The Prophetic Vision

The people of Israel had received a clear set of instructions – the Torah – which could guide them in the way of holistic peace. Sadly, the people of Israel did not heed God’s instructions. They wandered far from God’s intentions for them. However, as a good Shepherd and Teacher, the Lord continually called the people of Israel back to obedience according to His holistic plan. He frequently did this through His servants, the prophets.

The Old Testament prophets, then, are helpful guides to a full understanding of holistic peace. They remind us, for instance, that God’s holistic plan is not just about ‘religion’ or about ‘being spiritual.’ Rather, it demands obedience in every aspect of life.

Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? (Isaiah 58:6-7, NASB)

The prophets also point the way beyond the disobedience of rebellious Israel to a bright and glorious future. They predict a time when SHALOM, God’s Holistic Peace, would truly come in its fullness.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him [the Branch from Jesse]...
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth....
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them....
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:2-9, NIV)

The prophets, then, were God’s messengers of correction and discipline – but also of hope. They remind us of God’s intentions, and inspire us with the confidence that one day God’s plan of holistic peace will be consummated in its fullness. When obedience to God’s instructions is the starting point of our journey, and we take as our destination the promises contained in the prophetic visions, we are truly walking the path of holistic peace.