Written by Aidan Thomas

Brethren Of Christ Articles - Prophecy

What do we mean by the phrase ‘change the world?’

 There have been many people who in some way or another have, in a sense, changed the world for good or ill. 
Discoverers, inventors, scientists, military leaders, dictators, amongst others, could all lay claims to have made an impact on the world and changed the course of history.

Whilst we would not wish to dispute this claim, the change that Jesus Christ is to bring about will exceed all others in its scope and in its permanent effect for good for the earth and its inhabitants.In fact he has already been responsible for a change in the world for good as a result of the manner of his birth, the holiness of his life and the manner of his death.

But the changes he will make when he comes again will be far greater.  They will be those which a benevolent ruler, who has control over the physical, economic and judicial aspects of human life, would introduce for the well being of the earths inhabitants.

 One of the changes that none of the world’s rulers have been able to effect has been the dispensing of justice and what might be termed fairness for all.   With such differing and competing demands for the world’s resources and the inherent acquisitiveness of human nature, the imbalance between wealth and poverty is inevitable.

And because wealth brings power, any change to this state of things has only come about by a revolution or uprising of those who are oppressed.

The French and Russian revolutions were such uprisings. 

The problem is that whatever changes were effected tended to be short lived, with all the weaknesses and ills of human nature asserting themselves, and the prospect of fairness and justice still no more than that;  merely an unattained prospect.

Attempts have been made and continue to be made to try and bring about some sort of international consensus for the dispensing of justice.  The United Nations, which is one such body, is limited in what it can achieve because of its inability to overrule the national interests of the States where the injustice is perpetrated. 

 Even if all governments throughout the world were prepared to assign their powers to a group of selected ‘wise and just’ individuals with power and authority to dispense justice for all, it is inevitable that given the failings of human nature such power would corrupt and the disenfranchised populace would attempt to rise up in protest.

 This idea, however, is a non starter because no government or national ruler is going to willingly give up all its powers to an unelected group of individuals.  Having said that, this is arguably what the European Union is endeavouring to do.

Apart from the unfairness and injustice which many experience there are also other national and individual ailments which have proved incurable despite mans best efforts.  For example, man cannot bring peace to the world;   produce a cure for all the diseases, illnesses and ailments that afflict mankind; prevent famine in various parts of the world; or stop the exploitation of the poor.

 It has proved impossible for any one individual to resolve any one of these problems and it is therefore inconceivable that one man whose life span is limited, could cure them all himself.

 But there is someone who will do so; it is someone who is endowed with almighty power and authority. It is someone who is endowed with infallible wisdom and judgment and is the epitome of love and compassion.

He is at present sitting at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens, waiting for the time appointed when he will return to this earth to finish the work he began 2,000 years ago.

 Just as the details of his birth, life and resurrection were recorded in advance as a testimony to the infallible record we know as the Holy Bible, so in the same book is recorded what he will do when he returns.

 And it is to this book, the writings of holy men of old who wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, that we turn to find out how Christ will bring about dramatic and far reaching changes in the world.

 To set the scene, as it were, we will quote some verses from one of the Psalms of the ancient king of Israel, David.

Psalm 72 records a future that has been a source of comfort to many who have laboured under the privations of this present life.  It speaks of an all wise ruler who will be king over all the earth, who will dispense unerring righteous justice. It tells of a change in the productiveness of the land; of a state of universal peace; and of the worship of the one true God.

 After introducing the king’s son, that refers to the greater son of David, i.e Jesus the Messiah, we read

“He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgment.... he shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and break in pieces the oppressor.”  Verses 2,4 

At the present time many people are fleeing as refugees from cruel oppressors and there is little any international body can do other than try and provide some relief  by way of food and medical help for them, with all the logistical problems that have to be overcome. 

There is neither the will or agreement as to how to deal with dictatorial oppressors knowing that the overthrow of one dictator will usher in another who may be as bad if not worse than the one he replaces.

 So this promise of one who will save all those in need and deal with all those cruel dictators who oppress the people will involve a dramatic change in the world’s affairs.

And of course this would require a ruler with all the power needed to implement this change, which as the opening verse of this Psalm indicates will be the greater son of David, even the Lord Jesus Christ.

The rise and role of this supreme ruler of the world was foreseen by the prophet Daniel.  He interpreted a dream given to Nebuchadnezzar, the ancient king of Babylon, showing that the rulership of all the kingdoms of men would be conquered by a mighty stone power.  This stone, we learn from other Scriptures, is the Lord Jesus Christ. 

