By Michael Harley
“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” Hebrews 3:1a[i]
Christians have been called to a place of rulership which is in the heavens. This is the place which the nation of Israel had been called, but rejected. This heavenly calling was taken from them, and a new creation, a new nation, the Church was brought into existence to be the recipient of that which Israel rejected.
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. (Matthew 21:43)
This place in the heavens during Israel’s past calling was ruled by angels – Satan and his angels, is currently ruled by Satan and his angels, and will continue to be ruled by Satan and his angels until the return of Jesus Christ.
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him[a] all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (Luke 4: 5–6)
the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 3:10b)[ii]
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. (Revelation 12:10)
God Himself appointed Satan and his angels rule over the Kingdoms of the world from the heavenly places.
the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. (Dan 5:21b)[iii]
Christians are currently being called out of the world to heavenly positions of power and authority, over the nations, with Christ.
And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; 29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’(Revelation 2:26,27,29)
But just as the nation of Israel 2,000 years ago, found themselves completely at home in the world and doing all the things that the world did, Christians today, find themselves completely at home in the world and doing all the things that the world does.
For our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20a)[iv] The Greek word for “citizenship” is “politeria”[v], in which we get our English word politics. For our politics are in heaven. Our involvement or concern is in the change of power in the heavenly places, not the change of powers of flesh and blood. Christians should be completely focused on being faithful toward God and being obedient to His commandments so that when Christ returns that which He said will be fulfilled: Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.( Matthew 24: 46-47)
But today Christians involvement and concern are in the change of power with the current governments of this present world – authority ruled over by Satan and his angels. No Christian should be in places of government in this present world, nor should they be placing persons in governmental positions in this present world. The time for Christians to rule is future with Christ, not present under Satan and his angels. Christians are not to be exalting themselves in the present world, but are to be humbling themselves and teaching other Christians how to conduct themselves in the present world of darkness so that they will be exalted in the world to come.
“ For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.” (Heb.2:5)
In the world to come angels will be cast out of the heavens above this world and Christ and Christians found to have overcome will then move into these positions and rule during the Messianic Age.
__________________________________________________________________________
[i] Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, Hebrews 3:1
[ii][ii] to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, Ephesians 3:10
[iii] 21 Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. Dan 5:21
[iv] For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Phil. 3:20
[v] πολίτευμα (politeuma 4175) conversation [KJV] the being or the result of being a πολίτης (politēs 4177) (a member of a free city or state); citizenship, life as a citizen. Reference(s) Politeia; From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: According to Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon a meaning of politeia is “the conditions and rights of the citizen, or citizenship”, analogous to the Latin civitas.[1]
Politeia,[2] in Greek means the community of citizens in a city / state. It should not be confused with “regime” that is meant by politeuma[3] or “Status quo” that is meant by kathestos.[4] The regime is the word describing the political situation of the community of citizens in a city/state, and “kathestos” means also the general situation of an object, an agreement, or something else.
“Politeia” is derived from both the root word Polis meaning city/state,[5] and from the root verb “politeuomai” that means I am acting as an active citizen of the city state.
