The eternal kingdom
Yahweh’s1 kingdom is eternal: it exists yesterday, today, and forever. It is definitive in that it has always been and always will be in existence:
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. (Psalm 145:13)
God’s kingdom is also progressive in that He intends it to fill the entire earth:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 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 Yahweh of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
[T]he kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. [T]he kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. (Matthew 13:31-33)2
And God’s kingdom is perpetual—that is, without end. Yahweh is the creator of the universe, He is sovereign over the universe, time without end:
[H]is kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. …the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will…. (Daniel 4:3, 17)
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
God never abdicated His throne. He is as much King now as He was at the beginning of creation. As perpetual King, the kingdom He rules over is also perpetual.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. (Psalm 145:13)
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:25)
The not–of–this–world kingdom
Many Christians reject these inescapable facts about Yahweh’s sovereignty, believing He has no kingdom at present or that His kingdom is limited to heaven. They lift their favorite proof text from John 18:
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)
The exact same Greek phrase ek toú kósmou, translated “not of this world,” is used several times and is clarified in the preceding chapter:
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world…. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. (John 17:14-18)
Clearly ek toú kósmou does not mean God’s kingdom exists only in heaven. Although it is certainly true His kingdom is not of this world, this does not mean He does not intend for it to be in this world. His statement in John 18 is better understood to mean that His kingdom is nothing like the other kingdoms of this world. As someone once said, “The only kingdom that will prevail in this world is the kingdom that is not of this world.” Martin Luther correctly taught John 18:36:
…Christ came in order to begin the kingdom of God and to establish it in the world. This is why he said before Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world…,” and why throughout the Gospel he announces the kingdom of God, saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand;” and again: “Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness.” And indeed he calls the Gospel a gospel of the kingdom of God, in that it teaches, governs and preserves the kingdom of God.3
The extant kingdom
That the kingdom has already been reestablished under Christ’s kingship is made abundantly evident in the New Testament. The kingdom was, in fact, restored in the second chapter of Acts when the first Judahite Israelites, in faith and repentance, were immersed into Christ.
This occurred during the Roman Empire in perfect fulfillment of Daniel 2:44. Before this event in the book of Acts, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostles all preached that the kingdom of God was at hand:
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven4 is at hand. (Matthew 3:1-2)
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, …But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 10:5-7)
…if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God [instead of Beelzebub, Verse 27], then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:28)
Either the kingdom was literally at hand when Jesus made this last statement, or He was casting out demons by Beelzebub, just as the Pharisees accused Him. In Mark 1:15, the kingdom is described as being at hand because its preparation time was fulfilled:
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15)
Perhaps the most potent proof that the kingdom under Christ has already been reestablished is that the Apostles were told some of them would live to see the kingdom restored:
And he [Jesus] said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. (Mark 9:1)
In Acts 1, the Apostles anticipated the restored kingdom in their lifetime, and, in Acts 2, it was indeed restored with power on the day of Pentecost. The renowned 18th-century commentator Matthew Henry agreed:
…the kingdom of Christ began … immediately after his ascension, and will continue in the doing till the mystery of God be finished.5
Following the events in Acts 2, the 1st-century Christians proclaimed Jesus to be a reigning King and themselves to be citizens of His kingdom—not sometime yet future or merely in heaven, but then and there:
But the Jews which believed not … set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason … crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. (Acts 17:5-7)
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins…. (Colossians 1:12-14)
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn … and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant…. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us … serve God…. (Hebrews 12:22-24, 28)
I John, who also am your brother, and companion [fellow partaker, NASB] … in the kingdom…. (Revelation 1:9)
Redemption through Jesus’ blood results in deliverance from the power of darkness. Because we are delivered from the power of darkness into the kingdom, the Colossians passage demands that if the kingdom is not in existence now, then redemption and forgiveness of sins are not yet valid. If the kingdom is yet future, no one has been delivered from the power of darkness, nor partaken of the inheritance of the saints. In short, no one has yet become a Christian.
Hebrews 12 equates the kingdom with “com[ing] unto … Jesus” and with the “church of the firstborn.” Because both of these are presently relevant, so is the kingdom.
In Acts 17:7, the disciples were described as already serving Jesus as their King on earth, according to His laws. The very fact that Rome persecuted, imprisoned, and murdered Christians demonstrates Caesar understood the kingdom the Christians preached and lived was an extant, rival kingdom. Had Christendom been merely a religion, Rome would not have concerned itself with it anymore than with the other religions in its realm. Christendom’s King, His kingdom, and His laws posed a threat to the Roman Empire, just as Daniel prophesied.
