Basic HTML Version
self as weU as his environment, not
destroy. As God told Cain, " ... If
you do not do weU, sin is couching
at the door; its desire is for you, but
you must master it" (Genesis 4:7,
RSV).
It
takes effort and character
to avoid sin, and unfortunately,
man has not put forth the effort to
rule God's way.
Man is responsible to bis govern–
ment and government is - whether
it knows it or not - responsible to
God. "Let every soul be subject
unto the higber powers [those in au–
thority]. For there is no power but of
God ..." (Romans 13: 1). Man,
therefore, is responsible for his own
behavior.
The New Testament instructs
rulers of nations to keep the peace,
"for they are God's agents working
for you r good. But if you are doing
wrong, then you will have cause to
fear them; it is not for notbing tbat
they hold tbe power of the sword,
for they are God's agents of punish–
ment, for retribution on the of–
fender" (Romans 13:4,
The New
English Bible).
To maintain peace and happiness
and encourage prosperity, man is
obligated to rule according to God's
laws. But where are the rulers of
na tions who have followed God's
laws? The apostle James pointed out
that men all too often rule to satisfy"
their lusts and greed (James 4: 1-3).
God gave man a set of perfect laws
which, if obeyed. would insure in–
ternational peace and harmony. But
the nations have rejected God's laws
and his ways. They prefer to settle
disputes their own way and rule by
their faulty laws. AU too often, as in
the case of Burundi, other nations
simply ignore a crisis. hoping it will
soon pass.
Where Will lt End?
The stories of na tional bloodbaths
are horrible accounts of man's lack
of compassion and !ove for bis fel–
low man. They are a microcosmic
reve lation of the violence that
human nature is prone to.
PLAIN TRUTH July·August 1973
But is tbe Burundi experience a
forerunner of an even greater
.bloodbath to come? Sorne of the
world's leading scientists foresee
and warn of such an impending
worldwide catastrophe. Sucb a cata–
clysm is also predicted in the Bible.
Notice Jesus' words in Matthew
24:2 1-22: "For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time,
no, nor ever shall be. And except
those days should be sbortened.
there should no ftesh be saved...."
Ofwha t time was Jesus speaking?
and God places the blame directly
on human leaders. Since man wants
to make war, God is going to ac–
commodate him. God warns that
those wbo kili with the sword shall
die by the sword. All wbo persist in
murdering their fellow bumans will
in turn perish when God intervenes
in human affairs to enforce peace
among men. "The slain of the Lord
shall be at that day from one end of
the earth even unto the other end of
tbe earth" (Jeremiah 25:33). God is
going to intervene in man's affairs
and do what man should have done
M
any observers consider it intolerable
that the international community
should permit massacres of 100,000
people. But it remains unclear what might
have been done, within international law, to
prevent them.
A careful reading of the first few
verses of the chapter shows he was
describing world conditions just be–
fore bis second coming to this earth
- a time in the near future. Christ
foretold the horrifying events which
would herald the last days wben bis
disciples asked: "... what shall be
the sigo of thy coming, and of the
end of the world [this age of man's
rule]?" (Matthew 24:3.)
He answered by describing the in–
creasing strife that would precede
the end time. Then he said these
calamitous events would lead up
to a conflagration which would
threaten all human life on earth
(Matthew 24:22). Man is almost -
but not quite - going to annihilate
the human race. Millions of in–
nocent people are going to perish.
At this precise point when all na–
tions will be on the verge of cosmo–
cide - not just genocide - Jesus
Christ will return and save mankind
from man's own cruelty and gross
violence.
Man is responsible for tbis horror.
long ago - rid this earth of the evil
that prevails upon it.
Describing that day of peace, the
prophet lsaiah wrote: "And many
people shall go and say. Come ye.
and let us go up to the mountain of
the Lord ... and he wi ll teach us of
bis ways, and we will walk in his
paths: for out of Zion shall go forth
the law. and the word of the Lord
from Jerusalem.... and they
sha/1
beat their swords into plowshares.
and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword
against nation.
neither sha/1 they
learn war any more"
(lsaiah 2:3-4).
At
the
United Nations building in
New York City. those words of
Isaiah 2:4 are emblazoned on a
monument depicting a man ham–
mering a sword into a plowshare.
Unfortunately. man does not under–
s tand bow to implement th ese
words, and so we have war and gen–
ocide today. Universal peace will be
attained, but not through human ef–
forts.
lt
will require the intervention
of God!
o
19