Author: jorgeandjulie96

The earth presents many sad sights to those who have eyes to see. Where truth should be exalted for the hope and salvation of perishing man, we see contradictory creeds and bitter conflict. Instead of a generous distribution of the earth’s bounties amongst her children, we see millions toiling in hunger; instead of peace and prosperity, we see war preparations and oppressive taxation. We see wealth concentrating itself into the hands of the few … the poor growing poorer; willing workers unemployed and starving; despairing men arising in rebellion. Is there no prospect of relief? There is. From these sad sights we turn to a picture, bright and beautiful, drawn by God in His infallible but neglected Word. In this we see Christ once more among us, ruling as King over all the earth (Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 11:15) … one law (Isaiah 2:3) … one religion (Zechariah 14:16,17) … no war (Psalm 46:8-10) … no miscarriage of justice (Jeremiah 23:5) … no mismanagement (Isaiah 11:1-5) … no tyranny (Isaiah 29:20) … no complaining in the streets (Psalm 144:14) … the poor and helpless cared for (Psalm 72:4) … the earth yielding her increase (Psalm 67:6) … grateful hearts everywhere (Psalm 133:2,3). To share in this future blessedness is the hope of the only true gospel … the gospel of the Scriptures. All who come within its sound receive a message and an invitation from God. Let us not shut the door against Him.

The Bible … The Only Hope For A Troubled World

Famine, wars, political unrest, social instability, personal discontent and ecological chaos … this is the world-wide picture of today. On the other hand, peace, true prosperity and plenty for all the teeming populations of the earth are fantasies. They remain mere hopes mouthed with pious platitudes devoid of reality, whilst society is grapples with greed, crime, immorality, violence and corruption in every sphere of life. Once it may have been possible to be detached from world problems … to “live a good life” and insulate oneself from other people’s national and individual behavior and difficulties: but that is no longer the case. We live in a world where it is no longer possible to remain isolated and detached. Such is the extent of world problems today that every individual is in some way affected … in his employment, his home or his family; and in what he regards as “essential services”. Peace of mind eludes him as the media bombards him with news of the latest world crisis.

Consequently, the question is constantly asked, “How will it all end?”

The voice of the super-optimist is almost silent: no longer is he so confident that “they’ll sort it out alright”.

So vast are the world’s ills, so awesome are the possibilities of nuclear war, that no one knows where to commence a cure. Diplomats, financiers, statesmen, scientists, philanthropists, and revolutionaries are all alike without an adequate answer. They may suggest palliatives, but none can provide the panacea!

Is there a satisfactory answer?

Where does the solution lie?

We direct the reader’s attention to the Creator and His written Word … the Bible. Seldom used, and little respected, the Bible not only foretold these very problems many hundreds of years ago, but also revealed the solution to them.

The Basic Teaching of the Bible

The Bible is a library of sixty-six books presenting God’s purpose with the earth, and His plan of redemption for man. These books were written over a period of almost 1,600 years, and their various authors, or amanuenses rather (for the writers of the Bible wrote by the inspiration of God), were drawn from all ranks of society. Kings, statesmen, priests, scribes, shepherds, fishermen, scholars all played a part in producing it: and yet, despite the great divergence of time and class among the writers, there is complete harmony in all that they teach and record. Each of the writers presents a different facet of the “one great hope”.

The theme that unites all these books is termed “the Gospel”. An understanding of its teaching acts as a key, unlocking the secrets of God’s purpose with the earth. Unfortunately, though many refer to the Gospel, few really understand its teaching. To most, the true teaching of the Bible is a closed book.

Yet eternal salvation is bound up in an understanding of the Gospel (Romans 1:16); and for that purpose we urge that you closely and critically examine what we set before you in this book.

The word “Gospel” signifies good news or glad tidings. It is sometimes styled in Scripture the Gospel of God, because it is good news emanating from Him, in contradistinction to spurious messages of goodwill that emanate from man.

It is important to comprehend the true message of the Gospel. Paul wrote:

“Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

If an inspired Apostle was not exempt from such a curse if he preached a perverted gospel, certainly lesser men will not be exempted if they do so. Unfortunately, a curse has rested upon Christendom because of this. In consequence, its history is a record of discord, trouble and bloodshed. True peace it knows not.

The Gospel Speaks of the Future

The gospel is a simple statement of God’s purpose with humanity. In its simplest form, it was condensed by Paul into seven words. He wrote:

“God preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying: In thee shall all nations be blessed” (Galatians 3:8).

The gospel, therefore, is prophetic: it speaks of the future; for its promises have never yet been fulfilled. In another place, Paul taught that Jesus Christ came “to confirm the promises made of God unto the fathers” (Romans 15:8). The promises referred to were those made to the fathers of the Jewish race: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Peter taught:

“… there are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4).

Paul taught that the gospel was comprehended in the promises God made to Abraham. Therefore, to gain the true understanding of the Bible, we must know something of Abraham.

Abraham – The Friend of God (James 2:23)

The biography of Abraham is compressed in about twelve chapters of the Bible (see Genesis 12 to 24), which would take about 40 minutes to read. We earnestly counsel the reader to pay himself the compliment of reading this portion of the Bible, for the life of Abraham forms a pattern for all true believers (Romans 4:23-24).

Abraham lived in Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11:28; Joshua 24:2), where he first heard the call of God and separated himself to travel to Haran, in company with other members of his family. There he remained for a while until again God called him, and made unto him certain promises conditional upon him removing from Haran to the land that God would show him (which is modern Israel).

The first few verses of Genesis 12 outlines the promises that God made to Abraham.

“Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).

This promise can be sub-divided as follows:

1. The national promise – God promised that Abraham will become a great nation;
2. The personal promise – his name will be great in all the earth and he will be a blessing;
3. The family promise – God will bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who curse him;
4. The international promise – in him all families of the earth will be blessed.

This last item is quoted by Paul in Galatians 3:8 as epitomizing the gospel message.

The four-fold aspect of the promise made to Abraham comprehends every part of the Bible message.

The Four-Fold Promise of Hope

None of these promises have had their complete fulfillment, for they await the setting up of the Kingdom of God on earth.

Consider the national promise, for example. Abraham’s descendants, the Jewish people, are not a “great nation” as yet, and never have been. True the nation rose to prominence and glory during the reigns of David and Solomon, but that was for but a short period, and it ended with civil war which divided the twelve tribes into two groups, known to history and Scripture as Israel (the northern kingdom of ten tribes) and Judah (the southern kingdom of two tribes).

The history of Israel is a record of constant apostasy, failure and defeat, ending in the scattering of Jews among all nations.

Certainly, this history does not reveal them as a great nation at any time. Even during the reign of David, the people rebelled against him, and drove him temporarily from the throne!

When will the promise to Abraham be vindicated?

The answer is: “In the future!”

The National Promise

Though God scattered Israel (Deuteronomy 28:64-67), He will yet completely regather the nation (Deuteronomy 30:1-3; Jeremiah 31:10), and restore it to its ancient land (Ezekiel 39:25-29). The people will be educated in Divine truth, will mourn for the past blindness (Zechariah 12:9-10). They will have their sins forgiven them (Micah 7:18-20); and will be established as the “first” of the nations (Micah 4:7-8).

All this will be done on the basis of the promise made to Abraham. The prophet declared:

“Thou wilt perform the mercy of Abraham, which thou hast sworn from the days of old” (Micah 7:20).

“I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the nations, whither ye went” (Ezekiel 36:22)

The Jewish people have returned to their ancient homeland today, and the nation of Israel has come into existence once again, because of the promise made to Abraham.

The Jewish people, and the nation of Israel, are yet to be disciplined and humbled, in order that they might be elevated in accordance with the purpose of God. God has declared:

“I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all …”

In this statement there is promised:

1. the regathering of the people;
2. the re-establishment of the nation;
3. the restoration of the monarchy.

The King referred to is the Lord Jesus, described as “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”.

Under his firm and righteous rule, the nation of Israel will reach the greatness promised it through Abraham.

The Personal Promise

Consider the personal promise made to Abraham. Is he blessed today? Is his name great? Is he a blessing in the earth?

The answer is, NO! Abraham is dead; his name is far from great in the opinion of mankind, most of whom know nothing about him.

How and when shall the promise be fulfilled?

By a resurrection from the dead to life eternal at Christ’s coming. The Lord, himself, declared this. He told those Jews who rejected his mercy and salvation 1900 years ago, that they would be raised from the dead to be rejected of their Messiah, and to witness Abraham and others enjoy a status that they could have shared. He declared:

“There shall be weeping when ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, west, north, and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:28-29).

At that time, Abraham will be both blessed and a blessing, and men will consider it an honor to be associated with him. Again, we must look to the future for the fulfillment of the promise.

The Family Promise

The family promise, has relation to those who embrace the promises to Abraham, and who walk in his steps. They will become his associates in the Kingdom that Jesus shall set up on earth, and shall inherit eternal life. “They that are Christ’s are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). They form part of the great family of Christ, to be blessed in conjunction with Abraham whom they bless. Hence this clause of the promise, comprises an assurance to the family of Abraham.

You can become a member of that “family” by belief in the gospel followed by baptism into Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-29).

The International Promise

The international promise points to the time when Christ’s righteous rule will be set up over all the earth, and mankind shall rejoice in it. Then “the Kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ” who “shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). The Law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, bringing all nations into a state of unity and peace before God (Isaiah 2:2-4). The glorious administration of the Lord Jesus Christ will solve the problems that afflict humanity today. The poor will be helped; the needy will be assisted; the tyrant will be deposed from the seat of authority, and “all nations” shall serve the Lord and find him a blessing (Psalm 72:11,17). There will no longer exist the need to maintain huge standing armies, mighty navies, and vast air-forces to protect the rights of individual nations, when one king reigns over a united world. The wealth of nations, previously expended on war, will be utilized for the benefits of humanity. The result will be the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham: “In thee shall all nations be blessed”.

This, as Paul showed, constitutes the Gospel (Galatians 3:8), and will be fulfilled through Christ (Galatians 3:16), the seed of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).

And the Gospel comprises a key that will unlock the true meaning of any part of the Word of God.

“All This Land Will I Give Thee”

Genesis records a further development in the promises of God to Abraham. Abraham had prospered with Lot his nephew, to the extent that their combined herds became an embarrassment, causing strife between their respective herdsmen.

They decided to separate, and Abram (as Abraham was then called) unselfishly offered Lot first choice of the land. Lot saw the well-watered plain of Jordan, with the prosperous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and was attracted by the prospects of easy living and pleasant communal associations to leave Abram, and elect to go down to Sodom. He went “down” in more ways than one, leaving Abram the hardship, the glory, the virtue of the rugged hills of the Land of Promise, and the inheritance of Bethel – the House of God.

After Lot had separated with his herds, God made a further promise to Abram. He was told:

“Look northward, southward, eastward and westward; for ALL THE LAND THAT THOU SEEST to thee will I give it, and to thy seed FOR EVER … Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee” (Genesis 13:14-17).

We cannot over-emphasize the importance of this promise made to Abram. It forms the basis of the personal hope of every true believer. Notice that Abram and his seed are promised the land FOR EVER, and not merely for life. It is obvious that this promise has not been fulfilled, for otherwise Abram would be alive today. Either Abraham and his seed must be resurrected from the grave and given life eternal to enjoy this promised inheritance, or we can place no confidence in the promises of God.

What of those who teach that the promised reward is in heaven? They normally interpret the promise to Abram as involving only occupation of the land during his lifetime. But contrary to this, 1900 years after the death of Abraham, Stephen, the first Christian martyr, clearly stated that Abraham had never received the land promised to him. Significantly, also he based his beliefs upon the promises made to this great man of faith. He declared:

“He (God) removed him (Abraham) into this land (Palestine) wherein ye (Jews) now dwell, and He gave him none inheritance in it, no not so much as to set his foot on, yet HE PROMISED THAT HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM FOR A POSSESSION, and to his seed after him …” (Acts 7:1-4).

How is Abraham to receive the land promised him? Only through a resurrection from the dead to life eternal at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:1-2; Acts 26:6-8).

