Part 12
Directory
KINGDOM BIBLE STUDIES
"Teaching the things concerning the
kingdom of God..."
FROM THE CANDLESTICK TO THE THRONE
Part 11
THE PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
"From Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness..." (Rev. 1:5).
"These things saith He that is holy, He that is true...these things saith the
Amen, the faithful and true witness..." (Rev. 3:7,14).
This word "true" is a very wonderful word! In the Greek it does not mean true merely as opposed to that which is false. The root means "that which is not concealed" or "that which is not withheld," that is, the whole truth as opposed to a partial truth, as distinguished from all shadows of, and approximations to, the truth. It expresses the perfect realization of an idea as contrasted with its partial realization. It indicates fullness as against that which is fragmentary or in-part. For example, we recall that Jesus said, "Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven" (Jn. 6:32). "I am the true vine" (Jn. 15:1). "The true light now shineth" (I Jn. 2:8). "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Heb. 9:24).
The manna that fell in the wilderness was not false bread from heaven. God sent down angel bread from heaven for Israel! But that bread did not satisfy. It was only good for a day. If it was left over to the next day it became contaminated, bred worms, and stank. It was wonderful bread from the hand of God, but not the fullness of what God had in mind! Christ is the fullness! He is bread like no other bread! When a man eats of this bread he will never hunger again. He does not need to come back and eat again. He that eats this bread from heaven, which is Christ as life, receives a dimension of life that is heavenly and eternal! Here indeed is reality! This is the true — whole, complete, full, all-inclusive, illimitable, boundless — bread of incorruptible life!
The light of the Old Testament law and the words of the prophets were not a false word, they were just not the full revelation of reality that came in Jesus Christ. No one could deny that Israel had light! They were the only people that had light as a nation. The rest of the nations were as when Egypt was so dark that one could feel it, but in the homes of the Israelites there was light! That was wonderful light indeed, but now the true light is come! The light of the world is Christ! Moses and the prophets brought the light of God within the law and the scriptures, but what was but glowing word has now broken forth in the brightness of God in the midst of His people! As the pillar of fire gave a natural light at night, and that was wonderful, now incorruptible life and heavenly light are manifested as living personality in the person of Jesus Christ and those holy sons
who come into His glory! The law and the prophets were a fragment, but Christ is the fullness! The law was truth. "Thy law is the truth...and all Thy commandments are truth" (Ps. 119:142,151). So while the law with all its outward observances of types and shadows is indeed truth, Christ is the whole truth and nothing but the truth! "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (Jn. 1:17). The law was a glimmer of light in the darkness, but the true (full) light now shineth!
Since this word "true" indeed expresses perfect realization as against the idea of partial realization as illustrated in these examples, we can now understand that Jesus Christ, the firstborn Son of God, is the FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS! The revelation of Jesus Christ is the revelation of the FULLNESS OF TRUTH AND REALITY. That’s what the book of Revelation is all about! It is not merely the last book of the Bible, or a book about the end of the world. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ — the unveiling of the full intent, the ultimate purpose, and the very fullness of God in His called and chosen elect body of Christ! It is the revelation of the Third Day, of the Most Holy Place, of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Manifestation of the Sons of God!
God has been using His people everywhere to whatever degree He has prepared the vessel for that revelation of the Christ. There has come a beautiful unfolding of His purpose, the outflow of His life, and the manifestation of Himself throughout the church age, right up to the present time. But Jesus sent a revelation to the church to declare that there shall yet come the ultimate, the total, and complete revelation of Jesus Christ — not a narrow, limited thing, not to get a number of people saved and filled with the Spirit, and healed and blessed and used — but the kingdom of God coming with power and with glory, as an expression and manifestation of God in His total capacity with no limitations, with all the power, with all the glory, all the might, all the majesty, all the authority, so that nations will be swept into the kingdom of God, all humanity transformed, creation delivered, and the last enemy, even death, destroyed from off the face of the earth for evermore. That is what you see in Christ’s promises to the overcomers, in the manchild ruling upon the throne, in the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, in a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, in the judgments of God complete in all men, and there shall be no more death. What bright and glorious prospects loom before the vision of all who press on into the FULL REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST! How do we know that the sons of God will be manifested in the glory of Christ? How do we know that all men will be delivered and made alive in Christ? How do we know that all sin and death will be swallowed up in the whole human race as creation is delivered from the bondage of corruption? How do we know? Because Christ Jesus Himself is THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS!
