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WINDS OF CHANGE No 7 Which Gospel Do We Preach ?

Before a hasty conclusion is reached that this is will be yet another attack on the Social Gospel, we would quickly set out the background to what follows. An invitation had been given and accepted to speak to a small gathering of Christians and, aware of antagonism coming from one person concerning the content of the message, it came as no surprise when at the conclusion of the talk the very abrupt question was asked: `How many Gospels are there?' However, knowing that this hostility might well have arisen through confusion in understanding the difference between a Covenant and a Gospel, the antagonism was turned away by the answer: `There is only one Gospel'. Challenged by the question, however, and somewhat troubled by the reply, we would now set right the matter of `Which Gospel Do We Preach' by seeking for the correct answer in Scripture. But although `challenged and troubled', these thoughts have lain dormant until the tragic events which occurred in the late summer of 1997 surrounding the death of a princess! These events released the nation's unease and anxiety which had been building up like flood water against a river bank, and it burst out in an `unnatural' outpouring of national grief and anger, and as the `flood waters' swirled and tossed this anger caused the Monarchy and the Church to belatedly respond to the people's sense of bereavement.

Upon reflection, what follows needs to be set in the context of three other booklets which came to be written during 1997. The first booklet `Beyond the Storm . . a Ripened Harvest' gives an historical overview of the spiritual battle that is being waged for `the nation's soul', and it speaks of the responsibility the Church IN the nation has to bear for what is happening. But it ends with a note of certain hope that the Lord's hand is firmly in control of what is happening, looking forward to a gathering of a ripened harvest - one that has been prepared through the chastening work of God! The second booklet `When the Blessings Stop' focusses directly onto the Church IN the nation, and, using the spiritual lessons learned from the structure of the Book of Isaiah, points forward to a remnant of God's people being drawn out of the growing apostacy `to prepare the way of the Lord; to make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God'. The third booklet `Hear the Cry of the Shepherds' speaks more sharply against `another spirit' which is moving in the Church, and using the `Probation Period of Fourty Years', as seen in the Book of Jeremiah, points to the parallel of the growing apostacy of Jeremiah's time appearing in our own time. This is being done through `another spirit' which is seeking to precipitate the Kingdom of God by bringing in a kingdom of the world, to the exclusion of the nation of Israel and for the destruction (if that were possible) of the spiritual life of the Church! It is therefore with this background of the three previous booklets that we now look at the question of `Which Gospel Do We Preach', setting it against the backcloth of the tragic death of a princess and the further shaking of the Monarchy and the Church - the twin pillars which uphold the social fabric of our nation.

People in the secular world, although not always prepared to acknowledge the existence of God, are certainly aware that there is a Gospel - as is evidenced in their continual reference to religious matters. Certainly it is now politically correct to introduce such matters into political statements and speeches, for it is of course part of the culture of a Christianized society - and that awareness is clearly seen when the central Person of the Gospel is portrayed in musicals as a lovable, misunderstood clown, or as a powerful `super pop-star'! If the secular world has only a dim, general awareness of a Gospel, so also within `the Church' (whose command from the Lord is to go out into all the world with the message of the Good News of God) there seems to be the same dim, general awareness of `Which Gospel Do We Preach?' Therefore, as we can only speak of what we know, and if we are indeed called to be `witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the world', it behoves us to be aware of the fulness of the Gospel we are called to preach. For that knowledge we need to turn to the Scriptures, for it is only there that the Lord God has chosen to reveal His Good News . . the Gospel of our Salvation!

Logically, if there is Good News it must be for those who are living in the immediacy of Bad News, and it is this Gospel of Good News that has been announced by faithful men of God from the time of Adam until the end of this Age. We find this understanding of an `Eternal Gospel' in the Book of Revelation, when towards the end of the Great Tribulation we read of the great harvest that has been reaped by the faithful witnessing of the 144,000: (Revelation 14:6-7)

" Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air, and he had the Eternal Gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth - to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, `Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgement has come. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water'. "

As it is given the title of the Eternal or Everlasting Gospel, it is clear that this was the Gospel that men of God from the days of Genesis right to the end of the Age have been called to announce, and as we search out the fulness of this Gospel we shall see that the Gospel being announced today falls far short of the Eternal Gospel of God!

