In the end of days, a new global justice system will emerge to bring a permanent end to violent conflict. This era of peace will not be forged through military dominance, but through a profound spiritual leadership that resolves international disputes with perfect justice, rendering weapons entirely obsolete.
The primary approach among commentators is that the leader presiding over this new era is the Messiah [רד"ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, מלבי"ם], or a prominent leader of Israel [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, another perspective suggests that God Himself is the ultimate judge, though His rulings will be carried out practically by human figures such as the Messiah, priests, and prophets. These leaders will communicate God's will using the power of speech rather than physical force [שד"ל].
The application of this justice operates on two distinct levels. When disputes arise between nations, the Messiah will clarify the law, rule on who is right, and restore harmony [רד"ק, מצודת דוד]. A deeper look reveals a tailored approach to different types of societies. For unstructured groups of people lacking a shared government or legal system, the leader will establish fixed laws to prevent wars. In contrast, when dealing with organized, law-abiding states, the approach will rely on intellectual and moral guidance [מצודת ציון]. Within these established nations, the leader will cultivate internal peace and prevent rebellion purely through ethics and reason [מלבי"ם].
With conflicts resolved peacefully, instruments of war will lose their purpose. The transformation of these weapons involves complete crushing and breaking [מצודת ציון]. Rather than simply repurposing existing blades, the metal will be entirely crushed, melted down, and reshaped. This ensures the tools cannot be easily sharpened and reverted into weapons in times of need [מלבי"ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Instead, these destructive implements will be reborn as agricultural tools that sustain life. Swords will be forged into spades for digging the earth, and spears will become smaller pruning hooks used to tend vineyards and trim tree branches [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
A reality where nations no longer take up arms or study the tactics of war is a distinct vision of the future. Such profound global peace is a clear prophecy, as it has never yet been realized in human history [שד"ל].