When one walks into any evangelical church, invariably the preacher will stress the importance of preaching the gospel. Most Christians when asked what is the gospel will reply that it is the gospel about Jesus Christ coming from heaven to earth to die for the sins of mankind. While this is true, it is not the gospel. Others may say it is about the gospel of grace, or it is about God's blessing in the arena of health and wealth. Yet some will preach a social gospel of doing good in this mortal life.
Although these have noble objectives, they are not the gospel. The gospel is not about the Person of Christ but the message of the kingdom of God. Christ was known as the Word in His pre-incarnate Being, together with God the Father (John 1:1). Christ was sent by the Heavenly Father as the Prophet Messenger (Deut 18:15; Malachi 3:1; Acts 7:37) to earth to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God to mankind (Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:43). In fact, it was the same gospel that was preached by all the prophets of the Old Testament (Acts 3:21)! No prophet ever came to preach about himself, always preaching the message given from a higher authority. For the true gospel it was a message from the Heavenly Father Himself.
Although Christ Himself is not the gospel, the Person of Christ has to be preached in conjunction with the gospel because of the important role He has played as the sacrifice for the sins of mankind, paving the way for true believers to see and enter the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God and Jesus Christ are two separate matters as recorded in 2 passages in Acts 8:12 and Acts 28:31 - 'Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God AND the name of Jesus Christ'... Paul taught likewise - 'Preaching the kingdom of God AND teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ'.
The kingdom of God is the supergovernment of God that will descend upon earth when Christ returns. It is about the rulership by government with authority set up by God over literal nations and literal people on earth (Daniel 7:27; Rev 11:15). When Christ was on earth, His main pre-occupation is teaching and instructing His disciples about the kingdom of God. In fact, most of His parables are pointing to the gospel of the kingdom. Similarly, the Apostle Paul was fervent in preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8; 20:25).
The prophet Daniel recorded what God revealed to him about the world to come - that there will be four kingdoms ruled by man and one after that will be the kingdom of God ruled by Christ (Daniel 2:31-35, 44). Chapter 2:44 reads, ' And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.' At the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the seventh angel sounded and with great rejoicing in heaven saying, ' The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.' - Revelation 11:15.
While on earth, Christ was in the wilderness for forty days and overcame the three temptations of Satan, qualifying Himself to rule as the King in the coming kingdom of God (Mark 1: 12-13). The first words of Christ after that was 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel' - Mark 1:15 - two key verbs that one must repent and believe in order to be saved! The gospel as stated in the preceding verse 14 is the kingdom of God - not something else as most churches are preaching and squabbling over every issue of doctrinal differences, mostly based on the interpretation of man. Only the Bible can interprets the Bible, and this has to be the basis for all interpretation of scriptural verses, including prophesies.
Christ Himself commissioned His twelve disciples to preach the kingdom of God. He also gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases (Luke 9:1-2). He later appointed other seventy, and sent them two and two to do likewise (Luke 10:1-9). In John 8:31, it was recorded that the Jews believed on Him. But that is not enough, Christ continued, If ye abide in my word (kingdom of God), then are ye my disciples indeed.' Then and only then,' ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'
Similarly, in the Lord's prayer, Christ taught us to pray beginning with Matthew 6:10 - Thy kingdom come . Follow on in Matthew 6:33, Christ taught us to 'seek ye first the kingdom of God (the gospel) and his reightousness (the laws of God)' . Many can memorise it verbatim, but few understand its meaning, let alone obey it.
At His trial before His crucifixion, Christ told Pontius Pilate that He was born to be King (of the coming kingdom of God), and it was for this purpose that He came into this world, 'that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth hearth my voice - John 18:37. Truth of the matter is that the THE TRUTH Christ spoke of is the gospel of the kingdom of God!
This is consistent with the prophecy of Isaiah recorded in Isaiah 9:6-7, ' For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the GOVERNMENT shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace...his government shall be no end...and upon his kingdom.' Similar prophecy is recorded for us in Luke 1:32-33, '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 of his KINGDOM there shall be no end.' The throne to the kingdom is currently occupied by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. It will make way for Christ - the King of kings and Lord of lords - when He returns. Those who are called and qualified will be amongst the kings and lords to rule and reign with Him - Daniel 7:22; Revelation 2:26, 3:21, 5:10.
Religionists of our day try to spiritualise it away saying that the 'kingdom of God is in your heart or that it is the church'. This is the result of misinterpreting Scripture taken from Luke 17:21. The translation 'the kingdom of God is within you' is incorrect - a better translation is the kingdom of God is in the midst of you as Christ is the Divine Representative of the coming kingdom standing in the midst of the Pharisees. No way Christ was telling them the kingdom of God is in them when He called them names of the derogatory kind.
The kingdom of God is not the church as Christ told Nicodemus that one has to be born again to see the kingdom of God - John 3:3. To be born again is to die physically and be resurrected as an immortal spirit being. That is why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God - 1 Corinthians 15:50. If the kingdom of God is the church, then all humans who have eyes - believers or unbelievers - will be able to see and enter therein!
For centuries since the first century AD, the true gospel had not been preached until the mid 20th century with Herbert Armstrong broadcasting the gospel of the kingdom of God over radio and the magazine 'Plain Truth'. The Lord Christ prophesied that the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all the nations before the end will come - Matthew 24:14. Had the true gospel being preached before that, the end of the church age would have come with Christ returning to usher in the kingdom of God on earth.
