When Nikita Khrushchev, the great Russian leader, and head of world Communism, visited the United States some weeks ago, he delivered a speech before the United Nations Assembly in New York City, in which he projected himself as the great apostle of peace—a strange role for a master of intrigue and fomenter of world strife. His grandiose scheme for complete world disarmament within four years was thoroughly unrealistic and impracticable. He could scarcely have intended that it be taken seriously, but of course there are always some people who will be taken in by anything that would seem to offer a measure of peace. The Russian proposal could, if accepted at face value, be a modern "Trojan Horse" deception; for if a large part of the world would disarm they would then be at the mercy of that part which only concealed their armaments and preparations for a surprise attack.
Let no one deceive himself into thinking that an age of peace is about to be ushered in. This is not the time for peace, although there are some who say, "Peace, peace; when there is no peace." Neither Mr. Khrushchev nor any other mere man will bring about peace and tranquility for the earth, even if they so desire. There was a time when the "Prince of Peace" came to the earth, but the world with one consent cast Him out of it. How can there be peace?
The prophets Isaiah and Micah foretell of a time that is coming when the nations "shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks" and not "learn war any more" (Isa. 2:4; Mic. 4:3), but the time for this has not arrived. Before real peace will come to this storm-tossed and war-weary world, a false sense of peace will come. Men will actually cry out that the moment of "peace and safety" has arrived, only to awaken to find "sudden destruction" come upon them when "they shall not escape" (1 Thess. 5:3).
As we have frequently pointed out, there is to be a revival of the Roman Empire with ten kingdoms in alliance supervised by a powerful dictator. This man will brook no interference, nor tolerate any delay in carrying out his decrees; for when he comes to power he will pluck up three of those ten nations "by the roots." (Dan. 7:8.) He will be the man of Isa. 14 who will destroy cities and make the earth a wilderness. So great will be his power that the world will say in astonishment, "Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" Rev. 13:4. Men will then have what they like to call "a balance of power," or, as is said today, "a balance of terror." They will then feel that a stable peace has arrived, when no one will dare to challenge the devil-supported beast; they will say, "Peace and safety," only to find the terror of the Lord break forth upon them when He will come to execute the righteous wrath of God on the world. When He appears with "the armies which were in heaven" following Him, He will be "clothed with a vesture dipped in blood"-not the blood shed at the cross, but indicative of the blood of His enemies (see Isa. 63:1-3). At that time "the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies" will actually begin to make war against the Lord Himself when He comes with the armies of heaven. What mad rashness that will be! He will with his armies rush into the fray with the Almighty God, as is said in Job 15: "For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and strengthened himself against the Almighty: he runneth against Him, with outstretched neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers." vv. 25, 26; J.N.D. Trans.
The beast and his armies will rush on into destruction like the proud Pharaoh and his armies which were overthrown in the Red Sea. The second Psalm will have its fulfillment: "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure." vv. 1-5.
Man's "peace and safety," when wickedness will have reached its peak, will be but short-lived. Sudden destruction will come upon them, and "they shall not escape," for we read:
"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth." Rev. 19:20, 21. Of what use will be man's projectiles and hydrogen warheads against the Almighty God, or against Him whose armament will be a sword that proceeds out of His mouth? When the mob, with Judas as their leader, came to take the Lord in the Garden, He had but to say those words that tell who He is, "I AM," and they went backward and fell to the ground. The culmination of man's dedicated wickedness will be that he will actually attempt to fight against God and His Anointed, but "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh." Sudden destruction will come upon them.
But to return to the Russian proposal of total disarmament; world statesmen would be wiser if they understood what God has said about Russia. This great power aspiring to world domination is seldom mentioned in Scripture, but the very few times that it is are very instructive. Let us notice the order of events in chapters 30, 31, 32, and 33 of Isaiah, in order to establish the part Russia will take. In the first two chapters mentioned, it will be seen that an enemy of Israel's is referred to as the Assyrian- an early enemy of Israel, and the one who took the ten tribes captive. A power will arise in this area north of Palestine which was once Assyria and later was the Syrian Empire; it will be a confederacy of Arabs and others hostile to Israel. This will again be one of Israel's enemies occupying a position to their north. Their leader will meet the same doom as the beast and the false prophet, according to the correct translation of Isa. 30:33. He will be dealt with after Christ comes with the armies of heaven and destroys the armies of the West which seek to make war against Him. Then after these three powerful men are cut down, the Lord will set up His kingdom and reign. Therefore, the 32nd chapter of Isaiah begins thus: "Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment," and closes, "And My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." vv. 1, 18. This pictures Christ's reign.
So we see that after the Son of man shall have put down the beast (the head of the revived Roman Empire), and the "false prophet" (the apostate king of the Jews in. Palestine), and the "Assyrian" or "king of the north" (the head of the confederated
Arab peoples on Israel's north), He will then set up His kingdom and reign in righteousness, and Israel will dwell safely. Then in the next chapter-Isa. 33-another enemy is brought before us-a foe that will come against the Jews when they are dwelling safely under their true Messiah, God's anointed King. This will be Russia.
The same order of events-first, of Christ's setting up His kingdom and setting Israel in peace and security in their land, followed by Russia and many peoples with her coming against Israel-is to be found in Eze. 37, and 38 and 39. In chapter 37, we read: "And David My servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd.... And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant.... Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them.... My tabernacle also shall be with them.... And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel." vv. 24-28. Then the 38th chapter begins with Russia's coming down against that people. The head of this enemy is called "the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal" (J.N.D. Trans.); is this not Russia, Moscow, and Tobolsk? Most learned expositors feel that this is so. It is therefore evident that the Son of man will not put down all of His enemies at one instant, nor will He begin to reign till most of them have been destroyed, although there will remain others to deal with when He does reign. David (a type of Christ) made war on many fronts and subdued all enemies before Solomon (also a type of Christ) reigned in peace. Even Solomon had much to put right before reigning in prosperity where there was "neither adversary nor evil occurrent" (1 Kings 5:4).
With the fact established that Isa. 33 and Eze. 38 and 39 refer to Russia, and that she and her hordes will be the last enemy of Israel, and that they will be destroyed on the mountains of Israel, then we may notice how this kingdom is described in Isa. 33 Note: "Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee." v. 1. This statement when understood in its context is worthy of note in this day when "total disarmament" is proposed as a means to secure world peace.
Another point that should be established is that between now and the false "peace and safety" which will be forthcoming temporarily on the basis of the West's supremacy of weapons of horror, there will be lots of troubles, and turmoil; for nation will rise against nation, and the rider on the red horse (of Rev. 6) will have power to take peace from the earth. We may well use the words of the prophet, and cry, "O earth, earth, earth"! This world that is guilty of the blood of Christ, and is going on carelessly to destruction, is soon to reap the awful consequences of its deeds. Instead of the nations beating their swords into plowshares, the words of Joel are first to be fulfilled: "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong." Joel 3:9, 10. We as Christians need not expect a time of peace, where there is neither cold war nor hot war, but rather look up in blessed anticipation of soon hearing that shout that will call us away from the world to be with the Lord forever. And while we await Himself, we should not be troubled, but allow "the peace of God" to garrison our hearts so that in nothing we should be afraid. The peace of God is the peace of Him who is not troubled by any circumstances. He is above them all, and nothing here can ruffle His peace- may that peace keep us in tranquility and equanimity.