And in the days of these [Roman] kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:44)
I beheld, and the same horn [of the fourth Kingdom, representing the Roman Empire] made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. (Daniel 7:21)
The rejected kingdom
The kingdom is presently under the rule of non-Christians, not because it has yet to be established, but because Christians have bought into the lie that the kingdom doesn’t exist on earth at this time. They have consequently abdicated leadership of society. The church has become governmentally and culturally impotent because Christians have been convinced everything outside the four walls of their church buildings is off-limits to them as Christians. This is, in part, thanks to the erroneous conclusion that John 18:36 teaches the kingdom of God has nothing to do with earthly affairs.
The perverse teaching that God’s kingdom does not exist on earth or that He has abandoned the earth to His enemies is not new to this age:
The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great … and full of perverseness: for they say, Yahweh hath forsaken the earth…. (Ezekiel 9:9)
God has not abandoned the earth nor forsaken His kingdom:
Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world…. (John 8:37)
Whereas Godhas not abandoned the earth, contemporary Christians all but have—despite their commission in Matthew 5:13-14 to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. There’s also nothing new about God’s subjects neglecting the kingdom:
Then came the word of Yahweh by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled [paneled, NASB] houses, and this house [the Temple] lie waste? Now therefore thus saith Yahweh of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith Yahweh of hosts; Consider your ways…. Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it [blow it away, NASB]. Why? saith Yahweh of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. (Haggai 1:3-9)
Christians who reject God’s extant kingdom here on earth are looking for a future king and a future kingdom. This has resulted in many of today’s Christians being so future-minded they’re of little present good. This erroneous theology has all but destroyed God’s kingdom, at least in practice, here on earth. It is certainly one of the principal reasons why the anti-Christs and non-Christians rule today. This anti-kingdom, anti-dominion theology has been one of the prime contributors to today’s fulfillment of Jesus’ warning in Matthew 5:
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. (Matthew 5:13)
This is a fulfillment of one of God’s curses in Deuteronomy 28:
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of Yahweh thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee…. The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low…. Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which Yahweh shall send against thee…. (Deuteronomy 28:15, 43-48)
One cannot get any lower than beneath the feet of those who rule over you. Rejecting God, His kingdom, and His laws has always been a prime cause of His people’s calamities. By rejecting God’s laws, Christians abdicate dominion and relinquish God’s earthly kingdom to His enemies:
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. (Matthew 11:12)
Then spake Jesus …, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat…. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:1-13)
Neither of these passages can be referring to the kingdom in heaven. Instead, they refer to the kingdom of heaven here on earth. The only difference between what was occurring in Jesus’ day and what has occurred in modern times is that God’s enemies have not needed to take the kingdom by force. Because contemporary Christianity is glutted with doctrines proclaiming that God’s laws are irrelevant under the New Covenant, that Christians are obligated to keep man’s laws, and that the kingdom is yet to come or that it is found exclusively in heaven, the kingdom has been handed over to God’s enemies without a struggle. Most pastors have colluded with the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, turning over the jurisdiction and ultimate control of even their churches and ministries to secular government.6
The reconstructed kingdom
On the other hand, when God’s subjects are diligent to observe His law, He promises His people dominion rather than servitude:
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Yahweh thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Yahweh thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. (Deuteronomy 28:1)
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)
Many Christians are peering into heaven and wondering when God is going to clean up this mess. I think instead He’s looking down upon us and wondering when we are going to clean it up. God is not responsible for our making a mess of things. He has given us both the kingdom and the tools by which to right society, if we would only believe in Him and implement His perfect laws.7 Every generation that rejects His plan for the kingdom is another generation destined to live under the heel of non-Christian dominion.
Restoration of the kingdom will not happen overnight. Ours is a mustard-seed ministry. The few who understand the relevance of the kingdom for today are beginning to prepare the ground for a future generation so that they might live under the mustard tree.8 This preparation begins with convincing Christians they are supposed to be governing on behalf of their King instead of ground under the heel of the non-Christians and anti-Christs. Eventually, Christendom will be able to establish and prosper as the kingdom God intends us to be.