These are all facts from the Bible that cannot be denied. Sadly, many would choose to believe in man rather than from the words of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and His chosen Apostles. Those who choose to follow man are worshipping and serving God in vain (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7). Choose wisely, for therein is the difference between life and death - for eternity!
Although these have noble objectives, they are not the gospel. The gospel is not about the Person of Christ but the message of the kingdom of God. Christ was known as the Word in His pre-incarnate Being, together with God the Father (John 1:1). Christ was sent by the Heavenly Father as the Prophet Messenger (Deut 18:15; Malachi 3:1; Acts 7:37) to earth to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God to mankind (Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:43). In fact, it was the same gospel that was preached by all the prophets of the Old Testament (Acts 3:21)! No prophet ever came to preach about himself, always preaching the message given from a higher authority. For the true gospel it was a message from the Heavenly Father Himself.
Although Christ Himself is not the gospel, the Person of Christ has to be preached in conjunction with the gospel because of the important role He has played as the sacrifice for the sins of mankind, paving the way for true believers to see and enter the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God and Jesus Christ are two separate matters as recorded in 2 passages in Acts 8:12 and Acts 28:31 - 'Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God AND the name of Jesus Christ'... Paul taught likewise - 'Preaching the kingdom of God AND teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ'.
The kingdom of God is the supergovernment of God that will descend upon earth when Christ returns. It is about the rulership by government with authority set up by God over literal nations and literal people on earth (Daniel 7:27; Rev 11:15). When Christ was on earth, His main pre-occupation is teaching and instructing His disciples about the kingdom of God. In fact, most of His parables are pointing to the gospel of the kingdom. Similarly, the Apostle Paul was fervent in preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8; 20:25).
The prophet Daniel recorded what God revealed to him about the world to come - that there will be four kingdoms ruled by man and one after that will be the kingdom of God ruled by Christ (Daniel 2:31-35, 44). Chapter 2:44 reads, ' And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.' At the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the seventh angel sounded and with great rejoicing in heaven saying, ' The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.' - Revelation 11:15.
While on earth, Christ was in the wilderness for forty days and overcame the three temptations of Satan, qualifying Himself to rule as the King in the coming kingdom of God (Mark 1: 12-13). The first words of Christ after that was 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel' - Mark 1:15 - two key verbs that one must repent and believe in order to be saved! The gospel as stated in the preceding verse 14 is the kingdom of God - not something else as most churches are preaching and squabbling over every issue of doctrinal differences, mostly based on the interpretation of man. Only the Bible can interprets the Bible, and this has to be the basis for all interpretation of scriptural verses, including prophesies.
Christ Himself commissioned His twelve disciples to preach the kingdom of God. He also gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases (Luke 9:1-2). He later appointed other seventy, and sent them two and two to do likewise (Luke 10:1-9). In John 8:31, it was recorded that the Jews believed on Him. But that is not enough, Christ continued, If ye abide in my word (kingdom of God), then are ye my disciples indeed.' Then and only then,' ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'
Similarly, in the Lord's prayer, Christ taught us to pray beginning with Matthew 6:10 - Thy kingdom come . Follow on in Matthew 6:33, Christ taught us to 'seek ye first the kingdom of God (the gospel) and his reightousness (the laws of God)' . Many can memorise it verbatim, but few understand its meaning, let alone obey it.
At His trial before His crucifixion, Christ told Pontius Pilate that He was born to be King (of the coming kingdom of God), and it was for this purpose that He came into this world, 'that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth hearth my voice - John 18:37. Truth of the matter is that the THE TRUTH Christ spoke of is the gospel of the kingdom of God!
This is consistent with the prophecy of Isaiah recorded in Isaiah 9:6-7, ' For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the GOVERNMENT shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace...his government shall be no end...and upon his kingdom.' Similar prophecy is recorded for us in Luke 1:32-33, '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 of his KINGDOM there shall be no end.' The throne to the kingdom is currently occupied by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. It will make way for Christ - the King of kings and Lord of lords - when He returns. Those who are called and qualified will be amongst the kings and lords to rule and reign with Him - Daniel 7:22; Revelation 2:26, 3:21, 5:10.
Religionists of our day try to spiritualise it away saying that the 'kingdom of God is in your heart or that it is the church'. This is the result of misinterpreting Scripture taken from Luke 17:21. The translation 'the kingdom of God is within you' is incorrect - a better translation is the kingdom of God is in the midst of you as Christ is the Divine Representative of the coming kingdom standing in the midst of the Pharisees. No way Christ was telling them the kingdom of God is in them when He called them names of the derogatory kind.
The kingdom of God is not the church as Christ told Nicodemus that one has to be born again to see the kingdom of God - John 3:3. To be born again is to die physically and be resurrected as an immortal spirit being. That is why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God - 1 Corinthians 15:50. If the kingdom of God is the church, then all humans who have eyes - believers or unbelievers - will be able to see and enter therein!
For centuries since the first century AD, the true gospel had not been preached until the mid 20th century with Herbert Armstrong broadcasting the gospel of the kingdom of God over radio and the magazine 'Plain Truth'. The Lord Christ prophesied that the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all the nations before the end will come - Matthew 24:14. Had the true gospel being preached before that, the end of the church age would have come with Christ returning to usher in the kingdom of God on earth.
These are all facts from the Bible that cannot be denied. Sadly, many would choose to believe in man rather than from the words of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and His chosen Apostles. Those who choose to follow man are worshipping and serving God in vain (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7). Choose wisely, for therein is the difference between life and death - for eternity!
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