My Kingdom is Not of This World

Joshua Immanuel

Published by Joshua Immanuel, 2024.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this
book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omis-
sions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information
contained herein.
MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD
First edition. July 6, 2024.
Copyright © 2024 Joshua Immanuel.
Written by Joshua Immanuel.
 My Kingdom is Not of This
World
The Kingdom of God Against the Domin-
ion of Darkness

1
2 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Joshua Immanuel
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 3

My Kingdom is Not of This World

First Edition – July 2024
ISBN Paperback: 9798328247368
4 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Cover design by Wilson Reeves

All Scripture references in this book are taken directly from the King James
Bible and are quoted in italics. The use of bold font indicates emphasis added by
the author of this book.
As a work undertaken for the kingdom of God, the author does not claim
any copyright. Feel free to copy, share or quote any part or the whole of this
book. You are accountable before God for how you choose to use any content. If
used in any form, credit to the author would be appreciated but is not required.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 5

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: The Created Order
Chapter 3: Imaging God and The Divine Council
Chapter 4: Eden and the Divine Council
Chapter 5: The Fall of the Created Order
Chapter 6: The End of the First World and New Beginnings
Chapter 7: Confusion and New Hope
Chapter 8: Redemptive Kingdom Structure in the Old
Covenant
Chapter 9: Inauguration of Christ’s Kingdom
Chapter 10: Christ the Last Adam
Chapter 11: Redemptive Kingdom Structure in the New
Covenant
Chapter 12: The New Covenant and Antithesis
Chapter 13: Understanding the Great Commission
Chapter 14: Of Last Things
Chapter 15: What Manner of Persons Ought Ye to Be?
 Chapter 1:
Introduction

T he Bible teaches us that Jesus began His public ministry

preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God (Mk 1:14). The
word Gospel means good news. Therefore, Jesus' public ministry be-
gan with the proclamation of the good news of the kingdom of
God. What is this kingdom of God and what is the good news con-
cerning it? How does it affect our lives today? In this book, I lay
out the Biblical narrative concerning the kingdom of God begin-
ning at Eden till the end of this present age with Christ’s return and
how it fundamentally affects the Christian life. The Bible calls the
Christian a citizen of this heavenly kingdom (Phil 3:20). Therefore,
rightly understanding this kingdom will help us frame our place
and purpose as citizens of that heavenly kingdom.
Every Christian has reflected on how the kingdom of God af-
fects this present world, whether they realise it or not. When a
Christian thinks about what Christianity has to say about the var-
ious issues in our world like poverty, hunger, warfare, economic
crises, tyranny, etc. or when he thinks about how Christianity af-
fects his interactions with the world in work, education, consump-
tion of entertainment, lifestyle, ethics, use of time, use of money,
etc. he is effectively asking the question - what does the kingdom
of God have to do with this present world? Differing views on
the kingdom will result in very different ethical views and lifestyle
choices that ultimately affect how Christians use their time and re-
6
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 7

sources and/or invest themselves in this present world. Thus, right-

ly understanding the kingdom is fundamental to the Christian
faith.
How did the apostles and the early church understand the
kingdom's implications on the world? They lived in an age where
evil abounded, much like our own. The shedding of blood was
common; sickly and weak infants were often abandoned to the
gods. Slaves were mistreated and murdered. The Roman Empire ex-
panded unjustly - performing atrocities along the way. Immorality
was everywhere - the theatres were wicked, entertainment was sex-
ual and full of bloodlust, festivals often consisted of orgies, the days
were evil for there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc 1:9). Regard-
less, neither the Apostles nor the Apostolic Fathers wrote any polit-
ical or economic treatises. They did not petition rulers to mandate
morality. They did not engage in activism to end social injustices.
They did not even seek to participate in the Roman socio-political
system to influence it. They were distinctly otherworldly in their
approach to world systems.
Their writings show a strange indifference to the order of
things. When they did write about cultural matters, they called out
the evil and wickedness of the world systems, but their solution was
distinctly otherworldly. They called for Christian slaves to submit
to their masters and for Christian masters to treat their slaves well.
While they never sanctioned slavery, they never called for its abol-
ishment. They called the faithful to respect the State and to pay tax-
es. They never sanctioned the wickedness of the State and neither
did they seek to take political or militant action against it. There
was never a call to seek to transform the world outside, gain influ-
ence in it, or participate in its systems. Rather Christians were cau-
tioned about their engagements with it. Friendship with it was con-
sidered a sure sign of enmity with God ( James 4:4).
8 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

This otherworldly ethic embodied by the early Christians is

best illustrated in the following quote from the Epistle to Diogne-
tus, an early 2nd century apologetic document -
“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by
country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they
neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of
speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The
course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any specu-
lation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, pro-
claim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But,
inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of
each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives
in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they
display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life.
They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citi-
zens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things
as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country,
and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do
all; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They
have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh,
but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but
they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the
same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are
persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to
death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they
are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured,
and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of,
and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and
repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-
doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are
assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet
those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.”
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 9

Similarly, their view of wealth and earthly possessions is well

summarised in this quote in the 2nd century document, Shepherd
of Hermas -
“You know that you who are servants of God are living in a for-
eign country, for your city is far from this city. If therefore, you know
your city in which you are destined to live, why do you prepare fields
and expensive possessions and buildings and useless rooms here? If you
are preparing these things for this city, you obviously are not planning
to return to your own city.”
To these Christians, the kingdom had not come to transform
the world but to provide the people of this world a means to partic-
ipate in God’s new creation, a new humanity centred around King
Jesus. It’s often stated in some circles that this ethic embodied by
the early Christians was merely pragmatic. Widespread persecution
and lack of resources forced the Early Church to refrain from en-
gaging the world, it is said. However, is it possible that they just
didn’t consider that to be the mission of the Church? Persecution
wasn’t always present; when it was, it didn’t occur globally, usually
concentrated in specific regions of the Empire. Moreover, the con-
version of several rich and influential people clearly indicates that
they didn’t lack the means or ability to seek power. This book aims
to show that this distinctly Christian ethic embodied by the earliest
churches was not merely a consequence of pragmatic realities but
an outworking of their Biblical theology.

The Constantinian Shift

The ascension of Constantine as emperor and the subsequent
Edict of Milan that granted religious toleration to Christians was
a turning point in Church History. Christians could now live in
the Empire without the fear of persecution. They could invest in
its economy. They could build large homes and permanent houses
of worship. They could participate in its socio-political life and in-
10 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

stitutions. Suddenly, there was a need for a “Christian” perspective

on various ordinary activities. After all, the Empire was slowly turn-
ing “Christian”. In this era, one sees the Post-Nicene fathers writing
a variety of treatises on political and cultural matters. These trea-
tises were no longer primarily about how the evils of culture were
infiltrating the Church but about how the Church could partic-
ipate in and transform the world's culture. Departing from their
former suppositions, Rome was no longer a foreign country. “Us”
and “them” no longer referred to Christians and outsiders. Instead,
Christians were just as invested in the Roman Empire as they were
in the kingdom of God.
The impact of this Constantinian Shift cannot be understated.
It is during this period that Christianity at large lost its pilgrim
identity. It embraced the sacralism prevalent in all ancient societies.
Matters of religion, of orthodoxy and orthopraxy were now mat-
ters of national importance. Church councils were summoned and
presided over by Roman emperors. Elders whose views did not con-
form to the consensus were forced into exile. The Roman State was
petitioned to preside over religious disputes and Roman legions
confiscated properties and persecuted the non-conformists. Chris-
tian identity now revolved around the Roman State, which had be-
come a tool to exert the coercive power of the Church.
Over time, this association grew more and more insidious until
the very term “Christian” would be redefined. Rather than refer-
ring to members of the covenant community of pilgrims, it came to
refer to entire people groups and empires. Basic distinctions had to
be scrapped away. A consistent lifestyle of holiness, separation from
the world and rejection of the world’s values, prosperity and power
no longer defined the Christian. Rather, one became a Christian by
being born in the Roman Empire or the various nations that were
purportedly becoming Christian.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 11

The focus of the Christian life had shifted from pilgrim sepa-
ration to unrestricted engagement with the purpose of taking do-
minion and building an earthly kingdom. This new breed of Chris-
tian was committed to the transformation of society. The idea was
to forge a holy society - a kingdom of God on earth. Thus, the
kingdom of God was no longer experienced by the people of God
through participation in worship, prayer and the sacraments but by
actively participating in the affairs of the world around them.
The effects of the Constantinian Shift are felt to this day. Chris-
tians often affirm several doctrines and ideas that developed in the
philosophical milieu of the Shift without questioning or think-
ing through them. It is at such a place that the Christian must
ask “What saith the Scriptures?” What is a Christian? What is
the Christian’s Calling? How is the Christian to interact with the
world? What should the Christian’s attitude be towards the things
of the world? God has given His people everything they need
for life and Godliness (2 Pet 1:3) through the Scriptures (2 Tim
3:16-17). Thus, the Scriptures sufficiently answer these questions
for us.

Constantine Today
In our times this same impulse to confuse the earthly and spiritual
in Christianity exists in many forms including Postmillennialism,
Theonomy, Kuyperianism and Christian Nationalism. These the-
ological positions aren’t always mutually exclusive; however, they
do differ in their views on the application, expectation, extent and
form of transformation of society. In this book, we will collectively
refer to these positions as Dominionism, the notion that Christians
are to take Dominion in the world in fulfilment of the creation
mandate. In its modern form, this notion was developed by the
Dutch Theologian and Prime Minister Abraham Kuyper. Kuyper-
ian thought about the creation mandate has made rapid inroads in-
12 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

to Evangelical Christianity through the works of Francis Schaef-

fer and Billy Graham. The Lausanne Movement, the fruit of their
labours, has profoundly affected Evangelicalism.
The average Evangelical probably doesn’t consider himself to be
a Dominionist. However, the ethics and theological positions that
are widely embraced tell another story. Unlike the early church that
expected persecution, social alienation and disenfranchisement as
the norm, the Evangelical norm is respectability, upward mobility
and increasing influence in society. Attaining a respectable middle-
class life is associated with good stewardship of wealth. The systems
and ideas of the world, particularly of Western civilization like
Capitalism and Democracy are embraced wholesale. Prospering in
this system is seen as a sign of God’s favour.
The use of language like “impacting the nation for Christ”,
“transforming society” and “influencing the culture” are common-
place in Evangelical vocabulary. Many Christians are convinced
that they must actively work towards the betterment of earthly
nations and fix the ills of society. They actively participate in the
world's socio-political activities. They have no qualms about using
the arm of the State to enforce morality. These efforts are often
shrouded in language like “pursuing justice”, “loving your neighbour”,
“working for the common good” and “being salt and light”. Evangel-
icals have become key players in the Western political establish-
ment, particularly in the US. Christians, we are told, are to seek
to transform their places of work, the government, the legal sys-
tem, the financial system, the economics, the schooling system and
much more.
There is no profession out of bounds for the Christian. Rather,
Christians are encouraged to take up all kinds of professions but
particularly those that increase their respectability and influence in
society. This goes hand in hand with the theology of vocation that
gained ground during the Protestant Reformation and further de-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 13

veloped in Kuyperian Neo-Calvinism. This position seeks to make

one’s secular profession an aspect of kingdom building - a specific
calling each individual receives. The software engineer, the invest-
ment banker and the church elder are all equal callings with equal
significance, and each contributes to the building of the kingdom
through these secular callings. While the average Evangelical prob-
ably isn’t aware of the Neo-Calvinist roots of this theology, it’s in-
fluence on Evangelicalism cannot be understated.
It is unsurprising that this theology of vocation is popular in
middle-class contexts. It is easier to convince oneself that work has
meaning and eternal significance when one has a “cool” job akin to
the software engineer, professor, investment banker, etc. It’s not so
easy to convince someone who cleans toilets or works in a sweat-
shop that his work has meaning and is of eternal significance. This
has led to Christianity becoming more of a religion of the middle-
class and the establishment, unlike its early form that the establish-
ment mocked as a religion of slaves and women.
In other words, the framework for antithesis with the world
that was understood by the early Christians has been forgotten.
It has been replaced with a framework of affirmation and engage-
ment with the world. The ethics of Dominionism are rejected both
in the Bible and by the writings of the Early Church. Nowhere in
the Bible are we commanded to take Dominion over heathen na-
tions and civilisations. On the contrary the Church is addressed as
strangers and pilgrims (1 Pet 2: 11). Spiritually, our existence is al-
ready in heaven with God (Eph 2:6), even while our bodies await
redemption here (Rom 8:23). Even the saints of the Old Testament
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims with no continuing
city (Heb 11:13), the same confession we are called to make (Heb
13:14). We are told to make it our aspiration to live quiet lives, at
peace with all men, hoping to be left alone (1 The 4:11). The ethics
14 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

of the sermon on the mount make it significantly difficult, if not

practically impossible to attain worldly success in most systems.

Two Kingdoms Theology

At the heart of these differing visions for Christianity and the
world are fundamentally different approaches to understanding the
kingdom of God. The purpose of this book is to provide the Chris-
tian with a Biblical framework for understanding the kingdom of
God. A framework that recognises this kingdom’s antithesis with
the world as a consistent reality for this present age. A framework
that was widely held by Christians prior to the Constantinian Shift
as evidenced by the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. A framework
that was continued by Medieval Dissenters, the Proto-Protestants.
The basis for this framework is that the Bible shows us the existence
of two distinct kingdoms that are antithesis with one another.
These two kingdoms have very different purposes and cannot be
reconciled one to another.
The kingdom of God consists of the people of God, the
Church, called out of the nations to form one new humanity. In
this age, the final age of this present world, this Kingdom is not
identified by a specific location or region, nor is it observable (Luk
17:20). Rather, it is within the people of God (Luk 17:21).
Through the kingdom of God, the people of God are spiritually
and positionally in heavenly places (Eph 2:6) but they earnestly
await the consummation of all things (Rom 8:23), when the spiri-
tual reality will also become a physical one. This kingdom is being
redeemed, i.e., it is not marked for destruction along with the pass-
ing away of this fallen order but is being transformed (2 Cor 3:18).
The kingdom of the world consists of the rest of creation, the
peoples and nations of the world and its systems. Though God is
sovereign and the only ultimate authority in the universe, this king-
dom is given over to Satan, who is the god of this world and blinds
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 15

the people of the world (2 Cor 4:4). Satan is referred to as the

prince of this world ( John 12:31) and the prince of the power of
the air (Eph 2:2). It is said that the whole world is under his sway
(1 John 5:19). This kingdom is not an eternal kingdom. It is part
of a temporal created order that is passing away (1 Cor 7:31). The
destiny of this kingdom is to be burned up in fire on the last day,
along with all its works (2 Pet 3:10).
Physical things are not intrinsically evil, because they were cre-
ated by God as being very good. However, Adam’s disobedience
plunged this world into corruption, and it is under a curse. Every-
thing associated with this created order including things central to
it like work, marriage and childbearing are under a curse (Gen 3).
This fallen created order is not the same as the one that God said
was good (Gen 1:31). Rather, we live in a fallen order, a vale of
tears. In the wisdom of God, His plan of salvation isn’t to redeem
creation and nature to the state that it once was in Eden. Rather, it
is His plan to redeem His people and grant them access to a new
creation in the world to come, where the former things of this pre-
sent order will not be remembered anymore (Isa 65:17).
The Bible consistently teaches that we live in a fallen world
(Gen 3), that is under a curse (Rom 8:21,22) and that even our de-
sires and inclinations here according to the flesh are sinful (Gen
6:5, 1 John 2:17). Thus, the Christian earnestly hopes to be freed
from this body of sin (Rom 7:24, Rom 8:18). While it is evident
that we will receive new material bodies, we will not enjoy the new
order according to our present desires. These desires, even those
that were created good and those that aren’t intrinsically evil (mar-
riage, labour, etc) are tied to this present created order (1 Cor
7:29-30). The very schema of this order or its form and its desires
are passing away (1 Cor 7:31, 1 John 2:17).
Since God is the absolute Sovereign of the universe, He still
preserves the kingdom of this world. He has promised to uphold
16 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

the seasons and cycles, day and night, summer and winter for as
long as the Earth itself remains (Gen 8:22). In the Noahic
covenant, God promised that He would never destroy the Earth by
a flood again (Gen 9:11). He causes the sun to shine and the rain
to fall on both the righteous and the wicked (Mat 5:45). He writes
His law in the hearts of men, so that even without special revela-
tion they are to some degree able to perceive right and wrong (Rom
2:14-15). He ordains the powers that be and the rulers of this
world to maintain order and restrain sin (Rom 13). Even though
these figures are generally evil, wicked and given to their own de-
sires and agendas, God still uses them to preserve the present order.
God’s preservation of the created order is not with the purpose
of redeeming or transforming it. It is preserved while God’s re-
demptive purposes are accomplished in the Church, the kingdom
of God. This is essential because even in His promise of preserva-
tion in Gen 8:22, it is asserted that the preservation is while the
Earth itself remains, indicating that there is an ultimate destruction
ordained. Moreover, the Noahic covenant promises that the Earth
will not be destroyed by water and flood, while the Apostle Peter
proclaims that the destruction of this created order will be with fire
(2 Pet 3:10).
While the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world are
in antithesis, the citizens of the kingdom of God cannot escape in-
teractions with the kingdom of this world, its systems and its cit-
izens. Even though we are not of the world, we are in it ( John
17:11). It thus follows that we need to have interactions with the
people of the world, those not part of the covenant community.
Moreover, given that we live in the world, it is likely that we will
engage in aspects of the created order, even though they are passing
away, marriage being the chief example.
The Christian’s antithesis to the world isn’t only in the context
of the ultimate end of the world and its temporal nature. The cor-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 17

rupting influence of the world cannot be understated. In the Lord’s

prayer in John 17, He prays for His people as a separate entity
from the world, emphasising that they are not of the world just
like Him (v16). He prays that they should be kept from evil and
this is juxtaposed against the reality that they aren’t yet to be taken
out of the world (v15), indicating that the world itself is associated
with evil. The Apostle James attributes true religion to the one who
keeps Himself unspotted from the world ( Jam 1:27). He later con-
demns those who maintain friendship with the world as enemies of
God ( Jam 4:4). Likewise, John teaches the Church to not love the
world, its things or even its desires, for the present form of them is
passing away (1 John 2:15-27).
The nature of the two kingdoms means that the Christian rec-
ognizes that his very existence is antithesis to the world. This affects
how we view the world; it affects our interactions with it and it af-
fects how we use the things in it. Primarily, it affects how we view
the ultimate end of all things and thus how we determine our pri-
orities of life. In other words, it is central to how we live our lives
as Christians, as those who are in the world but not of the world
( John 17:14-15).
 Chapter 2: The
Created Order

J esus emphatically declares to Pontius Pilate that His kingdom is

not of this world ( John 18:36). This explicitly lays out a frame-
work of antithesis between his kingdom and the world. A frame-
work that we will be exploring throughout this book. This should
make us ask what is the world according to the Bible? The word
world is a translation of the Greek kosma or cosmos. It literally
means an ordered system. Therefore, in the Biblical language, world
often means far more than just the earth or and the material world
we can perceive with our eyes. Rather, it comprises the entirety of
the ordered universe created by God. Therefore, in asserting that
His kingdom is not of this world, Christ is effectively stating that
His kingdom doesn't belong to this present created order. Yet the
Bible shows us that this kingdom of God will both outlast the king-
doms of this world and destroy them (Dan 2:44). Therefore, the
kingdom of God clearly has serious implications for this created or-
der. The created order serves as the backdrop to a cosmic struggle
between two opposing kingdoms. Therefore, to lay the foundations
for our study on the kingdom of God, we must first understand the
backdrop in which these kingdoms clash.
To understand the narrative of the kingdom of God in the
Bible, we need to understand where the narrative begins and how
it progresses from Genesis to our place in the New Testament. The
creation account provides an entry into the narrative of redemp-
18
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 19

tion. It is here that several of the foundational aspects of the pre-

sent state of the material world are highlighted. It provides a solid
foundation for the Christian to understand God’s purpose in the
creation of man, man’s failure to fulfil that purpose and the curse
that entered the material world because of that failure.
Genesis paints an elaborate picture of the purpose of the mate-
rial order. The Bible, however, reveals a cosmology that is not mere-
ly material but also supernatural. Scattered throughout the Word
of God are accounts of celestial realms that interact with the ma-
terial world. These celestial realms are inhabited by spiritual beings
of great power. These entities are not revealed as mere external ob-
servers of the fate of man and this world but are shown to be ac-
tive participants in the affairs of the world. It is this combination of
the material and celestial realms that together forms what we can
call the created order or the cosmos. This is what the Bible calls
the world or the heavens and the earth. While the Genesis account
doesn’t go into details of the celestial or heavenly aspects of cre-
ation, understanding the celestial component of the world is critical
to understanding the narrative of God’s kingdom.
In this chapter, we will consider the heavens and the earth, the
Biblical cosmos. While some of the themes explained in this chap-
ter might seem irrelevant at first, they build the foundation for the
topics we will discuss throughout this work, pertaining to the king-
dom of God. Remember, we are seeking to study the backdrop in
which the kingdom of God manifests itself and wages war against
Satan’s kingdom. Of particular interest to us is how the Bible re-
veals to us that earthly things are reflections of heavenly realities.
Understanding this pattern will be critical to understanding the
kingdom of God since the Bible reveals the kingdom of God on
earth to be a physical manifestation of God’s heavenly kingdom.
Therefore, studying what the Bible teaches about heavenly and spir-
itual things will teach us what the kingdom of God on earth ought
20 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

to look like. The heavenly is a template for the earthly. To under-

stand the heavenly is to understand the purpose of the earthly.

Celestial Realms
The Bible reveals to us the existence of celestial realms called the
heavens. Oftentimes a prophet takes us to the throne room of God,
where He is surrounded by the sons of God, His divine council.
This heavenly realm is always associated with the physical presence
of God. The scenes of heaven displayed in the Bible often show a
central throne room, seated on which is God Himself. He is sur-
rounded by mighty celestial beings who worship and serve Him.
We even witness scenes of conversation between these beings and
God. These scenes are often reminiscent of the court of an ancient
ruler. In contrast to this, the Bible also reveals to us the existence of
places that are called the depths and the abyss - realms that are as-
sociated with unclean spirits and death.
The cosmology revealed in the Bible is very complex. Over
time this complex cosmology has been ignored or suppressed par-
ticularly among Protestants. This has been done both intentionally
and in ignorance. Renaissance thought sought to disentangle itself
from what it considered the superstitious ways of the Medieval past
and Christianity has not been immune to the influence of such
thinking. Post-Medieval Christians are therefore prone to thinking
of the Bible and the Gospel in mere legal categories, ignoring the
supernatural cosmology of Scriptures as either symbolic or irrele-
vant. However, this cosmology is woven into the redemption nar-
rative and therefore foundational to understanding the kingdom of
God. Thus, it is necessary for Christians to study these things. If we
focus our attention to merely the material realm, we miss a signifi-
cant aspect of God’s kingdom and plan of redemption. Spiritual en-
tities and their actions are not distant but directly affect the world
as we know it. God’s plan for the created order involves the heavens
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 21

and the earth, just as His plan for renewal consists of new heavens
and a new earth. To ignore the supernatural emphasis of the Bible is
to ignore a central theme it reveals - the Uncreated God rules over
the gods of the nations (Psa 82:1), who are really no gods (Psa 96:6,
1 Chr 16:26). They rule the nations in injustice (Psa 82:2), but He
is redeeming for Himself a holy nation (1 Pet 2:9) and will destroy
their domains in fire (2 Pet 3:10), before their final judgement ( Jud
6).
It is quite easy to enter the realm of speculation when dealing
with the celestial realm. The Bible reveals its existence because it
is something we need to know, and our actions must reflect that
knowledge. At the same time, the Scriptures do not provide an in-
depth study of these entities, their powers, their names and hier-
archies. This should teach us that while there are aspects that we
need to know, there is also a considerable amount that is too much
to comprehend in our fallen and frail human state. Moreover, the
Scriptures warn us against those who speak against things they do
not understand ( Jud 10). Thus, we need to restrict ourselves strict-
ly to what the Bible teaches on the subject.
Several works that deal with the subject often provide a foun-
dation in Near Eastern mythology and thought. While that can
certainly be beneficial, this work will seek to restrict itself to what
is plainly taught in the Scriptures as much as possible. While extra-
Biblical aspects like the context of the ancient reader can indeed
be beneficial to understand the context of the original audience,
the Scriptures are sufficient to interpret the Scriptures for all we
need for life and godliness. In very simple terms, one doesn’t need
to engage in PhD level research on extra-Biblical context to under-
stand what is necessary for our Christian life in the Bible. The Book
speaks for itself and was written for ordinary and diligent people,
seeking the Lord with all their hearts. Let us now consider the var-
ious celestial realms that the Bible talks about.
22 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

The Heavens and High Places

The cosmology of the Bible shows us that there is a spiritual realm
called heaven or the heavens. As the very first verse of Scripture
shows, this realm was not self-existent but was created by God
(Gen 1:1). Therefore, like other aspects of creation, it is tied to this
created order. God created both the heavens and earth, the invisi-
ble and the visible, for Himself (Col 1:16). This is indicative that
there exists an invisible realm and entities that inhabit that realm.
The term heaven itself as used in the Bible, refers to a few distinct
categories both material and spiritual.
The Apostle Paul speaks of a time when he was caught up to
the third heaven - “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago,
(whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I can-
not tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven” (2
Cor 12:2). Despite his succinct description of the incident, we are
able to infer that he visited a spiritual rather than material realm.
This is where the throne room of God is (1 Kings 22:19, Psa 11:4,
Isa 6:1, Isa 66:1, Matt 5:24, Rev 4:2). This heaven is often described
as a temple, a centre of religious worship of the living God and a
place where He is worshipped by both men and angels. This will
be an important theme in understanding the garden of Eden lat-
er. The Psalmist says in Psalm 11:4 - “The Lord is in his holy temple,
the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the chil-
dren of men.” In other words, this realm is always associated with
the presence of God. Since this is the realm of God’s presence, it
is Holy and set apart (Isa 63:15). One can only enter this realm
through Divine favour or permission.
The existence of a third heaven would indicate that there are at
least 2 others. For instance, Psalm 104:12 speaks of the fowls of the
heaven. The Psalmist is obviously referring to ordinary birds and
calling their domain as heaven. The skies, the atmosphere of earth
and the expanse of space would be in this category we can call the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 23

first heaven. When God met with Abraham to promise him his off-
spring, He called upon him to look to heaven and number the stars
(Gen 15:5). Both usages of heaven refer to an observable and mate-
rial realm unlike the other usages where it refers to a spiritual realm.
The Bible also teaches the existence of what it calls heavenly
realms or high places. The Apostle Paul refers to this in Eph 6:12 -
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.” Paul states that there are spir-
itual beings that have some form of authority that reside in what
he calls high places. The Greek word epouraniois translated as high
places literally means heavenly realms. In other words, this doesn’t
refer to a place that is perceivable by human eyes. Moreover, Paul
indicates that there is a plurality of such high places or heavenly
realms and a plurality of beings that rule from these realms. In Bib-
lical cosmology, these realms are as real as the material world that
we can perceive with human eyes[1].

The Abyss and the Realm of the Dead

Just like the heavens there exists a spiritual realm called the Abyss.
When Jesus confronted an army of unclean spirits called Legion,
the demons begged Jesus to not send them into the abyss or the
deep (Luk 8:31). This indicates that this is a place associated with
the presence of demons and judgement. Both Peter and Jude refer-
ence angelic entities that are held in prison because of their rebel-
lion (1 Pet 3:19, Jud 6). Revelation 9:1-2 shows a celestial entity
opening the abyss and releasing a swarm of spiritual beings on the
Earth. A spiritual entity, Appolyon (Abaddon) is revealed as the
king of the Abyss (Rev 9:11). Satan himself is bound in the Abyss
for a time so that he cannot deceive the nations (Rev 20:1-3). The
Greek word used to refer to the abyss is tartarus. This is used in the
24 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

context of the imprisonment of celestial entities rather than human

souls.
Like the Abyss is what the Bible calls Sheol in the Old Testa-
ment and Hades in the New Testament. This is a realm that is repre-
sented as being below or underneath (Gen 37:35, Psa 86:13, Amo
9:2). The Old Testament reveals this as the place where the souls of
men, both righteous and wicked go after death (Psa 6:5, Ecc 9:10).
Hence, it is unsurprising that this realm is associated with death it-
self and is often revealed as crawling with maggots and worms. Spir-
its of beings called rephaim inhabit this realm (Isa 26:14) who are
linked with the nephilim giants of which we will look in more de-
tail later (1 Chr 20:4). The Lord, through the prophet Hosea re-
veals His future triumph over death - “I will ransom them from the
power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be
thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid
from mine eyes.” The usage of grave in the KJV is the same as sheol.
The Abyss and sheol seem to be part of one overarching realm and
under the same rulership even though one is for demonic entities
and the other for the souls of humans. This is because sheol is often
connected to Abaddon in the Old Testament, who as we saw earli-
er is revealed as the king of the Abyss ( Job 26:6, Prov 15:11, Prov
27:20).
The translators of the King James Bible make the error of trans-
lating occurrences of sheol and hades with the word hell. While the
Bible plainly teaches a physical hell, a lake of fire in which the god-
less will burn for all eternity, sheol and hades are not referring to
that lake of fire. They are spiritual realms that are linked to this cre-
ated order and their fate is to be consumed by the lake of fire (Rev
20:14), which is saved for the future judgement of men and angels.
Hades is cast into the lake of fire, which is hell - in other words the
entire spiritual realm is consigned for eternal destruction. Conflat-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 25

ing these categories warps the Biblical supernatural worldview and

the cosmology it reveals.
The main aspect to consider about sheol and tartarus is that
these realms are associated with death and demonic spirits. These
are realms that manifest as a primeval chaos. They are the antithesis
of life and holiness associated with God’s presence. Rather, they be-
come realms of death and unclean spirits. This is also why these
realms are represented as being below, antithesis to the heavens
which are above, particularly the third heaven, which is the pres-
ence of God. These realms on the other hand are cosmologically
furthest from God’s Divine Presence.

The Material as a Reflection of the Celestial

The Bible reveals to us that the temporary material world reflects
eternal spiritual realities. Since God is the Creator of both the ma-
terial and the spiritual (Col 1:16), His attributes are revealed in
His creation. This reflection of the invisible in the visible enables us
to understand attributes of God and His nature (Rom 1:20). Now
we know that God is Spirit ( John 4:24) and invisible (Col 1:15).
Therefore, He cannot be directly perceived in the material world.
Rather, his reflections are seen in the material world through the
things that He made. The majesty of high mountains, the vastness
of an ocean and the ferocity of a thunderstorm reveal to us various
aspects about who God is. Each of these reflections of God’s power
and attributes are imperfect except Christ who is called the image
of the invisible God (Col 1:15).
However, it isn’t just God Himself who is reflected in the ma-
terial world. There are various aspects of the celestial realms that
He created that are also reflected in material things. The author of
Hebrews makes the case that earthly worship in the Old Covenant
was an example and shadow of heavenly things (Heb 8:4-5). This is
established in God’s instruction to Moses to build the tabernacle
26 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

According to all that I shew thee (Exo 25:9). In other words, the
Hebrew tabernacle and later temple was an earthly reflection of
what God had revealed to Moses about heaven itself. The mercy
seat on the ark of the covenant reflects God’s throne in heaven and
the golden cherubim on either side of the mercy seat were an ac-
tual reflection of the spiritual beings that guard the throne of God
(Exo 37:6-9). This vision of God’s heavenly throne room is revealed
to various prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel where they see a simi-
lar scene of God being seated on a throne surrounded by angelic
guardians (Ezek 1, Isa 6).
Understanding these aspects of Biblical symbolism can be very
helpful in understanding the kingdom of God. Since the earthly
is said to reflect the heavenly, God desires His people to learn
about heavenly things through what He has revealed in the mate-
rial world - including the things He commanded for worship. We
do ourselves a disservice if we look at material things as an end in
and of themselves. This is true even when the earthly things being
referred to are the elements of worship, we engage in. For example,
the bread and wine of communion are not merely a ritual, the Bible
shows us that they are reflections of the body and blood of Jesus
Christ. Thus, failing to understand the heavenly template of earth-
ly realities will result in a warped understanding of the kingdom of
God which centres in the spiritual realm of heaven, where God’s
presence resides.

Bread and Water

Not only are such reflections true of things pertaining to religious
worship. Even ordinary created things are reflective of eternal
truths. Jesus asserts that His flesh is true food and His blood is the
true drink ( John 6:55). Our need for both food and drink to sus-
tain our physical bodies is indicative of our need for Christ and His
blood for our souls. To eat of Christ and drink His blood (commu-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 27

nion) is to abide in Christ ( John 6:56). In fact, Jesus asserts that the
heavenly manna that the Israelites ate in the desert was not merely a
means of physical sustenance, rather it pointed towards Christ who
is the true bread who comes down from heaven and gives everlast-
ing life ( John 6:58). The manna that came from heaven sustained
life for a time but Christ who also comes from heaven brings eter-
nal life.
Water reflects the Holy Spirit and cleansing (Isa 44:3, Joh
7:37-38, 1 Cor 12:13, 1 Joh 5:6-9). God Himself is the source of
living water ( Jer 2:13). Water cleanses the body of impurities as The
Spirit cleanses the soul of sin. In other words, water isn’t primarily
about satisfying our earthly thirst - it is primarily supposed to teach
us about the spiritual work of the Holy Spirit. The water serves as a
visible reflection of the invisible Spirit of God and His work. This
is why we see various baptisms or washings in the Old Testament
where the priests were washed before they could minister in the
temple of God (Exo 30:19-21, 40:30-38). In fact, to be set apart for
the priesthood, Aaron and his sons had to be washed (or baptised)
in water (Exo 29:4). This is particularly significant as it foreshad-
ows baptism in the New Testament where an initiate is baptised as
they are set apart for priestly service in the kingdom of God. The
point though is that it is not a meaningless ritual but something
that points to a deeper spiritual truth. Since water reflects the Spir-
it, it is a means used by the Spirit to work in the people of God.

Mountains, Rivers and Trees

God often appears to man on mountains and near trees. God ap-
peared to Moses in the burning bush when he had come to the
mountain of God at Horeb (Exo 3:1). God later appeared to all
the people of Israel at Mount Sinai (Exo 19:11). Jesus Himself was
transfigured and revealed in His glory at the Mount of Transfigura-
tion. Speaking of the Lord’s second coming, the prophet Zechariah
28 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

proclaims - “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of
Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives
shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall
remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south” (Zec 14:4).
The climactic end of history, the return of King Jesus, in all His glo-
ry is proclaimed to be on a mountain.
Rivers likewise are associated with God’s presence and His tem-
ple. We see a river flowing out of Eden in Gen 2:10-14. The escha-
tological temple seen in Ezekiel’s vision also has a river flowing out
of the temple (Ezek 47). Psalm 46 speaks of a river flowing out the
city of God. Similarly, we see the presence of the Lord entering the
garden of Eden amongst the trees (Gen 3:8). God also appears to
Abraham near the great trees of Mamre (Gen 18:1-8). Thus, both
mountains and groves of trees are reflections of the presence of
God or places that reflect God’s sacred space.
The heights of the mountains are reflective of the separation
between God and man. Without sustenance from God (bread and
water) a man cannot have strength to climb up a mountain. Rivers
bring and sustain life in the places through which they pass. Thus,
a man needs Christ and the Holy Spirit to be able to ascend to the
presence of God. Likewise, groves of trees are reflective of tranquil-
lity, peace, rest and paradise. Eden, the garden of the Lord was a
place that consisted of an abundance of trees that were aestheti-
cally pleasing and good for food. Along with this, it consisted of
the mystical tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil (Gen 2:9). Mountains, rivers and trees are associated with the
presence of God, particularly of Eden, which as we will see was the
earthly manifestation of God’s throne room.
It is exactly a perversion of this ancient truth that causes prac-
titioners of pagan religions to build temples to their gods and wor-
ship them on mountains, near “sacred” rivers or in groves of trees.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 29

This is why the temples of many ancient religions are shaped as zig-
gurats. Essentially, they are meant to be replicas of mountains and
thus serving as the sacred space of the gods they serve.

Holy Ground and Sacred Space

In the Bible, we see God at times claims ground for Himself, de-
claring it to be Holy. Just as God called the Israelites in the past and
spiritual Israel (the Church) today to be separate from the world
and be holy, we see the same covenantal category applied to land
in the Old Testament. When the Lord first met with Moses, we are
told - “And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off
thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exo 3:5).
There is a deep significance to this declaration of holy ground. It is
indicative of a covenantal separation. Moses had to first leave be-
hind what was profane (his shoes) and then approach God accord-
ing to His terms because God’s physical presence had entered that
ground.
A similar incident occurs in Exodus 19. When the Israelites
approach Sinai, God promises to visit them in His presence. He
declares - “and thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about,
saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or
touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely
put to death” (v12). The entire mountain of Sinai had become the
place of God’s presence, and no man or animal was permitted to
approach without the penalty of death (v13). However, when the
trumpet sounded, they were permitted to approach the mountain
(v14). To set foot on this holy ground, the Israelites needed to puri-
fy themselves. They had to wash their clothes and keep themselves
from their wives (v14-15). When approaching the presence of God
(holy ground), one had to approach Him according to His own
terms. It is pertinent to note that nothing has changed with regards
30 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

to the nature of the ground, it is still composed of matter. What has

changed is its purpose and use because God has laid claim to it.
Some would seek to reject this plain truth that God’s presence
is particularly associated with certain places by citing God’s om-
nipresence. It is an absolute Biblical truth that God is omnipresent.
That said the Bible also lays out a dynamic wherein God’s physical
presence is manifested in a special way in certain places. The best
example of that is the tabernacle and later the temple where the
glory of the Lord physically descends as a cloud (Exo 40:34-37, 2
Chro 7:1-3). This becomes His Sacred Space, a territory in which
God’s physical presence resides. The temple of Jehovah was in the
holy land of Canaan and thus became the territory associated with
the presence of God. Likewise, God physically led the Israelites as
a pillar of cloud and fire in the wilderness (Exo 13:17-14:29). His
physical presence was with His people in their camp, moving along
with them and their tabernacle. None of these truths are contrary
to God’s omnipresence. God is truly present everywhere and at the
same time His physical presence is made manifest in certain places
and times which can be called His sacred space and holy ground.

Depths, Seas and Wilderness

Deep and dark places are associated with the confinement or pres-
ence of evil spirits. The best example of this is reflected in Jesus’ lib-
eration of the Gadarene demoniac in Luke 8. When Jesus confront-
ed the Legion of demons, they begged Him to not send them to the
deep (Luk 8:31). Jesus grants them their request by allowing them
to enter the pigs. However, this is followed by the pigs running vio-
lently down a steep place and falling into the lake and dying. With-
in minutes, the Legion has lost its hosts. It is quite evident that Le-
gion would not have desired their hosts to be destroyed that quick-
ly, consigning them to a fate of roaming the world again. What is
more, the pigs falling into the lake is essentially a reflection of their
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 31

ultimate condemnation in the Abyss. Jesus Christ is demonstrating

His ultimate authority and this incident is typological of the ulti-
mate victory of Christ over the forces of darkness.
In Gen 1:2, we read - “And the earth was without form, and
void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit
of God moved upon the face of the waters.” This void realm along
with the deep darkness is contrasted with the work of the Lord in
bringing order from chaos in v3. The Psalms recount ancient bat-
tles in which Jehovah destroys sea dragons and the Leviathan (Ps
74:13-14) in the high seas. The high seas were a terrifying place for
many ancient peoples including the Jews - ancient shipping was a
far more perilous endeavour than in our times. The high seas were
often associated with chaos and disorder. In other words, they were
reflections of realms that were beyond the control of man and in-
habited by creatures too powerful for men to face. They were the
embodiment of forces that are malevolent and oppose the good or-
der of the universe. Yet time and time again, the Bible reminds the
reader that God both created and defeated the sea monsters and is
able to bring order to realms of chaos ( Job 41, Ps 74:13-14). We
also see this imagery in the Book of Revelation where the sea is as-
sociated with the rise of beasts (Rev 13:1) and new created order
doesn’t have any sea (Rev 21:1).
Wild, isolated or dry places including ruins are associated with
demons. Jesus states in Matt 12:43 - “When the unclean spirit is gone
out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and find-
eth none”. This is simply a continuation of Old Testament thought
that associated the wilderness with darkness and demons. In the
Day of Atonement ritual in Lev 16, we read about two goats, one
for Jehovah and one for Azazel (v8). Many translations translate
this as scapegoat but its parallel use with Jehovah indicates that it
is a proper name, rather than a type of goat. This is also confirmed
by Lev 17:7, where we read about the Israelites sacrificing to goat
32 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

demons (translated devils in the KJV but the Hebrew word is sa'iyr
or a being that resembles a hairy he-goat). The ritual wasn’t to ap-
pease Azazel by offering him a goat. Rather, sin was being expelled
from God’s sacred space in the camp of His people into the wilder-
ness realm of Azazel where it belonged.
Similarly, the wilderness and ruins were associated with the
presence of dragons, goat-demons, sirens, elemental spirits and
Lilith, the wind demon and succubus of Babylonian mythology -
“And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the
fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court
for owls (yanaah). The wild beasts of the desert (siyim) shall also meet
with the wild beasts of the island (iyim), and the satyr (sa'iyr or hairy
demon) shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl (lilit or Lilith) also
shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest” (Isa 34:13-14). In-
terestingly, most English translations translate lilit as owl but the
context (placed next to satyrs and dragons) makes it plain that it
refers to the demonic entity. This makes sense given that owls are
already mentioned with the word yanshuph in v11. Similarly, the
words yanaah, siyim and iyim are unlikely to correspond to the
natural creatures that English translators consider them to be. The
translators of the Septuagint translate yanaah as seirínon or sirens.
Similarly, they translate siyim as daimon or elemental spirits and iy-
im as onokéntavroi or satyrs. Basically, these are supposed to be su-
pernatural entities that haunt isolated places. Clearly, the ancient
mind did not think like us. This is an example of how rationalism
impacts Biblical translation.
The passage shows a kind of blending between the material
world and the spiritual one. In the wilderness, spiritual entities like
dragons, satyrs, sirens and elemental spirits (which would include
Lilith as she was a wind demon) coexist with owls, ravens, snakes
and other creatures of the night (v 11-15). We see similar blend-
ed scenes of nocturnal creatures with demonic entities in Isa 13:12
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 33

and Jer 50:39. This isn’t to indicate that carrion consumers and
creatures of the night are intrinsically evil. Rather, the symbolism
of such creatures, their habits and their dwellings reflect a deeper
spiritual reality - that of unclean spirits that dwell in places far from
God’s physical presence in places of darkness, isolation and death.
This shows the importance of studying the origin and implication
of words in the original tongue. The foreground image of materi-
al night dwellers, predators and consumers of carrion reflects the
invisible reality of demonic beings dwelling in the ruins of judged
lands and the wilderness.
Thus, the depths, high seas, the wilderness and ruins are mate-
rial reflections of chaos, the antithesis of order. They are reflections
of a spiritual reality - the existence of malevolent forces that seek to
bring chaos and disorder into the created order. Humanity’s strug-
gle against a fallen created order can be represented in these sym-
bols of chaos like Leviathan in the high seas and Behemoth in the
wilderness. These powerful beings stand in opposition to mankind
and cannot be tamed or subdued by them. Yet Jehovah wages war
against them and prevails. Many have sought to identify these be-
ings as dinosaurs or even crocodiles and hippopotamuses. Howev-
er, that simply doesn’t do justice to how they are described in Job
40 and 41. Behemoth is called chief of the ways of God, whom on-
ly God can approach ( Job 40:19) who devours rivers ( Job 40:23).
Likewise, Leviathan is described as a being who cannot be subdued
by man and causes the very sea to boil. His realm is associated with
the high seas ( Job 41). The following verse is the clearest indica-
tion that Leviathan is a spiritual entity rather than an animal - “He
beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride”
( Job 41:34). Clearly, Leviathan is portrayed as being able to per-
ceive things far more than an irrational animal. Add to this the an-
cient battle between Jehovah and Leviathan (Ps 74) and Isaiah’s
prophecy of the eschatological defeat of Leviathan (Isa 27:1). An
34 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ancient Jew reading these passages wouldn’t have understood the

Leviathan or Behemoth as being ordinary but gigantic creatures
that could normally be encountered in the wild. Rather, their ex-
tra-Biblical writings particularly from the Second Temple period
(Book of Enoch) attest to the fact that they understood these as su-
pernatural entities – chaos monsters that brought disorder.
The ancient Jews understood that there were certain places that
were mirror opposites of holy ground and therefore the jurisdiction
of cosmic evil and unclean spirits. The wilderness also represents
a kind of antithesis to the Holy Spirit’s presence or water. This is
indicative of why unclean spirits are said to live in the wilderness.
They are the antithesis of cleanness and hate the presence of God.
A lack of water is related to a lack of life and the formation of a
wilderness. This is why the wilderness can also be associated with
the realm of the dead. This is also why we see most false religions
from ancient times have rituals associated with water. It is a perver-
sion of what God had revealed to our fathers in nature, i.e. we need
to be cleansed by a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit to serve
God.

