9.
The Gospel Of The Kingdom
“This gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in the
whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
(Matthew 24.14 NASB)
“The
kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and
He will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11.15 NASB)
Lost in a wilderness.
Today,
without doubt, many, if not most people of the world have a sense within them,
perhaps even a groaning, that something is not right in the world; something
is amiss. It is as if the whole world is like a mighty engine that is
sputtering, as if a cylinder or two is misfiring. On a personal level, it seems
that more and more people have a sense that something is not quite right in their
lives; something is missing. Even the rich and famous have a void in their
lives that they cannot fill. All one has to do is read of the lifestyle of
many of them to see that they are searching for something. Not only is there a groaning
among men, but even creation seems to be groaning. In fact, the Bible says
that the whole creation groans and
suffers the pains of childbirth together until now (Romans 8.22 NASB), which implies that something is trying to come forth as if being
birthed. Something is afoot as the world and creation groans.
If
we went throughout the nations of the world and asked people in each nation
what are the most pressing issues of our day, the answers would run the gamut,
depending on a number of individual, local, national, ethnic and global factors.
Obviously, everyone is affected by the first three factors, but more and more
we all are being brought into the global sphere and what happens globally
affects us all. For instance, instability in oil-producing countries brings an
instantaneous rise in gasoline prices that does not discriminate between the rich
and the poor nations. Terrorism does not discriminate either.
The
people of the world look to their leaders for answers, but it seems that they
are unable to solve the most pressing national or global challenges. For
instance, starvation, disease, pestilence, genocide and tribal conflicts
continue without resolution.
The
world leaders pass many paper resolutions, or even laws, declaring their intent
to deal with the most pressing issues facing mankind, but it soon becomes
obvious that their resolutions are not worth the paper they are written on. All
the while, people die day after day as the world leaders reveal their impotence
to solve real problems. The world often turns to an organization called the
United Nations, which is more like disunited nations. The kingdoms (nations) of
the world are divided. How can they stand? They cannot!
The
cry from many is “peace and security,”
but there is no lasting peace and security. People die daily due to global
terrorism, war, tribal conflicts, ethnic cleansing, poverty, famine, disease,
dramatic shifts in the weather, and the list goes on. Many continue to live in
fear and cry out for change, but their cries continue as world leaders pass their
meaningless resolutions. After a century in which the world has seen an
explosion of technological advancements that are almost miraculous, we have yet
to solve the most basic and pressing issues of life that promote the general
welfare of people globally.
Through
Daniel the prophet, we are told that at the time of the end, the end of our
present eon, many shall
run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased (Daniel 12.4 KJV). We have
reached the time of the end! There is little doubt that with the onset of the
20th century many began to run to and fro and knowledge increased phenomenally.
Many shall run to and fro means that the
world population would increase, and this is exactly what has happened in
the last century as the population of the world figuratively exploded during
this period. In 1804, the world population stood at an estimated 1 billion
people, and 123 years later, in 1927, it stood at 2 billion people. But the
astonishing fact is that the world grew during the 20th century, so that as the
century ended, the world population had exploded to 6 billion people. Think
about it; more than 4 billion people were added to this earth in less than 100
years. Many are running to and fro in our day!
As
the world population has exploded so has knowledge.
Knowledge that once required hundreds of years to advance began to increase
exponentially. It is estimated that knowledge doubled from the time of Christ
to the start of the 20th century. It then doubled again from 1900 to 1950.
However, starting around 1950, knowledge began to explode, so that by the
1960’s, knowledge doubled every two years.
Knowledge
increase is directly connected to the
computer. In the early 1980’s, the personal computer came on the scene and
more knowledge and information became available to a vast number of people.
Consequently, the various types of media for the movement and presentation of
images, data, video, entertainment, etc. grew to amazing levels. The Internet
took root in the 90’s and the Information Age came to the entire world. Today,
the amount of information available to the common man is beyond any one
person’s comprehension.
Increased
knowledge has led to unbelievable advances in technology that have opened up numerous
new frontiers, the likes of which have never been seen before, especially in transportation,
which has led to an exponential increase in world-wide travel. The driving
force for such travel came in the 1950’s with the advent of the jet aircraft engine and commercial
airlines. Today, people can fly around the world in a matter of hours, not
days or weeks or months as it was in prior centuries with other modes of
transport. Not only this, but man has discovered how to travel into space (the heavenlies) and explore other planets.
When
the technology revolution began,
many said that it would solve world problems and make life much simpler, less
complicated. To some degree this is true, for there have been many advancements
that have helped life for many. But can we honestly say that our lives have become
simpler? For those of us who live in the western world of high-tech gadgets, it
seems that our lives have become more complicated, not less complicated. Have
our lives become more safe and secure in this nuclear age? Let us be reminded
that during this time the world also saw the invention and production of the most sophisticated and destructive weaponry
that mankind has ever known (atomic and nuclear bombs, cruise missiles,
bunker-busting bombs); all produced by the USA, a nation founded by men who believed
in the Prince of Peace.
We
must ask ourselves: Has the increase of knowledge and great advancements of
technology led to solutions to the most pressing problems of this world that
deal with the very heart of man? Have wars and rumors of wars ended? Hardly! Where
is world peace? Where is justice? Where is righteousness? Where is love for the
many that struggle each day just to survive? Isn’t it time to repent and turn
from our destructive ways and become ambassadors of peace?
Now,
take the matter of economic security and
prosperity. The world has seen an explosion of wealth among a relatively
small number of individuals and nations, while the vast majority live in
poverty or struggle to keep up with the many burdens of life that have become
more and more complicated, even as technology has advanced. In addition, many have
been shackled with large debts that
must be paid back with interest. As a result, many are in bondage to what must
be called the present-day
Take
the matter of racism and discrimination,
which are issues often raised in the
With
the end of the cold war, some thought (hoped) that many of the world dictatorships and repressive
regimes would fall, and the world would be filled with democratic or free and
open societies. Surely, change has come throughout the nations of the world;
but overall, the goal has been elusive, for there are still oligarchies,
dictators, tyrants, and other forms of repressive governments. However, with
the rise of global terrorism, even the so-called free societies have been
forced to give up some of their freedoms.
Many
people think that democracy is the
answer; but it is not, for it means that the people rule. Consider what
happened to ancient
After
September 11, 2001 (9/11), many people flocked to “church,” and there was much
talk of the
Mankind
cannot solve the most basic issues of life, and now many are determined to
tackle the climate of the world, as
if they actually can affect this mighty juggernaut. Their outcry is over global warming. So what do they do?
They gather pop stars to give 24-hour worldwide concerts. Instead,
why not consider God’s word to us that He is going to shake the heavens and the
earth (Haggai 2.6)? Or, consider God’s conversation with Job.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?”… Can
you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? Can
you lead forth a constellation in its season, and guide the Bear with her
satellites? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, or fix their rule
over the earth? Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an
abundance of water will cover you? Can you send forth lightnings that
they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? Who has put wisdom in the
innermost being or given understanding to the mind? Who can count the clouds by wisdom, or tip the water jars of the
heavens, when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods stick together?”
