The Signs of the Times, vol. 19

October 9, 1893

“The Reign of Peace” The Signs of the Times, 19, 48.

E. J. Waggoner

The greatest and most common mistake among men is to judge God by themselves. The Lord’s reproach to man is, “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself.” Psalm 50:21. But the facts in the case are stated in these words: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8, 9. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.21

That is the reason that men have such erroneous ideas about the government of God. They judge God’s method of governing by what they know of human governments, and therefore we hear such expressions as these, “If God rules this world why does he not put a stop to all this poverty and misery?” Or, “Why doesn’t he make everybody good?” “If he rules, and is omnipotent, why does he allow anybody to be lost?” or, allowing that he does reign, they conclude that he is neither good nor merciful, because he allows sin and misery to exist. Thus many infidels rail against the Lord, and many poor, overworked men and women echo the sentiment, because they do not know the Lord, but form their opinions of him by themselves. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.22

The fact is that if God were to do what the people say he ought to do, they themselves would add hate to their indifference to him. Men shout for liberty, and execrate tyranny, and then murmur against God because he is not a tyrant. They refuse to serve him, because he does not deprive them of their liberty, and make them not only slaves, but mere machines. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.23

God is a “God of peace.” Hebrews 13:2. His reign is a reign of peace. The Apostle Paul says, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” Colossians 3:15. He rules by peace. This is different from anything known among men, and we shall see the significance of it presently. Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, is the “Prince of peace;” “and of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” Isaiah 9:6, 7. His gospel is “the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:15. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.24

God’s thoughts concerning man are “thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” Jeremiah 29:11. And his ways are peace. When he speaks, he speaks peace. “I will hear what God the Lord will speak; for he will speak peace unto his people and to his saints.” Psalm 85:8. Of the work of the Father and of the Son upon the throne, the prophet says: “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord; even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” Zechariah 6:12, 13. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.25

Thus we see that the God of peace, and the Prince of peace, “who is our peace,” are sitting upon the throne together, and their counsels together are counsels of peace. Their thoughts toward men are thoughts of peace, and they speak peace. The word of the ruler is law, and therefore the law of God is a law of peace. Everything in connection with his government is peace. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.26

The peace of God is an active quality. It is peace that rules. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7. It is impossible to describe peace that passes all understanding, and the only way that men can know it is to receive it at the hands of the Lord, for he says: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” John 14:27. And yet, although we are not able to fathom its depth, we may know the nature of it from the word of God. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.27

PEACE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

Peace comes with righteousness. In the throne of God “mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” We have seen that the law of God is a law of peace, and so the Psalmist declares, “Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them,” or cause them to stumble. Psalm 119:165. And again we read the words of the Lord, “O that thou hadst harkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.” Isaiah 48:18. Peace and righteousness, therefore, are synonymous. This is further shown in the statement, “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” Isaiah 57:21. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1. “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.” Isaiah 32:15. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.28

Peace is the opposite not only of open war, but also of enmity, for war is the result of enmity in the heart. Now Christ is our peace, because he has abolished the enmity in himself. Ephesians 2:14, 15. He has “made peace through the blood of his cross.” Colossians 1:20. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:8-10. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.29

“It is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 16:11), because the blood is the life. Therefore we are reconciled to God by the life of Christ, which he gives to us in his death. When we read that Christ has made peace through the blood of his cross, we understand that he made peace by the life which he poured out on the cross. And so when he says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you,” we know it is the same as if he said, “My life I give unto you.” His life is peace and righteousness. “To be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:6. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.30

THE FREEDOM OF PEACE

Christ gave himself for the world; he is able and willing to save the whole world, and will give his life to all who will have it; but he will not force his presence upon any. He says, “Behold I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20. He will not force the will. His rule is a rule of perfect liberty. The wonderful and glorious liberty of the sons of God is beyond all human expression. The liberty of the kingdom of God is the perfection of liberty. Every man is to be absolutely free. And in order that every man may be absolutely free in his kingdom, God gives to every person on this present earth perfect liberty to choose what he will have. The right and liberty to choose life, which God extends to all, implies liberty to reject it. “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19. “Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17. So not only in the world to come, but also in this life, God gives to every person exactly whatever he wishes to have. Those who desire life will have it abundantly, and of the wicked the Lord says: “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord; they would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” Proverbs 1:29-31. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.31