All thy works shall praise thee, O Yahweh; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. (Psalm 145:10-12)
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven…. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…. (Matthew 6:10, 33)
Pursuing Yahweh’s kingdom begins by speaking of its glory and power to the sons of men. This is the very least we can do as Christ’s ambassadors, and it is something we can all do. May God open our eyes to the possibilities of His glorious kingdom and His perfect laws. May He grant us the same fervor for Him and His kingdom as the liberals have for their Democracy and the Constitutionalists have for their Republic:
Let thy work appear unto thy servants … and establish thou the work of our hands…. (Psalm 90:16-17)
And Yahweh stirred up the spirit of … all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of Yahweh of hosts, their God. (Haggai 1:14)
Related posts:
Law and Kingdom: Their Relevance Under the New Covenant
1. YHWH, the English transliteration of the Tetragrammaton, is most often pronounced Yahweh. It is the principal Hebrew name of the God of the Bible and was inspired to appear nearly 7,000 times in the Old Testament. It was unlawfully deleted by the English translators. In obedience to the Third Commandment and the many Scriptures that charge us to proclaim, swear by, praise, extol, call upon, bless, glorify, and hold fast to His name, we have chosen to memorialize His name here in this document and in our lives. For a more thorough explanation concerning important reasons for using the sacred name of God, see “The Third Commandment.”
2. “In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” (Psalm 72:7-8)
“[T]he stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth…. And in the days of these [Roman] kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed … it shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:35, 44)
3. Martin Luther, On Secular Authority: how far does the Obedience owed to it extend?, quoted in Harro Hopfl, trans., Luther and Calvin on Secular Authority (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1991, 1993) pp. 8-9.
4. That the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are one and the same is demonstrated when comparing Matthew 4:17 with Mark 1:15; Matthew 5:3, 10 with Luke 6:20, 22; Matthew 8:11 with Luke 13:28; Matthew 10:7 with Luke 9:60; Matthew 11:11 with Luke 7:28; Matthew 11:12 with Luke 16:16; Matthew 13:11 with Mark 4:11; Matthew 13:31 with Mark 4:30-31; Matthew 13:33 with Luke 13:20-21; Matthew 19:14 with Mark 10:14; Matthew 19:23 with Mark 10:23; and Matthew 25:14 with Luke 19:11-13.
5. Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible: Genesis to Malachi, 3 vols. (Brattleboro: Brattleboro’ Typographic Company, 1837 [orig. publ. 1708-1710]) vol. 3, p. 60.
6. For additional information on the idolatrous implications of the 501(c)(3) tax exempt status, see Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, the second book in a series of ten free online books on each of the Ten Commandments and their respective statutes and judgments.
7. “The law of Yahweh is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of Yahweh are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:7-11)
For more on how Yahweh’s moral law applies today, see Law and Kingdom: Their Relevance Under the New Covenant.
8. A Biblical Constitution: A Scriptural Replacement for Secular Government
See also series of ten free online books on each of the Ten Commandments and their respective statutes, and judgments, beginning with Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
The locus of the Kingdom of God is within each human heart: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds” (Hebrews 10:16 citing Jeremiah 31:33). Inasmuch as the believer in Jesus is in the world, the Kingdom of God is in the world. And when all human beings have the law written on their hearts by the presence of the Holy Spirit, all human beings will love God and love their neighbor, and there will be no need for the law for “love is the fulfilling of the law” (13:10b).
God’s Kingdom is a everlasting Kingdom in that it will last as long as needed. Paul claims that there will come a time when the kingdom will be handed over to “God the Father”, not “God the King”: “Then comes the end, when he [Yeshua] delivers the kingdom to God the Father, after destroying every rule [including theocracies] and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinth. 15:24-26).
Even a theocracy in which Christians rule in Yahweh’s name is not what God envisions for all eternity. Yahweh is no more pleased with a theocracy in the present day than he was with the theocracy of Israel headed up by King David. God destroyed that theocracy in 587 AD. When a theocracy is needed because of evildoers, it fails because evildoers infiltrate the kingdom and take it over.
When there are no evildoers, the kingdom would prosper, but then it is no longer needed. When there is paradise on earth rather than a kingdom, there will be no need for armies or police or kings or presidents. There will be no need for money as people will work for free and all goods will be shared. People will use whatever talents they have for the good of all.
