The World Tomorrow

The Coming Utopia

by Herbert W Armstrong

(PLAY FROM START)

Well greetings everybody. Why should a condition of utopia; with perfect government, a perfect society, perfect conditions, perfect living conditions, why should that be impossible? Where everybody loves everybody else, where everybody wants to co-operate with, and help everybody else, and everybody else trying to help you, we are trying to help one another. What if we could all do that, how nice that would be? Well what's wrong about it? Why can't we have that kind of a condition on earth? You tell me we can't have anything like utopia?

Now what do scientists look forward to today? Well I would say there are three major things: one, some of them, are looking forward to a magic century 21. A push button time when there will be so many more gadgets than we have now, that work will be eliminated. We won't have any work to do. And you can just be in idleness and ease sitting around all the time, nothing to do. Of all the unhappiness that I can think of, that's the most unhappy condition. I wouldn't want any of it, but that is what they picture as happiness. They talk about their heaven where all you do is sit around with nothing to do forever, but look on the face of Christ.

No that isn't what God has for us. He is going to have something for us to do. And He called us for something to do now. No, we are getting some of those things; I remember writing several years ago in what science sees ahead, in the book; 'The Wonderful World Tomorrow.' and I said that there would be a - what kind of cooking? Oh, these ovens that they have now, anyway we've got them now. I guess everybody has them and I don't know whether it's probably destroying the food, I don't know anything about that. But whatever man does is usually wrong.

Now secondly is another group of scientists that think; well what's going to happen in the future? It'll just be more and more of the same thing; more evils, more divorces, families breaking up, more violence, more crime, more of everything wrong.

Then there's a third group; they say that the only hope is a world government to rule the whole world, so that no one can have an army to come up against them, and a world of peace. Then in the same breath they admit that is impossible, because man can't bring about anything of that kind.

God Will Send Jesus Christ to Rule (PLAY FROM 3:00)

Oh, but God can - God can. God is going to send Christ and with supernatural power and is going to rule. Now if men tried to set it up, I tell you, you can see President Sadat and the Prime Minister of Israel throwing their arms around one another on television. And, of course, that's a gesture for public consumption. But privately that isn't quite the way they feel. But, even so, neither one of them would want to live in a world where the other one did all the ruling, let me tell you that. And I tell you the people in this country wouldn't want to live in a world where a communist was ruling the whole world. And the people in communist countries wouldn't want to live in a world where one of our people was at the helm ruling it. In the hands of man it's impossible.

But with God nothing is impossible. And God is going to send Christ to do the ruling. Now I could take the time to show you what is going to happen to those that oppose Christ when He comes, but I won't do it, it's in Zechariah 14, but I won't take that time now. But, when Jesus Christ does come, let me show you what the condition on the earth is at that time. It's going to be very, very terrible and you'll find it back here in Matthew 24 verses 21 and 22:

"...then shall be great tribulation [now we are right on the very door step of that right now; great tribulation], such as [never was] since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive]..." (Matthew 24:21-22)

The Moffatt translation has that, it's not talking about spiritual salvation, but means saved alive in this life. Now then, just before that time however, you'll find in verse 14 here how:

"...this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world..." (Matthew 24:14)

And it will be – that's the sign of His coming. Now if they'd been deceived with other gospels, otherwise that wouldn't be a sign of anything. If they'd been hearing that same gospel all the time. That's the sign, the fact that we're getting the Gospel of the Kingdom out to the world. And it's not just to podunk and squedunk in the United States, it's to all the world.

Now when the new world Ruler comes, He is going to come already crowned with many, many crowns. The nineteenth chapter of Revelation and beginning with verse 6:

"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth [I read to you the prophecy that Jesus was coming to rule, He's coming to reign, He's coming as a King as well as a Saviour, of course He is both]. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." (Revelation 19:6-7)

One thing I want to call your attention to, and that just brings to my mind, I haven't thought of before; is that it says in Haggai, which is just before Zechariah and Zechariah is the next to the last book in the Old Testament, that the temple - apparently the temple they were building would be far more glorious than the former temple, which was Solomon's temple. Now the temple they built was not anywhere near as glorious as Solomon's temple. But they were building the temple Christ is to come to. And it said this latter temple, this latter day temple, and the temple Christ will come to is to be a far more glorious temple, than Solomon's temple. Now think of that.

