Jesus, the Gospel of the
Kingdom of God, & the Old Testament
The Bible teaches that a utopian society, called the Kingdom
of God, will replace human governments (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 11:15;
19:1-21).
In this sermon, I plan to quote Jesus, some of the apostles,
and various passages from the Hebrews scriptures, known as the Old Testament.
I will mainly be quoting from the NKJV Bible, but some of
the quotes will basically be from the original KJV.
Some have wondered if the Old Testament has anything to do with the Gospel? The old Radio Church of God published:
Understand that JESUS CHRIST never read the New Testament! Yet He preached the Gospel. He quoted from Scripture!
John the Baptist also preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 preached a sermon of salvation that brought three thousand people to repentance — he quoted many scriptures, yet not one was from the New Testament.
After his conversion, the Apostle
Paul preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ —
yet through most of his ministry he did not have access to
any of what we recognize as the New Testament
today — in fact, he himself was responsible for writing fourteen books of it!
The only Bible that Jesus and Peter and Paul were conversant with and preached from was what we regard today as the Old Testament!
Old Testament Useless?
The Bible
is a consistent best seller year after year! It has been
translated into nearly every language and dialect used by mankind! Yet this
most translated and consistent best seller is the least read
and studied of any of the best
sellers! And even those who do read and study the Bible
consistently ignore the largest part of it
— the Old Testament.
Somehow the term "Old" Testament
as opposed to the "New" Testament has made most
people feel that it is not necessary to read the Old — almost
as if it had nothing to do with the New, or as if it
were a completely useless part of the Bible.
Yet, consistently, millions upon millions of copies of the Bible,
including the Old Testament, are reproduced and sold.
The Bible has 66 divinely inspired books.
Comparing it to a novel or a textbook, if
each of these books were just a long chapter
— wouldn't it seem strange to begin reading a book at chapter
40? There are 39 books in the Old Testament and the book of Matthew
beginning the New Testament is the 40th book of the Bible
— comparable to the 40th chapter of a textbook
or novel!
Are those first 39 chapters of God's book
unnecessary — or did God have a reason for inspiring them?
(Hill DJ. The GOSPEL - In the Old Testament. Plain Truth, July 1963)
Jesus Preached the Gospel
Consider that when Jesus began His public ministry, He began
by preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of
God. Here is what Mark reported:
14
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel
of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and
the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark
1:14-15).
The term gospel, comes from the Greek word transliterated as
euangelion,
and means “good message” or “good news.” In the New Testament, the English word
“kingdom,” related to God’s kingdom, is mentioned approximately 149 times in
the NKJV and 151 in the Douay Rheims Bible.
It comes from the Greek word transliterated as basileia which signifies the rule
or realm of royalty.
Human kingdoms, as well as God’s kingdom, have a king
(Revelation 17:14), they cover a geographic area (Revelation 11:15), they have
rules (Isaiah 2:3-4; 30:9), and they have subjects (Luke 13:29).
Here is the first public teaching from Jesus that Matthew
records:
23
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 4:23).
Matthew also records:
35
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 9:35).
The New Testament shows that Jesus will reign forever:
33
And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there
will be no end (Luke 1:33).
Luke records that the
purpose that Jesus was sent was to preach the Kingdom of God. Notice
what Jesus taught:
43
He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also,
because for this purpose I have been sent” (Luke 4:43).
Did you ever realize that Jesus' purpose for being sent was
to preach the Kingdom of God?
Luke also records that Jesus did go and preach the Kingdom of God:
10
And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then
He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the
city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they
followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God
(Luke 9:10-11).
Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God should be the top
priority for those who would follow Him:
33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).
31
But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32
Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you
the kingdom (Luke 12:31-32).
Christians are to SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God. They do
this by making this their top priority by living as Christ would have them live
and looking forward to His return and kingdom. Yet, most who profess Christ,
not only do not seek first the Kingdom of God, they do not even know what it
is. Many also falsely believe that being
involved in worldly politics is what God expects from Christians. By not
understanding God’s kingdom, they do not live now as they should or understand
why humanity is so flawed.
Notice also that the kingdom will be given to a little flock
(cf. Romans 11:5). It takes humility to be willing to be part of the true
little flock.
That flock was supposed to support the preaching of that
gospel.
