Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 97:387 (Jul 1940)
Article: Editorials
Author: Anonymous

BSac 97:387 (Jul 40) p. 257

Editorials

Is the World Getting Better?

Whatever the ultimate objective may be on the part of those who are precipitating the present European crisis, the fact remains that, as to vicious manner and method, no warfare has ever compared with this. It is probable that the intent to kill has been as extreme in other wars; but the present intent, when it is known by the killers that with modern machinery they can slaughter a hundred to one as compared with earlier wars, is a more serious crime. Certainly no war, at least on the part of the aggressors, has been more godless. World-betterment and world-conversion dreams received a desolating shock in the events of World War I; but they are being shattered by the events of World War II. However, no small tragedy in the minds of many is the fact that the dreamers are, for want of that knowledge of God’s Word and His revealed program, wholly without a city of refuge to which they may flee. God has constantly declared that in place of world-betterment evil would increase and conditions, so far as unregenerate humanity is concerned, would grow worse and worse. Having forged the baseless assumption that the world is to be converted in this age and having assimilated much of Rome’s notion of a world-dominating church, men have been inattentive as to the divine message respecting the purpose of God in the present age. It is not a question as to whether God is able to convert the world, it is rather one as to whether God designs a converted world in this age. His ability to transform the whole social order is seen in that which He will accomplish in the coming age, and by the presence and power of the Messiah King.

When the King takes the Davidic throne, as foreseen in Psalm 2:6, it will be in the midst of raging nations who are imagining a vain thing and when kings set themselves and

BSac 97:387 (Jul 40) p. 258

rulers take counsel together against Jehovah and His Messiah. Jehovah will then give the raging nations to Messiah and, at the command of Jehovah, Messiah will break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. All other eschatological passages bearing on this specific crisis assert the same exercise of Messiah’s crushing, resistless power over an earth in rebellion (notably, Isa 63:1–6; Dan 2:44; 7:13, 14; Matt 25:31–46; Rev 19:11–21. Cf. Ps 46:6–11 as a description of the results of Messia...