark 13:19.

These verses show us how serious the threat of this nuclear age really is! Not until modern times has man had the weaponry to extinguish all life from this planet. Only in an age of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons has such destruction been possible. These and many other verses in the Old and New Testaments refer to this impending catastrophe.

5. Did God say whether He would allow this cataclysm to wipe out all human life? Verse 20.

Thank God that Christ will return to stop the annihilation of the human race!

Mankind’s Response

1.Will mankind witness the return of Jesus Christ? Matthew 24:30.

The greatest event in human history—the Second Coming of the Son of God—will be an unmissable, earthshaking event.

2. Will Christ be alone when He returns? Matthew 25:31; Revelation 19:14. Will any others accompany Christ? Zechariah 14:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:14-17.

Christ will be escorted by a powerful army of millions of angels, as well as the saints, those people who received God’s Holy Spirit by repentance and baptism and who will have become Spirit-born members of the God Family!

3. After thousands of years of violence and the bloodiest tribulation of all time, how will people respond to this new government? Revelation 16:13-14; 17:14.

4. Mankind will actually war against God! But how will this battle against Christ conclude? Zechariah 14:12; Revelation 19:11-16.

The Bible prophesies that many people will rebel against Christ’s authority, perhaps thinking He is an enemy alien. They will attack Him. He will therefore have to subdue the world with a “rod of iron” (see also Revelation 2:27). At first, Christ will have to force humanity to submit to His loving rule.

But under that rule, the nations will finally learn through experience that Christ is a righteous ruler who brings peace, happiness and prosperity.

Satan’s End—and Renewed Peace!

1. What will happen to Satan after Christ returns? Revelation 20:1-3.

2. Is Satan responsible for influencing mankind to sin? Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12:9.

When the source of all evil is no longer constantly broadcasting his attitudes, the violent results of this satanic influence will subside.

3. What will Christ and the saints do then? Revelation 2:26-27; 20:4; Daniel 7:22.

Only the Spirit-born Family of God will serve in positions of authority in the Kingdom of God.

4. What will Christ’s rule be like? Isaiah 2:1-5; Matthew 20:25-28.

Christ and His assistants will rule with love and outgoing concern for all their subjects.

5. Will this influence people’s attitudes toward government? Isaiah 2:2-3. What will this change in attitude produce? Verse 4; Micah 4:3-5.

Once the world is at peace, Christ and His assistants will be able to reeducate the world in a way of life that is based on give instead of get—God’s way of love, which mankind has been deprived of for millennia!

6. How will this change of government affect the animal realm? Isaiah 11:6-8.

7. Will this peace spread throughout the Earth? Verse 9.

All mankind will learn a new way of life—God’s way of outgoing concern for others. That loving way of life will be based upon every man, woman and child living by God’s spiritual law, the Ten Commandments. Read about the results of that way of life in Deuteronomy 28:1-14.

What a contrast that world will be to the wretched, violent misery of the world we live in today! If you read and study the remaining verses in Deuteronomy 28, you will see an apt description of the world around you.

The Bible says this wonderful world to come is very near. Soon a utopia of peace, abundance and happiness will be here for all mankind. To learn more about what that world will be like, request our free booklet The Wonderful World Tomorrow—What It Will Be Like by Herbert W. Armstrong.