Consider that Jesus said that the end (of the age) will come
(soon) AFTER the gospel of the kingdom is preached in all the world as a
WITNESS:
14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness
to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).
Proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom of God is
important and is to be accomplished in
these end times. It is a “good message” as it offers the real hope
to humanity’s ills, despite what political leaders may teach.
Now please further understand that after Jesus was resurrected,
He again taught about the Kingdom of God:
3
He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs,
being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to
the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).
The first and last sermons that
Jesus gave were about the Kingdom of God!
Jesus came as the messenger to teach about that Kingdom. The old Radio Church of God taught:
How Did the Apostles Preach the Gospel?
How did Jesus Christ preach the Gospel? To what authority did He appeal? Where did He get His ideas of love and grace — of forgiveness and salvation — of the message of the Kingdom of God? When Peter preached about grace and salvation, upon what authority did he base his statements? When the Apostle Paul expounded and proclaimed to the Gentiles about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, from what books did he preach?
New Testament Answers!
Certainly the "Golden
Rule" is accepted as summing up the basic teachings of Jesus
Christ — of New Testament theology. "Therefore
all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to
them" (Matt.
7:12). But how many of you read the last
part, of this verse — or heard the last
part of this verse explained and expounded — the last
part of this verse which, in the words of Jesus
Christ, explains where He got the idea of the Golden
Rule? The LAST PART of this verse reads,
"for THIS [the Golden Rule] IS THE LAW
AND THE PROPHETS!" (Matt. 7:12).
Jesus Christ was NOT doing away with the Old
Testament! His very life and Gospel message was an explanation of the Old
Testament — a clarification, a magnification.
When the Pharisees and Sadducees would ask Him a trick
question, He would consistently ask them, "Have you not read...?" (Matt. 12:3, 5, etc) He was more conversant with the Old
Testament than the ablest of scribes!
Yes, the Gospel of Jesus
Christ is a Gospel of love — but what kind or
love? Let Jesus Christ Himself explain this to you — when a hypocritical
lawyer of the Pharisees asked Him a question
to tempt Him, asking which was the greatest commandment, Jesus
Christ answered him saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might... Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thy self [this is the great
commandment of love that Jesus Christ gave — the "new"
commandment, see I John 2:7-8]. On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets" (Matt.
22:37-40). And Jesus quoted His answer from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus
19: 18! When Christ was tempted by Satan the Devil, He
pointed out the over-all precept, "Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4 —
also Luke
4:4). But this was not an idea that Jesus Christ thought up
independent of the Old Testament — this was not
changed, New Testament theology. This tool that Jesus Christ used to resist
Satan the Devil was taken directly from the pen of Moses
and is quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3! (Hill DJ. The GOSPEL - In the Old
Testament. Plain Truth, July 1963)
God’s kingdom is something that the Jews of Jesus’ time
should have known something about as it was mentioned in their scriptures,
which we now call the Old Testament.
The prophet Daniel wrote:
40
And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in
pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will
break in pieces and crush all the others. 41 Whereas you saw the
feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be
divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron
mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly
of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly
fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will
mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as
iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings the
God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the
kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume
all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever (Daniel 2:40-44).
18
But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the
kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' (Daniel 7:18).
21
“I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and
prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a
judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High,
and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. (Daniel 7:21-22)
From Daniel, we learn that the time will come when the Kingdom
of God will destroy the kingdoms of this world and will last forever. We also
learn that the saints will have their part in receiving this kingdom.
Many portions of Daniel’s prophecies are for our time in the
21st century.
Notice some passages from the New Testament:
12
“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet,
but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13
These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the
beast. 14 These 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 17:12-14)
So, we see in both the Old and New Testaments the concept
that there will be an end time earthly kingdom with ten parts and that God will
destroy it and establish His kingdom.
God inspired Isaiah to write about the first part of the
Kingdom of God, the thousand year reign known as the
millennium, this way:
1
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And
a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 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.
3
His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of
His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4
But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And
decide with equity
for the meek of the earth; He
shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And
with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His
waist.
6
“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. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their
young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8
The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall
put his hand in the viper's den. 9 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.
10
“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles
shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:1-10)
The reason I referred to this as the first part or first
phase of the Kingdom of God, is that this is a time where it will be physical
(prior to the time when the holy city, New Jerusalem comes down from heaven,
Revelation 21) and will last a thousand years. Isaiah confirmed the physical
aspect of this phase when he continued with:
11
It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the
second time To recover the remnant of His people who
are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From
Hamath and the islands of the sea.
