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The World to Come. The Restored Church of God presents David C. Pack. Answering life’s
greatest questions straight from the Bible, and announcing the wonderful good news of
the World to Come.
This ends the series examining the subject of Christians, military service and war. We
have seen that Christ's true followers do not participate in war and killing, and that
it breaks many plain biblical commands. But there is more to understand.
We will now learn what the future holds for all mankind in the next few years, including
what is the future of war.
Although we have already seen how it was never God's intention for Israel to fight its battles,
the life of one of Israel's most righteous kings, David, raises questions. God called
him "a man after My own heart, which shall fulfill all My will." Yet David was a warrior
of great renown. How is this explained? Here is what David said to his son Solomon
near the end of his life. He was speaking of desire to build God a temple: "My son,
as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God: But the
word of the Lord came to me, saying, You have shed blood abundantly, and have made great
wars: you shall not build an house unto My Name, because you have shed much blood upon
the earth in My sight. Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest
[or peace]; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name
shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall
build an house for My Name." God made clear to David He was displeased
with David's constant war-making. The Bible shows David eventually repented of this. Though
he often "sinned big," he also "repented big." Psalm 51, among others, describes the depth
of David's repentance and sorrow for some of his greatest sins. Though God loved this
quality, and praised the purity of David's heart, his tendency and practice of going
to war prohibited God from allowing him to build the temple.
David repented of war! Nations can also repent of war!
Going to war, fighting and killing are choices that nations make. Whole countries, like people,
possess free moral agency. All people and nations do everything they do because they
made the choice to do it! They can choose to trust God or to "perish with their sword."
Ancient Israel chose war and never repented. They were eventually taken captive by Assyria
(721-718 BC), and the result was that 10 of the 12 tribes have lost their identity to
this day. While David chose to go to war, again, he repented. The result is that numerous
prophecies show he will one day rule all the tribes of Israel at Christ's Return.
The history of ancient Israel contains several dramatic examples of how God delivered them
from powerful aggressors who otherwise could have easily defeated them.
First, in Exodus 14, God miraculously delivered Israel from certain destruction at the hand
of the Egyptian army by parting the Red Sea. Israel quickly forgot this when, almost immediately,
they were ready to fight the Amalekites. The second example has to do with King Asa
of Judah when he faced an enormous army of one million Ethiopian soldiers, with 300 chariots!
II Chronicles 14:9-12 relates this account. You may read how "The Lord smote the Ethiopians
before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled." This is an astonishing statement about
the power of God. How many nations even TODAY have armies of such tremendous size? Yet,
for God, it was no problem. Sadly, soon after, Asa stopped relying on
God. Instead, he sought and hired an ally (II Chron. 16:1-3) when he felt threatened
by the nation of Israel (the 10 tribes that had split from Judah during the reign of Solomon's
son). Because of Asa's faithlessness, God said, "Therefore from henceforth you shall
have wars." God told him he had done foolishly and that his "heart [was no longer] perfect
toward [God]." In other words, because Asa sought war, God sentenced Him and Judah to
nonstop war. The third account involves Asa's son King
Jehoshaphat, also of Judah. This account is found in II Chronicles 20. It is a fascinating
story and worth careful study. Jehoshaphat and Judah faced 3 huge armies that had formed
an alliance and come against them. Verse 12 describes Jehoshaphat saying to God, "Our
eyes are upon You." Verses 15-17 show how God told them, "The battle is not yours, but
God's…You shall not need to fight in this battle."
Jehoshaphat instructed all Judah to sing and praise God. It says that as "they began to
sing and praise," God intervened and utterly destroyed all 3 armies. The account records
that "none escaped." Imagine a modern general or national leader
demonstrating such faith in God? Yet, if one did, and truly repented of all that he was
doing to displease God, it would yield the same result. God says to all nations today,
"I am the Lord, I change not." Nations will likely not choose to repent and
change, but individuals can. Jehoshaphat's faith, mixed with courage, allowed him to
break from his father's pattern. The fourth example is in II Chronicles 32.
It involves another king of Judah, Hezekiah. A huge and historically fierce Assyrian army
came against Judah and Jerusalem, and besieged them. Hezekiah told his subjects that God
will "fight our battles." The people believed him, and God totally destroyed this army.