In these verses of the passage of Revelation we find the heart of the Eternal Gospel: It is to fear God . . to give Him glory . . and to know that a final judgement is coming upon all unrighteousness and wickedness that has so polluted and corrupted all that God had created. There is also the clear message that all men are called to worship the Lord God, the Creator, and to accept that He alone is the final Judge of all mankind! Therefore, within that sombre and awesome Gospel there has to be a more full revelation of the Good News, for to worship Him takes us beyond a fearful Judgement into the knowledge of a Salvation from that Judgement that is to come! It is this which takes the proclamation of the Gospel into uncertain waters and causes `another gospel' to be preached which, unless it has at its heart the proclamation of a Holy Righteous God, Who alone is the only and final Judge of mankind, is not the Gospel of the Scriptures - and, therefore, no gospel at all!

As we move back through Scripture we see that indeed this has always been the solid heart of the Eternal Gospel, proclaimed through the ages by faithful men of God whom He has called into His service. `Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, (writing) to those who have been called by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ' had this Eternal Gospel in mind when he wrote in his letter of one such man of God: (v14-15)

" Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

Turning back through the pages of Scripture into Genesis 5 we find this faithful man of God, who proclaimed the Eternal Gospel to the early generations of mankind following after Adam, and to help him keep that Eternal Gospel of God's final Judgement on all wickedness in his heart he was given a son, Methuselah - whose very name means `when he (Methuselah) is dead it will come' - and Scripture reveals that following the death of Methuselah the Great Flood of God's Judgement came upon a people who were filled with such wickedness that it caused Him to say: (Genesis 6:7b)

" I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the earth . . . . "

But even as faithful Enoch spoke the first prophecy of a final Judgement there was also the Promise that had been revealed to him, for we find that out of that Judgement Noah and his family would be saved: (Genesis 6:9b)

" Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. "

We find this promise of a Salvation for those who trust in God spoken of by the Apostle Peter, when writing `to those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours', - and speaking of Noah he writes of how God `protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others' from the Great Flood. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews also mentioned Noah, a preacher of the Eternal Gospel, when he wrote: (Hebrews 11:7)

" By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."

The Eternal or Everlasting Gospel, proclaimed first by Enoch, has within it the proclamation of Judgement and Salvation, and it came through the knowledge of the Judgement and Salvation that was spoken of to the serpent in the presence of their forefather Adam, following his rebellion against God in the Garden in Eden: (Genesis 3:15)

" And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel. "

This was a pronouncement of judgement on the Shining One, and all who followed his tempting voice. But there was also the promise of a Seed, One Who would come to `crush the head' in judgement of the Shining One - and this promise contained within it an understanding of a `covering' being promised in order to escape that judgement: (v21)

" The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. "

We now need to search through Scripture in order to understand the fulness of the Eternal Gospel, its prophecy of Judgement tempered by the Promise of Salvation. In previous studies we have likened the Kingdom of God to a `precious Diamond' with many unique facets, which has been turned from time to time in the historical settings of mankind. But although we may be tempted to use that analogy again, perhaps when talking of the Eternal Gospel we should liken it to a beautiful flower, a rose, which as it reaches its full maturity opens up to reveal more than we could imagine at the first sight of a rosebud and, as with any blossom, it is only when it is fully opened that we can see the fulness and glory contained within it.

