Last Updated on May 20, 2024 10:17 AM by herald
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Galatians 1: 8-9
After that very stern, emphatic warning from the Apostle Paul to the Galatians, one would have to be either very foolish or extremely brave to talk about an “Unpreached Gospel” far less “another gospel”. Especially at this time when there is so much division in the Christian church.
I am not here to preach another gospel…but there are some things about the gospel that are NOT being proclaimed or not being proclaimed fully. That is what I am here to address.
Everything I am going to say is in the Scripture so you can follow along with me because I agree that what we believe must line up with scripture.
For the most part, the church has been faithful in preaching the basic message of salvation: repentance, acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ, baptism, living a godly life and of course, preparing for a place in heaven. All of this is aimed at bringing individuals into a personal relationship with God.
But the singular focus of the church on that aspect of the gospel has led some to miss – or worse, ignore – the much bigger picture and endgame of salvation.
Careful study of several passages in the Bible – both Old Testament and New Testament –will help us understand God’s endgame, so to speak and therefore, the full scope of the gospel. Let’s examine those passages.
A King and Government Promised
The first passage we are going to study is a well-known section of Isaiah: chapter 9 verses 6 -7. It is scripture we read ever so often at Christmas but invariably gloss over. Here is that passage from the New King James version:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. Isaiah 9: 6-7
If we do a content analysis of the seventy-five words in that passage, it becomes very clear, that it contains a substantial number of words, devoted to the single theme of Christ’s government. Here is the result of that content analysis:
“the government will be upon His shoulders” 7 words; “the increase of His government” 5 words and the section: “reign on the throne of David” down to “forevermore” 24 words. That adds up to 36 words, making it just one word short of 50 percent!
In other words, half of this key prophecy is devoted to Christ’s role as head of a government. Perhaps this is an appropriate point at which to explain the main proposition of this message. That proposition is this:
Being a member of the church, meaning the body of Christ on earth – is not the endgame of salvation because the church on earth is a temporary arrangement. The real mission of the church is to help people enter into the Kingdom of God and get ready for the rule of the Kingdom of God on earth.
In other words, the main message of the church should be the same message John the Baptist and Jesus himself proclaimed:
Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Let that sink in for a moment. While you are doing that, get your Bible and open your mind as we study what is written in the Word of God.
Daniel Prophesies the Kingdom
The second major passage relating to the rule of the Kingdom of God is from the Book of Daniel Chapter 2. Here is what verse 44 says:
And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Daniel 2:44 New King James Version
If you read chapter 2 in its entirety it will be clear that the expression “those kings” referred to the major kingdoms or empires that would exist across what is now called the Middle East and therefore, influence the welfare of Israel which is located in that area.
In fact, the reason why Daniel was given Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream and his own dreams to interpret is stated in the book:
Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.” Daniel 10:14 KJV
And from the New Living Translation:
Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.” Daniel 10:14 NLT
Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream of a large multi-sectioned statue was that three other kingdoms were to come after Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian Empire: the Media-Persian Empire, the Grecian empire under Alexander the Great, and the Roman Empire.
Babylon is roughly where Iraq is today. History tells us these four empires existed and held sway over the land of Israel from roughly 605 BC to AD 70.
In Daniel chapter 7, Daniel himself is given a similar dream to the one received by Nebuchadnezzar as well as visions (see Dan 7:1). However, this time it is with four beasts rather than with a statue. Careful study of this chapter will show that it corresponds to, and amplifies on, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
Here is what Daniel saw in his dreams and visions in verses 13 and 14, English Standard Version:
I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. Now take note of verse 14:
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
But there is more; skip down to verses 16, 17 and 18:
16. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17. ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
As we move to our next scripture, remember this expression used in the book of Daniel chapter 2: “in the days of those kings”.
The Kingdom is Set Up
The next set of scripture is found in Matthew Chapter 4 verse 17. The situation is after Jesus has been baptized by John the Baptist and after he was tempted by the devil. The verse reads as follows:
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Ladies and gentlemen, that was the prophecy of Daniel 2:44 being fulfilled -the prophecy of the setup of the Kingdom of God on the earth! It was the same message being preached by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:2.
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
Some translations render the expression “is at hand” as “is near you”. But as Daniel had prophesied, the kingdom of God on earth would be set up in, “the days of those four kings”. Jesus was born in the fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the Roman Empire!
