Some professed Christians have a desire to control the governments, militias, and finances of the world before the physical return of the Lord Jesus. According to the verses above, they have a misplaced hope. Other Christians, recognizing the error of the above group of believers, totally reject any teaching stemming from them, and cringe at the Bible term, restitution. If a person is in either camp, Satan profits. We won't rule this earth before Jesus returns, but there are things that God wants to restore to the Church before the second coming. When the scripture says: "... heaven must receive [Jesus] until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21), this does not mean that we, the Church, will have done all the restoring before Armageddon. There is an appointed time of restitution; the full restitution happens spontaneously when Jesus returns; He will restore the following at His return: [Daniel 9:24] - "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make and end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness,and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy."
"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." [Ecc. 9:11]
"There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity." [Ecc. 8:14]
"In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him." [Ecc. 7:14]
We need to be as well versed on the theme of "adversity" as we are on the subject of "prosperity".
God has balanced the one against the other.
Acts 24:24 "And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."
Our pattern for revival is Jesus and the 1st century Church. What they did, we can do. God called few rich men. He did call some. "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called ..." [1 Cor. 1:26] For our sakes Christ became poor. Be followers of Him; a man's life consists not in the abundance of possessions. Some people suppose Godliness is equated with great financial gain; from such withdraw thyself. They say, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33) This begs the question, "What are these things?" The question is answered in the full context of chapter six; 6:25,30,31 --food, drink, and clothing i.e. the necessities: 1 Tim. 6:8 "... Having food and raiment let us be therewith content." The last generation shall be lovers of their own selves, loving money and pleasure more than God. God has given some the "Romans 12" gift of giving (v.8), which pertains to financial success. He has not given this gift to all. In respect of needs, the Apostle Paul knew both how to be abased and how to abound. Paul described himself and the apostles as spectacles, reviled, persecuted, despised, defamed, and the offscouring of all things; so the restoration of apostleship is not associated with standard Kingdom Now philosophy. We are appointed as sheep to the slaughter (Psalms 44:22), not to rule in these vile bodies over the earth.
Proverbs 13:22 "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just." When do we receive the wealth of the wicked? Matt. 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." When is this? Our inheritance is "... reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time ... at the appearing of Jesus Christ."
Daniel 12:4 - "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Daniel 12:6 - "And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" Daniel 12:7 - "And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he" [the antichrist] "shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."
Daniel 11:32 - "And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he" [the antichrist] "corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits."
[In the verse above and the one below we see Kingdom authority in its proper equilibrium.]
Daniel 11:33 - And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
Daniel 11:43 - "But he" [the antichrist] "shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt ..."
Rev. 13:7 - "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them ..."
Daniel 7:21,22 - "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."
For a limited time God does want to prosper His Church in this present era strictly for the
purpose of spreading the gospel. We will not control the finances of the world before Jesus
returns, however, God will prosper the Church overwhelming during the first half of the
seven-year tribulation; this money is to be used for the propagation of the gospel and for the
practical application of the gospel in providing for the widows, orphans, and the needy. The first
century New Testament pattern is: those that had little, had no lack; and those that had much, had
no surplus. Jesus said, "For the poor always ye have with you."[ Luke 12:8] Thus, there will be no
utopian society in this era; this is further proof that the physical Kingdom of God will not be
manifested until Jesus returns; there will be no poverty in the presence of Jesus. During this next
move of God, our revenue must go out as fast as it comes in, or else the flow will stop. The
current brand of inordinate prosperity that is taught today is a symptom of the Laodicean church:
Rev. 3:17 " ... Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and
knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." The money
that ingresses into the Church must egress, or it will rot like stale manna. This future period of
Church prosperity is part of the Joel 2:28-32 outpouring; it lasts 3 and a half years, and will be
evidenced by the blackening of the sun, and by the presence of a red moon.
In a free nation, we are all called to vote. When the wicked rule, the righteous mourn. If politics is your unique created workmanship, go for it; but such is not the case for all. Unfortunately, in a democracy, because many are called, but few chosen, the masses of the people will choose ungodly leadership. They get the king that they deserve. When Christ returns, then we shall all rule and reign with Him, not before. Why did Jesus say in Revelation chapter 20 that He would set us on thrones after He comes, if it is happening now? Rev.2:26 "And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations." --We have to keep His works to the end first; then He will give us power over the nations. We have warnings from the past:
#1. Adam and Eve wanted to be like gods. Their spirits lost dominion over their flesh because of it.