And this paradise cannot be established through the efforts of mankind. It is Yahweh who will make “all things new” (Rev. 21:5b). And, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea [a symbol of evil] was no more” Rev. 21:1). Notice that John in this chapter describes God as dwelling with man as their God, not their King. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying no pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). Among the former things are kingdoms, including the Kingdom of God, in which there are punishments inflicted on evildoers, including death. In the Kingdom of God tears are shed. This will come to an end.
Kings and kingdoms are not needed if there are no lawbreakers. Laws are for lawbreakers. If no one ever murdered anyone, there would be no need for the commandment “Thou shalt not kill. Kings and their kingdoms are for the purpose of restraining evil men both within the kingdom and without. When every human being on the face of the earth is another Christ, there will be no need for Yahweh to be King. He will be a Father. The human governing authority “is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4b). There will come a time when “the wrath of God is finished” (Rev. 15:1b).
Your brother in Christ,
Rowland
Rowland, thanks for joining us and for your input.
In the meantime, being we still have evildoers among us, is fickle finite man better governed by other finite men’s fickle edicts that are always unrighteous and immoral (Deuteronomy 28:15-68, Matthew 15:6-9, etc.) or Yahweh’s perfect law and altogether righteous judgments (Deuteronomy 4:5-8, 28:1-14, Psalm 19:6-9, etc.)?
Which do you suppose God intends us to be ruled by? See blog series “Ten Reasons Why Romans 13 is Not About Secular Government,” beginning at http://www.constitutionmythbusters.org/ten-reasons-why-romans-13-is-not-about-secular-government-pt-1/.
I read your “Ten Reasons Why…” and found it informative. But I don’t know if this government that Paul is writing about actually existed or was something that he saw in the future of the church. He writes that the authority, who is a servant of God, bears the sword. I don’t know of any group of Christians in Paul’s time that had any kind of armed force.
I’m 76 years of age and was a Roman Catholic up until 20 years ago when I left the Church over doctrinal differences, especially over what appeared to be the Catholic worship of Mary, something they deny but goes on nevertheless.
And I had also become something of a pacifist, not a political pacifist, but a Christian pacifist. I didn’t have any interest in picketing the Pentagon, but felt that it was against the Christian vocation to be a part of the nation’s military establishment.
Over the years I have come to a more balanced pacifist position in which I believe that violence in self defense is appropriate for the Christian. I am still against Christian participation in his or her nation’s wars, but not on account of the Sixth Commandment (Fifth Commandment if you’re a Catholic). I see fighting on behalf of the government as a sin against the First Commandment. Killing or being killed on behalf of one’s nation is an act of worship and therefore is idolatrous. But if the Christian were fighting on behalf of Yahweh, that would not be idolatrous. But how can one be sure that he is killing and being killed on behalf of Yahweh?.
The major obstacle to a Christian theocracy is the disunity in the body of Christ. There are some 30,000 different Christian denominations. But simply being different is not the problem. The problem is that Christians have hated and killed one another over these differences.
As soon as the Christians of both the East and the West part of the Roman Empire gained political power in the fourth century, the Christians who had the greater access to the Empire’s political and military power began to persecute other Christians who did not have this access. In the 7th century, the dominant Church in Constantinople was persecuting the Church in Egypt because the Egyptian Christians were teaching that Jesus had/has only one will. Everybody else knew that Jesus had two wills, a human will and a divine will. This persecution made it much easier for the Muslims from Arabia to conquer what was then Christian Egypt in the 7th century.
All of this Christian persecution of other Christians culminated in the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries. In The Thirty Year War of 1618-1648 fought between Catholics and Protestants (although it was much more complicated than that; Catholic France was for awhile allied with Protestant Sweden) some 8 million mostly German speaking Christians lost their lives. Roman Catholics and Anglo Catholics fought in out in England. The Church of England, thought of itself as being Catholic, but not Roman. They persecuted the Protestants such as the Puritans who eventually fled to the New World. Then in the 20th century, Christians, in obedience to their national leaders, killed even Christians who belonged to the same denomination. In WWI and WWII German Catholics saw nothing wrong in killing Polish, French, British or American Catholics and vice-versa. And this was also true of Protestants. German Protestants killed members of their own denominations in other countries with great enthusiasm and vice-versa.
This was murder and idolatry in its purest form. At least now most Europeans no longer indulge in the hypocrisy of calling themselves Christian. They have rejected Christianity and are practically atheists.
Yeshua told his disciples that he had a new commandment for them. They were to love one another as he had loved them. This was a call to Christians to love one another with a stronger love than was required by the commandment to love one’s neighbor as oneself. But instead of loving one another, Christians have hated and killed one another due to doctrinal differences, jealousy, and in their devotion to their country in its struggle for dominance.