Cosmic Geography
We see then that there are territories that are associated with the
presence of God and likewise there are territories associated with
the presence of unclean spirits and other celestial beings. The terri-
tories that are associated with the presence of God are His sacred
space - His physical presence dwells with His people in that sacred
space. Primarily, the heaven of heavens or third heaven is the place
where God’s throne room resides and therefore His physical pres-
ence. We have seen how mountains and groves of trees can be mate-
rial reflections of that heavenly realm - i.e. God chooses to manifest
His presence to humanity on mountains or in groves of trees. Simi-
larly, we have seen how the tabernacle and later temple were meant
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 35

to be actual reflections of God’s throne room. Both the taberna-

cle and temple were blessed with a physical presence of God (Exo
40:34-37, 2 Chro 7:1-3) and thus became manifestations of the
heaven of heavens on earth.
This same concept applies to the entire holy land in the Old
Covenant. God sets apart the entire land of Canaan for Himself, as
His own sacred space. This happens against a backdrop of the oth-
er territories of earth being allotted to various angelic beings called
the elohim who are under the sway of Satan. This is a concept laid
out in Deuteronomy 32 and we will be looking into it in much de-
tail later. That said the Bible plainly lays out for us that Satan is the
god and ruler of this world (2 Cor 4:4, John 12:21). What does this
mean? Effectively this means that this present world and its terri-
tories belong to Satan and his angels. How they received this al-
lotment is something we will investigate later. For now, we need to
understand that the possession of Canaan by Jehovah is against a
backdrop of Satan and his angels possessing the rest of the world.
Unlike the rest of the world, Canaan would be the sacred space
of Jehovah. Those who live within that sacred space were to live
according to the requirements of Jehovah, even if they themselves
were not part of God’s covenant people. Similarly, to worship Jeho-
vah one needed to enter His sacred space. Normatively worship in
the Old Covenant was restricted to the land of Canaan and primar-
ily revolved around the temple. We see this theme in the incident of
Naaman the Syrian. In 2 Kings 5:17, we read - “And Naaman said,
Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules'
burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt of-
fering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord.” Elisha does
not rebuke Naaman for this desire of earth, but rather tells him to
go in peace. What does this signify? Naaman realised that the very
ground of Israel was holy and belonged to the God of Israel. He had
set it apart for Himself and His people. Naaman could not worship
36 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

the God of Israel on unholy ground. Rather, he had to worship the

God of Israel on the holy ground He had set apart for Himself.
This explains why the Old Covenant promises and curses were
tied to physical land. Obedience meant blessings within the land
and disobedience meant being exiled from the land. Disobedience
often involved the rejection of Jehovah worship, either through
outright worship of other gods or the worshipping of Jehovah in a
manner as the nations worshipped their gods. Such defiling of the
land was an affront to its status as God’s sacred space. As we will see
later, God no longer claims for Himself a particular physical piece
of land as He did in Canaan in the Old Covenant. Rather, He is re-
deeming people to form a spiritual nation that will inherit and rule
a new created order.
The main theme to learn in the intersection of the visible world
with the invisible world is that the visible world reflects the invisi-
ble. What we see in the visible world represents or images the invis-
ible. This means that the visible is a type of the invisible. The earth-
ly realities find their ultimate fulfilment in heavenly realities and
these realities represent each other in their respective realms. The
material order is thus an image of the celestial order. The celestial
or spiritual is the ultimate reality and truth and is not bound by
the laws of time and space that govern the material world. That said
the spiritual manifests itself in time and space in an intersection of
both realms. Simply put, the world that we live in is more alive than
we tend to think about. While there is a veil between the materi-
al and spiritual that keeps us from perceiving that world with our
earthly senses, the Bible does teach us that it exists and is deeply in-
tertwined with the material world.
The reflection of the celestial world seen in the material world
cannot be empirically fathomed or mapped. In other words, the
Bible does not teach us that mountains are literally holy, wilder-
nesses are literally evil and demonic entities are literally entrapped
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 37

under bodies of water. We cannot comprehend in this age exactly

how the material intersects with the celestial as it falls beyond the
realm of empirical study. We need to be aware of what the Bible re-
veals and ought not use these things to map out a cosmic geography
of our own accord. Such attempts tend to be a common theme of
both false religions and extra-Biblical Jewish writings.
 Chapter 3: Imaging
God and The Divine
Council

W e have seen how the material world reflects the heavenly

one. Now it is pertinent for us to consider what it means
to be made in the image of God and what God’s heavenly kingdom
looks like. Understanding these things will help us understand how
the Kingdom of God manifests itself on Earth. We also have a need
to look into beings that inhabit the celestial realms. Of particular
interest to us are the beings the spiritual beings called angels who
are also referred to as watchers (Dan 4:10-20), elohim or gods (Psa
8:5, Psa 82:1), sons of God (Gen 6:2-4, Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Job 38:7)
and the host of heaven (1 Kin 22:19, Neh 9:6, Psa 103:21). While
the Bible describes these beings as having various categories and hi-
erarchies, it would exceed the scope of this book to look into those
hierarchies in detail. That said we will broadly consider who these
beings are and what their purpose is within the created order and
God’s plan in history, primarily focussing on beings called the elo-
him.

Imaging God
In the light of what we have seen about the material and celestial
worlds, we need to consider an important Biblical concept - what
does it mean to be made in the image and likeness of God? In Gen-
38
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 39

esis 1:26, we read - “And God said, Let us make man in our im-
age, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all
the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
This reveals that there are certain aspects distinguishing the cre-
ation of man from the rest of creation. Man is made in the image
and likeness of God and exercises dominion over other creatures
God made.
The Genesis account itself provides only veiled clues as to the
nature of this image. However, the New Testament provides us
with a clearer understanding of the image of God. In Colossians
3:10, Paul commands the Christian to put off his old self and put
on his new self, which is renewed in the image of God. This renew-
al of the image of God indicates that the Fall did affect the image
of God in man, marring it in some way but not totally erasing it.
This renewal of the image is intertwined with the mortification of
sin (Col 3:5-8). Hence, an aspect of this image of God is to un-
derstand and desire the law of God. Man is a moral agent and can
make moral decisions. Paul also associates the renewal of the image
with “knowledge” (Col 3:10). Strong’s Greek Concordance trans-
lates the usage of knowledge (epignósis) in this verse as “knowledge
of a particular point (directed towards a particular object)”. This is
not a general knowledge of things but rather a personal knowledge
of God Himself. Thus man, unlike the rest of material creation can
share in a deep and personal communion with his Creator.
Paul also connects the image of God to the glory of God. In 2
Corinthians 3:18 we read - “But we all, with open face beholding as
in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from
glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” The Apostle Paul
ties our future glorification with transformation to an image of glo-
ry, through the Spirit of God. Man was made to reflect the glory
of God. 1 Corinthians 11:7 makes this even more explicit - “For a
40 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image
and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.”
It is impossible to understand the image of God without under-
standing what it means to have dominion over irrational creatures.
Man is placed at the top of the material world. No other earthly
creature exercises dominion over others. What does it mean to have
dominion? The word literally means to rule. Thus, man was to rule
or reign over the irrational creatures of the world. Now what does
rulership have to do with the image of God? God Himself is a King
and a Ruler over all His creation. Therefore, to bear the image of
God or to be in God’s likeness implies the notion of rulership is
transmitted through that likeness. This means that man was made
to be a king, reflecting God’s eternal rule in the material order by
exercising authority over irrational creatures.

Adam as the Son of God

So how is this likeness transmitted? We see this laid out for us in
nature. It is natural for children to look like their fathers. Therefore,
children bear the image and likeness of their fathers. The Bible calls
Adam, the first man, the son of God (Lk 3:38). The implication is
that Adam is part of God’s family, made in the likeness of His Fa-
ther. Therefore, since His Father exercises rule over all creation, His
son can act in the likeness of his Father, according to what the Fa-
ther has assigned to him. Man’s dominion or kingship therefore is
intrinsically tied to sonship. As we will see later, when Adam fell,
he relinquished his sonship and therefore the sonship of all his de-
scendants. One of the central aspects of redemption is the restora-
tion of that sonship so that we can be a part of God’s family. This is
a key aspect of the kingdom of God.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 41

The Original Sons of God

What about the angelic beings? Do they possess the image of God?
The Bible teaches us that God’s angels desire to look into things
pertaining to the person and work of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:10-12).
This desire includes a desire to ponder upon the mysteries of the
work of God in the Old Testament through the prophets (1 Pet
1:10-11) and the New Testament through the apostles (1 Pet 1:12).
God’s angels were involved in the giving of the law to Israel (Gal
3:19, Acts 7:53). This indicates that celestial beings are capable of
rationality and can rationally comprehend God’s law. They offer ra-
tional worship to God. They praise God in His throne room (Isa
6:3, Rev 5:11). They rejoiced in God because He created the world
( Job 38:7). They recognized God’s mercy towards men through
Christ, rejoiced and offered God worship (Lk 2:13). They rejoice
in the salvation of sinners (Lk 15:7, 10). There are countless more
examples in the Scriptures that show angels offering rational wor-
ship to God that He accepts. The ability of angels to worship ratio-
nally indicates that they can have an intimate knowledge of their
Creator. Angels also reflect the glory of God. They are flames of
fire (Heb 1:7). Celestial objects in the material order like the sun,
moon and stars are reflections of the glory of angelic beings ( Jud
5:20, Job 38:7, Isa 14:13, Deut 4:19). We often see them described
as powerful beings, with glowing bodies, radiant eyes and an ethe-
real countenance.
The most important aspect though is that of sonship. Angelic
beings are called the sons of God in the Bible (Gen 6:1-4, Job 1:6,
2:1, 38:7, Psa 82:6, Dan 3:25). As we have already seen, nature itself
shows us that to be someone’s son is to be made in their likeness.
Thus, by calling them the sons of God the Bible implies that these
beings are made in the image of God. This is also confirmed by the
fact that the Bible shows us that these beings were allotted celes-
tial domains over which they were to rule. Jude says, “And the an-
42 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

gels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,
he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judg-
ment of the great day” ( Jud 1:6). The word translated first estate is
archēn, the root word of which is arché or rule. This is the same
word used in the context of magistrates. For example, a magistrate
in a Greek city-state was called an archon or ruler. Interestingly, this
is the same root word used in the Greek Septuagint translation of
Gen 1:26 referring to man’s dominion. Thus, just as man was giv-
en dominion in the material world, angelic beings were granted do-
minion in the celestial world.
There are also other Biblical indications that show us that an-
gelic beings do indeed have dominion. The New Testament refers
to them with terms such as principalities, powers, thrones and
rulers (Col 1:16, Eph 1:21, 3:10, 6:12, 1 Pet 3:22, 2 Pet 2:10, 1 Cor
15:24). Each of these terms refers to a form of exercising rulership.
Thus, these beings image God in the celestial realm just as man im-
ages God in the material realm.

The Divine Council

One of the most interesting words used to refer to a type of celestial
being is elohim. This is a term that is used elsewhere in the Old Tes-
tament to refer to God Himself, so it is pertinent to understand the
thematic usage of the term with respect to other celestial beings.
Psalm 82 is the best example of such a usage and an introduction to
God’s divine council -
“1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth
among the gods.
2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the
wicked? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and
needy.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 43

4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the
wicked.
5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in
darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most
High.
7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all na-
tions.”
The first verse literally reads “Elohim stands in the congrega-
tion of the divine, He judges the elohim.” In other Words, the God
of Scripture is presiding over a council of celestial beings the Bible
calls gods or elohim. These beings exercise rulership over the na-
tions, which is placed in antithesis with God’s inheritance of the
nations (v8). They are given the authority of judgement, but they
have corrupted it by ruling in injustice and accepting the wicked
(v2). Rather than being just and defending the weak, they rather
exploit them (v3). The Psalmist begs God to deliver the poor and
needy out of their hands (v4). God has promised that He will de-
stroy these wicked beings, even though they are his children (v6-7).
The end of these elohim rulers is a mortal death and the subjection
of the nations to Elohim.
The most popular interpretation of this Text in today’s Chris-
tianity is that these elohim are not celestial beings but rather human
kings. However, such an interpretation does not make any contex-
tual sense. In verses 6 and 7, God explicitly calls out these beings as
elohim and sons of Elohim, which is an Old Testament category for
angels. Secondly, their elohim nature is contrasted with the promise
that they will die like men (v7). In other words, they aren’t men, but
will still die like men because they have not been faithful to God.
The “human kings” interpretation of the Text is a product of mod-
44 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ern thinking that refuses to see the supernatural and cosmological

themes of Scripture.
It would be valid to disregard the “divine council” interpreta-
tion of Psalm 82, had these themes been restricted to this Text and
clarified in clearer passages as referring to earthly rulers. To the con-
trary, the Scriptures bring out this theme in several other passages.
In Job 1:6-12, the sons of elohim come to present themselves to Je-
hovah. Satan also comes as part of the sons of God to present him-
self. There is an interesting back and forth between God and Sa-
tan that resembles the court of ancient near eastern kings. Satan
accuses Job that his piety is on account of God’s favour towards
him rather than genuine piety of heart. The Lord hands Job’s pos-
sessions into Satan’s hands and he is permitted to do with it as he
pleases. This is repeated in Job 2:1-6, where God hands Job himself
into Satan’s hands but spares his life.
1 Kings 22:19-23 provides another vision into the divine coun-
cil and its operation. We see the Lord sitting on His throne, sur-
rounded by angels (v19). The Lord summons His council to see
which of them will persuade Ahab to go forward to his doom. This
is followed by a discussion in the council, where we are told differ-
ent angels put forward different suggestions on how they would do
it (v20). A spirit presents himself before God and says he will take
up the task (v21). The Lord asks him how he intends to do that. He
says that he will possess the prophets so they will prophesy lies. The
Lord is satisfied with this and sends forth the spirit to deceive the
prophets (v22). Verse 23 makes it evident that the lying spirit was
sent from the Lord. This spirit, though evil, was not acting on its
own accord but rather the Lord who had sent it as a representative
of his council. Moreover, this sending was on account of the spirit’s
own suggestion to God on how it would deceive Ahab. This is sim-
ilar to what we see in 1 Samuel 16:14, where an evil spirit from the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 45

Lord is sent to possess king Saul. It is not Satan, but God Himself
who commands the evil entity to haunt Saul.
This reveals to us that God has a council in heaven over which
He presides. This council consists of angelic beings, both elect and
fallen. Moreover, this council operates as the court of an ancient
king with discussions and suggestions brought forth. Understand-
ing this plain teaching of Scripture does not violate God’s sover-
eignty nor what we are taught elsewhere that God has no coun-
sellor (Isa 40:13). It is true that God has no counsellor, yet it is
revealed to us that God reasoned with Abraham, Job, Daniel and
Moses. Moses talked to God as a friend (Exo 33:11). Likewise,
Abraham was a friend of God (2 Chr 20:7). God certainly has no
need of a friend and yet these men are referred to in those cate-
gories. Likewise, God doesn’t need a council because no being ma-
terial or celestial can teach Him anything He doesn’t already know.
Regardless, it is revealed to us that God uses His council to do His
will.

The Divine Council and the Material World

We have considered how the sons of God were granted rulership or
dominion in the spiritual world. We have also seen that the spir-
itual world is imaged by and deeply linked to the material world.
When Israel went to war with the Canaanites, even the stars in their
courses fought with Sisera, the Canaanite commander ( Jud 5:20)[2].
These stars of course are reflections of and closely associated with
angelic beings. The Bible shows us that celestial objects like the sun,
moon and stars are reflections of angelic beings ( Jud 5:20, Job 38:7,
Isa 14:13, Deut 4:19). These fallen stars therefore were waging war
alongside Israel’s enemies.
But why does the Bible speak of these celestial bodies as reflec-
tions of spiritual beings? Not only does the Bible personify these
beings, it also says that God divided the nations to the sun, moon
46 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

and stars (Deut 4:19). We will look into that division in detail later
but we shouldn’t miss the cosmological implications of such pas-
sages. God allows Satan to use fire and wind to afflict Job ( Job
1:12-19). God makes His angels winds and fires (Psa 104:4)[3]. The
Bible shows God using angels to withhold wind from the earth
(Rev 16:8). He uses angels to cause the sun to scorch people (Rev
16:8). The Bible lays out a framework that the ancient mind was fa-
miliar with – God Providentially governs the world through spiri-
tual intermediaries, i.e., through His divine council.
In fact, the creation account itself speaks to this. In Gen
1:16-18, we see that God created the sun, the moon and the stars
to rule over the day and night. The word translated rule is memsha-
lah which means to have dominion. This is the same word that is
used to represent the lands Solomon ruled over (1 Kin 9:19) and
God’s universal rule (Psa 103:22). The sun and the moon are inan-
imate objects and cannot exercise dominion over anything. Rather,
the Text is speaking about the rule exercised by angelic beings that
serve God in governing these objects. This is why celestial beings
are connected to celestial objects in the Bible. This doesn’t mean
that the sun, moon and stars themselves are angels or contain an-
gels within them. Rather, these celestial bodies reflect or are deeply
tied to spiritual entities that are responsible for their care.
We see that the celestial bodies are for signs, and for seasons,
and for days, and years (Gen 1:14). Signs, seasons, days and years
can collectively be called the natural processes of the material order.
Think of things like the revolution of the earth around the sun,
the rotation of earth on its axis, the water cycle, wind patterns,
changing seasons, tides, forest fires, floods, storms, etc. We humans
have gathered much empirical evidence on how objects like the sun
and the moon affect the earth’s natural ordinances. Recent research
even indicates that passing stars have affected the earth’s climate
over time.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 47

Biblically, there’s more to the world than what we can empir-

ically perceive. Since many of us have consumed the modern ma-
terialistic worldview[4], we tend to think of these natural process-
es as having purely material causes. We tend to radically rip apart
the material from the celestial in our minds. The material world
to us then is a mechanistic system. However, the Biblical view of
the material world is deeply personalistic. The world isn’t governed
by impersonal forces we can call nature or natural laws. Rather, we
see that God is the first cause of everything in a deeply personal
way (Psa 135:6-7, Psa 147:15-18, Prov 16:33, Isa 45:7, Matt 5:45,
6:26-30, 10:29-30, Lk 12:4-7). God also works through intermedi-
aries in the spiritual and earthly realms. Therefore, we can see that
the world is governed through personal forces – beginning at God,
the First Cause and through other personal intermediaries through
whose service He governs the material world.
We can perceive the sun, moon and stars affecting our world
but there’s more to the cosmos than what we can perceive. The em-
pirical outcomes that we perceive as natural processes have spiritu-
al forces that drive them since the material and spiritual world are
interlinked. Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise us that the Bible shows
us that the members of the divine council serve God as caretak-
ers of the material order. This is why we often see passages in the
Bible like Psalm 148 that beckon the sun, moon, stars, fire, hail,
snow, vapours, storms, winds, mountains, trees and animals to wor-
ship God alongside spiritual beings like angels and dragons. These
passages aren’t literally calling for irrational objects or creatures to
worship God. Rather, those passages are calling for angelic beings
who have been tasked with governance of specific regions, aspects
and processes of the natural world to give God praise.
As we will see later, several of these spiritual beings rebelled
against Jehovah. Rather than worshipping Him and caring for His
creation, these beings began accepting worship from humans. This
48 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

forms the origin of the mythologies of various false religions and

their many elemental gods associated with celestial bodies, earth,
fire, water, floods, storms, winds, etc. We often tend to think of the
ancients as irrational and foolish – ascribing natural processes to
gods they made up because they couldn’t understand natural phe-
nomenon. Rather, as we shall see, these angelic beings were mani-
festing to mankind and seducing them with sings and wonders. The
key takeaway here is that the world we live in isn’t governed by im-
personal forces that God set in motion at creation and then sim-
ply allowed to continue. Rather, God Himself is the first cause of
everything and He uses spiritual intermediaries as secondary causes
and caretakers of the world. Impersonal objects and forces like the
sun, moon, stars, rain, floods, gravity, etc. are tertiary causes, even
though we as humans can only perceive the latter.

Elohim of Elohims
Interestingly, Psalm 82 shows Elohim presiding over a council of
elohim while Job 1 and 2 show Jehovah presiding over the sons of
elohim. This indicates that there is one uncreated Elohim or Angel.
In Genesis 16, when Hagar is fleeing from Sarah, the Angel of the
Lord speaks to her, comforts her and promises the birth of her son
(Gen 16:7-12). Hagar recognizes that this is no mere angel, but the
Lord Himself who spoke to her and sees her (Gen 16:13). Judges
2:1 plainly proclaims that the Angel of the Lord is God - “And an
angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made
you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which
I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant
with you.” This Angel of the Lord is also shown as being distinct
from Jehovah, as this passage in 2 Samuel 24:16 indicates - “And
when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the
Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 49

people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord
was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.”
There is good reason for us to believe that this Angel of the
Lord is none other than Jesus Christ, the second Person of the
Trinity. Firstly, it is impossible for man to see God and live (Exo
33:20, Isa 6:5). Yet, men do indeed see the Angel of the Lord, for
God reveals Himself as His Son so that men may see Him and yet
not be consumed. Secondly, In Exo 23:20-23, Jehovah promises to
send His Angel to guide the people of Israel. God commands Is-
rael to obey the Angel’s voice and not provoke Him (v21a). This
Angel has the power to forgive sins (v21b) and bears the Name of
Jehovah (v21c). This parallels Jehovah’s declaration on the mount
of Transfiguration where the disciples are commanded to hear or
obey Jesus Christ. Likewise, Christ demonstrates that He indeed
does have the power to forgive sins (Matt 9:6), a power we don’t
see in any other angel. Jesus also declares that He comes in the
Name of Jehovah ( John 5:43). Thirdly, Jude states that the Lord
(kyrios) saved His people from Egypt and destroyed the Israelites
who didn’t believe ( Jude 5). Throughout the New Testament, Lord
is a title for Jesus Christ and by claiming that the Lord had deliv-
ered Israel from Egypt and destroyed the rebellious among them,
Jude equates Christ with the Angel of the Lord who delivered them
from Egypt ( Judges 1:2). Fourthly, the Angel of the Lord ceases
to be mentioned in the New Testament which as we know coin-
cides with Christ becoming God incarnate in the flesh. The Uncre-
ated Elohim is one with Jehovah and they both exert authority over
the elohim. Hebrews 1:3 reveals Christ as the express image of the
Father. In other words, He is the Glory of God revealed to us. Je-
sus Christ is the God of gods, the Elohim of elohims. The Angel of
the Lord ceases to appear after the incarnation, because Jesus made
Himself a little lower than angels and thus became a man, like us.
50 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

This brings us to consider the fact that the angelic entities re-
vealed in the Bible are not all equal. The Uncreated Elohim is high
above the other angels, sharing in the essence of Jehovah. Likewise,
within the ranks of created celestial beings, there is a veiled revela-
tion of hierarchies. It is impossible to know with certainty from the
Bible what this hierarchy looks like, but these terms used to refer
to these entities like messengers, elohim, sons of God, cherubim,
seraphim, etc. represent title, rank (thus glory) and function. How
exactly these distinctions work in celestial beings is not something
revealed to us. In some sense this parallels the simple hierarchy we
see in humanity with man being the image and glory of God and
woman being the image and glory of man (1 Cor 11:7). Therefore,
man and woman each have a different glory with man possessing a
greater natural glory according to creation.
We need to consider the usage of the term sons of God to refer
to a specific group of angels. As we have seen earlier with regards to
Adam, sonship is a familial term. Therefore, the angels referred to
by this term were created to be part of God’s family. It should then
not be surprising that we see these angels exercising dominion over
the nations and being part of his Divine Council (Psa 82). Their
dominion likewise implies that they exercise kingship under God,
who has allotted them their dominions. Even those of them that
were rebellious, rule only because God has permitted them to. As
we shall see in time, this rule is soon coming to an end in the fires
of Christ’s Second Coming.

Prophets and the Divine Council

It is not just celestial beings that are sent forth as representatives of
the divine council. The Bible teaches that prophets partake of this
council and are sent forth from it. Consider Jeremiah 23:16-18 -
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 51

“16 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of
the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a
vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
17 They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said,
Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the
imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
18 For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath per-
ceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?”
The Lord condemns the false prophets because they prophesy
out of their own desires and not the voice of the Lord. They proph-
esy peace and prosperity when the covenant people are in rebellion
against God and need to repent. God then asks two rhetorical
questions of these false prophets. First, He asks which of them have
stood in the counsel of the Lord. Second, He asks them which of
them have seen and heard His Word.
The first rhetorical question makes it plain that true prophets
of God stand in His council. They do not act on their own accord
but are sent as representatives of the Divine Council. This motif
is displayed in Isaiah 6:1-8. The prophet is taken to God’s throne
room. God is surrounded by celestial beings who are worshipping
Him. In verse 8 God asks who will go forth for us in plural. The
us could refer either to the Trinity or to the Divine Council. That
specific interpretation is not as important as recognizing that a
prophet was sent forth from the presence of God and His angels.
They were representatives of heaven sent forth to earth. It is an in-
stance where the material reflects the celestial and is typological of
the greatest Prophet, Jesus Christ, who surpasses all other prophets
as the perfect representative of the Father on earth.
The second rhetorical question shows that God’s Word can
both be perceived or seen and heard. The New Testament unveils
the shadow of this Divine Word as being none other than Jesus
Christ - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
52 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

God, and the Word was God.” ( Joh 1:1). Therefore, the Word of Je-
hovah is also present in the divine council, and it is through this
Word of Jehovah that the prophets go forth. The prophets take
forth the Word of Jehovah to the people of Jehovah. This is a
precursor to the incarnation wherein the Word of Jehovah would
become flesh and dwell among the people of Jehovah. He is Im-
manuel, God with us (Mat 1:23).
The account of God’s throne room given by Jeremiah and Isa-
iah resemble those given by other prophets like Ezekiel and John
in Revelation. A true prophet had spent time in the very presence
of God and therefore in the presence of His council. Moreover, we
see that the council of God meets together before the presence of
God. The physical presence of Jehovah is always associated with
His council. This is why the New Testament often associates the
law of God with angelic revelation. Paul says in Gal 3:19 - “Where-
fore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till
the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was or-
dained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” Similarly, the author
of Hebrews says in Heb 2:2 - “For if the word spoken by angels was
stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just rec-
ompence of reward;” These authors make it plain that the work of
God is through the means of His council and they are actively in-
volved in the things that He does.

The Divine Council as God’s Heavenly

Kingdom
To understand the Divine Council theme of the Bible is important
because it serves as the heavenly template for Adam’s earthly king-
dom. Just as God had filled the heavenly realms with beings called
the sons of God and elohim who bore His image, Adam would fill
the earth with image bearers who would also bear God’s image.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 53

Thus, the sons of Adam on earth and their earthly kingdom would
reflect the sons of God in heaven and God’s heavenly kingdom. The
Divine Council itself would then include the elohim and the sons
of Adam - a union of the material with the celestial. This united fa-
milial structure would form what we call the kingdom of God that
would fill the heavens and the earth with image bearers.
We have already seen that the heavenly Divine Council resem-
bles the court of an ancient ruler from the Near East. The familial
court is filled with beings called elohim or sons of God who derive
rulership from their Father. A kingdom also requires a land or terri-
tory. What does the Divine Council rule over? God Himself is the
ultimate ruler of all of creation. That said His physical presence and
sacred space is as we have seen primarily associated with His throne
room in the heaven of heavens. His rule is imaged and extended to
the other heavenly or celestial realms through the elohim who were
granted rule over these realms. These sons of God therefore make up
the nation or people of the kingdom.
God Himself is King of the heavenly kingdom, for it is He who
judges among the elohim. The territory of this realm primarily is in
the third heaven or the throne room of God, which is His sacred
space. The heavenly “people” consists of the angelic beings that are
part of God’s Divine Council - the sons of God. In Biblical terminol-
ogy, a kingdom operates in familial terms. This is why these beings
are called the sons of God. Through sonship they image God’s rule
in the cosmos. They image God in the spiritual realm by taking part
in both rulership and priestly tasks, forming God’s family of priest-
kings.
Lucifer is called the Sealer of Perfect Measurement (Ezek
28:12) - this title is explained by the need for precision in the
measurement of temples and objects used for Divine worship. He
is also full of wisdom and beauty. He is fitted with jewels that
resemble the Aaronic ephod (Ezek 28:13,17-20). He is anointed
54 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

(Ezek 28:14), just as Aaron was anointed (Lev 8:12) and is a cov-
ering Cherub, i.e tasked with covering the purity of God in His sa-
cred space (Ezek 28:14,16), another priestly task. These covering
cherubs also cover the mercy seat on the Ark of Testimony (1 Kings
8:7, 1 Chro 28:18). Thus, there is good Biblical indication that
along with the rulership they inherited through sonship, the sons of
God also served in various priestly duties in God’s sacred space.
Therefore, in its basic components we can say that the kingdom
of God consists of -

1. A king - who rules over the kingdom.

2. A territory or land - over which the king rules.
3. A nation or people - who are part of the king’s family and
inherit kingship and priesthood through him.

These components are evident in the glimpses of the Divine

Council that the Bible reveals to us. Here some clarifications are
in order to understand how these terms would have been under-
stood in a more ancient context. To the ancients, an ideal king was
not a foreigner or outsider but someone who belonged to the peo-
ple who lived in the kingdom. We also see this concept in Deut
17:15, where God commands the Israelites that God would choose
one of their brethren to be their king. They were not allowed to set
a stranger to be their king. Thus, the ancients would have under-
stood a king as being part of the people. Ancient sources often refer
to the people of the kingdom as either brothers or children of the
king. This view of kingship saw the kingdom as an extended famil-
ial structure, a concept alien to our modern notion of nation-states
and yet very important to understanding the kingdom of God.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 55

The Kingdom of God

With the Divine Council as the heavenly template, we can see what
the Scriptures reveal about God’s kingdom on earth. As we will
soon see, God sets up Adam to be a king over all the earth and its
creatures. This earthly kingdom of Adam would reflect God’s heav-
enly kingdom in the material order. In other words, Adam would
image God by imaging his authority in the material world just as
the sons of God imaged God’s authority in the spiritual world. This
concept expands throughout the Bible beginning in the garden, de-
veloped in the promises given to Abraham, revealed in shadows in
the Hebrew kingdom of the Old Covenant and finding its ultimate
fulfilment in the Kingdom of God, the Church.
This implies that the kingdom of God is a very specific entity
that does not encompass all the kingdoms of this world. The Bible
shows us that there is a kingdom of darkness - an actual kingdom
that belongs to Satan (Matt 12:26). Satan is called a ruler ( John
12:21), implying that he is a king. Since he is called the ruler of
this world, his kingdom encompasses this present world. He blinds
those who are of the world (2 Cor 2:4) and those who are outside
of Christ walk in his power (Eph 2:2). This implies that the people
of this world who are outside of Christ are Satan’s nation or his
people.
In 1 Cor 8:5, Paul says - “For though there be that are called
gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and
lords many)”. Paul asserts that there are entities in heaven (i.e the
spiritual realms not God’s throne room) and on earth called gods.
Likewise, he asserts that there are many gods and many lords (or
rulers/kings). This is in the context of idols - indicating that he
isn’t speaking of earthly rulers but of celestial beings. This paral-
lels Satan himself who is called both a god and a ruler. Thus, in
Paul’s cosmology, within Satan’s kingdom there are many other en-
tities who are both called gods and rulers, therefore having their
56 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

own nations and territories. We see glimpses of this in other pas-

sages of Scripture. In Dan 10:13-21 we read of angels waging war
against territorial spirits called princes (sa’ar). These princes rep-
resent earthly empires like Persia and Greece. Not only do these
princes wage war against the angels of God, they also wage war
against each other. Therefore, these beings have actual kingdoms -
with earthly rulers who image their spiritual authority, priests who
represent their people before them, territories and people who be-
long to their kingdom. How this came to be is something we will
consider in detail later.
To understand how the material reflects the celestial we can
continue to expand on the notion of kingdom. From an earthly
perspective, a king is a downward representation of spiritual ruler-
ship in the material order. The spiritual rule of a spiritual entity
in the spiritual realm manifests itself as the earthly rule of a king
in an earthly kingdom. Similarly, a priest is an upward representa-
tion of the material order in the heavenly. A priest represents an
earthly people before a spiritual entity. Most ancient societies al-
so saw their kings as serving as high priests. Not only did they im-
age the authority of a spiritual entity downward, they also served as
the highest representation of the people before the spiritual entity.
This category of high priest is another one that we will see often in
the kingdom of God. Since God is spiritual and man is material, an
earthly kingdom needs a high priest who can represent the people
before God.
In the context of God’s kingdom, an earthly king (Adam, later
David and then Christ) represents God’s rule on Earth and a high
priest (Adam, later Aaron and then Christ) represents the people
before God. When God instituted his earthly kingdom in Eden, it
pleased him to have the roles of high priest and king in one man -
Adam. These roles were made separate in Old Covenant Israel but
come back together in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 57

second and greater Adam. Similarly, the nations of this world have
their own kings and priests who represent them before their gods.
Let us consider some Scriptures to understand this concept
better. In Exo 12:12, we read - “For I will pass through the land of
Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,
both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute
judgment: I am the Lord.” Interestingly, God promises judgement
not only on the people of Egypt but also their gods. This is laid out
even more plainly in Jer 46:25 - “The Lord of hosts, the God of Is-
rael, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh,
and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all
them that trust in him:” Judgement is to fall upon Egypt’s gods
and kings. The gods of Egypt represent their spiritual kingdom and
their kings or pharaohs represent their earthly kingdom - together
this forms the Egyptian kingdom.
In fact, many are unaware that the ten plagues of Egypt corre-
spond to ten Egyptian gods. Water turning to blood was a judge-
ment on Hapi, the god of the Nile. Frogs coming out of the Nile
was a judgement on Heket, the fertility goddess who was represent-
ed with the head of a frog. Lice coming out of the earth was a judge-
ment on Geb, the god of earth. The plague of flies was a judgement
on Khepri, who was represented with either a fly or a scarab bee-
tle for a head. The death of cattle was a judgement on Hathor, the
goddess of protection with a cow head and Apis, the bull god. The
boils and sores were a judgement on Isis, the goddess of medicine
and healing. Hail and fire were judgements on Nut, Seth and Shu
– associated with the sky, storms and air respectively. Locusts from
the sky were a judgement on Siris and Serapia, protectors of the
crops and also the sky gods. Darkness in the land was a judgement
on Ra, the sun god. Finally, the death of the firstborn was a judge-
ment on Heget, the birth goddess, Min, the god of reproduction
and Pharaoh, the representative image of the glory of the Egyptian
58 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

gods. The purpose of these plagues was to demonstrate that Jeho-

vah ruled over the gods of the nations. Even though these beings
had abused their delegated authority over the natural world to ac-
cept worship, they had to kiss the dust before Jehovah.
We see a similar theme in God’s judgement on Moab. The pa-
tron deity of Moab was Chemosh. In Jer 48:7, we read - “For be-
cause thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt
also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his
priests and his princes together.” Here the theme is laid out even
more clearly. Chemosh is punished along with his princes - who
reflect his spiritual rule on earth, and his priests - who represent
the Moabites before Chemosh. Some would argue that this is po-
etic language and not to be taken as an actual judgement on a spir-
itual entity but that would be inconsistent with how the Text re-
veals these things. For example, Jer 48:13 contrasts Moab’s shame
of Chemosh’s humiliation with Israel’s former shame of their confi-
dence in Jehovah. Jephthah the judge simply assumes that the terri-
tory ruled over by the king of Ammon was won for him by his god
Chemosh[5], just as Jehovah had won the territory occupied by Is-
rael ( Jud 11:23-24). All of this shows that God is judging an actual
spiritual entity. We also see this theme in God’s judgement of the
Babylonians - Marduk is confounded (Isa 50:2), punished and his
dominion over other nations is reversed (Isa 51:44).
This is simply a recurring theme in the Bible and cannot be ig-
nored. The Bible plainly reveals that the gods of the nations are ac-
tual entities with delegated power that exercise rulership over their
kingdoms. These kingdoms are counterfeits to the kingdom that
God is building, and they seek to challenge the kingdom of God
by either directly waging war against God’s kingdom or seducing
God’s people to join their kingdom. The fact that the Bible calls
the worship of these entities worthless isn’t an indication that they
aren’t actual entities with actual rulership. Their worship is worth-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 59

less because they are created beings whose glory and rule are de-
rived from God. This contrasts with God Himself who is the Cre-
ator and whose glory and rule are intrinsic to who He is. Therefore,
He is the only one who deserves worship.
 Chapter 4: Eden and
the Divine Council

A high-level overview of the creation of the material and celes-

tial order provides a foundation to understand the garden of
Eden, man’s role in it, the covenant God established with him, his
failure to keep that covenant, his fall, the curse that entered the ma-
terial order as a consequence of that fall and ultimately God’s
promised redemption of His people from that fall. Understanding
the themes drawn out in the garden of Eden is critical to under-
stand the narrative of redemption and the Kingdom of God. It also
establishes a foundation of God’s dealings with mankind, through
covenants. These covenants are a framework through which God
reveals and carries out the redemption of His people.

Eden as God’s Sacred Space

God planted a garden and placed Adam in it (Gen 2:8). In this gar-
den He creates many kinds of trees with pleasant fruits and the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:9). This is a picture of
a typical garden, beautiful, lush and full of pleasant trees. Howev-
er, we would be amiss if we viewed Eden as just an ordinary gar-
den. There is far more that the Bible reveals about Eden that helps
us understand what it is. In the Old Testament, prophets often use
Eden as the antithesis to destruction wrought in God’s judgement.
Consider Isaiah 51:3 - “For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will com-

60
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 61

fort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden,
and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall
be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” We see the
same theme drawn out in Eze 36:35, Joe 2:3 and Jer 31:12. This in-
dicates that Eden was the land of God’s favour, an antithesis to His
judgement.
The Genesis account itself provides information on the geog-
raphy of Eden that reveals its true purpose. In Gen 2:10, we read -
“And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence
it was parted, and became into four heads.” Where do rivers origi-
nate from? Mountains. Eden is therefore a high place, a holy moun-
tain on which God communed with Adam. As we have seen ear-
lier, God often appeared in His physical presence on mountains.
In Eze 28:13-14, the holy mountain of God and the garden of God
are one and the same. As we have seen earlier, the material world
reflects the celestial world. Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise us that
God appears in His physical presence in the garden of Eden, a sa-
cred grove which is on a mountain (Gen 3:8). Eden is a high place
that is adorned with gold and precious stones (Gen 2:11-12). It is
the sacred space and holy mountain of God.
Biblically, this is temple language. The temple motif is further
revealed in the structure of the Jewish temple, which had remark-
able resemblance to Eden. Its walls had carvings of wood of flowers
and palm trees (common garden trees), overlaid with gold and
guarded by cherubim (1 Kin 6:18,29,32). The temple also had its
entrance facing East, the same as Eden (Gen 3:24). Gold and onyx
are commonly used in the decoration of the temple and onyx are
abundant in Eden. The strongest evidence for Eden being a temple
is in the parallels John sees in his vision of the eschatological tem-
ple. In Rev 22:1-2 we read - “1 And he shewed me a pure river of
water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and
of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of
62 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits,
and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for
the healing of the nations.” Just like Eden had a river flowing out of
it, the eschatological temple has a river. Likewise, the tree of life is
present just as it was in Eden. This is also where God’s throne is, i.e.
His physical presence. God walked in Eden (Gen 3:8), confirming
that His physical presence was in the garden.
It has been discussed earlier that the physical presence of the
Lord is always associated with His Divine Council, the host of ce-
lestial beings that He created as the means to do His will. Job 1
and 2 indicate that these beings, even the ones among them that re-
belled had access to the presence of God, at least for a time. There-
fore, it is unsurprising that Satan was present in Eden as he was
a son of God or elohim, as confirmed by Eze 28:13. Eden was the
place where the Divine Council met in the material world. Genesis
doesn’t explicitly indicate the presence of a throne of God in Eden
but the eschatological temple in Revelation 22 which mirrors Eden
does have a throne (Rev 22:1) out of which flows the crystal river.
This hints at the presence of God’s throne in Eden as the source of
the river there.
Bringing together the ideas of the intersection of the material
with the celestial, Eden was thus the sacred space and holy land of
God where the heaven of heavens - God’s throne room intersect-
ed with the material world. Understanding that Eden was a temple
and the place of His Divine Council will help us understand with
better clarity Adam's role in this throne-temple. If Eden then was
God’s sacred space, a manifestation of His throne room on earth
then it goes without saying that it was a manifestation of the King-
dom of God. Therefore, a manifestation of God’s spiritual kingdom
on earth would also have an earthly king, an earthly territory and
an earthly people who are priests and kings - part of a unified and
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 63

extended family. Let us consider the mandate God gave man in this
throne-temple to see if we can parse out these categories from it.

The Creation Mandate

After God created man, He gave him a specific mandate, a calling.
This mandate derives itself from the aspects we have already dis-
cussed with regards to the purpose of man’s creation. Since man
is made in the image of God, he images God’s heavenly rule in
the material world. The mandate is stated in Gen 1:28 - “And God
blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth.” So, the mandate has two commands, the
first being the command to be fruitful and multiply and the second
being the command to exercise dominion over irrational creatures.
The blessing and command to be fruitful and multiply was not
given to man alone. On the fifth day of creation, God blessed all ir-
rational creatures and commanded them to be fruitful and fill the
waters and the earth - “And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful,
and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth” (Gen 1:22). However, there is a distinction between
the blessing given to man and that given to irrational creatures. The
blessing given to mankind is tied to the directives to replenish the
earth and to subdue it.
The directive to replenish or fill the earth provides insight into
the spiritual nature of Adam’s calling. While the Genesis account
itself doesn’t provide more details, God does reveal to us His pur-
pose in issuing this directive through the prophet Malachi - “And
did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And where-
fore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your
spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth”
(Mal 2:15). So, God in His Providence determines for men, a wife,
64 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

so that they may through marriage, produce godly seed for Him.
The purpose therefore of this directive to fill the earth is that there
might be godly seed throughout the world. In other words, the
earth must be filled with worshippers and thus the glory of God.
Habakkuk 2:14 explains this well - “For the earth shall be filled with
the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Recollect how the Apostle Paul tied the image of God with knowl-
edge (Col 3:10). Hence, the original purpose of man was to fill the
world with image bearers and thus fill it with the knowledge of
God. The whole earth would become God’s sacred space and asso-
ciated with His presence.
The second directive part of the first command is to subdue the
earth. Subjugation is essentially to bring something into bondage.
This subjugation implies that man through effort is to cultivate the
earth. He is to cultivate the land and make it sustainable for life.
God granted man all kinds of flora for food - “And God said, Be-
hold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the
face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree
yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat” (Gen 1:29). Subjugating
the earth is to cultivate these trees and plants for the sustenance of
mankind. This is tied to the notion that man is to engage in a work
similar to what God did in creation. In Gen 1:11 we see that God
brought forth all kinds of plants and trees from the ground - “And
God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and
the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon
the earth: and it was so.” Man likewise, is to take possession of the
ground, cultivate it and thus make it subservient to him by using it
to produce the plants and trees needed for his sustenance. Through
His labour and work, man can thus reflect the image of God by par-
ticipating in the sustenance of God’s creation.
This verse is specifically dealing with the means of sustenance
in a primordial agrarian system established at Eden and has noth-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 65

ing to do with the notions of using the full “God-given” human

potential through the subduing of nature and an emphasis on cul-
ture building, civilization, technology, economics, politics and arts.
It is a commonly held notion among Christians, particularly be-
cause of Dominionist influence, that God is establishing a blue-
print for future human civilization with grand structures, beautiful
art, complex forms of economic and political theories and hierar-
chical structures of government. That, however, is reading into the
Text preconceived notions that it doesn’t naturally allow for. This
type of interpretation allows for a lot of subjective speculation on
what categories are contained in the mandate and looks at the man-
date through the lens of those who live in a fallen world. The system
God introduced in Eden that was to sustain man’s mandate was a
simple primordial agrarian system of sustenance. It is to this system
that the mandate is tied.
The second command of the mandate is for man to take do-
minion. It is important to consider Gen 1:28 in detail as this has
often been misunderstood and even twisted. Gen 1:28 is not set-
ting up a system of human hierarchy where man is to have domin-
ion over other men. Rather, the Text shows that there is a specific
context to the dominion given to man. Mankind, the object is to
exercise dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the
air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth, the sub-
ject(s). The Psalmist reiterates this aspect of Dominion and its spe-
cific context - “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of
thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen,
yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the
sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas” (Psa 8:6-8).
Being granted dominion by God over irrational creatures sets
up a harmonious relationship between man and animal. The rela-
tionship is not one of fear or enmity but one of harmony. Even
though animals are irrational creatures, they are still able to make
66 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

decisions and have instincts of their own. Dominion over them

would mean that in the original state of the world, man would have
been able to subjugate these instincts in animals and use them to
accomplish his mandate to subdue the earth. It would be very likely
that man would have had the ability to command lions, tigers and
even dinosaurs in the same way that we command a dog. Moreover,
given the state of the world, there would be no fear or hostility be-
tween man and animal. In the world we live in today, an abundance
of wildlife is often associated with regions of lesser human presence.
In the original order, this wouldn’t have been the case. Man and an-
imal could dwell side by side in harmony with man bearing author-
ity over animals.
Dominionists also often appeal to the creation account and the
mandate given to Adam and Eve as the sanction for their doctrine.
Therefore, one needs to understand the creation account and man-
date well to examine their claims against Scriptures. The appeal of
Dominionism is that it tells men that we are able and called to fulfil
the original mandate given to Adam that he failed to accomplish.
It shouldn’t be surprising as to why this is appealing. It is a part of
human nature to crave purpose, meaning and direction. Moreover,
it is very appealing to think that one is capable of accomplishing
what God required of our fathers. However, as we will see, this is
not what the Bible teaches. It is true that Adam failed to accom-
plish the purpose God entrusted to Him. However, it is not the
sons of Adam who will fulfil Adam’s destiny but the Son of God,
Jesus Christ, the last and greater Adam.

The Kingdom of God in Eden

The image of God in man and the authority granted to him over
other creatures is indicative of man’s purpose. Unlike other crea-
tures, man is a moral agent, able to make moral decisions and thus
choose between right and wrong. This image of God also blesses
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 67

him with a knowledge of God and ability to commune with His

Creator. Through this he is able to exercise dominion over irra-
tional creatures just as God exercises dominion over all creatures.
Therefore, God created man to be a lord over these creatures, as
God Himself is Lord over all creation. God delegated to man, the
authority over every creature that is part of the material created or-
der and required of him to exercise dominion on His behalf. Do-
minion is thus central to the original purpose of humanity. The im-
age of God enables man to exercise dominion and thus fulfil the
purpose for which God created him.