(Job 38.4, 28-38 NASB)
Sure
does sound like God has control of the heavens, as well as the atmosphere of
the earth. And yet, it seems as if man shakes his fist at God and says: “Don’t
bother us; we can handle this on our own. We’ll have a rock concert!”
Surely,
mankind’s pollution and waste have altered our beautiful earth, in some
measure; but in the debate over manmade global warming, some scientists are not
so quick to join the many in their conclusion that man is the sole reason for the
planet’s entire climatic changes. They claim that there are other factors that
are either beyond the control of man or not fully understood, such as solar
activity and the effects of rainfall on climate change. Take note of God’s
questions of Job: Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an
abundance of water will cover you? Who can count the clouds by wisdom, or tip
the water jars of the heavens, when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods
stick together? It sure does sound like this is a mystery hidden in God.
Now,
what about righteousness and justice?
How does the world stand in this regard? Well, not too well. Actually, the word
righteous is not very commonly used
among the people and leaders of the world. People often cry for justice, but it
seems that few cry out for righteousness. Unfortunately, justice to the world
today is perverted by the self-centered carnal mind that says: “I have rights.
Give me what I want and deserve.” It is all centered on I and me.
What
is righteousness? The word righteous is an adjective that means
“upright, just, virtuous.” The word virtuous
means “moral,” and moral means
“conformed to right.” In other words, righteousness
(a noun) is doing things the morally right way. It is being rightwise, or
taking a stand for what is right. By the way, righteousness and justice go
hand-in-hand.
The
difficulty that arises in our day over such words is that the world has thrown
out absolute moral standards and has accepted the humanistic and relativistic
view that man has all the answers, but that there are no absolutes in his
answers. What matters is what a person thinks, believes or “feels,” as long as one’s
views do not interfere with another’s views, which might be just the opposite. What
is the fruit of such “enlightened” thinking or “feeling”? Lawlessness,
immorality, injustice and hatred, to name a few, have all increased.
It
seems as if many have sunk deeper and deeper into a cesspool of immorality that is flaunted over the airwaves of
television and in movies. Violence, sex and homosexuality are just a few of the
things that come out of
This
is all being allowed in the name of freedom that comes from having an open
society, which has become a euphemism for “anything
goes.” Many see the horror of what is being done in the name of freedom but
seem helpless to change it. Of course, there are others who see nothing wrong
with it and even embrace it. After all, they say: “What harm will it do; it
does not affect my life.” Little do they know that it affects us all!
One
might counter these statements by stating that we have laws that deal with this
sort of thing, and if it is lawful, then how can it be wrong? Well, laws are
created by imperfect men who are motivated by many reasons, including power,
greed and prestige. In many cases, it seems that they simply give society what
it demands in order to maintain their power over the people. If people demand
immorality, then they will get immorality. Thus, we have legalized abortions,
gambling and pornography. It all leads to bondage to sin and unrighteousness.
Consider
this: the world has thousands upon thousands upon thousands of laws and ordinances, and yet, they have not been able
to stave the tide of lawlessness. The fact of the matter is that the more laws
that are enacted, the more lawlessness there is. This is one of the reasons why
laws are written in the first place. Of course, there are other reasons, such
as to maintain power and control over people’s lives, and in the process enrich
the lives of the leaders and the special-interest groups that support them.
In
a related area, consider the penal
system in the
Obviously,
a discussion of this sort could go on almost endlessly since the world faces
innumerable challenges. Some might take exception to this assessment, for they
see their lives and the world differently; that is, they see all the good in
the world. Undoubtedly, there is much good in the world, along with much evil.
This we cannot deny. However, taken in total, it seems as if mankind has lost
its compass, as if it is wandering in a wilderness and cannot find its way out
to reach what it hopes is paradise. What do the lost do when they are in the
wilderness? They run to and fro searching for a way out, but they cannot find
one, and they will not find one on their own. Even their great wealth of
knowledge will not help them.
Even
the most optimistic among us will one day be faced with the reality that all is
not well and that a dramatic change must take place. The history of mankind
bears this out, for this world has undergone many dramatic changes that have
ushered in new eras. So, what is the solution? Is there truly a solution? The
answer is yes! Dramatic change is coming to this world!
Righteousness,
justice, peace and lovingkindness.
The
solution to the world wandering in a wilderness, running to and fro, will not
be discovered in more resolutions, in more technology, or even in more weaponry
to keep the nations in check. No; the solution will be discovered when the
longing of man’s heart is satisfied. This is why man is wandering to and fro;
the many are searching to satisfy a longing that perhaps they cannot even
express. But, for what does mankind long? Deep down in the heart of man, in his
spirit, what does he desire the most? I doubt that many would verbalize it this
way; but, based on the word of God, I believe that the longing of mankind is
for righteousness, justice, peace and lovingkindness.
This is what the world desperately needs.
But
is it possible for these things to overtake the world and lead us into the
paradise for which many groan, including creation itself? And if so, how will
righteousness, justice, peace and lovingkindness overtake the world? From whom
or from where will these things come? If mankind has not been able to pull off any
of this on a grand scale in its 6,000-year history, then what great change will
take place to bring it about?
There
is good news to report. Change is coming! A wonderful, marvelous change!
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing
together for joy before the LORD, for He
is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness and
the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98.8-9 NASB)
The
kingdoms of this world are about to be overtaken by a new kingdom, the
Jesus
holds many titles. He is the Son of the Most High, the Christ―the
“Anointed One,” the Holy One, the Righteous, the Son of Mankind, the Prince of
Peace, the Faithful and True, the Word of God, the Wisdom of God, the Wonderful
Counselor, the Alpha and the Omega and the Living One, to name a few. His
titles alone indicate that He will be a ruler like no other that this earth
has ever seen or will ever see. He is not a tyrant or a dictator. He is the Lover and Friend of all mankind.
Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (John 15.13 NASB)
We know love by this, that He [Jesus] laid down His life for us. (1 John 3.16 NASB
[added by writer])
These
verses alone verify that the Son of God is the
Lover and Friend of all mankind.
The
Lover and Friend of all is coming to reign over the kingdom of this world. A
day is coming when all the kingdoms of this earth and all the cities of the
nations will fall, and the restoration of all things will begin to take hold on
the earth that will lead to the return of God’s King. Then this earth will truly
experience a renascence the likes of
which it has never experienced. It will be the age (eon) of righteousness,
justice, peace and lovingkindness.
The
kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.
In
that day, all heaven will declare the glorious arrival of the King and His Kingdom
that will overtake the entire world.
And the seventh
messenger trumpets. And loud voices occurred in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of this world became our
Lord’s and His Christ’s, and He shall be reigning for the eons of the eons! Amen!” (Revelation 11.15 CV)
Heaven
will open to reveal the most marvelous and loving King that this earth will
ever know. He is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. In other
words, He is the Sovereign of this earth, even the Sovereign of the entire
universe. He is the Lord our Righteousness!
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He
who sat on it is called Faithful and
True, and in righteousness He judges
and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him
which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood,
and His name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,
were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that
with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press
of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has
a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD
OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19.11-16 NASB)
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I
will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness
in the land. In His days
His
arrival was prophesied thousands of years ago. In part, it was fulfilled over
2,000 years ago when He came to this earth and was born of a virgin. He is
called Immanuel, which means
“God with us” (Matthew 1.23).
