Man’s "New World Order" Near?
TODAY, millions of people are in bondage to false religion, and many choose to remain that way. At the same time, more and more are demanding political freedoms. The extraordinary events of the past few years in Eastern Europe and elsewhere have demonstrated that people want freer forms of government. As a result, many are saying that a new era of freedom is at hand. The president of the United States called it "a new world order." Indeed, world leaders everywhere were saying that the Cold War and the arms race were over and that a new era of peace had dawned for mankind.—Compare 1 Thessalonians 5:3.
2 Yet, even if human efforts resulted in fewer weapons and freer forms of rule, would true freedom really exist? No, because of the appalling problems that exist in all nations, including democratic ones, where the numbers of the poor increase and millions struggle to survive economically. A United Nations report states that in spite of advances in science and medicine, every day worldwide an average of 40,000 children die from malnutrition or preventable diseases. An expert in this field said: "Poverty is taking on structural characteristics that really threaten the future of humanity."
3 In addition, more people than ever are victimized by crimes that get more and more vicious. Racial, political, and religious hatreds are fragmenting various countries. In some places the situation is not far from that future time described at Zechariah 14:13, when people will be "so confused and afraid that everyone [will] seize the man next to him and attack him." (Today’s English Version) Drug abuse and sexually transmitted diseases are pandemic. Millions of people are infected with AIDS; in the United States alone, over 120,000 have already died from it.
Bondage to Sin and Death
4 However, even if none of those bad conditions existed, people would still not have true freedom. All would still be in bondage. Why is this the case? To illustrate: What if some dictator enslaved every person on earth and murdered them all? In effect, that is what happened to mankind when our first parents rebelled against God and became enslaved to the Devil’s oppressive rule.—2 Corinthians 4:4.
5 When God created humans, he purposed for them to live on earth forever in perfection, in a paradise, as Genesis chapters 1 and 2 show. But because of our forefather Adam’s rebellion against God, all of us are under a sentence of death from the moment we are conceived: "Through one man [Adam, mankind’s family head] sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men." As the Bible says, "death ruled as king." (Romans 5:12, 14) So regardless of how much freedom we may personally have, all of us are in bondage to sin and death.
6 Furthermore, the life that we do have now is very limited. Even for the fortunate, it is just a few decades. For the unfortunate, just a few years, or less. And a new study says: "Science and medicine have pushed human life expectancy to its natural limit." This is because our genetic system has imperfection and death built into it as a result of Adam’s sin. How sad it is that if we live to be 70 or 80, when we should be getting wiser and better able to enjoy life, our bodies break down and we end up as dust!—Psalm 90:10.
7 What type of human rule can prevent this enslavement to sin and death? Not one. No government officials, scientists, or doctors anywhere can free us from the curses of sickness, old age, and death, nor can any eliminate insecurity, injustice, crime, hunger, and poverty. (Psalm 89:48) However well-meaning humans may be, it is impossible for them to be the source of the true freedoms we want and need.—Psalm 146:3.
Misuse of Free Will
8 The human family is in this sad situation because Adam and Eve misused their free will. First Peter 2:16 says, according to The Jerusalem Bible: "Behave like free men, and never use your freedom as an excuse for wickedness." Hence, it is clear that God did not purpose that man’s freedom be unlimited. It was to be exercised within the boundaries of God’s laws, which were righteous and would work for the benefit of everybody. And those boundaries were wide enough to allow for much personal freedom of choice, so that God’s rule could never be oppressive.—Deuteronomy 32:4.
9 However, our first parents chose to decide for themselves what was right and what was wrong. Since they deliberately moved outside of God’s rule, he withdrew his support from them. (Genesis 3:17-19) They thus became imperfect, with sickness and death the result. Instead of freedom, mankind came into slavery to sin and death. They also became subject to the whims of imperfect and, often, cruel human rulers.—Deuteronomy 32:5.
10 God has allowed humans this experiment in supposed total freedom for only a limited period of time. He knew that the results would demonstrate beyond any doubt that human rule independent of God cannot succeed. Since free will, rightly exercised, is such a treasure, God in his love temporarily allowed what has happened instead of withdrawing the gift of free will.
‘Man Cannot Direct His Step’
11 The record of history has shown the accuracy of Jeremiah chapter 10, verses 23 and 24, which says: "It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step. Correct me, O Jehovah." History has also shown the accuracy of Ecclesiastes 8:9, which declares: "Man has dominated man to his injury." How true! The human family has gone from one calamity to another, with the end for all being the grave. The apostle Paul described the situation precisely when he said, as recorded at Romans 8:22: "We know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now." Yes, independence from God’s laws has been disastrous.
12 The book Inquisition and Liberty commented on freedom this way: "Independence is not, in itself, necessarily a virtue: it is not a thing to be proud of without further qualification. It may, in fact, be simply one of the baser forms of selfishness . . . Man is not, and cannot without absurdity even aspire to be, a wholly independent creature." And Prince Philip of England once said: "Freedom to indulge in every whim and instinct may be appealing, but experience teaches again and again, that freedom without self-restraint . . . and behaviour without consideration for others is the surest way to destroy the quality of life of a community, no matter what its wealth."
Who Knows Best?
13 Who knows best how a home should be organized—loving, capable, experienced parents or young children? The answer is obvious. Similarly, the Creator of humans, our heavenly Father, knows what is best for us. He knows how human society should be organized and ruled. He knows how free will should be regulated to bring the benefits of true freedom to everybody. Only the almighty God, Jehovah, knows how to lift the human family out of its bondage and provide true freedom for all.—Isaiah 48:17-19.
14 In his Word, at Romans 8:21, Jehovah makes this inspiring promise: "The creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God." Yes, God promises to free the human family completely from its present wretched condition. The following article will discuss how this will happen.