In this order of fullness our Lord Jesus Christ is the firstborn, the first manifested son of God, and He is therefore the faithful and true witness. He is Himself the firstfruit, the sample, the demonstration, the proto-type, and the pattern of God’s fullness in His sons and ultimately in all men! The message revealed in the book of Revelation, and the message I proclaim to you today, is just this: Jesus is coming again! He will never come again in the body of His humiliation, never again walk to rest upon the well, or sleep in the storm tossed boat, never to again be smitten in the face and spit upon and crucified. Can we not all thank God that that part is finished? "In like manner as ye have seen Him go away," so will be the manner of His coming. It was an hour of His kingdom glory and the holy rapture of His translation. And so will He return. So He has returned. So He does return. His return on the day of Pentecost was in a mighty rushing sound, in tongues of flame, in prophetic ecstasy, in gifts of apostles and prophets and miracles. He came to fill His body, the church, with this power. But that was not the end! It was merely a means to the end!
Can we even begin to comprehend the greater glory of His coming in many sons brought to glory? All this will be reproduced on a larger, fuller scale. It will be the FULL HARVEST of His life! He will come with the keys of death and the grave in His hands for His elect sons. He will come in power as the Judge of the living and the dead. He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords in sovereign grace to carry out the great work of restoring all things. "Behold, I make all things new!" Some presume that they have already entered in to this full revelation of Jesus Christ, they are now walking in the Third Day, dwelling on mount Zion, living in the Feast of Tabernacles, and already reign as kings in the kingdom. Their lives and their ministries give the lie to their claims. I have not witnessed a power and a glory greater than Pentecost in any place, nor in any person, nor through any ministry anywhere on this planet. Have you? But it is coming! You can count on it! Having now accomplished His purpose of forming His elect body through the church age, the Lord is now also ready to use the finished product from this age, sons in His own image and likeness, to be the deliverers of creation. To this we are called, beloved, and for this our hearts cry out with groanings that cannot be uttered! Will it really happen? Ah, yes, my friend, JESUS CHRIST IS THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS!
THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD
"And from Jesus Christ, who is...the firstbegotten of the dead" (Rev. 1:5).
For three and a half years the disciples walked with Jesus. They saw Him feed the multitudes, calm the violent sea with a word, heal the sick and oppressed, and raise the dead even from the tomb of foul corruption. Three of them had been with Jesus on the holy mount and had seen the transcendent glory of His transfiguration. They fell down afraid, dumbfounded by the glory that was manifest, as they beheld the face of Christ shining with a brightness exceeding the noon day sun, and heard the voice of God out of the glory saying, "This is my beloved Son!" But at last the day came when the hideous monster approached, and death moved in and reaches out its bony hands and takes this Jesus, the Nazarene, and lifts him up from the earth and impales Him upon a cross. He then takes his diabolical dart and plunges it into His heart. Jesus, with a loud cry, gives up the ghost and dies! Blackness and death cover the land and as His lifeless body is laid reverently in the tomb the hopes of all who trusted in God in Christ had been dashed to a thousand pieces.
The hours dragged slowly by. The sun set in the west and darkness covered the earth. At last the eastern sky was reddened and grew bright with a morning hope. People arose and went about their business. Again the light faded and disappeared. Once more darkness threatened. All of this was unseen and unfelt in the coldness and perpetual darkness of the tomb. There no light came nor went. There the air did not move nor was it disturbed by breathing. The most delicate instrument would have picked up no sound of a beating heart. There was but stillness and coldness and death in the tomb where Jesus lay. Those eyes that had wept over Jerusalem and had looked with compassion on so many, now had passed into the land of eternal darkness; those hands that had gone about doing good, which had touched the leper and opened the blind eyes, now were cold and clammy and still. Death reigned supreme in that tomb.
But on that morning of the first day of the week, when there was but the slightest shimmering of dawn on the horizon, unseen by human eyes, there descended the omnipotent and supernatural hand of God, right through that stone, and touched the body of the beloved Son. Life poured into that body and it was quickened by the immeasurable and illimitable power of God. In the silent darkness of that tomb a mighty metamorphosis took place — the body that rose was no longer a natural body — it was a spiritual body! It was a body pulsating with incorruptible power and immortal vitality! It shimmered with a splendiferous glow and vibrated at a frequency thousands of times higher than the body that was laid there three days before. Suddenly out of the blackness of the tomb, the first human body in the history of the world that could not die, nor be affected by any earthly power, stood and quietly passed through the rock walls like sunshine through a window pane, disappearing into the morning mist. Christ came out, not to the roar of hundreds of thousands, not to great parades or waiting hands, but He came out alone, having conquered death itself within Himself. There was only One who was good enough, wise enough, strong enough — Jesus the Christ, the first begotten, the firstborn from the dead! It is His voice that speaks in the vision of Patmos, it is His voice that beckons us onward to the glory of sonship!