12
He will set up a banner for the nations, And will
assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together
the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the
earth. 13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, And the adversaries
of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not
harass Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the
Philistines toward the west; Together they shall plunder the people of the
East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall
obey them. 15 The Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of
Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist
over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dry-shod. 16 There will
be a highway for the remnant of His people Who will be left from Assyria, As it was for Israel In the day
that he came up from the land of Egypt. (Isaiah 11:11-16)
Isaiah was also inspired to write:
2
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s
house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And
shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3
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. 4 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. ... 11 The
lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness
of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isaiah
2:2-4,11)
Thus, it will be a utopian time of peace on earth. Ultimately,
this will be forever, with Jesus ruling. Based upon
various scriptures (Psalm 90:4; 92:1; Isaiah 2:11; Hosea 6:2), the Jewish
Talmud teaches this lasts 1,000 years (Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin
Folio 97a).
Isaiah was inspired to also write the following:
6
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. 7
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)
Notice that Isaiah said that Jesus would come and establish
a kingdom with a government. While many who profess Christ quote this passage,
especially in December each year, they tend to overlook that it is prophesying
more than the fact that Jesus would be born. The Bible shows that the Kingdom
of God has a government with laws over subjects, and that Jesus will be king over
it. Isaiah, Daniel, and others prophesied it.
The laws of God are the way of love (Matthew 22:37-40; John
15:10) and the Kingdom of God will be ruled based upon those laws. Hence the Kingdom
of God, despite how many in the world view it, will be based upon love.
Psalms
and More
It was not just Daniel and Isaiah that God inspired to write
about the coming Kingdom of God.
The descendants of the tribes of Israel will no longer be
scattered, but will obey God’s statutes and stop eating abominable things
(Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14).
After surviving
the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord, people will be afraid.
Yet, people will
realize that they did wrong and will be blessed:
22
"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says
the Lord God: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for
My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you
went. 23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the
nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know
that I am the Lord," says the Lord God, "when I am hallowed in you
before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you
out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 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. 26 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. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to
walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you
shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people,
and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses.
I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And
I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so
that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. 31
Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and
you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your
abominations. (Ezekiel 36:22-32)
It will be a
prosperous time. The prophet Amos was inspired to write:
11
"On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of
David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the
days of old; 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And
all the Gentiles who are called by My name," Says
the Lord who does this thing. 13 "Behold, the days are coming," says
the Lord, "When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of
grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it. (
Amos 9:11-13 )
Agriculture will
be more productive than now (called the "former days" below):
11
But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,'
says the Lord of hosts. 12 'For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her
increase, And the heavens shall give their dew — I will cause the remnant of
this people To possess all these. (Zechariah 8:11-12)
This seems to be
in contrast to the time since Eden when God pronounced a curse on agricultural
production (cf. Genesis 3:17-19). The millennial kingdom will be an abundant
time.
David wrote:
16
There will be an abundance of grain in the earth, On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon; And those of the city shall flourish like
grass of the earth. 17 His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue
as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him
blessed. 18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who
only does wondrous things! 19 And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let
the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72:16-19)
The prophet
Ezekiel wrote about it coming after the world had been shamed by the Gentiles
(cf. Revelation 11:2; Luke 21:24):
21
Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with
your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and
they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I
will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them — My servant
David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be
their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.
25 "I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to
cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in
the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing;
and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers
of blessing. 27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the
earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they
shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and
delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 And they shall no
longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but
they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. 29 I will raise up
for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger
in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. (Ezekiel 34:21-29)
Dr. Herman Hoeh
wrote:
Ever
since the dawn of civilization, man has longed to live in a world where all his
physical desires could be fulfilled! But even as he has longed for such a
place, in his heart he has been secretly positive that such a UTOPIA could
never be found ON THIS EARTH. Your Creator has planned a Utopia
even beyond the dreams of men — and more important, He will soon establish that
Utopia. Tomorrow's World is just around the corner — universal peace and
prosperity, a world bubbling over with joy and happiness!
WHY
SHOULD A UTOPIA BE IMPOSSIBLE? Why shouldn't we have a world at peace, filled
with joy and prosperity, racial harmony and genuine love?