Adam as King
As God is the King over all His creation, exercising His power and
authority, man is to be king over all creatures of the earth. While
it is not explicitly stated in the Text, it is certain that it is God
who named Adam (Gen 5:2 refers to Adam and Eve collectively as
Adam). Likewise, God brings every irrational creature to Adam so
that he would name them (Gen 2:19). Similarly, while God creat-
ed Adam, Adam himself is to continue the propagation of human-
ity while exercising dominion over living things (Gen 1:28). Adam
is to thus engage in a work similar to what God undertook in cre-
ation. It would be important to state that this role given to Adam is
not cultural or civilizational as it is spiritual.
It is important to note here that Adam’s kingship is intrinsically
tied to his sonship. Adam is made king because he is a son and
member of God’s human family. Kingship is dynastic and the rule
of a son is on behalf of his father. In other words, Adam was not
created to merely be a steward of creation but to rule it as God’s son
- a sonship he was to transmit to his own children.
68 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Adam as High Priest

To understand how Adam serves as high priest, we must first un-
derstand how he serves as a priest in God’s sacred space in Eden.
In Gen 2:15, we read - “And the Lord God took the man, and put
him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” He is to dress
or work the garden and he is to keep or watch it. The Hebrew word
used for work is one associated with servitude and bondage. How-
ever, it doesn’t have a negative connotation as it might sound to
our modern ear. For instance, this is the term used when God pro-
hibits the Israelites from serving other gods (Deu 12:16, Deu 12:2,
Jos 23:16). In other words, it is a bondage connected to covenantal
separation. Just as the Israelites were to be God’s people, set apart
and holy and serve God alone, Adam likewise was to serve God
alone. Adam was set apart to serve God, just as the priests were set
apart for their priestly calling. This is a glimpse into the plan of re-
demption, where the Church is set apart as a holy priesthood to
serve God (1 Pet 2:9).
The priests in the Hebrew temple were tasked to watch or keep
the temple. In 1 Chr 23:32 we read, - “And that they should keep
the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the
holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the
service of the house of the Lord.” The Hebrew for keep is the same
as the one used in Adam’s commission in Gen 2:15. The priest-
ly calling to watch over the tabernacle was to preserve its holiness
and purity. The priests were to keep out every unholy thing from
the tabernacle. If something or someone not permitted sought to
enter the tabernacle, the priests were to assert their authority and
purge them. Likewise, Adam was to preserve the purity of Eden,
the mountain of God by keeping out anything that sought to defile
it.
Adam’s role as priest is tied to his role as king. He was to be
a priest-king. A role that would be ultimately perfected and ful-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 69

filled by Jesus Christ (Heb 7:17). As we have seen, Adam’s kingly

role involves authority over all kinds of creatures in the material or-
der. Therefore, it was his duty to assert his authority and keep out
any creature that would taint the purity of the garden. Eden was
to serve as a microcosm for Adam’s kingly rule over the earth. God
was putting Adam’s abilities, qualities and most importantly alle-
giance to the test. Would Adam be faithful to God or would he
fail?
This brings us now to the role of high priest. While as we
shall soon see all of Adam’s descendants were to inherit priesthood,
there can only be one high-priest in God’s kingdom, who repre-
sents the people before God. The Bible teaches us that the conse-
quences of Adam’s failure to keep God’s commandments would not
be restricted to him alone but also to his descendants. The Apos-
tle Paul says - “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned” (Rom 5:12). Theologians call this concept federal headship.
What it simply means is that Adam was a representative of all his
descendants. Therefore, his obedience or lack thereof was to be
transferred to all his descendants, the human race. This establishes
that Adam was a high priest who served as a representative of all his
descendants before God.
This makes sense given the concept of imaging. Since Adam
was a king who imaged God’s authority on the earth, he was re-
sponsible to exercise that authority and teach God’s requirements
to his children. Thus, Adam would have to teach his children to
obey God and not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil. His children would thus be under his kingly author-
ity which reflected God’s rule through the transmission of God’s
Word or command. Similarly, since Adam was the high priest, he
represented his descendants before God. Now if the high priest
himself becomes impure, he can no longer represent his descen-
70 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

dants before God in a righteous way and thus his children would
be found wanting. They would need a perfect high-priest who can
represent them before a perfect God.

Earth as a Territory
If Adam is a king, then it goes without saying that what he rules
over is his kingdom. To begin with, Adam is granted dominion in
Eden, the sacred space of the Lord. He was tasked with extending
this dominion to the ends of the earth (Psa 115:16). Since Adam
is the father of all of mankind, we can call this kingdom the king-
dom of men or the city of man. Even in this uncorrupted order,
Adam’s kingdom was an earthly kingdom, in that its territory and
subjects were restricted to the material order. In the uncorrupted
state, something earthly or material wasn’t cursed, it was simply of
a distinct form than the spiritual or heavenly.

Humanity as a Nation
We have seen how Adam was a king that would rule over Eden
and eventually the whole earth. Now it remains that a kingdom
must consist of a people. Remember how we saw that the ancients
saw a king as a fraternal figure who was part of the nation. He was
not a foreigner. The people were referred to as his brothers or chil-
dren. In the context of Adam’s kingdom in Eden, the people or na-
tion are his actual children and descendants. Adam’s purpose was
to fill the earth with image bearers of God. These would also be his
own image bearers, being his children. Just as he inherited his king-
ship and priesthood through his sonship, his children would in-
herit kingship and priesthood through him. Thus, when the whole
earth was filled with image-bearers they would all be priest-kings,
exercising rulership over irrational beings and the land in which
they dwelt. Eden would thus spread and God’s sacred space would
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 71

extend through the whole earth. God’s presence would extend to

all the territories where his image bearers dwelt.
There’s an important aspect of Adam’s calling that is revealed
in Heb 2:5-7 - “For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the
world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified,
saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of
man that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the
angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him
over the works of thy hands” (Heb 2:5-7). Note, that in verse 5, the
author speaks of the subjection of a world to come and declares that
this was not given to the angels but rather to mankind as a whole
(v 6-7). Thus, all of Adam’s descendants were to enter this world to
come had Adam faithfully completed his purpose. In other words,
the destiny of Adam’s descendants was tied to Adam’s faithfulness.
These descendants become the people or nation who are to popu-
late the kingdom given to Adam.
There’s an important detail to note in Heb 2:5-7 that is of
much relevance in the New Testament. According to the author of
Hebrews, God subjected the world to come, to mankind. To subject
something is to put under or to grant rank over. This indicates that
human destiny was not merely to rule over the present world but
also the world to come. Just as God placed man as a ruler over this
world to subdue it, God will place man as a ruler of the world to
come. This is a very important theme to understand because a crit-
ical aspect of Dominionism is to tie in the promises of rulership
promised to the people of God to this present world. However,
those promises, primarily those in the Old Testament of the Bible
are not fulfilled in the context of present creation but rather in the
world to come. It was always human destiny to enter and rule the
world to come and the present world was always meant to be tem-
porary. This is implicit in the fact that the task assigned to Adam
was temporary and included the promise of rest. This is a key point
72 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

to note - even in a perfect world, Adam and his descendants would

have ceased from their labours in the present world and entered the
world to come. The world to come therefore wasn’t God’s plan B but
an implicit part of God’s purpose in creation. Why would a Pre-Fall
world need to be remade as the world to come? We can never know
but can be content in the knowledge that God’s ways are way above
our own.

The Covenant of Works

After God places Adam in the garden, He drafts an agreement with
him that is to be the test of Adam’s faithfulness. According to the
terms of this agreement, Adam was free to eat the fruit of any of
the trees of the garden (Gen 2:16). Adam was granted access to
the best delicacies of the garden of the King of the Cosmos. How-
ever, there was one tree that he was not to eat of, the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. Failure to keep the terms of the agree-
ment would have consequences, Adam would die (Gen 2:17). This
serves as a prototype for God’s interactions with the human race
and has been referred to as a covenant historically. A covenant sim-
ply means an agreement between two parties with certain terms
and conditions. Failure to keep the terms of the covenant/agree-
ment results in consequences and the covenant becoming null and
void. God’s dealing with Adam in Gen 2:16-17 fits all the hall-
marks of a covenant. There are two parties - God and Adam. There
are clear terms - permission to eat of all the trees but one. And there
is a clear consequence for failure to keep the terms - death. Histor-
ically, this covenant established with Adam has been referred to as
the Covenant of Works. It is a helpful term to encapsulate God’s
dealing with Adam in Eden.
Adam’s sonship, kingship and priesthood were contingent up-
on keeping this covenant. If Adam did not prove himself faithful to
God by keeping His commandments, he was not fit to be His son
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 73

or a ruler or a priest. To disobey God’s commandments was to de-

file His sacred space. To defile His sacred space was to be cast out of
His presence. This is the real death. This fear of death is a humbling
reminder to Adam that he isn’t the master of his own destiny. His
purpose and meaning are tied to the presence of God.
The reason for which God does not permit Adam to partake of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Eden is not explic-
itly revealed in the Bible. However, there are clues that might pro-
vide a veiled understanding of the truths behind it. When Adam
failed the covenant and ate the fruit of the tree, God states that
man has become as one of us, to know good and evil (Gen 3:22). In
other words, it was a loss of innocence that mankind was not ready
for. Partaking of that tree would have been Adam’s reward for suc-
cessfully keeping the covenant. Had he proved his faithfulness, he
would be ready to move on from his innocence to inherit his king-
ship, mature in his priesthood and enter the world to come. Just as
the tree of life is the reward for the redeemed who overcome (Rev
2:7), the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would have been a
reward for faithfulness in the Covenant of Works.
 Chapter 5: The Fall of
the Created Order

T he Bible speaks of a time prior to the fall of man, when Lu-

cifer, a glorious angel rebelled against God. This rebellion can
be considered the true original sin because it was through it that
evil entered the cosmos. Corruption of the created order therefore
did not begin with the material but rather the celestial. From the
celestial it entered the material. To understand the fall of Adam,
one must first understand the fall of Lucifer and its consequences
for the entire cosmos. This will also help us appreciate the magni-
tude of God’s plan of redemption which is far more than a mere le-
gal transaction - it is cosmic in scale. Lucifer’s evil has corrupted
this created order, but God has promised to create all things new,
and He is redeeming His human family so that they will not perish
with this failing order but be rulers again in His new created order.

Fall of the Celestial Order

The fall of Lucifer is best described in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14.
Modern scholarship rejects the supernatural implications of the
Text and consigns its application to the king of Tyre and the king
of Babylon respectively. However, there is internal evidence in the
Text that makes it plain that it cannot be exclusively referring to
these earthly rulers. The point of these passages is to show that
the pride and evil of these earthly kings can be compared to the

74
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 75

evil of the first transgression. They have become so captivated by

themselves that they cannot be distinguished from Lucifer. Con-
sider this section in Ezekiel 28:12-15 -
“12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus,
and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum,
full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious
stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl,
the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbun-
cle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was pre-
pared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set
thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked
up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast
created, till iniquity was found in thee.”
There are several indications in this section that show that the
Text isn’t a depiction of the king of Tyre. First, we see that he was in
Eden, the garden of God. It is certain that no king of Tyre was pre-
sent when God placed the first man in the garden of Eden. Second,
we see that this being was a covering Cherub. The covering Cherub
is a specific rank of angelic entities that cover God’s mercy seat as
they look upon the throne of God (Exo 25:20, 1 Kin 8:7). Third-
ly, we see a reference to the holy mountain, which is temple lan-
guage and refers to the sacred space in which God is worshipped.
The king of Tyre was a gentile and a profane worshipper of other
gods. There is no indication he would have ever entered the Jew-
ish temple, or any place in the holy land for that matter. Finally, we
see that the being was perfect for a time after his creation until a
specific moment. The Bible makes it abundantly plain that men are
born in sin and therefore this cannot be a reference to a fallen hu-
76 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

man. Therefore, this passage is only metaphorically true of the king

of Tyre, but it is literally true of the son of dawn, Lucifer.
Lucifer’s rebellion stems from the pride of his heart for his glo-
ry. He was consumed by his own beauty, corrupting his own wis-
dom (Eze 28:17). Forgetting that it was God who made him and
fitted him with great beauty, he was consumed by himself. Forget-
ting that it is God who gives is a recipe for self-consumption, enti-
tlement and rebellion. The outworking of his pride is described in
Isaiah 14:13-14 in the five “I Wills” -

1. I will ascend into heaven

2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God
3. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation
4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds
5. I will be like the most High

The five “I wills” of Satan and his consumption with his own
beauty provide insight into his motivations and later deception of
humanity. His desire to set himself above the sons of God, place his
throne above that of Jehovah and his desire to ascend the clouds are
indicative of his drive and ambitions. He desires to usurp the God’s
authority and establish himself as the king of the heavens and the
earth. He desires to establish for himself a powerbase that would ri-
val that of God and His council - an alternate dynasty with which
to challenge God. He desires to be worshipped for his beauty and
glory. He desires to make the other elohim and mankind conform
to his image rather than the image of God. His desire to corrupt an-
gels and humanity is thus intrinsically tied to his prideful self-con-
sumption. He hates elect angels and humanity because they con-
form to God’s image rather than his and they are required to wor-
ship God rather than him.
It is legitimate to wonder why Satan would even consider such
a thing. It’s evident that one cannot simply wage war against the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 77

Uncreated God and hope to win. This is where it is important to

consider imaging. Satan didn’t think he was going to win by top-
pling Jehovah. Rather, he hoped to corrupt Jehovah’s heavenly and
earthly sons. Since Jehovah’s rule in the heavens and the earth were
imaged by these sons, corrupting them was a direct challenge to Di-
vine rule. The idea wasn’t to literally strike Jehovah with a sword
and overthrow Him. Rather, the idea was to curtail Jehovah’s rule
by causing Jehovah’s sons to image him instead.
It is also significant to note that Lucifer is referred to as a morn-
ing star (Isa 14:12) and the other angels are called stars of God (Isa
14:13). This implies that he was a being otherwise called a son of
God or elohim. He was part of God’s Divine Council. Job 1:6-12
and Job 2:1-6 establish that claim. He was among the sons of God
who came to present themselves before God ( Job 1:6). Moreover,
the Bible often uses the language of celestial bodies like stars to re-
fer to angels. A theme that is important to keep in mind.

Fall of the Elohim

The Bible shows us that there are other rebellious spiritual beings.
These rebels flock to Satan’s banner as they are collectively called
the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41). Their rebellions don’t happen
all at once. We are not told how many such rebellions occurred or
how many angels joined Satan, but the Bible does mention at least
one other rebellion. Peter and Jude speak of a specific rebellion of
angels which resulted in their confinement until the eschatological
day of judgement ( Jud 6, 2 Pet 2:4). In fact, Jude 6-7 ties the sin of
these angels to something similar to what happened in Sodom, i.e.
it was sexual in nature. This rebellion could not have occurred at
the same time as Lucifer’s because it occurred after the Fall of man.
Moreover, the punishment for these angels and their unnatural act
was different from that given to the angels that rebelled with Lu-
cifer. The significance of this early rebellion will be discussed later.
78 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

The Bible doesn’t indicate that fallen angels have a united agen-
da or that they rebelled for the same reasons. In Daniel 10, we see
that following the battle between God’s angels and the entity called
the Prince of Persia, another entity called the Prince of Greece
takes over the dominion. Daniel 11 and its prophecy of the war of
the Northern and Southern kings also fits this theme. While these
are actual earthly kings, there is a supernatural element behind it
and both those kings, and their kingdoms are evil and not part of
God’s kingdom. The battles between them therefore are battles be-
tween fallen angels vying for power and dominion over each other.
Being rational beings, they still have their own interests, struggles
and ambitions while broadly falling under Satan’s banner.
Christ’s statement in Matthew 12:26 that Satan’s kingdom isn’t
divided against itself doesn’t contradict the notion that these be-
ings vie for power against each other. Christ’s work of casting out
demons from possessed humans was destructive to Satan’s king-
dom. Fallen angels guiding human nations to engage in bloodshed
for self-aggrandisement on the other hand is consistent with their
desire to deface the image of God and ultimately results in a change
of power within the same satanic kingdom. When Christ frees
someone, they are truly freed from Satan’s dominion. When one
celestial entity is replaced by another, nothing has changed, Satan
still rules.
The fall of the elohim makes us ask an important question.
What happened to the image of God in the fallen sons of God? It
can be inferred from the Scriptures that their fallen state is perma-
nent, i.e they are unable to change for better. Those angels that re-
belled with Satan cannot repent and be redeemed. This can be in-
ferred by the plain Scriptural teaching that hell was prepared for
Satan and his angels, indicating that they are marked for eternal
torment (Matt 25:41). Likewise, angels that rebelled in the days
of Noah are kept bound until the day of judgement ( Jud 6). Even
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 79

more so Christ determinedly took on human rather than angelic

form (Heb 2:16), sealing their fate while providing a means of re-
demption for humanity.
That said we must dispel the popular myth that the holy angels
who did not sin during the days of rebellion are incapable of falling.
Simply put, this idea has no Biblical grounding. The angels that did
not rebel along with Lucifer are still able to rebel later as shown by
the Genesis 6 incident that we will look into later. Therefore, it is
implicit that holy angels are in a state like Adam in the garden - per-
fect, good and without inclination to sin but able to rebel against
God. The difference between men and angels is that God is re-
deeming the sons of Adam while God has completely rejected an-
gels who rebel against Him.
The rebellion of Satan and his angels did not cause them to im-
mediately lose their place in heaven. As we saw in Job 1 and 2, Satan
and other elohim still had access to the divine council. Likewise, 1
Kings 22 and 1 Samuel 16 indicate that other dark spirits were still
part of the divine council at those times.

Fall of the Material Order

Sadly, Adam and his wife, Eve failed to keep the Covenant of
Works God established with them, prematurely seeking to access
what would have been a gift of obedience. A serpent tempts Eve to
eat of the fruit of the tree of good and evil (Gen 3:1). Of partic-
ular interest is his subtle deception that they will become like elo-
him should she eat of the fruit (Gen 3:5). This primordial lust to
which Eve succumbs is a recurrent theme in fallen humanity. As we
will later see, the outworking of this lust is seen in fallen humanity’s
quest to forge their own destiny, to build their own Edenic holy
mountain and to ascend that mountain to attain divinity.
Biblically, the Hebrew word nachash (serpent) could refer to ei-
ther a snake (Num 21:6-7, Deu 8:15, Ecc 10:11) or a dragon-like
80 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

being (Isa 27:1, Amo 9:3). It is therefore possible for Satan to have
manifested to Eve in either of these forms. Considering that Satan
is referred to as a dragon in Revelation, the book that uses a lot
of Edenic parallels, it seems likely that the manifestation was of a
dragon-like being. It could have perhaps been what Isaiah refers to
as the fiery flying Seraph (Isa 14:29, Isa 30:6).
Material things reflect heavenly realities. Angelic beings, espe-
cially cherubs, are shown to manifest in forms that are familiar in
the material world with the face of a lion, bull, eagle and man (Eze
1:5-11). This is probably reflective of their attributes - lion symbol-
ising their nobility, a bull symbolising their strength, an eagle sym-
bolising their beauty and man representing God’s image. Therefore,
it would make sense that Satan would manifest as a dragon-like en-
tity, reflective of his glory, power and dignity. While we do not see
such creatures in the world today, almost every culture in history
has recorded a sighting of dragon or dragon like creatures. As we
have already seen Scriptures attests to Jehovah waging war on such
creatures. In most Eastern cultures, dragons do not have a nega-
tive connotation as they do in the West. Rather they signify royal-
ty, prosperity, wisdom, fertility and regeneration. Therefore, Satan’s
manifestation would have been something that Adam and Eve un-
derstood as an elohim.
It is important to note that Eden was Adam’s kingdom where
God had commissioned Adam to be king over His creation - the
city of man. The serpent is compared to one the beasts of the field
(Gen 3:1), a reminder that God had placed such creatures under
Adam’s authority. He was to assert his kingly authority over Satan
rather than permitting Satan to assert authority over him. Adam’s
succumbing to Satan’s cunning ploy was failure of his regnal duties.
Adam had failed as king.
God had tasked Adam to work and watch over the garden. As
we have seen earlier, this was Adam’s priestly duty. He was to pre-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 81

serve the purity of the Edenic temple and keep every defiling thing
out. Satan’s temptation of Eve was blasphemous because it was call-
ing her to disobey God’s commandments and thus something that
defiled God’s temple. It was therefore contingent upon Adam to
put the serpent out of the garden to fulfil his priestly commission.
Adam failed as priest. Adam’s failure as priest and king led to his
disinheritance (Gen 1:23) by being expelled from the garden of
Eden. Effectively, Adam lost the privileges of sonship, access to the
presence of God.
As we have already seen, the consequences of Adam’s sin were
not restricted to himself alone. God had promised that if Adam ate
of the fruit of the tree, he would surely die. Through Adam’s sin,
his descendants are now turned over to death and decay not just for
their own sins, but also for Adam’s sin. This sin of the first man is
called original sin because it brings death to the whole human race,
Adam being its federal head - the king who should have established
his authority through God’s Word and its priest who represented
its people before God. Mankind thus was desperately in need of an-
other high-priest and king.

The Curses on Satan

After a chain of shifting blame from Adam to Eve to Satan, God
brings curses upon the material order. The first to be cursed is Sa-
tan, in the form of a serpent. Even after the curses, Satan is still an
elohim being and therefore preserves his rank in the present creat-
ed order. We are told that even Michael the archangel would not
pronounce abusive judgement on him ( Jud 9). The ultimate ful-
filments of these curses therefore are eschatological. Firstly, he is
cursed above every living creature (Gen 3:14). He deceived Adam
in the form of a creature that was under Adam’s authority, but now
his curse will be greater than the curse that will fall upon every crea-
ture as a consequence of the fall.
82 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Secondly, he will now grovel in the dust and eat it. This is a
metaphor for his disgrace, dishonour and subjugation. Man was
made a little lower than angels while other creatures were made
lower than man. However, Satan’s end is to be lower than both man
and all creatures, a humiliating end indeed. This is also indicative
of his new domain, the earth. Satan is no longer a heavenly being
whose lot is to dwell in the presence of God, but an earthly being
that is brought low. This is also prophetic of Satan’s eschatological
end. First, he will be cast out of Eden. Then he is cast out of heav-
en. Finally, he will be cast into hell. His destiny is to keep becoming
lower and lower[6].
Finally, the Seed of the woman will crush his head, even as
he will bruise His heel, i.e. his ultimate end is destruction (Gen
3:15). This final curse on Satan is the greatest ray of hope in this sad
chapter of human history. We are told of a tale of two seeds. The
Devil’s seed bruises the heel of the woman’s Seed and the woman’s
Seed crushes the Devil’s head. The New Testament teaches us how
to interpret the Old. In his discourse on the Abrahamic promis-
es, Paul teaches that the usage of seed in singular is a reference to
Christ (Gal 3:16). Likewise, Gen 3:15 has been historically called
the protoevangelium or the first proclamation of the good news -
the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The seed of Satan, bruising His
heel is a reference to Christ’s crucifixion. The crushing of the ser-
pent’s head is a reference to Satan’s eschatological defeat and subju-
gation. The central theme of the Gospel is the triumph of the Seed
of the woman, Jesus Christ over His antithesis, the Devil. Little did
Satan and his minions know that Christ’s death was the death blow
to their kingdom!

The Curses Against Mankind

The curse that falls on mankind is reflective of his original purpose
in this created order. It is important to note that the curses are not
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 83

directly on mankind but against them. Since the woman sinned

first, the first curse is against her. Since she was made to be man’s
companion and the means through which God would fill the earth
with image-bearers, that very role would now be cursed. Child-
birth, rather than being a process of pure joy and rejoicing will now
be fraught with pain and sorrow (Gen 3:16a). There is great joy in
the birth of a child, but that joy is clouded by the intense pain of
the curse. While not explicitly called out in the curse, childbirth al-
so brings with it a threat of death, part of the fallenness of the or-
der.
The second curse against the woman is interesting. It says that
her desire shall be to her husband (Gen 3:16b). The Hebrew can be
literally translated as your desire shall be your man. Therefore, the
curse is a pathological craving for male attention not a constant de-
sire to usurp male rule. Their curse is to constantly seek validation
from men. This is something that can be easily observed. Women
are easily trapped with abusive, violent or manipulative men and
yet continue to crave their attention. Likewise, women are prone to
be attracted by dominating and aggressive men[7]. This is one of the
reasons why a lot of pickup artists as they are called are so success-
ful and followed by many men. This is also why historically women
have willingly become mistresses to powerful men and in some civ-
ilizations even part of harems. This is why many women are willing
to become “trophy wives” even in our times.
Finally, the woman is told that her husband will rule over her
(Gen 3:16c). This doesn’t imply that male headship was a conse-
quence of the fall. The apostle Paul makes it plain that male head-
ship was part of the created order (1 Cor 11:9). It is impossible
for us to comprehend how headship would have worked in a world
without the Fall. Unlike the fallen order, it wouldn’t have been
based on either compulsion or mandate, it would have just been
natural. The curse now makes male rule a commandment and a
84 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

frustration. The rule of men itself is now seen as something of a

curse, not because it is intrinsically cursed but because of its ambi-
guity in the fall. Male rule can be benevolent and gentle or it could
be oppressive and cruel.
The curses against Adam similarly target his role in the created
order. First, the earth itself is cursed on account of Adam’s sin (Gen
3:17). This is not merely a statement of difficulty added to work
but rather an utter futility. The ground of the earth was to be the
territory of Adam’s kingdom and now his kingdom itself is under
a curse. The priestly duty of taking care of the ground is accompa-
nied by sorrow and futility. Added to this is that work will not pro-
duce proportional reward. Adam labours for herbs but will receive
thorns and thistles instead (Gen 3:18). Ideals like proportionality
are lost in the fallen order. Solomon sees this futility in Ecc 9:11 -
“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 rich-
es to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time
and chance happeneth to them all.” Fairness, order and proportional
reward are replaced by chaos and futility. This futility affects some-
thing central to men, finding purpose and meaning in work. Men
often seek to find purpose and direction in their work. In one sense,
it is a remnant of what was natural because God originally made
man for a specific kind of work in a primitive agrarian system. Af-
ter the fall, man strives to find that purpose and meaning in things
that are part of this fallen and temporary created order - whether
that be their career or some kind of socio-political activity in their
community. However, the curse makes it impossible to find a sense
of absolute satisfaction and pleasure in one’s work. Solomon under-
stands this well in his many thoughts in Ecclesiastes (Ecc 1:1-12,
2:17-23). The thorns and thistles are also indicative of how man has
lost control of the world. He no longer rules. The ground bringing
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 85

forth fruit by his working of it was a sign of his dominion over the
earth, something he has since lost.
Dominionist Christians often seek to redeem work in the pre-
sent fallen order and attribute it the same value as Adam’s work
in Eden. However, that is a fundamental misunderstanding of the
Biblical narrative and the consequences of the fall. Adam is unable
to find satisfaction in his work anymore because the work itself is
cursed. Moreover, a lot of what has developed in the world since
the Fall is mankind seeking to find purpose and meaning outside
of God’s redemptive plan. Unlike the context of Eden, work is no
longer an end in and of itself but is a means to an end. This is fur-
ther emphasised in how work is now tied in with survival (Gen
3:19a). Unlike the Edenic order, Adam needs to sweat and toil, just
so he can eat bread. His work is no longer priestly, but common,
simply for survival. He can no longer freely eat of His God’s garden
nor is his labour tied to his service to God. Adam’s failure to fulfil
his commission means that all human labour henceforth is fraught
with corruption, futility and a slow death towards entropy and de-
cay.
Finally, he is cursed with death (Gen 3:19b). Adam will return
to the ground. The implications of this final curse extend beyond
physical death. Adam was taken out of the ground and made a
king by God. Having disobeyed God’s commandments, Adam had
failed to prove himself worthy of being a king. Rather he had
proved that he was worthy of being only that from which he was
formed. This is true both literally and metaphorically. Adam’s sin
brought dishonour and shame on the entire human race. God
raised mankind from the dust to be kings, but mankind through sin
lowered themselves back to the very dust from which they came. In
this curse, the destiny of Adam and his descendants is now tied to
that of the Serpent. The Serpent will eat dust while Adam and his
descendants will return to dust after labouring in it. This is exactly
86 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

what the author of Hebrews meant when he asserts that Satan has
power over death (Heb 2:14). The image of the Serpent devour-
ing the dust is that of sheol or hades, the realm of the dead. When
man dies, he returns to dust, which is then devoured by the Ser-
pent. Thus, the Serpent exercises power over man by devouring him
upon death.
It is a popular notion that human beings are generally good and
just do bad things at times. However, the Bible teaches us that as a
consequence of the fall, Adam’s descendants are utterly wicked to
the core. Gen 6:5 puts it this way - “And God saw that the wicked-
ness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” It is not that
man just does bad things, his inclinations and dispositions are to-
wards evil. This iniquity begins to take shape right at the moment
of conception (Psa 51:5). Man’s natural inclination is against God
and His righteousness (Rom 3:10-18). In fact, the curse on the hu-
man race and our depravity is so deep that it is impossible for us to
please God through our own works done outside of Christ (Rom
8:8). Even when we are saved, our flesh still struggles with these
base urges that have afflicted us since the fall (Rom 7). Becoming
a Christian doesn’t suddenly change the reality of death, futility of
labour, the pain of childbirth or the woman’s desire to find valida-
tion in men.

The Fall and Adam’s Kingdom

This intertwining of Satan’s kingdom with the kingdom of man
is further established by Satan’s power of death. The author of He-
brews teaches that the devil holds the children of men in bondage
through the power of death (Heb 2:14-15). This coincides with the
ground becoming the domain of Satan, the new king and ruler of
this present world ( John 12:31, 2 Cor 4:4, 1 John 5:19). Adam’s
kingdom is placed in subjugation to Satan’s kingdom, who is now
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 87

the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). Thus, Adam’s and Satan’s king-
doms are tied to one another.
This is why the protoevangelium brings the Christian hope.
While it doesn’t promise a restoration of Adam’s kingdom, the fate
of which is tied to Satan’s - it promises a Greater Adam who will
deal a death blow to the king of this present world, Satan. A lot of
the errors of Dominionism stem from their desire to understand
and return to the Edenic order, a desire for restoration of Adam’s
kingdom. They are convinced that this is what we are called to in
this age, to fight back against the curse and establish dominion over
this present created order. However, that is to completely fail to un-
derstand the Biblical narrative. Eden itself was always intended to
be a temporary order, a gateway to the world to come. Moreover,
Adam’s failure to keep the Covenant of Works means that the Cre-
ation Mandate no longer applies to mankind as it did when God
said that His creation was very good. Adam had already failed and
neither him nor his descendants are able to fill the earth with image
bearers. Man still possesses the image of God as the Word amply
affirms but it also affirms that the image is marred and tainted by
the Fall. Therefore, what mankind needs is a new Kingdom with a
new King and High Priest who will deliver them from bondage
to Satan.
 Chapter 6: The End of
the First World and
New Beginnings

T he fall of Adam in Eden led to them being cast out of the gar-
den (Gen 3:23). The verse explicitly states that he is expelled
to till the ground from whence he was taken. In other words, Adam
had lost access to the garden of God, to His sacred space. God then
clothes Adam and Eve with the skins of an animal, a reminder that
they could not return to the innocence of the Edenic era. As far as
this material order was concerned, the best they would receive was
a covering of their shame. This in itself is a foreshadowing of
Christ’s future sacrifice, through which He would cover the sins of
His people. Eden still remained on the earth, guarded by holy
cherubs (Gen 3:24). It can be presumed that it was around till the
flood, where it was destroyed at the end of the first age of human
history, though the Bible is silent on this.

A Genealogical Tale
Man’s woes continue to escalate after their expulsion from the gar-
den. Adam’s son Cain murders his brother Abel (Gen 4:8), after
which He is put under a curse by God (Gen 4:11-12). Here we are
shown Cain’s genealogy, a prototype of the generations of the god-
less. Cain’s descendant Lamech is the first known man to desecrate
God’s intention for marriage with polygamy (Gen 4:19). He con-
88
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 89

tinues in the murderous ways of his fathers, adding the sin of pride
by boasting to his wives about murder (Gen 4:23). Moreover, he
is a blasphemer. He presumes to make his own dealings with God
and is certain that his worth is more than his forefather Cain (Gen
4:24) and hence God will avenge him more should he be brought
to charge for his murder.
Cain’s genealogy reveals a very important aspect about human
civilization. Cain himself goes away from the presence of the Lord
and builds a city (Gen 4:16-17). This wording is intentional to help
us understand the direction Cain had chosen – rather than repen-
tance, he chose to go further from God’s presence. His descendant
Jabal becomes a prototype for cattle herders and tent dwellers (Gen
4:20). A very important point that many miss here is that God had
not yet permitted the eating of meat (Gen 1:29)[8]. The relation-
ship between man and animal in the garden was harmonious. Ja-
bal decided to circumvent God’s commandment and became the
inventor of techniques to breed, raise, slaughter, cook and eat an-
imals. Living in tents in this context was also a technological in-
novation in that time. It gave the ability to find better pastures for
cattle and opportunities for trade. Many nomadic tribes of those
times were exceedingly wealthy. This was also an ingenious way to
circumvent the curse that fell on Cain. God cursed Cain’s ability to
thrive in an agricultural system (Gen 4:12). Therefore, in rebellion,
Jabal adapts a nomadic lifestyle.
Jubal, his brother, was a prototype of musicians (Gen 4:21).
Music is often used as a means to be merry, entertain oneself and is
always present in the courts of the rich and wealthy. It is an enabler
to overcome the pain and futility of life through the emotions it is
capable of triggering. It was also intrinsically part of religious ritu-
als of the ancient world. Finally, their half-brother Tubal Cain is a
prototype for craftsmen, proficient in works of iron and brass (Gen
4:22). His skill is to build things with his hands. Things of beauty,
90 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

things that lasted, things useful for this age and things that could
be used for war.
The Bible is making a point here with regards to the descen-
dants of the ungodly and the works of civilization that we en-
counter in the world - things of science, ingenuity, art, music, engi-
neering and much more. They are fallen man’s attempts at rebuild-
ing what Adam lost. His attempt to rebuild Eden in this present
age. Their mind is filled with this present world because this is their
ultimate hope. The things of this world capture their imagination.
Dominionists attempt to sanctify these attempts at culture build-
ing but God didn’t command His people to engage in such works
to distract themselves from the consequences of their sin. Rather,
they were to work the ground and eat from the sorrow and sweat
of their brow. Adam’s failure had made the covenant of works void,
and with that his commission to rule and build in this age. His
kingdom is now in subjugation to Satan’s kingdom.
The Bible provides no indication that the godly engaged in
such efforts of civilization building. It was the activity of the
Cainites, the children of the world. The righteous even in those
days dwelt as strangers and pilgrims among the Cainites. While
certainly enjoying through Providence, the benefits of that civiliza-
tion built by worldlings, the godly did not engage in such projects
themselves. The righteous instead lived in tents and built altars, ful-
filling their spiritual duties, calling on the name of God and await-
ing His redemption. This tent and altar paradigm shows their re-
jection of the spirit behind the innovations that led to civilization
project. As we will see, this project always had a sinister side to it.
The Bible does not leave mankind without hope. We are told
that Adam and Eve had another son, Seth. In the days of his son
Enos, men began calling upon the name of Jehovah (Gen 4:26).
This is intended to contrast with the civilizational works engaged
in by the sons of Cain. Rather than trying to fix the world by build-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 91

ing things and attempting to recreate Eden, the sons of Seth call
out to God. This pattern continues in Seth’s descendants. Enoch is
a prophet who prophesied Christ's second coming ( Jud 14,15). He
experienced God’s physical presence as he walked with Him (Gen
5:24) and was taken into heaven by God. This is interestingly simi-
lar to how God walked with Adam in Eden - Enoch got to experi-
ence God’s sacred space and was ultimately taken up into it. Finally,
we read of Noah, his name meaning rest. His parents named him so
because they recognized that God had made all their works and ef-
forts futile, yet they would find comfort in Noah (Gen 5:29), who
was God’s blessing to them. Whether they knew of his role in re-
demptive history is unknown, but his name is certainly prophetic,
as is the case with many names in Scripture.
We see therefore the existence of two parallel peoples - the de-
scendants of Cain and the descendants of Seth. The former seek-
ing to restore Adam’s kingdom and the latter calling on God, await-
ing the Seed that was promised. As we will see later, the former
will happily further intertwine themselves with Satan’s kingdom to
achieve their goals while the latter live as pilgrims and strangers
among them. Both these peoples lived under the shadow of a com-
ing judgement - the Great Flood. The very presence of the Sethites
was a living testimony to the Cainites that a judgement was upon
them. Simply living as pilgrims, rejecting their world and not be-
coming one with the Cainites was a sufficient witness of the Gospel
in the first world. This is a pattern that as we shall see will always be
true of the kingdom of God.
It is here that we must recognize some important details about
this present world and human civilization. While Adam’s kingdom
is subjugated by Satan’s kingdom, it consists of both citizens of the
kingdom of God and citizens of the kingdom of Satan. This is evi-
dent in what we have seen with regards to the godly men from Seth
to Noah. These men didn’t live in some ethereal plane. Rather, they
92 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

lived ordinary lives among the descendants of Cain. They were cit-
izens of the heavenly kingdom and therefore didn’t concern them-
selves with the affairs of the present world and yet they lived in the
present world and had to contend with realities of living in a cursed
realm like hunger, thirst, need for shelter, sickness, death, etc.
The Cainites on the other hand became citizens of the king-
dom of Satan. Even so they retain some notion of their former
status as image bearers and thus have the law of God written on
their hearts (Rom 2:15). Thus, the works of civilization built by
them often show some glimpses of who they formerly were. They
attempt to establish laws of justice, build places of worship, works
of beauty and the like. All of these are attempts to return to Eden
and establish Adam’s Edenic kingdom. They fail to recognize that
when Adam failed the Covenant of Works, his kingdom was made
void and subjugated by Satan’s kingdom. Now their hope lay not in
restoring Adam’s kingdom but in awaiting the kingdom of God.

A Celestial Rebellion and Material

Corruption
After this we see that some of the sons of God took human women
as wives and sired offspring with them (Gen 6:2). A popular under-
standing in Christianity today is that this refers to Seth’s children
marrying Cain’s children, i.e., godly men marrying worldly women.
However, that interpretation makes no sense in the context of the
passage. Apart from the fact that it rejects a long history of the su-
pernatural interpretation in both Christian and Jewish circles, the
Text makes it evident that the offspring of such unions were ex-
traordinary in physique and renown – they were giants (Gen 6:4).
Marriage between God’s people and heathens though forbidden,
doesn’t produce offspring of extraordinary size. This should be de-
finitive on the usage of sons of God in this passage.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 93

If this did not suffice, Jude speaks of an angelic rebellion which

he ties to the sexual sin of Sodom ( Jud 6,7). He also specifically
quotes the non-canonical book of Enoch ( Jud 14,15) indicating
that he is borrowing some truthful claims from the book, even
though it isn’t Scripture. Since it isn’t Scripture, it cannot be relied
on or quoted authoritatively. However, Jude’s use of its cosmology
in his letter affirms the angelic rebellion that was in full swing dur-
ing the days of Noah. Peter refers to Christ preaching to impris-
oned spirits who were rebellious in Noah’s age (1 Pet 3:19, 2 Pet
2:4) indicating there was a rebellion among celestial entities around
that time.
What is happening in this Text is critical. Mankind having
abandoned God were now seeking after the sons of God to satisfy
their primordial quest for divinity and autonomy. They were seek-
ing to rebuild Adam’s kingdom with the help of angels. These be-
ings were willing to teach them things that they could use to
achieve their Edenic dreams. This takes us back to the Cainite line
and their ingenuity and civilizational aspirations in Gen 4:16-22.
The forbidden unions between men and angels began right when
mankind began multiplying on the earth (Gen 6:1-2). This indi-
cates that this was not a one-off incident around the time of Noah
but something that began a long time ago and was ongoing. This is
a good indication of the origins of Cainite civilization. The ingenu-
ity of Cain and his sons in building civilization was not simply an
outworking of the image of God in them. Rather, they were collud-
ing with fallen angels to build earthly civilization.
These angels were divulging forbidden knowledge that would
enable them to build earthly civilization. In our modern thinking,
we think of things like building cities, making music, cattle herd-
ing, trade and toolmaking as purely secular or material – i.e., earth-
ly things without a spiritual component. To the ancient mind, the
material and spiritual were always linked. Cultural work in the an-
94 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

cient world cannot be separated from religious ritual. This is why

the ancient world had gods associated with cities, instruments, mu-
sic, metallurgy, trade, craftsmanship, guilds, etc. While Cain’s chil-
dren were ingenuous, they weren’t coming up with all these means
to subvert the curse on their own. Rather, they were learning these
things from the fallen angels they were colluding with. These fall-
en angels were helping them rebuild the Adamic kingdom they so
longed for.
The motivations of these sons of God are also relevant. Remem-
ber how sonship is the means through which imaging is transmit-
ted. Therefore, by having their own children with mortal women,
these beings were declaring their intention to create their own im-
age bearers. Instead of imaging God in the heavenly realms, they
wanted their own imagers to fill the earth. Since they cannot create
from nothing like God did, they can only corrupt and pervert that
which God has already made. Genesis 6 paints a picture of a coali-
tion between the material and celestial in rebellion against God.
The fallen angels would help humanity rebuild Adam’s kingdom
while fallen humanity would image the rule of these fallen angels
through their earthly kingdom.
The presence of these Nephilim giants must not be glossed
over. The Bible not only affirms the existence of pre-flood Nephilim
and angelic unions with women. It also asserts that these things
were happening after the flood (Gen 6:4). The protoevangelium of
Gen 3:15 promised a long war between the serpent seed and the
woman’s seed. These Nephilim were literally the seed of the serpent
in that they were the corrupt offspring of rebellious elohim with
human women. They were not imagers of God but imagers of the
ancient serpent and his angels. This means that the Nephilim were
the result of a conspiracy by Satan and his angels to deface God’s
image in humanity. If these abominations would keep spreading
among humanity, there simply wouldn’t be any remaining image
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 95

bearers through whom the Messiah could enter the world. Thus,
Satan and his angels were attempting to thwart God’s plan of re-
demption by destroying humanity and keeping the earth for them-
selves and their imagers.
It would be tempting to place the blame of God’s judgement
solely on the seduction of these angels. However, that does not do
justice to what is revealed in the Text. Genesis 4 and 5 reveal that
man was already on a trajectory of violence, pride, worldliness and
desecration of marriage. The sons of God only provided outlets to
engage in the heights of that depravity. Therefore, we see that the
world was filled with violence and its corruption disgusted God
(Gen 6:11). Moreover, the thoughts and imaginations of man’s
hearts were continually evil (Gen 6:5). This explains why the
knowledge shared by angels was forbidden. It wasn’t forbidden
simply because God wanted to hide things from humanity. Rather,
the proclivities and inclinations of humanity showed that they
weren’t ready for such knowledge. This becomes evident in how hu-
manity uses this knowledge to increase lawlessness and violence on
the earth.
It is on account of this that we see that God was grieved and de-
termined to end the human race (Gen 6:6). It can also be seen that
it is not just man but the very created order that has become cor-
rupt. Gen 6:12 says - “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold,
it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”
This is why God’s determined judgement included all other crea-
tures in the material order as well (Gen 6:7). Man’s sin had brought
a corrupting influence on the created order and therefore its ulti-
mate end has been determined. But in God’s mercy, one household
finds favour in His eyes (Gen 6:8). God had not abandoned Adam’s
wicked race!
96 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

The First World and Antithesis

Theologians often use the term typological to refer to things that
are a model or shadow of things to come. This is a concept intro-
duced to us in the New Testament. Paul and the author of Hebrews
refer to the Old Covenant as a shadow of things to come (Col 2:17,
Heb 10:1). Similarly, the New Testament uses such language to re-
fer to many commandments and incidents in the Old Testament.
A type therefore is something that is a shadow or model, while its
antitype is the substance or the real thing. The type finds its fulfil-
ment in the antitype. The type is also a prophetic certainty that the
antitype is true. The very God who caused the type will keep His
promise to fulfil it in the antitype. This is not too different from
what we have seen previously about earthly and heavenly things.
Using theological terminology, earthly things are a type that finds
their ultimate fulfilment in the heavenly things they reflect.

A Remnant and Apostates

The Great Flood in Noah’s day was a typological judgement. It
was a precursor to the final judgement and destruction of the earth
in our future. Therefore, it is important to understand the themes
drawn in this first judgement. First, we see that Noah was the only
one found righteous in his generation (Gen 6:9). This draws out
the theme of a remnant, a significant Scriptural theme in Redemp-
tive History. Human population was significantly increasing (Gen
6:1), however those who were righteous were a small minority, obe-
dient to God (Gen 6:22) and preachers of righteousness (2 Pet
2:5). The world of those days itself is referred to as the world of
the ungodly, a parallel Peter draws with the present age (2 Pet 2:5).
Adam’s race and destiny was not preserved through a massive con-
version or conquest of the world but by its cleansing with water
while a remnant was preserved.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 97

Second, In Gen 4:24, we saw that some of Seth’s descendants

were calling on the name of God. However, by the time of Noah,
his household was the only righteous one left even among Seth’s
line. This draws out the theme of apostasy, another frequent Scrip-
tural theme. Even though many seemingly are part of the visible
covenant body, they worship God and claim to trust in Him, how-
ever their hearts are worldly, they compromise and seek to make a
place for themselves among the children of the world. Constricted
by the pull of the world, its definitions of success, wealth and sat-
isfaction, they seek respectability in the world and ultimately seal
their fate with its denizens. Thus, many of Seth’s descendants while
initially calling on God had eventually become indistinguishable
from the world around them. They had effectively abandoned the
Sethite line and become children of Cain.
The themes of preservation of the remnant and the rapid apos-
tasy of the religious brings out a very important conclusion. The
people of God are always in antithesis with the people of the world,
whether they be wicked men who openly reject God or worldly
apostate men who claim to belong to God but are full of compro-
mise and love of the world. This antithesis causes the people of
the world to hate the people of God and treat them as outsiders.
Moreover, the wickedness of the ways of the godless excludes the
righteous from becoming successful in their world. Apart from the
fact that their very definitions of prosperity and success are dif-
ferent from the world, they recognize their status as pilgrims and
strangers, awaiting a better inheritance in the world to come. In
other words, the expectation of the righteous has always been oth-
erworldly.

