Course Content
Can the focal point of contention in ancient and modern times, Jerusalem, ever possibly have peace? Is such a thing of peace even remotely possible because of the deep-seated rifts of hatred in that part of the world? See what the Bible says.
We start the year 2025 hopeful there will be a potential peace in the Middle East. We pray the current round of intense hostilities between Israel and Gaza and Lebanon will end. No doubt there will be other issues which will arise over Jerusalem in the future. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has stated the ceasefires with Hezbollah and Hamas do not mean the end of Israel's wars.
Bible prophecy gives warnings of greater conflicts which will threaten to pull all nations into a major war. The really big question: “Is it possible peace could ever be a part of Israel’s future?”
With God all things are possible
King David wrote anciently: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you’” (Psalm 122:6).
The fundamental problem is deep-seated hatred for the people of the Jewish nation. It is difficult for human beings to change their ways of hatred and hostility towards others they have despised for centuries. Is it possible, in light of the wide rifts of ideology between the people of Jerusalem, Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Arab world, that peace could ever happen? Jesus Christ taught His disciples: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
God is fully capable of changing a heart of stone bent on fighting and violence, to the tenderness of fleshly hearts willing to love others: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Until that time comes, there will be conflict. Man does not know the way to peace (Isaiah 59:8). There may be periods of peace, but the apostle Paul warned us not to be too optimistic: “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Unfortunately, Bible prophecy reveals a far greater war is coming which will draw in all the armies of this world: “The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: ‘Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it’” (Zechariah 12:1-3).
The breakdown of societal structure
The prophet Isaiah spoke of the time when there will be a breakdown of what was once considered societal normalcy: “For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stock and the store, the whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water; the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the elder; the captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor and the skillful artisan, and the expert enchanter. ‘I will give children, to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. The people will be oppressed, every one by another and every one by his neighbor; the child will be insolent toward the elder, and the base toward the honorable’” (Isaiah 3:1-5).
If you have ever been in a time of war, you understand the futile pangs in the pit of your stomach, when every transport plane carries the bodies of fallen soldiers and the crying doesn’t cease; you wonder when it will ever end.
During the Vietnam War, which lasted from 1955 to 1975, there were 282,000 U.S. and Allied military deaths. The Vietnam War is widely considered to be the first war that was extensively broadcast in color television, allowing the American public to see the conflict vividly in their living rooms in an unprecedented level of live, on-the-ground coverage. This significantly impacted public opinion about the war. It was a traumatizing experience for young people to witness the war up close, a war which seemed almost futile.
The Hippie generation, coupled with the peace movement of the 1960s, was a time when the “flower children” wanted to tune out of society. In 1967, Dr. Timothy Leary spoke at the “Human Be-In,” a gathering of 30,000 hippies in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California and phrased the famous words, "Turn on, tune in, drop out."
Isaiah 4:1 states the extent of the destruction of the societal structure: “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, ‘We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.’”
In regard to this verse, Adam Clarke’s Commentary says this: “The division of the chapters has interrupted the prophet’s discourse, and broken it off almost in the midst of the sentence. ‘The numbers slain in battle shall be so great, that seven women shall be left to one man.’ The prophet has described the greatness of this distress by images and adjuncts the most expressive and forcible. The young women, contrary to their natural modesty, shall become suitors to the men: they will take hold of them, and use the most pressing importunity to be married. In spite of the natural suggestions of jealousy, they will be content with a share only of the rights of marriage in common with several others; and that on hard conditions, renouncing the legal demands of the wife on the husband, (see Exodus 21:10), and begging only the name and credit of wedlock, and to be freed from the reproach of celibacy.”
The world will be brought to the very precipice of destruction. Then the Father will send His Son, Jesus Christ to rescue humankind from total annihilation.
Jesus Christ will bring peace
Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame” (Revelation 16:5). He is coming as a thief in the night at a time least expected to those who do not watch (Matthew 24:42-44). He will not come secretly in some clandestine way, but with the great shout of an archangel (1 Thessalonians 4:16)!
The world will not rejoice to see the second coming of Christ. Revelation 11:18 says the nations will be angry! Revelation 17:12-14 says the ten nations of the Beast power will make war with Jesus Christ, and He will utterly defeat them. He will have the Beast and False Prophet arrested and then put to death in the lake of fire (Revelation 19:19-20).
After this, Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will begin to rule over the earth. Jesus Christ came over 1,900 years ago as a meek lamb to be slain for the sins of the world. But when He comes again, He will be wrathful—angry toward all evil! He will use His mighty power to change the ways which have caused all the sorrow and suffering on earth, and bring eternal peace to the world.
Any wise and loving father punishes his children for their own good when they refuse to respond to loving admonition. Likewise, an all-loving God will have to punish this world to bring it to its senses! The glorified Christ is coming in all the power and glory of God to stop man’s mad rush to nuclear mass destruction. He is coming to usher in peace, abundant prosperity, happiness and joy for all people.
When Jesus takes the role as King of kings, He will fulfill the prophecies given in ancient times by the prophet Isaiah: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
With God all things are possible. Jerusalem, Israel and the whole world will finally have peace, a peace wisely orchestrated by the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. The streets of Jerusalem will finally be full of happy boys and girls playing. (Zechariah 8:4-5). May our Father in heaven hasten the coming of that day!
For more on this topic, watch "Can There Be a Gaza Ceasefire?" United Church of God president, Rick Shabi, discusses the ongoing conflict in Gaza, discussing Israeli airstrikes, humanitarian concerns, the likelihood of a lasting ceasefire and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance on continuing the fight against Hamas.
Jim has been in the ministry over 40 years serving fifteen congregations. He and his wife, Joan, started their service to God's church in Pennsylvania in 1974. Both are graduates of Ambassador University. Over the years they served other churches in Alabama, Idaho, Oregon, Arizona, California, and currently serve the Phoenix congregations in Arizona, as well as the Hawaii Islands. He has had the opportunity to speak in a number of congregations in international areas of the world. They have traveled to Zambia and Malawi to conduct leadership seminars In addition, they enjoy working with the youth of the church and have served in youth camps for many years.
