But there was a newscaster who foretold this same thing before the modern scientists were ever born, or before they thought about it, and that was 1900 years ago, and that newscaster was Jesus Christ. And he came with a message, and the message that he brought was called his gospel. Now the word "gospel" simply means "good news," and it was good news! It was the good news of the world's only hope, and its sure hope, of that very thing — one ruling, world government.
The World Tomorrow — the Worldwide Church of God presents the World Tomorrow with Herbert W Armstrong... ladies and gentlemen Herbert W Armstrong.
The Middle East is going to be the center of action on the world scene from now on, until the final battle of Armageddon and the second coming of Christ. But with the new China being aroused out of centuries of slumber, and now beginning to extend its hand into eastern Europe and other places, and now beginning to westernize itself, and become an industrial nation, which means it will become a great military nation, and it could bring about the 100 million army that is prophesied in the Bible to happen between now and the Armageddon time. Now if you look at the world society, it is absolutely sick. It's corrupt, it's evil. Governments are being toppled at the rate of one a month. The world's largest religion is being torn by dissension from within. A new pope has just been elected, of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome, and he was actively supported by the cardinal who has been working very industriously for some time, assigned by the recent pope, on a United States of Europe, in joining the nations of Europe together, and that is also prophesied in the 17th chapter of the book of Revelation. It is going to happen. And that program has been studied a very great deal. Two men have outlined a definite proposition — one I don't know, but I have his picture, and I can use it. The other I do know, and has been a dinner guest in my own home right here in Pasadena. And he very possibly may head a United States of Europe, which will be a prophesied resurrection of what was called the Holy Roman Empire, which ruled over the nations in Europe from 554 until 1814 A.D. There was just a slight little resurrection of that empire that I think didn't even make first-page headlines in the newspapers, back in 1935, when Mussolini made a concord with the Vatican and proclaimed himself to be the emperor of the Roman Empire. However, that didn't attract much attention. Now a united Europe will bring about a power, a superpower, because the nations of Europe want to unite. They just don't know how to do it. And it's possible that the now-present pope may, or a future one, however it may be, extend his good offices to help them bring about what they would like to have in Europe — not only economical cooperation, but an absolute political union with a common currency and a common military force. There is a great deal of nuclear power and weapons over there belonging to the United States which they could easily just take over. And they could become a stronger power than either the United States or Russia. And now within two decades, there's the promise that China may be greater than any of them. And one in competition against the others, that is the future that you can look forward to, and that is the world that you are living in now.
Strong Hand From Some Place
Now I am reminded of an editorial some years ago in a magazine that I read quite often, that is read perhaps more by businessmen than it is by the general public. In this editorial, it was talking about the dissensions, the condition in the world, and now our number one problem is that of survival, and the editorial said, "It would seem now that the only hope of having any world peace, the only hope of saving humanity alive, if you please, would be the intervention of "strong hand from some place." Now he just didn't like to say, "The Eternal Almighty God." He didn't like to acknowledge, perhaps, in print a belief in that God, but that is precisely what was meant. And he was right, and that is the only hope that we have. Now the scientists of today are saying that the only hope of peace now is one worldwide nation ruling the whole world with one supreme military force, and no other armies, navies, or military forces of any kind in any other nation. Well, that is precisely what is going to happen. I bring you very good news right now, the only hope that this world has, and it is a sure hope, is that very thing, and it is not going to be brought about by men. I don't think that we in the United States would be likely to want to have a man from the Kremlin head such a world power. I don't think that the people in Russia would want to have someone from the United States head such a power I don't think that humans are ever going to be able to get together on a thing like that. But there was a newscaster who foretold this same thing before the modern scientists were ever born, or before they thought about it, and that was 1900 years ago, and that newscaster was Jesus Christ. And he came with a message, and the message that he brought was called his gospel. Now the word "gospel" simply means "good news," and it was good news! It was the good news of the world's only hope, and its sure hope, of that very thing — one ruling, world government in supreme power. No other power could be raised against it, and there will be mutual cooperation, harmony, and peace. And we will have. You know, if you mention the word "utopia," you need to put quotes around it, because everybody thinks that is just some crackpot thing that is so foolish, it could never happen. Well, you listen to me, I bring you good news. That is going to happen, and it's absolutely certain.