Verse 21 says, "The Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men…and the leaders
and captains in the camp…of Assyria." The king, with a few survivors, slipped home in
defeat. Isaiah 39:8 reveals that during Hezekiah's
reign Israel was given peace for a number of years.
Like the Ninevites, who repented due to Jonah's warning, nations today are free to seek, yield
to and obey God. But prophecy shows this will not happen until Christ's Return and war is
abolished. Men have thought they can disobey God with their wars, and do so with impunity.
But terrible punishment is coming. The apostle Paul said this of Old Testament
events: "They are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
Will you copy Israel's mistakes, or learn from David and copy his righteousness?
Like a newscaster born far ahead of His time, Jesus Christ came announcing a complete change
in the way the world will one day be governed. Everywhere He went, He spoke about the coming
kingdom of God. It was the subject of most of His parables. But when He spoke of this
"kingdom," what did He mean? Prior to Christ's birth, an angel appeared
to His mother, Mary. Here is what she was told: "The angel Gabriel was sent from God…to
a *** espoused to…Joseph, of the house of David…the ***'s name was Mary…the
angel came…and said…You shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a Son, and shall
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 forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end."
Recall Jesus stated, "My kingdom is not of this world." He was before Pilate on trial
for His life. Pilate asked, "Are You a king then?" Jesus responded, "To this end was I
born, and for this cause came I into the world." Jesus Christ was born to be a king!
Here is what was foretold about Christ in Isaiah: "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 forever." When Jesus Christ establishes God's government
on Earth, it will bring peace to all nations! But, in order to bring peace, Christ will
have to literally "declare war against war." Afterwards, total peace will "break out."
(My booklet How World Peace Will Come! shows how and when.)
The last phases of God's awesome Plan are now being carried out at the end of mankind's
rule. It is possible to directly fight against God's unfolding prophesied purpose. Christians
must be very careful to both understand and remain in harmony with that purpose. They
must never consciously or even unconsciously work against it.
The United States, along with the generally English-speaking democratic peoples of the
Western World, are the modern nations descended from the 10 lost tribes of ancient Israel.
Today's Israelis represent only one tribe (Judah) that came from the patriarch Jacob
(later named Israel). These nations, with the entire world, have
rebelled against God. Their sins have cut them off from Him (see Isa. 59:1-2). They
rejected and disobeyed the wonderful laws that He gave them! The modern nations of America,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and the United Kingdom, plus a few others, will
be the recipients of a prophesied time of terrible national punishment for their spiritual
crimes, lawlessness and sins against God! (My vital book America and Britain in Prophecy
tells this story in detail.) An extensive prophecy in Jeremiah concerns
our peoples' short- and long-term future. Beginning with bad news, it ends with wonderful
good news. Let's read it before discussing its truly sobering message: "These are the
words that the Lord spoke concerning ISRAEL and concerning JUDAH. For thus says the Lord;
We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask you now, and see whether
a man does travail with child? Wherefore [why] do I see every man with his hands on his loins,
as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great,
so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved
out of it…Therefore fear you not, O My servant Jacob, says the Lord; neither be dismayed,
O Israel: for, lo, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity;
and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you: though I make a full end of all nations
where I have scattered you, yet will I not make a full end of you: but I will correct
you in measure, and will not leave you altogether unpunished…Your bruise is incurable, and
your wound is grievous. There is none to plead your cause, that you may be bound up: you
have no healing medicines. All your lovers [allies] have forgotten you; they seek you
not; for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy [our enemies are merely tools
in God's hands], with the chastisement of a cruel one [certainly this is the very essence
of war and terrorism], for the multitude of your iniquity [lawlessness]; because your
sins were increased. Why cry you for your affliction? your sorrow is incurable for the
multitude of your iniquity: because your sins were increased, I have done these things unto
you. Therefore all they that devour you shall be devoured; and all your adversaries, every
one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil you shall be a spoil, and
all that prey upon you will I give for a prey. For I will restore health unto you, and I
will heal you of your wounds." First, notice this remarkable prophecy pertains
to both Israel and Judah. They are not one and the same! Then notice how many times God
speaks of "fear," "trembling," "faces turned to paleness" and no "peace," when describing
the "great…time of Jacob's trouble." Then notice how many times God describes these
nations' incurable "wounds," "bruises" and "sorrow," and loss of "lovers"---their allies.
