Millennium Superworld
| “… When they judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of this world will learn righteousness” |
| —Isaiah 26:9. |
| “And many nations shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths” |
| —Micah 4:2. |
| “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children” |
| —Isaiah 54:13. |
| “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” |
| —Isaiah 30:21. |
| “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord” |
| —Jeremiah 31:34. |
Let your imagination roam within the realm of possibility: what might Millennial Education be like?
The following is fantasy—we have no way of knowing exactly what it will be like. But it is based on what God has revealed: of a time when there will be no sickness, no wanton destruction, no violence, no poverty, no suffering, but all will be peace and prosperity worldwide. What might education be like in such a world?
It’s grand to speculate—but what will it be to be there!
One of the largest, most active areas of the new government will be its Department of Education. God has always wanted His people to be instructed. He equipped His human family with minds and intelligence so that they could use these faculties to rise above their environment. The policy in ancient Israel was, “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord” (Isa. 54:13). The same policy will prevail in the new Kingdom.
What was to be taught in ancient Israel? Numerous laws stated it precisely; and God did not leave the curriculum to chance. “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul,…and ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deut. 11:18-19).
What was the purpose of Israelite education? It was much more than to teach the three R’s. It was to develop a people to be God-fearing, God-committed, God-honoring. It was also to build a nation that would be self-supporting, self-respecting, and committed to the values and principles of God. The purpose of education in the Millennium will be the same.
It has long been recognized that many of the ills of the world could be cured through proper education. But the means and the authority have been often lacking. Also lacking has been a proper attitude on the part of the instructors. Educators often conveyed, if subtly, the feeling that education leads to liberation from authority; that the “educated person” is able to make his or her own decisions without regard for God, or the Bible, or previously recognized standards; that nothing is sacred, nothing is absolute. This faulty human perspective has dominated the human family for so many generations that it has turned into a false approach to knowledge and developed a misguided set of values.
The new educational system will be designed to change—universally—the thinking of the race. The plan, the purpose, and the knowledge of God will form the basics of the New World programs. God and truth and righteousness will be exalted, along with holiness, integrity, and a serious personal commitment to upright living. All opposing views will be silenced.
All education will focus first on the building of upright and moral character; second, on the development of a new society; third, on a means of livelihood. And because the new government will lack nothing in resources, authority or organization, the results of its program of education will be threefold: A change in general attitude, a change in goals and a change in general behavior. Best of all, the effects of the new program will be universal and immediate.
And just as in the old world evil led to more evil, so in the new world, those who are trained in the ways of God will find their greatest joy and fulfillment in helping succeeding generations to know and love the knowledge and ways of God.
The prophets of Israel drew a picture of the new world in which multitudes were seeking the knowledge of God, longing to be taught, eager to hear His word. The people were saying, “Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts:… Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:…yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.” So intense will be their desire that one prophet described it as a “famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Zech. 8:21; Mic. 4:2; Zech. 8:22; Amos 8:11).