God’s Promise To David

The promises made to Abraham were amplified and extended many years later to one of Abraham’s descendents, David the King of Israel. In II Samuel, we read the promise which God made to David. The King was told:

“I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own , and MOVE NO MORE; neither shall the children of wickedness AFFLICT THEM ANY MORE … The Lord will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom FOR EVER. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever BEFORE THEE: thy throne shall be established FOR EVER” (II Samuel 7:10-16)

The promise to David thus incorporates:

1. The re-establishment of Israel in the Land of Promise, never again to be removed nor afflicted (v.10);
2. The setting up of a King upon the throne of David FOR EVER, who will be both son of God and son of David (vv.12-14);
3. The building of a House or Temple for God by this king (v.13);
4. The manifestation of a faithful “house” or posterity in the line of David (vv.11-12);
5. The death of David (v.12) after which the promised descendent would come, who would ensure his resurrection to life eternal, so that he might see these things established for ever “before him” (v.16).

This promise follows in natural sequence from the promise to Abraham – the first made promise of an earthly inheritance; the second promised a throne and a kingdom.

Neither of these promises have yet seen their fulfillment. In fact, David’s throne has not existed for over two thousand years. Some important words were declared to Zedekiah, the last king of Israel, in Ezekiel 21:25-27:

“And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God; remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” (Ezekiel 21:25-27)

Jesus Christ Is David’s Son

The son promised to David, and the one “whose right it is”, referred to by Ezekiel is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is established beyond all doubt by the words that Gabriel uttered to Mary before the birth of her son. She was told:

“Thou shalt conceive, 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 for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).

The fulfillment of these words demands the return of the Lord Jesus to the earth to raise David and all like him from the dead to life eternal; to restore Israel in it fulness; and to reign from Jerusalem as King.

Christ’s Coming Will Transform The World

The return of the Lord Jesus Christ, personally and visibly to this earth is a fundamental teaching of the Word of God, both in the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah foretold that the day would come when “… the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 59:20); and that his return is linked with the destiny of the nation of Israel, David foretold in the Psalms:

“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea the set time is come … When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory” (Psalm 102:13-16).

The prophet Daniel, after speaking unmistakably of the days in which we live, said:

“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 for ever” (Daniel 2:44,25).

The picture is exactly the same in the New Testament. Have you ever considered the unquestionable import of the words of the angels to the bewildered disciples at the time when the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives after his resurrection? They were told:

“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, ‘Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, SHALL SO COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YE HAVE SEEN HIM GO into heaven” (Acts 1:10,11).

To this agree als the words of all the writers of the New Testament (as well as the Old). Take as an example:

“And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day” (II Thessalonians 1:7-10).

Obviously, the believers in those early times took comfort in the sure hope of the return of their Lord to establish a literal world-wide kingdom; and believers in the gospel in these dramatic days can take comfort in that same hope, know that the signs indicate the certainty of Christ’s return in our day.

In order to establish a Divine theocracy upon this earth, it will, of course, be necessary for the Lord Jesus to abolish all existing world governments. This is clearly indicated in the prophecies concerning his work at his return. Consider the following passages (Psalm 2; Micah 4:1-8; Isaiah 2:1-4). No longer will the governments of this world rule with injustice, inhumanity, greed, ambition, and corruption; but “out of Zion (Jerusalem) shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem” and “he shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor … in his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth … he shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth … all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him” (Psalm 72).

Not only will universal government emanate from Jerusalem, but that city will also be the center of universal worship. Yes, no longer will there be a confusion of religions and ideologies, but one world-wide faith will activate every individual and move every heart in worship of the one, true God (Zechariah 14:16-19).

This is the Creator’s answer to six thousand years of man’s misrule.

Neither politics nor protests can save humanity from the morass of anarchy into which it plunges headlong. God alone has the answer, and He has decreed that He will act in His appointed time. He has mercifully indicated through His prophetic Word, the Bible, the signposts which herald the time of His intervention in man’s affairs.

Be warned, dear reader, that the time has come when, not only do the signs about us clearly indicate that His hand is about to move, but it is imperative that He fulfill His promise to “send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:20,21).

Christ IS coming, to raise the dead who are responsible to judgment (I Corinthians 15:22-26); to reward the righteous (II Timothy 4:1,7,8); and to reign on earth (Revelation 5:9,10).

What Will Christ’s Coming Mean to You?

World problems will reach a climax and Jesus Christ will return in fulfillment of the promises – as the promised seed of Abraham and son of David, to rule the world in righteousness from David’s ancient throne.

But how will this affect YOU personally?

The issues which we have discussed, comprise principles of the GOSPEL.

Belief in the ONE TRUE GOSPEL and baptism into the name of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST are essential for salvation:

“… and he (Jesus) said unto them (the disciples), ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15,16).

Note carefully the Bible’s definition of the Gospel, and you will see that all we have spoken of is embodied in it:

“… when they believed Philip (one of the disciples) preaching the things concerning THE KINGDOM OF GOD and THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, they were baptized, both men and women.

God offers eternal life and an inheritance in His Kingdom to those who believe and obey the Gospel. An understanding of the Truth of God as revealed in His Book, the Bible, baptism into the sin-covering name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and a life of dedication and obedience to the principles laid down in His Word and exhibited in the life of Christ, are essential prerequisites for salvation in the day of his appearing.

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, THEN ARE YE ABRAHAM’S SEED, and HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE” (Galatians 3:26-29).

A Summary of the “One Faith”
taught by the Apostles

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, ONE FAITH, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

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THE BIBLE

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS are both God’s revelation to man, and are both equally authoritative. They are wholly inspired and infallible. The New Testament supplements the Old, its teaching being based exclusively upon it (Luke 24:27; I Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:19-21).

THE GODHEAD

GOD is one, not three. He has revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and of all who are related to Him in faith (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29-32; I Corinthians 8:5-6; Ephesians 4:6; I Timothy 1:17; 2:5).

THE SPIRIT is the power of God by which He created all things, and by which they subsist (Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 104:30; Acts 17:25-28). It is also used to describe the power of Divine truth upon the mind of a believer, for the revelation of such came by inspiration of the Holy Spirit upon those selected to reveal it (Hebrews 1:1; John 6:63; Ephesians 6:17; I John 5:6). Thus believers are exhorted “to be led of the Spirit” or the power and influence of the truth believed (Galatians 5:16-18).

THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT were bestowed on believers for a testimony to the Truth, by the laying on of the hands of the Apostles (Acts 8:18). With the death of the Apostles, the power of transmitting these gifts no longer remained, and the gifts ceased (I Corinthians 13:8).

JESUS CHRIST

JESUS CHRIST is not God the Son, but is the Son of God, begotten of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 2:18-23; Luke 1:31-35; Galatians 4:4). He was a man of our race, identical in nature with all mankind (I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:14-17); but not identical in character. His character was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26).

HE IS THE CENTRAL FIGURE IN GOD’S PLAN OF REDEMPTION, being the Son promised in Eden (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 4:4), to Abraham, David and others, through whom the promises are to be realized, and the inhabitants of the earth blessed (Genesis 22:17-18; Galatians 3:8,16; Psalm 89:34-37; Acts 13:22-23; Galatians 3:14,19,26-28; Acts 4:12; Romans 15:8).

JESUS CHRIST IS TO RETURN personally and visibly to the earth, at the end of Gentile times (Acts 1:11; 3:20-21; II Timothy 4:1; Revelations 1:7). He will set up the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 15:25; Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14; Revelation 11:15).

JESUS CHRIST WILL BE KING OF KINGS for he will have as his associate kings and priests, those who have been faithful in all preceding ages, and who will be clothed upon with immortality (Revelation 19:16; 5:9; I Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:4; Psalm 149:5-9).

THE NATURE OF MAN

MAN IS A CREATURE OF THE DUST, energized by the breath of life (Genesis 2:7; 3:19; 7:21-22; 18:27; Psalm 103:14). Apart from the resurrection he is without hope (I Corinthians 15:17; Ephesians 2:12).

THE SOUL, in its primary meaning stands for the creature. It is rendered variously life, living, man, persons, self, body, and beast. It can eat, live, die, corrupt and perish, and it can be slain, strangled and destroyed (Genesis 2:7; Joshua 10:28; Job 7:15; Psalm 56:13; 78:50; 89:48; 116:8; Isaiah 29:8; 53:12; Ezekiel 18:4; Acts 3:23).

IN THE DEATH STATE man is entirely unconscious and (apart from a resurrection) must inevitably perish (Ecclesiastes 3:16-21; 9:5,19; Isaiah 38:18; Psalm 6:5; 49:12,14,19-20; 146;3-4; I Corinthians 15:13-18).

“HELL” IS THE PLACE OF DEATH. The word is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Sheol, and the Greek word Hades. Both words signify “a hidden place,” and are mostly rendered “grave” or “pit”. The Revised Version Bible and marginal references show “grave” and “hell” as the translation of “sheol” and “hades”. Both words should be consistently rendered as “grave”. (Psalm 9:17; 31:17; Psalm 30:3; Acts 2:27,30-32)

“GEHENNA” is the name of a place outside Jerusalem where a fire was kept burning to consume the offal from the city. The term symbolizes the everlasting destruction (i.e. perishing in death) of the wicked (Mark 9:47-48).

THE CAUSE OF SIN

“DEVIL” comes from the Greek word Diabolos, signifying “false accuser” or “slanderer”. It is translated “slanderer” in I Timothy 3:11, and “false accusers” in II Timothy 3:3 and Titus 2:3. Its general meaning is sin or lawlessness, whether manifested individually or politically. It is also applied to the unlawful lusts and tendencies of human nature which invariably lead to sin. It is not a supernatural being. Compare the following verses with each other (I John 3:8; James 4;1; Hebrews 2:14; I Corinthians 15:56; Romans 5:12,21; 6:23).

“SATAN” is a Hebrew word signifying adversary, enemy, or accuser. It is sometimes applied to a good adversary (I Chronicles 21:1; II Samuel 24:1). It is used of an angel withstanding evil (Numbers 22:22,32) where the word is rendered “adversary” and “withstand”. The Apostle Peter was a “satan” on a certain occasion when he opposed his Master (Matthew 16:23). Kings and powers have been adversaries, or “satans” (I Samuel 29:4; II Samuel 19:22; I Kings 11:14,23,25; I Timothy 1:20).

THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION

A LAW was given to the first man (Adam) whom God had created “very good”; and continuance of life was dependent upon obedience to it (Genesis 2:17; 3:1-3).

MORTALITY became the inheritance of mankind due to the transgression of God’s law by Adam and Eve, so that man is now inherently death-doomed (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 5:12,18; I Corinthians 15:21-22; Psalm 89:48; Job 4:17; Ecclesiastes 3:19-20; 9:5-6; Job 3:15-19; Isaiah 38:18-19; Psalm 6:5; Acts 13:36; 2:29).

RECONCILIATION AND REDEMPTION were ordained by God in His mercy, to be manifested through a promised Son who would bruise the “serpent” (figurative of sin and death) in the head. Christ was therefore manifested to effect the abolition of sin and death (Genesis 3:14-16; Romans 7:24; Hebrews 2:14; Romans 8:1-4; I Peter 1:19-20; I John 3:5).

ABRAHAM AND DAVID were promised that this Seed would be among their descendents, and were given “great and precious promises” which constitute the plan of God for the redemption of man. It is necessary to become related to them, otherwise we are without hope (II Peter 1:4; Genesis 12:3; II Samuel 7:12-16; Romans 4:13; Ephesians 2:11-13; 4:18; Hebrews 11:10-13,39-40).

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

BELIEF is a first essential to salvation, for to become related to the promises of God we must understand them, and their relation to the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16; I Corinthians 15:1-3; Acts 8:12).

BAPTISM must follow a knowledge of God’s will and purpose. It is burial or immersion in water after believing the Gospel, and is necessary for the remission of sins, and relationship to Christ (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 8:12,36,37; 10:6,47; 22:16; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12).

OBEDIENCE to the commandments of our Lord must follow baptism (Matthew 28:20; John 14:15,23; Romans 2:6-7; Philippians 2:12; II Peter 1:3-11).

