(NB Headings are not part of original, but are added for clarity)
The World Tomorrow
True Gospel - Part 6
by Herbert W Armstrong
(PLAY FROM START)
Greetings. A few months ago the nation's most famous newscaster, Walter Cronkite, moved on to other network duties. But do you know who is the most famous newscaster, even much more famous than Walter Cronkite? The most famous who ever lived? Very few people have ever realized that Jesus Christ came as a newscaster. He was the most famous who ever lived. And He brought news. It was not old news that had happened minutes or hours or days before He reported it. It was news of the future. It was a forecast. It was a prophecy for the future. His news is yet to happen even in our time, although He gave it over nineteen and a half centuries ago.
News from God to mankind. He came as a messenger sent from God. A message from God Almighty to mankind and men have never understood what that message was, because it had not been proclaimed to the world for nineteen and one half centuries – believe it or not.
Now I have read to you time and again how in the book of Galatians, written about 53 AD. The church was started in 31 AD and 53 AD is only about 22, 23 years later. Just a little over 21. I guess the gospel had just come of age about that time. And yet the gospel that Christ brought – the message that He proclaimed was then suppressed. And it had not been proclaimed to the world from that time until 1953 AD – exactly one hundred time cycles of nineteen years each. I have mentioned that before. And it was news of the future.
There is a prophecy about that news that He was to bring. It's in one of the Old Testament books near the very end – the last book as a matter of fact in the Old Testament. Malachi the third chapter and beginning with verse one where it says;
"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me [now that was the one who became Christ speaking. He was speaking of John the Baptist who prepared the way before Him on His first coming]: and the Lord [which is Jesus Christ], whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant..." (Malachi 3:1)
Jesus came as a messenger of the New Covenant. Now Moses was a mediator of the Old Covenant with the nation Israel. That Old Covenant formed the ancient people, the children of Israel, as one of this earth's nations. It was a kingdom, it was a nation - one of the nations of this earth. And that Old Covenant, of which Moses was the mediator, formed that nation and they were even formed, according to the Bible as a wife of God - but a disobedient wife. But notice this:
"...even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith [says the ETERNAL] or the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)
News and Christ's Message (PLAY FROM 03:34)
Now He brought a message. What was the message that Jesus brought? His message was His gospel and the word 'gospel' means 'news.' Did you ever realize that? The word 'gospel' actually means 'good news.'
Today we hear a lot of news, but it isn't good news. The news you hear today is nearly all bad news. Course we hear the joke about the good news and the bad news, but today it's nearly all bad news – nearly everything. But Jesus brought good news. But it was news of the future. It hasn't happened yet. There are better times coming. And that is the news of hope and the only hope of this world today.
Now, notice the beginning of Jesus proclaiming of His gospel. What is the gospel that Jesus preached? It hasn't been preached to the world for over nineteen and a half centuries. What was that gospel? What was that message that God sent to mankind, that mankind has not been hearing? You read of it in Mark in the New Testament – Mark the first chapter and beginning with verse one;
"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God [then it mentions the prophecy I just read to you]; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." (Mark 1:1-2)
It continues on to speak of John the baptist and then dropping down to verse 14:
"Now after [that] John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel..." (Mark 1:14)
But what gospel did Jesus preach? He did not preach the gospel you have been hearing, most of the time. You do hear it on this particular program, but you don't hear it very much today. He came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
"And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand..." (Mark 1:15)
Why did He say the time is fulfilled? I've explained that before. No one had qualified to restore the government of God to this earth and establish the kingdom of God on this earth, until Jesus had overcome the archdevil Satan.
And you read of that in the fourth chapter of Matthew, you read of it also a little bit right here in this same chapter in Mark. And you read of it in more detail in the book of Luke. But He had qualified and so He said:
"...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe [what?] ...believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15)
What Does 'Saved' Mean? (PLAY FROM 06:23)
I wonder if you ever realized it's necessary to believe that gospel to be saved? And when you are saved, what does that mean? I hope I can get to it in this program. Is it heaven or is it something else? You are going to be surprised. Very few people know what the Bible does say about these things. The very Word of God, the Word that God sent to mankind has not been proclaimed. It's in your Bible. It is the world's number one seller. More people have it, more homes have it than any other book. It is one of the least read – it certainly is the least understood and it is the most maligned. And it's just falsely interpreted and changed and twisted in every possible way. Why should that be – a message from Almighty God Himself to mankind?
