The year was 1863, the American Civil War was raging, his son had been wounded, and the ringing church Christmas bells seemed to be mocking the whole scene. In the midst of the darkness of that hour, Henry W. Longfellow picked up his pen and felt the need to write immortal words. He wrote:
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For had is strong, and mocks the song,
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep;
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
In the Book of Revelation we are told of an anti-G0d spiritual system that has been and continues to be responsible for evil in this world. And we are forced to acknowledge that there is no peace on earth. Like Longfellow, we bow our heads in despair at what we see - poverty, hatred, corruption, violence, drugs, immorality, godlessness... - but like Longfellow, we need not keep our heads bowed. He reminded us that "God is not dead: nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men." And that was the message given to the apostle John. And in that same message we find courage for the day and a song for the night. If you read through the Book of Revelation we are told that:
- The harlot is not going to win (chapters 17,18)
- The Antichrist and False Prophet are not going to win (chapter 19)
- Satan is not going to win (chapter 20)
- There will be a new heaven and a new earth (chapters 21,22)
God will be with us, and there will be no tears, no death, no sorrow, no crying, and no pain. Only believers are going to win.
At Christ's coming the world is going to revolve from night to day.
The Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon.
Every believer should take note and live accordingly, not asleep, but fully alert, for unlike past generations, the fulfillment of prophetic ingredients required for the second coming are today's headlines!