A Typological Judgement
The final theme to be drawn is that the scale of the judgement
was global. It is popular, especially in modern Evangelical scholar-
98 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ship to consider the effects of the flood to be localised. However,

the plain statements of Scripture indicate otherwise. We read that
every mountain under the sky was covered in this flood (Gen 7:19).
Every living creature that had breath in it was killed (Gen 7:20-21).
Everything except Noah and his household were consumed (Gen
7:22) and the flood was long lasting (Gen 7:24).
Implicit in the statements of the death of all life is the destruc-
tion of all kinds of material possessions. Everything that men had
amassed until that point was worthless. All of these are intended
to signify that the scale of the judgement was comprehensive. It
was only Noah and his household that was spared. The order of the
first world was uprooted (2 Pet 2:5). Therefore, we can be assured
that the antitype will follow in the like manner in that a remnant
will be preserved in an age of wickedness and apostasy. The final
judgement likewise will result in the destruction of everything built
and amassed in this age, they will become worthless in the world to
come. These themes will be drawn out later in this book.
There is also an important spiritual theme to be drawn from
the destruction of the first world. Remember how we saw that wa-
ter in the material order represents the work of God in cleansing
impurity? Peter compares the Christian sacrament of Baptism with
the preservation of Noah and his household during the Great
Flood (1 Pet 3:20-21). The implications are that the Flood was a
Baptism of the old world, intended to purge it of sin. After the
cleansing by water, eight souls were saved in all. It can be inferred
likewise that there is a future cleansing yet to come because the first
was typological rather than efficacious. As we will see later, this fu-
ture cleansing will be through fire. It won’t be a reboot of this pre-
sent material order, either in its fallen state or in its Edenic form.
Rather the form of the new order that God will create from the ash-
es of the old will be grander and even better than anything Adam
could even hope to comprehend in the Edenic state.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 99

The Noahic Covenant

After the Lord had preserved Noah and his household from His
judgement and destruction of the first world, He set up a covenant
with Noah, his descendants and all other creatures (Gen 9:10).
This covenant agreement would serve as the basis for this new be-
ginning in human history. It is important to note here that this
covenant was made with all of Noah’s descendants, Noah serving
as its federal head, a signatory of the covenant for his descendants.
Since all humans today, both righteous and unrighteous are descen-
dants of Noah, this covenant applies to all of us (Gen 8:21, Gen
9:1). The covenant also extends to all other creatures (Gen 9:1),
showing that this covenant binds the whole material order.
The first term of the Noahic covenant is God’s promise to pre-
serve the natural order of things. In Gen 8:22, we read - “While the
earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and sum-
mer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” This is very sim-
ilar to the language of Gen 1:14 that speaks of the sun, moon and
stars existing for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. In
other words, God is promising that He will continue to govern the
natural functioning of the world through the celestial rulers He or-
dained at its creation. These beings aren’t being displaced. Rather,
they continue to rule as delegated governors of the natural process-
es.
The point here is that these beings won’t be allowed to rule
capriciously according to their own desires. They won’t have the
power to simply withhold the cycles of day and night or the sea-
sons. If God were to forget His covenant, then day and night would
not happen in their time ( Jer 33:20). However, God does keep His
covenant both with day and night and with the all the other ordi-
nances of heaven and earth ( Jer 33:25). This is intended to be an
assurance for the covenant people that God will indeed keep His
promises to them ( Jer 33:26). There is however a critical term to
100 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

note here. This preservation of the present order will only last while
the earth remains. Implicit therefore is the reality that material or-
der in its present form isn’t eternal.
Building upon what we have learnt so far, God created the ma-
terial world and Adam with the intention that he and his descen-
dants would ultimately inherit the world to come. Therefore, this
promise of preservation of the natural order must be understood
with that backdrop in mind. Yes, this order is preserved for a time
but its ultimate end looms in the horizon. The preservation of the
created order is not with the intention of redemption or transfor-
mation.
God restates to Noah and his descendants Adam’s mandate to
be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth (Gen 9:1). Inter-
estingly, this restatement omits the command to take dominion,
which was the mandate that bestowed Adam with kingship over
the earth. Dominionists often state that the commandment is im-
plicit in the restatement, i.e. it is true by virtue of the command to
be fruitful and replenish the earth. However, that is a misreading
of the restatement. The earth has changed drastically and is under a
curse. The threat of death and the ultimate destruction of the creat-
ed order still loomed over this new beginning. Moreover, man him-
self is intrinsically sinful so that every attempt at taking dominion
will lead to Babelism as we will explore in Genesis 12. The com-
mand to take dominion is not restated because it is impossible for
Noah’s descendants to fulfil it. This is true of both the righteous
and the unrighteous. The covenant of works was nullified since
Adam had not kept its terms.
We also saw that the dominion man was to exert, had a specific
set of subjects over which he was to rule - all other creatures in the
material world. This relationship is intrinsically changed. The har-
mony between man and animal by which man exerted his king-
ship is replaced with a mutual fear and dread (Gen 9:2). No longer
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 101

will animals be willing subjects of man, they will resist and need
to be subjugated by force or coerced by other means. Harmony is
replaced by struggle and survival instinct. The displacement of the
harmony between man and beast is also revealed in man’s new di-
etary allowance. Along with every herb that was allowed to Adam,
Noah and his descendants can also consume other creatures (Gen
9:3). This is a drastic change in the relationship between man and
beast and rides contrary to the thesis that the command to take do-
minion is implicit in the Noahic covenant.
God institutes here a system of restitution that requires pro-
portional repayment for the shedding of man’s blood. Since man
is made in the image of God, the punishment for killing a human
being is death by another human being (Gen 6:6). This applies to
both men and beasts (Gen 6:5)[9]. This indicates that the image of
God in man is not destroyed. Though significantly marred by the
fall and requiring renewal (Col 3:10), it is not obliterated. Hence,
man is a moral agent, able to make moral decisions. Implicit here is
what is revealed in the New Testament that the law of God is writ-
ten on the heart of every man (Rom 2:14-15). This is why civiliza-
tions of the world, though built for self-aggrandisement and with-
out any divine sanction, are yet able to have some sense of justice
and build a legal system. These systems are deeply flawed and some
are more just than others. Regardless, they are products of fallen
men trying to make sense of the world and build a utopia, fighting
the curse in the here and now. We shouldn't be surprised that fallen
men are able to build such systems nor should we presume that bet-
ter systems imply divine sanction for the human civilizational pro-
ject.
What are the implications of what we have learnt about the
Noahic Covenant insofar as the theology of kingdom is con-
cerned? The omitting of the command to take dominion is indica-
tive that Noah’s descendants will not be builders of the kingdom of
102 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

God. In fact, they will not be kings at all since they are not grant-
ed dominion. This establishes the reality that Adam’s kingdom is
fully under subjugation by Satan and any attempt at taking domin-
ion outside the bounds of God’s kingdom only serves to build Sa-
tan’s kingdom. The covenant with Noah was not about kingship
and priesthood but about survival and preservation while earth re-
maineth. Thus, it was never given to justify the participation of the
godly in the project of human civilization. Moreover, it teaches us
something about the nature of the Christian’s life in this present
world - the Christian lives in this present world and lives under the
same Noahic covenant as the children of the ungodly. However,
they do not participate in the attempts of the ungodly to build an
earthly kingdom.
 Chapter 7: Confusion
and New Hope

T he Great Flood had cleansed the world of all creatures except

for Noah, his household and two of every kind of creature.
The aftermath of the deluge was God’s covenant with Noah and his
descendants to preserve the world and natural order until its final
destruction. Humanity however, had not learnt its lesson. Rather
than accept the curse as their fate, cease from their sins and await
God’s redemption, they would now seek to engage in a project to
build their own Eden, a temple by which they could make a name
for themselves. This carnal impulse to establish utopian religious
and civilizational projects in this age is typified by the Tower of Ba-
bel. In it we see both the continuation of the disinheritance of
Adam’s race and the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption for
Adam’s race.

The Tower of Babel

Not too long after the Great Flood, mankind was slowly re-estab-
lishing itself. The Bible tells us that they spoke the same language
(Gen 11:1), indicative of the unity among the entire human race
just a few generations from Noah. They seem to have lived a no-
madic lifestyle and in one of their journeys find a plain called Shi-
nar, where they would settle (Gen 11:2). At this place they con-

103
104 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

spired to build a city and a tower. Their motivations were threefold

-

1. They desired a city with a tower that would reach heaven

(Gen 11:4a).
2. They wished to make a name for themselves (Gen 11:4b).
3. They did not wish to be scattered on the face of the earth
(Gen 11:4c).

We tend to read the stories of the Bible and the motivations

of the peoples from those times with a lot of 21st century cultural
baggage. An example of such baggage would be the oft repeated Ba-
bel story in Sunday schools where we are told that these men were
seeking to build a tower that would literally reach heaven. While
indeed that would have been a demonstration of their arrogance,
the reality is far more sinister. Recollect how God often appeared
in His physical presence on mountains, a reflection of the high place
of God’s existence. Likewise, we saw that Eden was a temple and
was on a mountain. The later Jewish temple would also be on a
mountain. Mountains were the place where the celestial met the
material and the ancient mind would always connect a high place
with a temple or sacred space.
What these men were engaging in was not the building of a
tower that would literally reach heaven. Rather, they were building
a temple or a high place. They were literally building what we call a
ziggurat - a pyramid like temple structure that resembled a moun-
tain. They wanted to build their own Eden on earth rather than
wait for the promised Son of Eve. In essence they were sanctifying
their own civilizational dreams by granting it divine sanction. Ba-
bel was intended to be the successor of Eden, a holy mountain. In
their mind, they would ascend this man-made holy mountain on
their own accord and thus become elohim or gods - the promise
Satan made to Eve in the garden.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 105

Another motivation of theirs should not be glossed over. They

desired to seek the aid of the elohim to achieve their Edenic dreams.
It would have been quite evident to them that Jehovah would not
acquiesce to their demands. The memory of the flood was still fresh
in the minds of the young human race and they would have heard
stories from Noah and his sons about the old world, the elohim and
their descendants - the nephilim. If God wouldn’t let them build
their own kingdom, they could always forge alliances with other ce-
lestial beings. This is evidenced in the fact that the Bible reminds
us that the union of angels with women and the resulting Nephilim
giants was a phenomenon that continued post-flood (Gen 6:4).
Their seeking to make a name for themselves was a desire to
build a lasting kingdom. A human kingdom that would circumvent
the curse and build dominion through the material order. Heb
11:16 says of the saints of the Old Testament - “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.” How-
ever, to these apostates, the city they desired was a city they would
build and not one that God would build for them. They were con-
vinced that they could indeed fulfil the creation mandate and be-
come kings and priests. This would mean that in Shinar, they were
seeking to re-establish an Adamic kingdom with its own holy
mountain with the aid of the elohim.
The people’s desire to not be scattered is often understood by
modern readers as a failure to keep the creation mandate. Rather,
their desire to settle down in Shinar showed that their hope was no
longer on Jehovah but in themselves. Rather than await the King-
dom of God, they would rather build a counterfeit with their own
hands. They sought to push back against the curse that hung over
the created order, forgetting that the curse foreshadows the ulti-
mate destruction of Satan’s kingdom. The curse is not something
to fight against because it is imposed by God as punishment for
106 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

the sins of Adam and Satan. In embarking on their civilizational

and religious project they were rebelling against the punishment
imposed by God on the created order. In other words, this is one
of the primordial lusts that tempted Eve - humanity can be the
masters of their own destiny by fighting back against the God or-
dained curse. They can find their purpose, meaning and direction
by engaging in cultural, religious and civilizational works in this
present world. This threefold desire of seeking divinity, seeking to
build an Adamic kingdom and seeking to be the master of one’s
own destiny can be called the Babel Impulse. This impulse forms
the backbone of the human civilizational project.
Jehovah descends from His throne and finds mankind in their
rebellion, hearkening back to the days of Adam in Eden when God
caught him trying to hide and cover his shame. A united mankind
in rebellion would do many deeds of evil and violence as they did
prior to the Flood. Moreover, their unity would lead to the de-
struction of those who desired to be faithful. Consider if there was
one faithful man in the days of Babel. To be faithful to God, he
would have to reject the Babel project. This would either lead to
ostracization and lonely exile or outright death at the hands of the
rebels who were serving other gods. Therefore, God decides that
man should not be allowed to be united lest they begin engaging
in their vile imaginations without restraint (Gen 11:6). So, the lan-
guage of man is confused and they are forced to abandon their
project and are scattered into the world according to their nations
(Gen 11:9, Gen 10).

Cosmic Divisions
The implication of this scattering is far more than meets the eye.
We read about this in the words of the Song of Moses in Deuteron-
omy 32. In verses 8 and 9, we read -
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 107

“8 When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance,

when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people
according to the number of the children of Israel.
9 For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheri-
tance.”
We can be certain that this refers to the division of nations at
Babel, for nations did not exist prior to it and that is explicitly stat-
ed when the Text says that mankind was one people (Gen 11:6).
God divided the nations and gave them an inheritance, indicative
of the theme of monarchy and rulership that was Adam’s initial
destiny. The boundaries of the peoples were decided according to
the number of the children (sons) of Israel.
There are interpretative differences in what exactly the term
sons of Israel means. The Septuagint and Masoretic Text differ in
their usage of this term. The Masoretic Text reads children or more
accurately sons of Israel (the Hebrew word ben is masculine and
refers to a son or grandson) while the Septuagint reads angels of
God. The Dead Sea Scrolls read sons of God. The internal evidence
of the Text plainly supports the angels of God, or the sons of God
view and the Masoretic Text’s usage of sons of Israel doesn’t contra-
dict this. Israel literally means El (God) perseveres or El who perse-
veres. The name was bestowed upon Jacob to indicate that he was
now a representative of El on Earth after he wrestled with the An-
gel of the Lord and overcame (Gen 32:25-31). This is simply an ex-
ample of imaging God. By persevering (by the grace of God) over
the Angel of God, Jacob had imperfectly imaged one of God’s at-
tributes, perseverance.
Therefore, the sons of Israel can be literally translated as the sons
of El who perseveres, i.e the title of God. We see this kind of us-
age often in the Old Testament. God is called El Shaddai (God
who is Almighty), El Elyon (God who is Most High) and El Olam
(God who is Everlasting). We also see similar themes in the heav-
108 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

enly realm where God Himself has named angels like Michael (like
El) and Gabriel (El my strength). This makes even more sense when
we consider that when God divided the nations, Israel did not exist.
Jacob wasn’t even born. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense that the
nations were divided according to their number. Moreover, Jacob
had twelve sons and we know with certainty there are at least sev-
enty national groupings listed in the table of nations in Genesis 10.
Rather, the nations were divided according to the number of the
sons of God or elohim who already existed. In another example of
how God ordains the material to reflect the celestial, national Israel
under Moses later had seventy elders (Exo 24:1-2), indicating that
God was organising his earthly family in accordance with his heav-
enly family. As we will see in more detail later, this is God’s revealed
plan that his earthly sons would replace his heavenly sons who re-
belled against Him.
What is happening in the Babel account is that mankind is
handed over to the fallen elohim. They had abandoned the One
True God to set up their own religion, pursue their lusts and build
an earthly kingdom. Therefore, God hands them over to their de-
pravity, allotting to the elohim territories and peoples. God would
no longer be the God of Adam and his sons, but they would serve
other gods. Instead of being imagers of God, they would now be
imagers of the fallen elohim. In other words, this is a repeat of the
Genesis 6 incident where men and elohim form a coalition to cre-
ate their own Edenic project.
In v9, we see that God however set apart for Himself a particu-
lar people, the Israelites, who are called His people and His inher-
itance. This is presented as an antithesis to the inheritance of the
sons of God. While the sons of Adam would belong to the elohim,
Israel would belong to God alone. While the sons of Adam would
more and more conform to the image of other gods, the Israelites
would be renewed in the image of Jehovah, their God. While the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 109

sons of Adam would worship other gods, the Israelites would wor-
ship only Jehovah.
This understanding of Babel is made even more plain in
Deuteronomy 4:19-20. There we read -
“19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou
seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven,
shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord
thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
20 But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the
iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance,
as ye are this day.”
As we have already seen, God had delegated the governance of
natural processes through the sun, the moon and the stars (host
of heaven) to various angelic beings. Moses states that God gave
the nations as an inheritance to these beings. The word chalaq (di-
vide) is used in the context of a division of inheritance. Therefore,
the sons of God received their inheritance in the nations that will-
ingly served them, but God redeemed for Himself a people to be
his own inheritance. The emphasis of v20 is God’s deliverance of
the people from Egypt, i.e. they were delivered from the clutches
of elohim to become God’s people. As we have already seen, the
Bible teaches that God executed judgement on the gods of Egypt in
the ten plagues (Exo 12:12) and similar instances in the prophets
where judgements are called upon specifically named gods. This
refers both to the elohim and also lesser celestial beings that serve
them[10]– i.e. the entire Egyptian pantheon, from the household
gods to the major deities.
The division at Babel was not only restricted to people groups
but to land territories themselves. As we see in Deut 32:8, the very
bounds or territorial extensions of the nations were determined at
Babel. Interpreting that along with what we see in Deut 4:19-20,
we can conclude that the elohim were granted territorial allotments
110 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

along with being allotted nations or peoples to rule over. In con-

trast to this, God sanctified and set apart the land of Canaan for
Himself. The land itself was to be His covenantal possession and
under His divine government while the rest of the world would
be governed by the elohim. In other words, the kingdom of God
would exist within the bounds of Canaan while the rest of the
world would belong to the elohim.
God’s Kingdom like any kingdom is tied to its territory so
when we seek to understand the nature and extent of the Kingdom
of God in this age, it is important to ask the question of what ex-
actly is the territory God has separated for Himself. The land of
Canaan was fully subjected to God’s laws and every action taken
within the territory was holy, contributing to the building of the
Kingdom of God. This was not true of the other nations of the
world and their territories. To be in subjection to God and His
laws, they had to renounce allegiance to their nation and become
part of Jehovah’s nation (Esth 9:27).
This idea of a territory belonging to Jehovah is revealed in sev-
eral Biblical passages. We see this in Biblical thinking when David
states that Saul’s men have driven him out from abiding in the in-
heritance of the Lord. He equates this to them saying, Go, serve oth-
er gods (1 Sam 26:19). This is an interesting connection. According
to David, to be driven away from Jehovah’s territory was effectively
to be cast out of the realm in which He was worshipped and con-
signed one to the mercy of other gods. This is very similar to Naa-
man’s recognition that Jehovah had to be worshipped in the sacred
space of Jehovah. Similarly, we see that the priests of Dagan’s tem-
ple would not enter the temple of their god after the idol of their
god was found damaged and prostrated before the ark of God. The
symbolism is clear - Dagan was bowing before the mercy seat of Je-
hovah (which was on the ark). The priests of Dagan saw the tem-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 111

ple grounds as having been conquered by Jehovah and therefore re-

fused to enter it (1 Sam 5:1-5).
We see that God divided the nations and allotted them to other
gods along with territories. At the time of Old Testament Israel,
God claimed for himself the territory of Canaan while Satan and
his angels ruled the rest. This idea of each nation being allotted elo-
him plays itself out in various ways. Just like the sons of God dur-
ing the days of Noah who gave humanity forbidden knowledge and
increased sin on the earth, these territorial spirits guide their own
nations and lead them according to their own ambitions and pur-
poses. Broadly speaking they fall under the banner of Satan’s king-
dom. However, their unity is primarily in opposing the kingdom of
God. In other aspects they continue to further their own interests
and agendas. One of their goals has always been to recreate human-
ity in their image as we saw in the Genesis 6 episode. This can ex-
plain why various cultures have developed in diverging ways, excel
in different aspects and can be prone to specific sins. This reflects
these elohim and their own individual characteristics and fallen na-
ture. Two common themes can be observed in how they have guid-
ed humanity throughout history. Firstly, we see that they engage in
deception. This can be seen in the common thread of how the re-
ligions of the world share many common themes that draw from
the truth but embellish them. Secondly, we see a desire to deface
the image of God in man. They accomplish this by promoting vio-
lence whether by wars or sacrifices and sexual immorality whether
by explicitly immoral behaviour or encouraging adultery through
divorce and remarriage[11].
These elohim are also vying for power with each other. Each of
them desires for their own holy mountain to have absolute domin-
ion over the present world and to be a challenger to God’s king-
dom. The best example of this is in Dan 10:13,20 where we read
about the prince or sa’ar of Persia. Clearly this is not an earthly king
112 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

but an entity that withstood the angel Gabriel and battled with
the sa’ar Michael. This is the territorial spirit assigned to the na-
tion of Persia and thus, responsible to administer and guide that
nation. This entity is very likely the embodiment of Ahura Mazda,
the chief deity of the Persians. This sa’ar of Persia continues to wage
war against Gabriel and Michael but Gabriel prophesies a future
confrontation between the sa’ar of Persia and the sa’ar of Greece.
This sa’ar of Greece is very likely the embodiment of Greece’s chief
god, Zeus. This was prophesied much before Greece was anything
of an empire. It was simply a collection of city states that would
have been considered barbaric by the Persians.
Interestingly, while both these beings are in opposition to
God’s kingdom, represented by the sa’ar Michael, they also wage
war against each other. These spirits guide the nations in their own
image, creating the distinct cultures of the Greece and the Persia.
The future clash of these empires is an outworking of the clash be-
tween these entities, each hoping that their earthly people will im-
age their dominion and conquer the other. In essence, these spirits
increase the judgement of the nations by leading them further away
from God and opposing His purposes in history. We cannot spec-
ulate into the inner workings of how these entities govern the na-
tions but it's safe to say that the Bible lays out for us the picture that
they do. Their battles in the spiritual realm are reflected by the bat-
tles between nations and empires in the material realm. This is an-
other good indication of how the material and spiritual world are
deeply interlinked. Even though the materialistic mind can only see
the earthly battle of two empires, the spiritual mind can perceive
unseen forces at play behind material realities.
Even though most States in the modern world claim to be sec-
ular or irreligious, they follow the religion of Secular Humanism.
This religion too has its gods and rituals. The Bible doesn’t por-
tray these gods as regularly manifesting themselves and asserting
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 113

their dominance. Rather, their presence is largely manifested as an

invisible hand that guides the character and values of a nation. In
other words, they work in the background influencing societies to
conform to their image. It’s irrelevant to these beings that they
aren’t directly worshipped in societies that follow religions like Sec-
ular Humanism or Communism. Yet, societies that follow such re-
ligions still image their gods. We see its outworking in the ram-
pant greed, sexual immorality, totalitarianism and violence that be-
comes entrenched in culture. The influence of these gods is not on-
ly seen in societies that practice visible abominations like human
sacrifice. It is also evident in societies where abominations like for-
nication, divorce, abortion, slavery and racism are entrenched.
Nations were not intended to be part of the natural order even
though they serve a providential purpose. The original intention
was for mankind to be one people under one God, bearing His im-
age and exercising rule as one people over the earth. This is implicit
in how the Bible understands kingdom - a kingdom has one nation
or people. Nations therefore were created because of God’s curse
against man’s rebellion. Providentially God restrains the wicked-
ness of sinful men through the scattering at Babel. This scattering
causes a plethora of kingdoms to develop according to the number
of the elohim.
This happens for a couple of reasons. Firstly, nations guided
by their elohim are often striving against each other and therefore
are limited in their ability to unite in rebellion against God and
His kingdom. Babel frustrates attempts at creating a united front
against the children of God. Secondly, since the nations are under
elohim who rule them unjustly (Psa 82:2), the people of God’s in-
heritance can serve as a beacon of righteousness and justice, bearing
witness against their sins and their false gods, thereby causing them
to desire God and His people. This is exactly what Paul is refer-
ring to in Acts 17:26-27 - “And hath made of one blood all nations
114 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined
the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That
they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find
him, though he be not far from every one of us”. The context of Paul’s
preaching is his grieving over the idolatry of Athens since they fol-
low these false gods. Even in their disinheritance, God wasn’t far
from the sons of Adam and it was His hope that they would seek af-
ter Him when they saw the wickedness and injustice of their gods.
It is important here to note that the division at Babel doesn’t
end the Babel impulse in mankind. It only frustrates it. The Babel
impulse isn’t about building towers but simply the desire of man
to rebuild Adam’s Edenic kingdom instead of awaiting the king-
dom of God. To this end they engage in great civilizational pro-
jects. At Shinar, they were able to engage in a universal project that
could use all of mankind. However, after Babel, the divisions be-
tween various groups of mankind and the territorial assignments to
the elohim makes such a universal Babel quite difficult to accom-
plish.

The Abrahamic Covenant

The context of the rebellion and scattering at Babel provides the
background for God’s covenant with Abraham. It is in this context,
that God calls Abraham, an idolator out from his country and
his people to follow God (Gen 12:1) and makes a covenant with
him. Unlike the covenants we have seen thus far, the Abrahamic
Covenant is unilateral or unconditional. God promises Abraham
that He will make of him a great nation (Gen 12:2) and that
through him, all families of the earth will be blessed (Gen 12:3).
The covenant is ratified in Genesis 15 where God provides a sign by
passing through the carcasses as a burning lamp (Gen 15:17) and
expanded upon in Gen 17:5-8.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 115

A Promised King
As we have already seen, God had already showed that redemption
for Adam’s race would come through the promised Seed of Eve.
This promise now would be narrowed down to a very particular
people who would preserve the line of the promised Seed. Just as
the Sethites preserved that line in the old world, the descendants
of Abraham would preserve the line in the post-diluvian world. We
see this in Gen 17:6, that says - “And I will make thee exceeding
fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of
thee”. While this might seem like a generic promise pertaining to
his descendants, the covenant is primarily reckoned to thy seed after
thee (Gen 17:7). As we will see later, the writers of the New Testa-
ment understood this usage of Seed in the singular as referring to
Christ (Gal 3:16).
One incident in Abraham’s life is particularly telling about how
the promises of the Abrahamic covenant point to the kingship of
Christ and His kingdom. In Gen 14, we read about Abraham’s
victory over several kings. After this incident a mysterious figure
named Melchizedek the king of Salem appears and blesses Abra-
ham, recognizing that Abraham was set apart by the Most High
God (Gen 14:18). This king brings out bread and wine and offers it
to Abraham. This is a foreshadowing of Christ Himself who would
offer His own body (bread) and blood (wine) to deliver His peo-
ple. The name Melchizedek means king of Righteousness and he
was the king of Salem or peace (shalom). These are both titles that
would later be attributed to Christ Himself.

A Promised High Priest

The Bible shows us that Melchizedek was not just a king, he was
also a priest. Therefore, just like Adam, he was a priest-king.
Melchizedek calls God’s blessings upon Abraham (Gen 14:19) and
receives a tithe from him (Gen 14:20). This is not a theme missed
116 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

by the authors of the Bible. The Psalmist, prophesying of Christ,

declares Him to be a priest in the order of Melchizedek (Ps 110:4,
Heb 7:21), i.e he will be a priest and a king. The author of Hebrews
lays out this theme in detail in Heb 7 and we will consider it in
detail later lest we get ahead of ourselves. That said, we see that
the Abrahamic covenant prefigured the kingship and priesthood of
Christ, who would be a priest in the order of Melchizedek and the
King of Righteousness and Peace. Melchizedek therefore prefig-
ured Christ in the Abrahamic Covenant and the symbolism associ-
ated with him (bread, wine, blessings, righteousness, peace) strong-
ly resemble what Christ Himself would represent in His kingdom.

A Promised Nation
A critical detail of this covenant is that God will grant Abraham’s
descendants the holy land (Gen 12:7, Gen 15:18). The significance
of this covenant is understood in the context of Babel. The sons
of Adam were disinherited and handed over to Satan but God was
preserving a nation for Himself. Even though God divided the na-
tions as a curse, He Providentially determined to use the sons of
Abraham as a means to draw the sons of Adam to His nation. God
didn’t choose Abraham because He had abandoned Adam, rather
He chose Abraham and his descendants to be a light to the nations
(Isa 49:6). God’s nation was to call Adam’s nations to repentance
and to seek God’s kingdom, fleeing their subjugation under Satan’s
yoke. It is important here to note that the promise was given to
Isaac and not to all descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it applies
particularly to the people of Israel, which would be one of the na-
tions that descended from Abraham.

A Promised Territory
The land promise given to Abraham needs to be understood in
the context of what we have learnt about holy ground and sacred
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 117

space as it serves an important purpose in redemptive history. In

Gen 15:18, we read - “In the same day the Lord made a covenant
with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the
river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates”. Why is the
land of Israel called the holy land? It is called so because God
set it apart for His redemptive purposes. As we have seen earlier,
holy ground is associated with the presence of God (Exo 3:5, Exo
19:12) and His worship (2 Kin 5:17). This helps us understand
the context of God’s Kingdom. Anyone with an ancient worldview
would understand a kingdom as consisting of a ruler, a domain
and subjects. God’s redemptive kingdom revealed in the Abraham-
ic promise therefore consists of a ruler - God Himself, a domain -
the holy land of Israel and subjects - the Israelites. This structure of
the redemptive kingdom is revealed throughout Scripture. Specif-
ically, since God is not an earthly ruler and is therefore to be wor-
shipped and because His presence is holiness, His domain is also
holy ground.
We had also seen that holy ground serves as the antithesis to
cursed ground. While the cursed ground is marked for destruction,
holy ground is something that is being redeemed. It could be
tempting therefore to see the Abrahamic land promise as being
eternal, but that would be to misunderstand the Scriptures and a
failure to grasp the context that the Apostles taught in the New
Testament. The Old Testament promises and laws were a shadow
of things to come (Col 2:17, Heb 10:1). The land given to Abra-
ham and the Israelites didn’t change its material properties, i.e they
were still under the curse. They are part of an order that is doomed
to pass away. Rather the land promises look forward to the New
Covenant where the context of these promises will change from
land to human bodies and souls. We will consider the details of it
later. For now, it is sufficient to see that the redemptive kingdom
manifests itself with a priest-king, territory and nation.
118 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

A Promised Holy War

An interesting motif in the Abrahamic covenant is the promise that
His descendants would be like the stars in the heavens (Gen 15:5,
22:17). Since we are given to materialistic thinking, we tend to
think this is poetic language referencing the number of Abraham’s
descendants. While that is certainly one of the implications, the
promise goes deeper. The ancient mind always associated the stars
with celestial beings that were worshipped. Therefore, when God
promises Abraham that His descendants will be like the stars, the
primary implication is that His descendants will one day be like the
sons of God who are in Jehovah’s divine council.
It isn’t just that Abraham’s descendants will be like the sons of
God. In fact, they will replace the fallen sons of God in the divine
council. This is what we see in Gen 22:17, where God promises
Abraham that his descendants will be multiplied as the stars of the
heaven and his Seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. This promise
is a continuation of the protoevangelium of Gen 3:16. It is a de-
claration of war against the rebellious stars of the divine council.
The Seed of the woman was declared in the garden. The Abraham-
ic Covenant reveals that the Seed would be a Descendant of Abra-
ham and He shall possess the gate of his enemies. Thus, the Serpent’s
kingdom would be destroyed and God’s heavenly sons would be re-
placed by His human sons.
Paul teaches us very plainly how to interpret the Abrahamic
promises. The promises of God cannot be perceived without eyes
of faith. The Abrahamic covenant is a redemptive promise for
God’s people both Jews and Gentiles. In Galatians 3:16, Paul says
- “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith
not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is
Christ.” In other words, the Abrahamic promises were looking for-
ward to Jesus Christ, the Seed of the woman who would crush the
head of the serpent. Therefore, Paul is able to confidently assert to
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 119

the Galatian believers - “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's

seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:29).
The Abrahamic promise foreshadowed the New Covenant
promises in Jesus Christ. While mankind had become the property
of the gods of the nations, God was redeeming His own people to
be His forever. These people would be descendants of Abraham,
but not of ethnicity, but following his faith in the promises of God.
The key takeaway here is that the promises of God are perceived
through faith. In other words, this is an example of a typological
promise. The promises given to Abraham include land promises to
an earthly ethnic group. Yet through the Spirit, Paul was able to
perceive these promises as being about Christ. The earthly fulfil-
ment was typological, the ultimate fulfilment was in Christ.
In fact, the author of Hebrews asserts that Abraham himself
wasn’t awaiting the earthly fulfilment of his children inheriting
Canaan, he looked forward to the heavenly city of God (Heb
11:9-10). Therefore, the earthly promise can be considered a typol-
ogy or sign of the ultimate promise. The earthly fulfilment of the
Abrahamic promises in Canaan and the nation of Israel are a sign
to us that we might believe the ultimate heavenly promise will al-
so be fulfilled. We seriously err if we make the earthly promises the
centrepiece or theme of the Bible. This is an important concept as
we seek to understand the redemptive kingdom.
There are many Christians, particularly those that are Dispen-
sationalists, that claim that the earthly aspects of the Abrahamic
promises were unfulfilled. This is a problematic position to build
a theological system on because the Bible explicitly teaches us that
all the earthly promises given to Abraham and Moses were indeed
fulfilled. We will not get into much detail but consider this verse
- “And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give
unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein” ( Josh
21:43). The Text plainly shows that God already fulfilled the land
120 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

promises given to Abraham and we shouldn’t look for a future ful-

filment. This is further emphasised in Josh 23:14 we read - “And,
behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in
all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed
of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you;
all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.”
Likewise, the physical promise of descendants (though the promise
is primarily referring to Christ and the Church) was also fulfilled.
The author of the Book of I Kings says - “Judah and Israel were
many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drink-
ing, and making merry” (1 King 4:20). The author intentionally us-
es the language God used in Gen 22:17, indicating that any phys-
ical implications of God’s promises were already fulfilled. Under-
standing this is critical to see that God’s plan has always been to
have one covenant people under Him. Moreover, ignoring these re-
alities makes us miss the spiritual nature of God’s promises and how
the earthly fulfilments were intended to be signs for our assurance
that we will receive the full measure of what was promised.

The Abrahamic Covenant and Antithesis

The covenant with Abraham can be contrasted with the Noahic
Covenant because it is specific. It does not concern all men, rather
it specifically concerns Abraham and his descendants. Unlike the
Noahic Covenant it is religious in nature and calls for Abraham’s
descendants to be distinct from the people around them. This es-
tablishes a principle that we have seen already drawn upon prior to
Abraham, that God’s people are in antithesis or opposition to the
people of the world. They are to be a distinct people and to serve
their God. This distinction was to be in both worship and ordinary
practice.
Therefore, we see Abraham and his descendants live in antithe-
sis with the people around them in some very specific ways. The
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 121

fulcrum of this antithesis was their belief in the promises of God.

Since God had promised Abraham a king, a priesthood, a nation
and a land, he could not settle down among the pagans around
him. This lifestyle can be summarised in Genesis 13:18 - “Then
Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mam-
re, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.”
Firstly, Abraham lived in a tent. This indicated that he believed
that his present dwelling was not permanent. Even though he lived
in the land God promised him, he knew that the fulfilment of that
promise would not be in his lifetime and therefore he believed in
God and did not settle down. This pilgrim lifestyle is set forth
as an example for us to follow by the author of Hebrews - “By
faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country,
dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of
the same promise” (Heb 11:9). Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all
heirs of God’s promise and yet they dwelt in the land of typological
promise as if it were a strange country. It is not the specifics of living
in a tent that matters as much as what it signifies. It signified that
till the consummation of the promise one wouldn’t reap its physi-
cal benefits. In other words, to be a pilgrim is not to specifically live
in a tent but to adopt the lifestyle of being an outsider and recog-
nizing that this form of things is passing away.
Secondly, we see that Abraham built an altar. An altar was a
raised structure on which one offered sacrifices to God. In other
words, it was religious in nature. Altars served as places of con-
secrations and worship, a place where men offered to God that
which He had demanded. Abraham’s antithesis was profoundly
marked by religious service and sacrifice. His antithesis had a pur-
pose, which was to establish a people who would belong to God
and worship God. Therefore, living in tents is not an end in and
of itself because there were other nomadic peoples in those times.
However, what distinguished Abraham from other nomads was his
122 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

altars built to God. We too build altars today, Paul says in Rom
12:1 - “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service.” The Christian altar is to offer one’s whole
self in service to God.
The Bible presents mixing with the people of the world in
a very negative light - something that always leads to some kind
of tragic sin. Consider the case of Jacob’s daughter Dinah, whom
we are told went out to spend time with Canaanite women (Gen
34:1). This seemingly insignificant detail resulted in her engaging
in fornication with the prince of the Hivites and ultimately the
slaughter of an entire city by her brothers to avenge her defilement.
The motif is that when the covenant people forget their calling to
separation and mix with the people of the world, bad things hap-
pen.

Two-Kingdoms
While showing that these close connections between the covenant
people and the world have negative consequences, the Bible also
shows us that interactions with the people of the world are in-
escapable and that one must act with wisdom in these interactions.
The patriarchs did not always act in wisdom and in ways pleasing to
God in such interactions. The Bible notes these interactions for us
so that we might both be wary of the snare of the world and learn
from their mistakes to live godly lives in our interactions with the
world.
This framework in which the people of God are called to sep-
aration from the people of the world while yet being in the world
has been historically referred to as Two-Kingdoms Theology. While
different people hold to this position to different degrees, the basis
of this framework is that God’s people live in two different king-
doms. On the one hand, they are children of God and are being
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 123

redeemed as part of His Redemptive Kingdom, on the other hand

they need to live ordinary lives in a fallen world that has been given
over to corruption and is passing away.
In other words, there are aspects of the Christian’s life that
contribute to the building of the Kingdom of God and there are
aspects that do not. Worship and consecration serve as the basis
through which God builds His Kingdom through those He calls
out of the world. At the same time ordinary functions of life that
Abraham engaged in like raising his herd, determining the logistics
of his nomadic household, trading with his pagan neighbours, liv-
ing peaceably in settlements that didn’t worship God and other
such things were not an end in and of themselves but tools of king-
dom building.
Abraham wasn’t building the Kingdom of God when the num-
ber of his herds of cattle increased nor when he secured a
favourable trade with his neighbours. These things were useful to
preserve himself and survive in the world, but they weren’t them-
selves aspects of kingdom building. The promises of God were in
the context of the redemptive kingdom and not the kingdom of the
world. Therefore, we don’t see explicit regulations on Abraham’s ac-
tivities in the world. There certainly were ethical implications that
came as a consequence of being a Jehovah worshipper. These impli-
cations would work out in Abraham’s interactions with the world,
but as a system the world was not part of the Redemptive King-
dom.
Two-Kingdoms theology also has broader implications. It
shows us that while God is the Sovereign of the entire created or-
der, there is a distinction between His universal dominion and His
redemptive kingdom. We see this in the establishment of the Abra-
hamic covenant. God rules over all His creation but there is a spe-
cial way in which He rules over Abraham and his children. This is a
pattern that we see revealed in all the Bible.
124 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

The kingdom of this world can also be called the realm of Prov-
idence. Unlike His redemptive kingdom, God exercises His reign
in the realm of Providence through various means. He established
various natural principles that govern the functioning of the creat-
ed order ( Jer 33:25). He divided the nations as an inheritance to
the sons of God (Deut 4:19-20, Deut 32:8-9). He causes the sun to
shine and the rain to fall on the righteous and unrighteous alike
(Matt 5:45). Therefore, God doesn’t even permit fallen angels who
govern the natural world to act on their own accord. This realm of
Providence is concerned with the common good, not redemption.
God preserves the present world, delaying the ultimate judgement
of the gods and the rebellious sons of Adam. God raises up nations
and humbles them ( Job 12:23). He raises rulers and brings them
down (Dan 2:21).
Interestingly, Abraham and his descendants are never com-
manded to work towards the common good of this kingdom.
Rather, in every instance where they seek to work with the citizens
of that kingdom, they are seduced by it and often abandon the
principles of righteous living in the kingdom of God. Abraham and
his descendants were to trust Providence and dwell in the king-
dom of the world as strangers belonging to the kingdom of God.
These dual aspects of living in tents - signifying a pilgrim lifestyle
and building altars - signifying religious separation form the back-
bone for the antithesis of strangers living in a world that is passing
away. It is both an acknowledgement of the temporal nature of the
present order and a confession of faith in the fulfilment of God’s
promises.

A Remnant and Apostates

There is a specific remnant theme that we see drawn in both
Deuteronomy 32 and Deuteronomy 4. Even though the majority
of the sons of Adam would serve other gods, God would preserve
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 125

for Himself one nation as His own inheritance. The point being
that God preserves for Himself a people, by His sovereign will and
calls them out of the nations of the world so that they will not fol-
low the ways of the nations and their idolatries but serve God ac-
cording to His commandments.
A peripheral theme that would be important to build upon is
the one on apostasy. As we have seen earlier, this is a constant theme
in Scripture and this place is no exception. Just a few generations
and probably around a hundred years from Noah, all of mankind
had become idolators, having forsaken God. Noah was a righteous
man, a preacher of righteousness and faithful to God and His com-
mandments. Even so, all his descendants at this place in history had
abandoned God to follow other gods. Faithfulness and righteous-
ness don’t imply that things go as one desires in a cursed and fallen
order. Apostasy and rebellion will be constant themes in this mate-
rial order, even from the households of godly men and women. The
constant reminder of Scriptures is that we set our hope in the world
to come.
 Chapter 8: Redemptive
Kingdom Structure in
the Old Covenant

W e have already seen that an earthly kingdom consists of a

king who represents a spiritual entity downwards, a priest
who represents the people upwards, a nation or people and a terri-
tory. This provides the framework to understanding how God’s
kingdom was structured in the Old Covenant. It is important to
understand why the kingdom was structured in the way it was and
its implications to us Christians in the New Covenant. Some of the
concepts have already been introduced, particularly that of typolo-
gy. The Old Testament was never made to be a standalone. It is a
part of a complete narrative, a grand symphony of redemption. We
become prone to falling for Jewish dreams when we fail to read the
Old Testament in the light of the New.

The Mosaic and Davidic Covenants

The typological nature of the Old Covenant implies that it reflects
aspects of what things will be like in the future. These are not to be
viewed through our eyes of flesh but through the eyes of the Spir-
it, i.e through the New Testament. The structure of God’s kingdom
has never changed from Adam till today, but the form is different
because the types and shadows of the Old Testament were fulfilled
in Jesus Christ. Therefore, learning to look for these types in the
126
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 127

Old Testament helps us to better understand the substance in the

New Testament.
Dominionists often make parallels to the Christian calling to-
day and that of Israel in the Old. Therefore, we must understand
why God ordained Israel to establish an earthly kingdom in a fallen
order and wage holy war against the Canaanites. Often, they ex-
trapolate the law and promises of the Old Covenant to nations of
today. We are told that we are to exercise dominion or gain influ-
ence in nations today in obedience to the creation mandate. Israel’s
dominion over the holy land is often the benchmark for these theo-
logical positions. We are told that we are to make each nation faith-
ful to Christ just as Israel was called to be faithful in the Old. These
positions however fail to understand the significance of what Israel
and the Mosaic economy were pointing to and therefore conflate
Christ’s spiritual kingdom with carnal manifestations of Babel pro-
jects. In other words, failing to understand the kingdom of God
can lead to some serious errors.
It would be impossible to understand the Old Testament with-
out considering the Mosaic Covenant, i.e., the covenant God made
with the people of Israel in Sinai (Exod 19-24). It serves as the
backdrop and theme of the Kingdom of God in the Old Testament.
This covenant was specifically between God and the children of
Israel (Exod 19:3-5). Therefore, the covenant and its stipulations
must be understood in that context.
The central purpose of the Mosaic Covenant is summarised in
Exodus 19:6 - “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and
an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the
children of Israel.” In essence God is building on the Abrahamic
Covenant where He set apart Abraham’s descendants for Himself,
unlike the nations. The nature of that separation is ratified in a
more formal structure in the Mosaic Covenant. Firstly, the Is-
raelites were to be a kingdom of priests. The phraseology is reminis-
128 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

cent of Eden. Recollect how Adam was to be a priest-king in the

earth, ruling as God’s vassal and tending and working the garden (a
temple) as a priest.
Secondly, we see that they were to be a holy nation. We often as-
sociate the term holiness with purity and that isn’t incorrect. More
precisely though holiness is a covenantal separation for specific or
religious use. When we say that God is holy, we mean that He is un-
like us, distinct from us and set apart from us. Likewise, to be a holy
nation, the Israelites had to be unlike, distinct and set apart from
the nations around them.
The Mosaic Covenant covers the elements of domain and a
people, central to kingdom identity, but it only briefly covers the
aspect of headship in a kingdom, which is the domain of a king.
The covenant God made with king David covers this aspect of the
redemptive kingdom. God promises David that He will establish
the throne of his Descendant forever and ever (1 Chron 17:11-14,
2 Chron 6:16).
The covenant is summarised in 1 Chronicles 17:11-14 -
“11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou
must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee,
which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for
ever.
13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take
my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:
14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for
ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.”
The purpose therefore of this covenant was to establish an ever-
lasting monarchy through the line of David. Unlike the conditional
monarchy of Saul, David’s Descendant would always sit on the
throne of Israel. Unlike national Israel that would ultimately fail,
David’s Descendant would rule an everlasting kingdom.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 129

The Davidic Line as Kings

The Israelites were not to desire a king like the nations around
them. This was because they already had a King - God Himself
ruled as King over the Israelites. They were His people and His
possession. Moreover, their desire for a king stemmed from a rejec-
tion of God’s purpose and desire for conformity with the nations
around them (1 Sam 8:5). In fact, the Israelite desire for a human
king is revealed to be a rejection of their Divine King to follow the
other gods (1 Sam 8:7-8). The desire for a king is explicitly called
out as evil by Samuel (1 Sam 12:17)[12]. Yet, God already knew
that the Israelites would desire a king and therefore made provi-
sions for it in the Mosaic Law (Deut 17:14-15), regulating the hu-
man king and his power.
God in His infinite wisdom established a typological monar-
chy in David and his descendants. This would be an inferior monar-
chy compared to the one Christ Himself would embody; in that it
was a monarchy that was divested of the authority of priesthood.
The monarch was to be of the tribe of Judah while the priesthood
was granted to the tribe of Levi. Thus, these two great offices of up-
ward and downward representation were separated during the Old
Covenant. David would be a king but not a priest.