You know, the idea of utopia — why should we not have it? There is a cause, back of every effect. And if we have an upset world of hostility, of competition, of strife, of violence, of immorality, everything wrong today — something has caused it. And if we just eliminate that cause, and if everybody wanted to have love for his neighbor, and if everybody had love above all, first for God Almighty in obedience and reverence and worship, and we were all united in that, and everyone is trying to help everybody else, we wouldn't have any of these troubles. And if we had God's Holy Spirit, we would not be thinking carnally and selfishly and greedily, and we wouldn't be thinking competitively, and all of the things that are going on in the world today. The message of Jesus Christ, his gospel, is not known in the world today, because he came and preached it in the years from 27 A.D. until 31 A.D., probably beginning in the fall of 27, and ending in the spring of 31. He preached to thousands upon thousands. But there were only 150, no 120, who actually believed what he said, as you'll read in the 15th verse of the first chapter of the book of Acts (Acts 1:15), after he had preached 3½ years to many thousands of people. And he was very God, in the human flesh. One of his names was Immanuel, which means "God with us." He was God, in the human flesh. And yet, only 120 believed what he said. He was preaching about the World Tomorrow. He was preaching a message of the kingdom of God.
The Kingdom Of God
Some of the churches of Christian faith say that the church is the kingdom of God. Some others say that the kingdom of God is a nebulous something, or a nebulous nothing, I think I had better say, set up in men's hearts. Of course, when you try to define what they mean, it's just a nothing. Others have said that the kingdom of God is what they call the Millennium. Now of course, the word "millennium" is not in the Bible, but "millennium" merely means a thousand years, and the coming thousand years in which Christ will be ruling the whole Earth is mentioned in the Bible in a good many places. Then some used to say (they don't say that anymore now), that the British Empire was the kingdom of God, but of course there isn't any British Empire anymore. That has gone by the boards, and so they don't use that one anymore. Now what was that message that Christ brought, what did he proclaim? What was his gospel? We turn back to Mark, in the first chapter of the book of Mark (Mark 1:1). It's a good place to start, because the first words are: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God." Now this is the very beginning of his message, the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:14). "Now after that John was put in prison," (v.14) and Jesus had qualified now, and overcome and conquered Satan, "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel." But what gospel? You ever read it, right there in your Bible? "The gospel of the kingdom of God." People say it's the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they think that's a gospel about Christ. Today, they are preaching a great deal around the world, a message about the messenger, but they are overlooking his message. And let me tell you, until I began preaching it myself, back in 1933, I (or even before that, 1931 as a matter of fact), I do not remember having heard anyone preach that gospel. I had never heard of it, and I think you had never heard of it prior to that time. The gospel of the good news, because "gospel" means "good news" of the kingdom of God. Now the kingdom of God has not come yet, but I'm coming to that. Now turn back to the book of Daniel. Daniel knew what the kingdom of God is, in a prophecy, clear back in one of the prophets. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had conquered Egypt, and had conquered other countries, and Assyria, and so on, and had raised up the first world empire. It was the first time there was ever a world empire on Earth. Then he conquered Judah, the kingdom of Judah of Jerusalem. Now that was not the kingdom of Israel. The kingdom of Israel had gone from there more than a hundred years before. But this was not the kingdom of Judah, which was three of the tribes of Israel. And among those that were taken captive, as Nebuchadnezzar took them captive, he demolished Solomon's temple and took all of the people of Judah as slaves to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
Now among them were four, young, especially brilliant Jewish lads, and it says here in verse 17 of Daniel 1 (Daniel 1:17): "As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom." Now it didn't say they obtained it. God gave it to them. God's the great giver of everything worthwhile, if we could ever learn that lesson. "And Daniel had understanding in visions and dreams." And that of course came from God. Now then, as you read in through the second chapter of Daniel, the king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and the first world ruler in the history of mankind, was given a very important dream, very extraordinary dream. And he called all of the soothsayers, the astrologers, and so on, and demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. And he demanded that they tell him what had dreamed, beside what it meant. Well of course, they couldn't do that. Then Daniel was called before him. In the second chapter of Daniel, beginning in verse 27 (Daniel 2:27), I'll pick up a little of it. "Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king has demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians and the soothsayers show unto the king, but there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets and makes known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days," not in his time, but in our time now, more than 2500 years later. "Thy dream, and the visions upon thy bed, were these." And in verse 31 (Daniel 2:31): "Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the form thereof was terrible. The image's head was of fine gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay, and thou sawest till..." Now there was a time element here. The head represented something that was, as he explained later, Nebuchadnezzar himself, and then after him something was going to happen, and it comes down to our time. Now he saw up to the time where we are now living today. We are past the middle of the twentieth century. "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands," that is the supernatural power of God, "which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, and silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floor. The wind carried them away, no place was found for them. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain."
