Repent, and believe the gospel
The pre-announcement, in Malachi’s prophecy, says: “Behold, I will
send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the
Lord, whom ye seek [the Messiah], shall suddenly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant …” (Mal. 3:1).
It is recorded in Mark’s Gospel, chapter 1: “The beginning of the
gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets
…” (vv. 1-2). Then follows the citation from Malachi, written above.
The account of John the Baptist, preparing the way before the Messenger.
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching [the gospel of the kingdom of God],
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel.” That is, believe the good news!
Jesus’s whole message—His gospel—was about the Kingdom of God!
A kingdom is a) a nation composed of people,
and b) the government of the nation.
Now Jesus the Messiah was to come as “the Messenger of the covenant.”
The “Old Covenant” had established the human children of Israel as a nation or kingdom
of humans, called the kingdom of Israel. Jesus came as the Messenger—heralding the
message of the New Covenant that shall set up the Spirit-composed children of God
as the Kingdom of God!
As the ancient kingdom of Israel was composed of the human family of the human man Israel,
so the Kingdom of God will be composed of the divine family of the divine God!
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The Prophet Daniel wrote of this Kingdom of God. In his second chapter,
after foretelling of the Chaldean Empire (Babylon), the Persian Empire,
the Greco-Macedonian Empire with its four divisions, and the Roman
Empire, stretching even into the now-forming resurrected “Holy Roman
Empire” in Europe, we read the following:
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall
never be destroyed … but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
and it shall stand for ever” (Dan. 2:44).
To “stand for ever” it will, of necessity, be a Kingdom of immortals, not mortals.
It will be a world-ruling Kingdom! Daniel’s 7th chapter portrays it again—and shows
the connection with being “born again.” The four world empires—Babylon through
Rome and its coming resurrection in Europe—are pictured as four beasts—wild animals
Verses 17-18: “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings [kingdoms],
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.” To possess it for ever, the saints will have to be immortal!
“made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days
[Christ at Second Coming] came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High;
and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom” (vv. 21-22-27).
The Second Coming of Christ is described thus: “And the seventh angel sounded;
and there were great voices in heaven, saying, 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).
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Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.”
What did He mean? Why had this message never been proclaimed before?
When Jesus was baptized by John (Mark 1:9-11), immediately He underwent
the most titanic struggle ever, in His temptation by the devil (vv. 12-13).
Jesus had come to qualify to replace Satan—to restore the government of God on Earth,
and bring back world peace! But, as the first Adam had undergone and succumbed to Satan’s
temptation, Jesus had to face and overcome this disqualified Satan.
Then (Mark 1:14), having qualified for the executive administration of the
government of God on Earth, Jesus came into Galilee, saying, as quoted above,
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand”! (v. 15).