The Aaronic Line as Priests

We have seen how Adam himself served as a priest and a represen-
tative of his descendants before God. He did this while yet serv-
ing as a representative king of the Most High God. In the Old
Covenant as we have seen, God separated the role of king and
priest. The kingship belonged to Judah while the priesthood would
belong to the Aaronic line of the tribe of Levi. The priests worked
in religious duties in a system of worship that revolved around a
tabernacle or temple. As we have seen earlier this temple or taber-
130 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

nacle was designed in a manner very similar to Eden - i.e., it was to

be God’s sacred space and throne room on earth. Priesthood is an
aspect of religious worship. Therefore, the Levitical priesthood was
concerned with the worship of Jehovah, according to His prescrip-
tions. God specifically called Aaron and his descendants, who were
of the tribe of Levi to be priests in the covenant body (Ex 28:1-3).
The role of the Levitical priesthood was a consecrated one, i.e.,
they had to be set apart from the common functions of the king-
dom to religious service (Ex 28:3). They were to keep charge of
the tabernacle and later temple of God and preserve its holiness
and purity (1 Chr 23:32), an aspect we have considered when we
looked at Adam. The consecration of the Levitical priests was done
through a washing in water. In Leviticus 8:6, we read - “And Moses
brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.” Reflect-
ing on what we have seen earlier, water reflects the celestial reality
of the Holy Spirit and His work. The Levitical priests therefore had
to be washed in water to show that they were being set apart by a
Divine work for Divine service. This is a foreshadowing of the New
Testament sacrament of Baptism that sets apart initiates for priestly
service in God’s kingdom.
Primarily, the function of the Levitical priesthood was to be
mediators between the children of Israel and the God of Israel.
Leviticus 9:7 describes this aspect of mediation - “And Moses said
unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy
burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people:
and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them;
as the Lord commanded.” As we see, the offering of blood sacrifice
was an intrinsic part of this mediation. The Levitical priests had to
offer sacrifices both for their sins and the sins of the people of Is-
rael.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 131

Canaan as a Territory
The dual aspects of rulership and priesthood were to be exercised
in a specific context and that is critical to understanding the
covenant. The Israelites were to exercise their rule and be priests
in the land that God had allotted them (Exod 23:30-31). They
were to wage a holy war against the Canaanites and conquer that
land, not allowing any of those nations to live (Deut 7:2). God
had explicitly set the boundaries of the land and Israel was to fulfil
its covenantal duties in that land. Outside the land were strangers
and foreigners, the lands allotted to other gods, where the Mosaic
Covenant did not apply.
Israel was not to exercise rule and establish its covenant laws
over Moab or Egypt, rather they were to be an example to those na-
tions within the boundaries God allotted them (Deut 4:5-9). It is
critical to understand that covenant terms have a context in which
they are applied. In the Old Testament, we often see the prophets
levying judgement on the nations surrounding Israel. They are of-
ten judged for their pride, violence, greed, disregard for the poor,
injustice and aggression towards Israel. However, never once are
they held accountable for not keeping Jewish feasts, the sabbaths,
dietary restrictions or anything of the sort. Those things only ap-
plied to the nation of Israel with whom God had covenanted.
This theme of cosmic allotment of territory is one that we
shouldn’t miss. Just as the elohim have territorial and national al-
lotments, Jehovah has His own territorial and national possession.
In fact, the Israelites were not permitted to sell the land in perpe-
tuity because God Himself owned the land while they simply lived
as tenants on it (Lev 25:23) This possession of Jehovah is holy and
is His covenant territory or sacred space. Those lands that lie out-
side operate in the realm of the curse and are not holy or covenan-
tally separated unto God. We have already seen this theme in the
Azazel ritual where the Israelites would dispel sin from the camp by
132 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

sending it into the wilderness. It’s the same principle here. Israel is
the holy land of God’s sacred space while the realms outside are the
realms of curse and sin - under the dominion of the elohim. The or-
dinary cultural activities performed in those outside realms do not
build up the kingdom of God and they cannot be subjected to the
law of God. It was not Israel’s calling to expand the kingdom's terri-
tory to the ends of the earth. This can be contrasted with the holy
land of Israel where all ordinary cultural activities contributed to
the building of God’s Redemptive Kingdom in the Old Covenant.
This theme can be traced in various passages of Scripture. An
example is in Jeremiah 2:7 - “And I brought you into a plentiful
country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when
ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomi-
nation.” Note that the sin of the Israelites is tied to the defiling of
Jehovah’s land. In that Old Covenant, faithfulness to Jehovah was
synonymous with being blessed and living in Jehovah’s land. Like-
wise, disobedience and rebellion were tied to being expelled from
the land. Since Jehovah’s land is holy, it is where Jehovah meets
with His people and dwells with them. Therefore, to commit sin
and worship other gods in the land is to defile Jehovah’s sacred
space and the judgement is to be spewed out of the land. We see
similar Texts throughout the Old Testament that tie Israel’s sin
with the defilement of the actual physical land (Num 35:33-34,
Ezek 36:17, 2 Chr 7:14, Jer 3:1-2.9, Deut 30:1-5).
A particular Biblical incident can help us better understand
this theme. When the apostate nation of Israel was led into captiv-
ity by the Assyrians, the Assyrian monarch repopulated their ter-
ritory with various other peoples (2 King 17:24). We read in v25
- “And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they
feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them,
which slew some of them.” These resettled peoples understood that
this was divine retribution because they failed to honour the God
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 133

of the land (v26). The concluding verse of the chapter shows that
these resettled peoples feared the Lord externally but continued
worshipping other gods (v41)[13]. In other words, the Text plainly
alludes to this reality that Jehovah had allotted for Himself a spe-
cific territory and territories to the gods of the nations. It was ex-
pected that whoever lived within the territories of Jehovah would
honour Him.
A lot of Dominionist errors stem from a failure to understand
this nature of covenant land and the application of its covenant
laws to categories outside the covenant. While the intentions of
such are often noble because they see the beauty of God’s law and
desire to apply it in all contexts, they fail to realise that covenant
has a context and to break that context is to profane the covenant.
Let us consider the covenant of marriage as an example. Marriage
is a beautiful reflection of Christ and His Church, wherein a man
covenants to love his wife and a woman covenants to respect and
honour her husband. It is evident then that the covenant attributes
of love and honour are exclusively to be enjoyed by the husband
and the wife. The covenant would be profaned if the man loved an-
other woman and likewise if the woman honoured or respected an-
other man (I’m using love and honour in the context of a marriage
relationship). In and of themselves love and honour are beautiful,
but they must be expressed in the context of the marriage covenant.
The same is true of God’s law – it must be expressed within the
boundaries of covenant.

Israel as a Nation
This brings us to the notion of covenant membership. People or a
nation are an essential part of a kingdom’s structure. In the Adam-
ic kingdom, all his children would share in the blessings of God’s
kingdom. What about the kingdom of God in the Old Covenant?
How did one become part of God’s kingdom in the Old Testa-
134 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ment? In the Old Covenant there is an obvious ethnic distinction

implicit in the covenant terms that are referred to the children of
Israel. However, the Bible teaches us that there were many gentiles
who became part of Old Covenant Israel. In Exodus 12:38 we read
that the Israelites leaving Egypt were a mixed multitude. The He-
brew word eber refers to a heterogenous group or a mingled peo-
ple. There were many Egyptians and other ethnicities who left with
the Israelites as they left for the promised land. However, the Old
Covenant has specific instructions for how such people were to be
initiated into the covenant.
Since God had made His promise with one nation, those who
desired to be in covenant with God were to become part of that
nation. This is explicitly laid out in Exodus 12:48 - “And when a
stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the
Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near
and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no
uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.” If a stranger desired to be in
covenant with God, he had to become an Israelite. He had to be-
come part of that particular people or nation who composed God’s
kingdom on earth. This is evident in the command that the circum-
cised stranger would become as one born in the land. Circumcision
made a foreigner the same as a native-born Israelite. This is not with
regards to fairness in the legal system (the stranger and native born
were already equal in that category), but participation in covenant
benefits, in this case the Passover meal. As we have seen, a kingdom
always consists of one people. Therefore, the kingdom of God was
not a commonwealth of many nations or peoples but one nation,
called the Israelites.
A good example is that of Ruth the Moabitess. Not only did
she adopt the God of the Israelites, she renounced her people and
became one with the Israelites (Ruth 1:16). To become a Jehovah
worshipper, Ruth had to cease being a Moabite. We see many such
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 135

seemingly insignificant details in the Old Testament of gentile

proselytes. Generally, they had to abandon their nation and their
people to become part of the covenant people [14]. This was true
even of the forefather of the Israelites. God called Abraham away
from his kin and nation (Gen 12:1).
Why were proselytes in the Old Testament required to become
Israelites to enjoy the benefits of the covenant? Remember how we
read about the various cosmic allotments. The nations of the world
were divided according to the number of the elohim and there-
fore the various peoples belonged to these entities. To become an
Israelite was to renounce allegiance to those gods and swear alle-
giance to Jehovah, whose special possession was the land of Canaan
and the people of Israel. The Egyptians and other ethnicities that
left Egypt with the Israelites had renounced their former gods and
accepted Jehovah as the one true God. Thus, they became part of
Jehovah’s possession - the nation of Israel.
A central aspect of the covenant was that the Israelites were to
be a holy nation, i.e. they were to be distinct from the people around
them. In the Mosaic system, God introduced feasts, customs, dress
codes, dietary restrictions and even regulations to beard trimming.
None of these were eternal categories, rather they were intended to
keep the Israelites different from the nations around them to prop-
agate the Messiah’s line, teach them about purity and preserve the
Word of God. Therefore, a proselyte could not continue on in the
ways of the nations around him but had to adopt covenant separa-
tion. The nations belonged to other gods but only Israel belonged
to Jehovah.

Holy War
Israel was not to live side by side with pagans in the holy land. They
were explicitly commanded by God to exterminate the nations of
Canaan (Deut 7:1-4). This holy war requiring annihilation of the
136 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Canaanites was an exceptional circumstance with specific divine

mandate. There are many clues in Scripture as to the reasoning for
this. The Canaanites were a wicked people (Deut 9:3-5). They en-
gaged in abominable customs and detestable practices (Lev 18:30,
Deut 18:9). The root cause of their wickedness was supernatur-
al. In Deuteronomy 20:17-18, we read - “17 But thou shalt utter-
ly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaan-
ites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy
God hath commanded thee:18 That they teach you not to do after
all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so
should ye sin against the Lord your God.” The wicked practices of the
Canaanites were tied to the worship of certain deities. These deities
as we have seen were rebellious elohim. These gods demanded the
sacrifice of children, which the Canaanites freely offered (Deut
12:30-31). They practised magic including witchcraft and necro-
mancy (Deut 18:10-14) - forbidden knowledge taught to them by
these gods.
In other words, things that were happening prior to the Flood
were happening again in Canaan. We see that among the Canaan-
ites dwelt the Anakim and Rephaim. The Israelites tied these giant
peoples to the Nephilim (Num 13:33). They were mostly expelled
from Israel, barring a small residue that remained along the Philis-
tine coast ( Josh 11:22). Og, King of Bashan, was the last descen-
dant of the Rephaim (Deut 3:11) and Goliath was a descendant
of the Anakim remnants (2 Sam 21:15-22). This indicates that the
Canaanites were reviving the pre-flood unions with angelic beings
and learning forbidden knowledge from them. They were engaging
in sorcerous rituals and orgies that involved sexual sin with the an-
gelic beings. This resulted in giant and mighty offspring who be-
came great kings and warriors. In other words, this was a continu-
ation of the serpent’s seed in the post-flood world. This would ex-
plain the specific directive to eliminate this particular people group
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 137

and total prohibition of marriage and mixing with them. There

were specific abominable sins that Canaan had committed that re-
quired immediate judgement. Moreover, the Canaanite ruling class
were direct offspring or descendants of the offspring of unholy
unions.
This also helps us understand the imagery and typology behind
certain battles that play an important role in Israel’s history. Og,
King of Bashan, the last Rephaim was defeated by Israel with God’s
aid (Num 21:33-35, Deut 3:1-11). The significance of this tale is
evident in that it is recalled in two different Psalms (Psa 135:11,
136:30) as a great victory for the Israelites. It symbolised the vic-
tory of God’s imagers over the imagers of the elohim. Likewise,
David’s defeat of Goliah, the descendant of the Anakim remnant is
much more significant in Redemptive-History than a motivation-
al story about the victory of an underdog. David, God’s champi-
on and anointed one mortally wounded Goliath, the champion of
the Canaanite gods. David isn’t supposed to be the underdog in
the story. He was foreshadowing his Greater Son Jesus Christ, who
would ultimately be the Seed of the woman crushing the head of
the serpent. Keep these themes in mind as you read such Passages.
The Holy War of Israel was foreshadowing Christ, the true Israel’s
Holy War and victory over the forces of darkness.

The Old Covenant and Antithesis

The Abrahamic Covenant placed Abraham and his descendants in
constant antithesis with the people of the world. However, broad-
ly speaking God didn’t regulate the day-to-day activities of Abra-
ham’s life. There were no laws given to him. Apart from circumci-
sion there was no external cultural requirement. The covenant itself
required separation and distinction from the world, but the details
of that were less regulated and we see that Abraham and his de-
scendants often fell into sin and temptation as they interacted with
138 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

the world. What this implies is that the Abrahamic Covenant, fore-
shadowing the ultimate end of the present created order in the final
judgement, doesn't regulate the things that are passing away as they
are not being redeemed.
In contrast, the Mosaic Covenant regulated every aspect of the
covenant community including their government, economics, agri-
culture, trade, foreign policy, warfare and health. The redemptive
kingdom therefore in this context broadened itself to encompass
every aspect of the covenant community. Moreover, the temple sys-
tem instituted a very specific way to worship God that reflected His
beauty and glory. The priestly garb was to be glorious and beautiful
by the standards of this world (Ex 28:2). The Solomonic Temple
was adorned with precious stones and gold, specifically for beau-
ty (1 Chron 3:6). It would be tempting to think that this indicates
God’s plan to redeem all these aspects of this created order or that
some of these things are transcendent and therefore will last into
the eschaton; but that would be to completely miss the typology of
the Mosaic Covenant. Each of those things reflected the true sub-
stance of beauty and glory - Christ Himself and therefore by reflec-
tion, those who bear His image.

Land, Beauty and Glory

The Israelites were to possess the land of Canaan (Deut 1:8) and
annihilate its inhabitants in warfare (Deut 7:2). This was the land
God had promised their forefather Abraham as a possession for
his descendants. However, the Israelites recognized that even the
promised land was not their eternal home. As David begins the
preparations for the building of God’s Temple, he prays this prayer
as the people generously donate towards the project - “For we are
strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our
days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding” (1
Chron 29:15). In other words, David understood full well that the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 139

promised land was not an end in and of itself. He, like every other
Israelite, would die and ultimately leave behind everything he had
built in the typological land of promise.
Therefore, we must be careful to read the Old Testament with
spiritual rather than earthly eyes. While the Old Covenant believ-
ers apprehended eternal promises in types and shadows, we per-
ceive them according to their substance. The beauty, glory and land
were looking forward to better promises that could never be satis-
fied in the present age. The worldly beauty that adorned the temple
was pointing to God’s beauty of Holiness, which is often praised
by many passages of Scripture (Psa 29:2, Psa 96:6,9, Isa 28:5, 44:13
Psa 50:2). The earthly beauty of Zion reflected God’s own beauty. It
points to God the beauty of eschatological Jerusalem, the Church,
Christ’s bride - which bears His image. Revelation 21:9-27 is ripe
with this imagery of beauty that strongly resembles the themes of
the Old Testament temple. God was preparing the Jews for that
eschatological kingdom, not teaching them to delight in worldly
beauty.
Similarly, we see that in the Old Covenant God promised to
bless His people with earthly blessings of prosperity and fertility if
they were obedient to Him (Deut 28:2-13). Again, these blessings
weren’t an end in and of themselves, but a typological foreshadow-
ing of the blessings God’s people have in and through Jesus Christ
in the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul says, all the promises of
God are yea and Amen in Christ (2 Cor 1:20) - this includes those
covenant blessings that the Israelites received. They were typolog-
ical pointers to what we receive in Christ, within His kingdom.
Therefore, we ought not to seek those typological earthly blessings
when we have received the heavenly substance of those blessings in
Christ.
140 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Violence
The violence and bloodshed required in the Old Covenant as part
of God’s holy war against the Canaanite nations was not an end
in and of itself either[15]. The holy war was a just judgement on
the Canaanites for their sins and a necessary act to wipe out the
remnants of the Nephilim. Even so the violence and warfare in
Canaan did not delight God and it wasn’t something that His wor-
ship would be based on. In 1 Chronicles 22:8-9, David tells his son
-
“8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed
blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build
an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood up-
on the earth in my sight. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who
shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies
round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace
and quietness unto Israel in his days.”
God would not permit David to build His temple because he
shed blood on the Earth, in the sight of God. This aspect of some-
thing being done in God’s sight is especially important because it
indicates that this was far from God’s desire for the world. More-
over, David waged holy war at God’s command. Even so, he was
rejected for the temple project because he had waged great wars.
God’s Temple will not be a place of worship to a God of war. There
is an explicit contrast between the wars and bloodshed of David’s
days with the peace and quietness in Solomon’s days. The heavenly
kingdom that Israel was to typify is a kingdom of peace, not a king-
dom of war. Therefore, the builder of the temple had to be a man of
peace not of war.
It is not just in God’s rejection of David in building the temple
but in the Old Testament, believers recognized that killing some-
one was a defiling thing, even when it was done in obedience to
God’s commands. Consider the case of Numbers 31, where God
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 141

commands Israel to destroy the Midianites. After their destruction,

Moses commands those men who engaged in killing to separate
themselves from the congregation for seven days (Num 31:19).
This separation is tied to a need for purification. In other words,
these men who had engaged in holy war against Midian by Divine
mandate required God to purify them because of their bloodshed.

One-Kingdom
The people of God in the Old Covenant operated in a One-King-
dom framework. What this means is that in the Old Covenant
everything that was done in the promised land was part of the Re-
demptive Kingdom and therefore holy. Their agricultural labours,
their marriages, their governments, their judicial system and even
their warfare was holy because it all contributed towards building
the Redemptive Kingdom which was represented by the Israelite
nation. God’s Redemptive Kingdom did not overlap with the King-
dom of the World. The people of God, who were in covenant with
God, generally lived in the nation of Israel and therefore were di-
rectly under the Redemptive Kingdom. The cultural pursuits of
the Redemptive Kingdom in the Old Covenant were not being re-
deemed as such but were pointing to something greater and better.
We will later see how that was a distinct system from the one that
we live in presently as New Testament Christians.

Antithesis in a One-Kingdom Framework

Tying together what we have seen so far on land, beauty, glory and
violence, Israel’s antithesis was displayed in its cultural distinction
from the nations around it. These cultural distinctions were man-
dated by God to separate the covenant community for Himself.
None of these distinctions were eternal categories. They were tem-
poral categories pointing to eternal realities.
142 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

The main lesson for the New Testament covenant community

is that God’s structure of the Old Covenant still mandated antithe-
sis even though it operated in a one-kingdom framework. The Old
Covenant antithesis was both spiritual and cultural. It is impossible
to distinguish spiritual and cultural antithesis. God doesn’t empha-
sise their cultural commonality with the non-Canaanite nations.
Even in those categories God emphasises their cultural antithesis
and ethics governed by the Mosaic law. When the Israelites start
seeking commonality with foreign nations, even outside of Canaan,
bad things happen. King Solomon freely entered into cultural, eco-
nomic and military alliances with foreign nations. He contracted
marriages with these peoples and these wives led Solomon away
from God (1 King 11:4). Hezekiah displayed Israel’s treasures to
Babylonian envoys, a common thing in cultures of those times and
a symbol of success and dominance. This was a foreshadowing of Is-
rael’s defeat and exile to Babylon (2 King 20:12-19).
It is true that to some degree we as covenant people have cul-
tural commonality with the people of the world. However, this
commonality is more a curse than a blessing to the people of God
and is a means often used by Satan to seduce the covenant body.
The best example of this is the case of Balaam son of Beor in
Numbers 25. Recognizing that God won’t permit him to curse the
covenant people, he appeals to their cultural commonality with the
Moabites. After all, they were a near people group with a common
ancestor just a few generations prior. This commonality was laid
bare when the Israelites began marriages with Moabites and ulti-
mately worshipped their gods. The Old Covenant antithesis em-
phasises that the near kinsmen of the Israelites are determined by
the worship of God rather than cultural and ethnic factors. When
the Israelites mixed with the nations around them, bad things hap-
pened. Antithesis is both spiritual and cultural, even though ele-
ments of cultural commonality do remain.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 143

A Remnant and Apostates

It is important to track the pattern of a remnant, apostates and
judgements in the Old Covenant because it plays a significant part
in understanding the dynamics of God’s Kingdom and its interac-
tion with the world. We have already seen how this was the preva-
lent theme of society from Adam to Noah and then from Noah
onward. This is central to understanding the necessity and implica-
tions of antithesis that the Scriptures keep drawing out.
Israel was the covenant body. Everyone born in Israel was to be
circumcised. The children of the Israelites were born into the Old
Covenant. Anyone who wanted to be in covenant with God had to
become circumcised and part of the Israelite nation. Even so, not
every Israelite had subjected himself to the rule of Jehovah. Israelite
history is a cycle of rebellion, whoredom and judgement. Time and
time again, the Bible shows us that the majority of Jews were apos-
tates all the way till the end of the Old Covenant when they denied
Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah and had Him crucified.
When Elijah the prophet sought to turn the Israelites to repen-
tance in the days of king Ahab and queen Jezebel, he was greatly
distressed. He was being hunted by Israel’s wicked rulers. Elijah
was convinced that he was the only faithful one in Israel (1 King
19:14). The Israelites had forsaken God’s covenant, ceased to wor-
ship Him and slaughtered the human representatives of His Divine
Council. All seemed to be lost and the Kingdom of God seemed to
have been eradicated. Yet God comforts Elijah, first with a promise
to bring judgement on Israel’s wicked kings and then says - “Yet I
have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not
bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him” (1
King 19:18). God had preserved for Himself a remnant in Israel
who did not follow in the ways of their countrymen but remained
faithful to God. This remnant was certainly not a visible body,
because if it were, Elijah would have known of it. Yet, God had
144 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

preserved His Kingdom through a time of much wickedness even

though it was not in forms visible to the carnal eye. Elijah needed
the Word of God to perceive that God kept His promises and pre-
served His remnant and thus His Kingdom.
This incident in fact is so important to the structure of the New
Testament Kingdom that the Apostle Paul quotes it in his discourse
on Israel and the Church. His conclusion is this - “Even so then at
this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of
grace” (Rom 11:5). The remnant theme didn’t just end in the Old
Covenant but was something that would continue to be a defining
theme of the New Covenant. The main point being that the King-
dom of God isn’t reckoned through the eyes of flesh but by remind-
ing oneself of God’s promises. God does preserve His remnant and
His Kingdom in all time even though the majority has gone astray
and transgressed against God. This is a critical point that is being
driven time and time again in the Old Testament to enforce the re-
ality that the people of God will be a small, persecuted minority, a
remnant according to the election of grace.

Lessons from Exile

It would be remiss to talk about the Old Covenant without con-
sidering the period when the Israelites were strangers and exiles in
Babylon. Apart from the fact that this was part of Redemptive His-
tory, the New Testament often refers to Christians as strangers and
exiles, reminiscent of this part of redemptive history. In this period,
the Israelites were taken away from the land of promise to a foreign
land. The system of life and governance established by the Mosa-
ic law could no longer be applied when they no longer possessed a
land in which to apply it.
In keeping with this notion of the New Testament calling
Christians strangers and exiles, it is important to recognize that the
Old Testament exile had a specific cause. God had promised that
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 145

the punishment for failure to keep the Mosaic law would be expul-
sion from the land (Deut 28:58-64), which David recognised as be-
ing tantamount to worshipping other gods. Despite receiving mer-
cy on many occasions, the Israelites engaged in wicked sins just like
the Canaanites they were supposed to annihilate. They profaned
the temple, worshipped other gods, despised God’s Word, scoffed
at God’s prophets and even sacrificed their children to those gods
(2 Chron 36:14-21). However, Jehovah exiled them with the
promise that He would return them to the land in 70 years ( Jer
29:10).
The exile that we New Covenant believers live in has similar-
ities but also significant differences. Most importantly, we are not
in exile for any specific sin we have committed but we are in exile
because we are awaiting the promised land (Heb 11:14-16). Unlike
the Israelites who had a specific 70-year exile, the end of our exile is
not specified; however, we know it is imminent. The similarities are
seen in that we the covenant people live in foreign lands allotted to
the elohim as the Israelites did in Babylon. Babylon was Marduk’s
land. This imagery in our context is global, with the covenant com-
munity scattered in many nations belonging to various gods rather
than a specific entity. Therefore, the injunctions given to those ex-
iles give us a better understanding of how to live in our context
when read through the lens of the New Testament.
With that out of the way, we can look at the mandate God gave
the Israelite exiles in Babylon. In Jeremiah 29:4-7, God says -
“4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are
carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from
Jerusalem unto Babylon;
5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat
the fruit of them;
6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for
your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear
146 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not dimin-
ished.
7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be
carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace
thereof shall ye have peace.”
First, The Israelites were to live ordinary lives in Babylon. They
were to build houses and plant gardens and enjoy the fruit of their
labours. This instruction is particularly important to understand
because there were many false prophets who were proclaiming that
the Jewish exile would be a short one ( Jer 29:8-10). If the Israelites
were not going to be in Babylon for multiple generations, building
houses and gardens would be nonsensical and rebellion would be
preferable. God was instead instructing the Jews to not rebel and
live peaceful lives.
Unlike some exceptions like Daniel and his friends who were
enslaved and placed in positions of leadership outside the
covenant[16], the ordinary Jew was not to seek a place at the table
so to speak in Babylon. Rather he was to live an ordinary and peace-
ful life, a quiet life to use a New Testament term. Building houses
and gardens are symbolic of peace and idyll. Enjoying the fruit of
one’s garden also implies that one isn’t invested in the conflicts of
society, thus being able to live in peace and enjoy simple blessings.
Moreover, this lifestyle is conducive to maintaining covenant iden-
tity through separation from the wickedness of Babylon.
Next, the Israelites were to marry and have children. This com-
mandment must be understood according to its intention, which
is mentioned in the latter part of the verse. God desired that the
Israelites increase and that their numbers not be diminished. As
we saw earlier, in the Old Covenant, God granted an increase in
covenant membership by increasing the population of the Israelite
nation. Therefore, maintaining their numbers would ensure that
they would remain a distinct people and not assimilate into the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 147

Babylonian culture and ethnicity as often happens to people groups

in captivity.
Tied to this commandment is the requirement of maintaining
their spiritual and cultural antithesis. Avoiding assimilation would
ensure that the covenant identity in national Israel remained and
they would remain a distinct people from the nations around them.
The key here is that the aspect of marrying and having children
was not a restatement of the creation mandate but rather a specific
mandate to the exiles to maintain their numbers and avoid assimi-
lation. As we shall see later, in the New Testament, this is replaced
by the command to make disciples, which could be in the context
of one’s own children but isn’t necessarily so.
Finally, they were to seek the peace of Babylon, the city that
had devastated their land, and the one that God had promised to
ultimately judge and destroy. Rather than desiring its destruction,
they had to learn to live peacefully in that city, while avoiding as-
similation and maintaining both a spiritual and cultural antithe-
sis. The peace of the covenant people would be tied to the peace of
Babylon; therefore, they were to pray for its peace. Yet, even under
this mandate, God inspired Psalm 137, the last 2 verses of which
are as follows - “8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed;
happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. 9 Happy
shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.”
The Israelites were being constantly reminded that Babylon was
not their home and seeking its prosperity was solely in the context
of covenant preservation and not as an ultimate end. One could
not be of God’s people and not desire the ultimate destruction of
her enemies. The Israelites were to pine for Babylon’s ultimate de-
struction in God’s justice, a good lesson for Christians today.
It is important here to emphasise that in doing all of this, the
Israelites were not to lose their identity and become Babylonians.
They were not temporary members of the Babylonian nation, but
148 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

they were members of the covenant nation that was sojourning in

Babylon. The Babylonian nation was the possession of Bel Mar-
duk[17] ( Jer 50:2, Isa 46:1, Jer 51:44). This being was the elohim
ruler of Babylon who was in rebellion against Jehovah. Therefore,
the Israelites weren’t to seek a place in Babylon’s society or influ-
ence it but preserve their numbers and refuse assimilation.
Many have used this verse ( Jer 29:7) to justify patriotism in the
lands in which they live but that is to miss the context of the Text.
Patriotism is only possible when one belongs to that nation, wor-
ships its gods, claims it as a fatherland and its people their broth-
ers. The Babylonians were not brothers of the Israelites. They were
foreigners who were not in covenant with God and were the pos-
sessions of Marduk. Patriotism towards Babylon would be harlotry
towards God. It was impossible to offer devotion, support and alle-
giance towards Babylon without offering those same things to Mar-
duk. To the ancient mind a nation, its gods and its religion could
not be simply sundered. We tend to think with modernist presup-
positions where we think of nationality and religion as being two
unrelated categories. We even assume that it’s possible for a Sate to
not have an official religion. To the ancient mind that was simply
not a category. Allegiance to Babylon could not be separated from
allegiance to Marduk. This is true even of nations today, even those
that claim to be Secular or irreligious. They do follow the religion
of Secular Humanism and they still have their own gods.
This brings us to the crux of the matter. The Israelites were not
to transform Babylon into Zion nor seek influence in its spheres of
power. It was not the city of God and its people were not the peo-
ple of God. If there were Babylonians who through the witness of
their Jewish neighbours desired to worship God and be in covenant
with Him, they would need to be circumcised, forsake Babylon
and become Israelites. Babylon was not the holy land; it could not
be transformed. The Mosaic law could not be applied in that con-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 149

text[18]. This is a critical application of Old Testament antithesis

that is still relevant for Christians today. Babylon will always be
Babylon; she cannot be made into Zion and we are not to labour
towards clothing her in righteous garbs. God’s redemptive work is
not exercised in the realm of providence but rather in the Redemp-
tive Kingdom, which in the Old Testament was embodied by na-
tional Israel and today embodied by the Church.
To sum it all up, the Israelites were to live ordinary and peaceful
lives in Babylon. They were to build and procreate, while remem-
bering that everything they built would be left behind. Ultimately,
God would bring His covenant people to the promised land and
when He did, all the houses and gardens would have to be aban-
doned. Those Israelites who greatly invested themselves into Baby-
lonian society would ultimately have a much more difficult time
letting it go. Ezra notes that some Jews did not return to the
promised land when Cyrus freed them to do so (Ezra 1:5-6). Some
of them had lived in Babylon for decades; for others it was the only
world they knew. The more invested they became in its society, the
less likely they would be to uproot it all and pursue God’s promise.
Building houses, planting gardens, enjoying one’s labours, marrying
and having children were all legitimate activities. But being con-
sumed by them so as to forget that they were not in the land of
promise would be to the detriment of their souls and the souls of
their children.
 Chapter 9:
Inauguration of
Christ’s Kingdom

W e have seen how the kingdom of Israel typologically prefig-

ured Christ’s Spiritual Kingdom in the Old Testament. We
have also seen some key narratives that have always been part of this
Kingdom structure. Now it is time to start connecting the dots to
see how those narratives develop towards the unveiling of Christ’s
Kingdom in the New Covenant. Before we can get there though,
we need to consider some basics in understanding Biblical prophe-
cy. This will help us understand prophetic literature through the
lens of Scripture itself. We need to understand Biblical prophecy as
the authors of the New Testament did.

How did Christ and the Apostles

Understand Old Testament Prophecy?
If we are to read the Old Testament and understand what it means,
we need to read it as Christ and the Apostles did. In doing so we
recognize that they did not utilise a literalish hermeneutic to un-
derstand prophecy. I say literalish rather than literalistic or literal
because I have not seen a single person interpret prophecies in a
purely literal manner. Even the most convicted Dispensationalists
recognize that a lot of prophetic literature is symbolic. Consider
for instance the prophecies in Daniel 7 concerning the four beasts,
150
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 151

or Daniel 8 considering the goat and ram. Most Dispensational-

ists understand those beasts as symbolic representations of various
empires throughout history. Therefore, even those that claim to
hold to a literal hermeneutic hold to a literalish one where they
pick and choose what should be interpreted symbolically and what
shouldn’t.

Christocentrism and Typology

Biblical prophecy is primarily Christocentric. This simply means
that all Biblical prophecies, in fact all the Old Testament points
to Jesus Christ. This will be elaborated further but this principle
can be summed up in Christ’s proclamation to the Jews in John
5:39. With regards to the Scriptures, which in that context was
the Old Testament as the New had not yet been written, He said -
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and
they are they which testify of me.” Likewise, when Christ appears
to Cleopas and the other disciple after His resurrection, He taught
them - “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expound-
ed unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself”
(Luk 24:27). Christ is the centre of the Old Testament’s message
and without seeking Him, we cannot understand what they teach.
Sadly, many have made Israel the centre of the Old Testament and
others have made mankind the centre. In doing so, they read the
Bible just as the Jews did and therefore fail to understand that the
Scriptures are about Christ.
For an example, let us consider Hosea 11:1,2 - “11 When Israel
was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. 2 As
they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim,
and burned incense to graven images.” The prophecy seems straight-
forward and literalistically[19] implies that it refers to God’s deliv-
erance of Israel from Egypt. However, Matthew says the following
in Matthew 2:13-15 - “13 And when they were departed, behold,
152 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise,

and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be
thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child
to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his
mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until
the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the
Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Ac-
cording to Matthew, the whole incident of Israel being called out
of Egypt was foreshadowing Christ being called out of Egypt! The
literalistic reading of the passage concludes that Hosea is referring
to the nation of Israel, but Matthew understood it to be referring
to Jesus Christ.
Christ Himself was the true Israel of God who would succeed
where Israel failed! All the things that happened to Israel were ul-
timately pointing to Him. Like Israel, He was called out of Egypt.
Like Israel, He passed through the waters of baptism. Like Israel,
He was tempted in the wilderness. All of this makes sense if we un-
derstand imaging and the interactions of the spiritual world with
the material one. The Israelite story was like Christ’s own story be-
cause they were God’s chosen image bearers.
We have already considered typology earlier. We can now see
how typology intersects with Christocentrism. Since Christ is the
centre of Scriptures and since all of Scriptures point to Him, we
need to understand prophetic literature as finding its fulfilment in
Jesus Christ. Any physical fulfilments in land, offspring and mil-
itary victory are only types of their ultimate fulfilment in Jesus
Christ.

Multiple Fulfilments
The Authors of the New Testament didn’t understand Old Testa-
ment prophecies as necessarily pointing to one single event. In oth-
er words, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to see that a sin-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 153

gle Old Testament prophecy could have multiple fulfilments. Isa-

iah prophesied that Jesus would be numbered among the trans-
gressors (Isa 53:12). The Holy Spirit inspired Mark to see the ful-
filment of this prophecy in Christ’s crucifixion between the two
thieves (Mark 15:28), whereas the same Spirit inspired Luke to see
the fulfilment of this prophecy in Christ’s command to the disci-
ples to buy two swords (Lk 22:36-37).
Which one was right? Of course, we know that they were
both right because the Scriptures are inerrant and cannot contra-
dict themselves. The principle to note is that Biblical prophecy can
have multiple fulfilments and the reader must be careful to distin-
guish according to the context. By affirming a particular typologi-
cal, temporal or earthly fulfilment as ultimate we can end up miss-
ing the full picture of what the prophecy actually points to. Anoth-
er good example of this typological multiple fulfilment is Ps 110:1.
In an immediate sense, it refers to David transferring the kingdom
to Solomon. However, as Christ mentions in Matt 22:45, it is ulti-
mately about Him.

Symbolic and Poetic Language

The fact that Biblical prophecy uses symbolic and poetic language
should not be controversial but sadly it is. Perhaps this is because of
how much rationalism is part of our modern mindset that it is im-
possible for us to view something as being true if it cannot be dis-
sected and perfectly fit into a system. As I have already established,
even the most ardent defenders of a “literal” hermeneutic use sym-
bolic interpretations when it suits their ultimate system. Since the
Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the New Testament to write the
Scriptures, we need to look at them as the Spirit led them to under-
stand the Old Testament Scriptures.
Some see using symbolic interpretations as being antithetical
to Biblical faithfulness and a stepping stone to wild interpretations.
154 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

I understand that concern, but we ought to be faithful according

to what the Holy Spirit intended and not as our fallen rationality
dictates faithfulness to be. For instance, did the Holy Spirit intend
for us to understand Daniel 7 as referring to the Empires of Baby-
lon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome? If so, applying a literalistic
hermeneutic in that context would be lacking faithfulness, because
it would indicate that the prophecy is about four literal monstrous
beings. Therefore, our faithfulness is reckoned according to what
the Holy Spirit Himself intends, which is why looking at the Old
Testament through the New is key. Both Dispensationalists and
Postmillennialists often read the New Testament in the light of the
Old rather than the other way round.
With that out of the way, we can now look at how the New
Testament authors infallibly interpreted Old Testament prophecy
in symbolic and poetic terms. Consider Amos 9:11-12. It's a small
section of prophecy that seems to concern the Jewish people in
exile. A literalistic hermeneutic would require understanding it as
concerning a physical rebuilding of the temple and Jewish domi-
nation over Gentiles in the promised land. However, James quotes
this very prophecy in the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. In verses
14 through 17, we read -
“14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gen-
tiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of
David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof,
and I will set it up:
17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the
Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all
these things.”
The Apostle James did not see Amos 9:11-12 as referring to the
promised land or the Jewish temple. Rather he saw it as being spir-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 155

itually fulfilled in the inclusion of the Gentiles into the covenant

body. Note, how verse 14, is tied in with the Gentiles being taken
out of their nations to become God’s nation. The Holy Spirit
moved James to see that the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David
did not refer to a physical rebuilding of the Jewish temple but to
Gentile inclusion into the covenant body. This completely changes
our perspective on Biblical prophecy. Was there a limited fulfil-
ment in the return of the Jews from exile? Definitely. However, that
was not intended to be the ultimate meaning of that prophecy. Old
Testament prophecy is not plain and literalistic as we desire it to
be. It is shrouded in symbols, types and poetry so that it cannot be
understood except through eyes of faith, through the Holy Spirit.
This enforces the principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture.
This brings us back to Christocentrism in the Old Testament.
When we read Old Testament literature about nations, land, glory,
beauty, a temple, etc. We need to understand that they are pointing
to a spiritual reality. For instance, the Old Testament prophecies on
Christ inheriting nations doesn’t find carnal fulfilment in physical
national polities becoming “Christian”. Rather it is fulfilled when
as James says God visited the Gentiles to take out a people for His
name. Christ abolished the Jew-Gentile distinction to make one
new man (Eph 2:15). This implies that all the Old aspects includ-
ing the curse of nations is passing away. Likewise, the heavenly cho-
rus sings praises to God for redeeming them out of the nations
(Rev 5:9). National entities play a significant part in the Postmil-
lennial outlook because they interpret Christ inheriting the nations
to be literally fulfilled in political and ethnic entities as we under-
stand them today, rather than seeing God calling out men out of
those entities into His Kingdom. If we read the Scriptures as the
Apostles did then we will recognize that those prophecies were
never intended to find carnal fulfilment.
156 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Consider another example to see the poetic nature of apoca-

lyptic language. This is critical because Dispensationalists predict
strange cosmic signs with regards to their prophetic interpreta-
tions. And indeed, some of this will be true in the ultimate escha-
ton, but the apocalyptic language of Scripture uses poetry to sym-
bolise judgement. In Ezekiel 32, a prophecy against Pharaoh, in
verses 5 through 8, God declares that He will fill the rivers and
mountains with Pharaoh’s flesh. He declares that the rivers and
mountains will be full of Pharaoh’s blood. There is a statement that
the celestial lights will be darkened over him. Now did Ezekiel in-
tend the Jews to look forward to Pharaoh’s body literally being
strewn over hills and rivers? How exactly is the body of one man
sufficient for that anyways? The simple truth is that Ezekiel never
intended such a literalistic interpretation wrought by a rational
mind. A Jew reading from the ancient world, reading that passage
would have plainly understood that the literal interpretation of
that prophecy was the symbolic one, wherein the details are sym-
bolic of the coming judgement on Pharaoh, not a literalistic rendi-
tion of the specific details. The signs in the celestial bodies, includ-
ing them turning dark are indicative of upheaval in the spiritual
realm. When judgement comes both the realms are shaken, which
is what the poetic language signifies.

Prophetic Perspective
On account of our rational thinking, we assume that the visions
that the prophets saw were plain and clear and they understood ex-
actly what they saw and what they implied. However, nothing can
be further from the truth. After viewing the visions in Daniel 7 and
Daniel 8, the prophet Daniel says that he was perplexed and dis-
turbed. He had seen visions that he was able to recollect through
the Spirit and write down, but he certainly did not understand
their meaning. This is true for all the Old Testament prophets be-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 157

cause God revealed things to them in types and shadows. There-

fore, they did not clearly perceive the meaning of those things. The
believers of the New Testament have better clarity because of the
Apostolic interpretations of the Old Testament that we have avail-
able to us.
The Old Testament prophets did not see the first coming of
Christ and His second coming as two distinct events. Prophetic
visions do not specifically distinguish between these two events,
rather they foretell several events pointing to the ultimate judge-
ment. These events aren’t necessarily chronological in order and of-
ten skip across large sections of history in between. This makes it
very hard to fit them into a rigid chronological system. A misun-
derstanding of this prophetic perspective is why the Jews of Christ’s
day were eagerly awaiting the Messiah to establish an earthly king-
dom. They knew that the Messiah was an eschatological figure who
would deliver the covenant people and bring an end to the present
order. The Messianic Kingdom was not something they separated
from the eternal state. The Messiah would usher in the eternal state
and the Jews would ultimately triumph over their enemies in a re-
newed Edenic world. That was the erroneous Jewish eschatological
hope.
Let us consider a case of prophetic vision in the Old Testament.
Malachi foresaw that Elijah the prophet would come as a precursor
to the final judgement, referred to as the great and dreadful day
of the Lord in Malachi 4:5 - “Behold, I will send you Elijah the
prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord”.
In Matthew 11:14-15, Jesus says - “14 And if ye will receive it, this is
Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him
hear.” Likewise in Matt 17:12-13, He declares - “12 But I say unto
you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have
done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of
158 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake

unto them of John the Baptist.”
Jesus plainly declares that John the Baptist was the fulfilment
of Malachi 4:5 and His disciples understood Him. However, we
don’t see the latter portion of Malachi 4:5 fulfilled yet. It might be
tempting to make arbitrary divisions in the passage, but it should
be plain that Malachi’s perspective was very different from Christ’s.
Malachi saw the future in a vision where he saw various events cul-
minating in the ultimate judgement. One of those events was the
coming of Elijah. In his mind, they were essentially the same event
or certainly not events separated by decades, centuries and even
millennia. However, from our perspective in the New Covenant,
Elijah has come but the eschatological judgement hasn’t.
So, is the prophecy in Malachi fulfilled or not? According to
Jesus, it certainly was. Yet, we also see that the dreadful day of the
Lord hasn’t happened yet. As we have considered, all of Scriptures
point to Christ. Therefore, all the Old Testament prophecies are ul-
timately foretelling the accomplished works of Christ and indeed,
as we will see, Christ has already accomplished everything and de-
clared judgement on the world and the gods of the nations. How-
ever, we are living in a time of delay, where the judgement is being
held back if you will so that all the elect will repent and turn to
Christ (2 Pet 3:9).

Already and Not-Yet

Our rational minds want a definitive answer for everything. Yet
the Bible doesn’t operate according to human reason. There are
many things in the Scriptures that are definitive in the past and yet
we don’t see it perfectly in this present world. Consider how the
Bible teaches that we were predestined before the foundation of the
world, justified in time, being presently sanctified and glorified in
the future (Rom 8:29-30). Now if you are in Christ, predestina-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 159

tion and justification are in your past while your complete sanctifi-
cation and glorification are future events, one of which is present-
ly happening. The Bible teaches that we are saved to be conformed
to Christ’s image and to walk in perfect holiness. Can any of us
honestly say that is absolutely true in our lives today? Of course
not! Does this however lessen the reality of predestination and jus-
tification? Of course not! Rather than a rational framework, the
Bible posits salvation in an already not-yet framework. What this
simply means is that salvation has been accomplished definitively
by Christ’s work but we don’t see it perfectly in our lives in this pre-
sent world as we will in the world to come.
The same framework is true of Christ’s Kingdom. Christ’s king-
dom is spiritual, eternal and not of this world. The world we live
in is physical, temporal and passing away. When the eternal-spiri-
tual intersects with the temporal-physical, it can only be perceived
through spiritual eyes till the temporal passes away. The author of
Hebrews says in Hebrews 13:8 - “Thou hast put all things in subjec-
tion under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he
left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all
things put under him.” He is echoing Paul who declares that every-
thing is put under Christ’s feet (1 Cor 15:27, Eph 2:20-22). Yet,
the author recognizes that we don’t see this in the present world.
The rational mind cannot comprehend how something can be true
and complete in the past and yet not be perceivable. The Scriptures
however are functioning according to heavenly wisdom that we see
through the help of the Holy Spirit.
Essentially, the Already Not-Yet is not a framework being in-
serted into Scripture but rather one that recognizes the Biblical
tension between what we see today and what we are promised in
the age to come. It is the very method that the Apostles use in their
understanding of the things of God. God’s Kingdom is already here
and inaugurated, Christ is ruling and has put His enemies under-
160 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

neath His feet. There will be a future consummation of that King-

dom in the eternal state. We are in an era of delay of the eschaton,
an era of already not-yet. We are looking forward to an era of ul-
timate consummation, where the things promised will be a reality
that we perceive both in the spirit and the flesh.

Imminence Language
An oft confusing feature of Biblical prophetic literature can be its
usage of phrases that indicate that something will happen soon. To
some, any usage of such a phrase must mean that the thing prophe-
sied must occur in its substantial form in what is reckoned soon by
human reasoning. Yet it is in this very context that Peter warns the
Christian not to reckon time according to our human standards (2
Pet 3:8-9). Not only this, prophetic literature uses terms of immi-
nence for events that are fulfilled hundreds of years later. Consider
Haggai 2:6,7 - “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little
while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and
the dry land; 7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all na-
tions shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of
hosts.” The fulfilment of this prophecy is mentioned in Heb 12:26
as pertaining to Christ and the end of Old Covenant. Therefore, it
can be argued that it was fulfilled either at the crucifixion or at the
destruction of the temple in 70 AD. From the time of Haggai to 70
AD was over 500 years and yet the prophet used the phrase a little
while to describe this event. Thus, in Biblical prophetic terminolo-
gy imminence is more of a mindset than an actual time frame. We
are to live as if these things are right at the door and remind our-
selves of the promises of God. We see similar phraseology in other
prophetic texts -

1. Isaiah declares that yet a very little while Israel will be

restored and the eschatological state ushered in (Isa
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 161

29:17-24).
2. Zephaniah declares that the day of the Lord is at hand
(Zep 1:7).
3. Joel says that the day of the Lord is at hand ( Joel 1:15).

These are but a small sample of such Texts. Each of these were
fulfilled several hundred years from when they were prophesied
and are yet awaiting their ultimate fulfilment in the Second Com-
ing. When the Bible uses imminence language it is not so that we
might perceive these to happen quickly as we humans reckon time.
Rather, the purpose is that we immediately repent and live our lives
as if those things prophesied can happen immediately and within
our lifetimes. This is key to understanding various passages pertain-
ing to soonness in prophetic literature. Rather than interpret them
from a human perspective, we are to understand them as a call to
immediate repentance and holy living since the things prophesied
can happen at any moment and will come without a warning.

The Parousia
The second coming of Christ is often referred to as the parousia.
This word literally means a presence, referring to the presence of
Jesus Christ with His people. Christ was indeed present with His
people at His first coming and He is present with His people today,
even as He reigns in heaven. His final parousia will be a consum-
mation of what we already enjoy spiritually. This is the framework
of Biblical eschatology. The wheat and the tares grow together side
by side until the tares are ultimately destroyed at an eschatological
event (Matt 13:24-30). The problem is many want to complicate
this simple schema to fit a more rationalistic system they have de-
vised. Some have built elaborate schemes to divide the Word into
multiple epochs, relegating the Church to a secondary afterthought
and Israel as God’s primary focus (Dispensationalism). Others have
162 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

completely ignored typology to constrain most of Biblical prophe-

cy as finding fulfilment in the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem (Par-
tial Preterist Postmillennialism). Both these systems are wrong and
dangerous deceptions that lead many away from Christ.
Since all the Old Testament is prophesying about Jesus Christ,
we can be certain that everything the prophets proclaimed are in-
deed fulfilled in Him. The benefits of those things, we perceive
through the eyes of faith and experience spiritually in our union
with Christ. When we are given new bodies, we will also experience
these blessings physically. Since Christ’s work in history culminates
in His parousia, we see that all of the Old Testament was pointing
to that reality. The judgement of Egypt and its gods, the judge-
ments on Babylon, Moab, Edom and Assyria, the very conquest of
Canaan and the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem were all ty-
pological of the ultimate day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is
a central theme of Biblical history because the second coming of
Christ is a culmination and fulfilment of His work in this created
order. In other words, all of Scripture, Old and New, will be ful-
filled in Jesus Christ at His second coming.

When was Christ’s Kingdom Inaugurated?