And how many times God says all of this has come because of "iniquities"---our sins.
Further, notice how God repeatedly says He is the One doing this to Israel and Judah---"I
have scattered…I have wounded…I will correct…I have done these things…" These verses bluntly
describe that what is happening---and will continue to happen to our lands---is God's
doing! Finally, notice how many times God says He
will "restore…heal and save" Israel and Judah. God promises restoration, healing and
deliverance---as surely as He promises terror, wounds, punishment and correction.
These prophecies are certain. God keeps His promises and fulfills His purpose!
In the end, the good news is that America, her Israelite allies and the rest of the world
will finally have world peace when Christ returns and establishes the kingdom of God.
Those who go to war invariably believe themselves to be serving some higher purpose. But they
are directly contradicting God's purpose and the prophesied punishment in store for both
mankind and the modern descendants of Israel. God's people are not activists seeking to
"make this world a better place"---to bring world peace. They have their "feet shod with
the preparation of the gospel of peace," Paul wrote. Their feet are symbolically covered
in the knowledge of how the true gospel spells the way to final world peace. They understand
the certainty that God's kingdom is coming. They know what lies ahead for the world.
They do not go off to serve and kill in the endless, futile wars of men and nations. They
do not take matters into their own hands, thereby effectively seeking to thwart or neutralize
God's purpose, which is to show man that he is not capable of governing himself.
Paul wrote, "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief
in the night. For when they [leaders and religionists] shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction
comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you,
brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief."
All who understand the truths in this series need never again be in the dark about God's
Plan! It is interesting that Paul also wrote, citing
Isaiah 52:7, "How beautiful are [even] the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings [that’s the good news of the gospel] of good things." He went
on to cite another passage from Isaiah: "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah
said [in 53:1], Lord, who has believed our report?"
Most people will not believe "God's report" of what is ahead for the world. And they will
not believe that they are unable to bring world peace thru human effort. Many will shout,
"Peace, peace!"---"when there is no peace"---and most will eagerly believe their false predictions.
Will you? Millions of professing Christians will continue
desperately striving to bring about world peace. Deceived religious leaders will tell
them this is their "Christian duty." Some will see this as the sole mission of their
church. They will seek happiness, abundance, peace and security around every corner, but
will be terribly disappointed. This is because world conditions, leading into a final devastating
period of global calamity, will get much worse before they ultimately get much better.
An inset is needed. Withdrawing from all war takes real faith, whether by individuals or
nations. The Bible is a book of many distinct promises.
Every time a person demonstrates faith in God, it involves a specific promise. It can
involve healing, answered prayer, blessings, guidance in a difficult decision and, most
importantly, receiving salvation. In every instance, real faith involves claiming a specific
promise made by God in His Word. Therefore, it is important to search His Word to find
what He promises. Consider! Paul recorded, "Above all, taking
the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked [one]." Now notice a Proverb: "Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them
that put their trust in Him. Add you not unto His words, lest He reprove you, and you be
found a liar." Together, these two verses show that God,
thru faith, becomes a shield to all who trust in exactly what His Word says. To doubt His
Word, or to alter it in any way, is to call God A LIAR! That's serious!
When God makes a promise, He keeps it. While human beings may break their promises, God
does not! If He tells you He will do something for you, He will keep His promise---if you
meet certain conditions. Your faith is the assurance that He will.
Browbeating yourself into faith is silly, because it suggests there is doubt that God
will do His part after you have done yours. Faith is relaxed. It is calm. It is sure.
Whereas most people might have great doubt, the person led by faith is confident that
God is always guiding the final outcome of matters.
When you claim one of God's promises, expect Him to carry it out. Do not try to figure
out when or how He will do it. I have learned two things about answered prayer. First, God
always answers my prayers, if I seek His will. And secondly, He almost never answers in the
way I expected. This is why walking by faith cannot include sight. "Looking" for God to
answer prayer in a certain way or in a certain time frame is a waste of energy. Besides,
it is far more important that God does answer our prayers and fulfills His promises than
how He does it. I repeat, it takes faith to personally reject
the practice of war and national self-defense and rely solely on God. But this is possible.