Where
Mentioned in the Bible
God
has allowed a six-thousand-year period for mankind to rule himself apart from
God if man so chooses. During this time, God has, in a sense, kept hands off
the affairs of this world. Man has pursued the course that "seems
right" to him. BUT time is now almost up! The new order — THE HAPPY WORLD
TOMORROW — will soon be here. A thousand years of peace and prosperity are just
around the corner.
In
Micah, the fourth chapter, a graphic description is given us concerning the
soon-coming Utopia. (Hoeh H. The Coming Utopia - Wonderful World Tomorrow.
Tomorrow's World, May-June 1970)
The Prophet Micah
was inspired to write:
1
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord's
house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And
shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. 2 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. 3 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. 4 But everyone shall sit under his vine and under
his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For
the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. (Micah 4:1-4)
Both humans and
animals will do better during this time. The New Testament confirms that the
whole creation will benefit during this time:
19
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of
the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,
but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself
also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty
of the children of God (Romans 8:19-21).
The time of the
"glorious liberty of the children of God" that the Apostle
Paul is speaking of, happens at
the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom.
Notice the following in the Psalms about the good news of
God’s kingdom:
27
All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before
You. 28 For the kingdom is
the Lord's, And He rules over the nations. (Psalms 22:27-28)
6
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the
scepter of Your kingdom. (Psalms 45:6)
1
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2
Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from
day to day. 3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among
all peoples. (Psalms 96:1-3; also cf. 1 Chronicles 16:23-24)
10
All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, And Your saints shall bless You. 11
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And
talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty
acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. (Psalm 145:10-13)
Did the
Apostles teach the Gospel of the Kingdom?
The Radio Church of God taught:
Paul
Commanded Old Testament Preaching
Paul
was the apostle in charge of carrying the Gospel
to the Gentiles. As an apostle he held a very
high office and was also responsible for the training of many
men under him. These evangelists and elders were responsible for carrying the same
Gospel message to the local churches that Paul raised up,
after his departure. Paul's personal instruction to the Evangelist
Timothy is preserved for us to this day so that we will be able to tell
how the Apostle Paul instructed the Evangelist
Timothy, and all of those elders under him, to conduct their
preaching, and from whence to get their information.
Using
all of the power of his office,
Paul said, "I charge ye therefore before God, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead
at his appearing and his kingdom; PREACH THE WORD"! (II Tim. 4:1-2) The expression
"the word" is the common reference
to the Old Testament — The Holy Scriptures.
Just a few
verses before this Paul had instructed Timothy, "Study to show thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
(II Tim. 2:15).
Urging and ex-honing Timothy to study the Old Testament in
order to preach Christ! Is this the kind of instruction being given
in the theological seminaries today?
Or has the prophecy of Paul
which he gave to Timothy in this same book already come to pass —
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth
["Thy word is truth" — John 17: 17], and shall be turned [from the Gospel
truths of the Old Testament] unto fables [the teaching of men
having turned a deaf ear to the Word of God
and thought up their own theology!] (II Tim. 4:3-4).
No, Paul did not think up a new
"Pauline theology" — he didn't disagree with Moses, or any of the prophets,
or Jesus Christ — his instruction was, again to Timothy, "And that
from a child you have known the holy
scriptures which ARE ABLE TO MAKE THEE WISE UNTO SALVATION THROUGH FAITH which
is in Christ Jesus. ALL SCRIPTURE [all of the Bible
that today's Christians regard as the Old Testament] is given
by inspiration of God [not the ideas of men
about God, but the writings of holy men
inspired by the Holy Spirit prior to the time of Jesus
Christ, see II Peter 1:21] and IS PROFITABLE [Paul under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit and using the full authority of his
apostleship states in a letter of instruction
to a fellow minister, in the fulfillment of his
duty in the ministry that the Old Testament
IS PROFITABLE] for DOCTRINE [the doctrines of the Apostle
Paul were not "Pauline theology" at all, but the same
basic truths that were preached by Noah, a preacher of righteousness,
by Abraham, by Moses, by Elijah, by John the Baptist, and by
Jesus Christ — and their source was the Old Testament!], for
REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS [there is a way
to be righteous, and that way is described in the Old
Testament]" (II Tim. 3:15-16).
