The history of humanity has been the history of war. Anyone who reads of the past will soon be confronted by records of wars, big or small, short or long, among all peoples, everywhere on earth.

The Norwegian Academy of Science and the World Organization for the Protection of Humanity have calculated that, in the last 5,600 years of man’s written history, armies have fought 14,531 wars. Over the 5,600 years, they estimate only 292 years of peace. That means that 94 percent of the time, or 5,208 of those years, saw war. The same organizations figure that deaths caused by war have totaled 3.4 billion, or more than half the world's present population. War, on average, results in about 700,000 deaths every year, or 70 million per century. The most bloody century in history, the 20th century, produced some 150 million deaths from armed conflicts – more than the combined population of France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The Bible has much to say about wars, past, and future. To ignore war's existence in the Bible would be dishonest. God's intervention in human affairs at the end of this age will take place to prevent global suicide because of the destructive potential of modern warfare. It has been said that a single commander of a nuclear submarine has more firepower available to him alone than the total all of the bombs and bullets fired by all countries during all the years of the Second World War!

And yet there is real hope. Things are going to eventually work out all right. Human nature is going to be changed, and even more importantly, the evil influence of Satan the devil on human beings will be removed. Jesus will implement a re-education program to eliminate war: "The law will go out from Zion, the word of The Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore" (Isaiah 2:3-4).

Who will assist Jesus in His efforts to promote peace? It will be those who have been made kings and priests in His kingdom. They will be ambassadors of peace. Peace will be an integral part of their character, because peace is part of the fruit of the holy spirit (Galatians 5:21). And "the work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever" (Isaiah 32:17).

To what extent has peace become part of our Christian character today?

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!