But this was only the beginning. Not only was Jesus going to die for our sins, but in that one ac,t he was going to deal the kingdom of darkness a double-whammy knockout blow. We pick up the point at Luke 4: 5- 8
5.The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6.And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8.Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
First, take careful note that Jesus did not refute Satan’s claim that authority in the earth had been forfeited to him. That forfeiture occurred when Adam disobeyed God, thereby activating a principle laid out Scripture in Romans 6:16. For this reason, Scripture elsewhere calls Satan “the god of this world”.
We have explained this forfeiture and its link to the redemptive work of Jesus in detail in the five-part video series, ‘Why Jesus is called Last Adam” which is available on Rumble and Youtube.
Second, note that authority is vested primarily in kingdoms or governments. Governmental authority is not an evil in itself because it was not invented by man. But it certainly can be used for evil or for good.
Third, the Devil is able to distribute that authority to those he chooses; those who will do his bidding. That might partially explain why so many people in government – politicians and other officials – gravitate towards Satanism or Masonic Lodges.
Fast forward now to Matthew 28:18 where Jesus is speaking in one of his appearances after his resurrection:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”.
Did you get that? The same dominion over the kingdoms of the world the Devil was offering Jesus is the same dominion God gave to Jesus for obeying him even to the point of death on the cross, as declared in Philippians 2:8. Checkmate!
But there is more. In 1 Corinthians 15:45 Paul describes Jesus by the unique title the “Last Adam”. Here are his exact words:
So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
Not only had Jesus been given all power and authority in heaven and earth but by acting as a substitute for Adam, he recovered the dominion or authority originally given to the first Adam but forfeited to the Devil. What an awesome plan from the mind of God!
That recovered authority is now available to all true believers, – all citizens of the Kingdom of God – to use here on earth.
Jesus gave a taste of that authority to the disciples as he sent them out, even before he made that announcement in Matthew 28:18. This is found in Luke 9:1
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. Luke 9:1
In Luke chapter 10, after the disciples returned from their mission in a victorious spirit, Jesus gave even further power and authority.
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Luke 10:18-19
After His resurrection, Jesus announced an even wider range of power and authority for ALL believers. ALL includes anyone who will become a believer in the future. That includes both you and me – if you can receive it. This is found in Mark’s version of the Great Commission:
And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16: 17 &18
The Kingdom is Ruling!
Every time we repeat the Lord’s prayer, we ask for God’s kingdom to come. But as we now know, even as Jesus was teaching his disciples this prayer, he was setting up the Kingdom of God on earth as Daniel had prophesied!
The church’s fundamental understanding must be that the message the angels proclaimed at the birth of Jesus, “Peace on earth, goodwill to men”, is only possible through the rule of God’s Kingdom on earth.
But for God’s kingdom to rule on earth, the King must first rule the hearts of those who are in the Kingdom of God. That is why, to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God, you have to receive Jesus not only as Saviour but also as Lord as stated in Romans 10:9. This is the basic gospel that has been preached for so many years.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
This principle is at the centre of the New Covenant God made with Israel, the descendants of Abraham, in Jeremiah 31: 33
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Jeremiah 31: 33
Those who have accepted Christ as Saviour and Lord are heirs of this promise because as Paul explained in the book of Galatians:
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal 3: 28 -29, NIV
Looked at another way, we have become citizens of the Kingdom of God by birth – a spiritual birth, that is- a concept that Nicodemus could not quite grasp in John chapter 3. Paul emphasizes this citizenship:
For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household. Ephesians 2: 18-19
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The inescapable conclusion we can draw then is that the Kingdom of God has already started ruling on earth in the hearts and minds of true believers!
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The Physical Kingdom
So, what about the physical kingdom and Jesus’ actual rule on earth from the throne of David? Good question!
That is yet to come. The Jews as a nation, could NOT accept Jesus when he came as a suffering Messiah, although their scripture, the Torah, foretold it. That is because they were looking for a visible or governing King who would defeat their rulers, the Romans – the fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream – and restore the physical kingdom of Israel. In other words, for them the Kingdom of God was synonymous with the kingdom of Israel.
Of course, it is true that their Scripture (the Torah) also foretold the coming of Jesus as a political or governing ruler to sit on David’s throne as we read in Isaiah chapter 9.
