ions to His will
for the reign of peace.

In the whole history of theological exegesis and interpretation I
know of nothing so utterly faulty, illogical and wholly unscriptural
as that exegesis which teaches the angel song at Bethlehem to be the
announcement of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Prince of
Peace and that as such He should establish it among the nations
after His ascension to heaven and during His absence from the world.

The angels sang glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to
"men of good will."

The angel who spoke to the shepherds keeping the temple sheep for
the morning and the evening sacrifice was testifying to them that
there was no longer need to keep the sheep for such a purpose. The
day of animal sacrifices had passed, the living God had provided the
true sacrifice, He who was born beneath the chaplet of heaven's
music, the Lamb of God ordained before the foundation of the world.
He had been born into the world that He might make peace by the
blood of His cross, not between man and man, not between nation and
nation, but between man and God. He had been born to die and by His
death reconcile a rebel world to God; on the basis of this sacrifice
yet to be and when He should have risen from the dead as witness of
the efficacy of His death He would bring peace to every soul that
should be of good will--every soul that should surrender to the will
of God by believing on Him, offering Him by faith as a sacrifice and
claiming Him as a substitute. Every such soul should be at peace
with, and have the peace of, God.

This was the meaning of that natal hour at Bethlehem.

The angels were not singing over Him as the Prince of Peace who had
come to abolish war among the nations, but as the ordained sacrifice
who should bring peace between the individual man and his God. And
yet--He is to be the Prince of Peace and reign and rule as such over
the earth, putting an end to war and establishing perfect peace
among the nations.

The promise of His reign and rule as the Prince of Peace is clearly
set forth in Scripture; as it is written in the book of the prophet
Isaiah:

"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. His name shall be
called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his peace and
government there shall be no end."

But when? Where?

Listen:

"Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it