The Coming World Kingdom
8W-28
Telecast Date: January 9, 1979
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   And I tell you, the people in this country wouldn't want to live in a world where a communist was ruling the whole world. And the people in communist countries wouldn't want to live in a world where one of our people was at the helm, ruling it. In the hands of man it's impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible.

   The World Tomorrow, the Worldwide Church of God presents the World Tomorrow with Herbert W. Armstrong. Ladies and gentlemen, Herbert W. Armstrong brethren.

   The greatest mistake that the churches have made, the most universal mistake in understanding, which leads to universal sin, is the idea that everybody is lost unless he gets saved. I tell you, the average church today, calling themselves Christian, has an idea that life is like a one-way trip on a railroad train. I can express it better on a railroad than I could on an airplane. Yet many of you have flown on airplanes and never ridden on a railroad train today. That's how fast times are changing.

   But it's just like you get on board, and you're on a long all-day trip. That's your whole lifetime. And already you are condemned to go to hell. Now, at the end of the line, there is a switch in the track, and it's thrown down to shoot you straight down to hell when you get there. Now, if at any time in the in that whole journey you say, "All right, I accept Christ," that changes the switch and throws it so that now when you get there, it'll, it'll send you right up to heaven. And then they say, 'It's all settled long ago. Once saved, always saved. It's all settled. There's no, nothing more to it, it's just believing that.'

   And to say that Christianity is not a way of life, this church believes Christianity is a way of life. You better believe it, you better believe it. Now, they are going to have the divine nature. You tell me we can't have anything like utopia.

   Now, what do scientists look forward to today? Well, I would say there are three major things. One, some of them are looking forward to a magic Century 21, a push-button time when there will be so many more gadgets than we have now that work will be eliminated. You won't have any work to do, and you can just be an idleness knees sitting around all the time. Nothing to do of all the unhappiness that I can think of. That's the most unhappy condition. I wouldn't want any of it, but that's what they picture as happiness. They talk about their heaven where all you do is sit around with nothing to do forever. But look on the face of Christ. Oh, that isn't what God has for us. He's gonna have something for us to do.

   Now, the second is another group of scientists to think what's gonna happen in the future? It'll just be more and more of the same thing, more evils, more divorces, families breaking up, more violence, more crime, more of everything wrong.

   Then there's a third group. They say that the only hope is a world government to rule the whole world so that no one can have an army to come up against them, and a world of peace. Now, then they, in the same breath, they admit that's impossible because men can't bring about anything of that kind. Oh, but God can, God can. God is going to send Christ, and a supernatural power is going to rule.

   Now, I could take the time to show you what's going to happen to those that oppose Christ when he comes. But I, I won't do it since Zechariah 14, but I won't take that time now.

   When Jesus Christ does come, let me show you what the condition on the earth at that time. It's going to be very, very terrible, and you'll find it back here in Matthew 24, verses 21 and 22 (Matthew 24:21-22). "Then shall be great tribulation." And we're right on the very doorstep of that right now. "Great tribulation such as never was since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh be saved alive." The Moffat translation has that; it's not talking about spiritual salvation. It means saved alive in this life. And "but for the elect's sake", and this church is that elect brethren. And for this church, because of this church, God is going to save humanity alive. That's how important this little church of God is. But Christ is still there on God's throne, and he's coming, and he's coming to this church.

   Now then, just before that time, however, you'll find in verse 14 here (Matthew 24:14), how this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world, and it will be. That's the sign of His coming. Now if it hadn't, they've been deceived with other gospels; otherwise, that wouldn't be a sign of anything if they've been hearing that same gospel all the time. That's the sign, the fact that we are getting the Gospel of the Kingdom out to the world. And it's not just to Podunk and Squeedunk in the United States. It's to all the world, and I've got to get back out into other countries again. And God speed that day, and he's, he's raising me up now and giving my strength. Look at, look at the last verses of the 40th chapter of Isaiah. You'll see where I go for my strength.

