PEACE ON EARTH?

By Daymond Duck

The prophet Zechariah had a vision of a rider on a red horse (Zech. 1:7-17). This rider turned out to be THE (in Hebrew THE is emphasized) Angel of the LORD (capital LORD). Here, THE Angel of the LORD is Jesus (verse 11).

 

There were other riders on horses behind Jesus. Zechariah asked about them and he was told, "These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth" (Zech. 1:9-10).

 

This group of riders was an angel patrol that God had sent to patrol the earth. These angels had just returned with a report, "We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest" (Zech. 1:11). They found peace all over the earth.

 

In the last 5,000 years, historians say there have been more than 4,000 wars. Peace on earth is very rare. This time of peace on earth was at the end of the Babylonian captivity, and it was one of those very rare occasions.

 

Most would expect Jesus to be pleased with peace on earth, but there was something about it that troubled Him.

 

He asked God, "O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?" (Zech. 1:12).

 

There was peace on earth, but it was peace without Jerusalem and the surrounding towns. Without Jerusalem and the surrounding towns, Jesus couldn't be born in Bethlehem, Ephratah; He couldn't ride into Jerusalem on a donkey; He couldn't suddenly appear at the Temple, and many other prophecies couldn't be fulfilled.

 

There was peace on earth, but it was peace on earth on Satan's terms, not God's terms.

 

God said, "I am very sore displeased (very angry) with the heathen that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction" (Zech. 1:15). God didn't like the attitude of the heathen (Gentiles) on earth.

 

Their attitude wasn't a big problem at first when God allowed Babylon to put the Jews off the Promised Land for 70 years, but He was sore displeased 70 years later when they tried to keep Israel off the land forever. God said the Jews would return after 70 years, but Gentiles were trying to make Israel's situation worse than God decreed by keeping the Jews off the land forever, not letting Jerusalem and the Temple be rebuilt, etc.

 

God's punishment of Judah wasn't enough for the Gentiles. They wanted to go beyond what God said. They wanted the permanent destruction of Judah.

 

God wasn't pleased with this. He said the Seed of Woman would bruise Satan's head, and it had to happen. Nations cannot be allowed to prevent the Word of God from being fulfilled.

 

This brings us to Zechariah's second vision (Zech. 1:18-21).

 

First, Zechariah saw "four horns," (kings, kingdoms or nations; Dan. 7:24; Rev. 17:12). He was told, "These horns are the kingdoms or nations that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem" (Zech. 1:19).

 

Next, Zechariah saw "four carpenters." He was told, "These are come to fray (punish) them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles (heathen), which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it" (Zech. 1:21). These four carpenters represent things or nations that God has sent to tear down and get rid of those that are adding to Judah's punishment.

 

These visions apply to Zechariah's day, but the things in the Old Testament are examples for us today (I Cor. 10:11).

 

God is gathering the Jews back to the Promised Land (Isa. 43:5-8). He gave all of the Promised Land to Israel forever (Gen. 17:7-8).

 

The angel Gabriel said the Antichrist will stop the animal sacrifices at the middle of the seventieth week (Dan. 9:27). Paul said, the Antichrist will sit in the Temple and say that he is God (II Thess. 2:3-4).

 

Many Gentiles are trying to stop Israel from getting all of the Promised Land, stop Israel from rebuilding the Temple, resuming the animal sacrifices, etc.

 

World leaders think they can have peace on earth by dividing Jerusalem and the Promised Land, giving part or all of Jerusalem and the Promised Land to the Muslims, etc., but they can't because every jot and tittle of God's Word must be fulfilled.

 

At the time of the end, the Antichrist must arrive, the Temple must be rebuilt. The animal sacrifices must resume, etc. U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a major indicator of things to come.

 

Before the Temple is rebuilt, members of the religion of peace will schedule days of anger, rage and violence to protest the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but eventually there will be a false peace, and the Temple will be rebuilt.

 

When that false peace treaty is signed, God's day of wrath will begin (Rev. 6:16). He will use four horsemen (called the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) to fray the world (Rev. 6:1-8).

 

There may not be a connection, but one of those horsemen will ride a red horse like THE Angel of the LORD in Zechariah 1:8. The rider on the red horse will remove peace from the earth (Rev. 6:3-4).

 

Thankfully, the Church won't be here when the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse come forth. You see, the sudden destruction will come upon them (the lost) when they (the lost) say "Peace and safety" (I Thess. 5:3).

 

The lost will wrongly say "Peace and safety" before the sudden destruction comes (Pre-Trib). They won't say "Peace and safety" halfway through the Tribulation Period (Mid-Trib) or near the end of it (Post-Trib).

 

Christmas is near, and many people will talk about peace on earth, but they are not interested in, or anxious for, the return of Jesus. They don't seem to realize that there won't be peace on earth until Jesus returns (Dan. 9:24). If Jesus doesn't return, no flesh will be saved, but Jesus will return (Matt. 24:22; Acts 1:11).

 

Anyway, Israel needs at least some control over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount to think that they are secure enough to rebuild the Temple. Moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem is a giant step in that direction. More steps are needed, but the ball is rolling.