by HOIM Staff

Why should there be such perplexity -- such confusion -- in every phase of life today? It should be the function of religion to point the way. Yet here, too, we find only confusion of tongues -- hundreds of religious denominations and sects, in a Babylon of disagreement.

Even in the professing Christian religion of the Western world, we find different sects and denominations preaching a variety of different GOSPELS! Some designate their gospel as "The Gospel of Jesus Christ." Others call their gospel "The Gospel of Salvation." Still others profess "The Gospel of Grace," some "The Gospel of the Kingdom." And many now blossom out with a modern "Social Gospel," while others call their gospel "The ISRAEL Message."

Does it make any difference which Gospel we believe? Listen to the answer of the Eternal God as inspired in Paul's letter to the Israelites in Galatia, the first chapter, the 8th and 9th verses:

"But even if we -- or, for that matter, an angel from heaven! -- were to announce to you some so-called 'Good News' contrary to the Good News we did announce to you, let him be under a curse forever!" (JNT).

And it is made a double curse! For the next verse says: "We said it before, and I say it again: if anyone announces 'Good News' contrary to what you received, let him be under a curse forever!" (ibid.).

WHY, then, have the Israelite nations lost sight of that Gospel? WHY do the people of Israel believe different gospels today?

This is an astounding, incredible situation! It ought to shake you out of passive indifference. YOUR eternity is at stake! This is not a non-consequential, unimportant matter!

Yeshua the Messiah said it is necessary to BELIEVE THE GOSPEL to be saved! Yet many -- millions descended from Israel -- today, do not know what that Gospel is! Again, his parting commission to his apostles, being sent out as his ministers to build his Church, was this: "Go into all the world [of Israel], and preach the Gospel." They were to preach THE GOSPEL.

The Messiah then said: "He [of Israel] that BELIEVES and is baptized shall be saved; but he that doesn't believe shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). Notice! Yeshua said, "He that BELIEVES." Believes what? Why, BELIEVES that which they PREACHED, of course -- THE GOSPEL! Not a gospel. Not any gospel. THE Gospel! On the authority of Yeshua the Messiah, it is necessary for those of Israel to believe THAT PRECISE IDENTICAL GOSPEL in order to be saved! And to BELIEVE the true Gospel, we must first come to KNOW what it is!

Now with whom, and from where, and to whom, did the true Gospel originate? With John the Baptist? With the Messiah? No, not with John the Baptist or the Messiah!

YEHOVAH God the Father had promised to appoint a messenger from out of Israel to bear a message from HIM -- YEHOVAH God the FATHER! YEHOVAH had promised that in Malachi 3:1,

"Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before Me [and that messenger, as explained in Mark 1, was Yeshua the Messiah, preparing the way before YEHOVAH God], and the LORD [YEHOVAH God] whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts."

Notice carefully these points:

1) With whom did this Message -- this Gospel -- originate? Peter said: "The word which GOD sent."

2) To WHOM did YEHOVAH God send it? Peter said: "unto the children of Israel." Now, ten years later, this same Gospel was being opened up to the Israelites in dispersion. Originally it was sent to the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL during the Exodus, and it was sent by YEHOVAH GOD THE FATHER. It did not originate with Yeshua the Messiah, nor with Peter, nor with the apostle Paul. It was sent by YEHOVAH GOD the adoptive Father of Yeshua the Messiah!

3) BY WHOM was it sent? Who was the Messenger who brought and preached the message? In the Old Testament it was Moses. In the New Testament Peter said: "by Jesus Christ." Yeshua the Messiah was the MESSENGER. Malachi called Him the Messenger of the COVENANT. That message, then, is the NEW Covenant Message; for Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant, and Yeshua the Messiah of the NEW, as affirmed by many scriptures. This message, then, is the NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL. Now,

4) WHERE was it first preached? To what geographical location shall we look for its beginning? Peter said: It "began from Galilee." Yes, GALILEE, then, is the place where it was first preached. Not Jerusalem! Galilee!

When did the Messiah begin to preach this particular Gospel in Galilee? Peter said: "after the baptism which John preached." The true GOSPEL of the NEW Covenant, then, did not begin with John the Baptist. It began after John had completed his baptismal ministry.

Now these very definite directions lead us directly to the first chapter of Mark. The first verse tells us this is the record of the BEGINNING of the Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah. Then it relates the baptizing ministry of John, preaching, NOT the Gospel, but "the baptism of repentance," which prepares the way for the GOSPEL which the living God commissioned Yeshua the Messiah to preach.

And what do we read? "Jesus came into Galilee, PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the KINGDOM OF GOD is at hand: REPENT, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL."