However, they did not understand God’s sequence of implementation of the Kingdom. The spiritual dimension of God’s kingdom was going to be set up first and that would eventually be followed by the physical kingdom.
In other words, God’s kingdom was going to rule from the inside out: from the hearts of men through to the systems of government of men. That is why they could not understand the parables of the kingdom that Jesus told them. Jesus made this crystal clear when answered a Pharisee who asked about the kingdom:
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17: 20-21 NKJ
Even those close to him – including the disciples- could not quite grasp the reality of the Kingdom of God. On one occasion, the mother of James and John, came to Jesus with a request for her two sons regarding the Kingdom of God. We pick up the story in Matthew chapter 20, reading from the New Living Translation:
Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons.
She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21“What is your request?” he asked.
She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
22But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”
“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
23Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
Later Jesus called the disciples together and tried to help them understand the principles of the Kingdom of God and therefore, why he had answered James and John and their mother as he did. That explanation is so loaded that we need to dissect it separately; perhaps, God willing, in a separate series on the parables of the kingdom.
Even after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were still fixated on equating the Kingdom of Heaven with the current physical kingdom of Israel:
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with a water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1: 3-6 NIV
Jesus’ reply was very terse:
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
Clearly Jesus is affirming that a physical Kingdom of God is going to be set up in Israel. In other words, Jesus will reign on this earth on the throne of David as the scripture in Isaiah chapter 9 makes very clear. Eventually, all kingdoms and governments on earth will be subject to the rule of Christ as Daniel prophesied. But as Jesus indicated, that time is totally under the control of the Father.
God gave the earth to man and that plan has not changed. God will renew the earth – as the book of Revelation declares – and put it under the dominion or authority of Adam, the Last Adam, Jesus his son. That is an accomplished fact.
Daniel 2:44 makes it clear that ‘the Kingdom of God will “crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end”. The book of Revelation confirms this by telling us of the ultimate takeover of the governments of world by the Kingdom of God:
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Rev 11:15 NKJ
The exciting thing is that many believers will rule and reign with Jesus:
Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. Rev 20:6
While this is very good news for every believer – for every citizen of the Kingdom of God- it is bad news for the globalists and proponents of the New World Order because God has promised to destroy those who destroy the earth. Here is what Scripture says:
The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” Rev 11:18 NIV
The implication of all that we have said so far, is that the church needs to upgrade its thinking and its language to kingdom thinking and kingdom language.
As we close this section, let’s emphasize once more that the Kingdom of God has already come in the spiritual sense because it is already ruling in the hearts and minds of true believers. But, as we shall see next, there is an urgent priority for us to attend.
The Kingdom at War
Standing in the way of the implementation of the Kingdom of God on earth is the kingdom of darkness headed by Satan or Lucifer. The defeat of that kingdom of darkness on earth, meaning in the governments and systems of the world, is the first order of priority of the Kingdom of God and therefore, of every believer.
Given that the Kingdom of God comes first to the hearts of men and women, that battle strategy makes absolute sense because, according to Scripture, Satan currently controls the hearts of people who have not accepted Christ as Lord.
You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Ephesians 2:2 NLT
That defeat of the kingdom of darkness has been guaranteed by Jesus:
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 NKJ
At first blush, that statement may seem to represent a defensive posture. But on closer examination, we gather that, quite to the contrary, it represents an offensive stance.
In that offensive stance, we must see ourselves as being outside the spiritual gates of hell and our job is to kick down the gates and set the captives behind them free from the control of Satan and bring them into the kingdom of light- that is, the Kingdom of God. We are therefore, in a perpetual war, a spiritual war, as Ephesians 6:12 declares.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 NKJ
It is a war between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God. That is why in Luke 10: 19 Jesus gave his disciples “power over all the power of the enemy”.
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Any church assembly that does not recognize the war in which we engaged, teach about it and actively seeks to drive out the forces of darkness, does not understand the role of the church and is not preaching the full gospel or working in harmony with the Kingdom of God.
Every community, every village, every nation, every government from which we drive out the forces of darkness and bring people into the Kingdom of God is extending the rule of the Kingdom of God on earth.