Well I'd like to have you notice now, He preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. What is the kingdom of God? I want you to notice one other passage in Luke the fourth chapter and verse forty-three. Luke 4:43:
"And Jesus [he] said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God in [to] other cities also: for therefore am I sent." (Luke 4:43)
Now many of His parables were about the kingdom of God. In His parables He said the kingdom of God is like unto this and like unto that and like unto the other thing. Jesus sent His twelve future apostles out and He said proclaim and go and where ever you go preach the kingdom of God. He sent another seventy out and said preach the kingdom of God. Jesus preached the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul preached the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul pronounced a double curse on man or angel that would dare proclaim any other gospel than the kingdom of God.
Today you have been hearing a different gospel. You have been hearing a gospel about Christ – about the messenger who brought the message. But you have heard very little, except on this program, about the message itself. And it is about time we came to know what that message is.
Now what did Jesus mean the 'Kingdom of God?' I have shown you that Jesus was born to be a king. I've read to you the prophecies in Isaiah. I've read to you the prophecies that the angel gave to Mary, the mother of Jesus before He was born – that He was born to be a king. I've read to you how when Jesus was on trial for His very life, He was standing before Pilate on trial for His life and Pilate said, "Are you a king then? and He said I am a king, to this end was I born, for this cause came I into the world, but He said my kingdom is not of this world” .(John 18:36-37 paraphrased) Not of this time, He meant But what did He mean a kingdom?
Now some people say the kingdom is the church. I've heard it said some years back, you don't hear it anymore, that the British Empire was the kingdom of God. No you don't hear that any more, because the British Empire just doesn't exist anymore as an empire – it just doesn't.
On trial for His life – let me read that, it is in John 18 and verse 37: "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? [and] Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, [and] for this cause came I into the world [and then He said, the verse just before that] ...My kingdom is not of this world..." (John 18:36-37). Not of this time, not of this civilization, not of this age. This is man's kingdom. This is the day of man. The day of the Lord has not yet come.
Daniel's Vision (PLAY FROM 10:27)
Now the prophet Daniel was given a vision of the kingdom of God. He knew what the kingdom of God was, and you turn clear back into the book of Daniel for that. Daniel the second chapter – there are other prophecies in Daniel too, like the seventh chapter that has a great deal to do with the kingdom of God. But this has to do with the very gospel that Jesus Himself preached. I'd like to begin and go through this second chapter of the book of Daniel. I can't read every bit of it, but I will give you every bit that is a link to the main thread of the story. Beginning with verse one in the second chapter of the book of Daniel – a prophecy and not a history.
"And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar [he was the king of the Chaldean Empire – the first and greatest empire the world had ever had up to that time. It was the first world empire. There never had been one before]. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherein his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to shew the king what he had dreamed." (Daniel 2:2 paraphrased)
He wasn't going to tell them what his dream was. They said they could interpret it, if he'd only tell them what it was. But he wasn't going to do that. So, they came and they stood before the king. Now, they said:
"The Chaldeans answered and said to the king. There is not a man upon the earth that can shew this matter to the king." (Daniel 2:10 paraphrased)
No human being could tell him what he had dreamed, that was beyond their power. He said and:
"And it is a rare thing that the king requires that there is no other that can shew it before the king except the gods whose dwelling is not on the earth or with flesh [as they said]." (Daniel 2:11 paraphrased)
Now continuing the story thread:
"Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel [Daniel the prophet] in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. (Daniel 2:19)
Daniel was taken in to the king and he came in and stood before the king. He saved the life of the astrologers and all the sorcerers and soothsayers and so on that were unable to tell the king, because he had threatened their lives if they couldn't tell him.