THE RESURRECTION of those who are responsible to God (and a knowledge of His will brings responsibility – John 12:48) will take place at the return of Christ (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Psalm 49:19-20; Isaiah 26:14; Jeremiah 51:39,57). These verses also teach that many will not rise from the grave being ignorant of the Gospel (Ephesians 4:18). Those found approved will experience a change from mortality to immortality (John 6:39; I Corinthians 15:50-53; Philippians 3:21; II Corinthians 5:10; II Timothy 4:8; Matthew 5:5; 25:31-34).

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

THE GOSPEL consists of the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (Luke 9:2,6; Acts 8:12; 19:8), and was preached to Abraham in the promises given him (Galatians 3:8).

THE KINGDOM OF GOD will be a Kingdom established on earth. It will overthrow all existing kingdoms, supersede them, and last forever (Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14,27; Revelation 11:15; Psalm 72; Micah 4; Isaiah 11).

THE RESTORATION OF THE THRONE OF DAVID is an element of this kingdom, and involves the complete restoration of Israel in the Land of Promise. Jerusalem will be the capital city of the world, and from it the laws will issue to govern all mankind (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:12; 24;23; 51:3; Jeremiah 3:17; 31:10; Ezekiel 37:21-22; 39:25-29; Joel 3:17; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:6-8; Matthew 5:35; Luke 1:32-33).

THE MILLENIUM relates to the thousand years’ reign of peace that will follow the return of the Lord Jesus and the setting up of his kingdom (Revelation 20:6). The mission of Christ will be to subdue all enemies, the last being death. At the conclusion of the 1,000 years reign, there will be a further resurrection of those who have died during that period, and those worthy will be given eternal life, whilst those unworthy will be consigned to “the second death.” Death itself will thus be eliminated, and the Kingdom will then be delivered to the Father Who will then become “all and in all” (Isaiah 25:6-8; I Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 20:7,11-14).

Thus the plan of God that commences with the statement, “In the beginning, God …” (Genesis 1:1), ends with the final picture of glory: “God all and in all” (I Corinthians 15:28). Within the compass of that purpose you can find a place by belief of the Gospel and obedience to its requirements (Mark 16:15-16).

Bible Teaching on “The Hope of Israel”

WE talk about hope in everyday conversation. We say “I hope you feel better soon”, or “We hope to go abroad this year” or “I hope the strike will be over by next week”. We mean there is something in the future we should very much like to happen, and we feel cautiously optimistic that it will. Life without hope would be very grim. Even in the worst of circumstances, people like to look on the bright side. A poet wrote: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” Hope can give men extraordinary tenacity of spirit-miners trapped by a roof fall, or sailors drifting on a raft, will often fight death for days, convinced that their friends will come to the rescue before it is too late. Sadly, of course, they are sometimes disappointed. It can happen that the rock fall is too deep to tunnel through, or no one knows the ship has foundered. In this case the chance to which they cling does not exist, and their hope is an illusion.

Hope with a Foundation

Hope is a topic that crops up frequently in the Bible. Both in the Old Testament and the New, the writers are full of optimism. They look about them on a dreary and unjust world where so frequently suffering comes upon the innocent and evil men triumph, yet they have tremendous confidence that one day God the Creator is going to turn the tables the right way up. Not only that, but they seem to be convinced that they themselves will have a share in the improvements that will come. Listen to the Psalmist, for example: “Thou who hast done great things, O God, who is like thee? Thou who hast made me see many sore troubles wilt revive me again; from the depths of the earth thou wilt bring me up again . . . I will sing praises to thee with the lyre, 0 Holy One of Israel. My lips shall shout for joy, when I sing praises to thee” (Psalm 71:19-23). There is no doubt about this man’s confidence in the future.

Or Paul the Apostle, in calmer mood, in this passage from his letter to Timothy: “I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” See how assured he is, as he continues: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

This last passage is particularly interesting because it was written from a death cell. The Roman Emperor had turned against the Christians, and the aged Apostle was on trial for his life. There had been a first court hearing, and he was waiting for the second. He knew the outcome already as he penned the letter to young Timothy from his chilly prison. He was going to die. In spite of this gloomy prospect, he is full of hope. Unlike the trapped miner or the shipwrecked mariner, he does not grab at the slender chance that something will turn up-some vital document, or friendly witness, perhaps, to clear him of the charge. His hope transcends the certainty of his death. He is absolutely positive that even after he has died, a God in heaven will bring him back to a new and better life, at the last Day.

Absolute Conviction

The hope of the Bible writers is clearly something much stronger than cautious optimism. They have definite ideas about what is going to happen in the future, and they really look forward to it coming to pass. You probably envy the Apostle Paul his conviction, especially if you are passing through pain or sorrow in your life. You may have doubted in the past that you could ever be sure there is something to hope for beyond the grave. You may wonder, too, what the world is coming to, and what your children and grandchildren are going to inherit when you are gone. Well, take heart. The Bible has the key to the future, both the world’s and yours. It presents a plan that God has been following consistently from the beginning, based on promises He has made. The outline, beginning with Abraham, the patriarch of Israel, and expanding through the Prophets into the New Testament writings, is so clear and logical a child can understand it. It can give you a confidence that will take you through the darkest valley of suffering, and God has provided evidence to support your faith so strong that only the folly of pride could blind your eyes. Read on and see how it all hangs together.

The Promises to Abraham

The beginning of our story is in the Old Testament, the book of the people of Israel. Do not let this put you off. The Old Testament is neither redundant nor out of date. The territory may be unfamiliar, but there is real treasure to be found in these early books of the Bible. Few people have heard, for example, of the promises to Abraham, yet they form the very foundation of God’s master plan. Let us briefly recount them.

Abraham was a remarkable character who lived around 3,000 B.C. in a city called Ur which was in the land we now know as Iraq. He was visited one day by a messenger from the Lord, who told him to leave his birthplace. “Go”, said the Lord, “to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Because he trusted in God, Abraham sold up all his possessions and set off across the desert with his relatives. They came to the land we know as Israel. After he had briefly surveyed the country, the Lord appeared again, and said: “To your descendants I will give this land” (Genesis 1 2:7). This generous offer was particularly pleasing to Abraham and his wife Sarah, because in spite of a long and happy marriage, they had no children. It seemed the Lord was promising them a family, as well as somewhere to live. Some years passed. Abraham continued to camp out in his tent, waiting patiently for something to happen, but there was no sign of a baby on the way, and the native inhabitants of the land continued to go about their business.

One evening the messenger of the Lord appeared again. Abraham seized the opportunity to ask two important questions. “Behold”, he complained gently, “thou hast given me no offspring”. For answer, he was taken outside his tent and shown the sky, ablaze with stars. “Number the stars, if you are able to number them”, he was told. “So shall your descendants be!” The other point troubling Abraham was the matter of the land. “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur . . . to give you this land to possess the angel reminded him. O Lord God”, he replied, “how am I to know that I shall possess it?” (Genesis 15:3-8).

A Solemn Covenant

For answer, the Lord proceeded to make a very solemn agreement with Abraham, after the custom of the time, termed a “covenant”. He was instructed to collect a number of carefully specified animals and birds, which were sacrificed. The bodies were divided and laid on the ground. Normally, the two parties to a covenant would pass between the pieces, thus making it legally binding. In this case, as God was promising something to Abraham, He passed between the pieces. What Abraham saw, in the velvet darkness, was a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, the form in which, so often, God has revealed Himself to His people. Abraham was satisfied. A covenant confirmed in this way could not be broken.

The years flew by. In time, as Abraham grew to know God, the promises were repeated and enlarged. Two themes ran through them unchanged-the possession of the land, and the future of his descendants. It is worth tracing the development, through Genesis 1 3, 1 5, 1 7 and 22. The most impressive promise of the whole series was the last. This one began with an oath: “By myself have I sworn”, said the Lord. It continued on a familiar note: “I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore.” It ended in mystery:

“Thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:17,18, A.V.).

Notice the change in person from a plural, numerous, “seed” or offspring, to an offspring or seed in the singular. Note, too, his importance. To “possess the gate” of someone is a Hebrew idiom. In ancient times, the gate was the only entrance to a fortified city. It was also the place where the rulers held court. To possess the gate of your enemies was to have complete control. Abraham’s descendant was to be all conquering, and bring universal happiness. Whom did God have in mind? Abraham could only guess, and believe.

Twenty-five years after the making of the covenants, Sarah told Abraham with great excitement that she was going to have a baby. God was keeping His word. Through all that time Abraham never doubted God would give him a son. The Apostle Paul makes this comment about him in Romans: “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:20,21). Abraham’s faith was unshakeable.

No Inheritance . . . Yet

The only disturbing note in the biography of this great pioneer is the fact that when he died, he still did not possess the land. God had several times promised it to him, personally, as well as to his descendants. Yet, as the martyr Stephen recounts, God “gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length” (Acts 7:5). He died in a tent, with not even a house to his name. Yet Abraham’s confidence in God could surmount even this final obstacle. Along with his wife and children, says the writer to the Hebrews, he “died in faith not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar” (Hebrews 11:13).

You can see now why Abraham is called “father of the faithful”. God had brought him to the promised land. God had given him a son. If God said he would inherit the land, he believed he would, even though he had to die.

Four centuries after Abraham died, his family had grown into a nation. God had repeated the promise of the and to his son Isaac, and again to his grandson Jacob, so that it ran in the family. Jacob had a second name, Israel. He bore twelve sons, each of whom became the head of a tribe or clan with thousands of members. During a time of famine the family migrated to Egypt and settled there. As they multiplied, the Egyptians grew fearful of their power, and enslaved them. Moses, the great lawgiver, was sent to set them free. After a series of calamities which ruined his country, the Egyptian Pharaoh was forced to let them go, and the Israelites set off across the wilderness to their homeland. Remarkably, this very event had been predicted in one of the promises to Abraham, as you can check for yourself in Genesis 15:13-16.

God’s Oath to Israel

At Mount Sinai, the angel of the Lord made another covenant, this time with the whole people of Israel. Sealed by the blood of sacrifices, it gave them the key to the land of Israel, so long as they kept the wise commandments of God’s Law. Years later, as they stood on the brink of the Promised Land, Moses reminded them that God, after hundreds of years, was about to keep His word. “It is because the Lord loves you, and is keeping the oath which he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand . . . Know therefore,” he went on, “that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:8,9).

That was a staggering statement to make. A typical generation spans something like a quarter of a century. A thousand generations would require up to twenty-five thousand years of promise-keeping! So utterly reliable is God’s word. Certainly a number of God’s promises came unshakeably true, as the Israelites crossed the Jordan for the hills and pastures of their Fatherland.

We pass over several hundred fairly unfruitful years to the time of Israel’s monarchy. King David, well known for his authorship of the Psalms, was, like Abraham, a giant of faith. Something of his love for God and his insistence on truth and right comes out in his writings. Abraham is often referred to in Scripture as “the friend” of God. David was called by the Lord “a man after my own heart”. Both epithets mark off these men as exceptional characters.

During the wilderness journey and their subsequent occupation of the land, the Israelites had worshipped God at the Tabernacle, a tent-like portable building. Now the nation was firmly established with a king and a capital at Jerusalem, David felt it would be a nice idea to build for the Lord a more permanent sanctuary of stone. When he suggested this to the prophet Nathan, he was disappointed to be told that the project must be shelved until his son came to the throne. However, said Nathan, the Lord was touched by David’s concern for His honour, and in return He proposed a magnificent promise for David and his family, very like the one made with Abraham.

The Covenant with King David

In fact it was so solemn a promise, it is referred to as the Covenant with David. And like the promises to Abraham, it combined plain, practical ideas with cryptic statements that must have puzzled David for years. Here is a sample, taken from 2 Samuel 7: “The Lord declares to you”, said Nathan, “that the Lord will make you a house” (v.11). It sounded an odd statement, for it was David who wanted to build God a house. But as the prophet continued, it became obvious that the Lord had in mind a different kind of house: “I will raise up your son after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (vv. 12,13).