Following on from Enoch and Noah, Abram was about to see the beauty of the Gospel as it was opened up to his understanding: (Genesis 12:1-3)

" The LORD had said to Abram, `Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you: I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. "

As Abram's understanding grew through his obedience to God's call, we now see the Good News unfolding. Abram's puzzlement was understandable! He was childless, so how could this Good News be outworked - unless it could come through `a servant in my household'. Now comes the promise of an heir who would fulfill God's promises: (Genesis 15:3-5)

" And Abram said, `You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.' Then the Word of the LORD came to him: `This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.' He took him outside and said, `Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them.' Then He said to him, `So shall your offspring be'. "

As we read on in Genesis 15 we find Abram still puzzled, but still obedient - puzzled, because if he was going to have `offspring as numerous as the stars' he needed a land to bring them into, yet obedient, knowing that God would open the way - and in verses 7 to 21 we read of the unconditional Covenant God made with Abram concerning the land of his inheritance: (Genesis 15:7-21)

" He also said to him, `I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.' But Abram said, `O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I shall gain possession of it?' So the LORD said to him, `Bring Me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.' Abram brought all these to Him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, `Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and ill-treated for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterwards they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and will be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your decendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure. When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking fire pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a Covenant with Abram and said, `To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates - the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadomites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites'. "

We must move rapidly on through Scripture to see the unfolding of the way in which God chose to reveal the opening of the fulness of the `flower' of the Eternal Gospel to the gaze of men. The opening of the flower of the Eternal Gospel revealed the Good News of the KINGDOM of God, a kingdom which needed a physical land and a physical king, and we know that God outworked this through choosing and forging together a nation from the Hebrews who were brought out of slavery in the land of Egypt - a people who came through the line of Abraham, Isaac and of Jacob, from whom came the twelve tribes of Israel. With the LAND of the kingdom established we read in the Second Book of Samuel of the king who would rule over that kingdom, and in David we see a king who was `a man after God's own heart', a foreshadowing of the King of kings who would one day follow him: (2 Samuel 7: 12-13 and 16)

" When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of His Kingdom for ever . . . . Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before Me; your throne shall be established for ever. "

It was about this Kingdom and the King of kings that the angels proclaimed: (Luke 2:10-14)

" The angel said to them, `Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Messiah the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angels, praising God and saying: ` Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests. ' "

The Eternal Gospel, as it was opened by God, revealed and concerned a Person and a Kingdom, and the angels proclaimed to the subjects of that Kingdom the One who had come, who would `save His people from their sins'. That proclamation was and is the Gospel of the Kingdom, contained within the beauty of the Eternal Gospel which was preached by faithful Enoch and Noah. Now it was opening up to reveal its fulness! But the King would be rejected by His subjects, and this was clearly foretold by the prophet Isaiah: (Isaiah 53:3)

" He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. "

This was the Gospel of the Kingdom, proclaimed so faithfully by John the Baptist, and as surely as the nation of Israel rejected the herald of the King, so too it rejected the King Himself, and it is in the Gospel narratives that we read of Jesus speaking in mysteries concerning the Gospel of the Kingdom to those individual subjects who did respond to His Good News. It was the same Gospel of the Kingdom that Peter proclaimed in the Temple compound at that glorious Pentecost two thousand years ago: (Acts 2:14b)

" Fellow Jews and all of you who are in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you: Listen carefully to what I say. "

It was this Gospel of the Kingdom that Paul proclaimed in the synagogues of the Jews wherever he travelled, and we read in the Book of Acts of the final rejection of that Gospel by the Jews in Rome where Paul was imprisoned: (Acts 28:24-28)

" Some were convinced by what he (Paul) said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: `The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when He said through Isaiah the prophet: ` Go to this people and say, You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn and I would heal them. ' Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen'! "