Notice, Yeshua said, "Believe THE GOSPEL!" WHAT Gospel? The one he was proclaiming -- "the Gospel of the Kingdom of God."

But, one may ask, don't we need to believe on the Messiah? Of course. Other scriptures teach that. But at this particular time Yeshua said we must believe him -- believe what he said -- believe the Gospel of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God! Some believed on the Messiah, but did not believe the Messiah -- did not believe what he SAID (John 7:31; 8:30, 31, 46).

But if the one and only TRUE Gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God, what about the Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah? Is that a false gospel? Not at all. The Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah is the Gospel he brought as YEHOVAH's commissioned Messenger -- the Gospel he proclaimed is the Gospel of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH GOD.

The Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah is NOT man's gospel ABOUT THE PERSON of the Messiah. It is THE MESSIAH's Gospel -- the Gospel Yeshua PREACHED -- the Gospel YEHOVAH God SENT by him, and therefore it is also called, in Scripture, the Gospel of YEHOVAH God. The Gospel of YEHOVAH God is YEHOVAH's GOSPEL -- His Message -- His Good News which He sent by the Messiah.

Also the Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah is the Messiah's Gospel -- the Gospel the Messiah brought from YEHOVAH God -- the Gospel he proclaimed.

We hear a great deal today of the gospel of MEN about the PERSON of Yeshua the Messiah -- confining the message solely to the things ABOUT the Messiah. As a result, millions believe on the Messiah, who do not BELIEVE THE MESSIAH! But Yeshua's Gospel IS HIS MESSAGE! And yet it was not only his message, but his FATHER'S who commissioned him, as he himself said. In John 12:49-50, the Messiah said:

"For I have not spoken on my own initiative; but the Father who sent me has given me a command, namely, what to say and how to say it. And I know that his command is eternal life. So what I say is simply what the Father has told me to say" (JNT).

Yes, the Father SENT the Messiah bearing a Message, which is the Good News of THE KINGDOM OF YEHOVAH GOD. Yeshua is YEHOVAH's chosen spokesman -- a HUMAN BEING commissioned, taught and sent out to those of Israel on this earth! In John 14:24 Yeshua said, "The word which you hear is NOT MINE, but the Father's which sent me."

And descriptive of the religion of the Old Testament, and the GOSPEL of the NEW, it is written in Luke 16:16: "The law and the prophets were UNTIL JOHN: since that time the KINGDOM OF GOD is preached."

And yet there are some of Israel in this modern day of religious confusion who believe the Gospel of the KINGDOM OF YEHOVAH GOD is not for this age -- this NEW Testament time of grace. They reject and therefore do not BELIEVE the true Gospel as the Messiah commanded and thereby reject the very conditions to SALVATION, saying the Gospel of the KINGDOM is a gospel for some future age yet to come. But as the Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonian Israelites, I would not have you to be IGNORANT of the very Gospel which alone can bring us eternal life!

The English word Gospel comes from the word "Godspell," and means GOOD NEWS. Daily, we read the NEWS of world happenings -- mostly BAD news! We live in a troubled, chaotic world. And the very BEST news you can hear in this day, or any other, is the GOOD NEWS of the KINGDOM OF YEHOVAH GOD.

But what is a KINGDOM? Primarily, it is a GOVERNMENT -- a NATION and the GOVERNMENT which rules it. And especially in this Biblical sense, there is the DUAL sense of the NATION, including all its subjects or citizens, and the GOVERNMENT by which it is ruled. Again -- in BIBLE usage, a Kingdom is often a family from a single parent grown into a NATION. Four things are necessary to constitute a KINGDOM:

1) The TERRITORY, with its specific location and definite boundary lines, with

2) a KING or Supreme Ruler or governing agent, ruling over

3) SUBJECTS or citizens within that territorial jurisdiction, with

4) LAWS and form of GOVERNMENT.

If we leave out any one of these vital requisites, we do not have, and cannot BELIEVE, the true GOSPEL for this time. We must know whether the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God is here now, or coming later; whether its territory is THE EARTH, or up in heaven; whether it is a literal kingdom of human mortals, or a kingdom of immortals; whether it is literal or figurative, real or unreal. And on many of these things, a great many people are ALL MIXED UP!

But now what about the Gospel of GRACE -- the Gospel of SALVATION?

Just TWO things we do -- REPENT, and BELIEVE. We of Israel must BELIEVE the Gospel, and that means also believing on Yeshua the Messiah, our Elder Brother and coming king and High Priest under YEHOVAH God who will be KING of kings over all the families of the earth. It means believing in him as personal SAVIOR, as High Priest, and as coming king under YEHOVAH God.

