CHAPTER 3
The Cause of All World Troubles
YOU LOOK AT TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS, and what do you see? War news. Crime is on the increase. Murder is commonplace. Terrible accidents. Riots break out in many nations, with many killed, etc. Now let's take a look into the newspaper headlines of the near future, of the new world tomorrow that is going to come in our time. And remember, it won't become utopia all at once. (That will be explained later.)
Take a Glimpse into Tomorrow
When the Supreme Ruler, Jesus Christ, comes again to earth already crowned as King of kings, in all the vast power and glory of Almighty God, the Gentile nations actually will resist Him at first. But He is coming to rule by divine force! What a travesty that the nations will have to be forced to be happy, prosperous, physically fit and well, living abundantly and joyfully. But these might be the headlines you will read in the newspaper of the future: "Crime Rate Drops to Zero." "No Wars During This Year. Former Soldiers Being Rapidly Assimilated into Food Production and New Industries." "Disease Epidemics Disappear. Millions Have Been Supernaturally Healed of Sickness and Disease. All Vaccines and 'Shots' Banned. Causes of Cancer, Heart Attacks, Other Fatal Diseases Revealed. Authorities Predict All Such Diseases to Disappear, by Avoiding Causes, Within Coming Year." "Thousands of Hospital Properties Up for Sale. Sensational Decline in Sickness and Disease Releases Increasing Hundreds of Thousands of Doctors, Nurses, Attendants and Staff Personnel for Happier and More Useful Occupations. Knowledge of Causes Reduces Sickness and Disease. Thousands of Afflicted Now Being Divinely Healed." "Rapid Increase in Food Production. All Records Broken for Increased Food Production. Agricultural Authorities Reveal Abolition of Artificial and Synthetic Fertilizers, and Return to Nature's Laws of Soil Enrichment Resulting Not Only in Bumper Crops, but Vastly Improved Quality and Flavor." Well, how are those, for a starter? We repeat, there's a cause for every effect. If crime is to be greatly reduced, then wiped out, there will be a reason. People may have many guesses, opinions, theories about what causes crime, but the answer is -- human nature. What is the cause of wars? The answer is -- human nature. Why do people steal, murder, commit adultery or fornication, covet what is not theirs? Human nature. We shall never have utopia on earth until human nature is changed. But, you say -- "Man can't change human nature." Oh, but God can! And that's precisely what the living Christ is going to do, when He returns to rule all the nations of the earth.
But What Is Human Nature?
We think customarily, don't we, that human nature is something with which humans are born. But wait a moment. Stop and think. If there be a Creator God, did He design and create within humanity this thing we call human nature? Or, if one accepts the theory of evolution, did man inherit it from a lower species of vertebrates from which he is supposed to have evolved? There are both tame and wild animals. But take, for example, a cow, a dog, or an ape. They have instincts not hereditary in man. But human nature? Just what is human nature? I define it as vanity, lust and greed toward self -- and as jealousy, envy, hostility and resentment of authority against others. The Bible defines it thus: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9) -- and: "The carnal [natural] mind is enmity [hostile] against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). You cannot ascribe that attitude or nature to the dumb animals. Does it make sense to suppose a God of love, mercy and great outgoing concern for His human family, deliberately created us to be naturally hostile toward our Maker -- not subject to His law, deceitful and desperately wicked?
Satan Not Created with It
Look at the biblical account of human creation. Before Satan got to Adam, God brought to Adam "every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air" (Gen. 2:19), asking Adam to give them names. Did Adam rebel? Did he say, "Go do it yourself?" Did Adam refuse to obey God's command? The answer: "And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field ..." (verse 20). Adam at once did as God instructed. But from Genesis 3, all through the Bible to Revelation 20, much is said repeatedly about Satan. Isaiah 14 identifies him as the former archangel Lucifer. And Ezekiel 28 affirms that he was a created super being, perfect in all his ways until by his own free choice, iniquity was found in him. The former Lucifer turned to rebellion against God, to deceit, hostility, becoming cunning, subtile and desperately wicked. He came to be filled with vanity, lust and greed. He turned from God's way of love -- which is outflowing concern and desire to help and share, the way of giving -- to the way of getting.
