by Herbert W. Armstrong

I HAVE continually said that Jesus DID NOT come the first time on a “soul-saving crusade.” This is not yet the time when God is trying to save the world.

Rather, we are now near the END of the 6,000 years during which God sentenced the world to go its own way, form its own governments, its own religions, its own ways of life.

The first man, Adam, rejected God and God’s government over him and his descendants – this whole world. God has INTERVENED into this world of man, swayed by Satan, and called to Him a FEW – such as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Elijah. He sent Christ to ANNOUNCE His coming Kingdom. He sent His apostles to proclaim that GOOD NEWS. In A.D. 31, Christ raised up His CHURCH – the CHURCH OF GOD – for the PURPOSE of standing back of the apostles getting out the true gospel. But when the gospel was suppressed after a few decades, the Church met with such violent persecution that it decreased in size, and ever since has been what Jesus called “the LITTLE FLOCK.”

In Ephesians 2:2, Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air.” The human spirit in each human person is directly IN TUNE WITH SATAN’S WAVELENGTH. Satan does not broadcast in sounds or pictures. But through the spirit in every man, he infuses ATTITUDES of depression, discouragement, vanity, lust, greed, competition, strife, resentment, discontent, rebellion, frustration. He is WORKING IN people in this way. He is the SOURCE and CAUSE of all of today’s evils.

But SOON NOW – in our living generation – CHRIST will return as KING of kings and LORD of lords, to RULE ALL NATIONS with the GOVERNMENT OF GOD.

One of the very first things to happen will be the PUTTING AWAY OF SATAN (Revelation 20:1-3). Now think of it! SATAN will be GONE! Christ will be here! Rivers of living water (Zechariah 14:8) will flow out from Jerusalem – that is, instead of this EVIL spirit pervading the entire atmosphere, affecting EVERYBODY, causing all evil, the HOLY SPIRIT of God will infuse the atmosphere.

Christ will be here in PERSON. The government will be government OF LOVE. People will begin to love one another – to help one another. The GOVERNMENT of the KINGDOM OF GOD will bring WORLD PEACE!

Great supernatural physical changes will happen to the earth.

Deserts will become rich, fertile, crop-raising soil. Even the topography of the earth will be CHANGED; great mountains will be leveled. Beauty will spring forth everywhere, not only in nature on the earth, but in people’s lives – it will show on their happy faces.

But will CHRIST rule alone, by Himself – a ONE-MAN rule with no one under Him?

Of course not. Let me explain. I have said the first man, Adam, REJECTED God’s government over him – not only for himself but for the whole human race that sprang from him. It was MAN who made the decision. Instead of accepting GOD as RULER, as the SOURCE of BASIC KNOWLEDGE, Adam decided, for his family – which is all humanity – to produce his OWN knowledge of what is good and what is evil. He took of the tree of THE KNOWLEDGE of good and evil, rejecting the “tree of LIFE” (the “living waters”) or the Holy Spirit that would have impregnated him with eternal God-life.

And so, since that was MAN’S DECISION God SENTENCED the human race that sprang from Adam to 6,000 years of being cut off from the possibility of receiving the Holy Spirit that imparts life eternal. In effect, God said, “Go form your own governments, your own religions, produce your own knowledge and systems of education for 6,000 years.”

But God did reserve the prerogative to INTERVENE when and where necessary for HIS PURPOSE. God was not trying to “SAVE the world” spiritually. Those uncalled by God throughout history were neither lost nor saved – YET!

The FEW who received salvation and begettal of ETERNAL LIFE were called and chosen by God. Noah did not seek out God and beg for salvation – God CALLED NOAH. The same is true for Abraham, Moses, the prophets of Israel. The KINGDOM OF ISRAEL was not offered spiritual salvation – but ONLY physical, material and national benefits for obedience.

CHRIST came to ANNOUNCE His coming KINGDOM OF GOD – to be ushered in AFTER man’s 6,000-year SENTENCE had ended. Jesus called and taught His disciples His message of HIS KINGDOM; He sacrificed Himself for us; His apostles went out proclaiming the GOOD NEWS. Christ “added to the church” as many converted Christians as needed to stand back of the apostles, in diligent and earnest prayer, in encouragement, in tithes and offerings. In their own lives, they were to overcome Satan and Satan’s WAYS and thus qualify to help Christ govern the world in the Kingdom of God – after the 6,000 years (Revelation 3:21; 2:26-27).

During this 6,000 years God has called no one to spiritual salvation except those He called to back up the apostles getting out the gospel; they were also called to qualify, by overcoming Satan, to sit with Christ on His throne in the Kingdom of God.

The NEW world tomorrow is going to come IN OUR TIME! But remember, it won’t become Utopia all at once. When the Supreme Ruler, Jesus Christ, comes again to earth already crowned as KING of kings, in all the vast POWER AND GLORY of Almighty God, nations actually will resist Him at first. He is coming to rule by divine FORCE. How ironic that the nations will have to be FORCED to be happy, prosperous, physically fit and well, living abundantly and joyfully!