Well in some of the things I've been writing and in some of the books that are coming out, that will all be explained, because God has been revealing all of that. And the Church is the temple to which Christ is coming! And He is coming – the temple is His wife. And He is going to marry that temple. Probably the people who live next door to you, or across the street from you couldn't understand this word, if you tried to argue with them and preach to them for a thousand years. Unless God calls them; no one can come to Christ. Jesus said:

"No man can come to me, except the Father which...sent me draw him..." (John 6:44)

Now, are you going to make Jesus Christ a liar? If there is anyone that can come to Christ, except when the Father draws him, Jesus Christ didn't tell the truth. That's either true or it's false. You can't find any scripture that will contradict it. God has called us to a job to get done. He has called everyone for a duty and no one has been called except for a duty. And every time that duty was preparing for the Kingdom of God.

The Early Church (PLAY FROM 8:33)

Now go back to the early Church. Where did the early Church get the truth it believed? It says we must all speak the same thing. We must all believe alike. Where did they get that belief? Where did they get it? Did they appoint a committee of some of their wise men? Can you find that in the Bible? Did the early Church have a Doctrinal Committee? Where did they get their doctrine? Where did they know what to believe? They got it from the apostles, and where did the apostles get it? Christ taught them. Now how did they get the doctrine that they believe? They got it from the apostles. How did I get it? Let's go back here to Galatians for just a minute. You've heard me use this many times, I think it begins with the first chapter of Galatians where Paul says:

"...I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not [that of] man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it [except], but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:11-12)

Paul later says; "...have I not seen...Christ..." (I Corinthians 9:1). Have I not been with Christ? He was three years down in Arabia and there is nothing said about what went on down there. Well, that's where Christ had to come and even after His resurrection to heaven, Christ appeared to Him in some form, in some way, in person and taught Paul. And when Paul went to Jerusalem, he found that what Christ taught him was EXACTLY the same thing that Christ had taught those apostles. And let me tell you that what Christ taught me today, is exactly the same thing He taught those original apostles. Now then:

"...when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me [to] his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" Galatians 1:15-16

Neither did I. Brethren I didn't go to a theological seminary. No, Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, the personal Word of God in person, the Bible is the Word of God in writing. Now the only difference is this is in writing and He is in person. But the message is the same, the truth is the same; absolutely, either way. God taught me here. God brought me to a condition, that He – He just wiped my mind clean of everything I'd ever believed. And I don't know of any other religious leader who ever was brought to the truth in that manner. I don't know of any.

Christ Crowned King of Kings (PLAY FROM 11:27)

Now then, as I said, the first thing Christ will do when He comes is depose Satan. Then He is going to begin to call all of those – everybody then will be called for salvation. Christ is coming as the King of Kings and when He comes, He'll be already crowned. Now I meant to read that to you and then I got side tracked. Let's go back to it again. Revelation 19 – let's pick up again in verse 11, Revelation 19 now:

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns [He will be already crowned when He comes, the coronation ceremony will take place up in heaven before He comes, we are not going to get attend that ceremony]; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God [He is the living Word of God]. And the armies which were [with Him] in heaven..." (Revelation 19:12-14)

And in the twenty fifth chapter of Matthew you'll find that is all the holy angels. Not the ones that were on earth and were sinning angels. But all the holy angels:

"...followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations [because they are going to fight against Him, and not going to want Him, they are going to say He is the Anti-Christ]: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness [of the] wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords." (Revelation 19:14-16)

Now there are going to be other kings. He will be the King of Kings. God does reveal something of the sort of the – the structure, the organizational structure of the government. He's coming as the Ruler. Now, if you turn with me to Jeremiah 30 for just a moment, and verse 9:

"But they shall serve the [Eternal] their God... " (Jeremiah 30:9)

That's when Christ comes, it's talking about here – verse seven:

"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble...[and God says] I will break his yoke from his neck, and he will deliver us, but they won't serve those people any more. But they shall serve the [Eternal] their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. (Jeremiah 30:7-9 paraphrased)

David will be raised from the dead in a resurrection and will be the King over the people of Israel. Now then in Ezekiel, the thirty-seventh chapter. Ezekiel 37 and verse 24:

"And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them." (Ezekiel 37:24)

And David will be King over all of the nations that have developed out of the original twelve tribes of Israel.

