It is hard to find any “good news” these days. Many nations appear to be in disarray, trying to solve their various problems. Governments think that their destiny is entirely in their own hands, but God’s purpose is being worked out. Bible students watch events trying to understand how the various prophecies apply.

We read in 2 Kings 18 of the faith of the good king Hezekiah in Jerusalem, standing firm against the boasts of the invading Assyrians (today’s Iraq). We will read tomorrow of how the prophet Isaiah comes on the scene and, through God’s spirit, says what God will cause to happen. Hezekiah is a spiritually minded king.

In contrast, the prophet Ezekiel is carried in vision to Jerusalem and made aware of the abominations taking place in the Temple; for him, it is the opposite kind of news of what will soon happen! Ezekiel is told that God is so angry that, when trouble comes, “though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them” (8:18).

In Luke’s gospel we read how Jesus travels to many places and heals many, and “the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose” (4:42,43). Those who listened were few, most were fascinated by seeing miracles or being fed miraculously but the really important work of Christ was proclaiming “The good news of the kingdom of God”.

This kingdom is as described in the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done on earth” – what wonders “Isaiah … saw … it shall come to pass in the latter days … the house (temple) of the LORD shall be established … and all nations shall flow to it …” (Isaiah 2:1,2). Jesus came to bring this wondrous message of God’s ultimate purpose for the earth – to happen when he returns. Let us make this our hope and expectation and share it with anyone who will listen.