   Now, when the new world ruler comes, he's going to come already crowned with many, many crowns, the 19th chapter of Revelation, verse six (Revelation 19:6). "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundering saying, "Hallelujah, for the Lord God, Omnipotent reigneth." I read to you the prophecy that Jesus was coming to rule. He's coming to reign. He's coming as a King as well as a Savior. Of course, he's both. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. We're that wife, and we're to be made ready without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And Christ died and shed his life's blood to help us get that way. That's what we've got to look forward to. And the only reason that any one of you has ever been called is not just to get you saved. God is no respecter of persons. Probably the people who live next door to you or across the street from you couldn't understand this word. If, if you, if you try to argue with them and preach to them for 1000 years. Unless God calls them, no one can come to Christ. Jesus said, no man can come to me except the Father who sent me draw him. Now, are you gonna make Jesus Christ a liar? If there's anyone that can come to Christ except when the Father draws him, Jesus Christ didn't tell the truth. That's either true or it's false. You can't find any scripture that will contradict it. God has called us to a job to get done. He's called everyone for a duty and no one has been called except for a duty and every time that duty was preparing for the kingdom of God and that's what he called you for.

   Herbert W. Armstrong will return right after this message.

   Well, life's been pretty good—summer home, yacht vacation when I want it. Hm. Some little kid sure spend a lot of time with that. Too bad they never last. Yeah, a lot of things are like that. The kids are grown now, hm, Sandy and I aren't getting any younger. Hm. Is this all there is? You can know the answer to this age-old question. Why Were You Born? To request your free copy, dial direct. 800-423-4444. That's 800-423-4444.

   I'll go back to the early church. Where did the early church get the truth that it believed? It said we must all speak the same thing. We must all believe alike. Where did they get that belief? Where did they get it? They got it from the apostles and where did the apostles get it? Christ taught them. How did I get it? Let's go back here to Galatians for just a minute. You've heard me use this many times. I think it begins in the first chapter of Galatians where Paul says (Galatians 1:11-15), "I certify you brethren that the gospel which was preached of me is not that of man." Now, I say the same thing, the gospel I have given you brethren and what you believe I didn't get from man, but you got it from me. You ever stop to think of that? That's where you got it. If I'm not Christ's apostle who is? Not after man for, "I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it except by the revelation of Jesus Christ". Paul later says, have I not seen Christ? Have I not been with Christ? He was three years down in Arabia, and there's nothing said about what went on down there. Well, that's where Christ had to come. And even after his resurrection to heaven, Christ appeared to him in some form, some way in person and taught Paul. And when Paul went to Jerusalem, he found that what Christ taught him was exactly the same thing that Christ had taught those apostles. And let me tell you that what Christ taught me today is exactly the same thing he taught those original apostles.

   Now then, "when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me to His grace to reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the heathen. Immediately, I conferred not with flesh and blood". Neither did I brethren. I didn't go to a theological seminary. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God. The personal word of God in person. The Bible is the word of God in writing. Now, the only difference is this is in writing and he's in person, but the message is the same. The truth is the same. Absolutely. Either way, God taught me here, God brought me through a condition that He just wiped my mind clean of everything I'd ever believed. And I don't know of any other religious leader who was brought to the truth in that manner. I don't know of any.

   Now then, as I said, the first thing Christ will do when he comes depose Satan, then he's going to begin to call all of those. Everybody then will be called for salvation. But you've been called to get back of me and getting this message to the world now, that's what you've called for. And if you want to get into God's kingdom, you better be faithful in doing that because that's what Christ calls you for. Christ is coming as the King of kings and when he comes, he'll be all ready crowned. And I meant to read that to you, and then I got sidetracked. Let's go back to it again. Revelation 19. Let's pick up again in verse 11 (Revelation 19:11). "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse and he that sat on him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness, he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns." He will be already crowned when he comes, the coronation ceremony will take place up in heaven before he comes. We're not going to get to attend that ceremony, and he had a name written which no man knew but he himself and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. And his name is called the Word of God." He is the living Word of God "and the armies which were with him in heaven". And in the 25th chapter of Matthew, you'll find that is all of the holy angels, not the ones that were on earth and, and, and were sinning angels, but all of the holy angels, "followed him upon white horses clothed in linen, white and clean and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the nations" because they're going to fight against him. They're not gonna want him. They're gonna say he's the anti-christ, "and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. And he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh, a name written King of kings and Lord of lords". Now there are going to be other kings. He will be the King of kings. God does reveal something of the sort of the structure, the organizational structure of the government. He's coming as a ruler.