For a
child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will
rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of
His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to
establish it and to uphold it with
justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore [lit. henceforth and
age-abiding, or eonian]. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
(Isaiah 9.6-7 NASB [REB/CV])
“In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring
forth; and He shall execute justice and
righteousness on the earth.” (Jeremiah 33.15 NASB)
A day is coming when God the Father
will give His Son the kingdom of this earth to rule all the people.
“And to Him was
given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men
of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting [lit.
age-abiding, or eonian] dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is
one which will not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7.14 NASB
[REB/CV])
“He shall be great, and Son of the Most High shall He be called. And the Lord God shall be
giving Him the throne of David, His father, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for the eons. And of His kingdom there shall be no
consummation.” (Luke 1.32-33 CV)
Under
His reign there will be no end to peace. The old Moravian version of the Bible
says in Luke 1.33: And his kingdom shall
have no frontier. We could say that the
greatness of His empire shall have no border. He will uphold His kingdom
with justice and righteousness. He will act wisely and do justice and
righteousness in the land. His lovingkindness will fill all the earth. The very
foundation of His glorious throne is righteousness and justice, for He loves
righteousness and justice.
Just
think of the glory that will come upon this earth. There will be no limits to
His righteousness, justice, peace and lovingkindness.
He loves
righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD. (Psalm
33.5 NASB)
Righteousness
and justice are the foundation of Your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before You. How blessed are the
people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your
countenance. In Your name they rejoice all the day, and by Your righteousness
they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor
our horn is exalted. (Psalm 89.14-17 NASB)
A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, and a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the
tent of David; moreover, he will seek
justice and be prompt in righteousness. (Isaiah 16.5 NASB)
Again,
who is this King? His name is Jesus and He is the Son of God. He is the Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1.29). He died for the sin of the
world and rose from the grave to bring life to all mankind.
“I am the Alpha and
the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the
Almighty.” (Revelation 1.8 NASB)
“Do not fear! I
am the First and the Last, and the Living One: and I became dead, and lo! living am I for the eons of the eons.
(Amen!) And I have the keys of death and
of the unseen.” (Revelation 1.17b-18 CV)
Can
you imagine a greater king than this one? Has the world ever had a king who is
both its Lover and Friend? Has it ever had a king who actually loves
righteousness and justice? Has the world ever had a king that willingly died to
save the world? Has the world ever had a king that has conquered sin and death
and now sits at the right hand of God the Father on high (Ephesians 1.20;
Colossians 3.1)? Has the world ever had a king whose sole purpose is to restore
all things to God, all in heaven and on earth? God’s King is the Savior of all
mankind! He is the kind and loving King of God.
The
renascence.
When
He walked this earth over 2,000 years ago, Jesus declared to His twelve disciples:
“Verily, I am saying to you that you who
follow Me, in the renascence whenever
the Son of Mankind should be seated on the throne of His glory, you also
shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Hosea
the prophet was given a tremendous view of the hope of this earth.
“In that day I will also make a covenant for them with the
beasts of the field, the birds of the sky and the creeping things of the
ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land, and will
make them lie down in safety. I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness
and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to
Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD. It will come about in that
day that I will respond,” declares the LORD. “I will respond to the heavens,
and they will respond to the earth, and the earth will respond to the grain, to
the new wine and to the oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will sow her for
Myself in the land. I will also have
compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, and I will say to those who
were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’”
(Hosea 2.18-23 NASB)
Mankind
is not destined for man’s version of hell; mankind is destined for glory. The
King is the one who will bring restoration to all things, as all the nations begin
to turn to God. Consider what the Psalmists had to say about the matter.
God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to
shine upon us–Selah. That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples
praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on
the earth. Selah. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples
praise You. The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. God
blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him. (Psalm 67.1-7 NASB)
And let all kings bow down before him, all nations serve him. For he will
deliver the needy when he cries for help, the afflicted also, and him who has
no helper. He will have compassion on the
poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save. He will rescue
their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in
his sight; so may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; and let
them pray for him continually; let them bless him all day long. May there be
abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains; its fruit will wave
like the cedars of Lebanon; and may those from the city flourish like
vegetation of the earth. May his name
endure forever; may his name increase as long as the sun shines; and let men
bless themselves by him; let all nations call him blessed. Blessed be the
LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. And blessed be His
glorious name forever; and may the whole
earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen. (Psalm 72.11-19 NASB)
All
nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and
they shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You
alone are God. (Psalm 86.9-10 NASB)
“All the earth
will worship You, and will sing praises to You; they will sing praises to Your
name.” Selah. (Psalm 66.4 NASB)
Consider
the glory of what is contained in these few verses, which encompass not only
the nations, but the whole earth. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom! Consider
this other prophecy from Isaiah.
Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain
of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and
will be raised above the hills; and all
the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come,
let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob;
that He may teach us concerning His ways
and that we may walk in His paths. For the law will go forth from
War will cease, and the
Lord will judge the nations and settle all disputes according to His law. The
nations will even desire to learn the ways of the Lord. This is in full keeping
with another word from Isaiah: For when the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn
righteousness (Isaiah
26.9 NASB).
Learning
righteousness will not be an overnight task; it will take all of the next eon
(age) of 1,000-years, which is the day of
the Lord, and then continue on a new earth in the day of God, which is an eon of unknown length, perhaps
thousands of years.
Most
alive on earth when the Lord comes at the end of our present wicked eon must
learn righteousness. Some alive on the earth will already have come into the
place of righteousness, for they will have believed in Jesus and conquered
through His life. Those who died conquering in faith and in love will be raised
from the dead in what is called the first
resurrection (Revelation 20.6), the out-resurrection
(Philippians 3.11), or the better resurrection
(Hebrews 11.35).
However,
at the end of the next eon, the
All
types of death will end in that day, and all mankind from Adam to the last
human born on earth will be made alive in Christ, for in Adam all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all
be vivified (made alive) (1 Corinthians 15.22 CV).
Every
knee and every tongue.
It
is God’s desire and will that all will bow the knee to His Son, for God wills that all mankind be saved and come
to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2.4).
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed
on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those
who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2.9-11
NASB)
Paul quoted Isaiah the prophet and added to it, as the
spirit of God led.
“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I
am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth
from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every
tongue will swear allegiance.” (Isaiah 45.22-23 NASB)
Later in Isaiah, the Lord makes it abundantly clear that
nothing will stop Him from accomplishing His purpose. He has told us the end
from the beginning and His purpose will be established. In fact, God sounds
pretty determined to accomplish what He has set out to do in and through His
Son.
“Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and
there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
things which have not been done, saying, ‘My
purpose will be established, and I will
accomplish all My good pleasure….’” (Isaiah 46.9-10 NASB)
There are multitudes on the earth today that have not
bowed the knee, and there are countless numbers in the grave that died, never having
heard of Jesus, the Son of God, and there are others who did hear but never
believed on Him. All of them must be brought into judgment for the purpose of
the restoration and reconciliation of all things. In the eons to come, they
will learn righteousness as they are taught God’s law and see the great benefit
of God’s ways, and their hearts are overwhelmed with the love of God, for God is love. When all is accomplished,
righteousness and glory will fill the earth, and love will be the order of the
day. It will take time for all this to come into fullness, but be assured that
it will come in God’s time and in God’s way, for it has been set in the concrete
of God’s will that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. In that day,
Scripture will be fulfilled.