Only Two Basic Philosophies
There are only two ways, or attitudes, of life, broadly speaking: give, the way of love; and get, the way of vanity, selfishness, hostility, resentment. The first man Adam, after Satan got to him through his wife, had turned to the way of get. But we did not inherit that get way of life at birth from Adam. Adam was not created with it -- he acquired it from Satan. And acquired characteristics are not passed on by heredity. Those who are called by God, and come to real repentance and belief in Christ, become partakers of -- or acquire -- the Divine Nature (II Pet. 1:4). But the children of one who has acquired it will not receive by heredity that divine nature. Adam and Eve, by making the wrong decision, acquired the get attitude from Satan. All their children -- the entire human family, with the single exception of Jesus Christ -- have acquired it, after birth, from Satan. How, you may ask, can that be? Satan was still around when Jesus was born. Satan tried to have the Christ-child killed. He tempted Christ -- unsuccessfully. Satan was still around when the Apostle Paul wrote his inspired second letter to the Church at Corinth. "... I fear," he wrote, "lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted ..." (II Cor. 11:3). Those in the Corinthian Church were not born with this corruption of mind -- they were in danger of acquiring it.
Satan Broadcasts!
It is explained in Ephesians 2:2: "Wherein in time past ye walked ... according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." Satan is a spirit being -- and a very super one. He is prince of the "power of the air." He "broadcasts." Through the air! How does he, then, work in humans? When God wanted to put it into the mind of King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation to send a contingent of Jews back to Jerusalem to build the second temple, He "stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia" to do this (Ezra 1:1). Every human has, from birth, not "human nature" but a spirit (in the form of essence -- not a "soul" or ghost), which imparts the power of intellect to the human brain. This human spirit cannot see. The physical brain sees through the eyes. Knowledge enters the brain through the senses of hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling. But the brain cannot see, hear, smell, taste or feel spirit. It is confined to physical, material knowledge. Yet what knowledge enters the physical brain through these five senses is automatically "programmed" as in a computer -- recorded in memory into this human spirit. This spirit in man, therefore, acts as a computer. It gives instant recall of knowledge stored in it to the brain. The brain utilizes this instant recall in the process of thinking, reasoning, decision-making. The human spirit does not think -- it empowers the physical brain to think. This human spirit does not supply human life. The human life is supplied by the physical breath of air, and by physical blood. Yet, just as the spirit of ancient King Cyrus was utilized by God as a medium through which to transmit the thought into Cyrus's mind to issue the decree, so Satan transmits through the air -- broadcasts -- attitudes, impulses, desires of vanity, lust and greed, jealousy and envy, competition, rebellion against authority.
You Are on Satan's Wavelength
The spirit in each human is automatically tuned in on Satan's wavelength. Even after one is converted. So was Jesus' human spirit open to Satan's wavelength -- but Jesus also, through the Holy Spirit, was in tune with God. Jesus therefore instantly rejected every temptation to vanity, selfishness, hostility toward God. So may, and should, the converted Christian. Satan has no power of duress. He cannot force any human mind to submit to the attitude he broadcasts and attempts to instill. Every human is a free moral agent, responsible for his own attitudes, decisions and actions. Satan does not broadcast in words -- merely in attitudes. If the human mind is willing, it will accept and yield to Satan's attitudes -- attitudes we have mistakenly called "human nature"! The human mind is not born with Satan's hostile, self-centered attitudes. Neither is a human born with the Divine Nature which the thoroughly converted Christian may acquire. Yet as soon as an infant or little child begins to exercise his brain in the thinking process, Satan's broadcasts of the self-centered attitude begin reaching his brain through his human spirit. Jesus, and He only, had the Holy Spirit in full measure from human birth. Yet even He was tempted in all points as are we all -- yet without ever yielding (Heb. 4:15). Since the normal child mind begins receiving these impulses to accept Satan's attitudes very early in childhood, unless counteracted by parental teaching and influence he will automatically begin accepting these carnal attitudes. They became habitual -- by habit they are acquired as a nature. But, just as the converted human may acquire -- become partaker of -- the divine nature (II Pet. 1:4), so off-guard humans acquire and exhibit what we call "human nature"!
How God Will Change Human Nature
I have said that we shall never have real utopia on earth until human nature is changed, and that human nature is the villain cause of all this world's evils. And I also said that although man can't change his human nature, God can -- and will. That is precisely what the glorified world-ruling Christ is going to do when He returns to earth in Divine power and glory. Now we can begin to understand. First, consider how the living Christ, as our High Priest, changes this human nature in those whom God calls to salvation in this present day of man. Each individual is a free moral agent, and God won't change that prerogative! Each must be brought, of his own free will, to repentance and to faith in Jesus Christ. Those are the conditions. Those do not change human nature. They are the conditions God requires of us. But when we, of our own free choice, do yield to those two conditions, then God starts the changing process. God doesn't abolish human nature -- not as long as we are in the human flesh. But He does, upon real repentance and faith, give the precious gift of His Holy Spirit, which enters into the mind of the individual. And this is the Divine Nature. It is not human nature -- it is God's Nature. Yet it does not drive out or eliminate human nature. Satan is still broadcasting -- if you will listen. But if one has really repented, and fully believes, he will want to be willingly led by God's Spirit. And it is "as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14). If one makes the decision to be led by this new Divine Nature, God's Spirit in him is also the power of God and the faith of Christ that will enable him to resist his human nature, and follow the Divine Nature. As the converted individual resists the pulls of human nature, and is led by God's Holy Spirit into obedience to God's ways, he grows in spiritual character, until at the time of the Resurrection, his human nature will be gone -- only the Divine Nature will remain.
