This is such a hopeful passage. A society where children are playing in the streets, where grandparents are joyfully watching as they walk by or sit in rocking chairs, seems like a lost dream—particularly in Jerusalem, which has suffered from random terror attacks. This prophecy reveals the beautiful future God has planned for us—a future the world so desperately needs. The word “again” here shows that the world has left a time of peace it once enjoyed.

A recent Financial Times article concerning militarized building security reminds us that the time of peace God has in store for us is certainly not here yet. The article reports: “The new US embassy [in London] is ‘like a Norman castle,’ says Stephen Graham, professor of cities and society at Newcastle University. ‘It even has a moat and is set back, with empty space to protect it from truck bombs or blast,’ he adds. ‘This is the logic of what an antiterrorist city would look like’” (Lucy Killgren, “Safety Obsession Creates Risk of ‘Fortress’ Cities,” May 26, 2015).

The designers have done what they can to hide the security features and make it feel like a peaceful environment—moat and all. The state of the world leads us to protect ourselves in ways not imagined to be necessary not too long ago. This is not what the God of peace wants for His creation.

Thankfully, the time is coming when Jesus will return to put an end to war and fear. We so look forward to that wonderful time when the children can once again play in the streets. (Source: Financial Times.)