But hark! this voice that speaks is not of this world. It does not sound from somewhere among the deep death-shadows in which here we grope and find no way out. It is the resurrection voice! He that speaks stands at the other side of death and the grave as the risen One! That means that He was dead and is alive again and lives forevermore! He is alive with a new life, a victorious life. He was in death, and went through death, and He now lives as never one lived before. And what is more, as He passed through death, He left the way open! In the Spirit we behold Him there, on the other side of death; and looking at His glory from our present travail, we know by that very token that there is a way out! As a man groping in the black and fearful darkness of a deep cave beholds in the distance the glimmer of glorious sunlight and takes courage to continue his way in the one direction of that light spot, assured that there lies his deliverance, so the sons of God groping in the darkness of the shadow of this mortal realm, beholding in the Spirit the glory of the risen firstborn Son, know that there is a way out of death into the glorious liberty of the sons of God! For, mark you well, He is not merely risen: He is the firstborn from the dead! And the firstborn is He that "openeth the womb" and prepares the way for all His brethren. Thus Christ was in the womb of death, was born from death, opening the womb of death for all those whom the Father hath given Him. And it is He, standing in that spot of glorious light, whom you see from your present darkness, who calls to you, "Because I live, ye shall live also!" "To him that overcometh will I give the crown of life." It is true, wonderfully and gloriously true — "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed!"
This beautiful message was sent to the churches from the resurrected, living Christ because He was lost from their minds, because He was vague in their consciousness, because time had eroded their fresh experience, because persecutions and troubles had weakened their hopes, because confusing teachers had disturbed their faith, and they had lost the real essence of His indwelling power of life. So He reminded them, truly reminded us, that He is the first one born from the dead. He is alive from the dead! Not just in spirit, but in spirit, soul and body! Precious friend of mine, are you lacking Him? Are you missing Him? Are you weak and troubled and doubting within your heart? Are you frustrated by pressures from without? Then hear the word of the Lord — this message is from Jesus who is speaking to you alive from the dead! This is a living word, it’s an incorruptible life, touch it and you will be strengthened by it, quickened by it, empowered by it, transformed by it, for it is the life of the resurrected Son of God within you! The book of Revelation is a word of life from the dead, it doesn’t come from any mortal man, it’s not about darkness, death, destruction, and hopelessness, but it’s the value of a treasure from heaven. I have this life in me, you have this life in you, and this life within is the revelation of Jesus Christ, the appearing of Jesus Christ. This word will prevail!
Multitudes of Christians do not believe that Jesus is the "firstborn from the dead." They believe that Enoch was the first man to overcome death! They believe that Enoch was raised out of this death realm to a celestial, immortal existence in spirit, soul and body. Furthermore, they are convinced that both Enoch and Elijah preceded Jesus in His triumph over death, being caught up to heaven, changed and glorified, escaping physical death! That is the story told by the preachers. But I do not believe it! The problem is that the believers in the church systems have become literally filled with traditions and stuffy old theories formed in the minds of men who imagine they are students of the word of God. I am a great lover of the scriptures, but I am always afraid of any man who superficially interprets them out of a carnal mind. That man is spiritually illiterate and has closed his eyes to the shining light of the revelation of the Holy Spirit as it illumines His word. He may be a scholar and have a great intellect filled with dead head knowledge, but is unable to compare spiritual things with spiritual and thereby discern the wisdom that is from above.
Many people claim that Enoch and Elijah never died, yet in Hebrews chapter eleven Enoch is listed among the heroes of faith, and then verse thirteen plainly says, "These ALL DIED in faith, not having received the promises..." Enoch is named and Elijah is referred to in chapter eleven, and yet verse thirty-nine states, "And these ALL having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." In John 2:13 we read an emphatic statement by Jesus which cannot be contradicted. We would have to say that either Jesus is wrong, or our understanding of a couple other passages is wrong, and Jesus is right! Jesus states, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." Did Jesus forget about Enoch and Elijah when He made that statement? I think not!
