ULIMWENGU WOVU WA SASA - 2 Petro 3:7 - Wagalatia 1:4

Kutoka kwa Gharika hadi wakati wa sasa. Katika kipindi hiki cha pili cha wakati Mungu amemruhusu mwanadamu, chini ya ushawishi wa Shetani, kubuni kila namna ya kujitawala ambayo angeweza kufikiria. 2 Wakorintho 4:4 humtaja Shetani kuwa mungu wa ulimwengu huu ambaye amepofusha akili za mwanadamu kwa mbinu zake mbaya. Andiko la Waefeso 2:1 linarejezea Shetani kuwa “mtawala wa ufalme wa anga, roho ambaye sasa anafanya kazi ndani ya wale wasiotii.” Mungu ameruhusu wanadamu wapate matokeo ya uovu ili kumfanya atambue kwamba ni kwa kumgeukia Mungu tu ndipo anaweza kupata uzima na baraka zake. Mambo yataendelea kuwa mabaya zaidi hadi Yesu Kristo atakaporudi ili kusimamisha Ufalme wa kidunia wa Mungu, na kumfunga Shetani kama vile Ufunuo 20:1 hutuambia. Ulimwengu huu mwovu wa sasa una nyakati tatu ndani yake: 1) Enzi ya Baba wa Taifa ambamo Mungu alishughulika kikamili na watu waaminifu wa kale tangu Noa hadi Yakobo; 2) Enzi ya Wayahudi ambapo Mungu alishughulika na taifa la Israeli tu kupitia manabii wao. Iliisha wakati Wayahudi walipomkataa Yesu kama Masihi wao; 3) Wakati wa Enzi ya Injili, iliyoanza na huduma ya Yesu na inaendelea hadi leo, Injili inahubiriwa ulimwenguni pote wakati Mungu anaita watu kuwa warithi pamoja na Mwanawe.

THE PRESENT EVIL WORLD – 2 Peter 3:7 - Galatians 1:4

From the Flood to the present time. In this second period of time God has permitted man, under Satan’s influence, to devise every form of self-government that he could imagine. 2 Corinthians 4:4 speaks of Satan as the god of this world who has blinded the minds of man with his evil designs. Ephesians 2:1 refers to Satan as the “ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” God has allowed men to experience the results evil brings in order to make him realize that only by turning to God can he have life and His blessings. Things will continue to worsen until Jesus Christ returns to set up God’s earthly Kingdom, binding Satan as Revelation 20:1 tells us. This present evil world has within it three ages: 1) The Patriarchal Age in which God dealt exclusively with faithful individuals of old from Noah to Jacob; 2)The Jewish Age when God dealt only with the nation of Israel through their prophets. It ended when the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah; 3) During the Gospel Age, which began with Jesus’ ministry and continues even to this day, the Gospel is being preached to the world while God calls out a people to be joint-heirs with His Son.

“Fumba macho yako kwa muda kwa matukio ya taabu na ole, uharibifu na huzuni ambayo bado inatawala kwa sababu ya dhambi, na ufikirie mbele ya ono lako la akili utukufu wa dunia kamilifu. Hakuna doa la dhambi linaloharibu upatano na amani ya jamii kamilifu; si mawazo ya uchungu, si kuangalia au neno lisilo la fadhili; upendo, unaobubujika kutoka katika kila moyo, hukutana na mwitikio wa jamaa katika kila moyo mwingine, na ukarimu huashiria kila tendo. Hapo magonjwa hayatakuwapo tena; si ache wala maumivu, wala ushahidi wowote wa kuoza - hata hofu ya mambo kama hayo. Fikiria picha zote za afya linganishi na uzuri wa umbo na kipengele cha binadamu ambacho umewahi kuona, na ujue kwamba ubinadamu mkamilifu utakuwa bado wa kupendeza kupita kiasi. Usafi wa ndani na utimilifu wa kiakili na kimaadili utapiga muhuri na kutukuza kila uso unaomeremeta. Hivyo ndivyo itakavyokuwa jamii ya dunia, na waliofiwa watafutwa machozi yao yote, watakapotambua kwamba kazi ya ufufuo imekamilika.”

“Close your eyes for a moment to the scenes of misery and woe, degradation and sorrow that yet prevail on account of sin, and picture before your mental vision the glory of a perfect earth. Not a stain of sin mars the harmony and peace of a perfect society; not a bitter thought, not an unkind look or word; love, welling up from every heart, meets a kindred response in every other heart, and benevolence marks every act. There sickness shall be no more; not an ache nor a pain, nor any evidence of decay -- not even the fear of such things. Think of all the pictures of comparative health and beauty of human form and feature that you have ever seen, and know that perfect humanity will be of still surpassing loveliness. The inward purity and mental and moral perfection will stamp and glorify every radiant countenance. Such will earth’s society be, and weeping bereaved ones will have their tears all wiped away, when thus they realize the resurrection work complete.”