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earth over 1900 years ago or His
prophesied second coming, now
im–
minent.
He carne the first time as a divine
messenger, bearing a MESSAGE froro
God. That roessage was the aooo
NEWS (gospe1) of the KINGDOM OF
ÜOD - a future WORLD GOVERN–
MENT.
That message was Christ's gospel.
In other words, it was the true gos–
pel of Jesus Christ- the very gospel
He comroissioned all New Testa–
ment ministers to preach to all the
wor1d throughout this age. Yet al–
most universally that true gospel
message is rejected today, and men
have, as prophesied, turned to an–
other gospe1 - a gospe1 ABOUT a
different Jesus, certain1y not the
same Jesus described so vividly in
the New Testament.
Yes, it was Jesus Christ who first
proclaimed to the world the idea of
world peace through a future
WORLD GOVERNMENT.
Jesus proclaimed Himself the fu–
ture KING of that world government
- and for this cause He was cruci–
fied (John 18:37).
But what meñ did not understand
about His message was that His
kingdom was for the FUTURE. He
said plainly, "My kingdom is not of
this world" (John 18:36).
Now notice the descriptions of
Christ's imminent return to this
earth: "And
1
saw heaven opened,
and behold a white horse; and he
that sat upon him was called Faith–
ful and True, and in righteousness
be dotb judge and make war
[against evil]. . . . And out of bis
mouth goeth a sharp sword, that
with it be should smite tbe na–
tions...." ("For the word of God is
quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword" -
Heb.
4: 12.
This is not a sword of
steel to do physical barrn, but the
Word of God to correct and do spir–
itual Gooo!) " ... and he shall rule
tbem [all NATIONS] with a rod of
iron; and be treadeth tbe winepress
of the fierceness and wratb of Al-
42
migbty God. And he hath .. . a
NAME written, King of Kings , and
LordofLords"(Rev. l 9:11-16).
· Yes, Jesus will be a supernatural,
divine world ruler, a KING over al!
kings of the earth. His weapon will
be the WORD OF ÜOD- THE TRUTH!
And Jesus said it is the TRUTH that
sball make men free.
He will be a "world KING" who
shall judge all nations in RIGH–
TEOUSNESS. Surely that's tbe world's
greatest need.
ls a REAL UTOPIA lmpossible?
Men ridicule the idea of a utopía
today, as though it were impossible.
But WHY sbould utopia be tbougbt
of as impossible? WHY shouldn't
menhave it?
Tbe answer comes through an–
other question: Why is there so
much unhappiness, strife, injustice,
fear, and suffering now? Simply be–
cause roen are thinking, acting, and
living contrary to all the laws by
which sucb happiness, universal
prosperity, and joy could come.
That's the plain and simple answer.
Because of selfisbness, greed, and
vanity.
Suppose everyone on earth loved
all bis neighbors equally with him–
self. Suppose everyone was honest,
kind, j ust, considerate, gentle, pleas–
ant, and cbeerful, industrious, in
perfect healtb, and of keen, alert
mind, bumble, trusting fully in God,
and working bappily witb zeal and
entbusiasm to accomplisb all tbe
good be could. Can you visualize
wbat a wonderful world would re–
sult? Well, it would be a real and
practica! utopía.
But, you say, tbat's contrary to
human cbaracter. Yes, true. But
Jesus Cbrist is coming to change
that! The POWER OF Goo in one,
tbrougb His boly spirit, changes,
converts, tbat soul. It gives birn
power, if he wills, to master - to
overcome tbe na tu re witbin .
Tbrougb FAITH be can be cbanged
into the kind of person described
above. And the mission of Jesus
Cbrist of Nazareth at His second
coming is to work exactly tbat
cbange in bumanity!
IMPOSSIBLE? Oh, no! Notbing is
impossible witb God! And Jesus is
coming in all tbe supernatural
power and glory ofGoo!
A Prevlew of Coming UTOPIA
It's possible, now, for us to peer into
tbe future - on over past and
beyond the bellishness tbis world
will put itself througb during the
immediate future - and catch a pre–
view ofthe world toroorrow!
First, the nature of Christ's world
rule:
"With righteousness shall he
judge the poor, and reprove with
equity for the meek of tbe eartb....
They sball not hurt nor destroy in
all my holy mountain: for the earth
shall be full of the KNOWLEDGE OF
THE ETERNAL, as the waters cover
the sea [none deceived, as most are
today - true knowledge unive rsally
- true education shall be a basic
part of the program]. And in that
day there shall be a root of Jesse
(Christ] , wbicb shall stand for an en–
sign of the people; to it (Cbrist] sball
the Gentiles seek" (lsa. 11 :4-10).
Now for the
effect-
a preview of
HAPPINESS and WORLD PEACE:
"But in the last days it shall come
to pass, that tbe mountain (king–
dom] of the house of the Eterna}
(that
ÍS,
the KINGDOM OF Goo] shall
be established in the top of the
mountains [that is, reigning over the
great nations of earth] and it shall
be exalted above the hills (tbe
smaller nations] . .. And many na–
tions shall come, and say, Come,
and let us go up to tbe mountain of
the Eterna}, and to the house of the
God of Jacob; and he [Christ] sball
teach us of HIS ways, and we will
walk in HIS paths: for THE LA
w
shall
go forth of Zion, and the Word of
the Eterna! from Jerusalem. And he
sball judge among many people,
and rebuke strong nations afar off;
and they sball beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks: nation shall not lift
up a sword against nation, NEITHER
SHALL THEY LEARN WAR ANY MORE"
(Micah 4: l-3).
lt
is when people are undeceived
by Satan, when God's LAw goes
forth, when people begin to seek
God's Iaws and live by His ways,
and when, through Christ and the
indwelling of God's holy spirit, we
are able to develop in our lives the
character of God that we shall have
PEACE, PROSPERITY, HAPPINESS and
JOY!
0
The PLAIN TRUTH
January
1977