It is not my intent to go into detail about this subject in this writing, but let us look briefly at Enoch’s experience as recorded in the scriptures. Let us examine some of the clues that will aid our understanding. Genesis 5:23 states, "ALL the days of Enoch were 365 years." When this expression is used of other patriarchs, including Methuselah, it is followed by, "...and he died." However, Enoch is unique because instead of "and he died," the record states, "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him." What does it mean when it says that God "took him"? According to Hebrews 11:5 it means translation and this word occurs three times in one verse! Translation, however, in the Greek means "to change sides," "transfer," or "transport." When we think of translation we think of going up. But that is not the meaning of the Greek word! "Transferred" would be a better translation. Let us look at another place where "translated" appears in the King James Bible. "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Col. 1:13). Now, while it is true there is an upward motion presented in many passages, such as, "If ye then be risen with Christ," and "He hath raised us up together," and many others, these are different words and different analogies. The words used in those passages are not the same word rendered "translated." The word rendered translated simply means to transfer or transport, to move from one place, realm, or state to another — in any direction! Have we not "changed sides" to follow Jesus? Have we not been "transported" from one kingdom to another? Have we not been "transferred" from a human, earthly, natural consciousness, realm, and state of being to a divine and spiritual consciousness, realm, and state of being? Has our allegiance not been "transferred" from our own selfish rights to the will of our Father? This is a very real spiritual experience! And though we have truly been "translated" into a new kingdom, and have "risen" and been "raised up" and "caught up" together with Christ in the heavenlies, have we gone anywhere physically? Did we disappear off the earth? Did our bodies become changed, metamorphosed, spiritualized and immortalized? NO! If we have been "translated" into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, and yet haven’t gone one inch off of planet earth, nor yet been changed into a body like unto HIS glorious body, by what authority do we contend that Enoch and Elijah left planet earth and have, for the past several thousand years, been living in some far-off heaven somewhere in immortal bodies that escaped death! Nowhere does the scripture say that Elijah never died. It only says he was "taken," and he was seen being caught into a whirlwind. I have seen many things caught up in whirlwinds, my friend, including buildings and trees, and they were surely transferred some place, some of them never seen again. But they did not go to heaven! Ah, beloved, we do such superficial thinking!
I do not for one moment doubt that Enoch had a great and glorious spiritual experience that raised him up into a new dimension of spiritual life, for that is the outcome in any age of walking with God! He "was not" any more the same old Enoch, nor was He "found" any more in the old realm of sin and death consciousness and existence. But the scripture plainly states that HE DIED! Oh, how we need to let go of all the old religious traditions and believe what God has said! Our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who came out of the tomb in a glorious body of divine life and power has told us from that state of resurrection life and immortality that HE HIMSELF IS THE FIRST BEGOTTEN, THE FIRST BORN FROM THE DEAD! The question follows — if Enoch and Elijah were able to attain this apart from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then why would any of us have needed Jesus to open the way for us? Jesus would not have been the first man to overcome death — Enoch would have been first! This strikes at the very root of the redemption accomplished through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our hope of full and complete redemption, including the redemption of our bodies, lies not with Enoch and Elijah, great as those men were, for only Jesus has the experience, and therefore the power, to change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto His body of glory! Blessed be the firstborn Son!
THE PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
"And from Jesus Christ, who is...the Prince of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5).
Let us look at the kingdom of God as it is described and emphasized in the New Testament. It should be natural, first of all, for us to take a look at the King of this kingdom! Unfortunately, the average church member does not think of Jesus as being a King on this earth. They see Him in heaven as a Saviour, a great High Priest, a Healer, Blesser, Baptizer, and then — the "soon coming" King! In thinking so loosely, we rob Jesus of one of the main phases of His ministry, that of being King on this earth — the King of the kingdom of God! Mind you, He is not GOING to be King; He is King now, for He has already ascended the throne of the majesty on high and been given ALL POWER AND ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH. This is why He can say to all His younger brothers, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne" (Rev. 3:21).
Jesus Christ has been chosen by heaven to the high office of Universal King! The Father of glory has appointed and anointed Jesus Christ to be King over this earth and all things! "A crown was given Him" (Rev. 6:2). "We see Jesus...crowned" (Heb. 2:9). "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns" (Rev. 19:11-12). God says to the earth, "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He shall show judgment to the nations" (Isa. 42:1). Addressing His chosen, even His beloved Son, the Almighty says, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever" (Heb. 1:8). Heaven has declared, "Of the increase of His government and peace and there shall be no end" (Isa. 9:7). The voice of omnipotence proclaims, "I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of me, and I shall give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron...be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth" (Ps. 1:6-10).
The choice of heaven, praise God! is ultimately to be the choice of the whole earth! He whom the Almighty Father has selected to be King over this earth, is enthroned and crowned in the realm of the Spirit, and every knee in the whole earth, yea, in the entire universe is going to bow in ratification of heaven’s choice. This glorious One, who is the well-beloved of heaven, in whom the Great Godhood is well pleased, about whose feet the swelling feelings of the innumerable celestial throngs roll in great billows of delight, is the Person we are to crown in this earth as its supreme Sovereign. Blessed be His glorious name forever, and let the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen.