So far, the promise could fit neatly David’s son Solomon, who succeeded him on the throne. But God continued, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son” (v.14). Here was a poser. How could the person referred to be David’s son, and yet have God for his father as well? It was very mysterious. The climax of the promise came at the end: “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever” (v. 1 6). The house of David was clearly his family or dynasty. We use the same term in history lessons when we speak of the House of York or the House of Plantagenet.

But what a promise — to have your family line guaranteed a continuous succession to the throne, not just for a hundred years, but for ever! It was a covenant David rejoiced over for the rest of his life: “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord”, he writes in Psalm 89. “I will not violate my covenant”, God had insisted, “Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His line shall endure for ever, his throne as long as the sun before me” (vv. 1,34-36).

Once more, God had made a promise which, upon His honour, He could not break, and King David, like Abraham, died believing the eternal God would keep His word.

We must press on quickly now through five more centuries, pursuing the drama of what the Apostle Peter calls in the Authorised Version “God’s exceeding great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4). It is a trail with a happy ending.

The Restoration Promises

David’s son Solomon did build a house for God, a magnificent and costly Temple at Jerusalem that stood for hundreds of years. When he died, a tragic civil war divided the country, and the nation was ruled by two rival kings. As time passed, the spiritual vigour of the people declined and God’s laws fell into disuse. There were revivals from time to time, mainly amongst the tribes of Judah and Benjamin who retained the Temple and the capital Jerusalem. But slowly moral standards declined, and God’s patience became exhausted. Israel’s right to the land depended on their obedience to Him, and they had flagrantly broken the terms of their tenancy. This was the era of the Prophets. True to His name, the Lord showed infinite compassion, raising up special messengers, inspired by the Holy Spirit to warn the people that the way they were following would lead to disaster.

The warnings had no effect. Eventually the ten tribes were invaded by the Assyrians and deported bodily from the land, to be followed a century and a half later by the two tribes, taken away to Babylon. It really looked like the end. As the beautiful Temple was burnt and the palace destroyed, Zedekiah, the nineteenth king to sit on David’s throne, was blinded and taken captive, never to return. What of the promise to Abraham that his descendants would possess the land? And how about the covenant to David that there would always be someone to occupy his throne? Had God forgotten His promise? Or worse, was He less powerful than the heathen gods of Babylon? The people badly needed guidance.

In that very hour, when Israel’s light seemed to be flickering out, astonishingly, there came the most tremendous outpouring of Promises from the lips of the Prophets. They insisted the calamities that had come were not accidental, but were the judgement of God. There could be no escape from punishment. But still, in the future, there was hope. The nation would not die out. There would be a king to reign on David’s throne. And one day God would send them Messiah, a mighty deliverer, who would bring them back to the land they had left and rule over them in peace for ever.

Isaiah’s Prophecy of Messiah

Here are just three extracts from the promises God made in this period. They are taken from three different prophets.

Isaiah lived before the end, and could see the writing on the wall. “Ah, sinful nation,” he cries in his opening chapter, “a people laden with iniquity . . . they have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel. The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it” (1:4-6). Yet entire chapters of his book are alive with praise and thankfulness at God’s coming deliverance. “Shake yourself from the dust, arise, O captive Jerusalem break forth into singing you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem”, he exults. He sees the people trodden down by vengeful nations, when God appears in fire and earthquake to deliver them: “For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire”. For, he continues, “to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called ‘Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore” (9:5-7).

He pictures in the end this Davidic king presiding over a worldwide empire where all nations live at peace, and God’s laws go out from Jerusalem: “It shall come to pass in the latter days”, he begins, ” . . . out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples . . . nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (2:2-4). These prophecies would have seemed impossible to a Jew living at the time of the fall of Jerusalem. Yet the God who keeps His word for a thousand generations was promising them.

Jeremiah and the New Covenant

Our second prophet actually lived through the siege of Jerusalem. He saw the city ransacked and its people taken away. Yet God made Jeremiah some of the clearest prophecies in the Old Testament about the future of His people: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke.”

The old covenant was the one made with the nation at Sinai, which gave them the Promised Land, on conditions. This New covenant replaces the Old: “This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people”. Instead of His commandments remaining on tablets of stone, they would be taken into men’s hearts. The people would all know the Lord, he continued, and God would forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

If it all sounded very unlikely to Jeremiah’s readers, setting off for captivity in Babylon, he could cheer them with these words: “Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger . . . I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety . . . I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul” (32:37,41). Time and again Jeremiah repeated this promise of the regathering. And if their faith was shattered at the sight of their king being taken from them, he even had a special reassurance about the throne: “I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. . . For thus says the Lord, David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel” (33:15,17).

“Justice and righteousness”-those words echo the statement we found in Isaiah one hundred and fifty years earlier. Both prophets pictured the line of David as a family tree, from which an illustrious branch would arise, a unique being who would occupy the throne for ever. Sure and firm, too, in both prophets is the Abrahamic promise of the Land, assured to the people in spite of their scattering.

Ezekiel’s Vision of the Kingdom

Finally, we come to Ezekiel, who lived later still. Ezekiel spent all his life as a prisoner of war in Babylon. He, too, had the most wonderful vision of peace and blessing for Abraham’s people: “I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land”, he prophesies; “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses.” God was going to forgive and forget the misdeeds of the nation (Ezekiel 36:24,25). Like the earlier prophets, Ezekiel sings of the coming of the king and the promises to Israel’s ancestors: “They shall dwell in the land where your fathers dwelt that I gave to my servant Jacob; they and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there for ever; and David my servant shall be their prince forever” (37:25). There is no mistaking the clarity and vigor of God’s guarantee to His people. However dark the present, they had something very positive to look forward to.

The Israelites were held captive in Babylon for three quarters of a century. A revolution followed, in which the Babylonian empire was taken over by the Persians. In the first year of his reign the new king declared an amnesty, permitting any members of the tribe of Judah who wished to, to return to their own country. Many did, and began the heartbreaking task of rebuilding their overgrown ruined estates.

Perhaps they wondered hopefully whether the Messiah would appear to make life easier for them. They had, it was true, gone back from captivity, but life was not the same. They groaned under the taxes of their imperial masters, and as the years passed they were invaded and crushed by armies from north and south. The great majority of their brethren remained in dispersion, wandering farther away among the nations. And no king sat on David’s throne.

The Coming of Jesus

A young girl from the tribe of Judah, engaged but not married, sat in her house at Nazareth. Surprised by a knock at the door, she found herself speaking to a visitor who claimed to be an angel of the Lord: “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son”, he told her, “and you shall call his name Jesus”. So far, the words are familiar from Christmas plays. But ponder now the remainder of the message: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High”, said the angel, “and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33). There is no mistaking, is there, the link with those Old Testament promises? “The power of the Most High will overshadow you”, he concluded, “therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (v.35).

At a stroke, the mystery of centuries was becoming plain. Mary’s son Jesus was a unique being, the only one capable of fulfilling the covenant with David. He was descended from David, through her own family tree. He was at the same time Son of God: “I will be his father”, God had said to David, and the power of God’s Holy Spirit brought Jesus to birth.

Further, Jeremiah had promised, “David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of David”, and the angel said Jesus would reign for ever, on that very throne. Finally, because David was descended from Abraham, Jesus stood in the line of Abraham’s promise of a blessing to all nations, as well: “He will save his people from their sins”, was the angel’s explanation of his name (Matthew 1:21), and what greater blessing could there be than to remove the terrible burden of human sin that brings sorrow, disease and death to all men? So, quietly and without drama, the one on whom Israel and the world depended was born in a stable in the city of his ancestor David.

Christ’s Mission

When Jesus began his public preaching at the age of thirty, there was great expectation in Judah. His followers called him Messiah, or Anointed-the coming Deliverer. The title ‘Christos’ or Christ in the Greek of the New Testament is exactly equivalent to the Old Testament ‘Messiah’. Everyone expected Jesus would challenge Rome, set Israel free from her enemies, and take up the throne. His extraordinary miracles of healing enhanced this conviction that he was sent from God.

The people were doomed to disappointment. Jesus remained a wandering teacher and spurned political ties. His enemies, the leaders of Israel, jealous of his popularity, successfully plotted his death. After three years, in which he transformed the lives of thousands by his example and his quiet teaching, he was betrayed and executed as a criminal. The Jews remained in dispersion, ungathered. David’s throne stayed empty. Even the body of Jesus disappeared. It looked as though, yet again, God had made a promise, and it had all come to nothing. For six long weeks, Jerusalem slept.

The Mystery Revealed

Suddenly, the capital was alive with amazing news. Jesus’ disciples, filled with the same Holy Spirit power that had inspired the ancient prophets, were proclaiming that Jesus was alive again. They had seen him, eaten with him, and watched him ascend to heaven. More startling still, they were able to show from those Old Testament Scriptures that everyone thought they knew so well, that the Messiah was always intended to die on the cross, and rise again. Nothing had gone wrong. It was all God’s plan.

“What God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he hath thus fulfilled”, declared Peter the fisherman. “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets” (Acts 3:18-21).

All had become clear again. Jesus was the Saviour of Israel and the nations of the world, just as the prophets had said. But he had to come twice. He had to come once to die as the sin bearer, the Deliverer from the great enemy of sin and eternal death. He had to come a second time, to save his people from their oppressors and reign over the world. He had ascended to God’s right hand, but not for ever. He is there “UNTIL” the time for establishing all that God had spoken by the prophets.

With this key, the prophecies of the Messiah open up like a treasure chest. Passages where Messiah’s reigning in victory seem clouded by descriptions of his death become instantly plain. Look, for example, at Isaiah chapters 52 and 53. Chapter 52 describes the joy of Jerusalem as she is delivered by Messiah from her captors.

Chapter 53 predicts in painful detail his humiliating crucifixion. Seen as the two Comings, both chapters make perfect sense.

Or Psalm 2: viewed with one pair of spectacles this passage tells of Messiah’s enemies combining to put him to death. Change the focal length, and you have Messiah once more surrounded by enemies, but this time victorious, as his Father decrees: “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill” (v.6). We could go on, but you will find great pleasure in unraveling the mystery for yourself. That is exactly what the New Testament apostles called the good news — a mystery revealed, a secret, to which they now had the key.

The Need for Christ’s Second Coming

There was another mystery, too, that the apostles were able to solve. You may already be asking the obvious question-Why did God arrange two comings? Why did not Jesus rise from the dead with immortal power, to reign at once on the throne of David? Why should there be a long gap of nearly two thousand years? The answer to that question is particularly important to you and me, and it occupies much of the New Testament.

Let us read the Apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 3. “The mystery”, he says, “was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known”, he continued, “to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (vv. 3,5,6).

These are wonderful words. A Gentile is someone who is not a Jew. For centuries, God’s word and His promises belonged to the people of God. Now, says the Apostle, the Gospel net has been thrown wider to include people from other nations. Those great promises of the Kingdom when Messiah reigns can be ours, too. “At one time,” he writes, “you Gentiles in the flesh . . . were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11-13).

Did you notice how this passage illuminates our theme, the Hope of Israel? “Having no hope” was how the Ephesian believers used to be. It is how millions are today, and how you may feel at this moment. But they had learned about the “covenants of promise” which we have been studying. They had seized the Hope enshrined in those promises. Through the blood of Christ, they had been brought near.

A Covenant Sealed with Blood

The best of the covenants of promise God made still lie in the future. We do not know precisely when they are going to be fulfilled. The majority of people who have believed and hoped in God’s promises are already in the grave, and there is a chance we shall die, too, before Jesus comes again. Yet the glorious truth is that even if we die, we can still taste the joy of God’s Kingdom. As the Apostle Paul wrote in his death cell, we can be brought back to life again, to receive “the crown of righteousness which the Lord”, he said, “will award me on that Day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing”.

When the Messiah comes he will raise from the dead all those who have died in faith, and give them a strong, immortal body like his own. Abraham will certainly be there, and so will David, and Paul. We can be there, too.

