The “Good News” Gospel

The November 2023 National Geographic magazine featured the headline, “The Race to Save The Planet: Can Technology Help Fix the Climate Crisis?” An almost universal feeling is that the end of the world is coming soon—and the famous Doomsday Clock maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists confirms that sentiment. As of January 2024, that Doomsday Clock shows the measure of danger to our world at 90 seconds before midnight. We seem to be on the verge of destroying ourselves.

We all yearn for good news, but world news shocks us into facing the reality of apocalyptic dangers and the fear of a coming Armageddon. So, can science save us? Will God save us? Can we have any hope for the future? Is there any good news to be found? Happily, there is—if you know where to look. And that good news is not just for you and your loved ones; there is good news for the whole world.

Even a casual look at the book of Revelation—the last book in your Bible—reveals that there is certainly much bad news ahead. The ills symbolized in Revelation 6 by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will ravage planet Earth before Jesus Christ returns: war, famine, pestilence, widespread death, and the rise of an evil false religion that has the appearance of good. Billions will die as famine and disease spread across the earth, killing an entire quarter of the human population. And many will be deceived by the teachings of a false prophet who will have risen and joined forces with an evil political ruler whom Scripture calls “the beast.”

So, where is the good news to be found? Is it that each of us can be saved from the horrors to come, and that we can become part of God’s very family? That is part of it—but there is more. Jesus of Nazareth foretold that “no flesh would be saved” from the Great Tribulation were He not to return, But He also said that “for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21–22).

Yes, the Savior of the world will intervene before we suffer total annihilation (John 14:3). He will establish a world of peace and prosperity. The Gospel Jesus came preaching is not simply a message of salvation for those relative few who have been able to hear His true teachings; it is a message of His coming kingdom, which will bring to our whole world not just peace, but the opportunity for salvation—including salvation for the billions who have lived and died without ever hearing Christ’s name or His true message.

There are difficult times ahead, but Christ’s words to the people of Galilee still apply to us today: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14–15). Christ came first to announce the coming Kingdom of God, and when He returns He will establish that kingdom, right here on planet Earth—and it will be good news for all who have ever lived.

What Is the Gospel—the “Good News” Jesus Preached?

Even the different denominations within mainstream “Christianity” teach many different so-called gospels. One is the “prosperity gospel,” whose adherents falsely proclaim that all true Christians are physically healthy and materially prosperous—which, if it were true, would mean that the Apostle Paul was not a true Christian. Another is the “political gospel,” which exhorts Christians to become involved in political activism in a doomed attempt to build God’s kingdom on human foundations through human methods. Those who preach these and other false gospels may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong.

How can we know the true Gospel? In the New Testament of your Bible, the English word “gospel” is translated from the Greek word euaggelion, which is translated as “good news” or “good tidings” (“2098. euaggelion,” BibleHub.com). We can see by this simple definition that Christ preached not a “prosperity gospel” or a “political gospel,” but a “Good News” Gospel—because Gospel means “Good News.” But what is the Good News that Jesus Christ proclaimed? The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthian brethren that they were gullible enough to accept a false gospel:

For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it (2 Corinthians 11:2–4).

The Berean Standard Bible puts it a little differently: “For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily” (v. 4).

The Corinthians put up with a false gospel. They were so tolerant and inclusive that they accepted falsehood as truth. Dear readers, are you sure that you haven’t done the same? God instructs us, through Paul, “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” Or, as the Modern English Version states it, “Examine all things. Firmly hold onto what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

We must hold fast that which is good—the real good news, the Gospel our Savior brought. Don’t blindly believe your minister or this magazine. Examine what you believe and prove for yourself that you have received the true Gospel.

Jesus proclaimed the coming Kingdom of God. Yet some believe it is already here and that the Church is that kingdom. But the God of Heaven proclaims the coming Kingdom, which will be ruled by the King of kings, Jesus Christ—and which has not yet been established (Revelation 1:1). Yet “the time is near” (v. 3).

How do we know that today’s mainstream “Christian” church is not the Kingdom of God? The message is very clear and powerful, proclaimed from Heaven itself. The seventh trumpet announcement will herald the greatest event in all human history. Read it in your own Bible: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15).

That’s the wonderful news of the Gospel. The warring, selfish, oppressive nations of the world will be conquered and controlled by the King of kings—but first, the nations will fight against Christ at His coming. “The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18).

In the Apostle John’s words, that kingdom will be established after “the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14). Christ will win that battle: “These [nations] will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14). At last, “the Lord shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9).

The Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ

What kind of government will rule all nations? The Kingdom of God will, of course, be ruled by Him. We read that “He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16). Dear readers, you need to be on God’s side and rejoice in His coming kingdom—as Jesus said, you need to “believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

In the coming Kingdom of God, all peoples and all nations will learn the way to peace. Thank God for His loving government that will ensure world peace for all nations. The amazing world to come will have a universal system of laws to ensure godly liberty and freedom. Notice, “Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:2).

