THROUGHOUT much of human history, men have envisioned utopias of peace and plenty — and, on occasion, leaders have attempted to implement their visionary utopias. All such experiments have failed. But why shouldn't man live in a better world? The forecast for today is gloomy. Granted, there are some isolated pockets of comparative freedom left on earth. But real freedom is on the run in our world. The light of creative liberty is about to be snuffed out if world trends are allowed to continue. The shadow of a technological and spiritual tyranny looms large over planet Earth. Men's dreams of utopia are being shattered. What is needed is a totally new age, ushered in this time by supernatural power. It is so hard to envision a world radically different from the one in which we now live, or from the ones in which man has lived in the past. Could you envision a world, for instance, in which the chief law was called "the law of love" ? A world in which individual human beings and whole nations selflessly try to fill another's need? Can you picture a world in which even the very nature of animals — of carnivores — is changed so they "eat straw like an ox"? A little farfetched, you say? The dreams of ancient visionaries who could not face the terrible realities of their world? Not at all — these divine visions given to prophets of old are a coming reality. Such a world is coming — and perhaps sooner than we expect! Can you envision a world in which prejudice is banished? Can you picture in your mind's eye a time when men will dwell together in peace for the first time in human experience? Such a world is coming. Can you encompass in your present thinking a world in which all human beings will be treated justly by a God Ruler who is "not a respecter of persons" whether that person is rich or poor, young or old, male or female, black, brown, white or yellow? That's the kind of world God promises mankind. Can you feature a world in which all people would have dignity? That seems to be the one thing so many are denied in our world — simple dignity. For multitudes, each day is filled with hunger, poverty, humiliations and embarrassments. Our overcrowded, competitive, dog-eat-dog world is, not the place to find dignity among men. Today we are preoccupied with the business of survival. God's world — the new age — will be different. We will no longer have to strive for every mouthful of food and wonder where the next meal is coming from. There will be plenty for all. In a sense, the nations deserve everything they are getting today. We've all missed the mark in terms of moral and spiritual perfection. Human beings are tragically imperfect in their conduct. "Man's inhumanity to man" is sickeningly true. Nations have behaved like brute beasts toward each other throughout most of history. What people have never killed, plundered, raped, pillaged, burned, tortured and warred, all in the name of political power, or religion or ideology? Yet, in another sense, humanity deserves a millennium of peace and plenty. The pain is becoming, inevitably, too much. Humanity has been to the well too many times and it's running dry. The human spirit is shriveled and the light of hope is about to go out. Humankind would soon destroy itself in one last, bloody, global battle unless a strong Hand from somewhere takes charge of the human scene and provides new hope. Someone did come along with the answer. It was in the form of a forecast. Jesus Christ — nearly two millennia ago — came with an announcement about a marvelous future age in which the Kingdom of God would rule the earth, and peace would break out everywhere. Jesus foresaw a world of peace — a world where every man and woman would have dignity, no matter their color or ethnic background. This coming world will have no racial bigotry. It will have no tyranny, no sexual prejudice. It will be a beautiful new age in every sense of the term. In that new age, Jesus Himself announced that He will be "King of kings" and "Lord of lords." Instead of abusive human rule, He will administer "justice for all." The only laws that will exist will be God's laws — designed from the beginning to bring about love and justice. Survival will no longer be the chief occupation of the majority of mankind. Each human being will be free to strive for fulfillment of his or her maximum potential. The purpose for which God put man on earth! Each person will be enabled to rise to the highest level of achievement of which he or she is capable in a spiritual atmosphere conducive to growth. We, too, foresee, with Jesus, in the pages of The Plain Truth, this new age coming in our lifetime. We pray, "Thy kingdom come." We yearn for the true utopia. We convey to our readers hope — for God will soon establish His Kingdom on this good earth, and peace will break out everywhere. Those of us who entertain this hope teach our children the values of the new age — the world tomorrow. We teach them the real meaning of love. You, too, can participate with us in reaping now in advance a foretaste of the harvest of joy that is someday to be shared by all!