The Kingdom Of God
....What does it mean to you?
Is it the CHURCH? Is it something "set up in the hearts of men?" Is it the
British Empire? Is it "the Good within you?" Is it "the Millennium'!" Each
of these is widely taught -- yet none is right! The shocking TRUTH is here
made PLAIN!
WHY cannot the churches agree on what is the GOSPEL? Jesus Christ came
preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Yet few preach about the Kingdom
of God today, for they have lost all knowledge of what it is!
A prominent evangelist said to a world-wide radio audience that the
Gospel of the Kingdom of God is not for us today. Some denominations
proclaim a "Gospel of Grace," some what they call a "Gospel of Salvation;"
some a gospel about Christ; some a social gospel, some the "Science of Mind"
or "Religious Science."
Not One is Right!
Some churches claim either that their particular denomination, or
"Christianity" as a whole, constitutes the Kingdom of God.
Not one is right! Could anything seem more incredible? Yes, to the
mind reared in this world's concepts, one thing is, indeed, still more
incredible! And that is the PLAIN TRUTH about what the Kingdom of God
really is!
This truth is not merely surprising--it is shocking- staggering! Yet it
is truly GOOD NEWS-the most glorious GOOD NEWS ever to enter human
consciousness!
CHRIST'S Gospel
What is the one and only Gospel of Jesus Christ? THE WORLD DOES NOT KNOW!
It has not been preached for 18 1/2 centuries, strange as that may seem.
Look into your BIBLE. Look at it from the very beginning!
"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ" you'll read in Mark 1:1.
"Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the GOSPEL, OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and saying, the time is fulfilled, and
the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel" (Mark
1:14-15).
It is necessary to belief that GOSPEL, to be saved! And how can you
believe it, unless you know what it is?
Jesus went everywhere preaching the GOOD NEWS of the KINGDOM OF GOD. He
sent out seventy men preaching, and commanded them to preach THE KINGDOM OF
GOD (Luke 10:9). He sent the Apostles, on whom the Church of God was founded,
to preach only THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Luke 9: 1-2).
Isn't it amazing that the world has LOST the knowledge of what it is?
The Apostle Paul preached THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Acts 19:8; 20:25, 28:23, 31).
And God Almighty, through Paul, pronounced a double curse on man or angel
that would DARE preach any other Gospel! (Gal. 1:8-9.)
WHY, then, do so many DARE to preach so many other gospels? The good
news of THE KINGDOM OF GOD is something you must understand, and BELIEVE, in
order to be saved! Jesus Christ said so! YOU had better be finding out what
it is!
Daniel Knew!
Haven't you heard men speak of the Kingdom of God something like this: "By
Christians everywhere working together to bring about world peace, tolerance
and brotherly love, the Kingdom of God may at last be established in the
hearts of men."
Because they rejected Christ's Gospel 1900 years ago, the world had to
supplant something else in its place. They had to invent a counterfeit! So
we have heard the Kingdom of God spoken of as merely a pretty platitude--a
nice sentiment in human hearts- reducing it to an ethereal, unreal NOTHING!
Others have misrepresented that the "CHURCH" is the Kingdom. Others confuse
it with a "millennium." Still others have, in our century, claimed the
British Empire is the Kingdom of God, HOW DECEIVED CAN THIS WORLD GET?
The prophet Daniel, who lived 600 years before Christ, knew that the
Kingdom of God was a real kingdom--a government ruling over literal PEOPLE
on the earth.
Jesus Christ brought additional knowledge about it, which the prophet
Daniel might not have known. Still, Daniel knew there was going to be a real,
literal Kingdom of God on the earth.
Daniel was one of four extraordinary, intelligent and brilliant Jewish
lads in the Judean captivity. These four men were stationed in the palace
of King Nebuchadnezzar of the Chaldean Empire, in training for special
responsibilities in the Babylonian government. Daniel was a prophet who had
been given special understanding in visions and dreams (Dan. 1:17)
Nebuchadnezzar was the first real world ruler. He had conquered a vast
Empire, including the nation Judah. This king had a dream so impressive it
troubled him--moved him to tremendous concern. He demanded that his magicians,
astrologers, and sorcerers tell him both what he had dreamed, and what it
meant. They could not. They were baffled. Then Daniel was brought before the
King.