Then comes
the end [the end of the grand and glorious eon of the eons], when He hands over the kingdom to the God
and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For
He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy
that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER
HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident
that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.
When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself
also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. (1
Corinthians 15.24-28 NASB [added by writer])
God will be All in
all. Nothing will be left out of God’s All.
All mankind will be saved into immortality
(forever beyond death), and will be brought into the glory of God, and will be bathed in the love of God.
This is the good news of the
God is
love.
I believe that in our
day, God’s purpose is grossly misunderstood, and that His very character has
been grossly misrepresented. God is love, and all that He does is based on His
love. After all, for thus God loves
the world, so that He gives His only begotten Son (John 3.16 CV). God loves and gives in the present, not just in the past. Consider
the words of John, the apostle of love.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God;
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love
does not know God, for God is love.
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only
begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is
love, not that we loved God, but that He
loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4.7-11 NASB)
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who
abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected
with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He
is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not
perfected in love. We love, because He
first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is
a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love
God whom he has not seen. And this commandment
we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his
brother also. (1 John 4.16-21 NASB)
Please take note that
love is a commandment; it is God’s greatest law.
Unfortunately,
the world at large has rejected God’s love as manifested through His Son. Why?
Some people have never heard of Him. However, many that have heard of Him have
rejected Him because they do not know Him, and the spirit of God has not opened
their ears to hear. They think He is like any other man. They think He is a
hard taskmaster who is out to seek revenge. They think His righteousness and
justice will take away their freedom and their will to do as they please. But
don’t you think that the world would be much better off being ruled
by a Friend and a Lover? Even the most hardened hearts, whether they know it or
not, deep down long to be loved.
Are
things really getting better?
The
question that the people of the world need to ask themselves is this: Is the world getting any better under the
rule of man?
World
leaders reject God’s King because they know that when He comes, He will replace
them and establish His own government on the earth. Actually, this is nothing
new, for when He came to this earth 2,000 years ago, the ones who knew who He
was rejected Him, and even demanded that He be crucified, because they did not
want to lose their power and prestige (Matthew 21.33-41). It is no different in
our day. Who among our world leaders has declared publicly that he would lay
down his crown willingly if only Jesus would come today? Who is declaring: “He
must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3.30).
Please
do not take this to mean that all leaders are the same. Some leaders are
righteous, some are not. Some are quite capable, some are not. Some are
well-meaning, trying to do what they think is right, some are not. Some are
good leaders, some are evil leaders. Some succeed in what they set out to do, some
fail. But regardless of the heart of the man, the challenges that the world
faces today are beyond any one man. Unfortunately, it appears that even the
ones that seem to be good are being drowned out by the mediocre and the
self-righteous ones.
What
is the result? Make no mistake about it; the nations are in an uproar over God
and His ways. They might not say it with their lips; however, by their actions the
leaders of the nations refuse to humble themselves and yield their power to the
Almighty God.
Why are
the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of
the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the
LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart and
cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs,
the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify
them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I
have installed My King Upon
In
the Bible, there are often stern words that make it seem as if God is so angry
and mad that He is determined to wipe man off the face of the earth. There is
some truth to this since God did wipe out all but eight of the inhabitants of
this earth in Noah’s day, but He has promised not to do that again (Genesis 9.8-17).
When
those who do not know the heart of God read words such as have been cited, they
often conclude that God is mean and vengeful just like man is. Unfortunately,
this false impression has come from within the “
Whom
do you trust?
I
believe that God has given us a prophetic word in the Bible for the people of
this earth in this dark hour right before the dawn of a new day.
“For the
LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper with them.” (Jeremiah
2.37 NASB)
Whom
do you trust in these days of shaking? Do you trust in mankind? Do you trust in
leaders that have no solutions? Do you trust in yourself? Do you trust in flesh
and blood that cannot inherit the kingdom (1 Corinthians 15.50)? The Lord God
has rejected those world leaders in whom you trust. You will not prosper with
them. Why? Because God has a much better plan; a glorious plan for this earth!
It
is time for the people of the world to know that the kingdoms of this world
have been judged and that they are about to fall and be replaced by one kingdom
that has a foundation built upon righteousness and justice. The world is about
to receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. God has declared: “I am going to shake the heavens and
the earth. I will overthrow the
thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations.”
People, do not put your trust in man;
put your trust in God!
It is not that our leaders are necessarily
bad; but, the fact of the matter is that they cannot solve the world problems
apart from God and His Son. Further, it is not about which worldview is correct:
liberalism or conservatism, socialism or capitalism, or any other ism that man has created in his own
image. It is not about who is right or wrong. It is about the Righteous One of
God.
The
nations might be in an uproar and might be fighting against God’s plan, for
they do not want to lose the grip of power that they have over others. But God
declares: “I have
installed My King Upon
It
is time to take refuge, not in man or in the leaders of men, but in God’s King.
The nations have rejected the Almighty God, the Creator and the Savior of all
mankind. It is better to trust in the
Lord than to put our confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than
to put confidences in princes (Psalm 118.8-9 NKJV).
Consider
these few facts. Europe once was the bastion of Christian faith but has become mostly
pagan in its outlook (worldview); many of the nations of
The
Today,
there is a continuing battle to maintain a separation of church and state,
which was never intended in the constitution. In fact, our founding fathers
believed that the only way to effectively govern was under God, not under man. One nation under God! Sadly, we are now
a divided nation with many gods made in the image of man, and this is being
manifested in the laws of the land.
To
show how foolish the rule of man is becoming, consider the movement to pass special
hate crime laws. According to man’s thinking, some crimes (but not all) are
committed because one hates another person because of race, religion, sexual
orientation and who knows what else. To convict someone, the judge or jury
would have to get into the mind of the person to determine his or her true
motive. Who can do this other than the spirit of God? The foolishness of this
thinking is exposed by the fact that the very foundation of all crime against others, apart from
pure accidents, is hate. The opposite of hate is love, and if we loved each
other as we ought, then there would be no crime, period! So, which crimes are
we to single out as hate crimes?
God
shakes the heavens and the earth.
As
the world continues its downward slide into immorality and lawlessness, God
Himself is holding His hand against man to frustrate his ways, so that he
cannot achieve what he desires. In other words, God is keeping the world
wandering as if in a wilderness until the time is right for His King. The Lord
does this in order to bring about the plans of His heart and to bring in the
inheritance of the rightful King of the nations (Psalm 2).
The LORD
nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation
to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom He
has chosen for His own inheritance. (Psalm 33.10-12 NASB)
Through
Haggai, a Hebrew prophet, the Lord gives us a similar word for the eon (age) in
which we live.
“I smote
you and every work of your hands with blasting winds, mildew and hail,
yet you did not come back to Me.” (Haggai 2.17 NASB)
“For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little
while, I am going to shake the
heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the
wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD of
hosts. “The silver is Mine and the gold
is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts. ‘The latter glory of this house will
be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and in this place I will
give peace,’ declares the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2.6-9 NASB)
“I am going to
shake the heavens and the earth. I
will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of
the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the
horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.”
