We continue our discourse on governmentalism. God reigns in the affairs of men the Bible says (Daniel 4:17). He’s Lord of even godless nations (Psalm 47:8 MSG). In other words, God allows men to determine what form of government they desire, some by referendum. And he’ll abide by the determination even if it constitutionally crowds him out. That is the pattern we see in the world. And we see the historic case study of Israel in Bible account.
As a very young nation Israel could not deal with its peculiarity. The other nations were kingdoms headed by earthly kings. They were the exception. Priests led them to war! They determined to do away with theocracy, essentially rejecting God as king. They requested constitutional amendment. 1Samuel 8:7. They asked for a kingdom. No more leadership by priests. They wanted a king, like other nations. God was not pleased but he abided by the request. And that was how Saul entered the pages of history as the first king of Israel.
In the constitutional reform of Israel we see the dynamic of three factors: Man’s right to self determination, the will of God and the retained sovereignty of God. He is still Lord of the Earth. By self determination the nations of the world today run a plethora of government models: Democracy, communism, socialism, dictatorship, kingship, theocracy, even anarchy. Failed nations are ruled by anarchy. Yet God retains sovereignty over all. Psalm 103:19. The League of Nations was formed in 1919 after the First World War. It’s primary mission was global peace. It failed. Then came the United Nations after World War II. It subsists till now.
Invariably this organisation or its replacement will come under the control of the Antichrist. Revelation 3:1-6. Satan will influence the nations of the world to rebel against God and seek to annul His retained sovereignty. This is the core subject of Psalm 2 – a messianic psalm. References Revelation 13 as well: “Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples? Earth-leaders push for position, Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers: “Let’s get free of God! Cast loose from Messiah!””
Now, the Bible says the spirit of the Antichrist is already in the world. The spirit of the Antichrist has been around for over 2000 years waiting for bodily manifestation: “But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.” 1John 4:3 NLT. This is the Amplified Bible translation (AMP) of that scripture: “And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him is not of God, does not proceed from Him. This is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world.” When the Romanian government banished the gospel of Christ and persecuted Christians like Richard Wurmbrand for their faith, that was the spirit of the Antichrist in operation. (Read Tortured For Christ by Richard Wurmbrand).
Some people paid dearly for their faith in Christ, just like the early apostles and believers. “There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless – the world didn’t deserve them! – making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.” Hebrews11:36-38. It is in reference to the attempted annulment of the gospel of Christ that the early disciples quoted Psalm 2.
In Acts 4, Peter and John had been arrested and jailed for preaching about the resurrection of Christ. This was consequent upon the healing of a well known cripple. The crowd gathered and they preached Christ. The next day, the who is who of the religious hierarchy put them on trial. Jesus had been done away with. These “upstart apostles” were resurrecting his memory. The Jesus problem would not go away it seemed. “Let’s silence them with threats so they won’t dare to use Jesus’ name ever again” the religious hierarchy decided. Acts 4:17.
On their release, Peter and John went back to the disciples and reported what the chief priests and elders had said. When the people heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God: “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’” Acts 4:23-26 NIV.
Something strange happened: “While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence.” Acts 4:31 MSG. And for the first time we see Pentecost defined as political opposition to the spirit of the Antichrist. It’s yet another dimension of Pentecost apart from its symbolism as the inaugural date of God’s kingdom (Cf. Saved by the Spirit of Life). And we see the retained sovereignty of God. “Sovereign God” they prayed.
God retains inalienable sovereignty over the nations of the world: Job 12:23 – “He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.” But could the Jewish political and religious hierarchy contain the gospel of Jesus Christ? Obviously not! Here I am preaching it from Africa and it’s going round the world! No wonder David said that God went into gaffaw at the very notion of anyone banding against Christ: “Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he’s amused at their presumption; Then he gets good and angry. Furiously, he shuts them up: “Don’t you know there’s a King in Zion? (Psalm 2:4-6) Ask of Me and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Your possession” (Psalm 2.8)
But how about the Antichrist and the global gang up? What does the Bible say about future history? “You (Christ) shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like potters’ ware.” Psalm 2:8-9 AMP “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 treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” Revelation 19:15-16.
Please pray this prayer: “Father I acknowledge Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I repent of my sins. Amen.
© Leke Alder | talk2me@lekealder.com