The Peace Arch
This beautiful Peace Arch symbolizes the spirit of peace and brotherhood existing between the two great nations of the United States and Canada. This arch was the work of Samuel Hill which was dedicated on September 6, 1921. On that day, he declared;” war satisfies neither the victors nor the vanquished. Perfect peace alone satisfies.”
For 95 years this monument has stood as a reminder to the people of the United States, Canada and the world, of the bond of brotherhood and common origin of our two great nations. It is located in Peace Arch Park on the United States and Canadian border between the cities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia. The structure stands 67.2 feet tall and commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium on December 24, 1814 which ended the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States. In 1817 an agreement was signed which provided for naval disarmament on the Great Lakes and an unfortified frontier border of 4,000 miles between the U. S. and Canada.
Within the park is a major border crossing which has never been closed, which also symbolizes the long history of peace between the two nations. Within the two vertical uprights of the arch, is located iron gates hinged on either side of the border with the inscription; “May These Gates Never Be Closed.”
The inscriptions on each side of the arch’s horizontal band not only represent a civil peace, but a strong reminder of a common ethnic origin with Biblical significance. The inscription on the U.S. side reads; “CHILDREN OF A COMMON MOTHER.” This clearly indicates the common origin of the thousands of people from Great Britain who settled North America. Here, our two great nations developed simultaneously as they conquered the western frontiers, formed states and provinces, set up their respective governments and became two mighty ‘children’ of their mother country – Great Britain.
This common ancestry of nations is reminiscent of the Biblical nations of Israel and Judah. Even though they divided in dispute into separate nations, they still had their common ethnic roots in Abraham their father and Sarah their mother. Of Sarah’s posterity; “God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her” (Gen. 17:15-16). Of Rebekah, a common mother of Israel and Judah, the blessing given by her family was; “Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them” (Gen. 24:60).
The inscription on the Canadian side reads; “BRETHREN DWELLING TOGETHER IN UNITY.” Here again is a strong similarity and an evident reminder of the two sons of Joseph who were given a divine promise of blessing by their grandfather Jacob. A parallel application of the promise of spiritual and material prosperity given to Ephraim and Manasseh in Genesis 48:19-20; 49:22-26 are fitting of God’s abundant blessings to the United States and Canada. Surely, these two great nations have fulfilled the prophecy concerning Ephraim and Manasseh, given by Moses when he said: “His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh” (Deut. 33:17).
Written by Pastor Charles A. Jennings
Ed: Our guest writer this month is Charles Jennings. He is Pastor of Truth in History Ministries in Oklahoma and from his first life-changing experience with Jesus Christ his path has been established for him. You might say he has ministered most of his life but particularly since the 1960’s he has served in the Christian ministry as a Pastor, Evangelist and Bible Teacher. He is a popular speaker at conferences, mainly throughout America, and invariably inspires his audiences with a deep depth of wisdom. Pastor Jennings is also a well-regarded author and his book “The Book of Revelation from an Israelite and Historicist Interpretation” is very helpful in leading our brethren to the truth. He has also authored numerous booklets and brochures on Bible related subjects and is instrumental in keeping alive the memories of yesteryear’s great men of the movement.