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Christ’s Government Not Symbolic
Some will argue that Christ’s government is only spiritual; in other words, it cannot be that Jesus is going to literally reign on the earth from Jerusalem as Scripture states.
Others may want to take this prophecy about Christ’s rule as something symbolic especially because of the dark and dirty connotations we have of government.
The Scripture’s response to that idea is that God is the one who created government -or dominion of you will – to be exercised here on earth. And where is that in the scripture? Turn to Genesis 1:28
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Gen 1:28 NKJ
For some that might not be enough evidence. So here is another passage which confirms the idea that governmental authority is something designed by God:
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Rom 13:1 KJV
This passage is saying quite bluntly that the idea of governmental authority is God’s creation, not man’s idea. The Greek word used here for “powers” or “power” is “exousia”. It means “delegated authority or delegated influence”.
In management theory, authority or “exousia” is the right to make decisions and use resources to achieve objectives. In Scripture, exousia is often translated as “power” as it is here in the King James version. But power and authority are not the same technically.
“Power” means ability, energy etcetera. The Greek word for that is “dunamis” from which we get “dynamism” which means “energy”, “strength”, “vitality” (See 2 Timothy 1:7). It is different from “exousia” but in some ways connected.
In principle, you can have the right to do something – exousia- but not the ability – the dunamis. For example, you may have been given the authority or right to use the company car but if you cannot drive you don’t have the ability to do so; someone else will have to drive you.
Therefore, in recognizing this important difference, the New Living Translation – as does the New King James version – uses the term “authority” instead of “power” in the same verse, that is, Rom 13:1.
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. Rom 13:1 NLT
As you might have guessed, the word used here for authority is “exousia” and not “dunamis”. So what is the conclusion?
Authority, governmental authority- any authority cannot be evil by nature because God created it. That is something that the church now needs to understand and acknowledge.
Some sections of the church are being hypocritical because, on the one hand they talk about “church authority”, but yet regard authority in government as evil. Authority is authority; it cannot be evil or good. Whether or not it is used as God intended or corrupted is another issue.
Some branches of Christendom even forbid their members to participate in national elections yet see no problem in their holding jobs in the government or the civil service.
But this is not altogether surprising since it is the church, that at one time, promoted the idea that sex was dirty or evil ignoring the fact that sex was created by God himself. God has given us many beautiful things, but we always manage somehow to corrupt them!
Call to Action
Now let us summarize the meaning of what we have said and what are its practical applications.
First, understanding the foregoing should end the debate among Christians over whether the kingdom of God is physical or just something spiritual. Cleary it is both and that is the full gospel or good news that Jesus himself preached.
Too much of churchdom does not see God’s bigger plan of salvation as including the restoration of his rule on earth as prophesied in Rev 11:15. That is part of the gospel not being preached. Once this is understood, every national church assembly should prophetically bring his or her nation or country under God’s kingdom by declaring Revelation 11:15 over the nation.
Our daily proclamation for Barbados goes something like this:
We declare that the Republic of Barbados is now a kingdom of Jesus our Lord and that he reigns and rules over every area of our society.
When you do this you are making a legitimate, scripturally backed prophecy over your country. Get a brother or sister in the Lord to agree with you, go ahead and make that proclamation over your country and watch changes occur in your society.
Those who believe in the doctrine of “Kingdom Now” take this to another level, arguing that we must occupy every area or “mountain” of public life – including government- so that that inner kingdom rule is manifested in all spheres of society.
There is support for this in the scripture. See Matthew 5: 13 and 14. The problem is that the whole body of Christ needs to be of one mind on this matter – and more importantly – work with God as He builds out the full kingdom on Earth. That is why Jesus taught us to pray:
“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”.
As we listen to today’s prophets, we are learning that God’s plan is to bring millions into His Kingdom at this time. He is also purifying the church as he promised in 1 Peter 4:17 and Revelation 3:16.
So, at this time, God has promised to shake everything that can be shaken. This means both literally – as in earthquakes for example, but also figuratively- as in the replacement of governments and the performance of miracles of healing and salvation that will defy the medical profession and upset the pharmaceutical apple cart that has fleeced us for so many years.
We live in very exciting times, difficult and dangerous times, but very exciting times! Your mission is twofold: to grow spiritually and grow the Kingdom of God. Are you up to it?
Article by Dr. Aldon D. Tull
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