And it is all possible through the blood of Christ, which has brought us near to God. For whether we are Jews or Gentiles, we are sinners. We break God’s laws, and deserve nothing but death. Jesus’ death, the offering of his sinless self in sacrifice, broke the power of the grave for all who join themselves to him. Thus the two Comings are inseparably linked. The cross precedes the crown; the suffering servant becomes the king of kings. And the same land where Abraham waited in his tent and Jesus walked with the good news of the Kingdom, is given to them both with their family around them, to enjoy for ever.

When Peter stood up in Jerusalem at Pentecost and began to explain the mystery of the two comings, he had an urgent message for the people. Let us look at his words again: “Repent therefore”, he cried, “and turn again” (Acts 3:1 9). He was exhorting his hearers to prepare themselves for the coming of Jesus by changing their lives, turning round and going a different way. Earlier that day when the crowds had asked him what they should do, he said to them: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (2:38).

Heirs of the Promise

Once you begin to appreciate the Hope God sets before us in His Word, you want to know how to lay hold of it. You realize as you read more, that He sets a standard for men to follow which you have not begun to reach. If you really want to please God, you will feel the need, like those men in Jerusalem, to have your conscience made clean. The way God has prescribed for us is to be baptized into the Lord Jesus, symbolically washing away in the waters our old life, and starting again as if we were newly born, members of God’s holy people. Then, the New Testament insists, we shall be heirs of those promises of the Kingdom of God: “For in Christ Jesus”, writes Paul, “you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:26).

Imagine that! What a privilege, to be called sons and daughters of God! “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (vv. 27-29). All that Jesus inherits — the land, the throne, the blessing-all will be ours. How exciting and moving it is, to think what God offers us. It is as if we are being introduced already to the new covenant God will make with His people. God’s law is written on our heart, our sins are washed away, and we are enrolled for a place in that age when war and famine, sin and sorrow will be banished for ever from the earth.

Paul uses another figure in Romans 11. He says we Gentile believers are like sprigs of a wild olive tree that have been picked up by God the gardener and grafted into the stem of the olive tree of Israel. We share the rich sap that keeps the life flowing, and we will be there in the time of harvest. “I want you to understand this mystery brethren”, he says, as he explains the long gap between the two Comings: “a hardening has come upon part of Israel”. He means that only a minority of the Jewish people accepted the good news Jesus and the apostles brought; the hearts of the rest were too hard for the good seed of the Kingdom to grow.

But Israel’s hardness of heart is not for ever. “Until the full number of the Gentiles come in”, he continues, “and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written” — and he quotes from one of the ‘Messiah’ passages in Isaiah — “the Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob. And this will be my covenant with them”, he adds, repeating the passage we read from Jeremiah 33, “when I take away their sins” (Romans 11:24-27).

Notice the time period-when the full number of the Gentiles has come in. It has not come in yet. God is still calling us to come into His family. But one day, soon, perhaps very soon, the door will be shut. The Lord Jesus will be here with power to rule over the nations, and bring men to judgement for despising God’s laws.

Signs that God has not Forgotten

How do we know the coming of Jesus is very near? There is one simple answer. Look at Israel! Scattered through the nations for centuries, they have never died out, as they cannot, if God is to keep His word. In our own generation, they have started to go back to their land. In 1967 they took back Jerusalem, or Zion, their ancient capital. And now their enemies are gathering against them. The scene is set for the Deliverer to come to his throne, for God to set His king upon His holy hill of Zion. The signs are all there to strengthen our faith. The God who keeps His covenants to a thousand generations is unbaring His arm again.

Let us finish with a lovely passage, which sums up this great Hope of Israel that we have been thinking about so long. We said it can give us comfort, direction, and courage to face all the storms of life. This is just how the Apostle puts it in the Letter to the Hebrews: “When God made a promise to Abraham . . . he swore by himself, saying, ‘Surely I will bless you and multiply you’”

Sure as an Anchor

“So,” he continues, “when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we. . . might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:1318). Two unchangeable things: we have God’s Word, which alone should be enough. To make doubly sure, He has given us an oath as well. It means we just cannot doubt the promise will come true. “We have this”, he concludes, “as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (v.1 9).

Men and women who believe in God’s promises are as safe as a ship, tossed on a dark night in an angry sea, secured from all danger by the strong anchor that bites deep into the rock below. Won’t you make this hope your own?

GOD’S PLAN FOR THE WORLD

THE view of planet earth, seen from outer space, is very beautiful indeed. Confirmation of this has come from the astronauts who have gazed upon it. The earth is the fairest jewel in God’s creation and it is the chosen place in the whole universe where He has promised to reveal His Kingdom in all its glory. That is why it is so beautiful.

The earth, of all the planets in the solar system, is the one that is perfectly suited to all forms of life and the one that orbits at exactly the right distance from the sun to provide comfortable conditions for the human race.

The Bible – Sole Source of Information

The Bible alone can explain why this should be. The reason is that the Creator

“formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:1 8).

We think it is logical to assert that if there is a Great Designer, and if He created a race of beings to inhabit this planet and no other, then there must have been an ultimate objective in His mind. Happily, we have not been left to guess what that goal might be. From the day that God put a human being on this earth, His one supreme purpose was that His creation should willingly respond to His own perfection:

”For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:1 4).

The final stage in fulfilling that intention is what the Bible describes as THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH.

A Real Kingdom

Because it will be in every physical and political sense a real kingdom it will have a king, a government, a capital, and an international system of laws. God has already delegated ”all power in heaven and in Earth” to His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. What is more, we learn that the date has been set in the divine calendar:

“God hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained” (Acts 17:31).

The kingdom of God on earth will soon be here. The abundant signs which confirm this are not the subject of this booklet; but we are mightily convinced that it is so! This coming Millennium will be the most exciting thing the world has ever seen. It will overshadow all those periods in history labeled with names like ‘the age of enlightenment’, ‘the classical age’, ‘the renaissance’ and so on. The kingdom of God will provide a superb environment on this lovely planet for all who will acknowledge God as supreme Creator and Jesus Christ as king of the world.

A Beautiful World

Use your imagination for a moment! Think of a world at peace, its inhabitants healthy and well-fed and doing rewarding work. Imagine a world in which there is full employment, where people are not exploited and where a man can live a long and prosperous life; a world in which famine and pestilence no longer kill one quarter of the population and where the full resources of the land and the seas are harvested. Already you are getting a picture of the Kingdom of God.

Now ponder on the absence of religious bigotry or sectarian strife, imagine the benefits of internationally accepted laws, with justice administered by fair-minded yet uncompromising judges. Conjure up a mental picture of life without terrorism and child-abuse; where goodneighborliness prevails and evil tendencies are discouraged where governments establish good standards of behavior, and implement just forms of retribution. That will be the kingdom of God on earth!

To many people, the Kingdom of God is just a vague hope that one day man will bring about a state of happiness on earth. To others, the Kingdom is a dream of heavenly bliss in the skies. But the realist knows that the aspirations of men are not producing a better world for us or our children. And anyone who reads his Bible carefully knows that there is no evidence for the common belief in an afterlife in heaven. The Kingdom has to do with a real, tangible world empire which will be set up when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth from heaven in the near future.

”Thy kingdom come”

The disciples of Jesus found prayer to God a difficult matter. What to pray for? What are the priorities? The Lord solved their problems by teaching them what we call “The Lord’s Prayer”. It established their priorities for them: God is a Father, the provider. God has a realm in heaven where His will is obeyed; God’s kingdom is to come to the earth. It was a powerful plea to make.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven . . . For shine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever” (Matthew 6:9-13).

Christendom still repeats the prayer. “Thy kingdom come” should always be on the lips of the faithful Christian.

For the most part, human beings act as though there is no Creator and no purpose in the world around them. But they are without excuse, for just look at the wonders of the human body and the miracles of plant life! Did they occur by chance or by design? Even atheists are forced to marvel at the incredible wonders of living cells. The apostle Paul, a well-educated man of his time, declared that atheism is untenable because “that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19,20).

If there is a God, and He has a future for the human race, then surely He has told us? Of course He has! The whole Bible, from beginning to end, reveals His plans for the earth. He spoke to the ”fathers” and through the prophets, and ”in these last days by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:1,2). That is why the Gospel was the center of Christ’s ministry. “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 4:23). He left no doubt when that kingdom would happen:

”When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations . . .” (Matthew 25:31,32).

Where on Earth will it be?

To answer that question let us spend a few moments looking back to Old Testament times. In those days the Jews thought that God’s kingdom on earth would be confined to Palestine. The discerning Jew knew that God had promised Canaan (an earlier name for Palestine) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 15: 18; 17:8). God looked on this part of the earth with special favor. Palestine was His land, because in it and around it He would demonstrate His purpose with the nations. It was a good land, “a land that floweth with milk and honey”, well-watered and suitable for good crops and fruits. The Jews knew that they were the “chosen race”, due to the extraordinary faith of their father Abraham that generated God’s choice! After the exodus from Egypt the special relationship built up between God and the Israelites caused Him to name them as His kingdom. God was their leader and they were His people:

“If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people . . . a kingdom of priests and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6).

Israel could not keep their side of the bargain for long, and often degenerated to the level of the nations around them. But in their prime, in the days of King David and his son Solomon, they experienced what it was like to be the Kingdom of God. They prospered and expanded and had peace in the land. It was summed up by king David when he said: ”He (God) hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel” ( 1 Chronicles 28: 5).

The Failure of the Jewish Kingdom

Sadly, this profitable phase of Israel’s history was short lived. Human failure, arrogance and disregard for divine standards pulled it down. It soon ceased to look anything like a dominion in which God was King; so much so, that a few hundred years later God had to bring an end to the royal line. A Babylonian assault on Jerusalem was near— there was to be no more a visible kingdom of God for a long time. The last monarch was told:

”I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it.him” (Ezekiel 21:27).

That statement was a tremendous forecast of the desolation of the royal line until the greatest heir to the throne should come Jesus Christ! In other words, until the kingdom of God should again appear on the earth.

It is not surprising, therefore, that there was always a remnant of faithful Jews who were looking for a Messiah from the line of King David of the tribe of Judah. The disciples of Jesus were greatly excited at the prospect of the renewed kingdom of God in Israel’s land. After he had been raised from the dead they asked: “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

They were, in fact, in too much of a hurry! They had seen his title “King of the Jews” placarded on the cross outside the city walls of Jerusalem. He had come out of the grave and once more was amongst them, alive and well, indeed immortal, and they were impatient to see the crown on his head and the kingdom of God restored there and then. It was not to be – yet. The gospel of the kingdom had first to be preached to all nations – not only to the Jews. Jesus quietly told them:

“Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Jerusalem – Crossroads of the World

We have seen that the kingdom of God will be focused on a Jewish State with a Jewish king. Now, every king must have a residence, a capital, a central seat of authority. Jerusalem will be that center; and what place more fitting? One thousand years before Christ the Jewish poets declared:

“Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king” (Psalm 48:2).

It will make a superb capital – more central than New York, Moscow or Strasbourg – and convenient to the great land continents of Europe, Africa and Asia.

This kingdom of God is to be a world empire and Jesus Christ the emperor. This was revealed long ago. The prophet Daniel, interpreting a vision which forecast the successive empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, to be followed by a fragmented world of strong and weak governments leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ, pictured God’s agent in the form of a ”stone” descending to crush the rebellious nations at the time of the end:

“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 for ever” (Daniel 2:44).

Here is another prophetic statement:

“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11: 15).

Judgments on the World

Before we go any further let us remember that the return of Jesus Christ will bring its terrors as well as its blessings. The takeover of the nations will not be accomplished without much resistance. Let us note four aspects:

1. ”AII nations” gather against Israel but Jesus will destroy the invaders (Zechariah 14; Ezekiel 38, 39).

2. Jerusalem will suffer a major earthquake, with devastating results, when ”his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives” (Zechariah 14:4).

3. Some governments will challenge Christ and will “set themselves against the Lord and against his anointed” (Psalm 2:2), but there will be judgments on those who oppose Christ (Isaiah 34; Revelation 18).

