ISAIAH
9: 1-7
Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.
The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will soon be humbled, but there will be
a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the
road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with
glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great
light—a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death
casts its shadow. Israel will again be great, and its people will
rejoice as people rejoice at harvesttime. They will shout with joy
like warriors dividing the plunder. For God will break the chains
that bind his people and the whip that scourges them, just as he did
when he destroyed the army of Midian with Gideon’s little band.
In that day of peace, battle gear will no longer be issued. Never
again will uniforms be bloodstained by war. All such equipment
will be burned.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the
government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal
titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace. His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end.
He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his
ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the Lord Almighty
will guarantee this! (NLT)
This is a very difficult topic to understand. The key, to our
understanding, is the word government. It seems to us that
things will have to change, for many nations on this planet, to be
under God's umbrella. Obviously, defense must be a part of free
governments, so as not to be overcome by things other than freedom.
But with the new smart weapons, appropriate defense shields that burn
things up - in outer space, and all of the new technology of
mechanized equipment, bloody hand to hand combat is hopefully a thing
of civilized history.
The last war is being fought in the spiritual realm. And that
war is being won with love.
