World Peace—How It Will Come

I travel to all parts of the world as an ambassador (without political portfolio) for world peace. I discuss world problems, evils and world peace with many heads of governments—kings, presidents, prime ministers, and those high in the government, leaders in science, education, commerce and industry. I have not been called, and therefore make no effort, to bring about world peace—but serve as an ambassador of the power that will bring it in our time!

Most world leaders are of superior ability. Yet they are utterly unable to abolish world evils or bring about world peace.

Many scientists and leaders say that the only hope for world peace is the formation of a supreme world government, controlling the world’s sole military power. Yet in the same breath they admit the utter impossibility of this, claiming that such supreme world power in human hands would enslave us all!

An Amazing Forecast

Few, indeed, know that Jesus Christ came, not as a religious leader on a “soul saving” crusade, but as a pioneer news forecaster. No man of historic note has been so completely misrepresented—so utterly misunderstood!

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God …. Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:1, 14-15).

Believe what gospel—what good news? The good news of the coming Kingdom of God.

But what did He mean—the Kingdom of God? Few seem to know, today, that Jesus’s message was about government!

Jesus was born to be a King! Notice, once again, what was prophesied in Isaiah about Christ: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Notice what was said to his mother Mary: “[T]hou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).

When Jesus was on trial for His life before Pilate, He was asked, “Art thou a king then?” Jesus answered, “Thou sayest I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world ….” But He also said, “My kingdom is not of this world …” (John 18:37, 36).

WHY don’t the various sects and denominations of traditional Christianity tell us the real theme of the Bible? Why do they not know the true gospel that Jesus proclaimed? It’s all IN THE BIBLE! It’s plain and clear!

Jesus went everywhere preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God. He taught in parables about the Kingdom of God. He sent out 70 men preaching, and commanded them to preach the Kingdom of God (Luke 10:9). He sent the apostles, on whom the Church was founded, to preach only the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:1-2). The Apostle Paul preached the Kingdom of God (Acts 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31).

Haven’t you heard men speak of the Kingdom of God something like this: “By Christians everywhere working together to bring about world peace, tolerance and brotherly love, the Kingdom of God may at last be established in the hearts of men.”

Because they rejected Christ’s gospel 1,900 years ago, the world had to supplant something else in its place. They had to invent a counterfeit! So we have heard the Kingdom of God spoken of as merely a pretty platitude—a nice sentiment in human hearts—reducing it to an ethereal, unreal nothing! Others have misrepresented that the “church” is the Kingdom. Others confuse it with a “millennium.”

Daniel Knew!

The Prophet Daniel, who lived 600 years before Christ, knew that the Kingdom of God was a real kingdom—a government ruling over literal people on the Earth.

Nebuchadnezzar was the first real world ruler. This king had a dream so impressive it troubled him—moved him to tremendous concern. He demanded that his magicians, astrologers and sorcerers tell him both what he had dreamed, and what it meant. They could not.

Daniel disclaimed any more human ability to interpret dreams than the Chaldean magicians, “But,” he said, “there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days” (Daniel 2:28).

First, God’s purpose was to reveal to this world-ruling human king that there is a God in heaven—that God is supreme Ruler over all nations, governments and kings—that God rules the universe! The whole purpose of this dream was to reveal God’s government—the truth of the Kingdom of God—the very thing that is the one and only true gospel of Jesus Christ! And, secondly, to reveal—preserved in writing for us today—what is to happen “in the latter days”! This is no dry, dull, dead writing for a people of 2,500 years ago. This is living, tremendous, BIG NEWS for OUR DAY! This is the true gospel! It is the very gospel Christ preached!

Read, in your own Bible, verses 28 through 35. In his dream, this king had seen a vast statue—larger than any image or statue ever built by man—so tremendous it was terrifying, even in a dream. Its head was of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, legs of solid iron, feet a mixture of iron and clay.

There was a time element. Nebuchadnezzar had viewed it until a supernatural stone came from heaven, smashing the statue on its feet. Then the whole of the statue broke into fragments, and was actually blown away by the wind—it disappeared! Then this stone expanded miraculously and quickly became a great mountain—so great it filled the whole Earth!

