The startling TRUTH of Jesus' Message has been buried long enough!
Learn here the REALITY of God's prophecies — and their special meaning for OUR time.
PEACE and prosperity" is to be the theme of President Johnson's political campaign for re-election. He will claim that the Democrats have kept the United States strong and wealthy.
Surface prosperity certainly is evident in America — and in Western Europe as well.
However, a racial GUERRILLA WAR is brewing in many major U.S. cities.
And just plain crime and VIOLENCE are growing by leaps and bounds. Included in the recent F. B. I. National Crime Report is the following statistic: "Half of all murders in 1963 involved husbands and wives killing each other."
Imagine!
American homes and marriages are so wretched and miserable that fully HALF of all murders in our "Christian" land involve a man MURDERING his own wife, or vice versa!
And around the world, the specter of the bloody WARS in Vietnam, Cyprus, the Congo and elsewhere continues each year. Ominously, the so-called "Nuclear Club" is rapidly becoming less exclusive so that within a few years even minor dictators and madmen may possess the power to annihilate major cities!
Scientists, statesmen and politicians agree that world government and an international rule of LAW is the only answer. But the pitiful spectacle presented by the impotent, bungling, bankrupt and divided United Nations is certainly not the answer.
There is no world government now in sight and, seemingly, No PEACE ahead for this chaotic generation in which we live.
The Chaos of Cults
In addition to the chaos and confusion among the nations, there is great religious confusion in the western world today. In the United States alone, there are over four hundred religious bodies and sects all calling themselves "Christian."
They all claim to believe in the same Christ. Yet they all DIFFER on the message He preached, and on the doctrines and practices that ought to be in His Church.
In order to get around this problem, some denominations are now becoming "broadminded" in the varying kinds of doctrines and ideas they will permit their members to hold. A recent news item shows that in the case of one denomination making up such a "broadminded" statement of belief, "the effect was to arrive at a statement that would include the essentials, but be broad enough for persons of varying points of view."
In this modern day, is it important which MESSAGE we believe?
Today many modern ministers say, "Just believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved." What you believe about Christ and His message is not so important — they will often say — as it is to believe on and love Him and His person.
What about this? Is it important to believe the VERY message that Jesus Christ preached? Or didn't He preach any certain message? Or was His message broad enough so that we can get over four hundred denominational ideas and traditions out of that message?
An Inspired WARNING
The inspired answer to that question is found in the first chapter of Paul's epistle to the Christians in Galatia. The apostle of Christ was ALARMED that these people were already turning aside — NOT from Christ's person, but from His message!
"I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would PERVERT the gospel of Christ" (Galatians 1:6-7).
Notice that Paul is alarmed because people were perverting the truth about Christ's MESSAGE — not about His person. He continued: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be ACCURSED." Then Paul repeated this denunciation — made this a double curse.
"As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel to you than that you have received, let him be ACCURSED" (vss. 8-9).
In the Apostle Paul's mind, there was only ONE true gospel — any other gospel was a counterfeit that demanded a CURSE by apostolic authority!
What was this true gospel that Paul was trying to keep in its pure state? What was the TRUTH that God sent to this world by Jesus Christ His Son?
Christ Was A MESSENGER
Christ came with a message from God the Father which would solve the problems of this last generation on earth today!
Note the prophecy in Malachi regarding His first coming. "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, Whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant, Whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of hosts" (Mal. 3:1).
Actually, here is Christ—as the Logos or Spokesman of the Old Testament speaking — and saying that He would send a messenger before His face who would prepare the way for Him, Christ, who was to be the Messenger of the Covenant.
In Acts 10 we find a description of that message as it was first preached to the Gentile Christians. The first part of the chapter shows how Cornelius was chosen as the first Gentile to receive the true gospel of Christ, and how Peter was sent to his house to bring the truth of God. In verse 34 we read, "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him" (Acts 10:34-35). Here Peter acknowledges that now God is calling all the Gentiles to the same truth that had recently been opened to the Jews since the day of Pentecost.
He continues: "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all) that word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached" (vss. 36-37). Directly inspired of God to reach this first Gentile Christian, Peter immediately refers to the TRUTH as that word which God sent by Christ, to Israel, beginning from Galilee, after John's preaching.