Following on from that rejection within a few years the Roman armies of Titus had destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and the nation of Israel was scattered over the face of the known world. In rejecting the KING they had truly lost the Kingdom (for that generation)! However, it needs to be kept firmly in mind that the Gospel of the Kingdom is contained within the fulness of the Eternal Gospel, and the time will come when it will be proclaimed once again to the nation of Israel, and finally, through accepting the KING, they will be restored into His Kingdom. We see this foretold in the Parable of the Great Banquet, told by Jesus concerning the Gospel of the Kingdom. In the telling of this parable we read of the invitation being given: First, by John the Baptist, heralding the coming King: Secondly, by the Messiah Himself, as He walked the land and spoke of the Kingdom: Thirdly, as Peter and the apostles held out the invitation during their ministry: Fourthly, the invitation will be given again at a time in the future: (Luke 14:23)

" Then the master told his servant, `Go out to the roads and the country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full'. "

The regathering of the Jews back into the land of Israel is but a foretaste of the fourth and last issuing of the Invitation of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and we read of that Invitation in Revelation 7 when `the foreheads of the servants of our God' are sealed and the work of the 144,000 unfolds. The rejection by that past generation of the nation of Israel has in no way nulified the full flowering of the Gospel of the Kingdom, for it is contained within the Eternal Gospel and is sealed through an unconditional Covenant made by God with Abraham! So as the flower continues to unfold we catch sight of more of the beauty of the Eternal Gospel, the fulness of which had not been seen before.

We now catch sight of the Gospel of GOD, which also lies within the Eternal Gospel, where it is recorded in the Book of Acts: (Acts 2:23-24)

" This man (Jesus) was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. " The Gospel of God reveals a Risen, Glorified Messiah, One who was to come and restore all things. As Peter and the apostles continue their work we read: (Acts 4:33) " With great power the Apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them. "

The Holy Spirit was confirming their message, their proclamation of the Gospel of God, and this was the fulness of the same Gospel we find Paul preaching and proclaiming in Athens: (Acts 17:22-31)

" Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: `Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and observed your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. `For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said: `We are His offspring.' Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone - an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead'. "

The Eternal Gospel contains within itself a fulness that Enoch and Noah, preachers of righteousness, knew nothing of, for the flower of the Good News had not yet opened to reveal its full beauty - but now it has been revealed by the proclamation of Paul, by the other apostles and by those who would follow on!

With that in mind we now find that the flower of the Eternal Gospel opens very quickly and reveals within itself the Gospel of God's GRACE, which is seen so clearly in the work of faithful Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. In his Letter to the Romans this is set out with startling clarity: (Romans 1:1-6)

" Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God - the Gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, Who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, and Who through the Spirit was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Him and for His name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. "

Paul's words are indeed startling, for he writes: `Through Him we received GRACE and APOSTLESHIP to call people from among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.' As Paul continues he clearly states that this Gospel of God's Grace is not something new but was set within the heart of the Eternal Gospel, waiting only for the `flower' to open for, as Paul reveals, this Grace was announced repeatedly by the prophets of Israel. What was new, however, was the timing of the announcing of the Gospel of Grace, and Paul had been given that privilege: (Romans 16:25-27)

" Now to Him who is able to establish you by my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the Eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey Him - to the only wise God be glory for ever through Jesus Christ! "

That this Gospel of Grace lies deep within the Eternal Gospel is clearly revealed by Paul when writing of the revelation given to him: It was only through the rejection of the Messiah and the Gospel of the Kingdom by that generation of the Jewish nation, and the subsequent death and resurrection of the Messiah Jesus, that the flower of the Eternal Gospel was opened up to reveal the Gospel of God's Grace - seen in the form of the risen, glorified Jesus. Only then could the Good News of His Grace be revealed and seen to be extended to all men, Jew and Greek, slave and free - and Paul's letters to the churches ring out with the fulness of the Gospel of God's Grace to all men: (Ephesians 3:1-12)

" For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles - Surely you have heard about the administration of God's Grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the Gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one Body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this Gospel by the gift of God's Grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this Grace was given to me: To preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, Who created all things. His intent was that now, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. "

Not even the chains of imprisonment could stop the flow of the revelation of God's Grace! Locked up in Roman chains Paul wrote his `prison letters' of how the Gospel of God's Grace could set men free from the chains of sin and eath, through acceptance of the Man Christ Jesus, the resurrected and glorified Son of God: (Colossians 1:24-27)

" Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of His Body, which is the Church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the Word of God in its fulness - the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you the hope of glory. "

With these thoughts in mind we will now turn to the full beauty of the `flower' of God's Good News - as set out and revealed within the Eternal Gospel - and once again Paul is given the privilege of revealing its fulness. We have seen how throughout the ages faithful men of God, directed by the Holy Spirit, spoke of the unfolding beauty of that part of the Eternal Gospel they themselves saw. But now the full beauty is seen in the Gospel of the Glory of Jesus Christ, and Paul, writing to the Corinthian Church, reveals this Glory which is at the heart of the Eternal

Gospel: (2 Corinthians 4:1-6)

" Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways: we do not use deception, nor do we distort the Word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the Glory of Jesus Christ, Who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God Who said, `Let light shine out of darkness' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ. "

As Paul develops in his letter the revelation given to him, we see more fully the Gospel of the Glory of Jesus Christ that goes beyond anything that has been revealed before. Now exalted to the right hand of God as Head of His glorious Body, His power and authority is revealed and manifest as the apostles proclaim the Gospel throughout all nations and to all men: (Ephesians 1:18-23)

" I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be Head over everything for the Church, which is His Body, the fulness of Him who fills everything in every way. "

We read again and again in Paul's `prison letters' of the fulness of the beauty of the Eternal Gospel, which has at its heart the Glory of the Risen, Exalted, Glorified Christ: (Philippians 2:9-11)

" Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. "

This Gospel of the Glory of Jesus Christ proclaims the full flowering of the Eternal Gospel . . . of Judgement AND Righteousness . . the final defeat of Satan and of all rebellion against God . . and a full restoration of God's Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace! (Colossians 1:15-20)

" He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the Head of the Body, the Church; He is the Beginning and the Firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fulness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, making peace through His Blood, shed on the cross. "

This is the fulness of the Word of the LORD God, spoken to the Shining One in the Garden in Eden: (Genesis 3: 15)

" And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel. "

The Word of the LORD God, spoken in Genesis, is seen to be finally outworked in the Book of Revelation - where we see the end of Satan's work in deceiving the nations of the world: (Revelation 20:1-3 & 7-10)

" And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time . . . . . . . When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth - Gog and Magog - to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the sea shore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city He loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur . . . . "

Satan's end is clearly revealed, and as the end of this Dispensation of Grace approaches we see his activities increasing as he seeks to thwart or delay the purpose of God revealed in the Eternal Gospel. This is the fulness of the Eternal Gospel, for it has within it the Good News of the Kingdom, and the Good News of a Risen, Glorified Christ who is King of that Kingdom. It also has within it the Good News of God's Grace, which enables all men to be brought into that Kingdom through acceptance of Jesus, and right at the heart of this Gospel is the Good News of the Glory of Jesus Christ, Who has entrusted to His Body the proclamation of the Eternal Gospel until He calls us to be with Him for ever. Nothing less than the fulness of the Eternal Gospel, with its message of Judgement and Salvation, is the true Gospel that faithful Enoch preached: (Jude 14b-15)

" See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

The Eternal Gospel has within it a final Judgement on all unrighteousness, and a Salvation which is to be found only in Christ Jesus. Any Gospel less than this is no Gospel at all! Paul, to whom had been given the full revelation of the beauty of the Good News of the Glory of Christ Jesus, was totally convinced of this, and his indignation burst out against anything that was less than the fulness which was at the heart of the Eternal Gospel: (Galatians 1:8-9)

" But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned (cursed). As we have already said, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned. "

With this understanding of the Scriptural fulness of the Eternal Gospel in mind we would now turn our thoughts to the historical timespan in which we are living, for we still have the command to proclaim the fulness of the Eternal Gospel! We see this in the words of Jesus Himself, when answering His disciples' question as to when the events He spoke of concerning the Temple in Jerusalem would take place: (Matthew 24:14)