And he it is whom, as the Psalmist says,  “ shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.”   Verse 8

The consequences of his universal government will be that “all kings shall fall down before him;  all nations shall serve him, for he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also and him that hath no helper.” Verses 11,12

 There have been a number of attempts by rulers of nations to conquer the world and  the prophet mentions the empires of Assyria/Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece and Rome, but under none of them were all their subjects treated with universal justice and experienced a happy existence free from oppression and the consequences of war.

 But under Christ’s reign the Psalmist says,

“in his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.”  Verse 7. 

Here is mentioned one of the great characteristics of his reign, the state of peacefulness. We have grown accustomed to wars in various parts of the world, and this is to be one of the great changes he will introduce for the benefit of all mankind – the absence of war and strife.

There is a plaque outside the Untied Nations building which bears the following inscription,  “they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks:  Nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more.”    It is a standing testimony to the inability of that body to fulfil those words of the prophet Isaiah. (ch 2:4)

Only the Lord Jesus Christ will bring about this change in the world’s affairs.  And it is he that the prophet writes of when he prefaces those words with “He shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people..”

The Psalmist writes of another aspect of the state of universal blessedness that Jesus Christ will bring about.

“there shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon;  and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.  His name shall endure for ever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun;  and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.” Verses 16,17

This condition of fruitfulness will be a change from the present condition of the soil which suffers from the consequences of Adam’s sin.  “Cursed is the ground for thy sake: in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life: thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee..”  Genesis 3:17

Under Christ’s reign “the earth shall yield her increase”  Psalm 67:6 and “the desert shall blossom as the rose”  Isaiah 25:1

 The prophet Isaiah also writes of some of the dramatic changes that Jesus Christ will bring about. 

At the present time when judges adjudicate upon cases brought before them they have to weigh the evidence and test the veracity of statements by the defendant, and any witnesses to the incident.  Sometimes the defendant is an accomplished liar who can deceive both the judge and jury.  They may suspect that he is guilty but are unable to convict in the absence of sufficient evidence.

Under the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ there will be no miscarriages of justice.

His judgment  will be infallible because “he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge…..”

The prophet also refers to another dramatic change that the reign of Jesus Christ will bring.  The natural ferocity of the wild animals will be changed, with “the wolf dwelling with the lamb and the leopard lying down with the kid:  and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together:  and a little child shall lead them.  The cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”  Isaiah 11: 6-9

 Despite the best efforts of the medical profession and advances in medicine there is much suffering,  and early death is often counted a blessing for those who have painful and incurable illnesses.

The prophet Isaiah writing of the future blessedness in the following words,  “Be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for behold I create Jerusalem a blessing and her people a joy.  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days:  for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.”  Isaiah 65:18-20

This increase in the longevity of life will be such that someone dying at the age of 100 will be accounted as a child.

 There will be no cheating or fraudulent activities allowed and all will benefit from their own labour.  In the words of the prophet Isaiah: “they shall build houses and inhabit them;  they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit thereof.  They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat…” Isaiah 65:21,22

 All these changes have to do with conditions on the earth.  And they will be experienced by the inhabitants of the earth, for it is on the earth that the kingdom of God will set be up by Jesus Christ at his return.  And it is the setting up of the kingdom of God on the earth that will bring about these changes.  It is one of the reasons that  the preaching of this coming kingdom is called the Gospel or good news.

 The European Union is an attempt to unite all the people of the Union under a common constitution and with common laws and one currency with the aim of avoiding any internal strife of the member states.  In some ways this is a counterfeit of the kingdom that Christ will set up.

 The two things that the E.U has not achieved are a common religion and a common language.  But in the kingdom that Jesus Christ will establish there will be one religion. 

The prophet Isaiah foretelling of this time says:

“In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.  And many people shall go up and say, Come ye and let us go up the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His 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.”  2: 2,3

 The tower of Babel was an act of rebellion against God and as a consequence He brought about the multiplicity of languages that have contributed to misunderstanding and strife between people.

 A particular feature of the kingdom age will be a common language, probably Hebrew.

The prophet Zephaniah writes of this time when: “I will turn to the people a pure language, that they all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.”  3:9

 Such then are some of the changes that will be introduced by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when he will conquer the world and rule as king over all the earth in the restored kingdom of Israel.

 In conclusion the Scriptures tell us how we can enjoy the blessings of this coming change in the world’s affairs.  In brief it directs us to be associated with the Lord Jesus Christ now.  And we do this by having faith in the fulfilment of this promised time and in the meantime being baptised into his name and a walking in the way of his commandments.