Well now, "Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, [or] the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets, and [reveals] to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days..." (Daniel 2:27-28)
Now he is talking about what will be in the latter days. We are living in the latter days right now! In other words this is a prophecy of what is going to happen in this living generation – in your time ! So listen:
"...Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed [were] are these;" (Daniel 2:28)
Then he told him what he had dreamed. Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was astounded that anyone could even tell him what he had dreamed.
"Thou, O king, sawest, and beheld a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible." (Daniel 2:31)
It was a frightening thing, it was so large – as huge almost as a mountain – a very great one.
The "...image's head was of fine gold, the breast and the arms were of silver, the belly and the thighs of brass. His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till ..." (Daniel 2:32-34 paraphrased)
Till a certain thing happened, in other words there is a time sequence going on in the vision that the king had, where God is showing him what is going to go right on to the latter days to our time now today that we are living in.
Now he saw "...till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and [of] clay, and brake them [in] to pieces. (Daniel 2:34)
It didn't smite it on the head, it smote it on the feet. And there is a time element here.
Now let's go a little further. "...and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain [and mountain is often used in Bible symbolically to represent a nation – a great nation, in other words] and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof [to] before the king." (Daniel 2:35-36)
Now the king knew this interpretation was right. Anyone that could tell him what he had dreamed ought to know what the interpretation was, and he said the God of heaven is revealing to you what is going to happen in the latter days. Not back in Nebuchadnezzar's time, but in your time and mine today.
So, he said, "Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of heaven [has] hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength and glory." (Daniel 2:37)
God Rules The Universe (PLAY FROM 16:11)
He is letting him know that God rules the universe and that God allowed him to have a kingdom. God had given him this kingdom.
"...Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom [another government, another kingdom, nation – but it was an empire] inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth [a world empire]. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron [there would become a fourth kingdom and it would be as strong as iron]." (Daniel 2:38-40)
Now there is a great deal to this. I would like to go into detail and give you the details and according to history, perhaps in the next broadcast – or sometime later. But, I will not do that today. I would give you the exact sequence of all of the things that happened.
Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean Empire were the head of gold. Following them was the Persian Empire. It was larger in greater power, just as silver is stronger than gold. Gold is very valuable, but it is soft. As a matter of fact, you get gold and it is 14 carat, 18 carat, or something like that. You don't get 24 carat gold very often, because that is pure gold and it is rather soft. So you get it with some hardening elements in it. Now silver is fairly soft too, so sterling usually has something added to strengthen it, but it is harder than gold, but not as valuable.
The second empire was the Persian Empire that followed the Chaldean Empire. You can read of that in ancient history. And the third {1} empire was Alexander's Greco-Macedonian Empire. It was Alexander the Greek, who came down with a Macedonian and a Greek army and he conquered the – he even went over into India. He conquered much more land. His empire was even bigger and he wept, as it is said, because he had no more worlds to conquer. However it was divided into four divisions, and then finally rose up a stronger empire. The one of iron – the Roman Empire.
Now the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD. It was restored as the Holy Roman Empire, it was called, in 554 AD. And that continued until 1814, and now it is reviving over in Europe by ten nations. There will be ten nations – not the ten of the Common Market necessarily. But there are the ten of the Common Market at the present time right now. And it will be revived in Europe. A revival of the so called Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages. And then it is going to end. The stone that will smite it on the feet is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. And He is going to set up a kingdom - the Kingdom of God that will rule over all the nations of the world and it will last forever.
Now the Bible speaks about Satan the devil - it is not very popular to mention Satan today. But Satan will be deposed and will be put away and Christ will be ruling. And we will live in Christ's way of out-flowing love instead of the way of in-coming self, and lust, and greed – as people are living today.
Now Jesus gave news, but it was news of a kingdom or an empire for the far, far future. It hasn't really happened yet. It was over nineteen hundred {2} years – the gospel was suppressed in 53 AD. It was restored in 1953 AD on the most powerful radio station in the world - in Europe after it had gone coast to coast in the United States. And some of you have heard it for a long time.