4. There will be a resurrection and judgment. Loud will be the cries of those who are rejected, who had the opportunity, but rejected it! On the other hand, what joy for those to whom the King will say: “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

Readers will find more details on these traumatic happenings in the companion booklets Christ is Coming!, Your Share in God’s Promises and Raised to Judgment.

The Kingdom Begins

With these events over and the King having led his triumphal army of faithful followers into Jerusalem, the real work of Christ’s kingdom can begin. There is a new temple to be built and the tribes of Israel are to be allocated their respective divisions in the land of Israel.

National ambassadors will begin to arrive to pay their respects to the King: “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba (Arabs) shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him” (Psalm 72:10-1 1). Even the survivors of those enemies which invaded the holy city will come to worship, for “everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).

Nations will be rallying their peoples: ”Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”. They will do this because:

“He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

The effect of this education will be remarkable. Nations will ”beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” – a colorful way of describing disarmament. There will be no more war.

The People of the Kingdom

We ought to clarify one or two matters about the inhabitants of the kingdom of God. There will be two kinds of people: firstly, the rulers and spiritual leaders, who will be immortal (that is, never-dying) and, secondly, the citizens of the kingdom, who will be mortal (that is, subject to death).

The first group will include Jesus, the universal king; Abraham, David and other great ”worthies”, who will have positions of honor in the empire, the twelve Apostles, and the faithful followers of Jesus – the ”saints” – who will be the administrative rulers and educators of the new age.

The second group will consist of the mortal peoples of the world who, at Christ’s return, survive the judgments on the earth and are willing for Jesus to be their king. This will include Jews who are allowed to live in Israel.

The Immortals

Immortality is the gift of everlasting life that God will give to those who have faithfully obeyed and practiced His commandments those of all ages of history up to the return of Jesus to the earth. These will be those who are:

“Redeemed . . . out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation . . . and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth . . . They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 5:9,10; 20:4).

We must not think of an immortal being as something like a ghost. Jesus, after his resurrection, was immortal; but he ate and drank with his followers and showed himself to have remarkable physical powers. The immortal body has flesh and bones like others, but is energized by the Spirit of God, suffering no disease or disability.

Jesus, like any wise ruler, will delegate much of the conduct of his empire to others who have been suitably trained. Prominent among those to be closely associated with the King will be the great Biblical examples of faith: men like Abraham, described as the “heir of the world” in Romans 4:13, and ”my servant David shall be their prince for ever” (Ezekiel 37:25). Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, Moses and Samuel, will be there; women, too: Sarah, Rahab and Ruth, Mary and Elisabeth.

Rulers with Christ

There will be a special role for the Lord’s twelve apostles – as he promised:

“Ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).

In the book of Daniel, the prophet saw a vision of the kingdom of God on earth, and he was told about those who should be in charge:

“The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever” (7:18).

What is so special about these immortal rulers called “saints”? ”Saint” means a holy or separated one— someone chosen for his dedication to divine principles. Like the men who were first selected and given the Spirit of God to help Moses to govern ancient Israel, they will be ”able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness”. But with one big difference: those in times past died – but the rulers of the future will not die, and their qualities will not be lost with age.

The King will have the discernment to select the right men or women for the jobs on hand and to utilize the skills of mind and body which they began to develop during their service in this present life.

The Quality of Eternal Life

Eternal life will convey marvelous benefits on these governors and teachers. With healthy minds and physically perfect bodies, they will not suffer the crippling effects of disease or disablement: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more: neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat . . . and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7: 16-17). Like their Master, they will ”know what is in men’s hearts” and, with the unerring ability to diagnose the source of human problems, will have the capacity to root out trouble-makers and to promote trust between neighbors. Think what that could accomplish in some of the world’s present trouble-spots!

What a transformation will begin to work its way across the earth when Christ’s immortal administrators are sent out from Jerusalem. New laws, based on Biblical principles, will have the effect of cutting through partisan politics and will rapidly remove the cause of so much bigotry among contesting religions.

A Thousand Years of Peace

Of course, it will take time for adjustments to be made and for people to see the benefits to their way of life. It will not happen overnight; but there is to be a period of one thousand years for the glorious ”refreshing” of the earth’s peoples before God’s program is complete.

We must not think of the coming age as a fanciful, too-good-to-be-true fairyland. It will be a very real world, peopled with those who have survived the judgments and have come to accept that Christ is a world ruler who for the good of the whole civilization, is prepared to rule with “a rod of iron”. But the mortal nations will still have their own characteristics and cultures, and their own racial backgrounds. The rulers will have the gift of speaking in other languages; but it may be some time before the world’s dialects are completely changed into the one universal language that will reverse the confusion of Babel (see Genesis 11) and allow the suspicions and difficulties of multi-language communication to be dispersed.

A Fair System of Justice

At every level of civilization throughout the world there are forces at work which undermine happy and rewarding co-existence between people. No ideology, capitalism or communism, even the tyranny of cruel despots, has been able to handle them. They are the forces of greed, corruption, subversion, bribery and personal power. All this is going to change. There will be justice for the poor and the under-privileged will get fair treatment. Jesus will see to that:

”He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” (Isaiah 1 1 :3-4).

When “princes shall rule in judgment” (Isaiah 32:1) the whole balance of society will change: no longer one law for the rich and one for the poor! The same rules will apply whether you live in Washington, Moscow or Peking, because they will be based on the Sermon on the Mount and on divine principles laid down by the King and his court in Jerusalem.

How will this affect the lives of the people? When criminals and hooligans perceive that the judges can see right through them and that the punishment will always fit the crime, the majority will soon learn that loving one’s neighbor and the virtues of honesty and truth are much to be preferred in the attainment of a happy and prosperous life. Not only does it mean that families and neighbors can live in complete harmony but it will spill over into a release from national and international tensions. As Isaiah said: ”The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (Isaiah 32:17).

The restraints imposed by the immortal rulers will prevent the worst excesses of human nature. Unrepentant sinners will suffer summary execution and the otherwise long lives which people might enjoy will be cut short. ”With the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” and “The sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed” (Isaiah 11:4; 65:20).

Good Health

Isaiah also tells us that:

“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old” (65:20).

This suggests that infant mortality, which is still a scourge in many developing countries, will be wiped out. If someone only reaches the age of 100 he will still be accounted a child. What a change from the present, when life expectancy in some countries is only 40 years or so, and even in the medically advanced countries it only attains what the Psalmist described as “three score years and ten”. Childhood will be a joy, and old age no disgrace, for, “there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof” (Zechariah 8:4, 5).

If Jesus, the Great Physician, in his first ministry could heal the sick, cure blindness-from-birth, make cripples walk, exorcise mental disorders and raise people from the dead, then there is every certainty that he and his aides will do that, and more, in the future. When the people of the world are moved to turn to divine standards and to seek help in the right quarter, then scourges like cancer and heart disease will disappear. When families again have a reverence for the sanctity of marriage and for correct sexual behavior then pestilences like AIDS will no more afflict the nations. The good news is that:

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb

sing” (Isaiah 35:5-6).

World Resources for the Good of All

It is a sad commentary on our modern civilization that despite large deposits of minerals and the abundant potential in the soil for the production of food, man seems unable to feed the ever-growing population. He cannot distribute the resources or organize the labor so that everyone can have satisfying work and lead a prosperous and contented life. But it can be done! The resources have been there since the Creator designed this bountiful earth. What it needs are right-minded people, with the commitment and authority to solve the physical problems and to organize the bounty.

It is worth remembering that Jesus was a great organizer as well as a great teacher. What he could do in feeding thousands of men, women and children in well ordered groups of fifty or a hundred, with a dozen assistants, he will surely do among the starving millions when he is God’s King on earth. The heart-rending scenes we have seen reported from Ethiopia or Mozambique or Bangladesh will be a thing of the past. No food mountains will rot in European storehouses; no American crops will be burned because the sale price is too low.

The Bible foresees the curse on the ground being removed, and plentiful crops for all who will labor for them. ”There shall be an handful of corn . . . upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon”, said king David (Psalm 72:16). ”The mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters”, said Joel (3:18; see also Amos 9: 13). The farmer’s crops will be abundant, for “the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew” (Zechariah 8:12).

Then there is the prophet Isaiah’s vision of the desert rejoicing and blossoming as the rose (35:1). Think of the vast areas of Africa, the Middle East and Asia where every year the sands are encroaching on fertile ground and millions are dying. Governments seem unable to spend the huge sums of money necessary to bring up the water that often lies just below the surface! Then what a blessing it will be for desert peoples to be engaged in huge irrigation schemes and to benefit from the new fertility of their lands. These are the wonderful things that will be possible in the kingdom of God.

Living Life to the Full

There will be less concentration of population in large cities: city-dwellers moving out into pasture and woodland areas made available by worldwide conservation schemes. God has never encouraged people to live in large cities, where the worst traits of humanity are expressed and where evil men hide in dark places. On the other hand when, under the improved conditions of Christ’s reign, human fitness reaches its peak and men’s minds are expanded to their full potential, there will be abundant room for utilizing those skills, to the tremendous benefit of all the world’s inhabitants. Everyone will achieve what we call ‘job-satisfaction’:

”They shall build houses, and inhabit them (a contrast with former times!); and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands” (Isaiah 65:21-22).

Arabs Working with Jews

One of the most joyful prospects will be the harmony that will exist between ancient enemies. The prophet’s vision of the wolf and the lamb feeding together is not only a beautiful description of a restored harmony between man and the animal creation, but it also has a special reference to future peace between previously warring nations. Isaiah speaks of the Arabs, coming to Jerusalem to “shew forth the praises of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6). He pictures them helping to build up the walls of the new city, working with their former half-brothers, the Jews, and feeding their flocks and becoming farmers and vine dressers. That will be a wonderful reversal of the present state of affairs in the Middle East: a fulfillment of major promises which God made long ago to the Arab branch of Abraham’s family.

How Long will it Last?

Will this benevolent state of affairs last for ever? In the sense that God has designed the earth for man to live on for ever, the answer is: Yes. But Christ’s kingdom, controlled by ever-living rulers, will still have a predominantly mortal populace. That is to say, human propensities and sinfulness will still be there and that is why God has set a time limit on it. By God’s reckoning it will take one thousand years fully to educate the inhabitants of the world to divine standards of behavior. By then they will have a long-term understanding of the marvelous benefits to be enjoyed by possessing eternal life themselves.

Eventually the Millennium must come to an end. It will be marked by a deliberate easing of the King’s strong reign in order to allow vestiges of rebellion among some of his subjects to come to the surface in a final desperate challenge to his will (see Revelation 20). These disloyal subjects will attack Jerusalem, but will be utterly destroyed. It will be mankind’s last death fling. It will provide the necessary marker, a millennium-end “sign of the times”, to the people of the world that the finale is about to take place.

When the rebellion is over, Christ’s work as Savior and King is nearly done. The dead of a thousand years must be raised from their graves, to meet again their King and Judge:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened . . . and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:1 2 ).

Alongside those raised will stand the millions who are living. They must now await Christ’s righteous judgment. The rebels and those who represent the worst elements of human nature will die, consigned to the ”lake of fire”, the death from which there is no returning. On the other hand, the faithful subjects of Christ’s kingdom on earth will then receive their reward, everlasting life, just as their rulers had done a thousand years before.

”Thy kingdom come”

Following these dramatic events, the earth is to be inhabited only by men and women who possess eternal life. The work of the Lord Jesus as King is done. He has no mortal subjects to reign over and the great destroyers of man’s potential, sin and death, have been conquered. God’s will is now truly done on earth, and the “Lord’s prayer” has been answered. The Apostle Paul summed it up in 1 Corinthians 15:

“Then cometh the end, when he (Jesus) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death . . . And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all” (verses 24-28).

We may find it difficult to think that far ahead, or to visualize what is meant by God being “all in all”. But it will be the climax of the Creator’s great purpose with the earth – and it will be very wonderful!

“As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Numbers 14:21).

Don’t let this marvelous future slip away from you! Jesus will be here soon. Please, read your Bible, and pray with all your heart:

”Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

“There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known what shall be in the latter days” – (Daniel 2:28)

The World Your Child Will Inherit

Every thinking man and woman should be deeply concerned at the ominous drift of world conditions.