" And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. "

As we have seen, within the Eternal Gospel there is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which will be preached and proclaimed until the end of time, and it is this particular part of the Gospel that we would hold central in the closing words of this study. Amongst the true disciples of the Lord Jesus there is agreement that the Gospel is to be preached in all its fulness until the end of time. Yet (as we have written in the before-mentioned studies) we hear the sound of another gospel being proclaimed in `the Church in the West' which does not have the fulness of the Eternal Gospel within it! It has been said that we have entered the time of `tabloid politics' - and we understand that expression to mean that when a broadsheet newspaper becomes a tabloid paper it ceases to be a serious media of news and becomes instead a populist expression of the people's experiences.

If we take this understanding into what we have written concerning the proclamation of another gospel, there is the probability that we have entered a time of a `tabloid gospel', one more concerned with an emotional experience which appeals to the populist mood of the country. It is cropping a harvest within the Church of people who want changed lifestyles, rather than changed lives through conviction of sin and the need of salvation from the coming Judgement. If a person who is drowning does not know what he is being saved from, the question must be asked: Was he really drowning or merely having an underwater experience - which would nevertheless leave him in a `drownable state'? Therefore if there is a response to a `tabloid gospel', and people are being saved without really knowing what they are being saved from, are they truly saved, or are they merely undergoing an emotional experience which will nevertheless still leave them in a `lost state'? In responding to a `tabloid gospel', are the people seeking after salvation in a changed lifestyle, rather than salvation in Jesus and a changed life through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit Who has brought conviction of sin and judgement?

We have previously set out a Scriptural basis for believing that as we approach the time of the return of the Lord Jesus and the establishment of His Kingdom of Righteousness, we are seeing a last desperate attempt by the Usurper to precipitate God's Kingdom through establishing his own kingdom throughout the world. In `conspiratorial circles' this is called the `New World Order' or a `One World Government'. But whatever title it is given we suggest that it is also clearly taking shape in the Church, through a universal appeal for unity and the proclamation of a `tabloid gospel' - which appeals to the emotions of people who are disturbed and anxious in a fast-changing world, who are therefore seeking salvation in a secure lifestyle rather than a changed life through salvation in Jesus! In order for the Usurper to precipitate his ` Kingdom of God' there has to be a destruction of the spiritual life of the Church, to whom has been given the command to preach and proclaim the Eternal Gospel in all its fulness, as we have previously set out.

Although we do not have the space to set out again the warnings given in the booklet entitled `Hear The Cry Of The Shepherds', we bring in these thoughts after having seen a further development in the structural formation of that `other kingdom' through the tragic circumstances involving the untimely death of a princess in the late summer of 1997. Whilst we intend no lack of respect, or the penning of insensitive thoughts concerning that dreadful event, it released an `unnatural' sense of loss within the nation, a bereavement as real as we might feel through the loss of a dearly-loved member of our own family. Indeed it seemed as if the whole country was caught up in a corporate cry of grief that expressed itself in dramatic scenes of national grief. But now, with the passing of time and the continuing cycle of life, the thoughts must come as to whether those days were a figment of exagerated emotion? Yet we are left with the uneasy thought that a nation's anxiety had been exposed through that tragic event.

It has been suggested that the people in this country are seeking for spiritual answers to the unprecedented movements of change that are working through our social structures. But the `corporate cry of grief' that came through the death of a princess revealed that the people were searching not for spiritual meaning but for emotional reassurance. We therefore suggest that another land-mark has been reached in the Usurper's determination to precipitate a kingdom of the world under his headship. A kingdom requires a king; it requires a sense of the Divine; it also requires subjects for that kingdom, who, through their submission to its authority, will seek an assurance of a secure lifestyle without a changed life. This we are seeing in the tabloid politics and in a tabloid gospel, for a populist appeal to the populist mood will bring such a reassurance to the troubled people who had expressed their anxiety in the tragedy of the princess' death.

