Nation Shall Rise Against Nation, and Kingdom Against Kingdom

The passage above is part of the answer Jesus gave to His disciples when they asked Him about the things that would happen at the end of the world. Jesus said that nation would rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Just as He said, we can see that many nations and kingdoms in this world now compete with and oppose one another in order to defend their own ideologies, religions, peoples, and national interests.

However, the Bible teaches us that from the beginning, there were not many peoples and nations in this world. Mankind began to multiply through the first man, Adam, and through his first son Cain and his third son Seth (Genesis 4-5). But when God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, He judged all people by water, except Noah and his family (Genesis 6-7). And after that great flood, mankind again began to multiply through Noah’s three sons.

Genesis 9:18-19, 32 “18And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. 19These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. 32These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.”

At that time, it is written that the whole earth was of one language and one speech (Genesis 11:1). This was possible because they were all one family descended from Noah. But the people became proud and tried to build a city and a tower whose top would reach unto heaven, not for God, but for themselves, and in their own name, so that they would not be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. In order to stop this, God confounded their language so that they could not understand one another, and He scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth (Genesis 11:1-9; Babel = the place where the LORD confounded the language of all the earth).

For this reason, even to this day, all mankind has spread widely throughout the whole world and has lived with completely different languages according to peoples and nations. And as people lived for a very long time in different regions, with different languages, different beliefs, and different religions, mankind eventually forgot that, in the beginning, they were one. Instead, they became peoples and nations that compete with and oppose one another for the sake of their own people, nation, and religion.

In this way, because of people’s sin, all mankind became enemies not only of God, but also of one another, so that nation came to oppose nation, and kingdom came to oppose kingdom. Yet God did not leave us as we were. Through Jesus Christ, He made peace again between God and man, and He also made people one again in Jesus. In other words, God granted peace and life again to mankind.

Ephesians 2:13-22 “13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

As this passage testifies, we have now received grace to become one again with God, and also with other people, “in Jesus,” that is, “through Jesus” (Ephesians 2:8). Therefore, whoever is in Jesus, that is, in the Word of God, has become one with us. For this reason, there must no longer be among us any act of distinguishing among people or accepting them according to outward appearance, such as Jew or Greek.

Romans 2:28-29 “28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Romans 10:11-13 “11For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. 12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

James 2:8-9 “8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”

As we have seen above, through Jesus Christ, we have now all become brothers and sisters together in Jesus (Matthew 12:49-50). But on the contrary, the apostle Paul taught that envy, strife, and divisions belong to our adversary, the devil, and are things done by those who are still carnal.

1 Corinthians 3:3-4 “3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?”

James 3:14-16 “14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

1 John 3:10 “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither He that loveth not His brother.”

Therefore, in these last days, when nation rises against nation and kingdom against kingdom according to the words of Jesus, we must strive all the more to keep the “oneness” that Jesus Himself has accomplished for us. We must never again repeat the old mistake of the past, when people built a city for themselves in the name of man and for man, and were instead scattered. For this reason, we must now live together as one only in the name of Jesus, and for Jesus.

Ephesians 4:1-6 “1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

John 17:26 “And I have declared unto them Thy name (the name of Jesus; John 5:43) and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Amen.