Daniel disclaimed any more human ability to interpret dreams than the
Chaldean magicians, "BUT," he said, "there is a GOD in heaven that revealeth
secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the
latter days" (Dan. 2:28).
First, God's purpose was to reveal to this world-ruling human king that
there is a GOD in heaven-that GOD IS SUPREME RULER over all nations,
governments, and kings--that God RULES THE UNIVERSE! This Chaldean king knew
only about the many pagan demon gods. He knew nothing of the true living
ALMIGHTY God. Like people and rulers, even today, he did not know that GOD is
the living, REAL, active, RULING and GOVERNING PERSONAGE who actually and
literally governs not only what is on earth, but the UNIVERSE ENTIRELY!
The whole purpose of this DREAM was to reveal GOD'S GOVERNMENT--the fact
that God RULES--the truth of THE KINGDOM OF GOD - the very thing that is the
one and only true GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST! And, secondly, to reveal-preserved
in writing for us TODAY--what is to happen "in the latter days."
For US, Today!
This is no dry, dull, dead writing for a people of 2500 years ago. This is
LIVING, TREMENDOUS BIG NEWS for OUR DAY! It is advance news for us, NOW. News
before it happens--of the most colossal event of all earth's history certain
to occur in your lifetime--during the very next few years!
This is THE TRUE GOSPEL! It is the very Gospel Christ preached! It is
intended for you and me TODAY! It is vital that you UNDERSTAND!
Read, in your own Bible, verses 28 through 35. In his dream, this king
had seen a vast statue--larger than any image or statue ever built by man--
so tremendous it was terrifying, even in a dream. Its head was of fine gold,
its breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, legs of solid
iron, feet a mixture of iron and clay.
There was a time element. Nebuchadnezzar had viewed it until a
supernatural STONE came from heaven, smashing the statue on its feet. Then
the whole of the statue broke into small pieces, and was actually blown away
by the wind--it disappeared! Then this STONE expanded miraculously and
quickly became a great MOUNTAIN--so great it filled the whole earth!
What did it mean? Did it have meaning? Yes, because this was God's doing.
Unlike ordinary dreams, this one was caused by God to convey the message of
God's sovereignty to Nebuchadnerzar- and, because it is part of the written
Word of God, to us today--to reveal important facts of the TRUE GOSPEL!
"This is the dream," said Daniel (verse 36), "and we will tell the
interpretation thereof before the king."
This, then is GOD'S interpretation. Men ought never to interpret the
Bible. The Bible gives us GOD' S OWN INTERPRETATION! Here it is:
"Thou, O king, art a king of kings:"--he was the first real WORLD RULER
over a world empire! "... for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom,
power, and strength, and glory." God was revealing Himself to this human
world-dictator as the MOST HIGH Ruler over all.
People today, like this Chaldean king, seem not to think of God as a
RULER--as the Supreme One who GOVERNS--as the Head of GOVERNMENT. The Eternal
was revealing Himself through Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar-and through the Bible
to you and to me TODAY--as a SOVEREIGN, ALL POWERFUL, GOVERNING GOD who is
to be obeyed!
"Thou." continued Daniel to this human emperor, "art this head of gold.
And after thee shall arise another KINGDOM inferior to thee, and another
third KINGDOM of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth' (Verses
37-39).
What IS a Kingdom?
Notice! This is speaking of KINGDOMS. It is referring to kingdoms that bear
rule over the people on earth. It is speaking of GOVERNMENT! It is not
speaking of ethereal sentiments "set up in the hearts of men." It is not
speaking of churches. It is speaking of the kind of GOVERNMENTS that bear
RULE and AUTHORITY over nations of PEOPLE here on earth. It is literal. It is
specific. There is no misunderstanding, here, as to what is meant by the word
"KINGDOM."
There is no misunderstanding the interpretation. GOD gives His own
interpretation through the prophet Daniel. The great metallic image
represented national and international GOVERNMENTS--real, literal KINGDOMS.