But now let’s be specific! Let’s see just how tomorrow’s Utopia is to be ushered in. Remember, this wonderful world-state will not be achieved all at once.

Every major step of these soon-coming events is laid bare before our eyes in biblical PROPHECY.

The same Jesus Christ who walked over the hills and valleys of the Holy Land and the streets of Jerusalem more than 1,900 years ago is coming again! He said He would come again. After He was crucified, God raised Him from the dead after three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40; Acts 2:32; I Corinthians 15:3-4). He ascended to the throne of God, headquarters of the government of the universe (Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; Revelation 3:21).

He is the “nobleman” of the parable, who went to the throne of God – the “far country” – to be coronated as KING of kings over all nations, and then to return to earth (compare Luke 19:11-27). He is in heaven until the “times of restitution of all things” (Acts 3:19-21). “Restitution” means restoring to a former state or condition – in this case, restoring GOD’S GOVERNMENT to earth, and thus, restoring WORLD PEACE and Utopian conditions.

Present world turmoil, escalating war and contentions, will climax in world trouble so great that, unless God intervenes, no human flesh would be saved alive (Matthew 24:22). At its very climax, when delay would result in blasting all life from off this planet, Jesus Christ will RETURN! This time He is coming as divine GOD! He is coming in all the POWER and GLORY of the universe-ruling Creator! (Matthew 24:30, 25:31.) He is coming as KING of kings and LORD of lords (Revelation 19:16) to establish WORLD SUPERGOVERNMENT and rule all nations “with a rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15; 12:5).

All crime and organized rebellion will be put down by FORCE – divine supernatural force. Christ will then set His hand to reeducate and to “save” or spiritually convert the world.

THINK OF IT! The glorified CHRIST – coming in all the splendor, the supernatural POWER and the GLORY of GOD ALMIGHTY; coming to save mankind alive; coming to STOP escalating wars, nuclear mass destruction, human pain and suffering; coming to usher in PEACE, abundant well-being, happiness and JOY for all mankind!

As the resurrected Christ ascended to heaven in the clouds, so He shall return to earth in the clouds (Acts 1:9-11; Matthew 24:30). Just as He is returning (I Thessalonians 4:14-17), the dead in Christ – those who have received and been led by God’s Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11, 14), including all the prophets of old (Luke 13:28) – will rise in a gigantic RESURRECTION and be made IMMORTAL. Those then living who have the Spirit of God shall be instantaneously changed from mortal to immortal (I Corinthians 15:50-54), and, together with those resurrected, shall rise to meet the descending glorified Christ (I Thessalonians 4:17) in the clouds in the air. They shall be with Him forever (John 14:3). They shall – with Him – come down out of the clouds and stand with Him, therefore, that very same day, on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4-5).

These changed, converted saints, now made immortal, will then rule the nations – nations of mortals – UNDER CHRIST (Daniel 7:22; Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21).

Now notice just HOW the new world government will function!

It will not be a so-called democracy; it will not be socialism; it will not be communism; it will not be human monarchy, oligarchy or plutocracy. It will not be MAN’S government over man. Man has proven his utter incapability of ruling himself!

It will be DIVINE government – the government of GOD. It will not be government from the bottom up. The people will have NO VOTES. It will not be government of or by the people but it will be government FOR the people! It will be government from the TOP (God Almighty) down!

In the Kingdom of GOD ALL in government service will then be divine spirit beings. All officials will be APPOINTED by the divine CHRIST, who reads and knows men’s hearts – their inner character, their abilities or lack of ability. You’ll find a description of Christ’s supernatural insight into the very character of others in Isaiah 11:2-4: “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding… and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears [hearsay]: but with RIGHTEOUSNESS shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”

Remember, GOD is the Supreme One who is LOVE – who GIVES – who rules with outgoing concern for the ruled. His will be rule for the HIGHEST GOOD of the people! The most ABLE, the most RIGHTEOUS, those best fitted for office will be placed in all offices of responsibility and power.

There will then be two kinds of beings on earth – humans and those made divine, who will rule the mortals. Some resurrected saints will rule over 10 cities, some over five (Luke 19:17-19).

But further, God has set in motion physical laws that operate in our bodies and minds, as well as His spiritual law. Sickness, ill health, pain and suffering will disappear. There will be, on the contrary, vigorous, vibrant GOOD HEALTH. People will be filled with dynamic INTEREST in life, enthusiastic interest in constructive activities bringing happiness and joy!

There will be REAL PROGRESS, cleanliness, no slums, no degenerate peoples or areas of earth.

All this will be accomplished under the NEW Covenant that Christ is coming to usher in. Did you ever read just WHAT this New Covenant will consist of? Did you suppose it will DO AWAY with God’s law?

EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE!

This is the covenant that Christ is coming to establish (Hebrews 8:10): “I will put my laws into their MIND, and write them in their HEARTS.”

When God’s laws are IN OUR HEARTS – when we LOVE God’s WAYS and in our hearts WANT to live by them – HUMAN NATURE WILL BE PUT UNDER SUBJECTION; people will live the WAY that is the CAUSE of peace, happiness, abundance, joyful well-being! May God speed that day!