What IS the Gospel?

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What IS the Gospel?

The word “gospel” is an old English word meaning “god spell” or good news. The word “kingdom” is also an old English term simply meaning government. In other words, Christ preached “the good news of the government of God.” World peace, happiness and prosperity for all will certainly be good news for mankind, who has not known it for 6,000 years!

Jesus came saying, “Repent you, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). But what is the true gospel? The truth of the gospel is now hidden from the vast majority of professing Christians. Ever since the first century, there has been a conspiracy to deceive would-be Christians about the meaning of the gospel. Shocking as it is, this statement is true!

Most believe that the gospel is about the person of Christ. Certainly He is an important subject, but Christ is not the gospel. The Bible shows that Jesus is preached in conjunction with the gospel. Of course, His role is extremely important. But again, He is not the gospel!

Notice Mark’s account again: “Now after that John [the first Malachi 3:1 messenger] was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14). That is the gospel Jesus preached, saying, “Repent you, and believe the gospel.” What gospel?—the “kingdom of God.” Verse 1 refers to this message: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Christ’s gospel is about the kingdom of God—not something else! One must believe that gospel to be saved—not some counterfeit.

No wonder Christ answered Nicodemus as He did.

Everything that Christ said and taught He tied to the kingdom of God!

The Kingdom of God Explained

We have seen that Christians will be born again so that they can “see”—“inherit” (I Cor. 15:50)—the kingdom of God. This much is now plain.

But what is the kingdom of God? The term has no meaning if it cannot be understood. If Christians inherit it, they should know exactly what they are inheriting.

Let’s make this impossible to misunderstand. In this life, people are born into: (1) A human family, and (2) any one of many earthly human kingdoms (governments). A kingdom is comprised of a nation of people under a government that rules the nation.

It is the same with God. At the resurrection, humans are born into: (1) The God FAMILY, which is also (2) the KINGDOM of God. These are essentially one and the same. The parallel is perfectly clear when comparing the human physical pattern to the divine Spirit pattern.

God has a throne in heaven, from which He rules His kingdom (Isa. 66:1; Rev. 3:21). He literally rules the entire universe with Christ. When Christians are born again, they enter this kingdom—God’s ruling, governing Family!

Are you beginning to see God’s awesome purpose for your life—your inheritance? (Take time to read our free booklet What Is the Kingdom of God?)

Daniel Understood

The prophet Daniel understood that the kingdom of God involved a literal government that would one day rule over real people and real nations on earth. He held no illusion that it was merely “sentimental fluff” or a “warm feeling in the hearts of men.” Through a series of dreams and visions (Dan. 1:17), God used him to explain much new, special understanding about how and when His kingdom would come to earth.

All that Daniel was shown was to be “closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Dan 12:9). We are now in the time of the end. There are many proofs of this. His message is for us today! Daniel reported big—tremendous—news that will affect you in your lifetime! He understood and spoke the same gospel that Christ preached—and it is vital that we understand what he said! (Read our free booklet Are These the Last Days? to understand more about how Daniel’s prophecy was written to be understood in our time.)

Carefully read Daniel 2:28-44. This astonishing, detailed prophecy reveals many things about God’s plan to restore His government to earth—including the time sequence in which this will happen.

The first several verses describe the image of a giant man. Dan 2:31-33 state, “This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.” This man is constructed of four distinct parts. Verses 34 to 35 describe a large supernatural “stone that smote the image [and] became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” Note verse 34 states that this stone “was cut out without hands” because God, not men, formed it.

The “stone” shattered the image and replaced it, eventually encompassing the entire earth. This can only be the government of God coming to earth. In effect, Daniel is announcing the same gospel of the kingdom of God.

These same verses show a succession of world empires depicted by different metals of which the giant image (statue) was made. These were literal kingdoms. First, the Chaldean-Babylonian Empire of gold—second, the Medo-Persian Empire of silver—third, the Greco-Macedonian Empire of brass—and fourth, the Roman Empire of iron mixed with clay. The message from history is that these four kingdoms once governed vast areas, and the fourth kingdom will largely rule the world until the kingdom of God is finally established.

Saints Enter the Kingdom

Daniel wrote much about God’s kingdom—and the saints’ role in it, offering a direct connection to when Christians will be born again.