(Haggai 2.21-22 NASB)
Many
centuries later, the same words were quoted to show that they apply to the end
of our present wicked eon or age.
And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has
promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I
WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.” This expression,
“Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as
of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom
which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God
an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.
(Hebrews 12.26-29 NASB)
Obviously,
there is much that could and should be said about these verses, but the point
is this: God Himself holds back mankind, even smites it as needed to bring the
nations to the end of themselves. He alone shakes the heavens and the earth to
bring about His purpose. The nations cannot achieve the end that they long for
without God, and ultimately God will block every attempt on their part to do
so, as the nations shake their fist at God in defiance of His perfect will.
He
purposely frustrates the action of the nations, allows them to be blinded, and
brings on judgment to accomplish His purpose and plan. After all, God is the
Sovereign and Supreme of His universe.
As
an aside, it appears that all this shaking is giving many Americans a headache.
A recent article in our local newspaper was titled: Americans’ painkiller use is up sharply. Analysis shows that sales of
five major pain medications increased 90 percent from 1997-2005. God’s remedy
is His Son, and until this once great nation and all the nations of the world
repent and cry out to God, there will be more judgments. Rather than turn to
drugs, our country needs to turn back to Jesus!
Who
do you think allowed the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attack to happen?
9/11
was a mighty declaration that the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ is
coming. During February, 1995, as I was seeking the Lord, I heard:
“When the structures crumble, testify of My kingdom.” During the months
that preceded 9/11, I began to be exercised over what might be coming, perhaps
even a catastrophic event. I was not alone in this sensing, for I have read of
others that had the same sensing in that period. On September 11, 2001, I
watched television and in real-time saw the two structures crumbling down to
the earth.
Two is the number of witness. The two fallen towers were a witness of
God’s judgment and the coming of His kingdom.
Since
that day in 2001, I have been testifying of the
Nothing
happens in God’s creation apart from His will. So why would He allow such evil
to occur? He would allow it to bring people to the point of repentance. It is
His way of getting our attention and giving us a chance to turn from our ways
and humble ourselves before the Almighty God; otherwise, He will bring more
chastening upon us until our hearts are turned to Him and seek Him for the
answers. But who has turned? What nations have truly turned back to God? Has
the
As
I write this chapter, the earth and the world system (kosmos) is undergoing more shaking. We have seen bridges collapse
from Minneapolis to China; the US Stock Market fall 1,000 points in less than
one month and shaking all the world financial markets; weather extremes across
the globe that go from drought and extreme temperatures to torrential rains
and major flooding; an 8.0 earthquake in Peru that killed hundreds; half the land
of the nation of Greece ravaged by smoke and fire; and two major hurricanes
hitting central America simultaneously.
Surely,
these are shakings, which cause the many to live in fear and uncertainty of
what will come next. From the Lord’s perspective, the purpose of shaking is to
cause mankind to wake up and to look up. No one will ever be able to accuse the
Lord of not warning of His coming judgment. It seems to me that He allows
pauses in between major events to give the inhabitants of the world time to
consider their ways; but the day will come when the time is up, and God’s appointed
time for judgment of mystery
Until
that glorious day, it is clear that the unbelieving world has been blinded by
the god of this age.
But even if our Gospel has been hidden, it has been hidden
among the ones perishing, among whom the
god of this age blinded the minds of the unbelieving, in order for the
illumination of the Gospel of the glory of Christ not to shine on them, who is
the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4.3-4 ALT)
The world has been fed a
lie that says if it allows God to rule in the affairs of state, then the people
will lose their freedom to do what they want. After all, in their thinking, God
is a hard taskmaster and will deny them all the good they desire. In other
words, the Creator of the entire universe does not know how to take care of
mankind that He loves and was created to be in His image. Oh, the foolishness
of man’s wisdom. Ask yourself: Has man
done such a good job on his own without God? Think about it!
Some
world leaders also believe the lie that if they relinquish any of their
so-called power to God, then they will not be able to control the people. But
they fail to recognize that God rules in the kingdom of men (Daniel 4.17),
whether they know it or not. God alone has placed them in their position of
authority, and they serve at the discretion of God. In their ignorance and
arrogance, they are like Nebuchadnezzar, the great Babylonian king, who failed
to acknowledge that the heavens do rule (Daniel 4.26), and as such, God rules
in the kingdom of men. God is the supreme power of the universe, and all leaders
are delegated their authority by God (Daniel 4.25, 32; Romans 13.1). No leader
among men has absolute power, only God does.
“At one moment I
might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull
down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from
its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at
another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to
build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice,
then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.”
(Jeremiah 18.7-10 NASB)
Also,
leaders have bought into the lie that to have God in government will offend
those who do not believe in God. According to their thinking, they have to make
room for all types of faiths and all gods because this is what makes a society
free. After all, the enlightened thinking of man declares that there are no
absolutes when it comes to faith. This too is a lie. It is a pathway to bondage
and failure.
Because
of all this and more, the nations of the world are wandering in a godless and
lawless wilderness, which leads to another point that many do not want to hear,
including many Christians; it has to do with the law of God.
The
nations of the world have rejected God and His Son, and have rejected His
divine moral law, which is all about
righteousness, justice, peace and lovingkindness. Living apart from God’s
standard, the world is godless and lawless, and becoming increasingly
loveless. The result is unrighteousness and injustice, on account of which the
whole world is groaning under the weight of its sin, which is lawlessness. When
there is lawlessness, love becomes cold, and there is no peace. It is a vicious
cycle from which there is only one way out, and that is God’s way.
If
all followed God’s command to love, then there would be no crime, period. If
all followed God’s Ten Commandments, then there would be no crime, for the
royal law of love, which is the law of liberty, sums up all the commandments.
Saved
by grace through faith.
Before
proceeding into this part of the discussion, I must emphasize that we are saved
by grace through faith; we are not saved by the works of the law. We are saved
by the grace of God through faith and not on the basis of works (Ephesians
2.8-9). No man is justified by the works of the law (Romans 3.20); we are justified
by His grace apart from the works of the law (Romans 3.24, 28; Galatians 2.16).
This is important as we consider the place that the law has in the fulfillment
of God’s purpose and plan.
God’s
law.
When
God’s King takes the reign over this earth, how do you think righteousness,
justice, peace and lovingkindness will come about? Will this just happen? Will
people’s hearts change in an instant? Hardly! We need to keep in mind that most
on earth in the next eon will be mortal; meaning, they will continue to have
bodies of flesh and blood that are subject to death and sin.
The
nations must learn these things and be governed accordingly. But how will this
be done? What will lead to true righteousness, justice, peace and lovingkindness?
How will anyone know right from wrong, good from bad? How will anyone know what
righteousness is without some standard by which to judge? How will justice be
identified without some standard?
The
answer is discovered in the law of God, which is God’s standard that defines
righteousness and justice. The exercise of righteousness and justice will
determine whether there will be lasting peace. Love is what binds it all
together, for this is the very foundation of God’s divine law. In fact, love
sums up all the law of God (Romans 13.10). Who are we to question the standard
set for us by our Creator? Does not the Potter have the right over His clay
pots? Do we have the right to question His wisdom? After all, we are merely the
created, not the Creator. See Romans 9.14-26.