Unlike ordinary dreams, this one was caused by God to convey the message of God’s sovereignty to Nebuchadnezzar—and, because it is part of the written Word of God, to us today—to reveal important facts of the true gospel!

“This is the dream,” said Daniel, “and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings”—he was the first real world ruler over a world empire!—“… for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory” (verses 36-37). God was revealing Himself to this human world-dictator as the Most High Ruler over all.

People today, like this Chaldean king, seem never to think of God as a Ruler—as the Supreme One who governs—as the Head of government. The Eternal was revealing Himself through Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar—and through the Bible to you and to me today—as a sovereign, all-powerful, GOVERNING God who is to be obeyed!

“Thou,” continued Daniel to this human emperor, “art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth” (verses 38-39).

What IS a Kingdom?

Notice! This is speaking of kingdoms. It is referring to kingdoms that bear rule over the people on Earth. It is speaking of governments! It is not speaking of ethereal sentiments “set up in the hearts of men.'’ It is not speaking of churches. It is literal. It is specific. There is no misunderstanding, here, as to what is meant by the word “kingdom.”

The great metallic image represented national and international governments—real, literal kingdoms. It represented a succession of world-ruling governments. First was the head of gold. That represented Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom—the Chaldean Empire. After him—later, in time sequence—was to come a second, then a third kingdom “which shall bear rule over all the earth”—world empire! Then, verse 40, the legs of iron represent a fourth world empire.

After the Chaldean Empire came the still larger Persian Empire, then the Greco-Macedonian, and fourth, the Roman Empire. It was divided, with capitals at Rome and Constantinople.

Now—verse 44! Read it! Get your Bible. See it with your own eyes in your own Bible. Here, in plain language, is God’s explanation of what the Kingdom of God is: “And in the days of these kings …”—it is here speaking of the 10 toes, part of iron and part of brittle clay. This, by connecting the prophecy with Daniel 7, and Revelation 13 and 17, is referring to the new United States of Europe which is now forming, before your very eyes! Revelation 17:12 makes plain the detail that it shall be a union of 10 kings or kingdoms which (Revelation 17:8) shall resurrect the medieval “Holy” Roman Empire.

So, mark carefully the time element! “[I]n the days of these kings”—in the days of these 10 nations or groups of nations that shall, IN OUR TIME, resurrect briefly the Roman Empire—notice what shall happen: “… shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed … but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever”! (Daniel 2:44).

Revelation 13 and 17 show that, after the fall of the original Roman Empire, there would be 10 revivals—seven of which would be ruled over by a Gentile church—the “daughter” of ancient Babylon—a church claiming to be Christian, but actually named by God “Mystery Babylon the Great”—or, more plainly, Babylonian Mysteries!

Six of those have come and gone. The seventh is now forming—the last, final, brief resurrection of the Roman Empire by 10 European groups or nations. These are the 10 toes of iron and clay mixed.

In their days—and they shall last but a very short space, possibly no more than two to three-and-a-half years—shall the God of heaven set up A KINGDOM.

This, then, shall be the Kingdom of God!

When Christ comes, He is coming as King of kings, ruling the whole Earth (Revelation 19:11-16), and His Kingdom—the KINGDOM OF GOD—said Daniel, is to consume all these worldly kingdoms.

Revelation 11:15 states it in these words: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”!

This is the Kingdom of God. It is the end of present governments—the governments that rule Russia, China, Japan, Italy, Germany—yes, and even the United States and the British nations. They then shall become the kingdoms—the governments—of the Lord Jesus Christ, then King of kings over the entire Earth.

This makes completely plain the fact that the Kingdom of God is a literal government. Even as the Chaldean Empire was a kingdom—even as the Roman Empire was a kingdom—so the Kingdom of God is a government. It is to take over the government of the nations of the world.

Jesus Christ was born to be a King—a Ruler!