Let us use some of these Apostolic methods of interpreting Biblical
prophecy to understand when Christ’s Kingdom began. If we un-
derstand when this Kingdom of God was inaugurated, we can de-
vote ourselves to studying Christ Himself as the substance of Scrip-
tures and how that ought to affect our lives. Placing the inaugura-
tion of Christ’s kingdom is critical to understanding where we are
today and where we are headed. Is the Kingdom of God a future
event? Or is it something that has already been inaugurated?
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 163

The Four Empires

The Bible plainly teaches that the kingdom of God has already
been inaugurated and that Christ is reigning as King, as foretold in
the prophecies of Old. We are not looking forward to any future
kingdom, but it is already here. Before we get to the explicit pas-
sages, let us consider some prophetic predictions about the king-
dom of God. One of the most famous kingdom prophecies is in the
2nd chapter of Daniel, in the vision God revealed to Nebuchadnez-
zar, King of Babylon. He sees a vision of a great statue with a head
of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of gold, its legs
were of iron and feet of iron mixed with clay.
Daniel makes it plain that the statue represents four distinct
kingdoms or empires (Dan 2:37-43). There are some that arbitrar-
ily distinguish between the iron legs and the toes made of iron and
clay. They posit that this refers to two separate kingdoms. However,
Daniel explains the iron legs and iron-clay feet as referring to one
kingdom (Dan 2:40-43). There aren’t five kingdoms, there are four.
Scholars quibble over what these four kingdoms are. I don’t in-
tend to get into the details of those quibbles because I think there
is one position that is both plain and largely understood in church
history. The head of gold is the Empire of Babylon, as attested to
by Daniel himself (Dan 2:38). The silver chest and arms are the
Medo-Persian Empire. The bronze belly and thighs are the Grecian
Empire, beginning at Alexander and later the Diadochi. Finally, the
iron legs and iron-clay toes represent the Roman Empire. There is
no place here for a fifth Empire that is yet to come in this vision.
Daniel’s interpretation of the vision can be correlated with history
all the way till the coming of Christ.

An Eternal Kingdom
Daniel 2:44 says - “And in the days of these kings shall the God of
heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the
164 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

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.” These
kings refers to the kings of the fourth and final empire, i.e., the Ro-
man Empire. The vision foretells that God will set up an eternal
kingdom in the days of the Roman Empire. This kingdom is in an-
tithesis to the worldly order, which is seen in its opposition to the
other kingdoms and its destruction of them.
This is where understanding prophetic perspective and the al-
ready not-yet framework is helpful. In the vision, there is no
chronological distinction between the destruction of the statue
and the stone becoming a mountain that fills the earth. In verses 34
and 35 the cutting of the stone, the destruction of the statue and
the scattering of its components and the stone filling the earth as a
mountain happen in rapid succession. In other words, they are all
one single event.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, in prophetic per-
spective OT prophets did not see the future in a chronological
manner and saw one single and ultimate eschatological event that
history was progressing towards. For the Jews who were learning in
types and shadows, this was the extent that they needed to know.
Secondly, Christ’s Kingdom has already been inaugurated in the
Roman era as the prophecy clearly states. Yet, we don’t necessari-
ly see the world system destroyed, the eschaton ushered in and the
kingdom of God expanded in the whole world. This is because the
kingdom is inaugurated already but not-yet. We need eyes of faith
to perceive this kingdom and it is not perceived through eyes of the
flesh. For some, this might not suffice, so we will look further into
Daniel’s visions of Christ’s coronation.

The Four Beasts

In Daniel 7, God reveals to Daniel a vision that recapitulates the
vision given to Nebuchadnezzar. In this vision, Daniel sees four
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 165

beasts representing the four empires. This once again enforces how
Biblical eschatology is only looking forward to four specific em-
pires. The final era of human history encompasses everything that
happens in the era of the fourth empire till the last day of this pre-
sent order. This final beast has ten horns, similar to the ten toes of
iron-clay in the Daniel 2 vision. I won’t get into the details of those
horns and toes. They are also restated in the book of Revelation.
I believe it refers to the kingdoms and empires that have spawned
since the Roman Empire and derive their authority from it. This is
applicable for any day and age until Christ returns and covers the
Byzantine Empire, the Frankish Empire, the various European Em-
pires, the American Empire today and whatever Empire will rise in
the future till Christ returns.
Ten is just a symbolic number representing these kingdoms as
the number ten in the Bible denotes completion or perfection sim-
ilar to seven and three. This work will not get into the details to
justify that but a few examples along with how they represent com-
pletion or fullness can help -

1. God gave Israel ten commandments - the fullness or

complete form of what was required for the Israelites.
2. God judged Egypt with ten plagues - the complete and
full judgement of Egypt.
3. Ten generations of men lived before the Flood destroyed
the first world - the fullness of generations before the
judgement of God.

In short, the Roman Empire just like every other nation and
empire in history was governed by a fallen angel. Throughout the
church age, this being of greater power than many other beings,
delegates authority to various nations, empires and thus fallen an-
gels that are represented in the ten horns (or ten toes from Neb-
uchadnezzar’s vision). This doesn’t mean that this is the only entity
166 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

that is in play during the last days of the world, it just happens to
be the most powerful one. As Daniel notes, the other beasts had
their lives prolonged for a time (Dan 7:12). It’s important to note
here that the number ten is not to be taken literalistically. Rather,
it symbolically denotes the complete number of nations or empires
that will derive their authority from the Roman beast.
Here we can also observe an example of recapitulation, i.e. the
retelling of the same incident again and again from different per-
spectives. This is a critical method to grasp to rightly understand
apocalyptic literature, particularly in the Book of Revelation. In
v 17-18, the angel explains all of human history in a very short
glimpse - four empires arise after which God’s people possess the
kingdom of God. He recapitulates this again in v19-22. However,
this time the focus is on the fourth beast and expands more on
what happens during the reign of that beast. Regardless, both
v17-18 and v19-22 culminate in the saints possessing the kingdom
of God. These are the same incident but told from two different
perspectives - the former from a perspective of human history as a
whole and the latter from a perspective of the fourth empire and
onwards.
It is interesting that in this vision to a covenant member, God
revealed the vision of the Empires in a distinct manner compared
to Nebuchadnezzar. This is an interesting glimpse into how percep-
tion is different among the people of God and the people of the
world. To Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdoms and empires were majes-
tic, objects of gold, silver, bronze and iron. They represented beau-
ty, glory and strength. To Daniel however, the Empires appear as
beasts, wicked and evil entities that stand in opposition to God and
His people. These beasts also probably represent the elohim that
stand behind the earthly empires. What seems to the world to sym-
bolise power, glory, beauty and strength is seen for what it really is
by the people of God: fallen angels and their schemes against God.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 167

I am always surprised by Christians trying to glorify the beast

in which they live, even attributing it Christian properties. While it
is true, even from Daniel’s vision that not every beast is equally vi-
cious and that God Himself does use the beasts for His glory - con-
sider how He used Cyrus and the Medo-Persian Bear to restore the
covenant people in the promised land. Regardless, they are beasts
and nothing else, polities that are controlled by rebellious elohim
that are in opposition to God and His kingdom.

Inaugurated Eschatology
In Daniel 7:13-14, we read -
“13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of
man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days,
and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a king-
dom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his do-
minion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
Is this a future event or has this already happened? Does the
New Testament provide any clues? Yes, it does indeed. When Ca-
iaphas the high priest asked Jesus if He was the Son of God, He re-
sponded - “I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right
hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62).
Likewise, in Matthew 16:28, Christ says - “Verily I say unto you,
There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see
the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” The language in both these
passages clearly echoes that of the book of Daniel. The Gospel writ-
ers clearly seem to indicate that the Kingdom of God would be ush-
ered in the same generation as Christ Himself.
An interesting detail in Daniel 7:13 will provide details on
when the Kingdom was inaugurated. Where is the Son of Man go-
ing in that passage? Clearly, He is not going to the Earth, rather He
168 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

is ascending to heaven to meet the Ancient of Days. Note, how the

passage says that the Son of Man came to the Ancient of days and
how the angels brought him near before him. The popular notion
that Daniel 7 is referring exclusively to the second coming is erro-
neous. The vision is referring to Christ’s ascension into heaven as a
victorious conqueror who had defeated death and harrowed hell it-
self, shaking the foundations of the celestial order.
Luke makes this evident in the book of Acts 1:9-11 -
“9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he
was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up in-
to heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
The disciples who saw Jesus Ascension were seeing the earthly
perspective of what the heavenly host saw in Daniel’s vision from
a heavenly perspective. What happens along with the ascension?
Daniel 7:13 says that Christ is given an eternal Kingdom when He
comes before the Ancient of Days, echoing the language of Daniel
2. Jesus was being brought to the Father by the angels in Daniel 7
for His coronation after He had defeated His enemies in His death
and resurrection. We can therefore safely place the inauguration of
Christ’s Kingdom at His Ascension.
The rest of the New Testament also agrees with this analysis.
In his sermon on Pentecost, Peter declares that Christ has already
fulfilled Psalm 110:1 in the past (Acts 2:34-36), noting that Psalm
110:1 declares that Christ is seated at the right hand of Jehovah.
Stephen the Martyr sees Christ standing at the right hand of God
in heaven (Acts 7:56). In 1 Corinthians 15:27, Paul declares that
Christ has already put everything under His feet, in the past tense.
This is reiterated in Ephesians 2:20-22. Peter likewise reminds his
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 169

readers that Christ has already ascended into heaven and placed
both angels and fallen angels under His authority (1 Pet 3:22). All
these passages unequivocally proclaim that Christ has already ob-
tained dominion over this age and the age to come, the Father hav-
ing placed everything under His feet. None of them make any sense
if the kingdom of God is not already inaugurated.
The fact that Daniel 7 refers to Christ’s ascension however
doesn’t mean it doesn’t refer to His Second Coming. Unlike the
material order that is bound by time, the heavens are not. They are
not part of the material order but the celestial one. This is why Pe-
ter says that God’s perspective of time is different from ours (2 Pet
3:8). He isn’t really providing a converter between human hours
and God hours but rather stating that God is beyond time. This
is why prophecy views Christ’s First Coming and His Second as
one single event! This is why the angel in Acts 1:11 proclaims that
Christ will return in the same manner that He ascended. In the ce-
lestial order, they are the same event, Christ is definitively victori-
ous in the past (Already). From our perspective, we are in an age
of delay between the inauguration of His Kingdom to its consum-
mation (Not-Yet). To apply what we have learnt about the spiritual
realm and the material realm - we are awaiting the manifestation of
a spiritual reality in a material world.
An interesting detail shows the significance of this time in the
Kingdom of God. Peter declares in Acts 2:19-21 -
“19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the
earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Peter saw Pentecost as the fulfilment of Joel 2:28-32. Now we
can understand how some of these things were fulfilled. For in-
170 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

stance, three thousand men called on the name of the Lord after Pe-
ter’s sermon. However, there is no Biblical mention of the sun turn-
ing dark or the moon turning to blood. Once again, we ought to be
careful not to read the Bible according to our modern presupposi-
tions. The signs in the sun and moon are references to cosmic up-
heaval. Recollect how the the sun, moon and stars represent angelic
beings. The ancient Jew would have understood the prophetic lan-
guage as symbolic of upheaval in the cosmic realm. The inaugura-
tion of Christ’s Kingdom shook the cosmic order. We will look into
this in more detail later. For now, what we need to recognize is that
we are living in Inaugurated Eschatology, i.e the kingdom of God
has been inaugurated but we await its ultimate consummation.

What about AD 70?

The destruction of the temple of Jerusalem in 70 AD is a critical
event for the eschatological positions of many, particularly those
who hold to the Preterist position. Preterism is an understanding
of prophecy that considers most of the Olivet Discourse and the
Book of Revelation to have already been fulfilled in the destruction
of Jerusalem in 70 AD. It can be broadly classified into Full-Preter-
ism, a damnable heresy that holds that both the Resurrection of the
dead and the Second Coming have already occurred in the past,
and Partial-Preterism, the view that most of those prophecies are
fulfilled but there is a future Second Coming and Resurrection.
There are many other works that provide a more comprehensive
refutation of Preterism and can be consulted but I wish to provide
a brief and succinct summary as to why the Olivet Discourse and
Revelation are emblematic of the Church Age so that the reader is
not deceived by this dangerous teaching.
The reason why it is important to address the issue of Preterism
is because their view of prophecy ultimately leads to a very different
Kingdom outlook and consigns a lot of the New Testament im-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 171

peratives regarding persecution, wealth and marriage to be relevant

only for that early stage of Christian history. According to them
Christ “returned” in 70 AD and therefore the injunctions with re-
gards to the world and the imminence of Christ’s return are not as
relevant to Christians today. As you can see that is a diametrically
opposite outlook from what the author of this work considers to be
the Biblical emphasis for this age. Therefore, while partial-preter-
ists might seek to distance themselves from full-preterism, their
view is equally dangerous and must be rooted out as cancer.

Prophetic Language
The Olivet Discourse precipitates from the following question by
the disciples - “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples
came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?
and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
(Matt 24:3). Remember, the disciples were Jews who did not have
the New Testament or the later outpouring of the Holy Spirit on
them yet. In other words, their view of the end of the age was
like that of other Jews, which is why they were distressed when
they heard that the Messiah had to die (Matt 17:23). They did not
distinguish between the end of the Jewish temple, the end of the
world and the parousia. This must be understood as the context of
Jesus’ later discourse.
In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus is indeed predicting the destruc-
tion of the Jewish Temple, but that’s not the central purpose of that
prophecy. The point is that the destruction of Jerusalem and the
events leading up to it are characteristic of the church age. Likewise,
the destruction of Jerusalem is foreshadowing the ultimate destruc-
tion of the present order. In other words, the message is as relevant
to us today as it was to first century Jews - the destruction of the
temple was a typological judgement. The picture drawn is that the
172 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

discourse applies to the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the age

and everything in between.
We have already seen examples of that in prophetic literature
before. This was just a common form of Jewish literature and
Christ is speaking immediately to a Jewish audience in terms that
they are already familiar with. Since the prophets of Old used lim-
ited fulfilments to signify an ultimate reality, Christ is doing the
same in the Olivet Discourse - the destruction of the Jerusalem
temple was a microcosm of the destruction of the present age.

A Typological Judgement
Interspersed in the discourse is the nature of the judgement Christ
is referring to. Christ compares the events to the days of Noah (Matt
24:37). As we have already seen before, the narrative of the first
global destruction in the flood was to foreshadow the final glob-
al destruction in fire. Thus, Christ’s use of language comparing the
coming judgement to the days of Noah is indicative that He was re-
ferring to a global scale of judgement and rampant wickedness that
would precede it.
If the Old Testament themes aren’t sufficient, Peter warns of
scoffers in the last days who would mock Christians because Christ
hasn’t returned (2 Pet 3:3). Ironically preterists tend to be the worst
of these scoffers. Peter then reminds the reader that the world was
destroyed by a flood in the past, reinforcing the narrative of the
days of Noah (2 Pet 3:5-6). He then reminds them of a future de-
struction of the world in fire (2 Pet 3:7). Preterists say this is just
judgement language and we shouldn’t infer that it is global. How-
ever, Peter’s comparison of the future judgement to the flood and
its purpose to usher in a new order plainly indicate that the judge-
ment by fire will be a literal future event, as true as the flood was.
Jesus assures the disciples that the generation of Jews alive then
would see the fulfilment of the prophecy (Matt 23:36, 24:34). This
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 173

is a very specific timeframe with many warning signs. The reader

is warned that when they see the abomination of desolation (Matt
24:15) or armies surrounding Jerusalem (Luk 21:20) they need to
flee. In other words, there’s a specific time frame along with signs
and warnings. Contrasting this with the usage of but, Jesus refers to
a day that nobody knows, including Himself but is known only by
the Father (Matt 24:36). The rest of the passage shows this event as
a thief breaking in, calling for watchfulness.
Unlike the cataclysmic signs that precede the destruction of
Jerusalem, this event is secretive - i.e. it is like the days of Noah.
Peter elaborates on this further and emphasises how the day of the
lord will come like a thief in the night followed by a destruction of
the created order in fire (2 Pet 3:10). It is important to note that
the usage of thief in the night doesn’t refer to a secret coming as the
Dispensationalists dictate. The rest of Scriptures plainly teach that
the Second Coming will be the most significant event in history
and will be very visible. The language is indicative of suddenness
and imminence, not secrecy. In other words, there are two distinct
events Christ is referring to. The first event has a specific timeframe
and must be fulfilled within a generation. Moreover, it will be an
event with clear signs, allowing the reader to take action when they
see the signs. The second event has no specific time frame except
that it is imminent (Matt 24:29, 42-44, 50, 25:13, 1 Thess 5:2, Heb
10:24-25, 1 Pet 4:7, 2 Pet 3:10).
In essence, to understand how 70 AD comes into play in the
Biblical narrative we need to understand Biblical typology and
prophetic perspective. 70 AD was a type of the ultimate judgement
that would befall all of mankind. Therefore, when Christ says that
all these things would befall that generation; there’s no conflict
with that notion and the passage referring to His Second Coming.
Because 70 AD serves as a type of the future judgement and of
the church age as a whole, those things spoken of by Christ came
174 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

to pass beginning in that very generation and will continue in like

manner till the end of the age.
A major stumbling block for many tends to be how both
Christ’s words and that of Peter imply a soonness or imminence.
To many tempted by the lures of preterism, this soonness ought to
be soon as they perceive it. Yet as we have considered earlier, im-
minence language in the Bible doesn’t indicate that something will
happen within a few years according to our human definitions of
soonness. Even by the reckoning of Preterists, Hag 2:6-7 was ful-
filled in 70 AD. From the time of Haggai to 70 AD was over 500
years and yet the prophet used the phrase a little while to describe
this event. In Biblical prophetic terminology imminence is more of
a mindset than an actual time frame. We are to live as if these things
are right at the door and remind ourselves of the promises of God.
Thus, in prophetic terms we live in an age of delay that divides
two events that they saw as one. The coming of the Messiah and
the final judgement are always one single event in prophetic per-
spective but from our perspective in the New Testament, there’s
an entire period between the incarnation of the Messiah and the
final judgement or Second Coming. Understanding this will help
us rightly frame the use of imminence and typological language.
What God wants to teach us is that the entire period from His as-
cension to His return are the last days of human history and we are
awaiting a cataclysmic end of this order that will come in sudden-
ly as it did in the days of Noah. Moreover, as in the days of Noah,
the world itself will increase in wickedness and worldliness that will
culminate in the return of Christ.
Recognizing this Already Not-Yet framework put forward by
the Apostles is key to understanding our place in redemptive his-
tory. This is why the Book of Revelation follows a cyclical pattern
of God’s judgements. Many assume this to be a linear plot. Howev-
er, like the Old Testament prophets, John is writing in a style called
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 175

recapitulation, i.e., he is looking at the same event from multiple

perspectives. This event is the time period between Christ’s incar-
nation and His second coming. The 7 seals, 7 trumpets and 7 bowls
are simply referring to the same event but from different perspec-
tives. Again, the number 7 simply refers to the fullness of God’s
judgement. This is why in each of those scenarios we see them cul-
minating in a final judgement and vindication of God’s elect.
For example, after the 6th seal, the nations of the world are ter-
rified because the great day of his (God’s) wrath is come (Rev 6:12).
This is followed by a sealing of God’s people and their vindication,
followed by the seventh seal, which leads to silence in heaven or a
completion of the act (Rev 7:1-8:1). Similarly, when the seventh
angel sounds his trumpet, there is a declaration that The kingdoms
of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ;
and he shall reign for ever and ever (Rev 11:15). Again, note that
this is the ultimate vindication of God and His people. Following
the pattern of the seals, when the sixth bowl of wrath is poured,
we see the ultimate conflict between Christ and Satan’s kingdoms
at Armageddon (Rev 16:12-16). Likewise, when the seventh bowl
is poured out, we hear the declaration, It is done (Rev 16:17). We
cannot look into this in more detail in this work, however, suffice
to say that the New Testament teaches that this age will be char-
acterised by intrusions of God’s judgement, culminating in Christ’s
return and the final judgement of all mankind and angels.
 Chapter 10: Christ the
Last Adam

I t’s time to connect the dots for all the patterns and themes we’ve
seen revealed in the Scriptures. They all coalesce at one point,
Jesus Christ, who is the very Substance of the Bible. The Scriptures
are about Jesus Christ and His works. The Old Testament points to
Christ through types and shadows while the New Testament re-
veals Him in His glory. Every theme and story of the Bible finds its
fulfilment in Him. Each of the human agents in Redemptive His-
tory failed to faithfully do what God required of them. Christ is
the only One who would perfectly do what man could never do.
Not only did Christ keep all the requirements of the Father, He is
the One who redeems His people from the yoke of the gods of the
nations to whom they willingly sold themselves.
Earlier we considered the original purpose of the material or-
der. We saw how Adam was God’s image bearer, a son of God, a
king and a priest. He was tasked with a specific mandate through
which he would obtain an inheritance in the world to come for
Himself and His family. Sadly, we know that our first father failed
to do what God required of him, plunging the material order into a
curse. They succumbed to temptation, the woman having been de-
ceived by Satan. Since Adam not only represented himself but also
all of his future offspring, his failure to do God’s will affects the en-
tire human race (Rom 5:12). However, God promised Adam and

176
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 177

Eve that one of their descendants would ultimately defeat the ser-
pent (Gen 3:15), fulfilling what Adam was not able to accomplish.
The apostle Paul devotes two sections of his writings to ex-
pound how Christ and Adam connect. The first section is in Ro-
mans 5:12-19, which can be summarised by v19 - “For as by one
man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one
shall many be made righteous.” Adam’s disobedience is contrasted
with Christ’s obedience, indicating that Christ’s mission was simi-
lar to Adam’s. Just as Adam’s faithfulness would have procured an
inheritance in the world to come for Adam and his physical family,
Christ’s faithfulness definitively procured an inheritance for Christ
Himself and His family through spiritual birth. Likewise, the con-
sequences of Christ’s actions are contrasted with the consequences
of Adam’s. Adam’s sin made all of humanity sinners. All of us carry
the burden of Adam’s sin apart from our own sins when we are out-
side of Christ. This is something that passed to us through famil-
ial bloodlines. However, Christ frees us from that blood-curse by
His obedience, which makes us righteous before the Father. Adam’s
curse was transmitted through bloodlines however Christ’s right-
eousness can only be received by faith (Rom 1:17, 3:22, Phil 3:19) -
a spiritual bloodline brought about by new birth in the Holy Spirit.
The second section is in Paul’s extended discourse on the res-
urrection in 1 Corinthians 15. In verses 21 and 22 we read - “21
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made
alive.” These verses affirm what we have seen earlier about federal
headship, the role of Adam and later Christ as high-priests repre-
senting humanity. All who are represented by Adam are under the
curse of death, yet all who are represented by Christ are made alive.
Paul completes this theme in verse 45, where he declares - “And so it
is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam
was made a quickening spirit.” Adam had to be given life by God
178 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

breathing into his nostrils (Gen 2:7). Christ Himself has become
life for those who believe in Him!
It is important not to miss the detail that Paul makes in 1
Corinthians 15:45. Paul states that Christ is the last Adam. This
is significant. If Christ is the last Adam, then He definitively ac-
complished what God intended for the first Adam. Thus, we as
Christians are not taking on Adam’s mandate and seeking to ac-
complish it. Adam’s task is fully complete in Christ. We are not
new Adams, and we are not tasked with accomplishing what Adam
failed to do. That is neither the mission of the Church nor the mis-
sion of mankind in general. Christ has not enabled us to accom-
plish the creation mandate. Rather, He has obtained the benefits
Adam would have received through His perfect obedience to the
Father!

Christ as Man
One of the most important aspects of Adam’s nature was that he
was a man, and all of his children including us are born into hu-
manity. To be a man is to have a physical body that can interact
with the material world. Therefore, since we are material beings,
our redemption requires material representation i.e we need a man
who can be our king who represents the invisible and spiritual God
to us and a high-priest who represents us before that same God.
The Bible teaches us that Christ is God manifest in the flesh ( John
1:14, Gal 4:4-5). Paul says that Christ is the image of the invisi-
ble God (Col 1:15). God who is Spirit and resides in the spiritual
realm manifested Himself in the earthly realm in the Person of Je-
sus Christ. Since He then is fully God and fully man, He is able to
bring disinherited sons of Adam into the kingdom of God.
As we have already seen, the sons of Adam are under the do-
minion or rule of Satan. Therefore, to redeem these humans, they
need a human king. Through the incarnation, Christ became flesh
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 179

of our flesh and bone of our bone that He might redeem His peo-
ple from bondage to sin. Paul reminds the Christian that we are
members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones (Eph 5:20). Thus,
even the great mystery of marriage is ultimately fulfilled in the
work of Christ to redeem for Himself a new humanity.
This is also in line with what we have read about a kingdom.
A king must belong to the people, they must be his brothers and
children, inheriting the privileges of the kingdom through Him.
In becoming man, Christ became one of the people He sought
to redeem. Thus, those who are in His kingdom have a king and
priest who is a near-kinsman to them. Christ’s humanity therefore
is foundational to the kingdom of God. Through it, Christ be-
comes the conduit that unites the material with the spiritual - His
earthly family with His heavenly family.

Christ as the Son of God

Unlike Adam who was created in time and thus became the son of
God through creation, Jesus Christ is uncreated and eternal. The
Apostle Paul declares that all things were created through Christ
and for Christ (Col 1:16). If all things were created through Christ,
then it is impossible for Christ Himself to be created. The Bible
reveals this Christ as the Son of God, who is one with the Father
( John 10:30). The Apostle John declares the purpose of his Gospel
in John 20:31 - “But these are written, that ye might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have
life through his name.” The Father Himself attested to the Sonship
of Jesus Christ at His Baptism (Matt 3:17) and at His transfigu-
ration (Matt 17:5). Matthew 17:5, says - “While he yet spake, be-
hold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of
the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased; hear ye him.” Unlike Adam who displeased the Father and
was driven away from His presence, Jesus Christ pleased the Father
180 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

and entered into His presence. It is interesting that the Father com-
mands the disciples to obey Christ because Christ was His Son, at
the mount of transfiguration. This is a reminder of the familial na-
ture of sonship and kingship. Just as Adam received his kingship
from the Father, the Bible teaches that Christ received all authori-
ty in heaven and on earth from the Father (Matt 28:18). The Son
rules on behalf of the Father, a dynastic kingdom structure.
An important aspect of Adam’s sonship was that he bore the
image of God. However, on account of his disobedience that image
of God was marred in him and his descendants. The author of He-
brews contrasts Christ with this in Hebrews 1:3 - “Who being the
brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and up-
holding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:”
Adam failed to image God. Christ is the express Image of God.
Therefore, we who are in Christ are being transformed in the im-
age and glory of Christ (2 Cor 3:18). Being transformed into the
image of Christ is to become a perfect image-bearer of God, as He
intended for Adam and His descendants.

Christ as King
As we have already seen, kingship is derived from sonship. The sons
of a ruler become kings in their own right. It shouldn’t be sur-
prising then that the Holy Spirit spills much ink in reminding the
Christian that Jesus Christ obtained the right to rule through the
Father. Hebrews 2:9 states - “But we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory
and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every
man.” The humiliation of Christ in the Angel of Jehovah becom-
ing lower than the angels ultimately leads to His coronation. He is
now a King with glory and honour. Likewise, we saw that Adam’s
kingship was also tied to his priesthood. He was to be a priest-king
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 181

before God, exercising dominion and preserving the purity of the

Edenic temple.
The apostle Paul reminds his readers that everything has al-
ready been placed under Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:27, Eph 1:22), in-
dicating that He is a Ruler who rules with authority. Moreover, the
implications of everything being under Christ is that His rule and
authority are universal. There is no aspect of creation that is not
subject to the rule of Christ. While Adam failed miserably in exert-
ing authority over his domain, Christ presently rules in might and
power. The author of Hebrews does recognize the tension between
the already and the not-yet nature of this reality in Hebrews 2:8 -
“Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he
put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under
him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” The fact
that we don’t see all things put under Him doesn’t detract from the
reality that they truly are. This is why we need the perspective of the
Holy Spirit and it is through spiritual eyes that we perceive Christ’s
Kingdom and reign. Ultimately as we shall see what we perceive
spiritually will also become physical realities at the consummation
of His Kingdom.

Christ as the Fulfilment of the Davidic Covenant

We have previously considered how God made a covenant with
David that His Descendant would receive an everlasting kingdom.
We will now see how Christ presently fulfils that covenant. In his
discourse to the Galatian church, we have already seen how Paul in-
terprets Old Testament passages of promise in the context of the
Abrahamic covenant (Gal 3:16-19). Using his hermeneutic, a read-
ing of 1 Chron 17:11-14 would show that the Seed mentioned in
the passage does not refer to Solomon or any other flesh and blood
descendant of David but rather Jesus Christ.
182 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

It is not just the application of the Pauline hermeneutic

though. The New Testament explicitly declares Christ as the fulfil-
ment of the Davidic covenant. In Lk 1:32-33, we read - “32 He shall
be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his
kingdom there shall be no end.”
This leaves us no doubt that Christ indeed is the fulfilment
of the promise made to David. However, when exactly Christ was
granted this throne and kingdom is debated widely in Christen-
dom. Those of the Premillennial persuasion in particular look for-
ward to an earthly millennial kingdom according to the Jewish
dreams of old. Hence, they insist that Christ will fulfil the Davidic
covenant in the future.
The Premillennialist insists that Christ does indeed reign how-
ever, he doesn’t reign on the throne of David yet. This is a problem-
atic assumption. The authors of the New Testament explicitly point
to Christ’s present reign as being tied to the Davidic promises. In
Acts 2:29-36, Peter quotes Psalm 110 to tie Christ’s ascension and
present reign to the Davidic promise that his descendants would
forever be enthroned. Paul also quotes this Psalm in 1 Cor 15:25,
where we read - “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under
his feet.” In other words, Christ has already begun to reign on the
throne of David. This isn’t some future event or kingdom. Christ is
seated on the throne of David in the heavenly Jerusalem.
If then Christ is reigning as King today, what is the context of
that reign? Does He rule as general monarch of the universe? Or
does He rule as the lawful fulfilment of the prophecies of Old? The
Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus’ reign do not distin-
guish between a general reign and the Davidic promise; that is an
assumption inserted into the Text. The expectation of the Jews was
that there would be a Messiah who would establish a kingdom that
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 183

would never end. We see this expectation in Mk 11:10 wherein the

crowds proclaimed Jesus the King of the Davidic kingdom. They
however falsely understood this to be an earthly kingdom.
In his conversation with Pontius Pilate Christ asserts that His
kingdom is heavenly ( John 18:36). What Kingdom is Christ re-
ferring to in this passage? He is referring to the expectation of
the Old Testament, the eternal and all subduing Kingdom of God
with Christ reigning as its King. This is the only Kingdom that has
any significance in redemptive history. This is the kingdom whose
Ruler sits on the throne of David. The plan of redemptive history
has always been for David’s Kingdom to subdue all other kingdoms
and its King to rule forever.
In Dan 2:44, we read that God will set up a kingdom, which
shall never be destroyed in the days of the Roman Empire. Note the
similarity in language between that passage and Lk 1:33. In other
words, the Kingdom prophesied by Daniel is the same as the Da-
vidic Kingdom. Hence, Christ has already inaugurated His reign
on the throne of David. The Rock, cut not of human hands has al-
ready struck the Empires and Kingdoms of the world. It is the con-
summation with the Kingdom filling the whole Earth that we are
awaiting.

Christ as High Priest

Adam was tasked with preserving the purity of God’s temple in
Eden as its priest. Christ the greater and last Adam would do what
the first Adam could not do. One incident in particular contrasts
Christ’s success as Priest-King against Adam’s failure. Satan’s at-
tempt to tempt Jesus is a parallel to Adam’s temptation. While
Adam failed to assert authority against the evil one, Jesus success-
fully did thrice. In every temptation that Jesus faced, He asserted
His authority with the Word of God. The Word of God was the
184 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Seal of Authority and weapon through which Jesus resisted Satan,

forcing him to flee[20].
Christ’s priesthood can also be seen when He cleared the outer
courts of the Jewish temple twice (Matt 21:12-17, John 2:19-45).
In Hebrews 9:23-24, the author says -
“23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the
heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things them-
selves with better sacrifices than these.
24 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:”
Therefore, it wasn’t just the earthly temple that Christ purged,
it was also the heavenly temple. The ministry of Christ, the inaugu-
ration of His Kingdom and His triumphant ascension are associat-
ed with the casting out of Satan from heaven. His casting out can
be considered the purification of the heavenly temple. Christ hav-
ing accomplished the will of God, the accuser was purged out of
the presence of God as there was no more sin to accuse God’s peo-
ple of.
We see this incident demonstrated in Rev 12. John sees a Child
born who will rule the nations. This is an obvious reference to
Christ Himself. This child is then taken to heaven to his throne
(Rev 12:5). This is an obvious reference to Christ’s ascension. This
is followed by the woman fleeing to the wilderness (Rev 12:6). This
woman is a symbol of God’s covenant people, Israel in the Old Tes-
tament and spiritual Israel or the Church in the New Testament.
Her time in the wilderness is a symbolism of the Church being
in exile in the territory of cosmic evil - a concept we have briefly
touched upon in the past but will flesh out later. It is in this context
that we read about a great war in heaven where Satan and his angels
are defeated and cast out of heaven (Rev 12:7-8). Christ’s ascension
and subsequent purification of the heavenly tabernacle leads to the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 185

corrupter and sin bringer – i.e., Satan and his angels being cast out
of heaven. They lose their place in the divine council[21].
As we have seen, the offices of priest and king connect the
material with the celestial. Adam was granted the offices of priest
and king. After his failure, God divided those offices in the Old
Covenant. The sons of David of the tribe of Judah were kings while
the sons of Aaron of the tribe of Levi were priests. In Christ those
offices are brought together again as Christ is a greater priest in
the order of Melchizedek, i.e He is priest and king (Ps 110:4, Heb
7:17). As priest, He represents His people before the throne of
God. As king, He represents God before His people. Therefore, he
is appropriately called the Anointed One or the Messiah (Christ).
Why is this important? There are things in the material order
that are reflected and represented by things in the celestial order.
Adam was the federal head of the human race. When he failed to
keep God’s commandments, he had no representative in the spiri-
tual realm and by virtue neither did his descendants. When his de-
scendants were enslaved by the gods of this world, they became rep-
resentatives of those gods on earth. When Christ came in the flesh,
He remained fully God and became fully man. Therefore, He pos-
sesses perfections as the Divine God and the perfect man. As the
federal head of new humanity, Christ is able to represent His peo-
ple in heaven before the Father. Likewise, the Christian represents
Christ on Earth. Moreover, while Adam’s kingdom came under a
curse and is consigned to destruction, Christ’s kingdom will never
end (Lk 1:33)!

Christ as Fulfilment of the Aaronic Priesthood

The sons of Aaron who were Levites were set apart to be a special
clan of priests in the holy nation. They were set apart for this pur-
pose in a ceremonial washing (Lev 8:6). Jesus Christ was baptised
by John in water at the beginning of His ministry, showing that He
186 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

was being set apart for Divine work. The Father attested to His ap-
proval with His audible voice and by sending down the Holy Spirit
upon Him.
The Levitical priests were to perform various duties around the
temple and were responsible for maintaining its purity. This priest-
hood was never meant to be an eternal category as the author of
Hebrews teaches in Heb 7:11 - “ If therefore perfection were by the
Levitical priesthood, ( for under it the people received the law,) what
further need was there that another priest should rise after the order
of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?” Thus,
the Levitical priesthood like the other aspects of the Old Covenant
were looking forward to a better and complete substance, Christ
who is a priest not in the order of Levi but of Melchizedek for He
is both Priest and King.
The Levitical priestly system was headed by a high-priest. This
individual could enter the most holy place once every year in fear
and trembling and offer atonement before the mercy seat both for
his own sins and for the sins of the Israelite nation.
In Heb 7: 26-28, we read - “26 For such an high priest became
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacri-
fice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once,
when he offered up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity;
but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son,
who is consecrated for evermore.”
Since the high priest was himself a sinner and the community
kept sinning, they had to continue their atonements every year.
Since Jesus Christ is without sin, He was able to offer a once and
for all sacrifice for His people, consecrating Himself forever as the
Great High Priest.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 187

Christus Victor
Christ’s perfection of the role of Priest-King is best demonstrated
in His triumph over the gods of this world. In fact, John notes that
the purpose of Christ’s incarnation was that he might destroy the
works of the devil (1 John 3:8). The Gospel message is not about a
legal transaction. There is a temptation, particularly in the Western
tradition to view the Gospel as primarily being a legal transaction
between Jesus and the Father to save people. However, the Bible
primarily reveals the Gospel as a kingdom message that tells a cos-
mic story of the triumph of the Anointed One of God (Messiah)
over His enemies. The narrative of the Scriptures can be described
as the glorious tale of the pre-eminence of Christ and His victory
over the gods of this world. The kingdom of God will prevail while
the this present world will be destroyed.
In John 16:33, Christ declares - “These things I have spoken unto
you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribu-
lation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Consid-
ering the Bible has revealed time and time again that this present
world is associated with the kingdom of Satan, the cosmic implica-
tions of this declaration should not be missed. When Christ says
that He has overcome the world, He is effectively saying He has
overcome Satan’s kingdom and the gods of this world.

The Gospel as a Kingdom Message

It is because Christ was victorious over the forces of darkness that
rebellious transgressors can hope in His mercy and forgiveness. Be-
cause Christ is king over His kingdom, He can forgive those who
have rebelled against Him and pardon even those who have sworn
allegiance to His enemies. This can be clearly seen in every Gospel
presentation in the Bible. Consider Peter’s sermon on Pentecost.
He develops the history of the kingdom of God from the Old Tes-
188 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

tament prophecies and concludes his sermon with the ascendant

enthroned Jesus Christ. This message of Christ’s triumphal ascen-
sion is what leads to the Jews being pricked in their conscience
(Acts 2:35-37) and it is in this context that Peter calls them to re-
pent and believe (Acts 2:38).
Paul’s sermon to the Jews in Acts 13 also follows a similar pat-
tern. Paul traces the history of God’s kingdom in the Davidic era,
reminding them that David’s promised Heir would be the Anoint-
ed Savior of Israel (Acts 13:22-23). Paul then goes on to explain
why Jesus is the rightful heir of David’s throne and the Anointed
Saviour promised. It is in this context of Christ being the Anointed
One that Paul appeals to his listeners to repent of their sins (Acts
13:37-38). It is in this same context that he warns them that reject-
ing Him as the Anointed leads to destruction (Acts 13:40-41). The
appeal is that the hearer may be justified by believing that Christ is
the Anointed One, the rightful Ruler of David’s line (Acts 13:39).
In other words, they would be saved by affirming His kingship.
They would be saved by swearing allegiance to His kingdom.
It can be tempting to think that this is only the case in the con-
text of preaching to the Jews who were familiar with the language
of God’s promises. Yet we see that is not the case. In Paul’s preach-
ing at the Areopagus, to an audience of pagan philosophers, he pro-
claims to them that God calls all men to repent. What is the con-
text of this call? It is his declaration that Christ, the one ordained
(Anointed) by God will one day judge the world. God has proved
this to all men by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:31). It is in
this context of Christ’s resurrection and therefore right to rule and
judge that they are called to repent (Acts 17:30). Again, the point
being that swearing allegiance to the rightful Ruler is what brings
salvation.
Note the difference between these sermons and many of the
Gospel presentations in our day. Often, the Gospel presentations of
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 189

our day begin with an appeal to mortality followed by an attempt

to convince someone of being a sinner incapable of pleasing God.
The hearer is then warned about the reality of hell and the justice
of God in sending all sinners there. After this there is proclamation
of God’s mercy through Christ’s substitutionary atonement and ar-
dent pleas for repentance. This skeleton of a presentation doesn’t
present anything false, but it is deficient and doesn’t present the full
picture that we see in the Biblical Gospel proclamations.
A Gospel that isn’t about the kingdom and Christ’s cosmic vic-
tory is a deficient Gospel. The Biblical Gospel presentations call
the hearers to repentance on the basis that Jesus is the Anointed
One, who has proved His right to rule by living a perfect life in
obedience to God and triumphing over His enemies. God has re-
vealed that He has accepted Jesus' work by raising Him from the
dead. In other words, since Jesus is King who is presently reigning,
those who believe in Him and accept His reign are shown mercy
and those who reject Him and His reign will suffer His vengeance.
Even doctrinal passages of Scripture explain the Gospel simi-
larly. In Romans 10:9, Paul says that to be saved one must -

1. Confess that Jesus is Lord, i.e ruler or king.

2. Believe that God raised Him from the dead.

Once again, we see the pattern where the emphasis is placed on

Christ’s reign and resurrection rather than His death[22]. It is this
message according to Paul that is the gospel of peace and glad tidings
of good things (v15). It is this Gospel that preachers must go forth
and preach (v14).
Not only are the Gospel presentations of our day deficient, they
are also highly man-centred. By shifting the focus of the Gospel
from Christ’s reign and resurrection to His death we make the
Gospel primarily about ourselves rather than God’s glory. We make
190 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

it all about His personal affection for us as individuals (which is

definitely true!) rather than His victory and vindication over His
enemies – the gods of this world. We make it about Him dying for
our sins rather than Him being enthroned. This makes salvation as
something that helps us as individuals to stop sinning and get to
heaven. While this is true in its simplest sense, the Biblical impli-
cations of salvation are far more profound. The Biblical narrative is
about how mankind through rebellion fell under the authority of
Satan and the gods of this world. The Gospel is a message of deliv-
erance for God’s people from those celestial powers. It is a restora-
tion of man’s sonship through Christ, enabling them to participate
in imaging God as priest-kings once more.
Sin and rebellion are acts of cosmic treason. To sin is to refuse
to image God and to image Satan and the elohim instead. Since
Jesus is victorious over Satan, He has the right to forgive acts of
cosmic treason restore the image of God in His people. As Paul
said to the Greeks - Christ has the right to judge the world (Acts
17:31). This is why the Biblical Gospel presentations place such a
heavy emphasis on Christ’s resurrection rather than His death on
the cross. It is the resurrection that proves that Christ is able to de-
liver and restore His people as imagers of God. It proves that the
one who conquered death can deliver those who are enslaved to the
lord of death. It is in these cosmic implications - the resurrection
from the dead, the defeat of the gods of this world, the judgement
of men and angels, the restoration of God’s image and the creation
of the new heavens and the new earth that the Bible calls the Chris-
tian to hope in.

Christ’s Life
The Devil has always sought to thwart God’s plans and seduce
His people. It was his hope that he would do the same with Jesus
Christ, thus forever thwarting God’s plan of salvation. However, he
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 191

failed miserably. From His birth to His death, Christ lived a perfect
life, not falling to the temptations of the flesh and perfectly keep-
ing God’s law. This demonstrates Christ’s indomitable human will
against the corrupting influence of the flesh and Satan.
The Devil sought to tempt Jesus by offering Him dominion
over all the nations, which as we know are under his grasp (Luk
4:5-6). Christ refuses to give in. Likewise, during Christ’s public
ministry, the Devil used Peter, Christ’s apostle to tempt Him. Es-
sentially, he was tempting Christ to abandon a pathway of suffering
and weakness and rather embrace earthly triumph and victory.
Christ, however, resisted this temptation and thwarted the Devil
once more (Matt 16:23), setting a pattern for His people in this age
of going through sufferings and persecutions before obtaining vic-
tory (Matt 16:24). Following Christ is to resist the Devil’s tempta-
tions to love this world and victory by its standards.
What this teaches us is that the corrupting influence of the
kingdom of Satan, this present world, did not have any power over
Christ. He proved that He was not of this world by overcoming
the temptations of this world - power and wealth. He rejected the
promises of Satan because He recognized the better promises of
His Father. Since the world was unable to corrupt Him, He is able
to deliver those who are under the corrupting influence of Satan’s
kingdom. We also see Christ’s dominance over Satan’s kingdom in
three specific manifestations of his ministry.
Firstly, the ministry of Christ and His apostles was accompa-
nied by the casting out of unclean spirits from their human hosts.
We also see that He gives His disciples the authority to cast out un-
clean spirits. According to Christ Himself, this was a sign that the
Kingdom of God had arrived - “But if I cast out devils by the Spir-
it of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how
can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except
he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house” (Matt
192 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

12:28-29). Note here that Christ says that to plunder a strong man
in his house, he must first be bound. The authority of casting out
demons demonstrated Christ and His apostles was symbolic of this
binding of the strong man, Satan and the plundering of his house,
the kingdoms of the world. Christ was verifiably demonstrating
that He was freely plundering the kingdom of Satan. The greatest
possible bondage, that of possession by unclean spirits, cannot re-
sist the freeing power of Christ and Satan could do nothing about
it.
When Christ and His disciples expelled unclean spirits, they
were facilitating true liberty rather than an exchange of territory
within the same kingdom. This has great implications for the ter-
ritory claimed by God’s kingdom. While we will investigate this in
more detail later, Christ’s power in exorcism demonstrates that the
territory He is laying claim to is not earthly territory but rather the
hearts of those who are in bondage.
Secondly, the ministry of Christ and His apostles was accom-
panied by healing the sick. Sickness and physical deformities are
tragic realities of living in a fallen world - a corruption of imaging.
It is an effect of the corrupting influence of Satan’s kingdom.
Rather than reflecting the goodness of God, the material world of-
ten reflects the rottenness of Satan and his angels. When Jesus and
His apostles healed the sick, they demonstrated the power of the
kingdom of heaven over the corruption of Satan’s kingdom. It was
a foretaste of heaven where every kind of ailing caused by the fal-
lenness of the present world will be wiped away. There will be no
more crying or pain, for the former things have passed away (Rev
21:4). The consummation of that kingdom is not here yet, hence
we still suffer under the yoke of the corruption of this age. How-
ever, in demonstrating His power to heal, Christ proved His domi-
nance over the world and provides evidence that we can trust in the
promises of future healing in His kingdom.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 193

Finally, the ministry of Christ demonstrates His power over

the gods of this world. Consider for instance the incident where
Christ calmed the great sea storm (Mk 4:35-41). His disciples were
astonished at the fact that the wind and the waves obeyed Him
(Mk 4:41). Why were the disciples astonished at this? They had
very recently witnessed Him both heal the sick and cast out un-
clean spirits. Therefore, His ability to work miracles and control
lesser spiritual entities was not in question. The fact that they were
specifically astonished that the wind and the seas obeyed Him pro-
vide us clues. Unlike our materialistic thinking, the disciples were
from the ancient world. They well understood that the wind, waves
and seas were associated with fallen spiritual beings whom the na-
tions worshipped. Therefore, when Christ commanded the wind to
calm down and the wind and the sea quietened down, He demon-
strated to them that He had power over the gods worshipped by
the nations. In the Old Testament, such power over the gods and
nature was only exercised by Jehovah. They were now starting to re-
alise that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, one with Jehovah.