If there is an attempt to precipitate the Kingdom of God, we must go back to seek within Scripture just what it will entail, and for that we need look no further than Genesis 3 to see the perversion of Scriptural truth that is taking place in our time, and seen more clearly in the death of a princess. Through this perversion of the truth of Genesis 3 we see `Eve' now as a mother figure who desires her husband's position, whose Seed (understood to be a son) will crush all evil, and who, although damaged, will triumph. It is this mystery of Babylon that can be traced through the Scriptural history of the people of God as they have continually fallen into apostacy through embracing this travesty of truth - seen clearly in ancient historical legends as Semiramis and her husband Nimrod. Nimrod's untimely death left Semiramis exposed and vulnerable, so she therefore had no option but to `bring back' Nimrod as a son each year in order to protect her position. This led to the establishment of the Mother and Child cult which runs through most religions, and it can certainly be seen in some form or other in most if not all of the historical Christian churches. This cult seeks to elevate the `Mother' as she offers to the adoring people her `Son', thus appeasing their anxiety. It is this `stain' that we observed emerging in the grief of the people in this country during the tragic time of late summer 1997. It is not a spiritual awakening at all but the need of emotional reassurance in an anxious people who have elevated a royal personage into the position of a goddess. The anxiety and insecurity was already there before her demise, but the people have been reassured by the knowledge that her son will be offered as a future king - whilst she lies `adored' in an island shrine in the middle of a lake! A populist Government and Monarchy, together with a populist Church, is moving into place - Church and State being the twin pillars that uphold the fabric of society as we know it!

If `another kingdom' is emerging, it behoves us to watch for its formation and shaping, for it will certainly affect the true Body of Christ in this land. Without doubt the shaking which the Church and State has experienced (seen in the national Church and the Monarchy) has left them in a state of near-collapse. Do not be surprised, therefore, if after the shaking they merely reform and reshape themselves, for such powerful institutions are rarely destroyed. But when the shaking is completed both will remain standing, for the political-social fabric of the nation has need of them both. But, equally, do not be surprised to find them standing in a different form and shape to that seen today and, more importantly still, standing in a form that does not look with benevolence upon members of the Body of Christ who are called apart to be a separated people! Do not be surprised to find that in this restructured and reformed State even more powerful and authoritative `twin pillars' will have emerged - now widened to encompass all who hear and accept the new gospel of `tolerance', and demanding acceptance of that tolerance. Today's tabloid politicians call it `a more compassionate society with a hard edge', but its final form will be a very cruel Beast indeed for those who do not conform!

We are now set on a course that will see the emergence of `another kingdom'. The natural prize in sight is `the Kingdom of England', which is still coverted in Rome as `Mary's Dowry' - as students of religious history will recall! The spiritual prize in sight is the destruction of the spiritual life of the churches who are called to live their separated lives within this country. Both prizes have to be taken before the Fourth Beast that so terrified Daniel takes its final form! The structure is already in place and a gospel is being proclaimed by the Church which is not the Eternal Gospel of Scripture. When faithful Enoch and Noah preached the fulness of their Gospel they had no understanding of the Gospel of the Glory of Jesus Christ which lay at the heart of the unfolding Eternal Gospel. But this Good News is no `candle in the wind', for it reveals `the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus', and as Paul continues writing his understanding of the Eternal Gospel it shines its glorious light into a darkening kingdom:

2 Corinthians 4:7-18



" But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: `I believed, therefore I have spoken.' With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the One Who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the Grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanks-giving to overflow to the Glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. "

That God will once again raise up `Preachers of Righteousness' is certain, for the Kingdom of God will not be precipitated by another kingdom under the rule of the Usurper. The One Who will sit on David's Throne is coming with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone, and in His Name alone there is salvation from the coming wrath!

Come soon, Lord Jesus!

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