I believe that those Christians who were involved with writing the US Constitution, in viewing the sad history of Christians killing other Christians, decided to keep their fellow Christians, qua Christian, as far away from political and military power in the new Federal Government as they could. In fact, many of the founding fathers saw the Roman Catholic Church as the new nation’s greatest threat to their liberty. This is an interesting observation in that the Roman Catholic Church along with its sparring partner, the Eastern Orthodox Church, were most interested in establishing theocratic governments, although not always perfectly aligned with Scripture.
Secularists in attacking the Roman Catholic Church are in reality attacking Christianity in general and Christian theocracy in particular. And non-Catholic Christians have been enthusiastically supporting this anti-Christian, anti-Christian theocratic propaganda.
Take the term, “the Dark Ages”. This negative term has been used by Protestants to attack the Catholic Church not realizing that professional historians never meant this term to be an attack on the Catholic Church. Protestants, by using this term in reference to the Catholic Church have unwittingly played into the hands of anti-Christians who believe that the Catholic Church was European Christianity from the days of Paul of Tarsus to the Modern Age of the rise of their anti-Christian god, Science with a capital s.
The title of the Dark Ages was given to the time when the Germanic invasions against the Western half of the Roman Empire caused such havoc and chaos that law and order ceased, educational institutions were destroyed, government ceased to function. Wide areas of Western Europe became depopulated. Ironically, Catholic bishops were often the only source of some semblance of order and civilization. These Dark Ages lasted from about 400 AD to about 800 AD when the pope crowned Charlemagne Emperor of the newly established Holy Roman Empire. Law and order was returning to Western Europe. And educated Catholic Irishmen (Ireland was spared the Germanic invasions) came over to the continent to establish educational institutions that were to become the great universities of Europe in later centuries.
The term “Dark Ages” is also used by historians to designate those chaotic times of war, destruction of civilizations, depopulation which also lack the written records necessary for historians to discover what people were thinking and doing during these times. This lack of information is thought of as a lack of light revealing what the people are thinking and doing. The historical record has gone dark.
Another period of time in which this term is used is the period known as the Greek Dark Ages in the years about 1100 BC to about 800 BC. It seems that a people called the Sea Peoples were invading all over the Eastern Mediterranean. Civilizations were collapsing and information about what people were thinking and doing in this period is scarce. One of these groups of Sea Peoples may have been the Philistines of biblical fame. After having been repulsed by the Egyptians, they took up residence along the southern coastal areas of Israel, confining the Israelites to the hill country.
Another false slander promoted by anti-Christians is that the Roman Catholic Church, and therefore Christianity, was anti-science. Professors at Columbia University in the US spread the false story that Medieval Christians thought the world was flat. This is how anti-science the Christian Church was. according to these anti-Christian professors. This slander was passed on to the teachers being trained at Columbia and spread throughout the public school system.
The reality was far different. Obviously, Portuguese Catholics who were sailing around Africa long before Columbus set sail for India, knew the world was a sphere. Actually, the geographers of Florence, Italy not only knew that the earth was a sphere, they knew the approximate size of the earth. They therefore warned Columbus that he would never make it to China and to India sailing west. The western ocean was simply too vast. The distance was too great. Luckily for Columbus, who was wrong about the size of the earth, his ships ran into the Caribbean Islands off of the Western Hemisphere, still thousands of miles from his destination.
And note too, the calculation needed to construct the Christian calendar in use today was done by a Vatican scientist in 1582. Because of anti-Catholicism, the English (the British Empire including the American colonies) didn’t adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1742. The old calendar established by Julius Caesar in around 44 BC was ten days out of sync with the sun. The vernal equinox on the calendar was coming ten days too early.
My point is that believers in Christian theocracy need to work toward Christian unity, at least unity in loving acceptance of one another, and toward an appreciation of the good things that the Christian Church has done for humanity over the last 2000 years. Everyone knows about the evil done by the Medieval Church, but few recognize the good. Remember, the Protestant Reformation, which led to the formation of the Protestant theocracies of New England, was instigated and led by Catholics who wished to reform their Church. The writers of the Constitution were overly influenced by all the negative things they had learned about the state of Christian theocracy as practiced by the Roman and Anglo Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
If nothing good has come out of Christian theocracy in the last 2000 years except for the few years of Christian theocracy in New England, why would anyone think that things will be different now? One cannot be totally against everything that the Catholic Church or the Orthodox Church has done in regard to its influence on governance and be an advocate of Christian theocracy. It just won’t work.