(Read Matt. 19:26.) (My booklet What Is Real Faith? covers this subject as you have never
heard it.) In Matthew 24, Jesus warned of a time of "wars
and rumors of wars" to intensify just before His Return. Paralleling this account, Luke
records, for all true Christians living at the time of the end, "When you shall hear
of wars and commotions [think of the many forms of terrorism], be not terrified: for
these things must first come to pass; but the end is not [yet]. Then said He unto them,
Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall
be in [various] places, and famines, and pestilences." Those who know the truth and are in harmony
with God, His laws and His plan, do not need to worry. They do not need to be "terrified"
or frightened of prophesied events. God promises a place of safety to those individuals who
humble themselves, and yield to and obey Him. You can escape the far worse calamities and
horror that still lie ahead for America, the other modern nations of Israel and, eventually,
the whole world! I grew up in a family filled with Army and
Navy officers---some of them senior career officers. Even both of my female cousins married
Navy officers. A step-cousin was an army captain. His brother attended Annapolis, and I was
appointed as well, though I declined because God was calling me into His truth at that
time. My uncle (on my mother's side) studied the Civil War most of his life. Much of his
enormous Civil War library was passed to me, with my great-great-grandfather's Civil War
pistol and holster. My father was an Army officer and pilot in Europe in WWII, and his
brother was a Navy officer and pilot who was present at Pearl Harbor during the attack.
Their father (my grandfather) fought in WWI. I was born on December 7, 1948, and my mother
always referred to me as her "Pearl Harbor child."
In short, I am a classic example of how some grow up hearing and learning much about war.
Understand! People must learn about war. They are not born knowing about it or skilled in
it. Of course, this is true of virtually everything in life. Children must learn to walk, talk
and ride a bicycle. People learn to feed and dress themselves, master subjects at school,
play instruments, drive a car or use a computer. With practice, all of these things can become
"second nature." The same is true of war. While people must first learn it, war has
now become second nature to the entire world! An amazing prophecy appears twice in the Old
Testament. It pictures a time when God's government will have been established over all nations.
The "art" of war will no longer be taught, or learned.
Let's read it: "In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house
of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted
above the hills; and people shall flow unto it [Now, ‘mountain’ there refers to kingdom,
‘mountains’ the kingdoms of men and ‘hills’ small countries or governments. The prophecy
continues…]. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain
of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and
we will walk in His paths: for the LAW shall go forth [all God's laws, including the Ten
Commandments] of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem…He shall judge among
many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation,
neither shall they [get this] learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his
vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid."
There is coming a time when the entire world will no longer learn war. But it has not yet
come. Therefore, because men also do not know the way to peace, peace is impossible now.
Today, people are taught, in some cases from the crib, to be constantly suspicious of others,
and to hate, in an almost routine fashion! And many are taught anger and revenge as an
everyday way of life. Millions more are taught by experts to refine their killing to a cold
efficiency. But this will all soon change!
Eventually, military academies around the world will be closed. There will be no more
"boot camps" and no more "GI's." Terrorist training camps will be dismantled. All warships,
attack aircraft and military vehicles will be converted or scrapped. Every weapon of
conventional or mass destruction will be melted down, and either made into something productive
or destroyed. And all weapons manufacturers will either go out of business or make something
else. Military bases will all be closed or redesigned---including buildings like the
Pentagon. National defense budgets will be apportioned for different and better purposes.
All prisoners of war will be released. Every soldier on Earth will have to get another
job. No more treaties, rules of war or "non-aggression pacts" will ever be necessary. The fear and
sadness caused by war will vanish. There will be no more ethnic or religious rivalries,
and no more enemies. All forms of killing and hatred will be outlawed, because God's
Law will be taught around the world! The extraordinary prophecy of Micah and Isaiah
is another towering proof that God opposes war. When His government arrives, all forms
will disappear and, with them, all the learned knowledge of how to practice it! When war
disappears forever, so will its many terrible, destructive fruits.
My booklet War, Killing and the Military is like none other on the subject. Take time
to read it. You may also wish to read my eye-opening booklet The Red Horse---"You Shall Hear of
Wars," describing how conditions will soon grow so much worse. Again, for more on the
good news of what lies ahead, read How World Peace Will Come!, as well as Tomorrow's Wonderful
World -- An Inside View! There is a wonderful future ahead. World peace
lies just over the horizon! Until next time, this is David C. Pack saying,
"Goodbye, friends."
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