But to repent is to completely CHANGE THE MIND in respect to SIN, and "sin is the transgression of the LAW" (I John 3:4) -- the Law of YEHOVAH GOD by which YEHOVAH RULES the Kingdom.

It means a total, complete CHANGE OF MIND AND OF LIFE. It means we REPENT of transgressing the rule, the will, the laws, of YEHOVAH GOD. What did the Messiah say to the young man who asked him how to inherit eternal life? He said, "IF you will enter into life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS" (Matthew 19:17).

He went on to show that he referred to the TEN COMMANDMENTS, YEHOVAH's great SPIRITUAL LAW, summing up, in principle, the WHOLE duty of righteous living. It is a WAY OF LIFE, and a way contrary to human nature, and to the ways and customs of this world! It is the basic spiritual Law, and way of life, of the KINGDOM OF YEHOVAH GOD -- the WAY to peace of mind, to world peace, to happiness, prosperity and joy -- the WAY to eternal life.

Yes, the MESSIAH proclaimed and taught the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF YEHOVAH GOD. But did he command his ministers, in BUILDING HIS CHURCH, to preach this same Gospel? Quickly let us notice the Scriptures.

In the Messiah's prayer, so commonly called "The Lord's Prayer," he prayed, "YOUR KINGDOM COME" -- then it wasn't here yet, and it isn't here yet, today -- but he taught us to pray for it to COME, for YEHOVAH's KINGDOM and that ALONE shall bring PEACE and HAPPINESS to this sin-sick, war-weary earth! "Your Kingdom COME -- YOUR WILL BE DONE on earth, as it is in heaven." The FATHER'S WILL.

What Gospel did the early evangelists preach, in first sending out the FAITH ONCE DELIVERED? How did the early Church carry out the commission?

And notice the Gospel Paul preached to THE ISRAELITES IN DISPERSION, after he had turned completely away from the Judahites. Acts 28:30-31:

"And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all [of Israel] that came in unto him, preaching THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ."

And, WHAT GOSPEL did the Messiah say should be preached TODAY?

A single, all-powerful, WORLD-RULING GOVERNMENT is coming that will equalize all world problems fairly and righteously for ALL PEOPLES. Of course scientists say such a world-ruling government is impossible. Yet the Biblical revelation says it is NOT impossible -- and that it is actually coming -- and IN OUR TIME.

It's about time that SOMEONE speaks out, in this world, and tells the world that the very GOSPEL of Yeshua the Messiah was the advance ANNOUNCEMENT of this very world GOVERNMENT -- a government, NOT by selfishly motivated man but by the living all-powerful YEHOVAH God.

Yeshua's message -- his Gospel -- was the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God -- the GOVERNMENT of the living God! Yeshua the Messiah was BORN to be a KING under YEHOVAH God in that government. When the Messiah was on trial for his life, Pilate said to him: "Are you a king then?" Yeshua answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world..." (John 18:37). Yeshua had just told Pilate: "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom not from here [that is, not of this age, but of the world tomorrow]" (John 18:36).

The Messiah is coming in POWER and GLORY. Notice this description of the event: "Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30).

The Role of YEHOVAH God

HOWEVER -- there is something we should stress right here: The "Second Coming of the Messiah" is NOT the central event that ushers in the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God! Only a dozen or so passages in the Old Testament discuss the role of the coming Messiah. In contrast to this there are literally HUNDREDS of passages in the Old Testament that deal with (in the greatest detail) the end of the age, the great Day of Judgment -- and the arrival of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God. In passage after passage the role of the Messiah is NOT even mentioned or emphasized! The bottom line is that a BASIC TEACHING of the Bible has been totally IGNORED over the ages by millions -- that of the Second Coming of YEHOVAH God Himself to this earth and to His Temple in Jerusalem!

The Old Testament prophets CONSTANTLY emphasize the awe-inspiring, earth-shattering and dramatic PERSONAL RETURN of YEHOVAH God Himself to this earth. The prophets clearly convey a LITERAL, historical event in the near future -- something that will be experienced by ALL the people of the earth.

The prophets CONSTANTLY make the point that YEHOVAH Himself will intervene -- acting personally and directly -- to punish the wicked and RULE as KING of kings over all nations. We should take note that YEHOVAH God constantly calls Himself the Savior, Redeemer, King and Shepherd -- BESIDE WHOM THERE IS NO OTHER!