And this quote, you will notice, is just directly prior
to the first verse of chapter four in which
Paul tells Timothy what to preach! (Hill DJ. The GOSPEL - In the Old
Testament. Plain Truth, July 1963)
The Apostle Paul taught about the Kingdom of God and Jesus:
8
And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and
persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8).
25
And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the
kingdom of God (Acts 20:25).
23
So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom
he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them
concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till
evening. … 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things
which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no
one forbidding him (Acts 28:23,31).
Notice that the Kingdom of God is not just about Jesus
(though He is a major part of it), as Paul also taught about Jesus separately
from what he taught about the Kingdom of God.
Paul also called it the gospel of God, but that was still
the gospel of the Kingdom of God:
9 …
we preached to you the gospel of God … 12 that you would walk worthy
of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:9,12)
Paul also taught that Jesus would deliver the Kingdom to God
the Father:
20
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits
of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by
Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all
die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in
his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward
those who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He
delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all
authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all
enemies under His feet. (1 Corinthians 15:20-25).
Now, before getting back to Paul, notice the following from
the Old Testament:
6 Now He said to me, 'It is
your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him
to be My son, and I will be his Father. 7 Moreover I will establish his kingdom
forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it
is this day.' 8 Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the
Lord, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the
commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land, and
leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever. (1 Chronicles
28:6-8)
So, we see a kingdom promise tied to commandment keeping in
the OT. But what about the NT?
Paul also taught that the unrighteous (commandment breakers)
will not inherit the Kingdom of God:
9
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do
not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (1
Corinthians 6:9-10).
19
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions,
jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21
envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you
beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such
things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).
5
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is
an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (Ephesians
5:5).
We first learn about those commandments in the Old
Testament.
Jesus taught:
17 "Do not think that
I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to
fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you,
till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass
from the law till all is fulfilled. 19
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches
men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and
teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew
5:17-19)
God has standards and demands repentance from sin in order
to be able to enter His kingdom. The Apostle Paul warned that some would not
teach that Jesus’ gospel is the answer, but another is:
3
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4
who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil
age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory
forever and ever. Amen. 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon
from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7
which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert
the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any
other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
(Galatians 1:3-9)
3
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. 4
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 11:3-4)
What was the “other” and “different,” actually false,
gospel?
The false gospel has various parts.
In general, the false gospel is believing that you do not
have to obey God and really strive to live true to His way while claiming to
know Him (cf. Matthew 7:21-23). It tends to be selfishly oriented.
The serpent beguiled Eve to fall for a false gospel nearly
6000 years ago (Genesis 3)—and humans have believed that they know better than
God and should decide good and evil for themselves ever since. Yes, after Jesus
came, His name was often attached to various false gospels—and this has been continuing
and will continue into the time of the final Antichrist.
Now back in the Apostles Peter and Paul's time, the false
gospel was essentially a Gnostic/Mystic mix of truth and error. Gnostics
basically believed that special knowledge was what was needed to attain spiritual
insight, including salvation. Gnostics tended to believe that what the flesh
did was of no particular consequence and they were opposed to obeying God in
matters like the seventh-day Sabbath. One such false leader was Simon Magus,
who was rebuked/warned by the Apostle Peter (Acts 8:18-21).
The old Radio Church of God taught:
Peter's
Theology
The Apostle
Peter plainly showed that the whole purpose of the writing of the prophets of the Old
Testament was for the use of those who are
called to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! :
1
Peter 1:10-12
10
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who
prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what
manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He
testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would
follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were
ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who
have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — things
which angels desire to look into.
In
closing off his second epistle he warned all those who were followers of Jesus
Christ that they should watch out for individuals who twisted the meaning of the epistles of Paul
— but comparing this deceitful use of Paul's epistles to the practice of those
who also deceitfully use the other scriptures, the Old
Testament! (II Pet. 3:1516). The very
authority of Paul's writings, Peter showed, rested on the Old
Testament!
Lay
Members Urged to Read Old Testament
The Apostle
Paul had, no doctrines contrary to any single verse written from Genesis to
Malachi. He never urged any — even of his Gentile converts —
to ignore the Old Testament. In fact the historic
record of his preaching to Gentiles at Berea, tells us that he
was highly pleased by those citizens of Berea who checked up
by daily Old Testament Bible reading on the things that he
proclaimed to them — the Gospel of Jesus
Christ! "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind,
and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, whether those things were
so" (Acts 17:11).