How Utopia Will Come!
But now let's be specific. Let's see just how tomorrow's utopia is to be ushered in. Remember, this wonderful world-state will not be achieved all at once. Every major step of these soon-coming events is laid bare before our eyes in biblical prophecy. The same Jesus Christ Who walked over the hills and valleys of the Holy Land and the streets of Jerusalem more than 1,900 years ago is coming again. He said He would come again. After He was crucified, God raised Him from the dead after three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40; Acts 2:32; I Corinthians 15:3-4). He ascended to the Throne of God, Headquarters of the Government of the Universe (Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; Revelation 3:21). He is the "nobleman" of the parable, who went to the Throne of God -- the "far country" -- to be coronated as King of kings over all nations, and then to return to earth (Luke 19:12-27). Again, He is in heaven until the "times of restitution of all things" (Acts 3:19-21). Restitution means restoring to a former state or condition. In this case, the restoring of God's Government on earth, and thus, the restoring of world peace, and utopian conditions. Present world turmoil, escalating wars and contentions will climax in world trouble so great that, unless God intervenes, no human flesh would be saved alive (Matthew 24:22). At its very climax when delay would result in blasting all life from off this planet, Jesus Christ will return. This time He is coming as Divine God. He is coming in all the power and glory of the Universe-Ruling Creator. (Matthew 24:30; 25:31.) He is coming as "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16), to establish world super- government and rule all nations "with a rod of iron" (Revelation 19:15; 12:5). Think of it. The glorified Christ -- coming in all the splendor, the supernatural power and the glory of God Almighty -- coming to save mankind alive -- coming to stop escalating wars, nuclear mass destruction, human pain and suffering -- coming to usher in peace, abundant well-being, happiness and joy for all mankind. But will He be welcomed by the nations? World famous scientists now say frankly that the only hope for survival on earth is a supreme world-ruling government, controlling all military power. They admit that is impossible for man to accomplish. Christ is coming to give us just that. But will He be welcome? A leading American news-weekly gave the following surprising appraisal of man's only hope: The once optimistic hope of Americans, the article said, for a well ordered and stable world, is fading. Expenditures close to a trillion dollars have failed to provide stability. Rather conditions have worsened. This appraisal indicated that among officials, the prevailing view is gaining acceptance that tensions and world problems are becoming too deep- seated to be solved "except by a strong hand from someplace." "A strong hand from someplace." God Almighty is going to send a very strong Hand from "someplace" to save humanity!
Christ Unwelcome?
But will humanity shout with joy, and welcome Him in frenzied ecstasy and enthusiasm? They will not! They will believe, because the false ministers of Satan (II Corinthians 11:13-15) have deceived them, that He is the Anti-Christ. The nations will be angry at His coming (Revelation 11:15 with 11:18), and the military forces will actually attempt to fight Him to destroy Him (Revelation 17:14)! The nations will be engaged in the climactic battle of the coming World War III, with the battlefront at Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-2) and then Christ will return. In supernatural power He will "fight against those nations" that fight against Him (verse 3). He will totally defeat them (Revelation 17:14)! "In that day His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives," a very short distance to the east of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4).
