What will the world look like in the End of Days? The answer to this question has sparked generations of Jewish and Christian debate. According to Rabbi Moshe Lichtman there is one common denominator: There will be world peace and people will live in harmony.
“That is certainly something we can look forward to,” Rabbi Lichtman told Breaking Israel News in an interview about his new Yeshiva for the Nations course, “The State of Israel and the Redemptive Process.” Yeshiva for the Nations is a Jewish school for religious studies, designed for non-Jews. Registrants dip into the deep wells of Jewish knowledge by engaging with Jewish texts through the eyes of an Orthodox Jewish teacher.
Rabbi Lichtman said the concept of a peaceful End of Days is derived from Isaiah 2:4 in which the prophet says that when the Messiah comes.
Nation shall not take up Sword against nation; They shall never again know war. Isaiah 2:4
Given the astonishing chaos of the modern world, it could be hard for one to picture a peaceful existence. But Rabbi Lichtman said that this peace will come about because the people will realize the power of God and live to serve Him.
“Most wars today are based on religious ideology or other worldly desires, such as money,” explained Rabbi Lichtman. “In the End of Days, the purpose of creation with be clarified by Moshiach (Messiah) and God.”
Rabbi Lichtman warned that those who choose not to serve God will not survive the coming of the Messiah.
While the details of the Messianic era are only alluded to in Jewish texts, he said one can assume that in addition to peace there will be less poverty and pain. If all nations put down their weapons, as Isaiah asserts, the exorbitant cost of modern weaponry and other defense strategies could be channeled to social welfare projects and kindnesses.
“The world will be a better place,” he said.
The Coming End of Days
Lichtman noted that many believe the world is already in the beginning stages of the Messianic era. He said the Land of Israel and the modern state of Israel play an essential role in the Messianic process and that there are many signs indicating how the rebirth of Israel is connected to redemption.
“There is a certain time by which redemption has to come. We might be able to bring it quicker or with less suffering if we prepare for it and recognize it and help God, as opposed to hindering the process,” concluded Rabbi Lichtman. “We know also that those that are allies of the Jews before Moshiach will have special favor in God’s eyes and God will give them special treatment.”
Do you want to learn more? Rabbi Lichtman’s new course on the End of Days, “The State of Israel and the Redemptive Process,” is available through Israel365’s Yeshiva for the Nations. For more information or to watch the online course, visit yeshivaforthenations.com.