Consider for a moment, what the heavenly messenger said to Mary, the virgin of Nazareth. "Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus. And He shall be great...and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end" (Lk. 1:31-33). Jesus was born to rule! He was born to reign over the house of Jacob and over all the nations of the earth! Remember what He said to Pontius Pilate! "Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end I was born, and for this cause came I into the world" (Jn. 18:37).
Christ is the supreme Ruler of the universe! Christ has always ruled. He always will. The Father has given "all things into His hand" (Jn. 3:35). "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool" (Isa. 66:1). So God’s "heaven" is His throne from which He reigns over the earth! The earth is physical and natural; God, on the other hand, is Spirit. God rules out of the heaven of His Spirit by His Spirit, as the prophet declared, "Not by (human) might, nor by (outward, natural) power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (armies)" (Zech. 4:6). The reality of omnipotent power within God’s Spirit IS GOD’S THRONE! It means just this — God rules out of Spirit. His power is spiritual power, His authority is spiritual authority. The natural realm must always be acted upon by the higher spiritual realm. First of all, every son of God has come to understand that God dwells in our spirit and rules our lives out of His throne within our spirit! He is the Lord of hosts, that is, the Lord of armies, and His military hosts are composed of those blessed ones who have been joined to the Lord as one spirit, raised up and made to sit together with Christ in the heavenly places, who also live and walk in the Spirit and reign with Him out of the heavens of God’s Spirit!
The heavens are the realms of Spirit from which the Lord now rules with absolute authority and dominion. How do we know this to be true? Because of the words of Jesus when He taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Jesus also said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." The Lord Jesus Christ rules and Christ speaks from heaven, even the heaven of God’s Spirit. If you will but listen, you can hear the Lord speaking from heaven, even the heaven of His Spirit which is in your spirit! There is a secret to hearing His voice. It will not be heard above the excited babble of the multitude. He will not boom and thunder to drown out other voices that clamor to be heard. He waits till all other voices are hushed and you have put away from your heart and mind all your own striving, and the uproar of the throng that shouts for your attention has completely died away. You must become insensible to the demands of all other voices and hear only the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking out of the most holy place of your spirit. "Be still and know that I am God." When your soul is agitated to a turmoil and your flesh demands with insatiable desire that its claims be met, and the outer world evokes utter confusion and despair with its myriad exasperating problems, it is time for silence, repenting, and listening to the voice of Christ.
Christ is always speaking, and Christ is always reigning — over all! In the February, 1990 issue of THE LIVING WORD, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Paul Mueller wrote the following words which carry this truth home powerfully to the heart. "The heavens declare the glory of God because God speaks from that realm and sends forth His word which is heard through all the earth, and to the ends of the world. Within the last few months, God spoke words of freedom, liberty and deliverance from His heavenly sanctuary. Those words of liberty and freedom were sent into the hearts of millions of East Europeans, causing them to send up a shout and demand for freedom that is bringing down the whole communistic system. And what did God do to bring an end to the oppressive governments of Soviet domination? He simply sent a word out of His heavenly sanctuary, and the work was done. The Lord accomplished this unbelievable task without the help of man and with the simplicity of the power of His Spirit.
"When God speaks from His heavenly sanctuary, that message goes out to find lodging in the hearts of those to whom the message was directed. Thus, when the Psalmist described this heavenly, spiritual activity, he said, ‘Day unto day pours forth speech, and night unto night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes forth through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world’ (Ps. 19:2-4, Smith-Goodspeed). The Lord’s message of liberty and freedom shall accomplish the will of God, according to His omnipotent purpose. There is no speech, nor words, nor voice of man, yet His message is received to the ends of the world. The Lord thus bypasses all human instruments to fulfill His word. Just as His word cannot fail, so the heavens cannot fail to send forth that word with all the life and energy of the realm of the Spirit.
"God’s word, sent forth from His heavenly sanctuary, cannot fail to accomplish His purpose. If He wants to eliminate the whole communistic society, He will do so by simply sending a word of liberty into the hearts of the multitudes, just as He has done. Mighty armies of hundreds and thousands could not have accomplished what the Lord has done in a few months, though they might have fought for many years in constant struggle and intense warfare. The blood of multiplied thousands of men has been spilled over the world in two bitter world wars for far less than this. The very fact that the communistic empire is falling should cause every child of God to renew their faith and trust in God, and to believe for the fulfillment of the remainder of all His holy word of truth.
