0852. The Prince of Peace
The Prince of Peace
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isa_9:6).
Our Lord bears many precious names and these names tell of His character, His mission, or what He has in store for those who believe.
The name before us is a name that is prophetic. It looks on to the time when Christ shall take David's throne and reign. The key verse says, "The government shall be upon His shoulder;" we also read, "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom."
Those who take this verse out of its setting and make Christ now the Prince of Peace do violence to the Scripture. Our Lord said plainly: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Mat_10:34).
If some would quote us the message of the angels: "Peace on earth," and thereby claim that a universal peace was prophesied to follow the Saviour's birth, we would remind him then that the peace the angels foretold was qualified by "toward men of good will," all the texts so read. The passage really conveys this message: "Peace on earth among men of His good pleasure." It was the Father's good pleasure to give the Kingdom, but men rejected the Kingdom, and took the Prince of Peace and nailed Him to a tree. How vain then for them to talk of peace.
Thus Isaiah 6 still carries us forward to the time when Christ shall reign. Then He will speak peace and perfect peace among men. Let us observe three things:
1. Peace will be given to a war-torn world. Psa_46:9 : "He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot in the fire."
Thank God, there is a time coming when the nations of the world will learn war no more. Christ will speak peace.
Of one thing we must beware. We must not allow ourselves to become entangled in efforts for peace which ignore the coming of the Prince of Peace. Unto the end of this age wars are determined. Let us then have nothing to do with a premature peace. Let us stand aloof from human scenes for worldwide peace. Such schemes are sure to fail. For the time we will preach personal peace to those who accept Christ, and we will abide the time of Christ's coming for universal world peace.
2. Peace will be given to Israel. Psa_122:6 : "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee."
Whose heart is so hardened that they do not feel for down-trodden Israel? For twenty-three hundred years God's people have known no peace. They have seen sore travail. The cup of their woe has been bitter.
When Christ comes He will speak peace to His people. Christ shall come, and "in His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth" (Psa_72:7).
3. Peace will be given to the saints of this age. Rom_16:20 : "And the God of peace shall bruise satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."
In the world we have tribulation. It is given unto us not only to believe, but also to suffer for His sake. Satan is the accuser of the saints; he goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. When Christ comes, satan will be chained and cast into the pit of the abyss. The God of peace will put him under our feet and we will have peace.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR