It's been said that the world is changing so fast that even the future isn't what it used to be. Predicting the future with any degree of certainty has always been problematic, but the technological and social transformation we see around us makes the future even more unpredictable. Change happens so fast that the present is ever converging with the future in an overwhelming flood of images and sound bites.

Technological advancements race forward with ever-increasing speed, forcing change at every level of the socio-economic structure. Geographic and national boundaries fade and lose meaning. Communication has become a multifaceted digital array of blurps, bytes and images that can be simultaneously received by an almost limitless number of people anywhere in the world.

The middle class has a wealth of economic resources at its disposal through the reduction of real cost and easy access to credit. Consider air travel, for example. Technological advances and fierce competition have made air travel affordable for the masses (at least in the Western world). Exotic attractions in distant places are within reach.

The world as a village

The accelerated speed at which people move and communicate with ever-decreasing cost has affected every aspect of our world—politically, socially, economically. It's a phenomenon commonly known as globalization —or, to quote thousands of sound bites, our world has become a global village.

Amazingly, this state of affairs was foretold millennia ago in the Bible. Notice these words recorded by the prophet Daniel: "But you, Daniel, shut up the words [of the amazing prophecies revealed to him], and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" (Daniel 12:4).

These remarkable words ring ever truer with the passing of time. Few in any previous generation could have imagined the extent to which knowledge and our ability to travel to and fro would increase. This prophecy is about our time, an era described in context as the time of the end.

End-time prophecies are often viewed with trepidation because they tell of cataclysmic events. But must that be so in this case? Are the words recorded in Scripture by Daniel inherently negative? What's wrong with the ability to travel or trade across international boundaries? What's wrong with knowledge increasing? Does not the same cherished source implore us in Proverbs 4:5 to "get wisdom!" and "get understanding!"?

Daniel's prophecy not only states what will be at the time of the end. It also evokes images of what could have been.

Let's consider for a moment the possibilities our new ability to travel to and fro offers our global village. Shouldn't the increased mobility of the masses foster cross-cultural understanding and an appreciation for the diversity in our village? Couldn't the same vehicles that transport people to faraway places be used to share the abundance of food from the affluent segment of our village with the impoverished side of town?

What's wrong with our village?

With so many possibilities at our disposal, why do we find ourselves in a world beset with division, conflict and destructive behavior?

We see a complex problem, but it has a simple reason for it: The village dynamics have not changed. Simply put, we still behave the way we have always behaved. It's just that the neighborhood has gotten bigger—and, sadly, so have the problems.

We compete with our neighbors to be the best on the block, and we spawn trade and environmental disputes in the process. We alternatively become numb to or increasingly appalled at the incessant brawls in what we might call the "Jerusalem bar." We worry that rogue nations will turn into rioting neighborhood bullies. We spend billions on security forces to prevent enemies from entering our neighborhood and wrecking our homes. Still we sleep uncomfortably because of the gnawing suspicion that even the best security system will not prevent some foe from slipping through a dark alley to spread terror.

These problems are compounded by the real or perceived inequities in our global village of villas, ghettos and slums. The Western democracies own the majority of the world's wealth. From the perspective of the people in the rest of the world, our part of the global village is dotted with villas in which people reside in ease and pleasure, imbibing of abundance that the poor folks of the worldwide village will never achieve. The poverty-stricken people in the underdeveloped world would consider even many of our small apartments to be lavish villas. No wonder they believe there are major inequities.

What does the future hold?

What's next? Knowledge will continue to increase, and problems will keep multiplying. The elite in the villas will grow increasingly isolated, the cultural ghettos more entrenched and the squatters in the slums increasingly bitter. One final riot will sweep terror and destruction through the village, and everything will go up in smoke. This unprecedented time of terror is described in the Bible as the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21).

But there is a happy ending: God will build a new, peaceful village out of the ashes!

The prophet Daniel was also given this intriguing picture, this good news. In vision God showed him a statue built of progressively less-valuable material, including feet and toes composed of iron mixed with clay, depicting an unlikely union of 10 nations. The statue is toppled by a stone falling from heaven that grows into a great mountain. The meaning? "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Daniel 2:44).

Did you grasp that? Jesus Christ will come down to earth to save it from its inhabitants. He will save the day by establishing a globe-girdling kingdom—a unified global village—bringing peace and prosperity for mankind.

Daniel pronounced, "The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure" (verse 45).

A change in village dynamics

The global village of tomorrow will differ in many ways from what we know today. What will it be like? Scripture reveals that God will not rehabilitate our present system. Instead He will establish an entirely new and perfect world based on universal principles and laws that will be accepted and applied with a different perspective.

God starts right at the heart of the matter. He knows that without a fundamental change in human nature no meaningful change will take place. The Bible describes the human heart as "more deceitful than all else and ... desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9, New American Standard Bible).

This must change—and change it will! God will not attempt to medicate away the symptoms; He will replace the old and wicked heart with a new one: "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God" (Ezekiel 11:19-20).

Notice that this change of heart immediately brings a change in behavior, and this change in behavior transforms the dynamics of the village. The prophets Isaiah and Micah describe this transformation as a time when nations will seek instruction from God, when weapons of war used for killing people will be recycled into agricultural tools to grow crops to feed them (Isaiah 2:3-4; Micah 4:2-3).

Zechariah speaks of a time when all the world's nations will go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles each year (Zechariah 14:16-18). Christ told His apostles He would give them thrones from which to rule the 12 tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30). The testimony of the prophets, Christ and the apostles is consistent. A new world is indeed coming, a global village of peace, justice and prosperity for all.

The ancient prophet Ezekiel gives us considerable insight into the administrative and governmental structure of this new society, as we will see.

One village, one government

Over the centuries both idealists and despots have recognized the merits of a single world government with a universal system of laws. It's a lofty goal with immeasurable potential for both good and evil. Yet all human attempts at reaching this goal have failed, often with catastrophic results.

But, in God's global village, true unity will be achieved. At long last the whole world will truly become "one nation under God." The great God will regather "the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and ... make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again" (Ezekiel 37:21-22).

At long last the descendants of ancient Israel, scattered now among many nations, will be reunited. Or, stated better, they will be truly united for the first time. Finally they will accomplish the purpose God intended for them in the first place.

When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and gave them His laws, He instructed them to "be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?" (Deuteronomy 4:6-8).

God delivered the Israelites from slavery and gave them His law because He wanted them to be a model nation for others to emulate. How miserably they failed; how sad the testimony of history.

Instead of becoming a model nation, they became a stumbling block to others and a disgrace to the God who saved them. God gave them the pearl of great price. He showed them the best way. Had they followed His instructions, the results would have motivated their neighbors to emulate their way of life. Imagine such a neighborhood! Sadly, this didn't happen, and our village has lacked a truly godly example to follow on a national scale.

But in God's global village, yet future, things will be different. Notice how the reunited Israelites will behave in contrast to their ancient forebears: "They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God" (Ezekiel 37:23).

Micah records the wonderful results. All people will say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths" (Micah 4:2). What a testimony to the power of God's way in action! So impressive are the results of following God's way that the Israelites' neighbors will want to emulate their lives, their actions. For once, keeping up with the Joneses will bring desirable results. The reason is simple: The Joneses are going the right way, and they will be delighted to see others share in their blessings.

Of course, positive results do not just happen. Unity can be achieved only with leadership and singularity of purpose. Christ will lead the way with an administration of tried-and-true servants who are committed to Him (Revelation 20:4). Their motivation will not be political, but to serve, guide, instruct and correct for the benefit of all. Think of how much more can be accomplished when the energy that is usually expended in political maneuvering, debate and self-serving is redirected to planning, managing and building a better village for all.

God's global village will move forward with Jesus at the helm. He is called in the Bible the "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). God will resurrect David, the shepherd boy who slew Goliath and later became the faithful king of Israel, to serve as king and prince under Christ forever:

"David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children's children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever" (Ezekiel 37:24-25; see also Jeremiah 30:9).

Christ-centered, divine leadership will provide unity and stability in this globe-encompassing village, where peace and justice for all will be the norm.

Equitable ownership for all

The great disparity between the villas of the wealthy and the slums of the impoverished, which now spawn tension and terror in our village, will finally be resolved. In God's global village there will be fair and just ownership for all.

God explains through Ezekiel how the village will be zoned. The focus begins with the village center, where Jesus Himself will reside. Ezekiel is instructed to "set apart a district for the Lord, a holy section of the land," that is 25,000 cubits [seven to ten miles depending on the cubit measurement used] long and 10,000 cubits [about three to four miles] wide (Ezekiel 45:1). Inside this district is where the sanctuary of the temple will be, and it will also be home to the priests who minister to the Lord (Ezekiel 45:1-4).

Adjacent to the district of the Lord is an area the same size that will belong to the Levites who serve in the temple (Ezekiel 45:5). On the side opposite, also bordering on the Lord's district, is what we might call the village commons. This area is ceded to the public, assuring that all the villagers have access to the Lord at all times (Ezekiel 45:6).

God will give the leaders their portion with emphasis on a notable change: "My princes shall no more oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel, according to their tribes" (Ezekiel 45:7-8).

Contrary to the elite of today and the nobility of old, those of the "ruling class" in God's global village will not be allowed to take from the commoner to enrich themselves or their families: "Moreover the prince shall not take any of the people's inheritance by evicting them from their property; he shall provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people may be scattered from his property" (Ezekiel 46:18).

How different from the village of today, where the rich and powerful at times oppress the poor and impoverished to expand their interests and feed their personal fortunes.

The beauty of Ezekiel's prophecy is that it is not just a treatise on religion. Rather, it is a textbook of applied social science for the village of tomorrow. From the priest and the Levite, from the prince to the commoner, all will be given a fair inheritance in the land. Ezekiel describes with painstaking detail how the land will be divided until everyone will have a fair portion (Ezekiel 47:13-23; 48:1-29).

In the end everyone will "sit under his vine and under his fig tree," a simple way of saying that each will have an unencumbered home to call his own. "And no one," the prophet Micah continues, "shall make them afraid"! (Micah 4:4). What a beautiful picture of a village that works.

The Scriptures have much more to say about God's global village. Suffice it to say here, it is the antithesis of our present-day global village. Instead of conflict, violence and terror, there will be peace, compassion and love. Instead of cultural and ethnic ghettos engendering racism and hatred for others, there will be appreciation for the talents and abilities of others, all within a culture based on God's values and standards.

This beautiful picture will be made possible by real and tangible change in village dynamics. The villagers will be given new hearts, new leadership and a new set of standards to live by. The reason all these positive dynamics come about is succinctly stated in the last four words of Ezekiel's description of the village: "The Lord is there" (Ezekiel 48:35).

Where do you fit?

Perhaps you're thinking: That's great! The future looks bright, and God's global village is the solution. But what about today? What about now?

That's a good question and one that has an encouraging answer. God has already started preparations for the village of tomorrow.

The apostle Peter writes of a select group of people—those God is working with now—whom Peter refers to as a "chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people" (1 Peter 2:9).

Peter's language—words such as royal priesthood, holy nation, special people—echoes that of the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel in describing God's global village. It also reminds us of the phraseology of Moses in Exodus 19:3-6. But Peter is writing to a New Testament Church audience, "who once were not a people but are now the people of God" (verse 10). This aptly describes the Church of God, both in apostolic times and today—a small but select people, from all nations and cultures of this world, who have joined efforts to "proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (verse 9).

As such, those in the Church have become a "holy nation"—God's global village in the making—from a group of unlikely candidates. Collectively, they have a global focus that transcends political and national boundaries as they boldly proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God to today's global village. Individually, all the members recognize that their calling and citizenship is in heaven and focus on their role as ambassadors for Christ and His coming Kingdom.

What is it all about?

For what purpose? Peter explains: "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles" (verses 11-12). God calls members of this select group with the expectation that they model today the behavior that will be universal in His global village tomorrow. This brings new meaning to the term "sojourners and pilgrims" on this earth. They live in the village but don't run with the crowd.

Peter warns that this won't be easy and will elicit negative reactions from the other villagers. They will "speak against you as evildoers" (verse 12). However, the "good works which they observe" will ultimately cause them to "glorify God in the day of visitation," when He establishes His village throughout the earth (1 Peter 2:12).

It is an amazing but truly sensible plan. God is preparing individuals from all around the world today to learn His village plan now. Then, when the words of Isaiah and Micah come to actual fulfillment, many nations shall come and say: "Come let us go up to the 'village of the Lord,' to the house of the God of Jacob—He will teach us His ways and we will walk in His paths." The people who go up will find others in God's global village who understand why and for what they have come.

Are you prepared to answer God's call to this awesome responsibility? GN