“Peace On Earth” And “Peace In Heaven”
Uplook – December 2024 — Grace & Truth Magazine
“Peace On Earth” And “Peace In Heaven”
Peace On Earth
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the L ORD hath spoken” (Isa. 1:2 KJV ). These words of Isaiah may be applied to the magnificent praise recorded in Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” This is an expression of gladness uttered under the direction of the angel by a multitude of the heavenly host. It still sounds sweet in the ear of God and the whole realm of heaven, regardless of how people on earth respond to it. This was the divine announcement of the birth of the Man-child – a Savior for men. Sadly, there were very few voices down here to join the heavenly chorus. Two, only eight days after the birth of the child, also uttered heavenly praises (vv.25-38)
The angelic declaration, “on earth peace, good will toward men” (v.14), expressed what still is the mind and heart of God. The living proof was in the newborn Child, His Son (vv.30-32). A greater, fuller proof could not be given. There was the “Word … made flesh” (Jn. 1:14), “made of a woman” (Gal. 4:4), to be the Savior not of angels but of lost and sinful men and women, boys and girls. Micah said, “This Man shall be the peace” (Mic. 5:5); and “The Prince of Peace” is one of the wonderful titles given Him in Isaiah 9:6. In view of the comments by the two prophets we are reminded, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established” (Mt. 18:16).
But man was not of one mind with God. Is there a single instance when he is so minded? Mankind would have none of the peace brought by the Son, and he showed no good will toward God. Peace he wants; peace he longs for, but only such a peace as may be brought about by his own means, progress or civilization. We know the results of man’s most honest and strenuous efforts. He labors for the wind because he wants peace apart from and independent of the only One about whom it is written “This man shall be the peace.”
The Lord would have abundantly given social peace and enjoyment to men – both Jews and Gentiles. The former would have known the blessing of Zechariah’s word: “In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree” (3:10). The latter would have heeded the word addressed to them: “Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people” (Dt. 32:43). But, neither would have it. Rather, they united to plot against Him who would have been their Benefactor. Their actions were all out of jealousy and hatred, as we see in Psalm 2. Perfect goodness was there in the person of Jesus Christ, and they looked upon it with an evil eye. Despite the ill feelings so common between them, in this they were all of one accord against Him. Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were determined to do away with the Lord Jesus. There was unanimity. From that moment, peace on earth was gone. It will not come back until they recognize the rights of the Prince of Peace so wantonly rejected by them.
We have the lamentable proof before our eyes: the most sincere and hearty endeavors will never avail to establish peace among men. How long will this state of things last? It will go on as long as God permits fallen and rebellious man to govern this world, for he is branded with this awful character: “their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways” (Rom. 3:15-16). There will be even worse days than the present.
Yet, through God’s infinite compassion, there is a way to obtain peace despite the restlessness of man and his dark counsels. It has pleased God to put such means in the hands of Christians, however unconscious many may be of it. What is it? Intercession! It is not that they can dictate either to man or to God, but with God they can and should plead, as He exhorts us to do in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. The ministry of intercession is a wondrous one, too little used toward the desire for peace. Just think of God calling on His children to uphold the peace of the world – a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, being good and acceptable in his sight.
When it is a question of the defense and protection of Israel, His earthly people, He takes the lead in their armies, destroying their enemies by His own hand. Among Christians, His heavenly people, He is the “God of peace” (Rom. 15:33, 16:20; 1 Th. 5:23), not taking sides with one or the other fighting party, although controlling all and making all to serve His purpose. He enjoins His people that they should lift up holy hands, “without wrath and doubting” (1 Tim. 2:8), in prayer to Him not only for social and temporal welfare but on behalf of human souls. “The salvation of [their] souls” (1 Pet. 1:9) is far above all the concerns of the present life in importance. God desires “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).
