The Complete Gospel
For more than two hundred years proponents of the Israel Truth message have been pointing out the national message of the Bible and showed how the Anglo-Saxon and kindred people (the lost tribes of Israel) are the heart of the Kingdom of God. This is the gospel of the Kingdom, and it is not alien to the Bible.
Churches in the western world preach that people must be born again of God’s Spirit by believing in Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life. In the Israel Truth movement, we have no problem with that doctrine, and we preach it as well. We are told that this is the gospel (the good news of the New Testament). Jesus mentioned this new birth five times in the four gospel books of the Bible. Paul mentioned the new birth six times in his epistles. Peter mentioned it once, and the apostle John eight times.
What we call the gospel of the Kingdom is the good news about Jesus Christ ruling as King. The gospel of the Kingdom is mentioned as being preached by Jesus one hundred and four times in the four gospel books and once in the book of Acts. The apostle Paul mentioned it twenty-one times in his ministry. The apostle Peter once; the apostle John three times. Many others in the Bible spoke of it. The evangelist Philip preached it. The angel Gabriel announced it to Mary. John the Baptist preached it. There are two records of Joseph of Arimathea believing it. The thief on the cross believed in it. The apostle James, who I believe was a brother of Jesus, mentioned it. The mother of a different apostle, James, a son of Zebedee, believed it. The Bible twice mentions all eleven disciples believing it. It mentions once that a whole crowd of people listening to Jesus believed in the Kingdom. If it is mentioned that many times in the Bible, why is the gospel message in churches restricted to the born-again injunction?
In the Israel Truth movement, we believe the problem is that the gospel of the Kingdom is about Israel. It cannot be about the church, and it cannot be about the Jews. To make it about the church you must go through every prophecy about the Kingdom and change the words ‘Israel’ or ‘Jacob’ to ‘church’. People cannot just change words in scripture. That is not honest. Also, if people make it about the Jews, there is no Kingdom, because the Jews have always rejected Jesus Christ the King.
Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, hundreds of years before he was born. “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.” Isaiah 9:7-8. The angel Gabriel later spoke to Mary about her son. “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:31-33.
The gospel of the Kingdom was preached in the early church. “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” Acts 8:12. Jesus’ disciples knew the Kingdom pertained to Israel. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” Acts 1:6-7. He did not rebuke them and say the Kingdom is not for Israel. His purpose at Pentecost was to create a church (the called-out ones) to rule in his Kingdom. He said his disciples would rule over the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28). We Christians shall reign with them. (Revelation 20:6). The Kingdom will be composed of redeemed Israel, and his empire will be the entire world.