The
Bible says that sin is lawlessness (1
John 3.4). The opposite of lawlessness is obedience to the law; therefore, if
we want to know what sin looks like we must know the law of God. Some might ask
what the law of God is. Well, the first place to look is to the Ten
Commandments given to Moses at
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the
smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others
to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever
keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5.17-19 NASB)
Notice that the law will continue until the heavens and
earth pass away. If He meant the heavens and the earth of our day, then this
means the law will end after the next eon comes to a close and God’s day (2 Peter 3.12) is ushered in.
And yet, we know that there will be a new heaven and earth, which would mean
that the law might never pass away. After all, God will write His law on
hearts.
When He comes to this earth to reign as King, Jesus’
mission will be to rule according to the law of God until all is accomplished
that His Father has given Him to do. This is what it means when the word of God
says that He will rule with a rod of iron. He will execute the law of God
impartially, for God does not show favoritism (Acts 10.34; 1 Peter 1.17).
Love, the greatest!
While
He walked on this earth the first time, Jesus spoke many things. As the day of
the cross neared and He had to depart this world through death and resurrection
from among the dead, Jesus commanded His disciples.
And He said to him, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL
YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This
is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew
22.37-40 NASB)
Love
is the ultimate law of God, for it is the foundation of the Law and the Prophets.
Everything will be judged by how much love was manifested. All mankind will be
judged by their works of love or their works that lacked love.
Because
of its relationship to all God’s law, love grows cold and ceases among
lawbreakers; they become lawless. When there is lawlessness (i.e., one acts
apart from God’s law), there is no love.
What
is a sign that lawlessness is taking hold? Governments have to issue more laws
to deal with the lawlessness. What do we see happening in the world today? More
and more laws are being enacted every year. Is God’s law being ignored in our
day? You bet! How can we expect people to obey God’s law if they ignore man’s
law? This should be a warning to us.
Many false prophets will rise up and lead multitudes
astray; and because of the prevalent
disregard of God’s law the love of the great majority will grow cold;
but those who stand firm to the End shall be saved. (Matthew 24.11-13 WNT)
This
particular translation truly captures the heart of the matter. A rampant
disregard of God’s law leads to the loss of love. When we meet someone who
seems to lack love, we call such a person coldhearted.
Their love has grown cold; it is rigid and they are lacking warmth. It is
tantamount to being dead!
So
the law of God and love are inseparable. Break the law (i.e., become lawless),
then love grows cold and dies. Become loveless (i.e., not laying down one’s
life for another’s life), then you are breaking God’s law, and you are a
lawbreaker (i.e., a lawless one).
James
called the commandment to love the royal law.
If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,”
you are doing well. (James 2.8 NASB)
The Greek word for royal
is basilikos, which means “belonging
to (or befitting) the sovereign; the king’s.” This law belongs to the King, the
Sovereign of all. The Greek word for love
is agapaō, which is the verb
form of the love that is attributed to God. We are commanded to love our
neighbors unconditionally as we love ourselves unconditionally. Love is the fulfillment of the law
(Romans 13.10).
Jesus
Himself has given us the commandment to love.
“If you love Me,
you will keep My commandments.”
(John 14.15 NASB)
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father
will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My
words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent
Me.” (John 14.23-24 NASB)
“This is My
commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater
love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John
15.12-13 NASB)
Consider
Jesus’ progression of thought. First, He tells His disciples to keep His
commandments out of love for Him. Then, He defines His commandments as His
word. Those who keep His word (commandments, laws) will be loved by the Father.
So now we have a reciprocal love. Love
Me, keep My word and My Father will love you in turn. Finally, love itself
is the commandment of Jesus to His disciples. His commandment to us is to love
one another as He has loved us.
In his first epistle,
John, the apostle of love, wrote: This is His commandment, that we believe
in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and
love one another, just as He commanded us (1 John 3.23 NASB).
The problem today is that most of the world does not
believe in Jesus Christ as God’s Son. However, faith (trust in the Son) and love (love of the Son) go hand-in-hand.
Only in Jesus will mankind truly know how to love and fulfill this command. Without
Jesus the law becomes merely a set of do’s and don’ts; however, this is not the
intent of the law. Its intent is to lead the lawless to Christ, for in Christ
the law of God becomes a matter of life and intuitively knowing the good to do
out of sacrificial, unconditional love. There is no life in do’s and don’ts.
Life is in love, for love knows what to do without hesitation or comparison or
compromise!
The law of God is not legalism; it is
liberty. It does not mean that mankind
must perform animal sacrifices, circumcision and other physical rites as
ordained under the old covenant. The law must be applied in the light of the
new covenant. For those who have received the life of Christ and the spirit of
God, the law is meant to be applied spiritually, spiritual to spiritual.
God has promised that under His new covenant, He will put His laws into minds
and will write them on hearts (Hebrews 8.10), and this He does by His spirit.
With
spiritual sight, we see that there is no need for animal sacrifices year after
year because the body of Jesus Christ has been offered once for all (Hebrews
10.10). He is the sacrifice for sin. There is no need for circumcision of the
flesh, for under the new covenant we need a circumcision of the heart (Romans
2.29). There is no longer an elite class of priests that enter the holy of
holies once a year, for today there is a new priesthood, the body of
believers, who have a hope that enters within the veil (Hebrews 6.19). Further,
God’s moral law has not been done away with but has been taken to greater
heights (e.g., Matthew 5.20; 21-22; 27-29; 44). The foundation of the Ten Commandments and all the law is love; it is no longer an eye for an
eye, a tooth for a tooth, for the command is to love your enemies and lay down
your life for one another (Matthew 5.38-48; 1 John 3.16).
Learn
righteousness.
Today, the nations do not
know God’s law in this way. When God’s King comes to reign over this earth, the
nations will not have spiritual discernment. They will have to learn
righteousness. Isaiah the prophet declared: For when the earth experiences Your judgments the inhabitants of
the world learn righteousness (Isaiah
26.9 NASB). In other words, during the reign of God’s Son, the
earth will be brought into the judgment of God, which is not for punishment or
total annihilation but for correction, and through correction they will learn
righteousness.
Today,
if the nations of the earth all joined together with one purpose to know the
law of God and to administer it faithfully and impartially, then this earth
would become a true paradise for mankind. There would no longer be disease.
There would be plenty of food. No one would have to worry about what they wear.
There would no longer be wars or any conflicts among nations, tribes or
ethnics. The land would bear much fruit, for rain would come in due season.
Even the animals would be at peace with mankind.
How
do we know this is true? Well, the Bible gives us some indication when the Lord
instructed the ancient nation of
“If you walk in My
statutes and keep My commandments [law] so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their
season, so that the land will yield its produce
and the trees of the field will bear
their fruit. Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape
gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat
your food to the full and live
securely in your land. I shall also grant peace in the land, so that
you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from
the land, and no sword will pass through your land.” (Leviticus 26.3-6 NASB [added by writer])
If
they did not walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, then these things
would not happen, and they would experience just the opposite. God promised the
ancients that by keeping the law of God they would have life.
