The Gospel of Herbert Armstrong vs The Gospel of Jesus Christ (Part 1)

In his booklet Just What Do You Mean...Kingdom of God? Herbert Armstrong wrote: "Revelation 11:15 states it in these words: 'The kingdoms of this world are become THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD, AND OF HIS CHRIST; and He shall reign for ever and ever!' This is THE KINGDOM OF GOD. It is the END of present governments - the governments that rule Russia, China, Japan, Italy, Germany - yes, and even the United States and the British nations. They then shall become the kingdoms - the GOVERNMENTS of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, then KING of kings over the entire earth. This makes completely PLAIN the fact that the KINGDOM OF GOD is a literal GOVERNMENT. Even as the Chaldean Empire was a KINGDOM - even as the Roman Empire was a KINGDOM - so the KINGDOM OF GOD is a government. It is to take over the GOVERNMENT of the NATIONS of the world. Jesus Christ was BORN to be a KING - a RULER!" So, for Armstrong, Christ's message was about the establishment of a literal kingdom on this earth. In that same booklet, Armstrong insisted that it wasn't a message about Christ, grace, or salvation through him.

That, however, is NOT the GOOD NEWS which Christ and his disciples proclaimed to the world in the First Century! Indeed, as we will demonstrate in this post, the TRUE Gospel was just about everything that Herbert Armstrong said that it wasn't! In reality, Scripture makes very plain that God's Kingdom is the ANTITHESIS of the Chaldean/Babylonian and Roman Empires! In fact, those empires are held up in Scripture as the symbols of everything that is wrong with man's conception of governance! In those kingdoms, military power and conquest were exalted and worshipped. The state and its ruler were worshipped and regarded as supreme. The people and territory of the realm were there to serve the state and its ruler. Indeed, all lives and resources were considered the property of the state and were in the ruler's hand to use or sacrifice as he saw fit. Everything was geared toward the accumulation of wealth - the collection of tribute and taxes - all meant to enrich the ruling elite and support the military with very little thought or concern for the people.

To be fair to Mr. Armstrong, his followers, Jehovah's Witnesses, and most of Christ's First Century disciples also misunderstood the true nature of his Kingdom! Scripture makes clear that they expected the immediate overthrow of the Roman Empire and the reestablishment of the Davidic Kingdom. In the account of Christ's encounter with Zacchaeus, after Christ told them that he "came to seek and save the lost," we read that: "As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, 'A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.'" (Luke 19:11-12, ESV) Later, even after he was resurrected from the dead, we read: "So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. " (Acts 1:6-9)

Now, to truly understand the kind of Kingdom which Christ was talking about, we have to take a closer look at his "Sermon on the Mount," parables, and what he told Nicodemus and Pilate when he had an audience with them. It is also essential to look at how Paul, Peter, James, John, and the anonymous author of the epistle to the Hebrews interpreted the Gospel message. Likewise, all of this must be understood within the context of Torah and the Prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. Indeed, it is only when we take a comprehensive look at all of these Scriptures together that a true picture emerges of the nature of God's Kingdom.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we have a detailed account of what is popularly referred to as the "Sermon on the Mount." We read there: "Seeing the crowds, he <Jesus> went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'" (5:1-12) So, according to Jesus, God's Kingdom will be composed of folks who have been downtrodden in this life, persecuted, and who have experienced sorrow and loss. He also underscored the fact that the Kingdom would be inherited by those who are humble, and that those who are merciful, innocent, and peacemakers would be rewarded by God in his Kingdom. In other words, those who have experienced power and wealth in this life, been prideful, been unforgiving, and caused dissension and strife will have no place there! Notice too, that these are the very traits most often observed in the leaders of this world!