"These are truly exciting days! This is a day like no other in the history of the world. God has taken to Himself His great power and is reigning in all the universe. This is the day of the Lord! Just as the Lord spoke a word of liberty and freedom from His heavenly sanctuary, and sent that word to the oppressed peoples of Eastern Europe, so He will speak a word from His heavenly sanctuary that will impart new life to His elect, thus raising us up in resurrection life to be transformed thereby. All He needs to do is speak a word, and it will be done! This truth is being demonstrated now before our very eyes as He dismantles the communist system. And when He speaks that word of Life to His elect that word will not fail to accomplish the divine purpose, so that all of us shall be changed.
"I hereby charge all who read these lines to remember what our omnipotent Lord has already done in Eastern Europe! Remember that He has sent a word out of His heavenly temple that has reverberated throughout the world, and has brought down the Soviet empire! The fact that the Lord has begun to dismantle man’s kingdoms should encourage us to believe for His complete dominion over all things everywhere in the fullness of time, including His dominion over death. ‘The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. HE SHALL CALL TO THE HEAVENS FROM ABOVE, AND TO THE EARTH, that He may judge His people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. AND THE HEAVENS SHALL DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS: for God is judge Himself. Selah’ (Ps. 50:1-6).
"We will learn a great truth when we learn, with full understanding, that the Lord accomplishes His purposes by speaking a word from His heavenly temple. He spoke from heaven, ‘and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.’ The Lord shall shine out of Zion. How shall He shine out of Zion? By the effulgent glory of the manifestation of His Spirit! When the Lord chooses to judge His people, He sends forth the spirit of judgment by calling ‘to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people.’ When He has concluded His purpose in the judgment of His saints, ‘the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is judge Himself.’ Thus, we are righteous, not because of our good works, but because the Lord spoke forth His righteousness into our hearts to make us righteous. Just a word from His heavenly sanctuary is all it takes to make us righteous, or to accomplish anything else" — end quote.
When heaven was opened to the blessed apostle banished to the wilds of Patmos, and the white horse Rider appeared in the bright skies above, the glory and eternal triumph of God’s Christ was magnificently expressed in these meaningful words: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron...and He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:11-16).
Can we not see, my beloved, that this remarkable vision, blazing and shining with its scintillating glory of power and truth, points directly to our Lord Jesus Christ who is King of kings and Lord of lords, ruling the universe and guiding the spheres. The reference to the Rider on the white horse is clearly not to the entire Christ body, but to the Head of that body. The body of which He is the Head is characterized by the "armies which are in heaven" that "followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." But the One on the lead horse is the Head, the KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS! He is King of kings because He is King of all those who rule with Him as kings! This same book of Revelation, as I have previously pointed out, distinctly and markedly identifies our Lord Jesus Christ as the King of kings. "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten from the dead, and THE PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH" (Rev. 1:5). The word "prince" in this verse is translated from the Greek archon which means "a first in rank or power; prince; ruler." So Jesus is the FIRST IN RANK of the kings of the earth! He is the PRINCE of the kings of the earth! He is the RULER of the kings of the earth! Yes! He is the KING of the kings of the earth! I would solemnly admonish all who read these lines, DON’T TRY TO PULL RANK ON JESUS! Ah, "HE is the Head of the body...who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things HE MIGHT HAVE THE PREEMINENCE" (Col. 1:18).
Jesus is Lord of lords because all others who rule with Him as lords have completely and lovingly submitted themselves to His supreme Lordship. No one can rule with Christ in the kingdom of God who has not, first of all, subjected himself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ — for the whole objective of the kingdom of God is to ultimately bring to pass this wonderful end: "Wherefore God hath also highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11).
Jesus is the great King of kings and Lord of lords! He is not the soon coming king as the citizens of religious Babylon are trained to say, denying by the very words that Christ has any kingdom on earth at this present time. Such ignorant statements always leave me cold! What could be further from the truth, which teaches us that Christ now sits with His Father in His throne in the heavens of God’s Spirit and that all power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth! We are already citizens of that kingdom and have already been translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Already it has taken place, already Christ has a kingdom and is its King! From the barrenness of Patmos John wrote that he was our brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:9).
Christ is the great King right now, ruling all things for the well-being of His subjects and bringing absolute perfection and completion to His plans which He ordained before the foundation of the world. He is the King of the ages and invincible! Through the ages He has revealed His Kingship on different levels and through various instruments, and He shall yet arise in power and glory in a new and marvelous expression of His Kingship through the MANIFESTED SONS OF GOD, revealing Himself as the great conquering King, bringing deliverance to every man and all creation, reconciling all things unto Himself, on earth and throughout all the unbounded heavens. Every son of God is finding his place in this Day of the Lord and the hour of manifestation is nigh at hand!