Weapons of war will be turned into instruments of peace and productivity. Some of you may have seen the sculpture outside of the United Nations headquarters building in New York, depicting a man beating a sword into a plowshare. Imagine how the world will be transformed from destructive ways to productive ways. “He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they 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” (Micah 4:3).

Yes, God’s divine government will bring universal peace. This awesome prophecy of the prophet Isaiah will finally be fulfilled:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:6–7).

What Will the Saints Be Doing During the Millennium?

Christ will not rule alone. God’s faithful servants from this present age will also have a role to play, ruling under the Savior of the world. Remember the “transfiguration” vision in which Jesus revealed an astonishing truth to three of His closest followers? Earlier, He had proclaimed to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).

Of what “some” was Christ speaking? He revealed the answer in the form of a marvelous vision He shared. “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him” (Matthew 17:1–3).

Yes, not only will the Prince of Peace govern all nations; He will be assisted by Moses and Elijah! And who else will assist Christ in ruling the nations? The Apostle Peter asked Jesus what the apostles’ responsibilities would be. “So Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel’” (Matthew 19:28).

And the apostles will not be the only ones. Ancient Abraham, whom Scripture calls “the heir of the world” (Romans 4:13), will have a position of service over the whole earth. Righteous King David will again rule over a united house of Israel, reunited with Judah (Ezekiel 37:19–25). And you and I will also play a part in that future Kingdom if we are truly faithful Christians and members of the body of Christ. We read that “you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26–29).

Yes, today’s faithful Christians will serve under Christ as kings and priests! This is powerfully and poetically described in the “song of the saints,” which reads, “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9–10).

But how can human beings ever experience lasting peace? Only by a change in human nature. Your Bible reveals why this nature is a problem: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). In other words, “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, indeed it cannot” (Revised Standard Version). We also read, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Or, as the New International Version states it, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” The Gospel teaches a total change in our hearts, from carnal human nature to God’s own holy and righteous divine nature.

God’s Plan for You

If you have come to the place in your life where you have repented and believe the Gospel as Jesus stated in Mark 1:15, you may want to consider committing your life to Christ and begin counseling for baptism. God made it plain what a repentant sinner must do: As Peter proclaimed to thousands on the first Day of Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

The Lamb of God, the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, paid for our sins by His blood. We have been redeemed by “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). Dear readers, you need to believe the good news that you can be forgiven for your sins. We have representatives in many parts of the world—if you would like to counsel for baptism, just contact us at one of our regional offices, listed on page 4 of this magazine, or visit us online at TomorrowsWorld.org and click on “Meet the Church Behind TW.”

The way to peace among all nations is a change in human nature. That change begins with education. We learn from the prophet Isaiah that peoples from all over the world will travel to the capital of the world to be reeducated:

Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they 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 (Isaiah 2:3–4).

That’s right—instead of massive military expenditures on deadly weapons of mass destruction, nations will pour their resources into the health and prosperity of their peoples. The Messiah, the Prince of Peace, will teach all people in His kingdom to repent of their evil deeds and carnal nature. What will it be like for the human beings who have lived through the terrible prophesied times ahead? They will have endured the Great Tribulation and unprecedented human suffering, and the returned Christ will bring them the good news of His kingdom, as the prophet Ezekiel describes:

For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God (Ezekiel 36:24–28).

Yes, God will give once-vain peoples a humble and teachable heart, able to learn the very love of God. We read that “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). The whole world will learn the way to peace and true values.

That is the true Gospel. Our salvation is not a selfish one—God is calling Christians in this age to prepare for a role of service in His kingdom. We should not focus on material gains in this life; God wants us to live abundantly (John 10:10), and He promises that if we have the right focus, we will do so. Jesus told us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Your Part in God’s Plan

The good news of God’s coming kingdom reveals the role faithful Christians will have in the world ahead. True Christians will be serving all nations as kings and priests, assisting their Savior, the King of kings, in reeducating the world to the way of true love, peace, and prosperity. Scripture describes the role faithful Christians will play during the seventh millennium of human history, the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on planet Earth: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).

God has blessed the earth with awesome, majestic mountains, fertile valleys, and productive plains. We marvel at pristine lakes and churning oceans. We appreciate the variety of flowers, plant life, birds, animals, and sea life. Yet, as beautiful as the natural world is, it will become more beautiful in tomorrow’s world, when even the very nature of animals will change. The amazing world ahead, the glorious Kingdom of God on earth, will produce beauty and productivity the world has never known. Isaiah gives us this vision of the future 1,000-year period of Christ’s reign with the saints:

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:6–9).

Let’s rejoice in the Gospel—the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. An amazing new world is coming soon, and each of us needs to pray for its swift arrival. May we all be watching the prophetic trends and signs heralding Jesus Christ’s triumphant, magnificent return.