#2. Israel wanted a king like the other nations. God was angered at their request.
#3. Jesus said: [Mark 10:42-5]
42 ... Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
#4. Again: "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my
servants fight ..."[ John 18:36] The first half of this verse is quoted by K. D. people saying that
although His Kingdom emanates from Heaven, it should be manifested here. Jesus draws the line
that determines the extent of our involvement. We are not to fight for the Kingdom with carnal
weapons. It is not a carnal Kingdom. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal." He that lives
by the sword shall die by the sword. It is clear that physically striving for supremacy is out of the
question in God's perspective.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
The disciples were sent according to God's plan. We have authority over demons to the extent that we submit to God [James 4:7]. If "Kingdom Dominion or Kingdom Now" is not in God's plan, then its supporters are not submitted, and have little or no authority. Obedience is the basis for Kingdom authority. Jesus, our role model, was obedient unto death.
We have authority over demons to the extent that God grants that authority. Jesus has all authority and power; the anointing is on Jesus without measure, but our individual authority and anointing is measured according to the grace that is given unto each of us.
Can we cast the devil out of the antichrist, because all power is given to us? NO! Here is the second half of the story in Matthew 10, speaking about the end times:
18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him
which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Therefore, we have all power over the enemy insofar as that death hath no dominion over us. The real you that cannot be hurt is your spirit. Your flesh hurts every day. There are some thorns in your flesh that you can try to rebuke all day, and you will find yourself to be fighting against God Himself. Just as Paul couldn't rebuke his thorn, we can't cast the devil out of the anti-christ, because God has spoken.
If we could completely bind Satan, then Jesus would not have to do so in Revelation chapter 20.
We cannot put God in a box, and force Him to perform for us. We cast out whatever demons that
God has given us authority over. An apostle is given spiritual authority over a specific region.
When men choose reprobation, God sends strong deception; the result can sometimes be demon
possession. We do not have authority over men's wills. Neither do we have control over the future
world dictator called the Anti-christ, Beast, Little Horn, man of fierce countenance, son of
perdition (not Judas Iscariot); the anti-christ will be a man who chooses to be demon-possessed
by Satan. This event happens at the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation, the "Old Serpent" is
cast down to earth. Since faith is dependent on the promises of God, we cannot cast the devil out
of the anti-christ; we have no promise to stand on in that regard. Kingdom Dominion theology is
dependant upon evading, ignoring or completely denying the existence of a personal future anti-christ, that is, a world dictator totally possessed by the devil himself; but rather, Kingdom
Dominion believes that the apostate church is the anti-christ. Therefore, similar to the pre-tribulationists, the Kingdom Dominion people do not expect to SEE the anti-christ, even though
pre-tribulationists and Kindom Dominion persons view themselves as being opposites. In doing
so, both groups pave the way for a deluge of delusion. Some Kingdom Now adherents, as well as
pre-tribulationists, may willingly accept the anti-christ as their hero, thinking he is the Messiah,
since they were told they would never SEE the anti-christ. But on a positive note, let us praise
God that many in both camps will correct their errant theologies when they actually see this "son
of perdition", the anti-christ. We need to keep in mind that people with a great zeal for
eschatology, whether their stance is right or wrong, have an accompanying fervency to behold the
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and are ardently impassioned Christians. Hence, as the final Holy
Spirit outpouring floods mankind with increasingly vivid apostolic revelation and freshly
sharpened prophetic insight, people of all diverse Christian sects will grow in the unity of
knowledge and grace and the semblance of the object of their desire, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Anti-christ Is A Man
1 Jn. 2:18 "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time."
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."
