Main references: Lk 2:14; Lk 19:38-42
What is glory in heaven and peace on earth? It is the end of sin and wickedness, and of both physical and spiritual war. It is the coming of world peace and restoring of light. It was also the message that an angel passed on to shepherds (Lk 2:14).
Lk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.
Jesus' disciples also offered praise with the same content (Lk 19:35-38).
Lk 19:35-38 The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Having heard this word, the snakes (Mt 23:33), the Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" Jesus replied to them, "I tell you. If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Lk 19:41-42). He continued on saying, “The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (refer to Lk 19:43-44; Mt 24:1-2).
Because of this word Jesus was teaching, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the leaders among the people were looking for the means to kill Jesus (Lk 19:47-48). Is today not like this?
They were persecuting Jesus and labeling him as a heretic, a man with a contagious illness, and a demon-possessed person, just to cover up their faults, shortcomings, and their shamefulness. Roughly 2,000 years have passed by. What about today? Jesus spoke about how there would be betrayers, destroyers, and a savior regarding today. He also stated that not one stone here would be left on another, and that the destroyer would stand in the holy place. At that time, the pastors in the temple and their congregation will receive the mark from the destroyers and worship them. Whoever does not worship them will get killed. Those who kill people will think, “This is the way to offer a service to God.” If a savior appears in the midst of this situation, how intensely he must get persecuted! It becomes obvious how people will treat the persecuted savior.
This is the small and narrow path of salvation. It is not as easy as we think to attain salvation without understanding the history for the last 6,000 years and the prophecy regarding today. Primarily, one must understand the word of the prophecy in the New Testament. Next, one must recognize the betrayers and the destroyers by using the recorded word of promise. Third, one must know the promised savior.
Such work is the will that God is going to accomplish, but people are being like dim lamps. They are carrying out their life of faith with incomplete faith, and they attend church habitually just as they have been doing as always. This is why corruption has slipped into people without them recognizing it. Darkness has covered their hearts and thoughts so that they will not receive the revelation (i.e. the revealed word). Even if salvation belongs to God, how can it enter into people if their hearts have been closed?
At a time like this, one understands this and appears as a savior. He puts his life on line and fights with the truth. He overcomes with the blood of Jesus and the word of his testimony (Rv 12). This person is the savior whom God acknowledges. It is only when one overcomes that he can retrieve what was lost. It is only when one overcomes that he can save those who have been held captive. It is also only when one overcomes that he can establish God’s kingdom. One must overcome the devil, the world, and himself. One must know God’s promise, the New Testament, and he must see what is of heaven in order to establish on earth just as it is done in heaven (Mt 6:10; Rv 21).
Just as the promise with Abraham was fulfilled at the time of Moses, and just as the promises through the Old Testament prophets were fulfilled at the time of Jesus, one must know how Jesus’ promise (the New Testament) will also be fulfilled today at the time of the one who overcomes. The one who fulfills it is the one who has promised it. The messenger who speaks on behalf sees what has been fulfilled, and he testifies about it. No one can testify about the fulfillment without having seen, heard, or known it. God recorded what was yet to be fulfilled as prophecies in the Bible. If the recorded promise has been fulfilled, the book of prophecy serves as a testimony for the promise (the prophecy). What serves as a testimony for the prophecy is the fulfilled physical reality. Furthermore, what serves as a testimony for the promised pastor who testifies about the fulfillment is the fulfilled physical entities (Dt 18:18-22). Several pastors have been interpreting the book of prophecy in different ways according to their own thoughts, but their interpretations lack credibility because they do not have the fulfilled physical entities.
Two thousand years ago at the time of the first coming, Jesus stated how peace was hidden from the eyes of the people in Jerusalem. It was hidden from Jerusalem because Satan killed all the spirits of the saints in the Jerusalem temple through the snakes, the Pharisees. It was also because they did not like the words of peace and Jesus, the messenger of peace. Just as it says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men,” world war will only end when religious war—in which people dispute with one another, claiming to be the truth—comes to an end. This is going to happen as the truth overcomes, and religions are unified through the truth. War will come to an end as Satan, the spirit of wickedness, is seized and locked up. It will be glory to God and peace to men as the God of peace retrieves the world he created and reigns over it. This is how we send away the old and welcome the new. This is truly a good season.
Today the whole world desires peace, and people are helping it to be accomplished. Everyone longs for the culture of heaven, peace, and restoration of light. We have uncovered the shroud that enfolded people, and we are accomplishing world peace.
Today the truth has triumphed over the world. Peace will come to each person as Satan, the dragon, is captured and locked up, and as the God of peace reigns. Peace and restoration for you and me. Let us offer glory to our God.
Amen!
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