   Now, if you turn with me to Jeremiah 30 for just a moment (Jeremiah 30:9), "But they shall serve the Eternal their God", that's when Christ comes, is talking about here, verse seven (Jeremiah 30:7), "Alas that day is great so that none is like it is even the time of Jacob's trouble". And then (Jeremiah 30:8), "God says, I will break his yoke from his neck and he will deliver us". But they won't serve those people anymore, but they shall serve the Eternal, their God and David, their king whom I will raise up unto them". David will be raised from the dead in a resurrection and will be the king over the people of Israel.

   Now, then in Ezekiel, the 37th chapter (Ezekiel 37:24), "David, my servant shall be king over them and they all shall have one shepherd. They shall also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes and do them", and David will be king over all of the nations that have developed out of the original 12 tribes of Israel. Now, the next, if you will notice in Matthew 19 and verse 28 (Matthew 19:28), "And Jesus said unto them verily, I say unto you that you which have followed me in the regeneration. When the son of man shall sit in his throne of his glory, you shall sit upon 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel". That is the 12 original apostles. Each of them will be resurrected and will be sitting on a throne over one of those 12 nations. Now, over all of them will be David ruling over them.

   Now, let's go a little farther, a little higher up. It's going to be a theocracy which means government from the top down. What will they have for a congress, a parliament, a diet or a lawmaking body? Well, they just have one person as a lawgiver. Did you know that God the Father who is the lawgiver and all the law will come from Him. It will be a theocracy from the top down. Now, God will see will be the Congress. He will give all the laws. Christ will be the King won't have a president or Christ will be the King of kings. And the Kingdom will be the family of God and God is the Father of that family, and the law comes from Him and we'll have to all obey our Father.

   Herbert W Armstrong will return right after this message.

   Men shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war anymore. When, when will the dreams of man become reality? The whole message of Jesus Christ is about a soon coming world government that will bring peace to our troubled world. For a full understanding of this message of hope about the Kingdom of God, request "Just What Do You Mean... Kingdom of God?" Call this toll-free number 800-423-4444. That's 800-423-4444.

   The Kingdom of God will be both church and state. It'll be both, church and state. All that God has called since Adam were called to prepare for that kingdom. That's the only reason they were called. Abraham was called to prepare for the Kingdom of God. And maybe we better go back and, and see a little of that. You'll find that Abraham is called the father of the faithful. And all of the promises that we have of any eternal life or salvation are based on the promises God made to Abraham.

   Now, you find Abraham Isaac and Jacob mentioned together so many places in the Bible mentioned like a team, the fathers, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, they all mentioned together, they prepared themselves and they will all be in the Kingdom of God. And once Christ said to the Pharisee, you will see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all of the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourself thrust out. So, they're gonna be there since Abraham then had the promises that all of us have to get in on Abraham will be next under God, and it'll be over church and state both. And there's only one way I can understand it. And that is that Abraham Isaac and Jacob will be together as a combined sort of team or unit with Abraham, the chairman of the, of the three Father Abraham.

   Now, you've got over the Israelites nations. You've got David over the whole of all of those nations. You've got each one of the 12 original apostles over each one of those nations. What about the Gentiles? Well, you know, the first thing I used to think was, well, Apostle Paul will be over the Gentiles.