We do not mean in international relationships merely, but in the steep decline of moral standards that forms the social environment in which we and our children live.

The present state of things has so gradually stolen upon the world that the full extent of deterioration has gone largely unheeded; but if we were in a position to compare conditions of 40 years ago with those of today, we would instantly recognize how sharp has been the decline. Consider these facts:

• Today crime is increasing at such a rate that it cannot be effectively controlled, and the problem is steadily mounting.

• Despite unparalleled affluence, dissatisfaction is rife, suicide is on the increase, and in the U.S., one occurs every 27 minutes, whilst four unsuccessful attempts take place at the same time.
• In every country, violence on the roads is attaining new records; more people are killed in accidents than in war.
• Complete disunity characterizes national life, thus America is hopelessly divided between the whites and coloreds, and violence is continuously erupting in all ports of the world.
• Immorality, pornography, permissiveness, drug addictions are on the increase. With many, the sanctity of marriage is no longer respected; premarital sexual relationships are common; and “literature” openly encourages the lowering of moral restraint.
• In this age of marriage counselors, psychologists, guidance clinics, and frank sex education – divorce, marital unhappiness, child delinquency, and illegitimacy have never been higher!
• Discipline has broken down with the decline in family life, so that teenage students are governed by mob hysteria manifested by turbulence and violence. Even the universities, the very seat of education, are noted for their indiscipline.
• International morality is in a deplorable state. Brutal violence is the weapon used to intimidate; people are shot down in cold blood, terrorism has become almost a way of life.
• In this age of steeply rising costs, the cheapest commodity is human life itself.
• With increasing world population, particularly in eastern countries, it is assessed that within 50 years, starvation will be rife and a gigantic struggle will break out for control of the arable areas of the globe.
• And over this world of mad hatreds hangs the black, threatening cloud of nuclear war.

What Can Be Done?

The above is a brief sketch of the world your child will inherit. In addition, there is a personal problem.

Every one of us has an incurable disease that will one day bring us to the grave: it is the dread disease of mortality. Man seeks by scientific research to conquer this, but he makes no progress. Though progress has been made in medical knowledge and surgery, the diseases that today are attacking humanity are more deep-seated and terrible than ever before. Heart, cancer, blood deficiencies, are some of the deep-seated afflictions that are on the increase, and that seem to defy man with all his knowledge.

Your only hope is the salvation offered in Christ Jesus through a physical resurrection from the dead to life eternal.

The only hope for your child is an education in spiritual truths that will enable him to face up to the challenges and pressures that he will inevitably find in the world as he grows up.

In other words, to counter the forces that surround us, and threaten to destroy us, we must turn to the Bible.

We can do so with every confidence, for fulfilling Bible prophecy in our own day enables us to see that what it proclaims will surely come to pass.

Prophecies Fulfilling Today

Take but two prophetic statements of the Lord Jesus, and compare them with conditions that are currently familiar to us.

He declared that “as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37-29). The record in Genesis 6 reveals that the days of Noah were noted for a decline of morality (Genesis 6:2-3), widespread wickedness (Genesis 6:5), universal violence (Genesis 6:11), the corruption of Divine principles (Genesis 6:12), and the imminence of a cataclysmic crisis that destroyed that civilization.

What are the conditions today?

Similar to those that prevailed in the days of Noah!

Again Christ declared: “As it was in the days of Lot (in Sodom) … even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:28-30).

Today, on a scale never known to history – with greed, brutality, beastliness, and criminal instincts in the ascendancy – the history of Sodom is being repeated, even to the legalizing of homosexuality, and the world is heading towards a terrible crisis that will overwhelm civilization, as it did Sodom.

Sodom’s sin was not merely immorality; but the general attitude towards it; it was immoral with shame or any attempt to hide it (Isaiah 3:9). People openly supported the wicked in opposition to the righteous (Jeremiah 23:14), as is done today. The people of Sodom manifested “pride” induced by “fullness of bread and abundance of idleness” (Ezekiel 16:49).

In this age of scientific development, widespread affluence and an ever shortening working week, the world is experiencing similar conditions to those of Sodom.

We may well ask, what on earth is wrong with the world? To gain an answer we must turn to Bible prophecy.

World History Outlined

The purpose of God, as far as the earth is concerned, is clearly revealed in a remarkable prophecy contained in Daniel 2. Every confidence can be placed in it inasmuch as most of the prophecy has been fulfilled.

In a few verses, it outlines world history since the days of Daniel to the present, and on to the future.

Daniel the prophet was taken a captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. That mighty Babylonian monarch had brought the whole world to his feet, and was concerned as to what might be the destiny of the empire he had established. God revealed the answer through a remarkable dream in which the king was shown the Divine plan of the ages.

The king, however, did not understand the dream. He sought the assistance of the “wise men of Babylon”, and demanding as an evidence of their ability to correctly interpret it, that they first tell him the dream and then explain it. Naturally, they were unable to do this, and in his anger and disappointment, the king issued a royal edict against them, threatening them with death if they did not reveal the desired information within a given period.

Daniel was among those involved in this edict. He made his plight a matter of prayer. The God of Israel answered him, revealing the dream to the prophet, and making known to him its interpretation.

Armed with this knowledge, Daniel sought an audience with the king, and revealed unto him the desired information:

“Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. The image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly and thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:31-35).

This was the dream as the king instantly recognized. Daniel continued by giving the interpretation. He showed that the four different metals of the image represented four world empires that would arise: the 10 toes represented a multiplicity of nations that would replace the fourth empire; and the stone which smote the image and completely destroyed and supplanted it, represented the Kingdom of God which shall be set up on earth, overthrowing the kingdom of men.

Here is Daniel’s interpretation:

“Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory … and hath made thee ruler over all. THOU 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. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron; forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things. … And whereas thou sawest the feet and the toes, part of potter’s clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of iron … but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 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 … The great God hath made known what SHALL BE HEREAFTER: and the DREAM IS CERTAIN, AND THE INTERPRETATION THEREOF SURE” (Daniel 2:37-44).

A brief consideration of this prophecy will reveal that it outlines the history of the world leading to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. It predicts the uprise of four world powers followed by a time when individual and antagonistic nations shall arise prior to divine intervention upon the setting up of God’s reign on earth.

Babylon: The Head of Gold

“Thou art this head of gold,” declared the prophet in interpreting the vision. Nebuchadnezzar stood as a symbol of Babylon. He was a competent general, whose military exploits laid the foundation of one of the most magnificent empires the world has known. The mighty power of Assyria submitted to him; the smaller nations of the Middle East: Syria, Lebanon, Moab, Ammon and Israel, were conquered: the ancient power of Egypt acknowledged his sovereignty. Throughout the earth, Babylon was dominant.

At great expense, and with slave-labour recruited from the conquered nations, Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt and fortified the city of Babylon, intending that it should become the permanent metropolis of the earth. The vain boast of the king was: “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of my kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30)

But already the answer had been given in Scripture. Over 100 years before Nebuchadnezzar rose to power, Isaiah the prophet had declared:

“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldee’s excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” (Isaiah 13:19).

The desolate ruins of Babylon today, on the banks of the Euphrates in Iraq, testify to the truth of these words.

Nebuchadnezzar rose to power in the 606 B.C., and Babylonish power came to an end 70 years later in 536 B.C. when Cyrus of Persia conquered the city.

The golden head of the image had given way to the breast and arms of silver!

Medo-Persia: The Breast and Arms of Silver

Babylon was conquered by the joint armies of Darius of Media and Cyrus of Persia, and world power passed to the joint kingdom of Medo-Persia.

Daniel described the “breast and arms of silver” as “another inferior kingdom” that would arise.

Persia was “inferior” to Babylon in wealth, luxury and magnificence, but not in duration. The empire continued for 203 years until its power was superseded by that of Greece. It was appropriately identified with silver, for, according to the historian Herodotus, the taxation and tribute was paid to Persian authorities in silver tablets.

In the year B.C. 333, at the battle of Issus, the power of Persia was broken by Alexander the Great of Greece.

Greece: The Belly and Thighs of Brass

“Another third kingdom of brass shall bear rule over all the earth,” declared Daniel. By such expressions as this, he clearly showed the king, that the diverse metals in the image represented different world powers.

In the year 333 B.C., Persia gave way to Greece as a world power. Greece was noted for brass or copper, which featured in the armor of its soldiers, who, in consequence, were called the “brazen-coated Greeks.”

Alexander the Great of Macedon was on of the most successful generals in history. Swiftly he extended his conquests throughout the world, until, as legend has it, “he wept because there were no more worlds to conquer.”

But his triumph was shortlived. He died at the age of 33, during the course of a drinking bout in Babylon, after his army had incurred terrible sufferings in an attack deep into India. Upon his death, the Grecian Empire declined. His empire was divided up by his four generals who proceeded to wage war upon each other. And ultimately they were each in turn conquered by a new power that arose from the west: Rome.

Rome: The Legs of Iron

“The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, breaking in pieces and subduing all things,” declared Daniel (Daniel 2:40). These words describe the ruthlessness of Rome in its march to world power. Its legions triumphantly carried the flying eagle (the symbol of Roman power) in all directions. Gaul, Spain, Britain, Europe, Syria, Mesopotamia, Egypt, were all conquered in turn.

Under Augustus Caesar, the confines of the Empire were pushed to the Rhine, and at his death it covered an area 100 times greater than the original State.

Rome was never conquered by a foreign power; it deteriorated from within. And this is indicated in the amazing prophecy of Daniel. No longer does he speak of another universal empire taking over; he indicates that there will be four world powers, and then a division: first into two parts (the legs of the image), and then into many parts (the toes of the image).

And time has completely vindicated the prophecy. In the fourth century A.D., the capital of the Roman Empire was transferred from the city of Rome to Constantinople in the east. Ultimately the Empire became divided into two parts: Eastern and Western Rome, answering to the two legs of iron, seen in the vision of Daniel 2.

Rome Destroys Jerusalem

Rome encouraged plunder from the conquered cities and states. It became a parasite feeding on its dependencies. Its legions marched into Palestine, and destroyed Jerusalem, as Christ had prophesied. He declared:

“They (the Jewish people) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).

In A.D. 68, war broke out between Rome and Judah. It was a most sanguinary conflict in which quarter was neither asked nor given on either side. Jerusalem was besieged, and the city reduced to terrible straits. Over a million Jews perished in the holocaust. In A.D. 70 it fell, to be ultimately destroyed by the Romans, and its people, the Jews, were taken captive into all nations.

But they were never destroyed; they retained their identity. This, also, is in accordance with the purpose of God. Notice that Jesus limited the period of the downtreading of Jerusalem, and the scattering of its people, by the use of the word, “until …” Today, the Jewish people are returning to the land, and Jerusalem itself has been freed from foreign domination. For the first time, in over 2,000 years, the Jews are again masters of the city, indicating that “the times of the Gentiles” are about to “be fulfilled.”

Why was Rome permitted to gain the ascendancy over Jewry and Jerusalem?

Because of their opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ. When even Pilate wanted to free him, they demanded his crucifixion, impiously declaring: “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15), “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25).

They were given into the hands of Caesar, and paid the terrible penalty in blood.

They were mistaken in Christ. They desired a Messiah who would deliver them from Rome; they did not comprehend that though Christ will ultimately reign from Jerusalem as King, and will “rebuke strong nations” (Micah 4:1-3), bringing all dominions into subjection to his rule (Isaiah 2:2-4; 60:12; Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 11:15), he had first to provide the means for individual salvation. At his first advent, he came as “the lamb of God” to take away “the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He will come again (Acts 1:11), to reward the faithful (Romans 2:7,16), to bring about national redemption (Acts 15:16-17; Jeremiah 23:6-8), and to establish the Kingdom of God upon the earth.

The Uprise of Christianity

The Son of God was born in turbulent times. He had come to save his people, but was considered a revolutionary and slain.

Three days later, however, he rose from the dead, and proclaimed himself as having the keys of the grave and of death (Revelation 1:18).