The KEY passage regarding this in the Old Testament is Zechariah 14 -- notice the wording carefully --

"Lo, a day of the LORD [YHVH -- YEHOVAH] is coming when your spoil shall be divided in your very midst! For I [YEHOVAH] will gather all the nations to Jerusalem for war: The city shall be captured, the houses plundered, and the women violated; and a part of the city shall go into exile. But the rest of the population shall not be uprooted from the city. Then the LORD [YEHOVAH] will come forth [from heaven] and make war on those nations as He is wont to make war on a day of battle. On that day, He [YEHOVAH God] will set His feet on the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall split across from east to west, and one part of the Mount shall shift to the north and the other to the south, a huge gorge....

"And the LORD [YEHOVAH] my God, with all the holy beings, will come to you....And the LORD [YEHOVAH] shall be king over all the earth; in that day there shall be one LORD [YEHOVAH] with one name....As for those peoples that warred against Jerusalem, the LORD [YEHOVAH] will smite them with this plague:...All whom survive of all those nations that came up against Jerusalem shall make a pilgrimage year by year to bow low to the King LORD [YEHOVAH] of Hosts and to observe the Feast of Booths" (Zechariah 14:1-4, 5b, 9, 12, 16).

The ENTIRE FOCUS of the above passage is upon YEHOVAH God -- NOT the Messiah! We emphasize this fact -- not to downplay the role of Yeshua the Messiah -- but rather to underline the fact that Zechariah offers a detailed scenario of the end of the age and the arrival of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God without ONCE mentioning the role of the Messiah.

There are MANY other passages including Isaiah 40:3-5; Isaiah 40:9-11; Isaiah 43:11; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 45:23-24 and Isaiah 52:7-8, 10 that deal with this subject. Notice carefully that these passages speak of the "good news." This is -- without a doubt -- the TRUE Biblical Gospel -- the GOOD NEWS of the coming reign of YEHOVAH God -- the "GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF YEHOVAH GOD." The message includes, of course, the AGENCY of the Messiah, as we know from other passages in both the Old and New Testaments. HOWEVER -- the essential FOCUS and EMPHASIS, as these passages show, is NOT on the Messiah -- but on YEHOVAH GOD Himself and His reign when He returns.

He is coming -- preceded by Yeshua the Messiah -- to set up the GOVERNMENT OF YEHOVAH GOD and to rule all nations with the help of the Messiah and those of Israel who have qualified in this life. In Revelation 3:21 the Messiah is quoted as saying: "To him [of Israel] who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne." And again: "To him [of Israel] who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations -- 'he will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery' -- just as I have received authority from my Father" (Revelation 2:26-27).

Notice YEHOVAH's prophecy about His return to Jerusalem --

"If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them...I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt..."(Leviticus 26:3, 11-13).

Then in the Book of Ezekiel --

"I will make a covenant of friendship with them [Israel] -- it shall be an everlasting covenant with them -- I will establish them and multiply them, and I will PLACE MY SANCTUARY AMONG THEM FOREVER. My Presence [Shekinah Glory] shall rest over them; I will be their God and they [Israel] shall be My people. AND WHEN MY SANCTUARY ABIDES AMONG THEM FOREVER, THE NATIONS SHALL KNOW THAT I THE LORD [YEHOVAH] DO SANCTIFY ISRAEL" (Ezekiel 37:26-28).

As we can see there is a DEFINITE FOCUS in the above passages on the East. On the east side of Jerusalem was the eastern Gate of the Temple -- and east of that Gate, the Mount of Olives. From this sacred area the Shekinah Glory of YEHOVAH God departed, and it is here that the Shekinah Glory will reappear. This is clearly what lies behind the statement in Zechariah 14 that "On that day He will set His feet on the Mount of Olives."

Too often careless Christians allow themselves to HASTILY skim through such passages and then assume that when the prophets talk of YEHOVAH God Himself acting in such decisive and commanding ways they actually refer to His Messiah. How often have we heard preachers say "When Jesus returns, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives"? This is CARELESS and MISLEADING exegesis. As we can plainly see -- after CAREFULLY reading all these passages -- the Old Testament ALWAYS maintains a CLEAR DISTINCTION between the DRAMATIC appearance of YEHOVAH God and the arrival and rule of His Messiah. The two are obviously related, since the Messiah acts as YEHOVAH's CHIEF AGENT, but they are NOT, however, to be confused.

Micah predicted this time when, following the Messiah's arrival, YEHOVAH God will establish Himself in the Temple in Jerusalem and rule the earth. He wrote:

"In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD [YHVH -- YEHOVAH] shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD [YEHOVAH], and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD [YEHOVAH] from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Micah 4:1-3).

When the Messiah and YEHOVAH God return with all the power of YEHOVAH God, we shall have WORLD PEACE, with happiness, joy, prosperity -- and a CHANGED WORLD with all of Israel inheriting ETERNAL LIFE.