Christ’s Death
In Colossians 2:14-15, the apostle Paul says -
“14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against
us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to
his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a
shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
The Apostle Paul ties Christ’s work on the cross with the spoil-
ing of principalities and powers and Christ’s triumph over them.
Who are these principalities and powers? The New Testament uses
this term to refer to various ranks of fallen angels. Paul plainly ex-
plains this in Ephesians 6:12 - “For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
194 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high

places.” Paul contrasts flesh and blood against the spiritual forces
that rule from high places. The supernatural theme runs throughout
the Scriptures. Paul is drawing on what we have already seen in the
Old Testament. The gods of this world exercise rule from their po-
sitions in the high places and seek to hold the vestiges of their king-
dom that is soon to be destroyed.
At the cross, Christ fulfilled what was promised to Eve in Gen-
esis 3:15. The serpent had bruised the Seed of the woman, but He
had crushed its head. All his attempts to tempt the Seed of the
woman as he had the woman had decisively failed. The gods of this
world had received their deathblow and their defeat was publicly
displayed through the signs and wonders that occurred on that day
(Matt 27:45-51).
Since Christ as the last and greater Adam is our high priest,
He has through His works secured our place in the Kingdom of
God. He is our representative in the divine council. Even though as
sons of Adam we were under the claim of the gods of the nations,
Christ’s work objectively secures our redemption.
In Col 1:13-14, we read - “13 Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the for-
giveness of sins”
Firstly, note that we have been delivered from the power of
darkness. This is the same as the kingdom or domain of darkness.
The blood of Christ, which offers forgiveness from sins also offers
us redemption. Many often take this to mean redemption from
God’s wrath. However, the context makes it evident that Paul is
speaking of our redemption from the kingdom of darkness into the
kingdom of God. Impurity is the lack of purity. Christ as the per-
fect human is so infinitely pure that all the impurity and sin that
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 195

bound us to the gods of this world through Adam and Babel is

completely washed away, destroying their claims over God’s people.
It is important not to miss the detail that our redemption is
from this present world or the kingdom of darkness into the king-
dom of God because this has cosmic implications. Christ’s death
isn’t so much about providing an individual personal righteousness
before God. It is primarily about securing for the people of God ac-
cess to the world to come and the benefits that come with it – the
ability to image God. We are delivered from the gods of this world
and become citizens of the kingdom of God.
The gods of this world hoped that by crucifying Christ, they
would thwart God’s plan of redemption and keep the world for
themselves. This is one of the reasons why the Old Testament is so
veiled in its revelation of Truth, so that when these gods do that
which they think is their ultimate victory, they receive the mortal
blow. The Apostle Paul best describes this in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 -
“6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not
the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come
to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden
wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they
known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.[23]”
Paul is teaching us that the plan of redemption was veiled so
that the spiritual forces that rule this world would not know that
crucifying Christ would be the end of their kingdom. Paul says, had
they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified Him. They thought
that if they killed the Son, they would inherit the kingdom. There-
fore, these beings conspire together and move earthly rulers who
are under their grasp to have Christ executed, not knowing that
in doing this they would be mortally wounded and made a public
spectacle.
196 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

In 1 Peter 3:18-19, Peter notes -

“18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the un-
just, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in
prison;”
The Greek word for preached simply means to proclaim or her-
ald. We have already seen that these spirits in prison refers to angelic
entities that had rebelled against God ( Jud 6) and were imprisoned
in tartarus, the region of the underworld where spirits are held. In
death, Christ descended to tartarus and proclaimed His victory to
those beings. This triumphal descent has historically been called
the harrowing of hell. It is possible that these fallen angels were hop-
ing to be freed if the elohim thwarted God’s plan of salvation. How-
ever, Christ’s descent and proclamation of victory seals their fate.
They are being informed that their hope is over, the elohim have
failed and they can look forward to a grim judgement.
Paul demonstrates that not only did Christ proclaim His victo-
ry in tartarus, He also went to hades. In Ephesians 4:8-9, he states -
“8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led cap-
tivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth?”
This is a fulfilment of Psalm 68. Who were these captives? They
were the Old Testament saints. We have already seen how the Old
Testament reveals that the dead all go to sheol (Psa 6:5, Ecc 9:10), a
region ruled by Abaddon ( Job 26:6, Prov 15:11, Prov 27:20). This
same sheol is called Hades in the New Testament and the Septu-
agint. Since Christ had not finished His work of purification and
atonement for sins, the Old Testament saints were not taken to
heaven when they died but were rather kept in Hades. Even though
they were in a place where they were comforted (Luk 16:25), this
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 197

was still the realm of the dead and thus under the lord of death, Sa-
tan. Christ’s triumph over Satan therefore involved going to Hades
and freeing the Old Testament saints, leading them triumphantly
to heaven at His ascension. Death could not contain Christ, nor
could it contain those He had freed!

Christ’s Resurrection
At His resurrection, Christ demonstrably proved that death was no
longer a viable weapon that the Devil could use against the peo-
ple of God. The depths of the earth, Hades and Tartarus could not
hold Him in their grasp. The author of Hebrews declares Christ’s
resurrection as something that led to the destruction of Satan’s
power - “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the
devil;” (Heb 2:14). By partaking in what all humans must partake
of and not being consumed by it, Christ had delivered Adam’s chil-
dren from their intertwined fate of returning to the serpent’s do-
main of dust.
Of all the means of corruption used by Satan, death is his
strongest weapon (Heb 2:14). He sought to wield this weapon on
Jesus Christ by moving earthly rulers to kill Him. Yet, as Peter pro-
claims, it wasn’t possible for Christ to be held by death (Acts 2:24)
and His flesh did not see corruption (Acts 2:31). The Bible teaches
us that death is the consequence of sin. Since Christ was without
sin, having overcome the corruption of this world, Satan’s greatest
weapon couldn’t contain Him.
The centrality of the resurrection of Christ to the Christian
faith cannot be understated. According to Paul, without the resur-
rection, there is no remission from sins (1 Cor 15:17). As he puts
it, our faith is in vain. A man who dies but isn’t resurrected proves
that he is consumed by the corruption of this world. He is over-
198 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

come by death, the weapon wielded by Satan. Therefore, those who

trust in such a man, trust vainly. This is such an important theme
for Paul that he outright states that Christ was resurrected for our
justification (Rom 4:25). Without the resurrection, there is no jus-
tification.
Why does this matter? Why should we care that Christ is the
last Adam? It is time for us to see the extent and benefits of Christ’s
work for His people. We have already seen how Adam’s earthly
work was never meant to be eternal. Once Adam had proved him-
self faithful, he would cease from his work and rest like His Cre-
ator, having obtained for himself and his descendants, a place in the
world to come. Adam’s failure cut out access to the world to come
for those who were in him, all his descendants. However, the Bible
shows us that Christ succeeded where Adam failed and secured a
place for all those who are in Him in the world to come. This is at
the heart of the Gospel message and therefore this is very impor-
tant for us to grasp. If Christ has done all the works required for
His people, then what remains is that His people trust in Him and
enter their eternal rest.
The author of Hebrews ties Christ’s suffering and enthrone-
ment (Heb 2:9) with the subjection of the world to come (Heb
2:5,8). The crux of this message is in v10 - “For it became him,
for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect
through sufferings.” Christ’s glorification through sufferings is a
promise that we ourselves will be glorified through suffering. The
Greek word translated as captain literally means archetype (arché-
gos). Christ was a precursor; a forerunner and His glorification is
the guarantee that He will lead many sons to glory. This is a sig-
nificant pattern in the Bible that was well understood by the early
church. Christ’s work has already secured our glorification. How-
ever, that glorification is not in the here and now but the world to
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 199

come. Like our Saviour, we too will suffer here, we too will be per-
secuted and we too will give up all kinds of luxuries, conveniences,
familial and national ties.
Since Christ has already entered the heavens, having completed
His work (Heb 4:14), we can be sure that we too will enter that rest
should we labour here (Heb 4:11). The works being referred to here
aren't works unto salvation or engaging in Adam’s work. Rather it
is our service as the holy nation and priests unto God. We will con-
sider this in detail later. This is a necessary part of saving faith as the
author plainly contrasts failing to labour with apostasy and unbe-
lief (Heb 4:11). What the author is conveying is that Christ is the
Eternal Rest for His people (Heb 4:8-11). Following His pattern,
Him being our archetype, we too will enter God’s rest. In conclu-
sion we see that Christ is indeed the greater and last Adam who
faithfully accomplished what Adam failed to do. In doing so, He
as High Priest secures the place of all those who are in Him, in the
world to come.
Paul uses similar archetype language in 1 Corinthians 15. In
v20, he states - "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become
the firstfruits of them that slept." In other words, Christ is a pattern
for His people. Just as He died and rose again, so will His people.
A major point of contrast between Christ and Adam is drawn in
verses 47-49 -
"47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the
Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is
the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly."
Paul is teaching that the resurrection bodies that we will obtain
will be of the same manner that Christ obtained. He is not stating
that the resurrection bodies will be ethereal and not physical.
200 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Rather like Christ after His resurrection we will have physical bod-
ies but that which is not part of this present material order. Just as
we bore the image of Adam, we will now bear the image of Christ.
Christ's resurrection body was not according to this material order,
it was of the world to come. Likewise, our resurrection bodies will
not be given to this order and its desires either. As Paul says, flesh
and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50).

The Kingdom Already but Not-Yet

Postmillennialists often quote 1 Cor 15:25-26 to justify their view.
According to their interpretation, Christ must reign while grad-
ually suppressing all His enemies and finally defeating death, cul-
minating in the Second Coming. However, the Biblical picture
is very different. The author of Hebrews recognizes the tension
between the inaugurated reality of all things being subjected to
Christ and the perceived reality where we do see the enemies of
Christ flourish (Heb 2:8). The Psalmist explains this tension very
well in Psa 110:1-2 -
“1The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until
I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule
thou in the midst of thine enemies”.
First, it is interesting to note here that it is God Himself who
will subjugate the enemies of the kingdom, not the church (v1).
Secondly, Christ must rule in the midst of His enemies (v2). This
is the reality of this present age between Christ’s ascension in v1
and the second coming in v5-7. After Christ has for a time ruled in
the midst of His enemies, He Himself shall strike through kings in
the day of his wrath (Psa 110:5) and judge among the heathen (Psa
110:6). Note how the ultimate judgement is tied to Christ’s day of
wrath. Till then the ascended Christ will rule in the midst of His
enemies. This means that the judgement of gods is proclaimed in
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 201

the heavenly realm. They have been cast out from the divine coun-
cil at Christ’s ascension. However, this reality is yet to manifest it-
self in the material world of space and time. Thus, the elohim con-
tinue to retain their positions as rulers of the various nations. Ac-
cording to both Peter and Jude, not even angels dare to accuse these
beings before the Lord (2 Pet 2:10-11, Jud 8-9).
Remember, that God has promised to preserve seedtime and
harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and
night till the earth itself remains (Gen 8:22). He governs these nat-
ural processes through the sun, moon and stars which are for signs,
and for seasons, and for days, and years (Gen 1:14). The sun will
continue to rule the day and the moon will continue to rule the
night (Gen 1:16-18). As we have already seen, the Bible always uses
those terms with regards to celestial beings that have delegated au-
thority over the natural processes. Therefore, it is evident that for as
long as the terms of the Noahic covenant last, i.e., till the end of the
world ordained by God, the celestial powers ordained by Him con-
tinue to have delegated authority over this world and its function-
ing. God’s absolute control over these beings and the fact that He
enforces the cycling through of day, night and the seasons in their
time should assure the Christian that God will indeed keep all His
promises to His covenant people ( Jer 33:20-26).
We see this reign of Christ amidst His enemies laid out in Rev-
elation 20. Some assert that this passage is about a future earth-
ly reign of Christ. Rather, it is the final recapitulation of the last
age of human history – from Christ’s victory to the last judgement.
As we have already seen, Christ’s authority over unclean spirits was
a sign that the strong man of the nations had been bound (Matt
12:29-29). John therefore witnesses this binding of the strongman
as the first act of this vision (Rev 20:1-3).
The manifestation of the kingdom of God in Christ, led to
the binding of Satan. The New Testament makes it evident to us
202 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

that Satan’s powers have been greatly curtailed (Lk 10:17-20, Matt
12:28-30, 28:18-20). It also shows us that Satan and the fallen gods
have been cast down from heaven, losing their place in the divine
council at Christ’s ascension (Rev 12:7-10). It is imperative for us
to see that the binding of Satan is in the context of his inability to
deceive the nations (Rev 20:2). Unlike the Old Covenant where
the Word of God was restricted to a small strip of land in Palestine,
this Word will now go forth to the territories of all the gods. This
manifestation of the Word (i.e., Christ) through the Church is the
evidence that Christ is ruling amidst His enemies. This Word goes
out to all nations and households from those nations are drawn in-
to Christ’s kingdom.
It is important for us to keep the context of the ancient reader
in mind. In the ancient world, the Gospel simply didn’t go out to
the nations. The closest we have is when the Jews lived in exile in
Babylon. Satan could deceive the nations as a whole. He is still able
to deceive and blind (2 Cor 4:4). He also prowls about as a roaring
lion (1 Pet 5:8). Regardless, there’s a chain that controls how far he
can go. He is forced to largely rule by proxy through his angels and
earthly servants.
John then sees the souls of those who were faithful to Christ
reign with Him for a thousand years (Rev 20:4). He calls this the
first resurrection (Rev 20:5). The second death has no power over
these (Rev 20:6). This should make it evident what John is talking
about. Those who have died in Christ are resurrected to the heaven-
ly realm. Unlike the Old Testament era, saints who die go to heav-
en, not to the realm of the dead (i.e., Sheol or Hades). Those who
participate in this first resurrection become priest-kings, reigning
with Christ for a thousand years (Rev 20:6).
We see examples of this in the twenty-four elders offering wor-
ship to God (Rev 5:8-9). They are clearly serving as priests since
they play harps and carry the prayers of the saints and offer it to
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 203

God with bowls of fragrant aroma (Rev 5:8). Both playing of in-
struments and offering mediatory prayers was a function of the
Levitical priesthood. Moreover, the fact that they are wearing
crowns implies that they are rulers (Rev 4:4). Rev 20 asserts that it’s
not just these elders but every believer who dies receives a throne
and reigns with Christ (Rev 20:4).
The thousand years is an example of Biblical numerology. Ten
is a number of completion and perfection. Three times ten is a
thousand. This is simply an emphasis on the fulness of time of
Christ’s reign amidst His enemies. Like the prophetic literature of
the Old Testament, John uses numerology that the first century
Jewish mind was familiar with.
Therefore, Revelation 20 is about Christ’s present spiritual
reign with His saints and angels. Those who have died have joined
His divine council as priest-kings and are currently reigning with
Him. He reigns amidst His enemies. This reign is manifested on
earth through the presence of the Church in every nation – a con-
cept we will explore in detail later. This means we will continue
to see the nations of the world guided by fallen gods according to
their own agenda for a time. As Christ prophesied this will cause
an increase in wars and rumours of wars in the nations as these en-
tities both rally against God’s kingdom and each other (Matt 24:6).
Since the judgement has already been inaugurated, we will also see
more and more intrusions of that day of judgement in space-time
through famines, plagues and earthquakes (Matt 24:7). All of his-
tory is heading towards that final day of judgement.
 Chapter 11:
Redemptive Kingdom
Structure in the New
Covenant

O ur studies in the Old Covenant have shown us that God’s

kingdom manifests itself with a king, a nation and a territo-
ry. In the Old Covenant this was revealed in types and shadows.
The land of Canaan was the holy land, the territory set apart by
God for His Divine rule. The Hebrews were God’s chosen people,
His own nation, who were set apart when the rest of the sons of
Adam were disinherited at Babel. Finally, David and his sons were
appointed as kings, to rule over this holy nation as the image and
representation of their God, just as the kings of the nations around
them imaged their own gods.
This finally brings us to the New Covenant. God promised
His people that He would make with them a New Covenant that
would be unlike the covenant He made with them under Moses
( Jer 31:32). The nature of this covenant is one where God’s law
will be written on the hearts of His people ( Jer 31:33). This will
be a covenant whose members will all know the Lord and unlike
the Mosaic covenant, it will be an unconditional covenant because
God promises covenant members to forgive sin and remember it
no more ( Jer 31:34).
Christ Himself instituted this New Covenant when He intro-
duced the sacrament of communion among His disciples (Matt
204
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 205

26:28, Lk 22:20). Paul emphasises in multiple places the distinc-

tion between the New and Old Covenants (Rom 7:6, 1 Cor 11:25,
2 Cor 3:6). However, it is the author of Hebrews who provides an
in-depth exposition of the nature of covenants along with the as-
pects of continuity and discontinuity. According to him -

1. The New Covenant is a truly different covenant from the

old as it is based on better promises (Heb 8:6).
2. The Old Covenant(s) was faulty, but the New Covenant
is perfect (Heb 8:7).
3. The New Covenant makes the Old Covenant obsolete
and causes it to pass away (Heb 8:13).
4. This New Covenant promises eternal life to all who are
under it by granting redemption for those who have
sinned (Heb 9:15).
5. Jesus Himself is the mediator or high priest of this New
Covenant. He represents His people before God. While
the Old Covenant was able to accuse, as demonstrated by
the blood of Abel, the New Covenant saves, through the
blood of Jesus Christ (Heb 12:24).

This should dispel any notions that the New Covenant is sim-
ply another administration of the Old Covenant. The authors of
the New Testament and the prophets of the Old painstakingly ex-
plain that the New Covenant is indeed new and better, being built
upon better promises and being mediated by a better High Priest -
Jesus Christ.
Given this context, let us seek to understand how the kingdom
of God manifests in this New Covenant. The Bible teaches us that
Satan is still the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), the prince of the
power of the air (Eph 2:2), the prince of this world ( John 12:31,
14:30, 16:11). Moreover, we know that the nations of this world
are under the grasp of Satan, a fact he sought to use to tempt Jesus
206 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

(Lk 4:5). Thus, Satan’s kingdom is a very physical kingdom. He

rules this present world. The kingdom of God however is not like
Satan’s kingdom, at least not in its manifestation in this present age.
In his conversation with Pontius Pilate, Jesus affirms the spiritual
nature of His kingdom ( John 18:36). Dominionists assume that
this refers simply to the origins of the kingdom rather than its man-
ifestation. As we shall see this is an incorrect assumption.
The Jews were expecting a physical Messianic Kingdom. They
were expecting the Messiah to come, overthrow their enemies and
proclaim Himself a King over an everlasting earthly kingdom.
However, in doing so they completely misunderstood the nature of
the kingdom of God and failed to recognize the beauty of God’s
plan in Redemptive History. Christ plainly clarifies how the King-
dom of God manifests in this age. When confronted by the Phar-
isees on the nature of the Kingdom, Christ plainly declared that the
Kingdom of God was not something that could be observed but
rather it was within His people (Lk 17:20-21).

Christ as Priest-King
The most important aspect of a kingdom is its king. In some sense,
the very kingdom exists for the king. The Kingdom of God in the
New Covenant also has a King. The man David imperfectly took
on the kingship of the Kingdom of Israel in the Old Covenant. In
the New Covenant, the man Jesus Christ, who is by nature God,
takes on kingship of God’s redemptive kingdom.
Why does it matter that Jesus is King? Remember that it is not
just Christ who represents us in heaven. We also represent Christ
on earth. Therefore, we can be certain that the glories that He has
attained by His perfections, are glories that we will share in. We
see that those who died in Christ reign with Him (Rev 20:4-6).
Since He is the Divine Sovereign, we will also partake of His Di-
vine nature and escape the corruption of this present age (2 Pet
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 207

1:4). Christ calls those who keep His commandments His broth-
ers, sisters and mothers (Matt 12:48-50). Therefore, it goes without
saying that the brothers of the king who share in his sufferings will
also share in His glory and inherit rule through Him.
It is important to note here the significance of representing the
heavenly on earth. Christ represents us and we represent Him. This
means that we must follow His path if we are to share in His glo-
ry. Christ’s path to glory was one of sorrow, pain, suffering, rejec-
tion, persecution and ultimately death. This is the consistent pat-
tern for every Christian. To be a Christian is to be like Christ and
to share in His sufferings. To be His image bearers is to bear suffer-
ings in humility and trust God as He did. This intrinsically rejects
any form of eschatology that calls for an era of prosperity where
the curse is brought under control for an extended period of time.
Every Christian must suffer before He can reign. As Paul says in 1
Tim 2:12 - “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him,
he also will deny us”.

The Church as a Territory

What is the territory Christ rules over? In the Old Covenant, the
land of Canaan was the holy land, the cosmic allotment of Jehovah.
The nation of Israel lived in this land and all the lawful actions they
performed on the land was holy. We also read about sin defiling the
land. This goes back to our understanding of what holy ground is.
Since holy ground is associated with the presence of God, all who
live within it must likewise be holy and live by His standards. This
is why the Old Covenant was full of rituals and sacrifices of cleans-
ing. It was a reminder of the holiness required by God. To commit
sin or to worship other gods was to defile the land that was the pos-
session of Jehovah.
What is the land over which Christ rules? Christ’s assertion
that His kingdom is not of this world ( John 18:36) offers us some
208 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

clues. Christ’s kingdom is a heavenly kingdom. Paul says that our

citizenship is in heaven (Eph 3:20). A person is a citizen of the na-
tion or land he calls his home which confers on him the privileges
of that community. Therefore, if our citizenship is in heaven as Paul
says then it goes without saying that the kingdom’s territory lies
there.
Paul further emphasises this in Eph 2:6 - “And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus”. In a mystery that is beyond our capacity to understand, we
are already living in heaven with Christ. The citizens of the heav-
enly kingdom already live in the heavenly realms with their king,
even while they yet live as strangers and pilgrims in this world.
This is why the Christian is commanded to set his mind on heav-
enly, in opposition to earthly things (Col 3:2). We look at verses
like Col 3:2 and don’t think through the implications. Why would
Paul command us to set our hearts towards heaven in opposition to
earth? Heaven and earth are in antithesis with each other for one
is the kingdom of God and the other the kingdom that is to be de-
stroyed. This is why Christ Himself says we are in the world but not
of it ( John 17:15-16).
Heaven is the holy land of God’s people, the sacred space in
which He dwells. Through the purifying works of Jesus Christ, His
people are able to dwell with Him in His kingdom. It is in the con-
text of this heavenly kingdom that God’s kingdom laws and ethics
are applied. This is why Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom
which does not come by observation (Lk 17:20-21). This is why it
requires spiritual eyes to perceive the kingdom of God. Those who
are outside of Christ cannot see heaven or perceive its territory but
those who have the Spirit of Christ can both see and enter its terri-
tory.
We see this theme even in the land promises given to Abraham,
which according to the New Testament are fulfilled in Christ.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 209

When God promised Abraham’s seed the land (Gen 12:7), did
Abraham understand its ultimate fulfilment as being his physical
descendants inhabiting Canaan? The Bible teaches us that Abra-
ham understood the spiritual nature of the land promises. In He-
brews 11:9-10, we read - “9 By faith he sojourned in the land of
promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles 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.”
Abraham lived as a pilgrim in tents not because he ultimately
looked forward to his descendants inheriting the promised land.
Rather, he was looking forward to a city built by God Himself, a
heavenly city.
It was always true from Eden to Moses that the kingdom of
God was heavenly and God’s sacred space was primarily associated
with His throne room in the third heaven. That said, we have seen
how this heavenly reality was imaged on earth. In the beginning,
that happened in Eden, which became the meeting place of heaven
and earth. In the Old Covenant, that happened in the holy land of
Canaan and particularly in the temple of God. Those earthly spaces
were to reflect heavenly realities.
So how does the territory of this heavenly kingdom manifest
on earth today? We saw that visible creation must ideally reflect
invisible realities. This is seen in the blessings for obedience and
curses for disobedience in the Old Covenant. The outward confor-
mity and obedience still brought with it blessings as disobedience
brought curses. This is because that conditional covenant was rep-
resentative and reflective. The outward rites of purity in the Old
Covenant were intended to symbolise the separation of God’s peo-
ple from the world but more importantly the holiness of God Him-
self. This however was the problem with the Old Covenant. The
visible must reflect the invisible. However, the Bible teaches us that
by nature man is born in sin and his heart is desperately wicked
210 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

( Jer 17:9). At times the Israelites were great at outward conformi-

ty while their hearts were far from God (Isa 29:13). While they
would still receive blessings as part of that covenant it reveals the
real problem with that system. The visible wasn’t really reflecting
the invisible. The rift between the earthly and heavenly that was
caused by the Fall had not been resolved. Moreover, the endless
cycles of sin followed by ritual cleansing did not really take away
sin (Heb 10:1), rather serving as a reminder of it (Heb 10:2). This
means that the Old Covenant couldn’t really make anyone perfect.
It provided a temporal solution through outward conformity but
could not really reconcile the disinherited sons of Adam back to
God. Reconciliation with God requires that the visible perfectly
image the invisible. Thus, purity is a prerequisite for God dwelling
in a place.
This required heart purity helps us to better understand what
the authors of the New Testament teach about the manifestation
of the boundaries of Christ’s redemptive kingdom reign on earth.
As we shall see, the kingdom doesn’t manifest itself on earth in
some territory, rather it manifests itself in the hearts of God’s peo-
ple. The apostle Peter declares - “But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts...” (1 Pet 3:15). To sanctify something is to set it apart
as holy. This is the same action that God performed in the Old
Covenant with the land of Canaan, sanctifying it as His own holy
place and cleansing it of all impure presence. Peter tells the Christ-
ian to set apart one’s heart for Christ. This ties well with what Paul
teaches about the peace of Christ ruling in the heart of the Christ-
ian (Col 3:15).
The heart of the Christian is the earthly manifestation territory
of Christ’s special rule. In other words, the heart is where heaven
itself descends, for Christ lives within the Christian’s heart (Eph
3:17). The heavenly kingdom doesn’t occupy physical territory in
this world which is the domain of Satan. Rather, the hearts of
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 211

Christians reflect the eternal glories of the Kingdom of God. Not

only this, it also becomes the dwelling place of God Himself. We
see this when the Bible calls the Christian body the temple of the
Living God. The temple of God is the place where God meets with
His people. We saw how Eden was a temple on a mountain. Like-
wise, God provided the Jews with a tabernacle and later a temple
where He met with and dwelt among them, the construction of
which was based on the pattern of heaven shown to Moses. Where
does God meet with His people in the New Testament? The beauty
of God’s plan of redemption is that He is now building His temple
through His holy nation. Yea, His holy nation itself is His temple!
In 1 Cor 3:16-17, we read - “16 Know ye not that ye are the tem-
ple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for
the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
Paul declares that the Christian Himself is the temple of the
living God. God’s presence is always with the Christian. His Spirit
dwells within him (1 Cor 3:16). God dwells among His people
who are His temple (2 Cor 6:14, Ezek 37:27). Christ Himself has
made His home in our hearts (Eph 3:17). His dwelling within us is
the very hope of our glory (Col 1:27). Unlike the Jew who had to
travel to a physical structure to experience the presence of God, the
Christian can always experience and enjoy God’s presence. There-
fore, the Christian’s body itself becomes the sacred space of God.
What is the purpose of this temple? Peter says that the Christ-
ian is built up to be a spiritual house and a priesthood to offer spiri-
tual sacrifices that are acceptable to God (1 Pet 2:5). What are these
sacrifices? Paul tells us to offer our whole bodies as a living sacrifice
(Rom 12:1). In other words, our entire life, our speech, thought,
deeds, resources and our every affection should be made subject to
God. Paul calls this our reasonable service. For we have been re-
212 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

deemed from the power of the kingdom of darkness, we must give

all we have to the Kingdom of God.
This should give us an understanding on why the Bible places
such an emphasis on purity, particularly sexual purity in the body.
The body is God’s sacred space. Remember, how in Old Covenant
to commit sins, particularly of a sexual nature led to the land itself
being defiled and unfit for God’s presence. This is just as applicable
to the Christian’s body today. Paul calls fornication a sin against the
body (1 Cor 6:18). His reasoning is that the body is the temple of
God and belongs to Him (1 Cor 6:19). Therefore, those who com-
mit fornication defile their own bodies, bringing judgement up-
on themselves. Expulsion from the land in this context is spiritual
death and having the presence of God taken away. Defiling God’s
temple is not something we ought to toy with. Even in repentance,
such sins leave ghastly scars that last a lifetime.
Having a pure heart as a precursor to enjoy God’s presence is
a recurring theme in the Psalms. This theme finds its fulfilment in
the New Testament where Paul (1 Tim 1:5, 2 Tim 2:22), Peter (1
Pet 1:22), James ( Jam 4:8) and the author of Hebrews (Heb 10:22)
call the Christian to worship God with a clean heart. The point be-
ing that the heart must be purified for God to dwell therein. In the
council of Jerusalem, Peter declares that it is God who purifies the
hearts of both Jew and Gentile through faith (Acts 15:9).
In the Old Testament, the Mosaic law and the holy war waged
against the Canaanites was in the context of this land that God had
set apart as holy. The Israelites did not seek to have their laws en-
forced on the Moabites or the Edomites who lived outside their
borders. However, within the holy land, the Mosaic law was applic-
able to Hebrew and strangers alike. This is because this land repre-
sented the special rule of God over His people and His Kingdom as
distinct from His general and providential rule over all things. This
theme is also applicable to God’s Kingdom in the New Testament.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 213

The imperatives of the Gospel, the call to persevere, to be sancti-

fied, to be renewed and to put to death the deeds of the flesh are ap-
plicable in the context of God’s Kingdom. This is where some Do-
minionists err. They seek to establish societies based on God’s law
and enforce that law on the unregenerate. However, that is a gross
perversion of how God’s Kingdom operates in this present world.
God enforced His terms on regenerate and unregenerate Hebrews
alike because they collectively lived in the holy land, His sacred
space. Today, He enforces His terms in the hearts of His people,
which is just an extension of His heavenly kingdom.
The territory of Jehovah centred on the temple in Jerusalem.
The presence of God radiated outward from this temple to the
boundaries of the land Jehovah allotted unto Himself. The territo-
ry of the kingdom of God in the New Testament is quite similar.
The heavenly throne room of God is at the centre of the kingdom.
It radiates outward to every Christian in every part of the world
and each of them serves as a temple of God and an extension of His
sacred space. We see this expounded in Eph 2:20-22 -
“20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto
an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God
through the Spirit.”
Note, that Christ is the cornerstone and therefore at the centre
of this Divine Kingdom. Surrounding Christ on His throne are the
apostles, the prophets and holy angels whom as we see in Revela-
tion. Each of us who are God’s temples are being framed together
to form one great spiritual temple that will serve as God’s sacred
space. Peter also affirms this in 1 Pet 2:5. Therefore, the Church
itself becomes the territory of the kingdom of God. The purposes
of God for His people are not individualistic. Rather, the individ-
214 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ual temples are being united in one common sacred space for God
Himself. The gathered Church becomes the spiritual territory of
the kingdom of God.
This helps us understand why Paul commands the immoral sin-
ner to be handed over to Satan (1 Cor 5:5). Remember the Azazel
ritual where sin was expelled from God’s presence in the camp of
saints into the wilderness realm of Azazel? This is the same thing
that’s happening here. The realm outside the holy Church is the
wilderness realm ruled by Satan and the gods of this age. Therefore,
to excommunicate or expel someone from the Church is to place
them in the realm of Satan, where sin belongs. Those covenantal
categories of being in Jehovah’s territory and outside it remains.
What has changed is what comprises Jehovah’s territory. It com-
prises the body of the individual Christian and expands to the gath-
ered assembly.

Christians as a Nation
God’s plan of redemption throughout history focuses on a specific
people. In the Old Covenant, this was the Jewish people. The selec-
tion of the Jewish people was to the exclusion of all other peoples in
general. Sons of Adam were alienated from the promises of Christ
that were enjoyed by Israel (Eph 2:11-12). Yet, God had always in-
tended for the ultimate typological fulfilment of Israel to extend to
all nations. Right from the first promise to Abraham to the coming
of Christ, it was God’s intention to bless all nations. Just as all of
Adam’s sons would have been one people or nation in the Edenic
kingdom, God is bringing together the peoples of the world into
one holy nation under Christ.
In his sermon at the Areopagus, Paul brings up the account
of what happened in Babel. He reminds them that while God did
bring about that separation through divine ordination, He never
intended to abandon mankind (Acts 17:27). Rather, His purpose
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 215

was that they would sense their alienation from Him and seek af-
ter Him (Acts 17:27a). He reminds them that God was never far
from any of the nations, for He considers them His offspring (Acts
17:27b-28).
The curse of nations was introduced to prevent humanity from
uniting in their wicked ways typified by Babel. Since Christ is tak-
ing away the curse from His redemptive kingdom, humanity in
Christ is reverting to its original intent - one people under the king-
ship and high-priesthood of the Last Adam. This new humanity
transcends earthly divisions and forms the territory and nation of
the kingdom of God. Outside of Christ, the curse of Babel sepa-
rates and divides. In Christ, the blessing of the cross and Pentecost
unites the Church as one holy nation of priest-kings serving the
Most High God.
How are the nations united in Christ? Paul asserts that the
blood of Christ draws close to the covenant those who were once
strangers (Eph 2:13). The language of blood is a hearkening back
to the purification rituals and circumcision. One became a Jew
through the circumcision of his male line and normally this was
a blessing extended only to biological Jews. In the New Covenant
though it is not the blood of an infant that brings him into the
covenant but the blood of Christ. God’s holy nation has not
changed, but its citizens come from all the nations of the sons of
Adam rather than just the biological sons of Abraham.
Note what Paul says in Eph 2:14-16 - “14 For he is our peace,
who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of
twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by
the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”
216 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

There’s three very important points to glean from this passage -

1. Christ has made Jew and Gentile one.

2. A new humanity is being created in Christ.
3. This new humanity is reconciled to God by the death of
Christ.

Firstly, Christ has made Jew and Gentile one. At Babel the
Lord brought division. Languages were introduced as a means to
divide and the sons of Abraham were separated from the sons of
Adam. In Christ, the curse at Babel was reversed at Pentecost,
wherein all nations could hear the message of Christ in their own
tongues and be added to the Church. This is of particular signif-
icance - Pentecost is a reversal of Babel. It is an undoing of the
curse of nations by bringing them together within God’s holy na-
tion. Since Christ has defeated the gods, He is able to freely claim
for Himself those who were once in bondage to the gods.
God’s redemptive promise in Abraham to bless all nations was
fulfilled in Christ. In Christ, the curse of nations is broken and
all nations are blessed in Him (Gen 22:18). This is why the tri-
umphant saints sing this song before our God - “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 na-
tion” (Rev 5:9). Those who were once in bondage to the gods of the
nations are now freed from their former bondage to become priest-
kings of God’s holy nation. This goes back to the theme that the
atonement is primarily about translating people from the kingdom
of darkness to the kingdom of God.
In Acts 15:14, we see that this is the apostolic interpretation
of God’s purpose for nations. James reminds the assembled council
that God had revealed to Peter His purpose in drawing out a people
for Himself out of the Gentiles. The Greek word used for “gentiles”
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 217

is ethnos which literally means “nation”. Hence, according to Peter

and James, God’s purpose wasn’t to Christianize individual nations
but to draw out of the nations a people for Himself. He isn’t re-
deeming the nations in a sense that they enter as existing categories
into the world to come. Rather, He is redeeming them by delivering
them from their bondage to the gods of the nations and alienation
from one another to become part of the new humanity in Christ.
It is in this context that we must read the Biblical references
to nations. Consider for instance Psalm 82:8 says - “Arise, O God,
judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.” We can say with
absolute certainty that the heavenly scene described in Revelation
5:9 is indeed a fulfilment of Psalm 82:8. It is not a fulfilment be-
cause each nation has become an Israel like entity. Nor is it a fulfil-
ment because there has been a mass revival in a geographical area
that has led to many in that area becoming Christians. It is a fulfil-
ment because Christ has disciples in every nation, regardless of how
few they may be.
The writers of the New Testament therefore emphasise the uni-
versal reach of the covenant community. Paul speaks of the grace
we have received in Christ “for obedience to the faith among all na-
tions” and for the glory of His name (Rom 1:5). Likewise, he con-
cludes the epistle with a reminder that Christ has been revealed “to
all nations for the obedience of faith” (Rom 16:26). Luke notes Pe-
ter’s sermon where he proclaims that the promises through Christ
apply to those who were hearing his message ( Jews) and those who
were far off (Gentiles).
Their emphasis of the expanse of the covenant community
however doesn’t presuppose national bodies that are “Christian” as
argued by some Dominionists. Other Dominionists would argue
that they do not assert that a national entity can be Christian but
that there can be revivals leading to mass conversions and a trans-
formed culture. This is an argument between two schools of Do-
218 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

minionism that are essentially saying the same thing. Regardless,

this is a presupposition being read into the Text. The apostolic em-
phasis on the Gospel reaching all nations and its impact thereof
is in the context of Babelic reversal at Pentecost and the end of
the Jew-Gentile divide. Therefore, we can affirm with Daniel that
Christ’s Kingdom is indeed a Kingdom wherein all peoples, nations
and languages serve Him (Dan 7:14). This is a key principle in the
apostolic hermeneutic. They labour to make the point that the holy
nation is no longer restricted to single ethnic people but rather to
the new humanity that transcends these temporal distinctions in-
duced by the curse.
This unity of Jew and Gentile into a new humanity is one of the
central themes of the New Testament. In fact, this was a big deal to
the early Jews. God had to directly command Peter not to call un-
clean that which He had cleansed (Acts 10:15). Peter’s eating with
Cornelius’ household caused a scandal in the largely Jewish apos-
tolic church (Acts 11:2-3). The Jewish Christians were surprised to
hear that God had indeed provided a way for Gentiles to enter eter-
nal life without becoming Jewish (Acts 11:18). In other words, the
emphasis is on the shift of the covenant body from an ethnic en-
clave in Palestine centred around a physical temple to a global body
where each member serves as a temple of God.
Postmillennialists tend to read the Bible like the Jews did. If we
were to read the Old Testament as a Postmillennialist does, then we
should conclude that we Gentiles will be slaves of ethnic Israelites
in the Kingdom of God because Isa 14:2 and 60:12 describe that. If
we sensibly read those passages with the apostolic hermeneutic, we
see that God revealed things to Israel in types and shadows. Even
though the literalistic interpretation of those passages is that the Is-
raelites will own Gentiles as slaves, the literal interpretation is what
Paul states in Rom 1:5 and 16:26, that Christ has been revealed
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 219

“to all nations for the obedience of faith”. Thus, people of all nations
serve God in His holy nation.
Dominionists tend to read the Biblical theology of nations as
if each nation were an Israel of God. This is problematic because
the Bible teaches us that God has only one holy nation. If nations
are to continue within the framework of the kingdom of God, then
Pentecost has not reversed the curse of Babel within the redemp-
tive kingdom. Even if the argument is that we ought to influence
the nations in which we live as categories outside the kingdom, that
presupposes divided allegiances and an active allegiance to the gods
of the nations.
Secondly, returning to Eph 2:14-16, the motif of a new man
follows the Biblical theme of the renewal of creation in the world
to come. The present created order is under a curse and therefore
not fit to enter the world to come. By lifting the curse from His
people upon Himself, Christ begins in them the work of renewal.
Paul says that the Christian is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). James
phrases it as being the firstfruits of his creatures ( James 1:18), i.e
those who have been born to inherit a better world. The new man
theme draws upon the creation account and Adam being made in
the image of God. Through Adam, image bearers were to fill the
whole earth. Now through Christ, image bearers will likewise fill
the whole earth in the world to come while also spiritually filling the
present world with the presence of Christians in every domain of
darkness.
Thirdly, since it is the image of God by which man represents
God in creation, that image must be renewed in the new man as it
was marred by the Fall (Col 3:10). Why is this important? It is the
image of God by which man enjoys an intimate relationship with
His Creator. The disinheritance of Adam and his race brought a
separation between God and man so that man is not able to enjoy
a relationship with His Creator. In the Old Testament, God pro-
220 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

vided a covenantal way for the children of Israel to know Him. He

provided for them a Tabernacle and later a Temple by which He
dwelt among them. Yet, most of the sons of Adam were excluded
from these blessings. In Christ, a new humanity of both Jew and
Gentile are being reconciled to God.
There is great significance to this theme of a new man. The
bringing together of the Jew and Gentile under one body is a
proclamation that the Church is Israel. In Romans 11, Paul master-
fully demonstrates how the gentiles are grafted into the covenant
promises contrary to nature. In line with this theme, Paul teaches
that distinctions between Jew and Gentile, ethnicity and social
standing are subsumed by the new man’s identity in Christ (Col
3:11). This doesn’t indicate that these distinctions are wiped out in
the present age but that they are not categories of eternal signifi-
cance and we shouldn’t be consumed by them, even while accept-
ing their existence for a time (Eph 6:1-9, 1 Pet 2:18).
It is important to also be cautious as we draw out this theme.
Some have used it, particularly Paul’s treatment of it in Gal 3:28 to
teach a form of egalitarian anarchism. The Bible does not call for
revolution against existing social structure, even encouraging the
Christian to submit to them (1 Pet 2:13-18, 3:1-7). The Christ-
ian submits to every earthly institution (insofar as it doesn’t cause
them to sin) no matter how warped each of these institutions have
become in a fallen world. He recognizes that his ultimate identity is
in Christ and he is part of the new humanity that is being renewed
in His image and will inherit the world to come.
This goes to our understanding of what the kingdom really is.
Within the kingdom, i.e, the Church, the curse of Babel or the hi-
erarchies that have developed in the fallen world ought not to rear
their ugly head. These weren’t part of the created order God called
good. In the Church, he who is a slave is the Lord’s freeman and the
freeman is the Lord’s slave (1 Cor 7:22). Christians ought not to
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 221

discriminate between each other with regards to their social stand-

ing, ethnicity or culture (Col 3:11). While we are not hoping to
change the world, it is expected that God’s holy nation will not be
in the pattern of the world around but a radically different body.
A body where each person considers the interests of others above
their own and looks at themselves in humility and lowliness (Phil
2:3-4, Rom 12:3). This means within the body of Christ there is no
place for a prideful aristocracy or a favouritism for those who do
well by the standards of this world or who are similar to us. In fact,
that is outright condemned ( Jam 2:1-7).
That said there are natural distinctions that God instituted that
have always been good. God created man and woman to be dis-
tinct. According to Paul, man is the image and glory of God: but the
woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman: but
the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman;
but the woman for the man (1 Cor 11:7-9). He uses this to explain
why women ought to cover their heads. Using similar reasoning,
Paul explains that it is a shame for women to speak in the church (1
Cor 14:35) and they keep silence in the churches (1 Cor 14:34). Like-
wise, according to Paul there is an order in creation that shows male
priority in that Adam was first formed, then Eve (1 Tim 2:13). All
of this is in the context of the created order that God called very
good.
While this might sound very archaic in our modern world
where most of us have imbibed feminism and individualism in var-
ious forms, it was a natural reality to the apostle that men and
women are intrinsically different. Man’s purpose is independent, in
that He is to directly serve the Creator in the purpose he was creat-
ed for while the purpose of the woman was to be a helpmeet in her
man’s calling or purpose. The woman doesn’t exist to fulfil her own
purpose but to be a helpmeet to man - as Paul puts it, woman was
created for man (1 Cor 11:9). This is a fundamental and natural re-
222 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ality that pervades the created order and has nothing to do with the
Fall or the curse.
God didn’t create humanity to exist as individuals with indi-
vidualistic purposes and doesn’t view them that way. Rather, God
views humanity in the base unit of the family, with a man who di-
rectly serves God and a woman who helps her husband in that ser-
vice. To Paul, humanity is composed of various families and there-
fore the church itself is composed of families rather than individ-
uals. These families are composed of individuals that share various
bonds - husband-wife, parent-child, etc. Therefore, these relations
between the sexes and the hierarchy of the family follows into the
Church. In our individualistic and feministic milieu, a woman is
simply another individual next to a man and therefore we strug-
gle to accept any differences in how these distinctions ought to be
treated within the body.
This is not how the apostles understood the kingdom of God.
Paul draws the application that women ought to be silent in the
gathering of the Church (1 Cor 14:34). Not only this, he com-
mands that if they desire to know anything specific, they ought
to ask their husbands at home (1 Cor 14:35). In other words, the
Church does not override the natural family that God established
and the woman ought not to bypass her husband and directly ap-
proach the Church or its elders and vice versa. These aren’t spheres
that God has erased since they were part of the order He called very
good.
Recognizing this sphere of the household is critical to under-
standing the Church because as we have considered, this is the basic
unit of society and the church according to the Bible. Within the
household, a woman can speak, pray loudly, teach her own chil-
dren and even teach other men in certain rare circumstances under
her husband’s authority and presence (Act 18:26), something that
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 223

would be a violation of God’s requirement outside the sphere of the

household (1 Tim 2:12).
This also has implications for how we are sanctified and how
we serve God. Piety is not gender neutral. In fact, the very means by
which the genders are sanctified is rather different. Men are sancti-
fied by participation in public worship (1 Tim 2:8), having a stable
and steady mind (Tit 2:6), sound speech that is beyond reproach,
showing a pattern of good works and having a sense of gravity,
soundness and incorruptibility in matters of doctrine (Tit 2:7-8).
Note that each of these traits are essential for being a good priest-
king, which would have been the inheritance of the sons of Adam
and now is the inheritance of those who are in Christ.
Women are primarily sanctified through childbearing (1 Tim
2:15), i.e., through serving the household and raising her children
in the Lord. This is because the woman was not made to be a priest-
king but to propagate the line of priest-king image bearers that
would fill the whole earth. Paul therefore encourages young women
to marry and have children (1 Tim 5:14)[24], knowing that the al-
ternative is often a lifestyle of idleness, gossip and sexual immoral-
ity (1 Tim 5:13,15). It is basically assumed that young women will
have husbands and children to love (Tit 2:4). Moreover, Paul com-
mands these young women to be keepers of the home, or in mod-
ern terminology - housewives. According to Paul, refusing to keep
this role causes the Word of God to be blasphemed (Tit 2:5), a se-
rious judgement indeed. How often are these commandments dis-
regarded in our age? The Church in its quest for respectability in
the world has all but explained away and relegated these plain and
simple Biblical instructions.
Let us return to thinking about the Church as God’s holy na-
tion. Why does God set apart His people? In 1 Peter 2:9-10, we
read - “9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
224 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people
of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mer-
cy;”
Peter again emphasises the inclusion of the gentiles into the
same covenant nation. He uses familiar Old Testament terminolo-
gy to refer to the Church. The nation of Israel was set apart to be
a nation of priests and a distinct people. Peter confers this title of
people of God upon the church, showing that God’s redemptive pur-
poses continue despite the subjugation of national Israel. Any Jew-
ish reader from the time would have recognized the phrase as refer-
ring to the Israelite nation, the children of Abraham.
The theme of a nation of priests as we have seen goes back
to Eden. God’s original intention for Adam was that him and his
descendants would be priest-kings. They would represent God on
earth and represent the earth before God. Therefore, the purpose
of the holy nation is to shew forth the praises of Him. Thus, worship
is central to the purpose of the holy nation, tying into our calling as
priests.

