Advent Week 2: Peace

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had perfect peace. But since their fall, peace has been longed for by every human soul and we, as fallen humans, try to find peace through various means; however, all of the human efforts to find peace are either false or very temporary.

There is only One Peace that is genuine and lasting, and that is the Peace which is only from God - a perfect Peace, a Peace that comes through the indwelling of Holy Spirit within a believer.

“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:7 NLT

The Israelites longed for the day of the coming Messiah. The Prophets spoke of this Messiah as their Savior and believed He would bring a peace to Israel which they had never experienced before, but needed so desperately.

Advent is observed in most Christian denominations as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at His Second Coming. Four candles are lit in the recognizing of the pending return of Jesus as He has promised. Each of the four candles has its own special symbol and meaning.

The second Advent candle is called the Peace Candle or the Bethlehem Candle. It is a purple candle. It reflects on the peace promised by Christ’s birth to the world. It also represents the faithfulness of God and encourages us to embrace Christ’s promised Peace that we now have even in His present Kingdom here on earth.

“There is enough room in my Father’s home. If this was not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” - John 14:2-3 NLT

A Prophet, in God’s Kingdom, is a term that represents a person who is called by faith to share God’s prophecies. A godly prophet is someone with gifted insight of the present and future that is more than an average person would have. Their revelations can only be attributed to God giving these insights to be used to share with others about future events.

There are four Major Prophets mentioned in the Old Testament: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The book of Jeremiah is the longest book of Prophets in the Bible. Of the four Prophets, Jeremiah is considered the Prophet of Peace.

“But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people. The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, disaster, and disease. So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the LORD." - Jeremiah 28:7-9

Even though Jesus has not returned yet, and long after the Prophets spoke of the hope of Jesus’ return, Jesus sent a perfect peace through Holy Spirit, which enters every believer at the time they surrender their life to Him. At Jesus’ return, He will bring a total and perfect Peace to the entire world and there will be no more evil or turmoil; it will be a world Peace.

As believers we are privileged His peace is living inside of us right now. We long for the day though where the wolf and the lamb will live in peace together. There is coming that day, and what a day it will be and world as we know it now will no longer exist with its sin and struggles that plague every human.

“In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.” - Isaiah 11:6 NLT

That perfect peace inside, The Holy Spirit, is here today, but there is a peace in knowing there will be a day when there will be Peace on Earth. The Lord gave me this poem about peace in 1996 when I was in the middle of a storm in my personal life. That peace remains the same in my heart today.

What is this Peace - this Peace inside?

What is this Peace - I can't describe?

Through troubles, trials and pains I bear,

What is this Peace I still find in there?

No storms arise without His calm,

For pain in Gilead we find His balm.

As Job endured the firey dart,

A Peace remained inside his heart.

I, too, know how Job must have felt,

When my whole life began to melt.

God's grace placed a hedge on me,

He brought me Peace and I let it be.

Acquaint yourself with Christ, my friend,

He'll bring you Peace, a Peace within.