Chapter 7, Dan 7:13, speaks of Christ coming in the “clouds of heaven.” Before His Return, God officially grants Him the authority to rule the world. The next verse states, “And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Dan 7:14).

In this earth-shattering event, Christ is prophesied to come like lightning shining from the east to the west (Matt. 24:27). John wrote of this time: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15).

God has a plan for how to manage all peoples and nations. Christ will not rule earth by Himself. The governments of men require the efforts of many, who assist a leader. God’s government is no different, where He is supreme.

More verses in Daniel 7:1-28 are critical to understand. Remember that God’s kingdom is foretold to replace the four previously discussed world-ruling kingdoms of chapter 2: “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever” (Dan. 7:17-18).

That is right! The ultimate calling of Christians is to join Christ and share rulership in the kingdom of God over all nations and peoples. Truly, Christ is “king of kings and lord of lords.” This includes anyone willing to accept God’s terms for entering His kingdom.

Dan 7:19-20 shed additional light on what happens when the saints return with Christ. Their first responsibility is to replace the “fourth beast,” which rules with the assistance of a “little horn.” This little horn is a religious kingdom and is the woman who rides the beast of Revelation 17:1-18. This religious kingdom (centered in Rome) has ruled over all of the previous resurrections, or revivals, of the Holy Roman Empire.

Notice: “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints [the work of the Babylonish whore of Revelation 17:5-6], and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom” (Dan. 7:21-22).

Finally, Dan 7:27 confirms the marvelous potential lying ahead for all the true saints of God: “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.”

What could be more plain? No wonder Christ stated, “And he that overcomes, and keeps My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father” (Rev. 2:26-27), and added, “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne…” (Rev 3:21).

The phrase “in My throne” is used because Christ understood that His throne is on the earth, unlike the Father’s, which is in heaven. Luke 1:32 shows that Christ will sit in Jerusalem on the throne of David. Also, see Revelation 5:10; 20:4; Matthew 5:5; Psalm 25:12-13; 37:11, etc. There is no doubt that when Christ returns, the saints will rule with Him!

God’s Government Once Ruled the Earth

Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The book of Job describes the time when God created the world. God asked Job a series of questions: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who has laid the measures thereof, if you know? Or who has stretched the line upon it?…When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-5, 7).

These “stars” were angels (Rev. 1:20; 12:4) and are described as “sons of God.” Literal heavenly stars do not sing. Notice that it says “all” of them “shouted” and “sang together.” Job reveals that the earth was created in a wonderful and beautiful condition, with angelic joy and singing. Lucifer and his angels had not yet rebelled at the time of the Genesis 1:1 creation.

Genesis 1:2 is mistranslated and does not reflect the meaning of the original Hebrew. The King James Version of the Bible states, “And the earth was without form, and void.” Three key Hebrew words are all mistranslated here, thus obscuring—and actually hiding—the verse’s true meaning.

The word translated “was” is hayah. In Genesis 2:7, this word is correctly translated “became,” and in Genesis 9:15, “become.”

The words for “without form, and void” are tohu and bohu. Correctly translated, they mean “chaotic, in confusion, waste and empty.” In short, a perfectly created earth (Gen 1:1) “became chaotic and confused” (Gen 1:2).

In effect, Isaiah 45:18 shows the way God did not create the earth: “For thus says the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He has established it, He created it not in vain [tohu meaning chaotic or waste], He formed it to be inhabited.” The earth became chaotic after God created it—between the events of Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The latter verse describes the earth’s re-creation 6,000 years ago. Verse 1 describes the original creation of the entire universe that scientists say occurred as many as 17 billion years ago.

We know what happened. But how did it happen? How did the earth go from being beautiful and perfect at creation to chaotic, confused, waste and empty? Since God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33), we know that He did not destroy it. Then who or what caused this?

Psalm 104:30 states that God “renews the face of the earth.” During the creation week, God renewed a damaged, injured earth, then completely covered with water (Gen. 1:2).

This destruction was caused by the devil, who, lifted up with pride, sought to replace God. Physical devastation was the result.

Acts 3:19-21 reveals that Christ’s Return brings the “restitution [the restoring] of all things.” But, Satan is still the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4), and would continue to be, had Christ not qualified to replace him.