But he was rejected by the Jews, and this brought about the development of Christianity. This had been predicted by Isaiah:

“It is a light thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob; and restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

Rejected by the Jews, the message of salvation was eagerly embraced by Gentiles, and the foundation of Christianity laid in the preaching of the Apostles.

Rome Versus Christianity

Rome, particularly under Nero, made determined efforts to stamp out this new sect, but instead it conquered Rome. The arms of the Empire had widened the borders and extended the scope of human experience, as well-made military roads made possible easy access to all parts of the wide-flung Empire. Those roads heard the tramp of marching legions, and also the preaching of the Apostles, calling upon people to separate themselves from Gentilism and give themselves unto God (Acts 15:14). They proclaimed the hope of a risen Christ who will return to put down all rule and authority, and to assume his rightful place as King over the earth (Acts 2:30; 3:19-21; Isaiah 9:7; Zechariah 14:9), at which time he will raise his faithful servants from the grave to inherit life eternal (I Corinthians 15:20, 51-58).

The world was turned “upside down” by the power of this message (Acts 17:6). In fact, it is claimed that the preaching of the Gospel was a part cause of Rome’s decline. The early Christians were conscientious objectors; they disregarded the call to war. The Gospel had caused them to turn from seeking the things of the world, to seeking salvation at Christ’s coming. This was a stumbling block to national aspirations and ambitions, and Gibbon, the historian, traces the victory of Christianity as partly the cause of Rome’s collapse.

But in the end it was paganism that conquered. The prophecy of Paul was fulfilled in that he predicted the rise of false teachers (Acts 20:29-31) and apostasy (I Timothy 4:1-3; II Timothy 4:1-4).

Christianity gave way to a divided and antagonistic Christendom which perverted the original Apostolic faith. Pagan doctrines (such as the immortality of the soul, the trinity, etc.) were superimposed upon the truth, and the two main cities of the Empire – Rome and Constantinople – became the headquarters of the Greek and Roman Catholic systems, which divided the Empire ecclesiastically as it also became divided politically.

Thus the Empire was separated into its western and eastern divisions, as foreshadowed by the two legs of iron in the image-vision recorded in Daniel 2. The prophecy clearly and correctly predicted the course of human history.

Divided Europe: The Toes of Iron and Clay

Meanwhile, hordes of barbarians from the east, pressed heavily upon the northern borders of the Roman Empire. Some were absorbed therein; others made inroads by force of arms. In 476 A.D. Rome was occupied by Odoacer, King of the Heruli. But the Empire as such was never really conquered; it disintegrated. It became divided by factions, and in course of time, 10 smaller nations, answering to the 10 toes of the image, quarrelled over the corpse of the Empire, and laid the foundation for modern Europe.

The Papacy arose to unite these independent nations by religion and force of arms, so that the Holy Roman Empire was established in the west. But politically, the old Empire was replaced by a number of quarrelling smaller nations, independent of each other, some strong and others weak. It answered to the requirements of Daniel 2:

“As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” (Daniel 2:42-43)

“Iron and clay”: Imperialism and Communism: “partly strong, partly broken”: some powerful, some weak; “shall not cleave, nor mix:” a disrupted divided state among the nations.

These are the requirements of the prophecy, and they are exhibited in the world conditions today.

Since the Roman Empire broke up, there has arisen no power capable of welding the diverse nations of Europe into one strong, united power. The Continent remains disunited with some nations strong and others weak. Several have attempted to revive the Roman Empire, but all have failed. Frederick the Great, Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, all saw it as an objective, but destiny was against them. Others have attempted to bring unity through such organizations as the League of Nations and the United Nations Organization, but failure has underlined these efforts also.

The prophecy of Daniel 2 has been completely vindicated by 2,500 years of history. He predicted the uprise of four great world empires known to history as Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, and then correctly showed that these would be followed by a number of independent and antagonistic nations.

The remarkable fulfillment of his prophecy shows that every confidence can be placed in the predictions of the Bible, and that they do reveal the shape of things to come. The Bible constitutes the light of truth and Divine revelation in the midst of the darkness of man’s philosophy and rule. Individual salvation is promised in its pages, for all who will embrace its truth, and fulfil the requirements of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16).

Russian Confederacy: The Image United

As King Nebuchadnezzar listened to the words of the prophet, and recalled the dream he had of the warrior-image (Daniel 2:31), he was enabled to anticipate the course of world history. He saw in the head of gold, the glory of Babylon; in the breast and arms of silver, the might of the Persian Empire that would succeed it; in the belly and thighs of brass, a reference to the swift conquests of the Grecian Empire; in the legs of iron, the ruthless power of Rome; in the feet and toes of iron and clay, the divided state of modern Europe.

But, in addition, he saw the image standing upon its feet as a united whole, and then witnessed a “stone” divinely “cut out of a mountain” which “smote the image upon his feet,” causing the top-heavy structure to fall and be broken into pieces. The stone then grew, and crushing the metals of the image into powder which the wind blew away, it became a mountain and filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:34-35,45).

In recording these things, Daniel told the king that “the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter” (Daniel 2:45), in “the latter days” (Daniel 2:28).

How is the Image to be united together and stand upon its feet?

Only by the confederation together of the various parts of the image which are at present anatagonistic; that is, by the uniting together of the various nations that currently exist upon the territories covered by the image.

How is this to be done?

Bible prophecy reveals that Russia will accomplish it. Russia will subdue Turkey, and incorporate Persia under its influence. She will extend her power westward, until all Europe bows before her as those nations behind the Iron Curtain do already. By mutual compromise, Rome and Russia will come to agreement, and the image will again be caused to stand upon its feet.

Ezekiel 38 shows that Russia will weld all the modern powers found on the territories represented by the image, into one great military confederations bent on world domination. The prophecy speaks of this mighty power “from the north” (Ezekiel 28:15), coming against the “people of Israel” (Ezekiel 28:16), and involving “all nations” in war (Zechariah 14:1). The Middle East will thus become the battle ground of nations, but the issue will be resolved to the glory of God and to the praise of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, current Russian intrigue in the Middle East, the extension of her power deep into the west of Europe, and the bitter and unremitting antagonism that she shows towards the English speaking world, are straws in the wind showing that these prophecies are about to be fulfilled. Everything is happening in accordance with the predictions of the Bible and as its students have anticipated, and placed on record for over 100 years.

The Kingdom of God: The Stone That Became a Mountain

But Russia will fail in her attack on Jerusalem and the Middle East because her ambitions run counter to God’s purpose. He has not arranged for the modern revival of Israel that Russia might take over; the Jewish return to the land is in preparation for the establishment of the Kingdom of God under Christ the King. Russia will only be permitted to involve the Middle East in war in order to humble the Jewish people, and force them to seek the help of God and of Christ, whom they have ignored and opposed for so long (Jeremiah 30:4-9; Ezekiel 37:21-22).

Russia will fail because of what was revealed in the image-prophecy of Daniel 2. The king, in his dream, had seen a “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” (Daniel 2:45) smite the image on the feet, and destroy it. The stone then became itself a mountain, and “filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:35).

This stone represented the Kingdom of God, as Daniel told the king. It was “cut out of the mountain, without hands” or without human agency, because the nucleus of the Kingdom is through Divine instrumentality.

Its nucleus is Christ the king, and those who will reign with him. The latter are those who embrace Divine truth, and are obedient to the Divine will. Their destiny is to be and to be raised from the dead to incorruptibility (I Corinthians 15:51-58), and to reign with Christ on earth (I Corinthians 15:22-25). They are pictured as saying:

“Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and WE SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH” (Revelation 5:9-10).

Again:

“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4,6).

The stone is represented as crushing the image and growing into a mountain that fills the whole earth, because the Kingdom of God will only be established by the exercise of Divine power. Christ returns as the Lion of God (Revelation 5:5), to manifest Divine power in the subjugation of the nations. The Scriptures declare:

“In righteousness he doth judge and make war” (Revelation 19:11).

He shall “destroy them which (would) destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18).

“The kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

“The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted” (Isaiah 60:12).

“Yea all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him” (Psalm 72:11).

“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 1:8).

“God hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

“The Lord shall be king over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9).

And now take heed of Daniel’s interpretation of the “stone” smiting the image:

“In the days of these kings (divided Europe) 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 for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone … brake in pieces the iron, brass, clay, silver and gold; the great God hath made known what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:44-45).

This is the clear, certain declaration of God’s purpose, forming a key to the interpretation of the Bible. It required the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus to the earth (Acts 1:11; 3:19-20; Revelation 1:7; 22:12), and the establishment thereon of a Divine kingdom that will bring man’s rule to a complete end.

This clear declaration of Scripture promises a most desirable, happy consummation to the present evil state. It provides a satisfactory solution to the deterioration in moral and other conditions evident in the earth today, whilst, at the same time, giving men and women of faith an incentive to obey Christ.

This is the hopeful future to which the world will ultimately come, and towards which a true Bible student can look with joy. An understanding of these things can enrich your life, and provide your children with a spiritual heritage that will enable all the family to look beyond the iron curtain of trouble that encloses most people today, to the glorious Divine purpose when Christ will reign from Jerusalem over a world at peace (Jeremiah 3:17). In another place, Daniel declared:

“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Daniel 7:27).

Here, again, is a clear declaration of the Divine purpose. And notice, that the kingdom embraces that which is “under the whole heaven,” or, in other words, on the earth. “Blessed are the meek,” declared Christ, “for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). The meek are those who “receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save their souls” or lives (James 1:21). They “search the Scriptures” with “readiness of mind,” to see whether these things are so, and when they find them so, the “believe” and act (Acts 17:11).

Thus in truth, sincerity and understanding, they utter the Lord’s prayer: “Thy kingdom come, that Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”

The conditions that will then exist on earth are predicted in the words of Isaiah 2:2-4:

“It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established (a Temple of worship in Jerusalem) … and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:2-4).

Consider the state of things thus pictured: one unifying religion; people heeding the Word of God and walking in righteousness; nations in subjection to Divine law; perfect peace replacing the antagonism and bloodshed of today!

A changed world; a new world order to the glory of God and wellbeing of man.

That is the destiny the world is coming to in the mercy of God! And you can be a participant in it if you seek God’s way.

What Does This Mean To Us?

A consideration of Daniel’s prophecy will make manifest that the course of history reveals a Divine purpose that is bringing humanity slowly but surely to the point where God will intervene in world events, to set up His kingdom on the earth.

The realization of this constitutes a challenge to each one of us. It is good to know that God has a plan for the world, and in due time He will move to establish His purpose and rid the world of current evils; it is comforting to learn that the wise administration of Christ will result in “glory to God in the highest, and upon earth peace and goodwill towards men;” but that is no guarantee that we will participate therein. If we desire to enjoy the benefits of that time we must do something about it now.

Paul declared that the Gospel “is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16); and Jesus instructed the Apostles to “go into all the world and preach the gospel: he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).

To believe the Gospel, we must come to understand the Bible. But that is not so easy as may first appear. There are so many different sects and religions, each claiming to proclaim the truth, that one despairs of attaining unto it. That is the challenge each one of us must face. If salvation is worth having, it is worth seeking, and that is what each one of us must do. If we were suddenly faced with a serious illness that threatened our life, we would leave no stone unturned in seeking an effective remedy. Each one of us has a serious illness: mortality! We need to seek a remedy. It is found only in one place, and we must, with independence of mind, search the pages of the Bible to attain unto an understanding of the will and purpose of God, that we might obey and embrace it.

To that end, we offer our services. We believe that we can place before you a simple key that will enable you to come to a better understanding of the Bible, and become your own interpreter of its glorious message. We shall be delighted to help you in that regard, and suggest that you write to us at the address found at the bottom of this page or use the “Contact Us” link to the left. There is no monetary obligation associated with this offer: no tithes to pay nor subscriptions to meet; all we need is a little of your time, that we might show you something more of the wonders of the prophecies of the Bible, and set before you the simple Gospel message that runs as a golden thread of truth through the Bible.

Is not eternal life worth a few moments of your time now?

We remind you again: the times are significant; the issues are vital; you owe it to yourself and your family to seek God’s way.