At the Feast of Tabernacles God wants us not only to remember, but also to learn more deeply about His plan to restore His government on Earth (Acts 3:19-21). This is exciting knowledge that only a tiny few know about.
Yet even more thrilling is the revelation that God’s resurrected saints will assist Christ in reestablishing that government (Revelation 20:4). When Christ returns, the spiritually qualified people of God will be given crowns, thrones and the right to rule as co-regents with Christ as His beautiful, spiritually glorified Bride (Revelation 19:7). This fact is truly astounding!
Herbert W. Armstrong considered God’s government one of the most important subjects for us to study and know deeply. He often said, “Government is everything!” Since Mr. Armstrong’s death, Jesus Christ has continued to give us incredible new revelation about government.
In his booklet Who Is ‘That Prophet’?, Gerald Flurry devotes an entire chapter to explaining the “new thing,” or one-man rule found in Jeremiah 31:22. In addition, Mr. Flurry proves that God’s government is a loving family government in his booklet God’s Family Government. How gracious of God to supply us with stupendous knowledge about His government. Are you putting proper emphasis on this subject in your spiritual life? These two booklets provide great study material for the Feast.
Since last year’s Feast, have you grown in your love for God’s government? Do you long for the time when God’s government will serve all the people on Earth? Or do we still sometimes hate, resent and resist the idea of government from the top down?
This world is full of horrendous evil. Every nation is drowning in mind-boggling human suffering for one reason only: God’s government is not in force on Earth! (e.g. Judges 17:6; 21:25). Do you see clearly that it is not possible for human beings to justly and righteously govern themselves? Do you know with your entire being that all human problems will be only solved when the only begotten, Spirit-born Son of God, the righteous King, assumes the reins of one worldwide government?
So what do you think? Are you fully prepared to help Jesus Christ bring God’s government back to Earth? Have you thought about how you will go about it? Implementing God’s government will require much more of you than barking out commands such as: “Do this!” or “Don’t do that!”
Do you fully believe in the absolute necessity for the restoration of God’s government on Earth?
This Feast, let’s expand our understanding of God’s government and how we will assist Jesus Christ in establishing it.
Government of Love
Satan’s self-acquired, perverted, self-centered, selfish nature rendered God’s government inoperable (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-16). The angelic beings under his leadership were abused, deceived and cut off from a relationship with God. Satan led them into an eternal life of personal misery, sin and rebellion. When Adam and Eve rejected God’s way of life, Satan was able to influence all forms of human government to function according to his own twisted system. “This whole world is in a crisis, and the major problem is government,” writes Mr. Flurry in God’s Family Government.
Thankfully, all the misery that Satan has forced on humanity through wrong government is going to end in a very short time. Jesus Christ, the proven selfless Savior of mankind, with the help of His equally self-sacrificing wife, will restore God’s family government to its full operational capacity. It will be a strong-as-iron government—never indecisive, lukewarm or weak. However, it will never be abusive or oppressive as so many governments in this world are today.
“God’s government is based on God’s law. God’s law is love,” wrote Mr. Armstrong in his May 2, 1974, member letter about government. “It is love to God and love to neighbor. It is serving, helping, sharing. It is humility, love and obedience toward God, loyalty, trust, faith and reliance upon God.” All men, women and children who are given the opportunity to live over into the Millennium will flourish as never before when Christ wields His scepter of righteousness (Hebrews 1:8).
When Jesus Christ returns, the first thing that will become obvious to all humanity is that God’s government operates by outflowing, active concern for others. When Jesus Christ takes control of all national governments, His primary goal will be to serve the needs of His subjects (Luke 22:24-27). This will be a radical departure from the vain self-interest that fuels the motivation of most leaders in government today.
Jesus Christ and the resurrected saints will apply God’s government to every aspect of human life with an abundance of love and mercy. When correction is necessary, it will be done within the structure of family (e.g. 1 Timothy 5:1). It is so important that we get this fact into our thinking: God’s Kingdom is family government. Even the most serious punishment will be administered in love. “Soon we are going to see a government rule this Earth that will work,” continues Mr. Flurry in God’s Family Government. Once humanity learns that God’s government serves those who faithfully obey it, vast improvements in society will be possible.
The Earth Renewed
“I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before his fierce anger,” mournfully recorded the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 4:23-26; English Standard Version). This scene will be the nightmarish reality for large portions of the Earth after the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord—especially the land areas that were once inhabited by the modern nations of Israel.
Earth’s inhabitants will soon recognize that Christ and His Bride are passionate workers (John 5:17). All of the work this Spirit-empowered team sets about to do will be of loving benefit to all humanity. It only makes sense that the first thing Christ and His Bride will tackle is the physical renewal of the planet. Their family will need a beautiful, inspiring and uplifting environment to promote perfect physical and mental health, proper education and sterling spiritual growth.