How Nations Will Submit
When the glorified all-Powerful Christ first comes again to earth, the nations will be angry. The military forces gathered at Jerusalem will try to fight Him! I said "try." But far more powerful armies follow Christ from heaven -- all the holy angels (Revelation 19:14, identified in Matthew 25:31). Want to see a description of that battle -- and what will happen to those hostile human armies? In Revelation 17, the armies of the now-rising United States of Europe -- the resurrected Roman Empire -- are referred to in verse 14: "These shall make war with the Lamb [Christ], and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings ...." But how will He overcome them? We find that in the 14th chapter of Zechariah: "And this shall be the plague wherewith the [Eternal] will smite all the people [armies] that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth" (Zechariah 14:12). Perhaps it is even plainer in the Revised Standard Version: "And this shall be the plague with which the [Eternal] will smite all the people that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh shall rot while they are still on their feet, their eyes shall rot in their sockets, and their tongues shall rot in their mouths." This rotting of their flesh off their bones will happen almost instantaneously -- while they are still on their feet. What a divine retribution against armies that will fight against Christ. What a demonstration of the Divine Power with which the glorified Christ will rule all nations. Rebellion against God's Law and God's rule must, and speedily will be put down. Can you realize that every unhappiness, every evil that has come to humanity, has been the result of transgressing God's Law? If no one ever had any other god before the true God; if all children were reared to honor, respect, and obey their parents, and all parents reared their children in God's ways; if no one ever allowed the spirit of murder to enter his heart, if there were no wars, no killing of humans by humans; if all marriages were kept happy and there were no transgressions of chastity before or after marriage; if all had so much concern for the good and welfare of others that no one would steal -- and we could throw away all locks, keys, and safes; if everyone told the truth -- everyone's word were good -- everyone were honest; if no one ever coveted what was not rightfully his, but had so much outgoing concern for the welfare of others that he really believed it is more blessed to give than to receive -- what a happy world we would have! In such a world, with all loving and worshipping God with all their minds, hearts, and strength -- with all having concern for the welfare of all others equal to concern for self -- there would be no divorce -- no broken homes or families, no juvenile delinquency, no crime, no jails or prisons, no police except for peaceful direction and supervision as a public service for all, no wars, no military establishments. But, further, God has set in motion physical laws that operate in our bodies and minds, as well as the spiritual Law. There would be no sickness, ill health, pain or suffering. There would be, on the contrary, vigorous, vibrant good health, filled with dynamic interest in life, enthusiastic interest in constructive activities bringing happiness and joy. There would be cleanliness, vigorous activity, real progress, no slums, no degenerate backward races or areas of earth.
Resurrected Saints
As the resurrected Christ ascended to heaven in clouds, so He shall return to earth in clouds (Acts 1:9-11; Matthew 24:30). Just as He is returning (I Thessalonians 4:14-17), the dead in Christ -- those who have received and been led by God's Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11, 14), will rise in a gigantic resurrection, made immortal -- including all the prophets of old (Luke 13:28). Those who have the Spirit of God, then living, shall be instantaneously changed from mortal to immortal (I Corinthians 15:50-54) and, together with those resurrected, shall rise to meet the descending glorified Christ (I Thessalonians 4:17) in the clouds in the air. They shall be with Him, where He is, forever (John 14:3). They shall -- with Him -- come down out of the clouds, and stand With Him, therefore, that very same day, on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4-5). These changed, converted saints, now made immortal, will then rule the nations -- nations of mortals -- under Christ (Daniel 7:22; Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21).
Satan Removed at Last!
This most glorious event in all earth's history -- the supernatural majestic descent to earth, in the clouds, of the glorified all-powerful Christ -- will at long last put an end to the subtile, deceitful, invisible rule of Satan. The coming of Christ in supreme glory as King of kings and Lord of lords is recorded in Revelation 19. But in Revelation 20:1-3, the advance news is recorded: "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that, he must be loosed a little season. The day of man, swayed, deceived, misled by Satan for 6,000 years, will be over. No longer will Satan be able to broadcast through the air into the spirit in man. No longer shall he be able to inject into unsuspecting humans his satanic nature -- which we have been misled into calling "human nature."
Human Nature Not to Disappear at Once
But that does not mean that the acquired satanic attitude will disappear from human minds immediately. The multiplied millions shall have acquired it. And even though Satan will then be restrained from continuing to broadcast it, what has been acquired as habit will not be automatically removed. Yet God has made us humans free moral agents. He has given us control over our own minds, except as we may be blinded by Satan's pull of evil by deception. But no longer will earth's mortal humans be deceived! Now the all-Powerful Christ, and the immortal saints ruling under Him, will begin removing the scales that have blinded human minds. That is why I say complete utopia cannot be ushered in all at once. Multiple millions will still hold to the attitude of rebellion -- of vanity, lust and greed. But with Christ's coming shall begin the process of re-education -- of opening deceived minds -- of undeceiving minds, and bringing them to a voluntary repentance. From the time of Christ's supernatural take over, and Satan's banishment, God's Law and the word of the Eternal shall go forth from Zion, spreading over the whole earth (Isa. 2:3). The 6,000-year sentence God placed on Adam's world, of being cut off from God, will be ended. Christ will begin calling all mortals on earth to repentance and spiritual salvation! God's Holy Spirit shall flow out from Jerusalem (Zech. 14:8). What glory! A new day shall have dawned. Peace shall soon come. Men shall turn from the way of "get" to the way of "give" -- God's way of love. A NEW CIVILIZATION shall now grip the earth!