But
we are given a much greater example in a righteous man that lived nearly 4,000
years ago. God appeared to him when he was in his home land and told him to leave
and go to a land that He would show him (Acts 7.2). The man is Abraham, the
father of a multitude of nations, and often called the father of faith because
he believed God. Consider the promises made by the Lord to Abram, later called
Abraham.
The LORD said to Abram, after
And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the
heavens, and count the stars, if you are
able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Then
he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
(Genesis 15.5-6 NASB)
“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of
nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be
Abraham; for I have made you the father
of a multitude of nations. I will
make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will
come forth from you.” (Genesis 17.4-6 NASB)
Abraham believed God, and God promised that he would be
exceedingly fruitful. Many nations and kings would come forth through his line.
With this promise, the Lord revealed something else that had to do with
righteousness and justice.
The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about
to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be
blessed? For I have chosen him, so
that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of
the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD
may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” (Genesis 18.17-19 NASB)
Notice how the Lord intended to bring about all that He
promised. Abraham was chosen to command his children and those after them to
keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice. This is how the
nations will be blessed. This is God’s unchanging law. Righteousness and
justice are the way of the Lord.
Thus says the LORD, “Preserve
justice and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come and My righteousness to be revealed.”
(Isaiah 56.1 NASB)
When the Lord’s righteousness is revealed, the inhabitants
of the earth will learn righteousness through the law of God, the very law that
the nations have refused to accept and which many of God’s own people have
rejected. Again, to reign over the earth, the King must have some standard by
which to rule and judge.
The
eonian gospel.
This
leads to a word that is given to us through John in The Unveiling [Revelation] of Jesus Christ. It is the eonian evangel or gospel, which means
“good news.” As our present eon comes to a close, and the kingdom begins to
descend upon this earth, the judgment of God will be brought to bear on the
inhabitants of the earth.
John
recorded that an angel will fly in the mid-heaven of this earth to proclaim the
good news for the eon to come, which sets the stage for the eons of the eons.
Most translations refer to it as an eternal
gospel, but this is not the proper translation of the Greek word aiōnion. It is the good news of the
eonian
And I perceived another messenger flying in
mid-heaven, having an eonian evangel to
bring to those situated on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and
language and people, saying with a loud voice, “Be ye afraid of God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judging
came; and worship the Maker of heaven and the land and the sea and the springs
of water.” (Revelation 14.6-7 CV)
Many
people view the Revelation from the
perspective of all the
What
is the purpose of the
Please
hear this: God’s judgment of the nations is a good thing. It is not for the
purpose of destruction but of restoration, leading all the nations into
righteousness and justice. Then, and only then, will the nations be at peace
and know true joy and blessing; only then will they begin to know the love of
God in Christ.
For when
the earth experiences Your judgments the inhabitants of the world learn
righteousness. (Isaiah 26.9 NASB)
God be
gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us―Selah.
That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let
the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations
be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and
guide the nations on the earth. Selah. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let
all the peoples praise You. The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God,
blesses us. God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him. (Psalm
67.1-7 NASB)
Sing to
the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless
His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His
glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great
is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For
all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor
and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Ascribe
to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and
strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; bring an offering and come
into His courts. Worship the LORD in holy attire; tremble before Him, all the
earth. Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns; indeed, the world is firmly
established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.” Let
the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it
contains; let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the
forest will sing for joy before the LORD, for He is coming, for He is coming
to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in
His faithfulness. (Psalm 96.1-13 NASB)
O sing to
the LORD a new song, for He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His
holy arm have gained the victory for Him. The LORD has made known His
salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He
has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of
Shout
joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come before
Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has
made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to
Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and
His faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100.1-5 NASB)
This
is the good news of the
Truly, the acclamation will go forth
that the Lord reigns. He is seated upon His throne, and all is well. Even the
trees will sing for joy before the Lord. What does this mean? Will they
literally sing? Perhaps not, but they most assuredly will be in harmony with
their Creator in such a way that it will be a joy for mankind to walk amongst
all that the Son has created. Can you imagine what it will be like for the
inhabitants of the earth to experience the joy of the Lord every place they
travel on earth? All creation will rejoice, and this comes about through the
Oh, it is time for those who are
called to be ambassadors of Christ who have the word of the conciliation in them (2 Corinthians 5.19 CV) to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom. The message
that many are proclaiming in our day is mixed with leaven, the leaven of
Pentecostal bread. God is presented as mean and vengeful, who is set on
destroying billions of people created to be in His image. There is no such
concept found in the Psalms quoted above. God’s judgment will lead the nations
to praise God; to thank Him for His uprightness and His guidance of the
nations.
The nations will be overwhelmed with joy
and praise as they behold even the earth praising God through its abundant
yield. Today,
Dear brethren in Christ, do you have the word of the conciliation written on your heart? Are you a
peacemaker? Are you a lover? Are you a forgiver?
Psalm 67 is both historical and prophetical, for it points
to the transfiguration of the conquerors in Christ who will take the gospel of
the kingdom to the nations during the Tabernacles Age. Psalm 67.1 refers to the
day Moses appeared in the presence of the Lord and the skin of his face shone
(Exodus 34.29-35). He then commanded the people to work six days and rest the seventh
day. When Moses was first called into the presence of the Lord, the glory had
rested on
In like fashion, as He was approaching the cross, after
six days, presumably on the seventh day, Jesus took three of His closest
disciples up on a high mountain and in their presence, along with Moses and
Elijah, was transfigured in their sight; His face shone like the sun (Matthew
17.1-8). It was a picture of the Son of Mankind in His glorified body as He
comes in His kingdom of glory.
This is also a picture of the conquerors of Christ, who
will be transfigured into the body of His glory, as our present eon comes to a
close and the Tabernacles Age comes to this earth. They are the ones who have
beheld the face of Jesus and have been transformed into His image from glory to
glory (2 Corinthians 3.17-18). One day soon, the treasure of glory hidden in
their earthen vessels will burst through as it did with Jesus on the mountain
on the seventh day; so will the conquerors shine forth on the seventh day, the
day of the
What am I to do?
At
this point, I hope that the question on your heart is: What am I to do? People
of the world, it is time to bow the knee to God’s King, Jesus, the Son of God.
It is time to believe on God’s Son.
To
conclude, it is needful to share a little of the good news for the sinner. By
the way, we are all sinners in need of a Savior. No one of mankind is excluded.
It matters not how we view the magnitude of our sinful nature. There is no sin
that we have committed that is outside the forgiveness of God. Take heart; God
is the Savior of all mankind and He wills
that all be saved (1 Timothy
2.4; 4.10).
Paul,
the apostle of the nations, was used mightily by God, and we in our day receive
the benefit of what this dear brother in Christ endured in order to bring us
the whole counsel of God (Acts 20.27). Consider Paul’s testimony.
For I am the least
of the apostles, and not fit to be
called an apostle, because I
persecuted the
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me,
because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and
a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in
unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was
more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for
this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might
demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in
Him for eternal [lit. eonian] life. (1 Timothy 1.12-16 NASB [added by writer])
Paul
was pretty critical of his former life, but he knew the grace of God that
operated in his life to save sinners.
