When King David was old, his son, Adonijah, declared himself to be Israel’s king. He sent forth a delegation of chariots and horses with fifty men to run ahead of him announcing the news. But King David called in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada and told them to announce that his son, Solomon, was to be anointed as king over Israel. They were to blow the trumpet and shout, “Long live King Solomon!” (see 1Kings 1:1-35).
Akivah declared Bar Kochba to be the Messiah (i.e. Israel’s anointed King) but he was proven wrong and Bar Kochba was killed and remains in his grave to this day. It is not the people of Israel, nor the Rabbis, nor the Sanhedrin who will elect Israel’s Anointed King. For the LORD said, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery” (Psalm 2:6-9).
Usually, when a king was anointed or enthroned, a delegation was sent forth throughout the domain of his kingdom to announce the good news and to call his subjects into submission and obedience to the king. This was the case with the kings of the nations and with Israel’s kings.
N.T.Wright 1 gives such an example of the manner in which a new ruler was heralded in the ancient world: “The coming of a new ruler meant the promise of peace, a new start for the world, not least at the time of Augustus, who became the first Roman emperor in 31 BC following a long period of civil war. An inscription from 9 BC says it all: ‘The providence which has ordered the whole of our life, showing concern and zeal, has ordained the most perfect consummation for human life by giving to it Augustus, by filling him with virtue for doing the work of a benefactor among men, and by sending in him, as it were, a saviour for us and those who come after us, to make war to cease, to create order everywhere…; the birthday of the god [Augustus] was the beginning for the world of glad tidings that have come to men through…’”
Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” We are ambassadors of the King. We are called to proclaim that Jesus is God’s Anointed King whom God raised from the dead and who ascended to the right hand of he Father in heaven in fulfilment of Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:13-14).
The apostle Peter testified to the people of Israel, “…the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this….Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
The good news is that he is offering peace to his enemies, giving them opportunity to repent and acknowledge that he is the only Sovereign Lord. He has provided forgiveness for the sins of many, he is willing to put his Spirit in those who humbly call upon his name and he will give them new life. He is coming again in power and majesty to reign over a new heaven and earth in which there will be no more suffering and death.
This is indeed good news for all men. This is the Good News of the Messiah (hence we have called our organisation “Messianic Good News”.
We encourage and appeal to all God’s servants to join us as heralds of this good news. This is what it means to proclaim the gospel. We ask all our readers to support us in our mission of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. We publish and distribute tracts, booklets and articles on the Internet announcing this good news and we would like to see this message reach more and more people.
Let the Good News be proclaimed in every language, to every nation and people. To the descendants of Israel we declare: “Your God reigns! Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings.”
You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” (Isaiah 40:9).
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1. “What Saint Paul Really Said” p. 43 by N.T. Wright.