Peter referred to this as the message for both Israel and the Gentiles. So this was God's MESSAGE for all mankind!
The MESSAGE Jesus Brought
Now let's find where that message really began, and what Jesus actually taught! Turning to the first chapter of Mark we find the conditions that Peter gave for the beginning of this true message.
"Now after that John was put in prison" — this was to be the time — "Jesus" — here is the Messenger — "came into Galilee" — here is the place — "preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye and believe the gospel" (Mk. 1:14-15).
Here we find the true Messenger, the time and the place. And here we find the true MESSAGE of God! It is Good News or Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Moffatt translates it "Reign" of God. It is the happy message of God's Kingdom — His RULE — His GOVERNMENT which will finally bring peace over this earth!
Notice that this true gospel is not man's gospel about the person of Christ. It is Christ's message. It is the message He brought from God the Father of the coming government of God, or Kingdom of God on this earth.
And it is VITAL that you believe and obey this message! For Jesus said: "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath One that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). So Jesus said you will be judged by His Word — His message!
Jesus Christ ALWAYS taught about the Kingdom of God. Luke records: "And it came to pass afterwards that He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God: and the twelve were with Him" (Lk. 8:1).
Even Jesus' parables were all concerned with the Kingdom of God. "And His disciples asked Him, saying, What might this parable be? And He said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand" (Lk. 8:9-10).
Since Jesus Christ and all of the apostles and prophets spoke continually about the Kingdom of God, we need to understand what a kingdom is.
What Is A Kingdom?
There are four things which characterize every kingdom. First, there is a king or ruling agent. Secondly, there is a territory over' which the kingdom holds dominion. Thirdly, there are subjects or citizens in every real kingdom. And, fourthly, every kingdom must have laws and a form of government.
Now let's understand how God's Kingdom is so organized. Isaiah reveals who will be the king or ruling agent in the coming world government.
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of His roots: And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him . . . He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes . . . But with righteousness shall He judge the poor . . . and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked" (Isa 11:1-4). Here is the well-known prophecy that Christ — coming from Jesse through David — will be the king over all the earth after His second coming.
Before Jesus' human birth, an angel gave this prophecy concerning His future rule: "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:32-33) Christ is going to literally reign on the throne of David. That throne is on this earth today!
And He shall reign over the house of Jacob, or Israel. These are human beings here on this earth! If you do not understand the national identity of modern Israel, then write immediately for Mr. Armstrong's fascinating free booklet "The United States and British Commonwealth in Prophecy."
Yes, world government is soon to come with Jesus Christ as Divine RULER!
One of the most tremendous events in all history is described by the Apostle John in Revelation 11:15: "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever."
Christ will show us how to have peace on this earth! This is the ONLY way we will ever have peace!
God's Government on This Earth
Having proved that Christ is King of God's soon-coming Kingdom, let us now see where that Kingdom will be located. Did you notice in the Scripture we just cited that "the kingdoms of this world" are to be ruled by Christ?
This is substantiated in Daniel 2:44. This is the conclusion of Daniel's prophecy about the four great world-ruling kingdoms which were to hold sway over the western world. As nearly all Bible scholars recognize, the fourth great kingdom is the Roman Empire which — with its various revivals — will hold sway to the end of this age. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall NEVER be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." This clearly indicates that God's Kingdom will be on this earth — Christ the "Stone" having crushed the other kingdoms and set up God's government to bring peace.
In the description of that Kingdom given in Isaiah 11, we also find that it will be on this earth. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain (kingdom): for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (vs. 9).
You have probably noticed by this time that the subjects or citizens of God's Kingdom will be physical human beings still left alive on this earth! Isaiah 11:10 describes Christ as the "Root of Jesse" and says, "to it shall the Gentiles seek." So here we find even the Gentile nations are being ruled over by Christ on this earth. Now continuing in verse 11: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt . . . and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."
This will be the time of the glorious regathering of the Israelitish people — including many of our deceived friends and relatives — who will be brought back from captivity at the second coming of Christ. They will then learn to understand and appreciate God's rule, His laws, His government and His Way of life! And what a wonderful world that will be!