It represented a succession of world-ruling governments. First was the
head of gold. That represented Nebuchadnezzar and his Kingdom- Chaldean
Empire. After him--later, in time sequence-was to come a second, then a third
KINGDOM "which shall bear RULE over all the earth"-world Empire!
Then, verse 40, the legs of iron represent a fourth world-Empire. It was
to be strong, even as iron is strong--stronger militarily than its predecessors.
Yet, as silver is less valuable than gold, brass than silver, iron than
brass, though each metal was harder and stronger, the succession would
deteriorate morally and spiritually. The two legs meant the fourth Empire
would be divided.
After the Chaldean Empire came the still larger Persian Empire, then the
Greco-Macedonian, and Fourth, the Roman Empire. It was divided, with capitals
at Rome and Constantinople.
Now--verse 44! Read it! Get your Bible. See it with your own eyes in your
own Bible. Here, in PLAIN LANGUAGE, is God's explanation of what the KINGDOM
OF GOD IS:
"And in the days of these kings,..." it is here speaking of the ten toes,
part of iron and part of brittle clay. This, by connecting the prophecy with
Daniel 7, and Revelation 13 and 17, is referring to the new UNITED STATES OF
EUROPE, which is now forming, out of the European Common Market, before your
very eyes! Revelation 17:12 makes plain the detail that it shall be a union
of TEN KINGS OR KINGDOMS which (Rev. 17:8) shall resurrect the old ROMAN
EMPIRE.
So, mark carefully the time element! "In the days of these kings"--in the
days of these ten nations or group of nations that shall, within the decade,
NOW, IN OUR TIME, resurrect briefly the Roman Empire--notice what shall
happen:
"...shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be
destroyed... but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and
it shall stand forever!"
Yes, in OUR TIME!
Now here we have described FOUR universal world-Empires-the only four that
ever existed! Revelation 13 and 17 show that, after the fall of the original
Roman Empire, there would be ten revivals-SEVEN of which would be ruled over
by a Gentile CHURCH--the "daughter" of ancient BABYLON-a Church claiming to
be Christian, but actually named by God "MYSTERY BABYLON the Great"-or, more
plainly, BABYLONIAN MYSTERIES!
Six of those have come and gone. The seventh is now forming--the last,
final, brief resurrection of the Roman Empire by ten European groups or
nations. These are the ten toes of iron and clay mixed.
In their days--and they shall last but a very short space, possibly no
more than two to three-and-a-half years--shall the GOD OF HEAVEN SET UP A
KINGDOM.
This, then, shall be THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
Compare with Revelation 17. Here is pictured a Church. Not a small
church--a GREAT Church. She rules over "many waters" (Verse I) which are
described in verse 15 as different nations speaking different languages. She
posed as The Church of GOD--which Scripture says (Eph. 5:23; Rev. 19:7; Mat.
25:1-10, etc., etc.) is the affianced "bride" of CHRIST, to be spiritually
MARRIED to Him at His second COMING.
But she has committed fornication. How? By having direct political union
with HUMAN GOVERNMENTS of THIS WORLD! She "sat on" (Rev. 17:3) all seven of
these resurrections of the Roman Empire--called the "Holy Roman Empire. She
RULED OVER the human kingdoms--as a common-law and unmarried "wife" ruling
her paramour "husband"-a totally unnatural and ungodly relationship.
She is, therefore, to "sit on" this last "head of the Beast"--this final
resurrection of the Roman Empire. It will be a union of Church and state. It
is to endure but a very short time: It is to FIGHT AGAINST CHRIST at HIS
SECOND COMING! That will be its END.
We see it in process of rising, now. Therefore we are CLOSE to the coming
of Christ! We are now very near the END of this age!
When Christ comes, He is coming as KING of kings, ruling the whole earth
(Rev. 19:11-16); and HIS KINGDOM--the KINGDOM OF GOD--said Daniel, is to
CONSUME all these worldly kingdoms.
Revelation 11:15 states it in these words: "The kingdoms of this world
are become THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD, AND OF HIS CHRIST; and He shall reign
forever and ever!"