The OT prophets, St. Paul, and the Puritans cannot by themselves rescue Christian theocracy. The Catholic Church along with the Protestant Reformers of the 16th century believed that the Church Age is also the Millennium in which Christ rules. They did believe and possibly still do believe in theocracy. There is no greater friend of Christian theocracy than the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, this was one reason I left the Catholic Church. I thought that it was too political. And this is one reason that the Catholic Church and Reformation Protestantism were so hated by the leaders of the French Revolution. And this is why the Russian Orthodox Church was so hated by the Bolsheviks. Catholics and the Reformers of the 16th century did not look forward to a future Millennium in which Jesus would rule from his throne in Jerusalem. They believed that the time for Yeshua to rule was in the here and now.
I think that the two main obstacles to working for the establishment of a Christian theocracy on the earth today are the disunity of the Church, which I have discussed, and the hope of the soon Second Coming. Why go through all the effort of establishing a theocratic government to replace the current US government when Yeshua will do it for us in the near future? Most Christians have rejected the notion that we are in the Millennium now and have the responsibility under Yeshua’s rule to work for the establishment of his kingdom now. The evils of the 20th century have put that idea to rest. We now wait passively for his coming in power to establish the Kingdom.
To correct this passivity either the history of the Church needs to be rewritten to show at least some progress in the implementation of theocracy (which has had a temporary hiatus under the influence of the Enlightenment and the establishment of the American Republic) or the eschatological hopes of millions of Christians has to be refashioned. One or both of these reforms has to be instituted before there can be any breakthrough on the Christian theocracy front, in my opinion.
Your brother in Christ,
Rowland Stenrud
Rowland, this is way too long and far too much to address in this forum.
If you want to break this down to one or two points, I’ll do my best to answer it. In the meantime, it’s extremely important that you answer my questions in my first response to you; if not here, then at least for yourself.
Furthermore, keep in mind that man’s previous failures do not justify refusal on our part to obey.
I would also recommend blog article “Ten Reasons the Kingdom Here on Earth Isn’t Mission Impossible” at http://www.constitutionmythbusters.org/10-reasons-the-kingdom-here-on-earth-isnt-mission-impossible/. Unlike the Romans 13 series (I hope you read it all before responding), it’s only one article.
Blessings!
To answer your questions in your first response, I would say that God expects that we Christian believers rule the world according to His laws. We Christians are not to accept being ruled over by non-Christians. I guess this is the meaning of the prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” But I don’t see this happening until the majority of human beings in this world are Christian believers. And it’s very discouraging when even most Christians don’t want God’s laws imposed on society by government fiat.
I greatly appreciate Ted Weiland’s explanation of how the US Constitution places human beings on God’s throne. But even before I discovered Ted Weiland, I was refusing to make the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. It sounds too much like a prayer. Also, the Catholic popes of the 19th century condemned America for reasons similar to those of Mr. Weiland.
However, I am a nobody with no political skills and no influence. I don’t see how I can advance the rule of God in our world. It’s all i can do to assure that God rules over me; that I obey God’s laws. I do pray that Yeshua returns to this earth very soon so that he can succeed where the Church has failed these 2,000 years. I will also encourage my fellow Christians to work at acquiring the political power that God wishes them to have in this world.
Interesting comments.
I also think it’s interesting that the Holy Roman Empire existed a little over 1000 years… from the crowning of Charlemagne as Emperor in 800 until it dissolved in 1806 after its military defeat to Napoleon. Hitler’s Third Reich was an attempt to revive the Holy Roman Empire which is also called the First Reich [the Second Reich was the German monarchy which was destroyed by “democratic” revolution in 1918.]
Antichrists like to call the middle-ages, “dark ages”, because it was during that time when Christianity spread throughout Europe [the joining of all the 12 tribes of Israel under the King of kings, Jesus Christ.]