Luke's Prophecy (PLAY FROM 20:26)
But now I would like you to notice another prophecy that Jesus gave in the nineteenth chapter of the book of Luke and beginning with verse 11:
"And as they [Jesus and His disciples who became the apostles] as they heard these things, [Jesus] added and spake a parable, because he was [near] Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear." (Luke 19:11)
They thought the kingdom of God would appear in their time and their day, considerably more now than 1900 years ago. More than 1950 years ago.
"He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. (Luke 19:12)
Now He's talking about a kingdom. That was the message that Christ talked about. A kingdom – the Kingdom of God. It is going to replace the governments of this world. It started as I have just shown you in the book of Daniel with the world's greatest and the first great world empire – the Chaldean Empire from 606 BC down through 604 and until, oh let me see, past 585 BC. Then the Persian Empire, then the Greco-Macadonian Empire, finally the Roman Empire. It fell, it was restored for a while, then that fell and it's going to be restored once again among the nations of the earth in our day. Finally the kingdom of God is going to come and rule all the earth.
Now notice, Jesus said, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom" (Luke 19:12). After Jesus was crucified, and after He was resurrected from the dead – and He had been crucified as your Saviour and mine. He took on Himself your sins and mine. And paid for them if you and I repent. And I hope you have – I hope you will.
And He called His ten servants, and gave to them a pound apiece. And that represents the amount of the Holy Spirit really that He's given to those in this time now. Then finally when He comes, this is speaking of His coming at His second coming to establish this kingdom on earth. And He said unto them. - when He had come He required what they had done with the pounds He had given them. One was brought before Him and he said his pound had gained ten pounds. He had multiplied what he had been given by ten times over. He had grown in the Holy Spirit. He had grown in character and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
"And he said to him, well thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in very little, have thou authority over ten cities." (Luke 19:17)
He had multiplied what he had - spiritual goods – ten times over. He is going to rule over ten cities. Now we are not saved according to our works. We are saved by grace – a free gift from God, but we are to be rewarded - if we get saved - by our works. This man's works had multiplied ten times over. He qualified to rule over ten cities. That's speaking of government in a world empire.
Now, "...the second came saying, Lord thy pound hath gained five pounds." (Luke 19:18)
He only did half as well. And Jesus said likewise to him, "be thou over five cities." He qualified to rule over five cities in the kingdom of God. It is speaking of a government. Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God in all of His preaching when He was on earth. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the Kingdom of God.
Gospel Preached And Then The End (PLAY FROM 24:27)
Now that gospel had not been preached for a great many years. Can I take time just to turn quickly to Matthew 24 and here in the fourteenth verse. Jesus said, but "...this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14). The gospel of the kingdom had not been preached, but it finally would be preached as you're hearing it and your ears are hearing that done today! And then next will come the kingdom of God. It's coming in our time. We are the living generation when it is going to come.
And if you read on after this gospel of the kingdom is preached, then is going to come more terrible time than ever. A great tribulation such as never happened up to this time in all world history, nor ever shall happen. But for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. It says that unless those days were shortened, no flesh should be saved alive (Paraphrased Matthew 24:21-22). No human being would be left alive on earth. For the first time I have been saying again and again and again on this program – for the first time the weapons of mass destruction exist today that can annihilate human life from off this earth. Erase human life and there wouldn't be a human left. We wll come down to that time and then God will step in and intervene and will save mankind from himself.
Man is not able to save his own – he can't solve his problems. We can't stop all of the evils that are going on in this world. We just simply are not doing it.
I want you to write in for a little booklet that I have and there is no charge. It is something the world has not been hearing for 1900 and some years. It is a booklet on the kingdom of God – 'Just What Do You Mean The Kingdom of God?.' It is just a little booklet of 24 pages. You can read it at one sitting. It's not very long, but it will go through what I just gave you and more too. It will give you a lot of things I haven't had time to say on this program. Now there is no charge – we believe in giving not getting. We don't solicit the public for money. We are not going to ask you for contributions. I'd like to give it to you. You don't hear that kind of thing very often anymore either. So until next time, this is Herbert W Armstrong saying, "Goodbye friends."