These Scriptures tell you plainly that God is supreme Ruler. They tell you in plainest language that Jesus was born to be a King—that He is going to rule all nations of the Earth—that His Kingdom shall rule eternally.

But all this is only part of the fantastic, amazing, actually shocking truth about the Kingdom of God.

World-Ruling Government

Jesus described when the Kingdom of God shall rule all the Earth. In Luke 17:24 He refers to lightning flashing, just as in Matthew 24:27, describing His Second Coming to rule the whole world. Luke 17:26—as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when Christ comes in power and glory as world Ruler. Verse 30—the day when He is revealed.

We have already seen how the Prophet Daniel recorded the setting up of the Kingdom of God—at Christ’s coming—to consume all present national governments on Earth, and set up the world-ruling Kingdom of God. This was recorded in the second chapter. Notice now chapter 7: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man [Christ] came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him” (verse 13). Christ ascended to heaven in clouds (Acts 1:9). He ascended to the very throne of God in heaven (Mark 16:19). Now continue:

“And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).

This vision shows God Almighty, Father of the resurrected living Christ, conferring on Christ dominion. Dominion means sovereign or supreme ruling authority. Also given to Him was “a kingdom.” Where is that Kingdom to be? It says “a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him.” The people, and the nations speaking different languages, are here on Earth. He is given dominion over all nations—the whole world!

Now will you read, in your own Bible, Acts 3:21? It says the heavens have received Jesus Christ until—not permanently, just until—a certain time. Until when? Until the times of restitution of all things. It is speaking of restoring God’s laws, God’s government—of restoring happiness and universal peace.

In this seventh chapter of Daniel, the prophet had experienced a dream, and visions. He had seen four wild animals. Notice verse 16; the interpretation begins verse 17. This is God’s inspired interpretation—not mine: “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever” (Daniel 7:17-18).

Notice it! Not only is Christ to rule—but the saints—that is, converted true Christians—those begotten as sons of God—are to take and possess the Kingdom! They are to rule under, and with, Christ! In the New Testament it is recorded that converted saints are co-heirs with Christ!

The saints—then no longer human flesh and blood, but immortal—are to possess the Kingdom, at the Second Coming of Christ!

Jesus Christ makes that plain. It is Christ who is speaking in Revelation 3:21, and 2:26-27: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.'’ The Father’s throne is in heaven—where Jesus Christ is now; but Christ’s throne, in which the saints shall sit with Him, is the throne of David, in Jerusalem (Luke 1:32).

Further: “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron ….”

Can’t Know the TIME

After His resurrection, on the Mount of Olives at the very hour of His ascension to heaven, Jesus’s disciples wanted to know whether the Kingdom of God was to be set up at that time! “Lord,” they asked, “wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power” (verse 7). Just what did Jesus mean? He explained it another time. It is recorded in Matthew 24:36: There He was speaking of the end of this world, and His Second Coming: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” He was speaking of His Second Coming and the setting up of the Kingdom, the time of which no man knows, but only the Father.

However, though we do not, even now, know the day or the hour, we do know, from God’s prophecies, that it is today very near! Notice this, in Luke 21:25-32: He had been foretelling the world events, right now beginning, leading to “distress of nations” in world troubles and world wars, “with perplexity”—“[m]en’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth”—world trouble such as never before experienced. “[W]hen ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”

So all signs show we are in the very last generation of this present evil world. We have hydrogen bombs stockpiled in such power and volume that they could blast all human life off this planet several times over. There are other destructive weapons today in existence, any of which could erase humanity from the Earth.

It’s time we face the hard, cold, realistic fact: Humanity has two alternatives: either there is an almighty, all-powerful God who is about to step in and set up the Kingdom of God to rule all nations with supernatural and supra-national FORCE to bring us peace—or else all human life will be obliterated (Matthew 24:22).

Events will soon erupt into nuclear World War iii—called, in biblical prophecy, the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21-22). But God will cut short that final supreme world trouble, and send Christ again to Earth as King of kings, Lord of lords—to restore God’s government by the world-ruling Kingdom of God!