There is one reference
in the New Testament of Paul in his preaching
referring to one of the poets. You know how common
it is for ministers to quote from Shakespeare, Tennyson, Shelley and Keats.
When Paul was speaking to the Athenians on Mars Hill he said,
"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain
also of your own poets have said" (Acts
17:28). But his use of poets' clever sayings is
nil in comparison to the dozens and dozens of times,
in the book of Acts, and in the many
epistles which he wrote, in which he quoted word for word and used as his
authority the Old Testament scriptures.
In his letter to the Gentile Corinthians the Apostle Paul commanded that church to be familiar with the Old Testament — "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (I Cor. 10:11). (Hill DJ. The GOSPEL - In the Old Testament. Plain Truth, July 1963)
The New Testament shows that Philip taught the
Kingdom of God:
5
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. … 12
they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God …
(Acts 8:5,12).
Philip's
Gospel Message
Let's
turn to the scripture that he was reading from in the book of Isaiah,
and see just how Philip could preach Jesus Christ, Him crucified and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
— of salvation — from the Old
Testament! Isaiah 53:7 was the scripture that the Ethiopian
eunuch was reading: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (Isa. 53:7).
In answer to the Ethiopian's question Philip, began to explain
that this referred to the Son of God, sent
by the Almighty Father in heaven to become a human being,
to live a perfect life, and then to be sacrificed for the sins of mankind.
Beginning at the very verse the eunuch was
reading, he went on to explain how all the verses of Isaiah
53 applied to Jesus Christ — but Isaiah 53 is not the only
chapter in the Old Testament that applies to Jesus Christ,
many more were needed for Philip to explain completely the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to the eunuch-out of the Old
Testament.
As
any commentary will explain, and as I am sure Philip explained, he would have
either turned to or explained to the Ethiopian eunuch
about Genesis 3:15. This prophecy regarding Jesus Christ, the seed of the woman,
Eve, was to redeem mankind from his sin! This would show how the Savior of mankind
was expected from the very beginning — from the time
immediately after Adam and Eve committed the first sin of mankind
in disobeying their God and His instructionsin the Garden of Eden.
He
explained Genesis 12, and Genesis 15, and Genesis 22 about the promise
that the God of heaven and earth had made to
Abraham, the father of all the Israelites
— of how He had promised him a particular
Seed that would be the joy, the glory,
and the solace of all mankind — of how
He was prophesied so many centuries ago! That this Seed would fulfill the promise of eternal
inheritance of the whole earth, made to Abraham.
Since
it was on everybody's mind at that particular time, Philip mentioned the 70
weeks' prophecy of Daniel 9, verses 24 through 27, which had
everybody expecting that the Messiah would appear. He pointed
out how other verses in The Old Testament explained that this
Messiah when He came at first — in His first coming — would NOT be the King of kings
and Lord of lords, to restore a mighty
kingdom to Israel — but would be a humble man, Who would be
persecuted and despised by all mankind (referring again to Isaiah 53), Who
would be sacrificed, sold as a slave, rejected, Who would
speak in parables, Who would suffer, Who would be betrayed by a friend,
Who would be dead three days and three nights — and be RESURRECTED! Explaining
these things Philip showed that since this same Jesus was now alive He would fulfill the prophecies
in the future which portray Him as King of kings
and Lord of lords — at His second coming, to establish the Kingdom of God
on earth forever!
Using the book of Zechariah,
Philip read, "Then he answered and spake unto
me, saying, This is the word of the Lord
unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,
saith the Lord of hosts" (Zech. 4:6).
Then Philip would pause and explain again to the Ethiopian
eunuch that the Savior of mankind did not
come first as a conquering hero and king to restore a physical
kingdom to a physical Israel — not by any physical strength or
might, but by the very power of the Holy
Spirit this Savior came with the strength to overcome the physical
pull of human nature, and live a perfect life
by the strength of that Spirit. That He would
cry, "Grace, grace unto it" (Zech. 4:7)
regarding Jerusalem, and Israel, and the whole world! Philip
would turn over quickly (or quote from memory) to chapter 9 of Zechariah
and read in verse 9 — "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto
thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and
upon a colt the foal of an
ass" (Zech. 9:9). Philip would explain to this Ethiopian that
despite the fact that this Being had been
God. in heaven, that yet He had emptied Himself of being God
and become JUST A MAN (Phil. 2:5, 6, 7), a lowly
man, not regarding Himself as any great Being, not trying to take
over the kingdoms of the earth,
but living an example — an example of perfection, living
according to the laws of God, and
pleasing the Creator of heaven and earth in
everything that He did.