We may ask, “What is the best time for the exercise of this ministry of intercession?” First Timothy 2:1 shows that it ought to be “first of all.” Now we can say with deep humiliation that this is not ordinarily the case. When things down here go smoothly, we too easily lose the consciousness of their frailty and changeableness, and we relax in prayer until calamity breaks upon us. Then we wake up, so to speak, and enter our service of intercession. This is right, to be sure, but it leaves an uneasy sense of being somewhat late, for it should be habitual and constant.
Intercession is to be blended with supplication, prayer and thanksgiving. Thanksgiving expresses the value that Christians are to attach to a quiet and peaceable life, which is not a matter of course in a world so readily disturbed by storms. If we enter into prayer only after the storm has broken out, the intercession and supplication may go up to God, even fervently offered and not unheard, but what about thanksgiving?
Peace In Heaven
Independent and even in spite of man, our blessed Lord would not return to heaven without making a peace of a far higher order than peace on earth among men. The Lord made peace between God and man by the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20). On that cross God “set forth … a propitiation through faith in [Jesus’] blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins … that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:25-26). Sin has not been winked at; God would have it to be blotted out. Mankind may wink at sin, but that could never suit the holy God.
Sin must be blotted out absolutely, completely – and what could do that? What could wash a poor, sinful individual and make him or her “white as snow” (Isa. 1:18) in the sight of God? It is only the blood of Christ! Sprinkled “seven times” on the mercy seat (Lev. 16:14), blood of an offering met the eye of God and spoke peace, perfect peace, as the number “seven” implies. Hence He could say, seeing the blood of Christ, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:17). What He ever remembers is His blessed Son “once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18).
Salvation is by grace, a “gift of God” (Eph. 2:8), otherwise who could obtain it? God’s grace is founded on righteousness (Rom. 5:21). In the gospel of the present day this is much forgotten. God’s love, God’s goodness, God’s pity are freely proclaimed, as surely they are great realities, but they could not possibly have free course at the expense of His righteousness. Take righteousness out of the gospel and the gospel will be all falsified. God must be satisfied in all His claims before He can satisfy us, but satisfied He has fully been in the propitiation made by the blood of His Son (3:25). He has distinctly declared His satisfaction in that He has raised His Son “from the dead and gave Him glory” (1 Pet. 1:21). From His Son, He claims no more, and all He claims from the convicted and repentant sinner is that he should believe that His Son has been “delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). Thus, and thus only, are we justified on the ground of faith; and the immediate consequence of being justified after this manner and principle is that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:1).
Such peace, to the making of which we have in nowise contributed, cannot be shaken either by men or demons. It was made in the face of, and in spite of, all their rage at the cross, but it leaves this world condemned. Unbelief necessarily excludes one from all the benefits of redemption. Without faith, a man remains as he is in nature through sin: “alienated from the life of God” (Eph. 4:18). What sort of peace can he be entitled to since peace with God is the consequence of justification, and justification is on the ground of faith? No soul can be made happy and be at rest for time and eternity apart from the saving knowledge of Christ, as set forth by God to be the mercy seat. His work alone, not my works either good or bad, enables me to stand before God without fear. In my self-righteousness and pride I keep away from God; in my faith I draw near and say, All my boast is in Christ and His propitiation. In saving and justifying me on that ground, God puts honor on the work of His Son and declares peace to be made forever.
This heavenly peace is what the disciples proclaimed in Luke 19:38, not that they apprehended the meaning of their words. We know distinctly from John 12:16 that at the first they did not understand these things; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered. They understood not at that time, yet they spoke out the mind of God, led by the Spirit. They were familiar with Zechariah 9:9, which describes the coming of the King, but what they did not expect was that in His first coming He would be rejected. In His rejection He would go to the cross and there make a peace wholly connected with heaven! The kingdom would be seen later; it was not lost. When it is manifested in a day that is fast coming, then will the song be loudly raised, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest” (Lk. 19:38). Until then it is not “peace on earth” but “peace in heaven,” where the blessed Lord now fills with it believing souls.
By P. Compain, adapted from the “Bible Treasury,” 1914