The kingdom of God is the only hope of the world! He has reigned, is reigning, and shall reign! May God give us all a vision of Christ the King and Lord of all! He is high and lifted up, far above all other powers! His train, the skirts of His royal robe, the very majesty and power of His Kingship, fills this temple which we are! His train, His royal robe, covers, protects, enables and empowers us with His omnipotent, heavenly authority. His royal robe, the train of which fills the temple which we are, invests us with His own nobility and dominion. He rules from His throne in the realm of Spirit. God grant that we shall see Christ in His ascended glory, seated on His throne and ruling in all the earth, and we with Him! When we see Him, we shall indeed cease from all our petty human dreams, ambitions, desires, hopes, works and aims. And we shall stop regarding men, political parties and philosophies, presidents, prime ministers, legislators, economists, or military leaders as the hope of the world. The truth is, we are the hope of the world, for we are hidden in Christ, who is the King and Lord of all! We are becoming one with Him and are being made kings and priests unto God who shall reign upon the earth (Rev. 5:10). A vision of this Christ and His glorious, all encompassing kingdom, and our calling in Him, will deliver us from looking to man. Then we will put all our hope and trust in Him who reigns in life forevermore! It is a marvelous thing to be a member of the family of God! There is no greater joy or vocation than belonging to the God family, knowing God as our Father, and that we, the sons of God, have such a wonderful elder brother. But just because He is one of the family, and we are one in Him, doesn’t mean that we should esteem Him as an equal with us. Let us never forget that He is the Lord, even our Lord, and that our Father is God! Jesus is our brother, yet in all things HE has the preeminence! We honor Him and adore Him, for we are kings, but HE is the King of the kings! We are lords, but HE is the Lord of the lords! He is the PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH!
George Wylie wrote a precious word about the reverence of the sons for the Son, the esteem of the kings for the King, and the devotion of the lords to the Lord. "When the last king of England died, the family was gathered around his bedside waiting. As soon as the king had breathed his last breath, and it was evident he was gone, the first thing the Queen did was to turn to her eldest son, bow before him, and say, ‘Your Majesty.’ He was her son, but he was now more than that; he was her king! And as her king she gave him the reverence and respect due to his position. She didn’t say, ‘My son Edward, you are now king.’ No, she addressed him with respect in reverence to his position, bowed in submission to him, and said, ‘Your Majesty.’ What she was really meaning was, ‘My King.’ The rest of the family did the same; they bowed to their brother, as Joseph’s brothers bowed to him in Egypt, and also said, ‘Your Majesty.’ I suppose up until this time they treated him as a brother; they likely played with him, argued with him, and perhaps sometimes fought with him. No longer! From now on he would not be treated as just a brother, but as a king — their king! We have a wonderful Father and He is God and Creator of the universe, the upholder of all things; we have a wonderful brother, and He is the Head of all principalities and powers, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He has all power in heaven and in earth. His name is above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the ages to come. Before His majesty every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. All realms and all worlds and all dominions and all nations and all men shall worship and adore Him and pledge their eternal allegiance to Him. He is Lord of all! Behold His majesty! He holds the highest position in the universe; so let us reverence Him and His name in humility and undying devotion and exaltation!" — end quote.
Not only is Jesus the Prince or Ruler or Chief of those kings who reign with Him upon the Father’s throne in the heavens of God’s Spirit, He is also the Prince and Ruler and Chief of all those kings, presidents, prime ministers, and dictators who rule over the nations of earth on the lower plane of human government. When John describes Jesus as the ruler of the kings of the earth he uses a concept that had been often emphasized in the Old Testament. There the rulership had been applied to Yahweh. Abraham had called the Lord the "Judge of all the earth." Jeremiah had referred to Him as the "King of the nations," and the Psalmist declared, "God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne." God’s rulership in the kingdoms of men had been one of the chief claims of the prophet Daniel. "The most High liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men...and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" (Dan. 4:17,34,35). Isaiah warned Israel that the Lord was using Assyria as the "rod" of His anger. During the period of the Babylonian empire both Jeremiah and Ezekiel taught that God was ruling among the nations of earth. But now it is said that JESUS IS THE RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH! Often in the book of Revelation we see titles applied to Jesus that in the Old Testament were applied to Yahweh. That is because Jesus is YAH-SHUA, Yahweh-Salvation! He is Yahweh come in the flesh to save us! That is why Yahshua (Jesus) is THE NAME that is above every other name (including Yahweh) in heaven and in earth! Yahshua (Jesus) is God’s latest name, His own new name given among all men and there is no other name whereby we must be saved! Yahweh is an Old Testament name of God, given to Israel under the Old Covenant, that forever passed away with the law and the prophets, with the sacrifices, the priesthood, and the temple. Jesus now has the highest name in the universe! Behold His majesty!