Although Earth will not be totally devastated at the time of Christ’s return, it will be severely crippled and will need to be renewed as it was after the Satan-caused global cataclysm of Genesis 1:2. Jesus Christ is looking forward to directing all that is necessary to restore the Earth to an exciting, aesthetically pleasing, habitable state (Psalm 104:30; Isaiah 54:13). In fact, He plans to use powerful earthquakes to restructure major geographical features even before and as He returns (Revelation 16:18, 20; Zechariah 14:4). “The God of all power, who formed the hills and mountains (Amos 4:13; Psalm 90:2), will reform them—will reshape the surface of this Earth,” wrote Mr. Armstrong in The Wonderful World Tomorrow—What It Will Be Like.
Christ will restore light where nuclear explosions have blackened the skies. He will clean up lakes, oceans, rivers and streams to provide clean water to support life. Land, necessary for the expansion of the physical family, will be reclaimed from the seas (Isaiah 11:15). Yet, Christ will not do what human beings can do for themselves. Human beings will be put to work cleaning up and rebuilding cities and farmlands destroyed by war—all according to designs and principles established by the God Family government.
“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God” (Isaiah 35:1-2). Can you imagine how beautiful and fruitful the world will become when Christ sets His hand to set the physical environment back in its proper order?
A Massive Reeducation Program
In tandem with Earth’s renewal, the God Family will establish a massive worldwide reeducation program. When Jesus Christ returns as King of kings, He will begin to save humanity spiritually. This means that right religious education will be established first. The Holy Bible will be restored to its proper place as the foundation of all knowledge. Won’t it be incredible when all men, women and children have their minds opened to understand the great spiritual mysteries locked away for 6 millennia? Since right understanding comes after obeying God’s law (Psalm 111:10), all education in religion will begin with detailed instruction of the Ten Commandments.
Proven to be highly qualified teachers, the resurrected saints will initially focus on teaching the truth about God, His religious system of worship, and His way of life—all based on the first four commandments. Instruction on how to keep God’s Sabbath and holy days will be absolutely necessary to start the flow of God’s blessings into the world. Equally important will be instruction on vital subjects such as prayer, Bible study, meditation, fasting and tithing.
Instruction in marriage and family will be on the A-list of subjects taught during the Millennium. All human beings will finally understand that God instituted marriage and family as preparation for birth into the Family of God. Youth will be taught that all uses of sex must be preserved for marriage only!
All families will be taught how to build up, cooperate with, encourage, love and protect their neighbors. People will be taught how to unify into thriving cities—cities into states—and states into nations.
God plans to establish one pure language for all humanity when Christ returns. This will enable the nations to work hand-in-hand with other nations to preserve the peace, health and vitality of culture lodged within each separate nation. All will work together to worship and honor God the Father and Jesus Christ who made them (Zephaniah 3:9).
“In God’s millennial civilization, the basis of all knowledge dissemination will be revelation. Light will replace darkness—truth will replace error. Understanding will replace crass materialism. True knowledge will replace intellectual ignorance,” continued Mr. Armstrong in The Wonderful World Tomorrow.
One World Economy
God’s Family will establish Jerusalem as the world’s crown city. All nations will look to and visit Jerusalem for guidance and will gladly follow the laws and standards in dress, music and art established there (Isaiah 2:1-5). In addition, Jerusalem will become the financial capital of the world. “Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee” (Isaiah 60:5). Huge mineral wealth—including large amounts of gold—can be found in Earth’s oceans and in the land under the oceans. This vast wealth will be mined and stored in Jerusalem.
Mr. Armstrong explained in The Wonderful World Tomorrow, “God says the wealth of the world will be centered in Jerusalem, and that vast rebuilding programs, rehabilitation processes and new-age pioneering will be backed by that wealth.” Jesus Christ will take all that wealth and put it to good use for all nations.
The God Family will take control and righteously regulate the economy of tomorrow’s world. In the Millennium, people will no longer face the economic woes troubling all nations today. Can you imagine a world economic system based on the law of love—outflowing concern for others? It is so hard to do so!
In just a few years, God’s tithing system will become universal. The era of exorbitant taxation will be over—forever! The days of high inheritance, income, federal, state, city, county and hidden taxes will be over. God’s tithing system only requires 10 percent. This income will support all governmental, educational and spiritual leadership of the whole Earth. Amazing!
People will be taught how to manage their finances properly based on God’s law. Because people will be taught not to covet (Exodus 20:17), they will no longer lust to “keep up with the Joneses.” People will not live beyond their means. They will only buy things they can afford, when they have the cash to pay for them. People will be educated to resist impulse buying and the lustful accumulation of things.
Just think of the freedom and peace of mind that will come to people when they are truly free of financial burdens extant today. What an incredibly wholesome, happy and thrilling way of living is just over the horizon for the people in this world. Even more thrilling is the fact that we will have an active part in bringing all that goodness to them through the government of God.
“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,” promises God through the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 9:7). God’s Family government is not just for the Millennium—it is going to operate for eternity in a limitless universe. That is a lot to think about. Are you ready to spread God’s government?