Although western Rome fell temporarily, eastern Rome [Christian Constantinople] still flourished until it was conquered by Muslim Turks in 1453. In 988, Byzantine Christians baptized Vladimir I, Prince of the Rus, who returned to his capital in Kiev and baptized his Rus kingdom. When Christian Byzantium fell, the last Byzantine princess married Ivan III of Russia, taking with her Byzantium’s double-headed eagle and ivory throne. This why Tsarist Christian Moscow was called the “Third Rome”… it was the heir of Christian Constantinople, the “Second Rome.” Russians continued to use Byzantium’s calendar. When the very last year on Byzantium’s calendar approached, Russian Christians became fearful, believing the end of the age was near and antichrist would arise. Ironically, the very last year on Byzantium’s calendar was 1492, the year Columbus “discovered” the New World.
Some historians say, Tsar Nicholas II [who was usurped by “democratic” revolution supported by the US government in 1917 and murdered by antichrist Bolsheviks in 1918] was the last Roman emperor. Ironic that Kaiser Wilhelm II and Tsar Nicholas II [who were cousins] have 1918 in common [the Tsar was murdered and the Kaiser was forced to abdicate his throne.] Their cousin King George V of Britain survived the democratic coups happening in Europe. But in 1917 he changed his Germanic family name to Windsor.
Photo of the three royal cousins… King George V of Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia… who in happy times would dress in each other’s military uniforms… before war and revolution destroyed Christian European monarchy to make the world safe for the antichrist democratic jew/nwo.
https://gradcool.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/nicholas-george-wilhelm-and-nicholas.jpg
Rowland, it looks like you are beginning to see the truth. Your testimony is similar to a few other individuals. You are correct in stating, “It’s all i can do to assure that God rules over me.”
The advancement of Yahweh’s kingdom starts by calling individuals to repentance, and immersion in the name of Yahshua (meaning Yah who saves). As stated in Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahshua the Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
After being branded so to speak, in the name of Yahshua, the redeemed individual can, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”-2 Timothy 2:15
It is then up to every redeemed individual to then minister the gospel of the King’s Dominion to as many other individuals as will hear the truth.
To the Administrator: Great Blog article!
Thanks, Jesse. And thanks for responding to Rowland.
In both the OT and NT God says He desires His laws to be written in the hearts and minds of His people, Israel [Jeremiah 31:31-33, Hebrews 8:8, Hebrews 10:16.]
God’s kingdom was instituted at Mt Sinai which was the marriage ceremony between the God of Israel and God’s Israel people. God gave Israel His laws and judgments for them to administer in God’s kingdom and Israelites vowed obedience. Of course, we all know it didn’t quite turn out that way. Throughout the Old Testament God repeatedly punished Israel for her disobedience. God divorced the vast majority of Israelites [the northern kingdom] for adultery, cast them out of the holy land and scattered them abroad as gentiles. The southern kingdom also rebelled, but God only punished them [via Babylonian rule & captivity] because God Himself was destined to be incarnated into Judah [Southern kingdom.] God’s anointed king, Cyrus [an OT archetype of Christ] conquered Babylon, liberated Israelites and decreed a portion of them return to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem. Cyrus decreed the rebuilding of a physical temple structure made by human hands. God incarnated as Jesus Christ, God’s Temple made without hands.
The Bible is the ultimate love story… between God and Israel… and their divine marriage.
Marriage imagery is all through both the OT and NT.
Jesus’ first miracle was at a wedding.
God married Israel at Mt Sinai.
Israel had a civil war and split into two kingdoms.
God divorced the northern kingdom of Israel [the vast majority of the tribes of Israel] because she was unfaithful. God sent His divorced wife to live with her pagan lovers among the gentiles. [Jeremiah 3.]
God says it is an abomination for a divorced wife who has since been defiled by another to return to her former husband. [Deuteronomy 24:4.]
The only thing that could finally break the old marriage covenant is death [Romans 7:2]
Thus the death of God incarnate, Jesus Christ, nullified the old marriage covenant… so God/Christ can remarry all 12 Israel tribes under a new marriage covenant. “This is My blood of the covenant” – new covenant – new testament – remarriage to Israel.
Furthermore, the ancient custom was for the bridegroom to pay a bride price. This is what Jesus meant when He said you are bought with a price. Once the bride and groom are engaged to be married, the bridegroom leaves to build the marriage home [New Jerusalem.] The bride and her maidens wait for the bridegroom to return… not knowing exactly when that will be [Jesus’ parable of the 10 virgins.] At the bridegroom’s return, the bride, groom and guests proceed to the wedding feast [marriage supper of the Lamb.]
There is no greater love than this… the God of Israel incarnated to die. He sacrificed Himself to redeem His wife, Israel.
Amen!