The King of Peace is Coming

Although global peace continues to evade mankind, many world leaders (and almost every beauty contestant) have continued to promote it as man’s primary desire.  Of course, those same people generally believe it will be human effort which achieves this goal.  Consequently, there are many powerbrokers who have attempted to bring the world’s most intractable problem to heel – peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours.  Some have had limited success.  Some have had stunning failures.  Regardless, it has not deterred many leaders in the international community from pursuing a comprehensive peace agreement for the region.  To many, solving the Middle East peace puzzle is key to bringing peace to the rest of the world as evidenced by a section of the Abraham Accords Declaration which states exactly that: “We pursue a vision of peace, security, and prosperity in the Middle East and around the world.” 

Whatever your individual thoughts on the framework of the recent agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, seeing the living hostages reunited with their families is a moment of joy and thanksgiving.  While solemnly reflecting on those who did not make it out alive, we give glory to God for answering the prayers of tens of millions of people worldwide when He reunited desperate families and loved ones.  Israel is also right to be grateful for the involvement of President Donald Trump.  But amongst the hyperbole which often accompanies exuberant celebrations, we must remember there is a truth to behold.  During a brief interview by an Australian news journalist at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, the interviewee excitedly claimed that Donald Trump is making the world great again.  There is a subjectivity to that statement which I am sure will be debated endlessly by people on the other side of the aisle.  But my greater concern was the man’s follow up statement.  He called Donald Trump “the king of peace”. 

Whatever comes of the expanded Abraham Accords or similar future agreements, the fact is that peace will be fleeting.  By the time of the Second Coming the world will be in complete turmoil. The prophet Zechariah said that prior to Messiah’s arrival, all nations would be focused on destroying Israel.  We read of this in Zechariah 12:1-3: 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.”  Although siege warfare has been an extremely effective strategy in past military campaigns, in this case it will be a complete failure because of God’s intervention.  Zechariah 12:9 reads: “It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 

God’s plan for Israel not only involves freeing them from the brutal reign of the Antichrist and the hostile nations of the world, but His plan also ultimately leads to the institution the Millennial Kingdom.  But to have a kingdom, you need a king.  In Jeremiah 23:5-6 we read: “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgement and righteousness in the earth.  In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.  As you are able to glean from the passage, Jeremiah was referring to a future King who would establish a kingdom which would provide Judah and Israel with salvation and security.  Romans 11:26-27 reads: And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” 

Although the King’s focus is Israel, His rule is not contained to Israel.  Psalm 72:8 says: He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.  The King’s throne will be in Jerusalem (Psalm 2:6) but His reign will be universal.  Who is this King?  Revelation 19:16 tells us it is Jesus: And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  Jesus is already the anointed King, but He will not enter into His public office as King until the Millennium. An Old Testament example of this was the period of time between David’s anointing as king (1 Samuel 16:13) and his eventual enthronement (2 Samuel 5:3).

No matter how well-intentioned it was for the aforementioned man to refer to Donald Trump as “the king of peace”, the fact remains that this title should be reserved for only one Person – Jesus.  Unlike man’s peace agreements, under the rule of the true King, peace will not be fragile, nor will it be fleeting.