READ IN AWAKE! DECEMBER 2012 APPEARED IN The Bible—A Book of Accurate Prophecy—Part 8 “Let Your Kingdom Come” 00:0000:00 This is the final article in an eight-part series in Awake! examining an outstanding feature of the Bible—its prophecies, or predictions. The articles set out to answer these questions: Are Bible prophecies merely the work of clever humans? Do they bear the hallmark of divine inspiration? We invite you to weigh the evidence. FOR some two thousand years, professed Christians have been praying for God’s Kingdom to come. The practice is based on Jesus’ own words. He taught his disciples to pray: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matthew 6:10. What is the Kingdom for which so many people pray? It is God’s heavenly government, and it will replace all other governments. As the appointed King of this Kingdom, Jesus Christ carries out God’s will in heaven and on earth. (Daniel 2:44; 7:13, 14) In due time, God will answer this model prayer by bringing an end to wickedness and suffering and providing salvation for an unnumbered “great crowd” of loyal worshippers. (Revelation 7:9, 10, 13-17) Then, “the righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29. Is there any way of knowing what specific conditions we can anticipate under Christ’s rule? There certainly is! When Jesus was on earth, he demonstrated both his desire to solve mankind’s problems and his ability to do so. Let us examine four Bible prophecies and consider how Jesus provided foregleams of what he will do earth wide as King in God’s heavenly Kingdom. Prophecy 1: “Jehovah . . . is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces; the wagons he burns in the fire.”—Psalm 46:8, 9. Fulfillment: Jesus Christ, the “Peaceable Prince,” will bring permanent tranquillity to our planet. By means of a peaceful program of education and global disarmament, God’s Kingdom will unite all mankind in one true international brotherhood.—Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:6, 7, footnote; 11:9. What history reveals: Jesus taught his followers, not to take up arms, but to live at peace with one another. When one of his disciples tried to come to his defense with weapon in hand, Jesus said to him: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:51, 52) Jesus stated that true Christians would be identified by the love they show for one another.—John 13:34, 35. Prophecy 2: “There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.”—Psalm 72:16. Fulfillment: God’s Kingdom will eradicate malnutrition, food shortages, and starvation. Everyone will have an abundance of good food. What history reveals: Jesus’ sincere compassion for hungry people was clearly evident, and his miraculous ability to feed large crowds was awe-inspiring. One eyewitness reported: “[Jesus] commanded the crowds to recline on the grass and took the five loaves and two fishes, and, looking up to heaven, he said a blessing and, after breaking the loaves, he distributed them to the disciples, the disciples in turn to the crowds. So all ate and were satisfied, and they took up the surplus of fragments, twelve baskets full. Yet those eating were about five thousand men, besides women and young children.”—Matthew 14:14, 19-21. Prophecy 3: “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’” (Isaiah 33:24) “The eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness.”—Isaiah 35:5, 6. Fulfillment: God’s Kingdom will wipe out every kind of disease and infirmity. The blind will see, and the deaf will hear and speak. Never again will anyone need medication, hospitals, or doctors. What history reveals: When Jesus taught people about God’s Kingdom, he gladly cured all their diseases and disabilities. Thus, on a small scale, Jesus demonstrated what he will do earth wide as King of God’s heavenly Kingdom.—Luke 7:22; 9:11. Prophecy 4: God “will actually swallow up death forever.”—Isaiah 25:8. Fulfillment: During Christ’s rule as King of God’s Kingdom, “those in the memorial tombs” will be resurrected to life on a paradise earth. (John 5:28, 29) Jesus will vanquish death, our most relentless enemy, enabling us to enjoy everlasting life.—Psalm 37:29. What history reveals: On at least three occasions, Jesus demonstrated his power by bringing a dead person back to life. (Luke 7:11-15; 8:41-55; John 11:38-44) After Jesus himself died, some 500 eyewitnesses could testify that he had been raised from the dead.—1 Corinthians 15:3-8. This eight-part series of articles has discussed numerous Bible prophecies that have come true. All those prophecies, along with many others, show that the Bible is not merely the work of clever humans. Rather, it bears the hallmark of divine inspiration. There can be no doubt that “everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word.”—2 Timothy 3:16, Contemporary English Version. Because the Bible is a book of unerring prophecy, you have every reason to believe that “just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”—Psalm 37:10, 11. NO MORE FREAKISH WEATHER God’s Kingdom will do something no other government could ever do: it will take control of natural forces. Jesus demonstrated that he has power over the wind and the sea, as well as vegetation and living creatures. Therefore, when Christ rules over the earth, mankind will never again be the victims of natural disasters.—Mark 4:36-41; 11:12-14, 20-23; Luke 5:4-11. UNDER GOD’S KINGDOM: All badness will be eradicated Revelation 21:3, 4 No crime or corruption No child abuse No racial prejudice The whole earth will be a paradise Psalm 72:5-9 No nuclear threat No pollution No natural disasters Mankind will enjoy ideal living conditions Isaiah 65:21-25 Proper housing for everyone Satisfying employment for all Perfect health Peace and happiness Never-ending life PREVIOUS NEXT E-MAIL LINKPRINT DOWNLOAD OPTIONS EPUBPDFMP3AAC PODCASTS TABLE OF CONTENTS PREVIOUS NEXT Whatever Happened to Patience? Impatience Can Be Harmful How to Be More Patient Does God Use Natural Disasters to Punish Mankind Today? The Cow With Two Woolly Coats A Dictionary 90 Years in the Making What Is a Real Man? The Caucasus—A “Mountain of Languages” The Bible—A Book of Accurate Prophecy—Part 8 “Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite!” Watching the World Subject Index for 2012 Awake! For Family Review Related Articles Good News for All Mankind—Accurate Bible Prophecy The Last Days—Accurate Bible Prophecy “The End Will Come”—Accurate Bible Prophecy
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:42:33 +0000
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