Justified
by His blood, saved by His grace.
Now,
Paul became equipped to expound on the good news for all sinners. In the
following verses, he outlines what a sinner must know.
Much rather, then, being now justified in His blood, we shall be saved from indignation, through Him. For if, being enemies,
we were conciliated to God
through the death of His Son, much rather, being conciliated, we shall be saved in His life. Yet not only
so, but we are glorying also in God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through
Whom we now obtained the conciliation.
(Romans 5.9-11 CV)
The
shed blood of Jesus justifies us sinners. Justify
means to make just or to declare righteous in the sight of God. A sinner has
no righteousness that is acceptable to God, but Jesus paid the price for our
sin and satisfied the just demand of God that we might become the righteousness
of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5.21).
We
need to be very clear that justification is not based on any work that we can
do to overcome our sins. Another,
Jesus, has done the work. We are saved by grace through faith. We are not saved
through any works that we do, by our own righteousness, or by any laws of God,
or of man (Romans 3.20, 28).
For by grace you
have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift
of God; not as a result of works, so
that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2.8-9 NASB)
The
faith that we receive by the grace of God means we believe that…
Christ [that is
Jesus, the son of God] died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that
He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared
to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred
brethren at one time…. (1 Corinthians 15.3-6 NASB [added
by writer])
Believe
that God’s Son died for your sins, was buried, was raised from the dead and
then appeared to many as proof that He lives. He is not dead in a grave. He
rose from the grave and then ascended on high. This too was witnessed by many.
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him
out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He
was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said,
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in
just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1.9-11 NASB)
Note
that He is coming back in the same manner, only this time He will come to reign
as King over this earth. There is more good news.
God has conciliated the world to Himself.
In Romans 5.9-11, quoted
previously, Paul referred to being conciliated to God, something that he also
brought to the attention of the Corinthians.
Yet all is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself
through Christ, and is giving us the
dispensation of the conciliation, how that God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not
reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of the
conciliation. (2 Corinthians 5.18-19 CV)
Listening to some preachers
one would conclude that God is mad at mankind. But what if you were told that
this is not true, but that He is at peace with all? Would this not change your
view of God? Well, be of good cheer, for it is true. God is love, and His love
reaches out to us to come into peace with Him.
Once justified by faith,
we need to come into peace with God, to be conciliated. The words conciliate and conciliation are probably foreign to most people. Seldom do we hear
them used in common conversation; but they are vital words in understanding
what God has done through His Son. Conciliate means “to win over;
soothe the anger of; make friendly; placate” and “to gain by friendly acts.” When
two parties are at war with each, they are enemies. If one party makes peace
with the other, then there is conciliation.
This is what God has done. There was enmity between God and mankind; but God
has made peace with mankind at the cross of
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. (Romans 5.8 NASB)
In other words, man is
no longer God’s enemy because enmity has been removed through His Son dying on
the cross. It is as if God Himself waved the white flag of peace. Through
Christ, the entire world, which means all mankind, has been conciliated to God,
and God is not counting their offenses against them. Do you grasp the greatness
of these words? He is not counting your offenses against you!
Even in our day, God is
reaching out to mankind with a peace offer, as if to say: “Believe in My Son,
be saved by grace and then accept the peace that I offer, and come into peace
with Me.”
For if, being
enemies, we were conciliated to God
through the death of His Son, much rather, being conciliated, we shall be saved in His life. (Romans 5.10 CV)
When we come into peace
with God, then we are reconciled to God. The word reconciled means that
both parties are in harmony and at peace with one another. Each party has to
make peace (conciliate) with the other.
And you, being once estranged and enemies in
comprehension, by wicked acts, yet
now He reconciles by His body of flesh, through His death, to
present you holy and flawless and unimpeachable in His sight…. (Colossians
1.21-22 CV)
This is truly good news
for all. We are saved by grace, not by works, and we are brought into a
relationship of peace with God. We are no longer separated from God, and we are
no longer enemies of God.
Unfortunately, one can
believe in Jesus but not be at peace with God. Are you at peace with God? He is
a loving Father, and He beckons all to be at peace with Him. Be
conciliated to God! Do not delay!
Now, what does it mean
to be saved? Many people use this word very indiscriminately. We must be saved
from something to be delivered into something, but what is the saving and the
delivering about? Some will say it is about being saved from hell, supposedly a
place of torture for the dead, and being delivered into heaven in death. This is not according to
Scripture; it is according to man.
Immortality
and glorification.
First,
we need to realize that when Adam sinned death passed through into all mankind, on
which all sinned (Romans 5.12 CV). In other
words, we all inherited death from Adam; we became mortal and death became our
enemy. Mortal means we die a physical
death. Death is not life in some other realm. The dead know nothing whatsoever
(Ecclesiastes 9.5)!
Further, sin reigns in
death, so because we are mortal we also sin. According to God’s law, the
wages of sin is death (Romans
6.23). We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3.23), and there
is no way for us to escape from this death sentence on our own. The indignation
or wrath of God refers to God’s death sentence for sin.
Second,
once we believe and put our trust in Jesus, this death sentence is lifted from
us. We are saved from having to pay the wages of sin, for Jesus paid it all.
Third,
we will still die, for we live in mortal bodies. This cannot be reversed. Jesus
alone has immortality (1 Timothy 6.16), which means that He is the only
one beyond the power of death at this point in time. However, just as Jesus was
resurrected from among the dead and moved beyond death forevermore, so will
those who have put their trust in Him. Though they might die a physical death
in these bodies of death, they will be resurrected one day and become immortal in glorified bodies like the body of
His glory.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we
eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity
with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even
to subject all things to Himself. (Philippians 3.20-21 NASB)
The good news is that
God has willed that we all are to be saved out of death and delivered into
immortality to live in glorified bodies. The One who will subject all things to
Himself, so that God may be All in all is the same One who will raise all
mankind from death, not all at the same
time, but each according to their own class. This is the hope of the gospel
and the hope of all mankind. It is truly good news. The death sentence for all
mankind brought on by the first Adam has been replaced with “the life sentence”
for all mankind brought on by the last Adam.
For believers in Jesus who
have conquered through His love, there is even more good news, for they will
join Jesus as He heads up or gathers up all things in the heavens and on the earth
in the eons to come (Ephesians 1.10). They not only will have immortal life, but they also will have eonian life, life in the coming eons.
They will be the complement of Christ; the One who has been given all authority
in heaven and on earth in order to complete or bring about the purpose of the eons, the All in all; all in love and all in God.
Dear beloved in Christ
and all who are seeking for that deep longing to be satisfied, we need to be
conquerors through love, forgiveness and obedience. This will yield an abundant
entrance into the
Finally, when our eyes
are opened to the good news of justification, reconciliation, immortality and
glorification, and this is joined with the good news of the coming of the
Kingdom of the Son of God’s love―the
Kingdom of Righteousness, Justice, Peace and Lovingkindness―we must
realize that we are called to bring the good news of the Kingdom to the nations
of the world, so that the Kingdom can come to this earth. We must agree with
our Lord Jesus Christ.
This gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in the
whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
(Matthew 24.14 NASB)