This is THE KINGDOM OF GOD. It is the END of present governments--the
governments that rule Russia, China, Japan, Italy, Germany--yes, and even
the United States and the British nations. They then shall become the
kingdoms--the GOVERNMENTS of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, then KING of kings over
the entire earth.
This makes completely PLAIN the fact that the KINGDOM OF GOD is a literal
GOVERNMENT. Even as the Chaldean Empire was a KINGDOM--even as the Roman
Empire was a KINGDOM-so the KINGDOM OF GOD is a government. It is to take
over the GOVERNMENT of the NATIONS of the world.
Jesus Christ was BORN to be a KING--a RULER !
When He stood, on trial for His life, before Pilate, "Pilate therefore
said unto Him, Art thou a King then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a
King. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world." But
Jesus also said to Pilate: "MY Kingdom is not of this world"-- (John 18:37,
36). His Kingdom is of THE WORLD TOMORROW!
Have you not read what the angel proclaimed to Mary, the mother of Jesus,
prior to His birth? Jesus told Pilate He was born to become a KING. The Angel
of God said to Mary: "...thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a
son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called
the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the THRONE of
His father David: and He shall reign over the House of Jacob forever, and of
his Kingdom there shall be NO END" (Luke 1:31-33).
These Scriptures tell you PLAINLY that GOD is supreme RULER. They tell
you in plainest language that Jesus was born to be a KING--that He is going
to RULE ALL NATIONS OF THE EARTH--that His Kingdom shall rule eternally.
But all this is only part of the fantastic, amazing, actually SHOCKING
TRUTH about the KINGDOM OF GOD.
The KINGDOM OF GOD will rule over the people and nations of the earth.
Yet these mortal peoples and nations will NOT be the Kingdom, not even in
the Kingdom of God. They shall be merely RULED OVER BY IT!
We still have to learn OF WHAT, or OF WHOM it is composed. Can YOU, as
an individual, ever become a part of this Kingdom?
Can Be Entered!
In Jesus' day, the religious leaders knew He was a Teacher sent from
God with GOD'S TRUTH. They branded Him a false prophet, heretic, and
seditionist. Yet they knew His was the Voice of GOD!
One of them, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, occupying an office of authority
over the Jews, came secretly by night to see Jesus.
"Rabbi:" said this Pharisee, "we know that thou art a teacher come from
God" (John 3:2). Yes, we Pharisees, he said, know that! He did not say "I
know it." He said "WE know"-we Pharisees! They knew He spoke the TRUTH--Yet
they not only rejected it, they crucified Him!
But Jesus hewed straight to the line! He told Nicodemus about THE KINGDOM
OF GOD. He told him some things you need to UNDERSTAND!
Notice! "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God'' (Verse
3--John 3). Yes, notice! The Kingdom of God is something that CAN be seen,
but only by those who have been "born again." It is something others cannot
see! Read the booklet "Just What Do You MEAN--BORN AGAIN!"
But what about the CHURCH? Can carnal people who make no claim to having
been "born again" SEE CHURCH? Of course! But they cannot see the Kingdom of
God! SO SAID JESUS! Then, if YOU believe Jesus, the CHURCH cannot be the
Kingdom Of God!
Notice further: "Jesus answered, Verily. Verily, I say unto thee, except
a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom
of God" (Verse 5)· The Kingdom of God is something that can be entered into
- BUT, only those "born of water and of the Spirit can enter into it!
Notice Further! In the Resurrection chapter of the Bible, we read: "Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God;
neither doth corruption inherit incorruption (I Cor. 15:50) The Kingdom of
God is something no human, of flesh and blood, can enter or inherit!
Now do flesh and blood people enter into the CHURCH? If so, then the
Kingdom of God cannot be the CHURCH-for the Kingdom of God is something flesh
and blood humans cannot enter into!
What do you think the "church" is? Is it the building? Flesh and blood
people can and do enter buildings and cathedrals called "churches." Is it
the converted PEOPLE? Flesh and blood people can and DO enter into the
membership of any group of PEOPLE that may call itself the church But flesh
and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of GOD--so the CHURCH is not the Kingdom
of God!
In Men's Hearts?