He
would point out to the eunuch that, just as Herod had been
told (Matt. 2:5-6) that the Savior was to be born in
Bethlehem, that He was eventually to be Ruler in all Israel and that He had
really existed from everlasting, that He had been God from the beginning
— Micah 5:2!
More
from the Book of Zechariah
Philip would again refer
to the book of Zechariah and explain to the Ethiopian
eunuch how it had been prophesied long ago that the One Who
would come and fulfill the prophecies of the Messiah
in His first coming would be sold for 30 pieces of silver
— the price of a slave — (Zech.
11:12-13). It had been prophesied long ago that Jesus Christ would
not be accepted by the multitudes but rejected completely,
that it was no mistake that the Son of God
had been rejected of mankind — "The stone
which the builders refused is become the head
stone of the corner. This is the Lord's
doing; it is marvelous in our eyes" (Ps.
118:22-23).
Going back to the book of Zechariah
Philip would explain how it had long ago been prophesied that this Messiah
would bring grace to mankind, forgiveness for their sins — unmerited though it
might be, and sacrifice Himself completely for their sins! "And I will
pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, THE SPIRIT OF GRACE
and of supplications" (Zech.
12: 10): Philip would explain to the Ethiopian
eunuch that there was a new covenant, that this Individual
brought — "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel,
and with the house of Judah... I will put my
law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God,
and they shall be my people" (Jer.
31:31-33). He would show the eunuch — before Paul
had a chance to write in the book of Ephesians
(Eph.
6:10-17) — how Jesus Christ, the Captain of our
salvation, was to have righteousness as a breastplate,
salvation as a helmet and zeal as a cloak! (Isa.
59:16-17)
Philip would turn to Psalm
22 and read the first verse — the last
words of Jesus Christ on the stake as He
suffered death for the sins of mankind!
"My God, my God, why halt thou forsaken me?" (Ps.
22:1). He would turn to verse 16 and show how Jesus Christ had
had His hands and feet pierced with spikes, to verse 17 and show how Christ had
hung in desperation on that stake, in humility and ignominy! He would turn to
verse 18 and explain how the Roman soldiers had even gambled
and cast lots to see who would be the owner of the fine
cloak that Jesus wore.
In explaining all these
things that had been prophesied so long ago, and only fulfilled recently
in the Person of Jesus Christ, Philip would
mention Psalm 41 verse 9 which explains, "Yea, mine own familiar
friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath
lifted up his heel against me." Recounting again for the Ethiopian
eunuch he would explain how that when Jesus hung on the cross
He was offered gall to drink when He said that He was thirsty — but he would
explain patiently to the eunuch that this had been prophesied,
that Christ had expected it — "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in
my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink (Ps.
69:21).
Just as Peter did
on the day of Pentecost (Acts
2:27-28) Philip would explain to the Ethiopian
eunuch about the prophecy in the book of Psalms
regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption" (Ps.
16:10). He would point out the assurance of Job,
when he said, "For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth"
(Job
19:25).
The Purpose of the Gospel
In explaining these things
— and many more we do not have room to refer to here — Philip would point out
to the Ethiopian eunuch that this was not the end
but only the BEGINNING of a great
plan of salvation that God Almighty had envisioned for
mankind. Turning back to Zechariah 9 he would show him that even
though the King would come as a lowly
individual riding upon the colt of an ass at
first, that He would also come in a SECOND COMING as
King of kings and Lord of lords to rule the entire
earth — "And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle
bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen:
and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river
even to the ends of the earth"
(Zeck. 9:10).
There are so many books and
chapters that he could refer to in prophecies regarding the second
coming of Jesus Christ that it is difficult to tell
which of these chapters and verses Philip may have referred to
in explaining the Gospel of the Kingdom
to the Ethiopian eunuch. Surely he turned to Zechariah
14 and explained that when Jesus Christ returned again He would put His
feet on the very Mount of Olives (Zech.
14:4) — that He would be Lord and King over all the earth
(verse 9) and that at that time He would require all nations on the surface of the earth
to keep His Holy Days in remembrance of the plan of the salvation of mankind!