It will be seen that there is nothing like force in the government of God, nothing like compulsion. If there were, his reign would not be a reign of peace. It is altogether different from any earthly government that exists, or that ever did exist. Christ explained this matter when two of his disciples were seeking for themselves places of power in his kingdom. Said he: “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.32

Mark that statement beginning, “even as the Son of Man came.” That shows us that serving is the rule in the kingdom of God, because Christ himself sets the example. His government is in every respect different from earthly governments. They exist by force and authority; his exists by love and peace. Not only when on earth in the form of a servant did Christ serve, but he says that when the saints are all gathered with him in glory, he himself will come forth and serve them. Luke 12:37. In coming to this earth he took upon him the form of a servant; but the mind to serve was in him before he came. And so it will be in the glory of his kingdom. But there will be no danger that Christ’s position will not be properly respected in that innumerable throng, all of whom are bent on serving others. Greatness there will be measured by the amount of service rendered, and in that he will ever be infinitely above the whole human race. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.33

PEACE IS REST

Since the world began there has never been a time when there was perfect peace. Neither has there ever been a single nation in which at any time there has been peace. There have been times when no war was in progress, but the so-called peace that existed was made and preserved by force, just as the peace of Europe is maintained now by huge armies. But it is not peace. Peace is rest; but in all earthly governments there is a state of constant unrest. There is no real peace unless there is peace in the heart, and peace can be in the heart only by the presence of Jesus there. “He is our peace.” SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.34

The peace of God’s government is not maintained by standing armies, nor by compelling people to submit to his laws, but by the infusing of his own life in the hearts of those who will receive him. And now we can see why God does not arbitrarily interfere to put a stop to sin and its consequent misery. To do so would be to deny himself, and to subvert his own government; for his government is peace, and peace cannot be forced any more than love can be. God is not only the King, but he is the Father of his people, and that means that his subjects are to associate with him as with a father, on terms of intimacy. They are not to cower and cringe before him as before a tyrant, not to fawn and flatter to obtain his favor, but to be as free as he himself is. They are to have the liberty of his Spirit. While gladly acknowledging his infinite greatness, his people are to feel in his presence the freedom of equals. This is the mystery of God. The absolute perfection of liberty can be found only in him. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.35

In the beginning God filled all things by his presence. Then sin came in, and there was rebellion against his gentle sway. But he did not change. His rule now is the same that it was in the beginning, and the same that it will be in the earth made new. It is ever a reign of peace. So now he is seeking to bring men back to his mild rule, in the same way that he will rule when all acknowledge him. He stretches out his hands to all. He reveals his love and tenderness, and begs and entreats all to be at peace with him; but he compels none against their will, for he has set that forever free. Those who obstinately and persistently refuse him, and choose their own way, are left to their own way, which is death (Proverbs 16:25), because it is separate from the life of God. SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.36

It would not do to close without calling attention to the contrast between the way in which God works to extend his government among men, and the way in which men work to do the same thing. Religious law made by men have only the power of physical force, while God’s law has the power of his own life of peace. It will be seen that when men make laws professedly for the purpose of extending Christianity, they are working against God, instead of for him. So for human governments to enact and enforce religious laws, is to oppose and exalt themselves against God. Civil laws concerning religion, therefore, even though they expressly state that they are to upbuild the religion of Christ, are only the work of antichrist. They upbuild the religion of physical force, while his religion is that of spiritual peace. They misrepresent God, and cause him to be hated, or at least dreaded. But when God is represented as he is, men love him. Therefore let all his servants say, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace; so shall good come to thee.” SITI October 9, 1893, page 706.37