In this same sermon, Christ went on to say that he came to this planet to fulfill the Torah and the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible (5:17). Jesus accomplished this in a number of ways. First, throughout the New Testament references are made to numerous Scriptures which pointed to Jesus (e.g., the sacrificial system, Sabbath, Holy Days, Messianic prophecies, etc.). Second, he obeyed the precepts of Torah perfectly (I John 3:5, I Peter 2:22, II Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, Isaiah 53:9). He did this for us, because everyone else has sinned - violated the provisions of Torah. Thus, Christ's righteousness is imputed to us and his sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins - death (Isaiah 53:4-6, 11, Romans 5:19, II Corinthians 5:21). Third, he expanded the application of Torah in our lives by addressing God's intent and that which motivates the individual (Matthew 5:21-48, 6:1-34, 7:1-20). Fourth, by summarizing the Law into two great commandments which would comprehend ALL of the other commandments and enable his followers to internalize those principles and apply them to every situation which they might face in this life (Matthew 22:34-30, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28). Scripture contrasts this application of the "Spirit of the Law" with those who are obsessed with obeying the "Letter of the Law" (Romans 7:6, 8:2, Galatians 5:18, Jeremiah 31:33). In this way, the righteousness of Christ's followers would surpass that of the Jewish religious leaders of the First Century and make them fit for God's Kingdom (Matthew 5:20).

Next, we also see the nature of God's Kingdom in Christ's many parables which were intended to give his disciples some insight into what it would be like. Moreover, there is no other more comprehensive account of the parables of Jesus than that which is found in the Gospel of Matthew.

Likewise, the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-24) is probably the most comprehensive of all of the parables in describing the nature of God's Kingdom. Christ said: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear." Later, Jesus explained the meaning of the parable to his followers. He said: "Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." Moreover, this parable underscored the fact that "the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven" would only be understood by his disciples.

Continuing in that account, Jesus gave his disciples a number of other parables which shed more light on God's Kingdom. The Parable of the Weeds Among the Grain (Matthew 13:24-30) was intended to demonstrate that bad people will eventually be removed and dealt with by God. The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32) was intended to demonstrate the process of the Kingdom - that it would start out small and grow into something that would benefit everyone. Likewise, the Parable of the Leavening (Matthew 13:33-34) was meant to show that God's Kingdom would eventually encompass everyone everywhere. Christ also compared the Kingdom to a hidden treasure and a pearl of great value (Matthew 13:44-46). In the Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-50), Jesus compared the Kingdom to a net catching many different kinds of fish - some good and some undesirable - suggesting the need for a sorting.

Later in the same Gospel, Christ told a number of other parables related to the Kingdom. In the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14), we are reminded that God is "not willing that any of these little ones should perish" (sounds an awful lot like he's talking about salvation, doesn't it?). In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35), the Kingdom is likened to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. One of the servants, a man whom he had forgiven a large debt, refused to be merciful to a man who owed him a small amount. The point of the story? We must forgive each other because of what God has forgiven in each of us. In the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), the lesson is that many of the people who are last will be first, and those who are first now will be last in the Kingdom. In the Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-44), Jesus used the story to bring attention to the fact that the religious leaders of that day were rejecting the foundation of the Kingdom, Jesus Christ.

In the Parable of the Marriage Feast (Matthew 22:1-14), we read: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come." Eventually, the servants succeed in bringing some guests into the feast, but one of the guests is caught without the proper attire. The king then had the man ejected from the banquet, and we are told that "many are called, but few are chosen." Likewise, in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), we have a story about ten brides who each took an oil lamp out to meet their bridegroom. Jesus said that five of them forgot to bring any oil for their lamps and were, consequently, unprepared when the bridegroom finally showed up for the wedding. The moral? "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Finally, in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), we read: "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them." Thus, we are told that two of the servants were profitable - they increased what had been entrusted to them, but one of the servants was unprofitable (there was no growth). In the end, the unprofitable servant had his talent removed, and he was cast into "outer darkness."

Hence, from these parables of Jesus, we (Christ's disciples) learn a number of things about the nature of God's Kingdom (OR, as the Gospel of Matthew repeatedly characterizes it, the Kingdom of Heaven). First, Jesus is central to the Kingdom - the KING! Second, that the Kingdom starts out small and within the Church/Ecclesia and will gradually expand to encompass everyone everywhere. Third, there will be a sorting of the good from the bad, and the bad folks will not be permitted to be a part of it. Fourth, the Kingdom will be composed of folks who have been saved and made righteous by Jesus Christ. Fifth, the Kingdom will be composed of folks who are willing to forgive each other - just as God has forgiven them for Christ's sake. Sixth, we must regard our invitation to participate in the Kingdom as something to be treasured/valued/respected. Seventh, if we want to be a part of that Kingdom, we must remain prepared for it and live a life of growing what has been entrusted to us. Once again, none of that sounds like what goes on in a human kingdom.

(To be continued)