Oh, another book I am going to get out is; 'The United States and Britain in Prophecy’ Did I mention that? And we are Israel and Canada, the Canadians, are Israel. Australians and the British, and just look how many nations – the French. And the – not the Germans, but the French and Dutch and those people, and the Scandinavians are all tribes of Israel. David will be over all of the nations that come from the tribes of Israel. Now then next, if you will notice In Matthew 19, Matthew 19 and verse 28:

"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19:28)

That is the twelve original apostles. Each of them will be resurrected and will be sitting on a throne over one of those twelve nations. Now, over all of them will be David ruling over that.

The Structure of God's Government (PLAY FROM 16:21)

Now let's go a little further, a little higher up. It's going be a theocracy; which means government from the top down. What will they have for a congress, a parliament, a diet, a law making body? Well they will just have one person that is a Law Giver. Did you know that? God the Father, Who is the Law Giver and all the Law will come from Him. We won't have to have a senate and a congress.

And you know Will Rogers used to kid around and joke about congress. And he did it in a way that he made fun of them and yet they enjoyed it themselves; and they've got a statue of him down there in the capitol of Washington now. There's an iron statue of Will Rogers down there, because that's how much they thought of him for joking about them.

Well, it'll be a theocracy from the top down. Now God, you see will be the congress, He will give all the laws. Christ will be the King. We won't have a president, Christ will be the King of Kings. And the Kingdom will be the family of God and God is the Father of that family. And the Law comes from Him and we will have to all obey our Father.

Now, the Kingdom of God will be both Church and State, it'll be both Church and State. All that God has called since Adam were called to prepare for that kingdom. That's the only reason they were called. Abraham was called to prepare for the Kingdom of God. And maybe we'd better go back and see a little of that. You'll find that Abraham is called the father of the faithful. And all of the promises that we have of any eternal life, or salvation are based on the promises God made to Abraham.

Now you'll find Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob mentioned together so many places in the Bible. Mentioned like a team, the fathers; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are all mentioned together. They prepared themselves and they will all be in the Kingdom of God. And once Christ said to the Pharisees:

"...you will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all of the prophets, in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out." (Luke 13:28 paraphrased)

So they are going to be there. Since Abraham, then had the promises that all of us have to get in on, Abraham will be next under God. And he'll be over Church and State both. And there is only one way I can understand it; and that is that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be together as a combined sort of team or unit with Abraham the chairman of the three - father Abraham. Now you've got over the Israeliteish nations, you've got David over the whole of all those nations. You've got each one of the twelve original apostles over each one of those nations.

What about the Gentiles? Well, you know the first thing I used to think was, well apostle Paul will be over the Gentiles. No; you see the apostle Paul had a status equal to the other apostles and they are only over one of the nations, not over the whole thing. And so Paul will have a same type of status that the other apostles will. No, there's one who rates ahead. One that is mentioned way ahead – and that is Daniel. And Daniel was trained and practically running the the first world empire that ever existed. And while it was a pagan empire, Daniel ruled God's way. Daniel prayed three times a day, Daniel never departed from God, and he was doing it under very, very difficult circumstances. Daniel qualified. Now Paul, Apollos, Barnabas they will all be head over Gentile nations in the Kingdom of God.

Now then there is one other thing I want you to notice. The seventeenth chapter of Matthew. Matthew 17, Matthew 17 the first seven verses:

"...after six days Jesus took Peter, and James, and John his brother [James' brother], and brought them into a high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them [now they were seeing now a vision of the Kingdom of God, and they were looking into that Kingdom]: and his face [Jesus' face] did shine as the sun, and his raiment [his clothing] white as light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah..." (Matthew 17:1-3 paraphrased)

Now this a picture of the Kingdom of God. There is Christ the head of all and Moses and Elijah. I can't conceive of Abraham being under either Moses or Elijah. Because he was the father over them really, in a way. But, you'll notice that there they were.

"Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased..." (Matthew 17:4-5) And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face. But Jesus said, don't be afraid, just rise up and He said don't tell anybody about it.

And, now then, Moses was brought up in the palace of Pharaoh. Moses was trained in government. God gave Moses all of the Laws of God for the Old Testament. Now there was, of course, the spiritual law. They had substitute laws, one sacrificial law substitute for the blood of Christ, they had another substitute physical law of rituals, carnal meats and drinks and offerings and things of that sort, as a substitute for the Holy Spirit. But God gave His Government through Moses and He was a Law Giver to man. Moses then, under Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be over ALL the governments. He will be over David. He will be over Daniel and they will be over all the other nations.

The Knowledge of God Restored (PLAY FROM 23:32)

Now then, Elijah was the man who restored the knowledge of God in Israel and they'd forgotten all about it. He is the one who brought the Commandments of God back to them. He is the one who said; "If God be God, get over here on His side, stand up and be counted." I'm having to say that same thing today; "Stand up and be counted, the time has come." But Elijah restored the Law of God and he will be over all of the religion. Now then, the religion at that time is going to be more a matter of education than anything else. Because there won't be any Satan. And people are going to have to be taught the truth. Elijah will undoubtedly be over all of the religion. And you find in the twenty fifth chapter of Matthew:

"...before Christ when he comes will be gathered all the nations. He'll divide them as a shepherd would the sheep from the goats. And the sheep on his right hand and goats on his left. To those on the right He will say come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom..." (Matthew 25:32-34 paraphrased)

They will inherit the Kingdom of God. Now He doesn't say whether they will inherit it right then or at the end of the millennium, but the fact that He says it then looks like they would inherit it right then.

What a wonderful time that is going to be. That is the kind of government we are going to have that we are looking forward to. Now then, let's go back and take a little quick glimpse. And I won't read all that I had here, but I'll give you part of it. The eleventh chapter of Isaiah, beginning with verse 6:

"The wolf [will] dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." (Isaiah 11:6)

You know we have an emblem of a little boy, and a lion, and then a little lamb with them as an emblem of that time. And we use that a great deal – you've seen it in print in lots and lots of places:

"And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox [in other words; they'll eat hay and turn to vegetation instead of raw uncooked meat]. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp [a deadly snake, but the snake won't hurt it], and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den [that's another kind of a snake, and]. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as [full as the ocean beds are full of water]." (Isaiah 11:7-9)

How much of the knowledge of the Lord is there on earth today? And look at the troubles we are having. Well, you can go on and read a little more:

"...in that day there shall be a root of Jesse [which is Christ]; to him will the Gentiles seek. And it will come in that day that and he will set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his [own] people Israel..." (Isaiah 11:10-11 paraphrased)

So you'll get the Gentiles and Israel and everybody; and salvation is going to come to all. Now turn over just a couple of pages to the fourteenth chapter and just a couple of little verses here, the seventh and eighth, speaking of this same time:

"The whole earth [will be then] at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon [the cedars of Lebanon, not very many of them left anymore], saying, Since thou art laid down [it's talking about Satan there], no feller is come up against us." (Isaiah 14:7-8)

To chop us down; even the trees will be shouting for joy. That is the Kingdom of God and what a glorious time, what a wonderful time.

Now in closing, I just want to say again this booklet, I want to mention: 'Just What Do You Mean Conversion?' There is no booklet like this. Very few people understand what conversion is. And I'll tell you; it's about ninety-nine and forty-four one hundredths percent, impure and misleading today of the teaching in the world. If you want the truth, you don't have to pay for it. This booklet is free; 'Just What Do You Mean Conversion?'

And the other one is 'Just What Do You Mean – Born Again?.' What is it to be born again? You know even heads of government sometimes don't know what it means to be born again. And you need to know what it really means. This booklet will make it plain and there is no – absolutely no, reputation of it one way or the other. It's the plain Word of God - very plain, very simple.

So now, until the next time, this Herbert W Armstrong saying good bye friends.