True Peace and Security Near!
Chapter 1
True Peace and Security Near!
1. What conditions make true peace and security so desirable?
SURELY you, like most persons, long for peace and security. People everywhere are tired of crime, violence, war, and the threatening nuclear nightmare. Too, many do not have decent jobs, adequate housing, or enough food. What a joy it would be if such problems could be solved and this earth would become a pleasant, secure home for its inhabitants!
2, 3. (a) If true peace and security is indeed near, what questions need to be asked? (b) How does the action taken by the United Nations seem to harmonize with the desire for peace and security?
2 Surprisingly, there is sound reason to believe that the longed-for relief is at hand, that peace and security earth wide is nearing reality! But who will bring this about? Will the nations of this world set aside their differences in order to accomplish it?
3 An interesting Bible prophecy stated that the time would come when world leaders would actually proclaim “peace and security!” * In fact, when the United Nations declared 1986 an “International Year of Peace” it asked that organizations everywhere make a special effort from that year on to promote the goal of “peace, international security and cooperation.”1
4. If any arrangement for peace and security is to benefit you, what problems must it solve?
4 But would this be a true “peace and security”? Would it reach into your neighborhood and into your home and deal with the problems that affect you personally? Would it solve the problems of increasing crime and drug addiction, rising food costs, heavy taxation, spreading pollution, and the steady decay of family ties? As long as any of those situations continue, they threaten your personal peace and security.
5, 6. On the basis of your own experience in life, do you believe that men are going to solve those problems?
5 True, men hope that they can overcome these difficulties. They say that, freed from the crushing financial burdens of war, they could redirect all that wealth, research, and manpower into solving such problems.
6 Do you really believe that? Is there any solid evidence to show that humans can ever bring lasting solutions? What does history show? Indeed, what does your own experience in life tell you?
7, 8. (a) Where else might we look for a solution? (b) How prominent a book is the Bible?
7 ‘But if men do not have the solutions, what remains?’ you may ask. Well, there is undeniable evidence that the earth and living things on it reflect intelligent design. (Hebrews 3:4) Is it possible that the One behind this design enters the picture? Will he take a hand in human affairs? Only the Bible offers answers to these questions.
8 In view of what is at stake, then, would it not be worth your while to consider what the Bible says on this matter? You may be aware that it is the most widely translated and circulated book on earth. In its entirety or in part, billions of copies have been distributed in over 1,800 languages.2 But did you know that this ancient book comes to grips with the matters of greatest concern to us in this 20th century?
9, 10. (a) What does the Bible say about the future, and of human governments? (b) What is God’s Kingdom, and when will it take control from all present-day governments?
9 Many know that the Bible foretells an ‘end of the world.’ But few know what it says as to when that will come, or what life on earth will be like afterward. (Matthew 24:21, 22; 2 Peter 3:11-13) They may even pray the Lord’s Prayer, where they ask for ‘God’s kingdom to come.’ (Matthew 6:9, 10) But few realize that God’s Kingdom is a real government that will replace all present political systems. As the prophet Daniel stated: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. . . . It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.”—Daniel 2:44.
10 Interestingly, the Bible’s prophecy about “peace and security” noted earlier includes these features: “Whenever it is that they are saying: ‘Peace and security!’ then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) So whatever peace and security human leaders proclaim will evidently be of very short duration. For the prophecies indicate that immediately thereafter all human rulerships will be crushed out of existence, to be replaced by one government for all the earth—God’s Kingdom.
11, 12. What are some of the differences between what the Bible says that God’s Kingdom will do and what human leaders are trying to do?
11 Moreover, the Bible reveals many differences between the peace and security that God’s Kingdom will bring and what human leaders promise. Today men speak in terms of reducing arms by treaties. The Bible, by contrast, declares that soon God will bring a complete end to all armaments and will remove the basic causes of war. (Psalm 46:9; Isaiah 2:2-4) And the security that God promises is not just from war between nations. It is from enemies of every kind, so that no one will ever again be in fear—day or night. (Micah 4:3, 4) Too, men are now concerned with bringing crime under control, but God’s declared purpose is to root out even the attitudes and conditions that lead to crime.—Psalm 37:8-11; Galatians 5:19-21.
12 The nations also pride themselves in progress in medical research and improved care of the sick and aged. But the Bible explains how God’s government will bring about full and lasting health, even overcoming aging and death! (Revelation 21:3, 4) In addition, under God’s Kingdom a person’s work will be truly meaningful, bringing real satisfaction. For how happy can you be if your work is frustrating or does not bring a true sense of accomplishment?—Isaiah 65:21-23; Romans 8:19-21.
13. What questions would it be beneficial for us to examine?
13 Which do you believe offers the kind of peace and security that will improve every part of your life—the promises of humans, or God’s promises as implemented by his Kingdom government? By going along with what the world in general has to offer, have you found what you really want in life? What if you let yourself be carried along with what may currently be popular, but then realize that you have been taken in by misleading promises, leaving you without genuine peace and security? On the other hand, can you be confident that what the Bible promises is believable, practical, and realistic? Surely, the answers to such questions deserve thoughtful examination.
[Footnotes]
[Study Questions]
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No one will ever again be in fear—day or night