God's Kingdom Will Be Set Up
Now I can show you where "mountain" in many cases is a symbol for nation, a great kingdom or a great nation. "...and filled the whole Earth. This is the dream, and we will tell the interpretation thereof..." Now he interprets what that mountain was, and it comes down to verse 44 (Daniel 2:44). And here is the final interpretation of the stone smiting those toes, that is what is to happen yet in our time. It hasn't even happened yet, now today. "And in the days of these kings" that are represented by the ten toes there, "shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom." That is the kingdom of God. The God of heaven will set up a kingdom, and that's a government that is replaced, and he showed him that the kingdoms that were there, were the Chaldean Empire of Nebuchadnezzar, to be followed by the Persian Empire, and then in turn by the Greco-Macedonian Empire, and that in turn by the Roman Empire. And out of that would come finally, after its original demise, came the so-called Holy Roman Empire, and that is yet going to be resurrected once more, and that will become the ten toes when it does. And the stone that smote the image is the second coming of Christ. Now this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I remember, I was talking to a man, and riding in a car from Salem, Oregon up to Portland one time, oh, about 45 or more years ago, and I went through and explained this to him, and also Daniel's vision in the 7th chapter of Daniel about the four beasts or wild animals that he saw, and then in the 13th and 17th chapter of Revelation, where it speaks about the same beasts or wild animals. And he was just absolutely disgusted. Now this man was a choir leader in a church, and about assistant pastor, and he says, "You certainly don't preach anything of that kind of stuff, do you?" I says, "Well, I certainly do, that is the gospel." "Oh," he says, "the gospel," he says, "is just telling you about the person of Christ." Telling them about the messenger. I want to tell them about that messenger's message, not just the messenger. The messenger is important, he's a very big part of it, because he'll be the king of the kingdom, but his message was the kingdom of God. Now "in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed..." That's eternal, everlasting. "...and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms," meaning the governments of this Earth! Now there isn't any doubt about what he means by a kingdom, when you read this language, and if you read the whole thing. I didn't take the time to read all, in between, but it does represent those governments. "...And it shall stand forever," the kingdom of God. And that's what the kingdom of God really is.
Now the purpose of that dream was to show the first world ruler that God Almighty is king over the universe, that he makes and unmakes kings and kingdoms, and he rules over the kings, and that he had given this Nebuchadnezzar his chance to be a king. Now, the people today do not know that God rules, anymore than Nebuchadnezzar did. They don't realize that God is the real ruler over the whole universe, and that he is allowing Satan to sway, and to deceive the world for a certain purpose and for a certain length of time right now, and that he's going to take Satan away, and Satan can do nothing that God does not allow, and Satan cannot force you to do anything. He has no power of duress. He can't force you to do anything against your will, if you're not willing to do it. But most people seem to have been willing, unfortunately. Now there was a prophecy in Malachi, the 3rd chapter, the first verse (Malachi 3:1), that said there would be a messenger to prepare the way before Christ, and that Christ was coming as a messenger, the messenger of the covenant. He would come with a message from God, and that message is about a covenant. And of course, it was the message of the new covenant which is going to set up the kingdom of God.
Mystery, Babylon The Great
So you find the same if we turn over into the book of Revelation now. Revelation the 17th chapter, and I won't have time to read but just a portion of it, beginning the first three verses (Revelation 17:1-3). "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials," vials that contain the seven last plagues, incidentally, that have been described just before this, "and talked with me, and said unto me, Come hither and I will show thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters." Now a woman is symbolic of a church, and he's speaking of a great church that sits on many waters. Now in verse 15 (Revelation 17:15): "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou saw, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and different languages." In other words, it was a church ruling over different nations speaking different languages. (v.2) "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication," because Christ is the king, and the church is the affianced bride of Christ, and if we're in the church, we're supposed to be true to Christ and not the kings of this world. "...And the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast..." That is a wild animal. And this beast represented a government, just like I showed you and mentioned to you from the 7th chapter of Daniel, and the 13th chapter of Revelation. "...Full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." Now this was a very great church, for example, and ruling over many of them. Now he gives a name, an identity: (v.5) "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT..." (Revelation 17:5) In other words, the Babylonian mystery religion, which was the same religion that old King Nebuchadnezzar had. The Babylonian mystery religion, coming down to our time, "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Those that came out of this church in protest, God has called here, "harlots." Now that may sound very shocking and very terrible, but I'm not going to question the Almighty God, and this is the word of God. And we will come on down to today, beginning with verse 12 (Revelation 17:12): "And the ten horns which thou sawest," of which were on this beast, "are ten kings," or kingdoms, "which have received no kingdom as yet; but will receive power as kings one hour with the beast." Now what that one hour means is not explained, and the Bible does explain its symbols, but it certainly means a very short, brief time. And I would say it means anywhere from 2-3½ years, and that's about all. And that's a guess. "These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto this beast," the beast that the woman sits upon, which was a combination of governments speaking different languages. "These shall make war with the Lamb," the lamb is Christ at his second coming, the lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world for the sins of the people, "and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings." He's coming to rule the whole Earth, and that is the kingdom of God.
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