The "little 'a' anti-christs" that 'went out from us' were men, not organizations or spirits, because at first they appeared to be like us, therefore, it follows logically that the anti-christ that shall come is also a man. He'll falsify a resurrection (Rev. 13), and he'll bodily be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 19); he has to have a body to fake a resurrection, and to be thrown in the lake of fire. The anti-christ is not just a metaphor for the apostate church or some general ungodly world attitude. In denying the existence of the anti-christ as we understand him to be, the K. D. boys are doing him a favor. They may not recognize the anti-christ, because they are flirting with deception already. On the other hand, pre-tribulationists who say, "Just preach the gospel and stay out of politics," are also helping the anti-christ one-world government movement that is already taking place apart from Kingdom Dominion. Christians should be 'salt' to retard the spoiling of the present world governmental system. If we make no effort to influence the governments of the world, we are inviting the anti-christ.
Both 'pre-trib' and 'kingdom now' are off the mark and unbalanced. For this purpose God is
raising up apostles to establish temperate sound doctrine in the earth.
Kingdom Dominion theory likens us to Adam and Eve in their perfect condition. According to this extremist theory, since sin caused corruption, the power of the resurrection of Jesus is said to have reversed all effects of sin. But in reality, the power of the resurrection will reverse all the effects of sin only when we also are resurrected.
Adam and Eve were initially in a perfect world, uncorrupted by sin; they themselves had perfect bodies and minds. All of creation is travailing until the manifestation of the sons of God. This takes places at the last trump when our bodies will be glorified. In that aspect, "we will be like Him." [1Jn. 3:2] Until that time we don't even have dominion over the physical death principle working in our flesh. If Jesus tarries, you will eventually die. Regarding death: "There is no discharge in that war." [Ecc. 8:8]
He that can control his own spirit is greater than he that can take a city.
Another weakness in Kingdom Now theory is the fact that the human race still has dominion over the earth: [James 3:7] - "For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind."
Our problem is that only a minority have dominion over their own flesh: [James 3:8] - "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." Conquering the world is not the key to conquering your own flesh. Samson did more damage to the enemy when he died, than when he was living. He killed thousands at his death, pulling down the pagan temple upon himself and the Philistines. Before Jesus could be resurrected, Jesus also had to die, as it is necessary for a grain of corn to be buried to bring forth an abundance of grain. For the Christian, death is a stepping stone on the pathway to victory. Kingdom Dominion theory has a false view of victory. Our victory is in the fact that through the risen Christ we have triumphed over sin, and we fear not those that can kill the body, because we have a hope that goes beyond the curtain of death. 1 Cor. 15:55 "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
Luke 17:21 "The Kingdom is within you."
--the Kingdom deals with spiritual power, not political clout, or military might. When the Son of God returns, then he will give His wise servants control over ten cities, over five cities, etc. Our first priority is stewardship in the spiritual realm. Our city manager positions are still in the warehouse, waiting for us as we use our talents wisely till the Master comes.
God is going to destroy the heavens and the earth as we now know them. This earth is not our heavenly kingdom; This earth is not everlasting.
Even after Armageddon, there will be another war involving Gog (Rev. chapter 20) at the end of the coming millennium, approximately a thousand years from now. Then fire from Heaven will consume our earthly enemies, and Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire. The Kingdom of God, therefore, does not have its pure fulfillment until anything that would defile the Kingdom, such as war, is no more; the Kingdom is not "now".
'The footstooling': Genesis 3:15 - "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." The method by which Jesus made the Serpent His footstool (bruised his head) was by death on the cross (bruising the heel). We are to take up our cross daily, or else we cannot be a disciple of Jesus. Luke 23,24 - "And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it." Verse 24 describes what discipleship and bearing the cross ultimately means; it means an increased probability of dying an early death. How long does 'the footstooling' last. Answer: Rev. 6:10,11 - "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
It should be noted, however, that the Lord orchestrated all of this so that His tabernacle could be built with the gold, silver, and jewels. Those riches could not do the children of Israel much good while they were living in the wilderness. There was no general store to buy luxuries, and there was no high society to impress out there in the wild.
Furthermore, almost all of that generation died in the wilderness--the gold, silver, and jewels could not buy them a ticket into the promised land.
Gen. 15:7 - "... I Am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it." When do Abraham and his seed obtain the inheritance?
Heb. 11:8 - "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles [i.e. tents] with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."
Revelation Chapter 21:1-3
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
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