(Verses 16-19)
The AIM
AND PURPOSE OF THIS GOSPEL (good news) he would
point out to the eunuch is the establishment of the Kingdom of God!
(Hill DJ. The GOSPEL - In the Old
Testament. Plain Truth, July 1963)
So, yes, Philip also referred to the Old Testament.
Yet, in these days, there are televangelists like Andy
Stanley who teach that Christians do not need Old Testaments
prophets/prophecies.
That is nonsense—as also are his anti-Ten Commandments
positions.
Even so, Jesus, Paul, and the disciples taught that it is
not easy to enter the Kingdom of God:
24
And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for
those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26
And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
27
But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:24-27)
22
“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
3
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is
fitting, because your faith
grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each
other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God
for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you
endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of
God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also
suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with
tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are
troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels, (2 Thessalonians 1:3-7).
Because of the difficulties in this time, only some are now
being called and chosen in this age to be part of it (Matthew 22:1-14; John
6:44; Hebrews 6:4-6). Others will be called later, as the Bible shows that
those “who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained
will learn doctrine” (Isaiah 29:24).
The Apostle Peter taught that the kingdom was everlasting,
and that the gospel of God must be diligently obeyed or there would be
judgment:
10
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure,
for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11
for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:10-11).
17
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it
begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel
of God? (1 Peter 4:17).
The Bible teaches that “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16) and
Jesus is God (John 1:1,14)—the Kingdom of God will have a King who is love and
whose laws support love, not hate (cf. Revelation 22:14-15).
The old Radio Church of God
wrote:
False
Prophets of Both Testaments
God
knew there would be scoffers, individuals who would agree to take some of the Word of God
but not all of it! God knew that the great
majority of mankind until the coming of His
Son as King of kings and Lord of lords, would
not accept the principle that Jesus Christ resisted
Satan the Devil with: "Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"
(Matt. 4:4).
God knew this — that's why He prophesied through His servant
John that He was allowing Satan the Devil to deceive this
whole world (Rev. 12:9). But that time is nearly over now — the prophecies
which Philip preached to the Ethiopian eunuch about the second
coming of Jesus Christ are just about to be fulfilled! They're
going to be fulfilled in your lifetime and mine! The same
Jesus Christ who walked this earth 1900 years ago as the humble
son of a carpenter of Nazareth is
going to return in the clouds in glory and in power and in
majesty.
He is going to ask where your talent is! He is going to ask
what you have done with the information that has been given to
you. He is going to ask whether you believe the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
— both Old and New Testaments — He is going to ask you if you have been living
by EVERY WORD OF GOD!
What will YOUR answer be?
What
YOU Can Do
Exercise the wisdom
and nobility of the Bereans mentioned by the Apostle
Paul in Acts 17. When you search the scriptures, remember to include those
of the Old Testament as those were the only ones the Bereans had at that time.
In our time, obviously, we
do not wish to overlook or ignore scriptures in the New Testament as well. (Hill DJ. The GOSPEL - In the Old Testament. Plain
Truth, July 1963)
The meek will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5) and all things
(Revelation 21:7). The earth, including the Holy City which will be on it, will
be better because God’s ways will be implemented. Realize that:
7
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end (Isaiah 9:7).
Clearly there will be growth after the final phase of the Kingdom
of God has begun as all will obey God’s government.
So, yes, we see that the gospel of the kingdom of God was
taught in the Hebrew scriptures. But it is also taught in the Greek scriptures,
known as the New Testament.
The coming kingdom will be a most glorious time:
9
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor
have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those
who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit
(1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
It is a time of love, joy, and everlasting comfort. It will
be a fantastic time!
Here is something else from the OT:
1 The wilderness and the
wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as
the rose; 2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even
with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence
of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of
our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm
the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do
not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of
God; He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be
opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap
like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in
the wilderness, And streams in the desert. 7 The parched ground shall become a
pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals,
where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and
rushes. 8 A highway shall be there, and a road, And it
shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although
a fool, Shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there,
Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not
be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, 10 And the ransomed of the
LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With
everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:1-9)
Yes, millennial kingdom of God was taught in the OT.
Furthermore, the final Kingdom of God will make for a
fantastically better eternity.
Yes, the OT teaches it, as does the NT.
Don’t you want to have your part in it?