Now some think the Kingdom of God is some ethereal sentimental feeling or
something set up in men's hearts. If so, then the Kingdom of God enters into
mortal man. But these plain Scriptures say plainly that it is men after they
are no longer flesh and blood--but resurrected into spirit composed bodies--
who can enter into the Kingdom of God. It does not enter into men. Men enter
into it--after resurrected in glory-after they are no longer "flesh and blood."
Is it the "god within you"? No, it is not something that was born inside
of man, or has ever entered into man--it is something man may enter after he
is "born again.
What about the British Empire? Well, I have been pretty well over the
British Isles, Canada and Australia--and all of the multi-thousands I have
seen there were flesh-and-blood humans. They did enter The British Empire--
but they cannot enter the Kingdom of God, in their present flesh-and-blood
life. So the British Empire cannot be the Kingdom of God.
But, someone misunderstanding the Scripture may ask, "Didn't Jesus
Himself say that the Kingdom of God is 'within you'? In the 17th chapter of
Luke, verse 21, King James translation, is a MISTRANSLATION which has led
some to suppose the Kingdom of God is some thought or feeling or sentiment
within man.
In Hearts of Pharisees?
Let's lake a good look at this. First realize, if it does say that, it is
contradicted by all the other Scriptures I am giving you in this article. If
the Bible does contradict itself, you can't believe it anyway--so then it
still would prove nothing.
First, to whom is Jesus speaking? Read it!
"And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the Kingdom of God
should come, He answered them and said, The Kingdom of God cometh not with
observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, to there! for, behold, the
Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21).
He was speaking to the unconverted, carnal, hypocritical, lying Pharisees.
Notice, "He answered them, and said--" It was the Pharisees who asked Him the
question. Were they in the CHURCH? No, never! If one thinks the Kingdom is
the CHURCH- and the Kingdom was "within" the Pharisees--was THE CHURCH within
the Pharisees? Such an assumption is rather ridiculous, now, isn't it?
Notice again, precisely WHAT JESUS SAID. Remember the CHURCH had not
yet been set up. Jesus did not say "the Kingdom of God shall be set up in
your hearts." He said none of the things people interpret into this verse.
He said to the Pharisees "the Kingdom of God IS"--present tense is, NOW!
Whatever He was saying the Kingdom of God is, He made it present tense, not
future.
But Jesus was speaking in the Hebrew or the Greek language. At any rate,
Luke wrote these words, originally, in the Greek language. He did not write
the words "within you." The Greek words he wrote were mistakenly translated
into the English words "within you." If YOU have a Bible with the marginal
references, you will notice that this is corrected in your margin to read
"in the midst of you," or "among you." If your Bible is a Moffatt translation,
you will notice that the translation recognized that Jesus was talking of
His reign or rule, at the head of government.
This is the Moffatt translation of the same verse: He answered them, "The
Reign of God is not coming as you hope to catch sight of it; no one will say,
'Here it is' or 'There it is, for the Reign of God is now in your midst."
The Revised Standard translation renders it "the Kingdom of God is in
the midst of you." All these translations render it present tense.
Jesus was not talking about a Church soon to be organized. He was not
talking about sentiments in the mind or heart. He was talking about His
REIGN, as the Messiah! The Pharisees were not asking Him about a Church.
They knew nothing of any New Testament Church soon to be started. They were
not asking about a pretty sentiment. They knew, from the prophecies of
Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others, that their Messiah was to come. They
overlooked completely the prophecies of His first appearing as the "Lamb of
God," to be slain for the sins of humanity--being born as a babe, growing up,
being rejected and despised by them, as recorded in Isaiah 53. They looked
only to the prophecies of His second coming as the all-conquering and ruling
KING.
But they had even these prophecies distorted in their minds. They looked
for Him to come as a purely Jewish Messiah, to liberate them from the Romans,
and reversing the situation so that the Jews would be masters over the
Romans. They looked for a limited Jewish Kingdom, located in only a small
part of the world, with the Messiah ruling and letting the Jews lord it over
the Romans.
This, the Pharisees anticipated as the Kingdom of God. They had an
erroneous conception of the Kingdom of God--but at least they did know it
was to be a REIGN--a GOVERNMENT.
This is the end of part one.
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