The lower kings and rulers of human governments do not, for the most part, know that Jesus is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords, that it is He alone who exalts whomsoever He will and abases whom He will, and that they perform His will on that level — but it is true nonetheless! They do not realize that He is the mighty Lord over them even as Pharaoh did not know that it was Yahweh who raised Him up that His glory might be shown in him! The puny kings of earth do not understand that Christ is the Ruler of the kings of the earth because He rules and reigns from a higher and more glorious throne in the higher than all heavens. Our great King of kings is the true King and Lord of all and is seated upon His heavenly throne of all power and authority! It would help us greatly if we would see that no ruler on earth is where he is by his own choice, ability or power. We are no longer bothered by men like Adolph Hitler, Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden, for they would never have been where they were except by divine appointment! We no longer get upset and want to smash the television screen when we hear reports of what our earthly rulers, kings, presidents, prime ministers and other government leaders are doing, for we have seen the King of glory! He is seated on His throne of all power and authority, and is reigning over the affairs of men and nations! All of earth’s rulers are where they are by God’s purpose, some for judgment, others for blessing, and many other purposes, but when He is through with them He brings them down by sending forth a word which sets in motion the circumstances of their demise. His reign is just, invincible, triumphant and righteous!
Because Christ reigns out of the high realm of Spirit, we must look at things unseen and behold our mighty King. All the sons of God are called to reign with Him! But we are not called to reign on that lower level of human government, and institutions. Those are but the "errand boys" of God’s great kingdom! They are of inferior quality, lacking in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the mind of Christ and the ways of the Lord. They are poor performers. We are not being prepared to live in the White House or Buckingham Palace. Never entertain the carnal notion, beloved, that either the Lord Jesus or His many brethren, the sons of God, will ever sit in an office behind a desk, with a hot-line telephone at hand! Only as we behold Him in the Spirit can we see our reigning King and Lord of all! Paul saw Him in the Spirit, and then described what he saw. "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen" (I Tim. 1:17). Christ the King is eternal, immortal, and invisible! Therefore, look not for Him seated somewhere on an earthly throne now or throughout all ages. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom. So also is the King of that kingdom a spiritual King! He is seen in the Spirit seated upon the throne of His Father in heaven! On another occasion Paul described our King as "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen" (I Tim. 6:15).
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:9-10).
When we see in the Spirit our all-glorious King of kings, who reigns from the heavenly throne of His Father, we will then see how we are called and prepared to reign with Him by the power of His Spirit. We will then see and know that the Ruler of the kings of the earth reigns by spiritual power and we will also see and know that our King moves upon the face of the earth, as the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep in that long ago beginning, to bring forth victory over every enemy. He is moving first in us, the firstfruits of His kingdom. As we are changed into His likeness, filled with His fullness, endowed with His mind, conquering every enemy within and without, overcoming all carnality, sin, limitation and death, and ascending up within ourselves to the heavenly places in Christ Jesus where He sits upon His throne of glory and power, we then see all things as they really are in the Spirit. We then see that within us and through us the kingdom of God is coming to earth in a greater way to begin to change all things! To see anything less than this in this great Day of the Lord is not to see our King at all. He is the Prince of the kings of the earth, and we are called to be the kings of the earth!
The true kings of the earth are the manifested sons of God! The true kings of the earth reign with Christ at the right hand of the Father in the realm of the Spirit! Only as we are experientially seated (enthroned) with Christ in the higher than all heavens of His life, power, and glory are we able to begin to reign with Him over the earth. This is a glorious spiritual ministry! Christ is a King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek. He dwells in the light to which no earthly man can approach. Only those who are truly spiritual can see Him as He is, to become what He is. They are the elect who are chosen of the Father to approach unto the Light that He is, and they shall manifest Him as Light to the waiting, groaning, and travailing creation. This is the order of God’s kingdom: Only as we are first changed and transformed from carnal to spiritual, from earthly to heavenly, from human to divine, shall creation be changed!
To be continued...
J. PRESTON EBY
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J. Preston Eby
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El Paso TX 79937-1240
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