   No, you see the Apostle Paul had a status sequel to the other apostles and they're only over one of the, of the nations, not over the whole thing. And so that's Paul will have a same type of status that the other apostles will. No, there is one who writes ahead and one that is mentioned is way ahead, and that is Daniel, and Daniel was trained and practically running the first world empire that ever existed. And while it was a pagan empire, Daniel ruled God's way, Daniel prayed three times a day. Daniel never departed from God, and he was, he was doing it under very, very difficult circumstances. Daniel qualified.

   Now, Paul, Apollo, Barnabas, they will all be head over Gentile nations in the Kingdom of God. Now, then there's one other thing I want you to notice the 17th chapter of Matthew, the first seven verses (Matthew 17:1-7), "After six days, Jesus took Peter and James and John, James's brother, and brought them into a high mountain apart and was transfigured before them". Now, they were seeing all a vision of the Kingdom of God that we're here to celebrate and they were looking into that kingdom", and his face, Jesus face did shine as the sun and his raiment", his clothing, "white as light and behold, there appeared unto them, Moses and Elijah". Now, this is a picture of the Kingdom of God. There is Christ, the head of all and Moses and Elijah. I can't conceive of Abraham being under either Moses or Elijah because he was the father over over them really in a way. But you notice that there they were, "and then answered Peter and said unto Jesus Lord, it's good for us to be here if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. And while he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice of a cloud which said this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face. But Jesus said, don't be afraid, just rise up and he said, don't tell anybody about it."

   And now then Moses was brought up in the palace of Pharaoh Moses was trained in government. God gave Moses all of the laws of God for the Old Testament. Now, there was, of course, the spiritual law, they had substitute laws, one sacrificial law substitute for the blood of Christ. They had another substitute physical law of rituals carnal meats and drinks and offerings and things of that sort as a substitute for the Holy Spirit. But God gave his government through Moses and he was a lawgiver to man Moses, then under Abraham Isaac and Jacob will be over all the governments. He will be over. He will be over David, he will be over Daniel, and they will be over all the other nations.

   Now, then let's go back and take a quick glimpse in the 11th chapter of Isaiah beginning with verse six (Isaiah 11:6), "The wolf will dwell with the lamb and a leopard shall lie down with the kid and the calf and the young lion and the fatling lay together and a little child will lead them, the cow and the bear shall feed the young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox and they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. As far as the ocean beds are full of water". How much of the knowledge of the Lord is there on earth today? And look at the troubles we're having now, then Elijah was the man who restored the knowledge of God in Israel and they had forgotten all about them. He's the one who brought the Commandments of God back to them. He's the one that said, if God be God get over here on his side, stand up and be counted. I'm having to say that same thing today, stand up and be counted. The time has come. But Elijah restored the law of God and he will be over all of the religion.

   Now then, the religion at that time is going to be more a matter of education than anything else because there won't be any Satan and people are going to have to be taught the truth. Elijah will undoubtedly be over all of the religion, and you'll find in the 25th chapter of Matthew before Christ, when he comes will be gathered all the nations, he'll divide them as the shepherd would his, the sheep from the goats and the sheep on his right hand, the goats on his left to those on the right hand, they say come here blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom, they will inherit the kingdom of God. Now, he doesn't say whether they inherit it right then or at the end of the millennium. But the fact that he says it then looks like they would inherit it right then. What a wonderful time that is going to be, that's the kind of government we're going to have that we're looking forward to.

   For the free literature offered on this program, write Herbert W Armstrong Pasadena, California 91123 in Canada Box 44, Vancouver BC or in the continental United States. You may call this toll-free number 800-423-4444. That's 800-423-4444 in California dial direct 213-577-5225. The preceding program and all literature were produced by the Worldwide Church of God.

Please Note: The FREE literature offered on this program are no longer available through the Address and Phone Number given, please visit www.hwalibrary.com for all FREE literature offered on this program.

Telecast Date: January 9, 1979
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