Holy War
In the Old Covenant, the Israelites waged holy war against the
Canaanites within the boundaries of the promised land. Likewise,
the Christian is also engaged in holy war. In the New Covenant,
there are two categories in which this war is waged and these cate-
gories are not mutually exclusive. Since the Christian himself is the
domain of God’s Kingdom, we wage an internal holy war to cleanse
ourselves. Then we also wage an external holy war against the forces
of darkness. Since the Kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom,
this war is not a physical one but spiritual in nature.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 225

First, let us consider the internal holy war. In Romans 8:13, we

read - “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Notice here that
Paul places the Christian’s struggle against indwelling sin in terms
of battle or warfare. Not engaging leads to death while engaging
through the Holy Spirit is life. The word mortify literally means to
put to death. The Christian is to wage war against the flesh so that
he overcomes it. If he doesn’t wage this war, it will overcome him
and he will die.
The author of Hebrews warns his readers that they aren’t doing
enough. They haven’t strived unto bloodshed in resisting sin (Heb
12:4). The language hearkens back to the Old Covenant where
God required the Hebrews to not pity the nations they were dis-
placing but to wipe them out without mercy (Deut 7:16). The He-
brew who showed mercy to a Canaanite was not doing the work
of God or reflecting His attributes. Rather, he had failed to obey
God’s clear commands. Similarly, the Christian is to wage merciless
war against sin so that His heart is purified as God’s sacred space.
This mortification is the concept behind Christ’s injunction
that His followers deny themselves, take up their cross and follow
Him. The cross is an instrument of death. Christ’s disciples must
follow the same path that He did. One of suffering, rejection and
death. The death spoken of in the context of mortification isn’t
physical death but of resisting the selfish urges of sin. To sin is to
become consumed with self and to be in league with other gods. To
resist sin is to put to death those selfish desires and renounce once
allegiance to those gods. Similarly, mortification involves thinking
about others more than yourself (Phil 2:4).
How does the Christian wage this war? Paul says that the
weapons of this warfare are not material, but spiritual, yea the war-
fare itself is spiritual in nature (2 Cor 10:3-4). It involves the purg-
ing of vain imaginations and self-will that exalts itself above God
226 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

and the bringing of every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor 10:5).

Hence, piety and self-control are the sure signs that the Christian
is waging this war. A Christian waging war against sin will not be
indulgent in it. God has not left His people to their own devices
in this regard. Paul plainly shows that it is through the Holy Spir-
it that the Christian wages war. Note that the Holy Spirit has al-
ready been given to the people of God. Therefore, the Christian
has no excuse for harbouring His sins. In fact, the waging of war
through the Spirit is intrinsically tied to our adoption to Christ’s
family (Rom 8:14-15). The Spirit is the Lifegiver, therefore those
in whom He dwells are given life and strength to overcome the op-
position of sin.
Second, the Christian wages warfare against the kingdom of
darkness. Since Christ was triumphant over the gods of this world
at the cross, there can’t be any peaceful coexistence with them. As
physical beings bound by the material order, we are often oblivious
to the spiritual realities beyond us. Yet as we have seen, the Bible
paints a very vivid picture of a celestial world full of cosmic entities
with their own dominions and waging war, both against each oth-
er and against the Kingdom of God. The kingdom of darkness is
nothing but the domain of the gods, this present world. Hence the
Bible often presents this holy war in terms of overcoming the world
(1 John 5:4-5).
Paul describes this spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:12 -
“12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against prin-
cipalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
We have already seen how the New Testament uses the terms
principalities, powers and rulers of this world to describe the elo-
him including Satan. These are the same beings that Christ openly
triumphed over at the cross (Col 2:15). Even though the cross has
ushered in their defeat, they rule this present world for a time and
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 227

Peter warns the Christian that the devil prowls around looking
for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). Since Christ’s Kingdom itself
is a spiritual kingdom, its citizens wage spiritual warfare. In Luke
10:19, Christ granted His disciples authority to trample evil enti-
ties operating in the power of darkness. These entities are described
as snakes and scorpions. The context makes it evident that these are
reflections of demonic entities. Since the Church is built on the
foundation of apostles and prophets, the Church today has that au-
thority through Christ to wage war against the kingdom of dark-
ness. This is another example of imaging. Since Christ Himself
overcame the devil and crushed His head, His people will likewise
overcome the kingdom of darkness.
It is important that we understand this warfare and overcom-
ing in the context of Scriptures lest we be led astray by folly. The use
of spiritual warfare to encourage a Dominionist mindset has been
popular throughout the ages. Yet, the victory of the Church in its
spiritual warfare is not visible in carnal terms. It requires spiritual
eyes to perceive the Church waging war and to see her triumphant
over her foes in this age. This warfare is embodied in the following
ways -

1. Prayers and intercessions through the Spirit (Eph 6:18a).

2. Watchfulness and perseverance (Eph 6:18b).
3. The proclamation of the Gospel (Eph 6:19).

These are not things that are perceived by the flesh. Rather it
requires spiritual eyes to see the church actively engaged in this
warfare. The spiritual nature of this warfare doesn’t make it any less
real. We often read the great tales of bravery in the Old Covenant
and are tempted to wonder if the Lord will use us in that way. In
fact, he has called us in the New Covenant to a greater and more
prestigious warfare. Just like Shammah, the champion of David
stood his ground in a field of wheat and slaughtered the Philistines
228 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

(2 Sam 23:11-12), the Christian is called to put on the whole ar-

mour of God to be able to withstand the assault of the forces of
darkness (Eph 6:13). If we resist the assault of darkness, they will
flee from us ( Jam 4:7).
Since God has revealed to us that the territory He desires to re-
claim is the human being, the goal of our warfare is not to topple
the gods of the nations from political power and transform the pre-
sent order but to -

1. Persevere against their assaults on the Church and

ourselves.
2. Deliver the souls of men from bondage to their kingdom.

This is also representative of how Christ waged war against the

kingdom of darkness as a man. He resisted the temptations of the
Devil, expelled demons from people and preached the Kingdom of
God. He did all these things through the Holy Spirit by fervently
praying to the Father. He resisted and persevered till the very end,
facing the worst forms of persecution and ultimately triumphed
over the forces of darkness.
Christ’s triumph over the forces of darkness followed a pattern
that bewilders the carnal mind. He was rejected by the world,
didn’t move in its royal and noble circles, was hated by his own
countrymen, was spiritually and physically persecuted, beaten, hu-
miliated, spat on, stripped naked, slandered and ultimately put to
death in the most degrading and painful means possible. Yet the
end of His sufferings was glorious victory and triumph over the
forces of darkness, making a spectacle of them. Since we are His im-
age bearers, we too overcome this world not by victory perceived
through the eyes of the flesh but through sufferings. Through many
afflictions and sufferings we enter the Kingdom of God (Acts
14:22). The Bible clearly teaches this in Romans 8:36-37. The
Christian is truly a conqueror and even greater through Jesus
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 229

Christ (Rom 8:37) because he faithfully images His Lord by ac-

cepting persecutions and sufferings (Rom 8:36). It is in these suf-
ferings and persecutions that the Christian becomes more than a
conqueror.
 Chapter 12: The New
Covenant and
Antithesis

H aving established the spiritual nature of God’s redemptive

kingdom in the New Covenant and its manifestation in
terms of land, nation and king, we can now look into how the citi-
zens of this kingdom are placed in antithesis with the world, the
kingdom of Satan. The Old Covenant established the land of
Canaan as the physical boundary of God’s redemptive kingdom on
Earth. Therefore, the Mosaic Law regulated all aspects of the He-
brew’s life, from the clothes he wore to the food he ate. This con-
trasts with the Abrahamic covenant which placed Abraham and his
descendants in antithesis with the world but did not regulate their
day to day lives.
We saw that Abraham’s pilgrimage was characterised by the
dual aspects of building tents, signifying a pilgrim lifestyle and
building altars, signifying religious separation from the world. Sim-
ilarly, the Jews who were taken exile to Babylon would live quiet
lives in Babylon, building homes and raising families while keeping
themselves free from the affairs of Babylon (pilgrim lifestyle).
While sojourning in Babylon, they were to remain committed to
the religious worship instituted in the Mosaic law (religious sepa-
ration).

230
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 231

Pilgrim Identity
The New Testament refers to the Christians as strangers and pil-
grims (1 Pet 2:11), hearkening back to the days of Abraham and
Babylonian captivity. This effectively places the Christian Church
in antithesis with the world in a Two-Kingdom framework, a term
we have looked into previously. The antithesis of Abraham and the
Jewish exiles primarily centred on the promises of God. In the case
of Abraham, he awaited the promised inheritance of Canaan while
the exilic Jews awaited their restoration to the promised land. Sim-
ilarly, the Church awaits the blessed hope of the return of Christ
the Savior (Tit 2:13) - the consummation of the promises that have
already been set into motion. Till then, the Christian seeks to live
faithfully in all aspects of life but recognizing that the present state
is not eternal.
We have already seen how Abraham and the Jewish exiles em-
bodied this pilgrim identity. We have also seen how Peter refers to
Christians with this identity. The author of Hebrews also makes
this connection in Heb 11:13. By displaying Abraham as an exam-
ple of faith to be imitated, he desires that the Christian adopt Abra-
ham’s confession - that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heavenly Citizenship
This pilgrim identity stems from the Christian’s citizenship. When
Paul teaches us that our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20), he
is making a kingdom statement. He contrasts those with heavenly
citizenship against those who mind earthly things (Phil 3:19). In
other words, the citizens of the kingdom of heaven mind heavenly
things, i.e the things of the land to which they belong.
The Lord instructs His disciples on their antithesis from the
world in saying - “If ye were of the world, the world would love his
own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of
232 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

the world, therefore the world hateth you” ( John 15:19). It is because
the Christian does not belong to this world, that its citizens hate
him. According to our Lord, this hatred is to be an expected aspect
of the Christian life and not one that we will see abated in this pre-
sent age. In fact, Christ emphasises this pilgrim separation in His
prayer for His people ( John 17:14-16). The Christian is not of the
world even as their king is not of the world ( John 17:16). Looking
at this through a kingdom lens helps us understand why Christ em-
phasises that both He and His people are not of this world. It aligns
with the theme that the Scriptures have drawn out so far, that the
world belongs to Satan and is under a curse, awaiting destruction.

Gospel Colonies
To swear allegiance to the kingdom of God requires for one to for-
sake the kingdom of this world. Not only are they distinct king-
doms, they are at war with each other. Each seeks to have dominion
over the souls of men. It is for this reason that we see John instruct
the Church to love not the world or even the things that are in the
world (1 John 2:15). Note that it is not just the world itself that the
Christian must not love, he must also not love its things - its works,
its achievements, its glories and its promises. This means that the
Christian must have an attitude of discernment and caution when
interacting or consuming anything made in the world and we can-
not buy into any of its systems or ideologies wholesale. Simply put,
it is treasonous to love the things of your enemy’s kingdom.
In the Old Covenant, the land of Israel was sanctified and set
apart by God as His Kingdom’s earthly territory. Subsequently, the
rest of the world was handed over to the elohim. The rebellion of
the nations of Israel and Judah ultimately led to decovenantalisa-
tion of the land of Canaan. The longing of God’s people is now
heavenly Zion, not earthly Zion. The earthly allotments of the elo-
him still remain, while God claims for Himself the hearts of His
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 233

people and the Church instead of any specific territory in this

cursed world. Thus, our pilgrim identity stems from the reality that
we don’t have a continuing city in this present world because God
has not covenantally set apart any part of this world.
Instead, Christians establish gospel colonies wherever they are.
These gospel colonies are not established for the purpose of
colonising and subduing the present world but to bear witness of
the coming destruction and to call the citizens of this world to re-
pent and enter the kingdom of God. Like the gentiles of old who
joined themselves to the Jews and became part of God’s people,
the gentiles of today can join themselves to spiritual Israel and be
spared of the wrath that is to come. Given this framework, we can
understand why Peter calls this present time, the time of our exile
(1 Pet 1:17)[25]. Since there is no holy land in this present world,
we simply live as pilgrims on cursed ground and bear witness to
them.

Already-Not Yet
The Already-Not Yet nature of the kingdom also plays an impor-
tant role in understanding pilgrim identity and antithesis. On the
one hand Christ has ended the exile of His people spiritually. This
is what the author of Hebrews teaches in Heb 12:22. The Christian
has already arrived in heavenly Jerusalem. On the other hand,
Christians living in this present world, whether they be Jewish or
Gentile and whether they live in Canaan or elsewhere are in bod-
ily exile till the arrival of their blessed hope, the glorious return of
Jesus Christ. In the flesh, we still live in the cursed kingdom of the
world, Satan’s kingdom which is consigned to destruction. In the
flesh, we have not yet arrived in heavenly Jerusalem even though we
earnestly strive to reach our eternal home. This is Abraham’s confes-
sion that the author of Hebrews wants us to emulate (Heb 11:13).
While we spiritually enjoy the fulfillments of the promises of God,
234 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

we patiently await the better country that God has promised His
people (Heb 11:16).
It’s very important to not miss the emphasis of the author of
Hebrews. The OT saint’s exilic hope and longing for the city of
God was fulfilled in the heavenly Jerusalem to which we have al-
ready arrived. It isn’t fulfilled in either a physical restoration to the
land of Canaan or a conquest of this present world but spiritually it
is ended in Christ while physically it continues on for a time. It can
only end physically when God ushers in the promised better and
heavenly country built by the hands of God (Heb 11:16).

Separation From the World

Similarly, the Christian is expected to live in separation from evil-
doers. Just like the Jewish nation was required to separate them-
selves from the nations of the world to live a holy life, the Christian
nation is called to separate themselves from evildoers and live a pi-
ous life. This principle is implicit in how the New Testament ap-
proaches worldly things. However, it is also explicitly laid out. For
example, Paul exhorts Christians to not be unequally yoked with
unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14). While many think this exclusively relates
to marriage, it covers a wide range of relationships that binds a be-
liever’s life with that of an unbeliever including business partner-
ships, pledges of allegiance, etc. Similarly, Paul exhorts the Chris-
tian to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.
Christ’s prayer for His people is a good summary of this principle
- “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” ( John 17:15-16).
This is a far cry from what is widely taught in churches today
that Christians should be actively engaged in the world and its af-
fairs, seeking even to influence and even transform its institutions.
It is this antithesis that sets the context for Paul’s usage of the terms
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 235

like “outsiders.” To someone from those times, “outsider” would

have been a ubiquitous term to refer to strangers who were not part
of a community either on account of their rank, culture or ethnic-
ity. The New Testament uses that term to refer to those who aren’t
Christian. An elder must have a good reputation with outsiders (1
Tim 3:7). Every Christian must walk in integrity and wisdom be-
fore outsiders (Col 4:5-6, 1 Thess 4:11). The modern Christian no-
tion of engaging the world often eradicates or at the very least heav-
ily blurs this category of “outsider” because it encourages Chris-
tians to actively pursue cultural projects with these outsiders. In-
stead, our witness to them is as salt and light, bearing witness of
their sins, the cursedness of this age and calling them to repentance
in Christ.
Paul does qualify the nature of this antithesis. We are not to
become monastic separatists. Interactions with the people of this
world are inevitable. We are not to disassociate from outsiders who
are fornicators, covetous, extortioners or idolaters but specifically
professing Christians who live that way (1 Cor 5:10-11). It is rec-
ognizing this category of outsiders that Paul says that the Christian
has no business judging them but is rather to judge those within
the Church (1 Cor 5:12). Rather, it is God who judges those out-
side (1 Cor 5:13). This means that the Christian must categorically
reject engaging the world in the context of seeking to transform or
reform it. We recognize that outsiders are sinful. It’s not our place
to judge them for their sins - that’s something we leave to God. Our
sphere is in the context of those within the Church, our people, our
nation. We let the dead bury the dead (Matt 8:22) and live quiet
detached lives (1 Tim 2:2, 1 Thess 4:11-12), avoiding the entangle-
ments of this life (2 Tim 2:4).
Even when the Christian does participate in earthly activities
that are honourable like marriage or indifferent like buying a house
- he participates in those activities recognizing that those things are
236 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

passing away (1 Cor 7:29-31). None of them are eternal categories

and while we can indeed store up treasures in heaven on account of
participating in those activities with integrity, the activities them-
selves will not carry into the age to come. The undergirding princi-
ple can be summarised in Paul’s exhortation to Timothy - “For we
brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry noth-
ing out” (1 Tim 6:7).

Religious Separation
The second aspect that defines the Christian’s antithesis from the
world is religious separation. In the Old Covenant, we first see it
in Abraham who built altars to Jehovah wherever he pitched his
tent. These altars signified that Abraham was a Jehovah worshipper
and did not worship the gods of the nations around him. Similar-
ly, under Moses, God gave the Israelite nation diverse laws that set
them apart as a holy people of God. These laws pertained to pu-
rity and holiness and intended to teach them the requirements of
God as they worshipped Him. Even when the Jews were taken in
exile, they continued to worship Him in a distinct way, remember-
ing God’s promise to Solomon and turning towards the temple to
pray.

Worship
Worship is central to the idea of religious separation. Peter de-
scribes this in 1 Pet 2:9, where he explains that the Church is God’s
holy nation, chosen to shew forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light. As is made evident in
that passage and others we have considered prior, this worship is a
specific function of God’s people and not an activity that encom-
passes all of life. It was this aspect of religious worship that dis-
tinguished Abraham from his pagan neighbours. As we have al-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 237

ready seen, there were many societies in Abraham’s day that would
have lived in tents. However, it was only Abraham’s people who
both lived in tents and built altars to the God of the Bible. Sim-
ilarly, God distinguished the Israelites from the nations around
them by giving them prophets, priests and a tabernacle to worship
God. While the Israelites lived ordinary agrarian lives similar to
the nations around them, it was the fact that they had the Word of
God and worshipped the Living God that distinguished them from
their pagan neighbours.
Thus, the popular notion that all life is worship simply isn’t
Biblical. Rather, worship as Peter indicates is a specific function
that is performed by individuals and families but more particularly
congregations of God’s people. It is an act of God’s Redemptive
Kingdom and exclusive to those who are members of that King-
dom. While the Bible does indeed commend us to do all things as
unto the Lord (1 Cor 10:31), it does not teach that everything we
do is an act of worship unto God.

Earthly Worship Reflects the Heavenly

The Bible reveals to us that heaven is a spiritual realm of worship,

a place where God’s creation worships Him (Rev 15:1-4, 22:3). If
then as we have seen, earthly things image eternal spiritual realities,
the life of God’s people on Earth ought to revolve around worship.
Moreover, earthly worship ought to image heavenly worship. The
corporate gathering of the church is a foretaste of heaven. Not only
is it a foretaste but as we have seen prior, the Christian is spiritually
taken into the heavenly realm of worship (Heb 12:22-23).
There are several misconceptions about how earthly worship
images heavenly worship. In the Biblical visions of heaven, we often
see a grand throne room, with God at the centre, surrounded by an-
gels who worship the Lord with censors filled with smoke, harps,
238 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

trumpets and other instruments. Some have used that as justifica-

tion to argue that earthly worship must be patterned on what is re-
vealed about heavenly worship. This has often led to various inno-
vations and practices that the Scriptures don't command being per-
formed as worship. However, the problem with that logic is that
while it is true that we seek for earthly worship must image heaven-
ly worship, it is God who determines how the earthly and heavenly
intersect. What this means is that the only way for the material to
unite with the spiritual is to follow God’s commandments. When
we worship God according to His commandments, we have confi-
dence that our earthly worship does indeed image the heavenly.
To understand this better we can look at worship as a sum of
various elements and circumstances. The elements are the things
we directly offer to God while the circumstances are externals like
times and places in which we worship. For example, prayer is an el-
ement of worship because we offer it to God. However, the length
of a prayer is a circumstance of worship because different people
can pray at differing lengths and yet offer acceptable worship before
God.
Let us take this element of prayer and consider how it images
heavenly realities. We know that God has ordained for His people
to pray as part of corporate worship (Acts 2:42, Matt 18:19-20, 1
Tim 2:8, etc). In Revelation 8:3, we read - “And another angel came
and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given
unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of
all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” So,
in the earthly realm God’s people pray while in the spiritual realm
angels offer those prayers before God with incense bearing censers.
The offering of incense with a censer before God in heaven is im-
aged by the prayers of His saints on earth. We see another example
where the twelve apostles and twelve patriarchs offer the prayers of
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 239

the saints before God. They hold the prayers in golden bowls full of
fragrance and offer it before God (Rev 5:8).
Some apostate traditions have sought to replicate this heavenly
reality in their worship. They have their priests use censers and in-
cense in a worship service. However, in doing so they are invert-
ing the order of nature. To use a censer and incense in earthly wor-
ship (which God didn’t command) is meaningless because the ma-
terial censer and incense do nothing in the spiritual realm[26]. Our
prayers are already offered before God by angels in the spiritual
realm. Therefore, what is required of us is to pray. Prayer is the ma-
terial image of the incense and censers in the spiritual realm. Not
only is it a vain outward form of worship, as we shall see soon, it is
rebellion against God.
Some might argue that the Old Testament worship was filled
with such grand outward forms and therefore it is legitimate to of-
fer such forms today. The Bible teaches us that Old Testament wor-
ship was ordained by God as a type of heavenly things (Heb 8:5).
The Old Testament is now fulfilled in Christ and its earthly ele-
ments have passed away (Heb 8:13). As the author of Hebrews says
- “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not
the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which
they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto per-
fect” (Heb 10:1). Similarly in Col 2:16-17, we read - “Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday,
or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of
things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Old Testament worship,
therefore, was simply a shadow of eternal things and did not repre-
sent the things themselves. Now that Christ has come, the shadow
has passed and we have the substance or antitype of those things in
Christ, making those external things vain.
Therefore, the outward forms of worship of the Old Covenant
have passed away because Christ is not entered into the holy places
240 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

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). True
worship in the New Covenant as Christ Himself declares, is spiri-
tual worship. For He says, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth ( John 4:24). It is only this
spiritual worship that God has ordained that can rightly image the
spiritual realities of the heavenly realm. Old Covenant worship was
typological. For it to be effective, God had to come down to the
temple/tabernacle fill that place of worship with His glory. New
Covenant worship is spiritual. We are taken up into the heavenly
places and worship in the throne room of God. Thus, it is both vain
and rebellious to add external forms to image heavenly realities. We
don’t need earthly shadows when we have the heavenly substance.

A Covenant God Regulates Worship

There are more reasons as to why we cannot offer to God elements

that He hasn’t ordained. Remember how we learnt that God is
a covenant God who rules over His covenant territory? That
covenant has implications for how we interact with God. Through-
out the Bible, while God doesn’t regulate life outside the covenant
realm, life within the covenant realm is always regulated by Him.
Worship is an aspect of that covenant.
We see in the Bible that God is always concerned about how
He is worshipped. It is quite possible to worship the true God in
a way that is displeasing to Him. Consider the case of Cain and
Abel. God had already revealed to Adam and Eve that atonement
for their sins required a blood offering (Gen 3:21). Note that God
clothed the nakedness of Adam and Eve with skin from a dead an-
imal. Unlike Adam’s failed attempt to cover his nakedness with fig
leaves, God revealed through nature that to cover nakedness (sin),
blood must be shed. Despite this, Cain offered to God that which
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 241

He never asked for and thus God rejected Cain and accepted Abel.
God Himself says, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?”
(Gen 4:7). In other words, had Cain done the right thing in offer-
ing what God required, He would have accepted his offering.
Consider then the case of Nadab and Abihu. The Bible teaches
us that they were consumed by a fire from the Lord because they
offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not
(Lev 10:1). Consider then the case of King Saul. He acted with
the best of intentions and decided to offer sacrifices unto God (1
Sam 13:9). This was an act of worship, an act of worship that on-
ly priests could offer in that Old Covenant. Because of this, God
took the kingdom from Saul and gave it to David (1 Sam 13:14).
The Bible says that Saul had done foolishly in not keeping Himself
to what God had commanded (1 Sam 13:13).
We see something similar happen to King Uzziah, whom the
Lord struck with leprosy because he offered incense to God (2
Chron 26:16). Consider then the case of Uzzah, who had the best
of intentions in seeking to stabilise the Ark of the Covenant when
the oxen that carried it stumbled. Yet the Lord struck Him dead be-
cause He had ordained that only the Levites could carry the Ark.
The Bible calls Uzzah irreverent (2 Sam 6:7) and David later ex-
plains that it was because they didn’t inquire of the Lord how to do
it in a prescribed way (1 Chron 15:13).
In other passages we see this principle more clearly laid out.
In regard to the tabernacle that the Hebrews constructed in the
desert, we read - “And look that thou make them after their pattern,
which was shewed thee in the mount” (Exo 25:40). In other words,
the construction of this place of religious worship was not left to
human imagination. Moreover, we read that not only was the pat-
tern shown to them but the very physical work of constructing
those structures was divinely inspired. In Exodus 31:2-11, we read
that God divinely inspired Bezaleel and Aholiah and granted them
242 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

wisdom, understanding and knowledge in all manner of workman-

ship to build works of architecture, art, furniture and embellish-
ments using precious metals, stone and timber for the tabernacle.
Not even the cultural aspects of the temple were left to human
imagination but was of Divine inspiration. What is true of the
tabernacle was also true of Solomon’s later temple, which the Bible
tells us was built according to the instructions given by the prophet
David (1 Chron 28:11). David specifically tells us that the pattern
of the temple was by Divine inspiration - “All this, said David, the
Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all
the works of this pattern” (1 Chron 28:19).
This principle is laid out explicitly in Deut 4:2 - “Ye shall not
add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish
ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your
God which I command you.” Moreover, the principle is implicit
in the first two commandments. The first commandment declares
who God is and therefore it is illegitimate to have any other gods.
The second commandment declares how God is to be worshipped,
i.e., one cannot make any graven image of God or any other being.
To do so is to attempt to liken God to something that He has not
revealed and that is sinful. This principle has often been called the
Regulative Principle of Worship which simply means that God regu-
lates the worship we offer through His Word.
This is why the incidents of worship of the golden calf were so
sinful. People tend to assume that the worship of the golden calf
was the worship of some false god. Rather, the Bible shows us that
the worship of the calf was an attempt by the Israelites to liken the
true God to some earthly form they could understand. There are
two of these incidents, the first when the united Hebrew nation
was in the desert and a second when the kingdom of Israel became
apostate and rejected the Davidic line, setting up for themselves
Jeroboam as king. In both, we see a similar proclamation - “These
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 243

be thy gods (Elohim), O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land
of Egypt” (Exo 32:4, 1 King 12:28). In other words, this was a syn-
cretistic religion whereby the worship of Jehovah was mixed with
elements from the cultures and nations around them[27]. Jeroboam
recognized that should the people worship at Jerusalem according
to God’s commandments, their hearts would turn back to the kings
God had instituted (1 King 12:27). So, he made two calves and set
them up in the cities of Dan and Bethel.
The Bible never treats this as worship of a pagan deity but
rather as syncretistic worship of Jehovah. For example, after build-
ing the golden calf, Aaron proclaims the next day as a feast unto Je-
hovah (Exo 32:5). If the calf was supposed to symbolise some oth-
er deity, why would Aaron proclaim a feast day to Jehovah? The
answer is simple, the golden calf was an attempt to worship Jeho-
vah but in a form that they could understand and control rather
than worshipping Jehovah according to His commandments and
revelation. Similarly, in the Dan and Bethel incidents during Jer-
oboam’s reign, he proclaims the calves as having delivered them out
of Egypt. It is interesting to note that he says, “It is too much for you
to go up to Jerusalem'' (1 King 12:28). He knew that it was Jehovah
who was worshipped in Jerusalem and he wanted to provide for
the people a more convenient way to worship Jehovah, according
to their desires and his own imagination. Moreover, verses 29-33
show that the entire purpose of that syncretistic religion was to par-
allel the worship of Jehovah in Judah.
Jeroboam also set up high places (1 King 12:31). High place
worship was always a snare to both Israel and Judah. Again, it is
often assumed that the high places were exclusively for the wor-
ship of pagan gods. While that was certainly one of their uses, the
Bible shows us that they were primarily used to worship Jehovah in
ways that He did not command. It was a syncretistic form of wor-
ship wherein the Israelites took practices from the Canaanite na-
244 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

tions who preceded them and combined them with Jehovah wor-
ship forming a kind of folk religion. We see the clearest example of
this in 2 Kings 18:22 - “But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord
our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezeki-
ah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall
worship before this altar in Jerusalem?” Hezekiah, one of the most
righteous kings of Judah forbade the Jews from worshipping the
True God according to their own innovations and ordered them to
worship God in Jerusalem as He commanded. In this he surpassed
the righteous kings that came before him like Joash, Amaziah and
Azariah who honoured God but permitted the innovations of the
high place altars to continue. His zeal for true worship was so great
that the Bible calls him the greatest king of Judah (2 Kings 18:5).
Thus, we see that God is indeed deeply concerned with how He
is worshipped and since He is a covenant God who establishes the
terms of the covenant, we must approach Him according to those
commandments. We are not allowed to diminish or take away from
those commandments, but we are also not allowed to add to those
commandments.
Some would now argue that these things were true of the Old
Covenant but are no longer true of the New Covenant. But God
has not changed neither the fact that He interacts with us through
covenant. The Old Covenant forms of worship have passed away
because they were shadows that have been fulfilled in Christ. How-
ever, worship itself remains something that God ordains, since He
is in covenant with His people and regulates that covenant. This
is implicit in the Great Commission where the Church is told to
teach all nations to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you (Matt 28:20). Implicit in that statement is the truth that God’s
people are to worship Him according to the commandments He
gave His apostles. Paul then teaches us that the Scriptures are suf-
ficient to make the man of God perfect and ready for every good
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 245

work (2 Tim 3:17). Likewise, Peter teaches us that we already have

everything that we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3). These
passages indicate that the New Testament is sufficient for New Tes-
tament worship as the Old Testament was sufficient for Old Testa-
ment worship.
This is why Paul mourns the Galatian church as it turns to what
he calls beggarly elements (Gal 4:9-11). What are these elements
Paul is referring to? The Greek word is stoicheia. Contemporary
writers often use the term to refer to astral bodies[28] or primary el-
ements of nature (fire, water, wind, earth)[29]. Firstly, some context
is in order. The previous few chapters of Galatians make it plain
that Paul is dealing with Judaizers who are seeking to captivate the
Gentiles into Old Testament forms of worship like circumcision
and the keeping of holy days. To understand what Paul means we
can juxtapose verses 3, 8 and 9 –

1. Gal 4:3 – “Even so we, when we were children, were in

bondage (dedoulōmenoi) under the elements (stoicheia) of
the world.”
2. Gal 4:8 – “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did
service (edouleusate) unto them which by nature are no
gods.”
3. Gal 4:9 – “But now, after that ye have known God, or
rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and
beggarly elements (stoichea), whereunto ye desire again to
be in bondage (douleuein)?”

Paul asserts that in the past humanity (not just Jews) were in
bondage to these elements. The words translated bondage in vers-
es 3 and 9 and the word translated did service in verse 8 are of the
same root word douleuein, i.e., to be a slave. Paul reminds the read-
er that the gentiles prior to knowing God were in bondage to be-
246 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ings that are not gods. He then goes on to say that after coming to
a knowledge of God, the Galatian Christians ought not to return
to the elements that cause bondage. Similarly, Paul warns the Colos-
sians against being captivated by the rudiments (stoicheia) of this
world (Col 2:8). Some translations translate this as elemental spir-
its, which is a more accurate translation.
To be in Christ is to be in liberty from the earthly ordinances
of the elemental spirits (Col 2:20). These elemental spirits are none
other than the angelic beings God assigned to the care of the cre-
ated order who sinfully began accepting worship. This is why Paul
warns the Galatians against other gospels, whether they be
preached by men or angels (Gal 1:8). This wasn’t some hypothetical
scenario. These were things that had happened and the ancient
mind was familiar with. The Greco-Roman culture was aware of a
time in history when beings they worshipped as gods came down
to them and taught them their ways[30]. These beings promised
earthly favour and even the opportunity for apotheosis – i.e., be-
coming one of the gods, in exchange for worship in forms that they
ordained.
In Paul’s mind returning to Old Testament forms of worship is
to be taken into bondage by the gods of the nations. He isn’t say-
ing that Old Testament worship was wicked and pagan. Rather, the
God of the Bible does not accept such worship anymore as we are
no longer under tutelage but have received sonship through Jesus
Christ (Gal 4:1-8). Therefore, returning to such forms of worship
is no different from returning to the gods of this world. The same
God who freed us from the gods of this world has also freed us
from the tutelary yoke of Old Testament worship. This is why Jesus
asserts that the Messiah’s coming would coincide with the ushering
in of spiritual worship that God truly delights in ( John 4:23-24).
Even the Old Testament affirms this when the Psalmist declares
that God is not pleased with sacrifices (representative of the whole
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 247

Old Testament forms of worship) but with contrite spiritual heart-

worship (Psa 51:16-17).
The connection Paul makes here between Old Testament wor-
ship and the elemental spirits is also a reminder of how those forms
were prone to syncretism as we have already seen prior. Earthy
forms of worship allow for easy mixing with practices that are al-
ready prevalent in a cultural milieu. Practices that often have their
origins in the ordinances of false gods and their worship. An exam-
ple of this would be the creation of manmade holy days like Christ-
mas, which God never commanded. Not only was this not com-
manded by God, it gradually assimilated pagan practices of the Eu-
ropean peoples. It’s very celebration on the 25th of December is a
reminder of the old pagan holy day of Saturnalia which it was in-
tended to replace. The Dominionist mind sees this as a conquest of
paganism. Biblically, this is simply a return to paganism and the be-
ing in bondage to other gods. We also see an example of this in the
Bible. God had commanded Moses to build a bronze serpent to de-
liver the Israelites from venomous snakes that were in their midst
(Num 21:4-9). By the time of king Hezekiah, this image had be-
come an object of worship that the Israelites were offering incense
to (2 Kings 18:4). Therefore, these tutelary earthly forms of wor-
ship were always prone to idolatry and syncretism.
Therefore, one cannot excuse the use of things like instruments,
vestments, candles, etc as mere circumstances. The Old Testament
forms of worship which included holy days, candles, incense,
priestly vestments, instruments, etc. were typological forms. Hence,
to use them in New Testament worship is to return to those ty-
pological forms when we have the substance and antitype with us.
Moreover, as we have seen in the examples from the Old Testament
– those forms are very prone to syncretism. This is why Paul equates
them with the elemental gods of the nations. Therefore, such prac-
tices are not acceptable to God and are odious to Him. Even when
248 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

it comes to something as simple as instruments in worship, it is im-

portant to note that it was never something indifferent. In the Old
Covenant, it was only the Levites who played instruments in wor-
ship. It is clearly an element and not a circumstance. As we have
seen earlier everything from the architecture to the specifics of the
worship service was Divinely inspired.
In other words, the worship of a Covenant God is regulated
by His Covenant Book, which for the Old Testament saints would
have been the Old Testament and for the New Testament saints, it
would be the New Testament. Thus, our worship ought to be re-
stricted to forms that we see explicitly or implicitly laid out by apos-
tolic authority in the New Testament.
Many Christians think that as long as the New Testament
doesn’t explicitly forbid something, they are free to do it in wor-
ship. Especially if they preserve the base elements commanded in
Scripture. So, we have churches that have skits, dances, holy days,
candlelight services, children’s costume performance, orchestras,
choirs, instruments, etc. However, just because a congregation and
its elders think something might be edifying doesn’t mean that the
Lord is pleased with those things nor that He will bless them. Cer-
tainly, they are not elements God uses to help His people enter the
heavenly realm.
The main point here is that what is and isn’t acceptable worship
isn’t a matter of personal judgement, either of entire congregations
or of certain elders. As an example, the elders of a certain congrega-
tion might determine for themselves that performing a skit can be
legitimately edifying to their congregation. However, one house-
hold in that church takes issue with it because it isn’t in the New
Testament. Now that household cannot say Amen to the skit and
the Bible expects that everything that happens worship should be
edifying to the congregation as a whole and everyone should be
able to say Amen (1 Cor 14:16-17).
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 249

If the elders impose such practices on a congregation, they are

usurping authority that God hasn’t given them. The only authori-
ty God has given them is to enforce His Covenant Book as lead-
ers not lords. On the other hand, the elements that are ordained
in the Bible are not a matter of personal judgement. Therefore, the
Regulative Principle of Worship protects God’s people from legal-
ism being imposed on them. It protects their duty to worship God
according to His commandments and not have extra-Biblical prac-
tices imposed on them. It protects them from bondage to the Old
Testament and the gods of this world. Unlike what some people
might think, the Regulative Principle of Worship is not burden-
some but instead encourages true spiritual worship that connects
the earthly realm with the heavenly.

The Elements of Worship as an Intersection of the Material

with the Spiritual

The New Testament elements of worship, therefore, are the only

means God has given the New Testament covenant people to par-
ticipate in the spiritual realm. As we have already seen, in the Old
Covenant God blessed the Israelites when they worshipped Him
according to His commandments. When first the tabernacle and
later the temple were built, we hear about the glory of God de-
scending into it. In other words, the heavenly realm came down
and became part of the material realm. But as we shall see, in the
New Covenant, the material realm gets taken up into the heavenly
when we worship. Yet, it remains that only worship that God has
ordained will allow such an intersection of the material with the
spiritual.
The New Testament lays out the following elements of worship
-
250 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Baptism (Acts 2:41)

The Bible shows us that the Holy Spirit works through baptism
to spiritually cleanse the Christian (1 Pet 3:21, Mk 1:4, Acts 2:38)
and to bring them into active participation and union with Christ
(1 Cor 12:12-13, Col 2:12). As soon as Christ was baptized, the
heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him
(Matt 3:16). This imagery is intended to show us how these are in-
terlinked phenomenon, i.e., the Holy Spirit and baptism go hand in
hand. Therefore, Paul ties baptism with drinking of the Holy Spirit
(1 Cor 12:13). Since water images the Holy Spirit, being baptised
in water images receiving the Holy Spirit. Thus, baptism is an act of
worship where we receive the heavenly gift of the Holy Spirit.

Communion (Acts 2:41, 20:7, 1 Cor 11:17-34)

The bread and the wine bring the Christian into active participa-
tion in Christ’s body and blood (1 Cor 10:16, Matt 26:26-28, Lk
22:19-20). To partake of the elements in an unworthy manner is to
sin against Christ’s actual body and blood (1 Cor 11:23-27). Christ
explains that His body and blood are offerings for His people (Lk
22:19-20). In the Old Testament, a covenant meal was always seen
as something done to commune with God (Deut 14:23-26). The
Israelites offered sacrifices to God on Mt. Sinai after which Moses
and the elders met with God. They ate and drank with Him on
the mountain (Exo 24:5-11). To the ancient mind, these concepts
would go hand in hand. Sacrifice was often followed by a commu-
nity meal to consume the sacrifice. In communion, Christ offers us
Himself to us through the elements. Therefore, we are able to par-
ticipate of His offering and commune with Him in the heavenly
realm through the Holy Spirit.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 251

The Word Read and Preached (Acts 2:42, 20:7)

The Word of God reflects Christ Himself ( John 1:1-14, 5:39).

Therefore, when we hear the Word preached and read, we are lis-
tening to Christ Himself speak to us from the heavenly realms. It’s
simply a temple or holy mountain analogy. When the Old Testa-
ment came to a holy mountain, they expected to hear the voice of
God (Exo 19:16-25, 20:18-25, 2 Pet 1:18). This could either be di-
rectly or through a prophet. Therefore, when we come to Mount
Zion to worship God, we expect to hear His voice. To hear the
voice of God is to commune with Him and thus to worship Him.

Prayers (Acts 2:42)

Prayer directly ties the earthly realm to the heavenly because Christ
Himself says that His people can bind or loose things in heaven
through prayer (Matt 18:18-19). The prayers of the saints are
brought before God by angels and saints (Rev 5:8, 8:4). It rises to
him with the smoke of the censor (Rev 8:4). This is intended to in-
voke images of sacrificial offerings from the Old Testament where
the burnt offering would rise to heaven as a pleasing aroma (Lev
1:9, 13, 2:2). In other words, the prayers of the saints are an offering
of worship that rises up to the heavenly realm as a pleasing aroma
before God.

Singing (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16)

Concerning congregational singing, we see that God’s angels sang

as a congregation when He created the earth ( Job 38:7). A con-
gregation of angels sang praises to God on Christ’s incarnation
(Lk 2:13-14). The congregation of men and angels worship God
in heaven through singing (Rev 5:8-11). Therefore, congregational
252 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

singing on earth is an act of worship that images congregational

singing of men and angels in heaven. The earthly assembly joins in
with the heavenly assembly to raise a chorus of praise before God.
Since the earthly images the heavenly, it is implied that earthly wor-
ship is without instruments. Heavenly worship is already accompa-
nied by God ordained instruments in the heavenly realm (Rev 5:8).
The earthly and heavenly are combined and offered to God as wor-
ship. The heavenly already contains God ordained instruments that
He is pleased with. There is simply no need for innovation in the
earthly realm to offer God something He hasn’t commanded.

The Collection (Acts 4:32-37; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2)

The collection of the offering or giving of alms is another element

of worship that has apostolic mandate (1 Cor 16:1-2). The giving
of alms, particularly to the poor among God’s people is a propor-
tional reflection of the treasures one has stored in heaven (Matt
19:21). Earthly giving reflects heavenly gathering. Earthly giving,
like our prayers, is brought before God as an offering to Him (Acts
10:31). In other words, almsgiving is a sacrificial offering before
God. We reject something earthly to gain something heavenly.
Therefore, by offering the sacrifice of almsgiving before God, we are
brought in remembrance in the sight of God (Acts 10:31).

Corporate Gatherings (Acts 2:42, 20:7)

We will look at corporate gatherings in the next section.

The Church as an Assembly of God’s Divine Council

A lot of these issues in worship stem from a misunderstanding of
what the church of God really is. Some of it can be attributed to
the Greek Word ekklesia translated as Church in the English lan-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 253

guage. The word church has institutional connotations and often

represents a formal structure that gathers in a building or as a refer-
ence to the building itself. It doesn’t accurately represent what the
apostles meant when they used ekklesia.
Some have understood the term ekklesia to be a sum of two dif-
ferent words. The prefix ex meaning out of and the verb kaleo mean-
ing to call. This they understand to mean called out ones. Now this
could be a legitimate understanding of the term. However, when
the apostles used the term ekklesia, it already had a colloquial us-
age in the Koine Greek of the time. Moreover, it is often used in
the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, which the apos-
tles used. Therefore, to understand this term, it is good to investi-
gate its colloquial usage and its usage in the Septuagint.
Colloquially, the term ekklesia was used to refer to an assembly
or gathering of citizens to discuss the business of a political entity.
The best example of this would be the ekklesia of Athens that per-
mitted all male Athenian citizens regardless of their class to par-
ticipate. This assembly was responsible for declarations of war, mil-
itary strategy and the elections of generals and rulers. There are
no known references to the use of ekklesia to refer to an exclusive
group of called out individuals in secular sources of those times.
The more important usage though is in the Greek Old Testa-
ment. In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word qahal is translated as
ekklesia in Greek. Interestingly, in the Old Testament English trans-
lations, the word is simply translated as assembly or gathering. Yet
these same translations often translate ekklesia as church in the New
Testament. There are two words in the Old Testament Hebrew that
are of particular interest - the edah translated synagoge in Greek
and the qahal translated as ekklesia in Greek. It is important to re-
member that those terms are tied together and at times used inter-
changeably. However, they both have particular usages that are im-
254 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

portant. An example of the use of these terms can be seen in Judges

20:1,2 -
“Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation
(edah/synagoge) was gathered (qahal/ekklesia) together as one
man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the
Lord in Mizpeh.
And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, pre-
sented themselves in the assembly (qahal/ekklesia) of the people of
God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.”
As we see in this example. edah often refers to the congregation
of Israel as a whole, i.e the whole covenant community. Qahal
on the other hand is used to denote a specific gathering of that
covenant community. Thus, when Paul writes, “Unto the church of
God which is at Corinth” (1 Cor 1:2). We can better understand
it as “Unto the assembly/gathering of God which is at Corinth”.
This is important because the term has significance in the Old Tes-
tament. In the context of Judges 20, the congregation had assem-
bled to judge the sin of the Benjamites. Similarly, we see that there
were assemblies for corporate confession (Lev 4:13-14), hearing of
God’s Word (Exo 35:1, Deut 4:10, Deut 9:10), sacrifices and offer-
ings (Lev 4:21), religious services and ordinations (Exo 12:5, Lev
8:3, Num 8:9) and to discuss the holy war on Canaan ( Josh 18:1).
In other words, God had ordained specific assemblies of His con-
gregation (covenant body) in the Old Testament and oftentimes
He met with them in these assemblies as we see in Sinai. Similarly,
we see that God has ordained through His apostles, specific assem-
blies of His people in the New Testament (Acts 2:42, 20:7) and we
are warned about neglecting this commandment (Heb 10:25).
While the congregation or edah comprises the entire unity of
God’s covenant people, the assembly or qahal is a particular gather-
ing of that congregation in space and time. The common thread in
all these assemblies was that the congregation gathered together to
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 255

participate in the business of the kingdom of God and they came to

meet with God. The assembly therefore carries with it the notion of
gathering together by Divine appointment for a specific kingdom
purpose. It is therefore particularly about the event and calling, not
about a particular place in which the assembly takes place. In other
words, such gatherings are part of the covenant realm.
Understanding the Old Testament context for assemblies can
help us understand why we assemble as God’s people today. Firstly,
When the Old Testament congregation assembled to meet with
God, they had to approach God according to His requirements
and commandments. Failing to keep those requirements and com-
mandments would lead to their death (Exo 19:12-15, 21-22). Sec-
ondly, the people gathered were aware of the purpose of their gath-
erings and they came in reverence and awe in the presence of God
(Exo 19:16). Quoting this incident at Sinai, the author of Hebrews
instructs New Testament assemblies to remember that while we do
not assemble with God in places where we can physically perceive
the fire and tempest of God (Heb 12:18), spiritually we are taken
into the heavenly throne room of God (Heb 12:22). In fact, the on-
ly difference is that the Old Testament assemblies heard God speak
from earth while we hear God speak from heaven (Heb 12:25). It
is in this context that the author of Hebrews implores God’s people
to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (Heb 12:28),
reminding His readers that our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29).
While we have now considered the implications of the assem-
bly. We must still understand the implications of the congregation
or edah. Interestingly Psalm 82 uses the word edah to refer to God’s
divine council of the sons of God. The psalmist calls it the congre-
gation of the mighty. This divine council is always associated with
the presence of God and His Word. In fact, Stephen declares that
the Israelites received the law through angels (Acts 7:53). Like-
wise, Paul asserts that the law was given to Moses by angels (Gal
256 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

3:19). Even more emphatic is the declaration by the author of He-

brews that calls the Word of God, the word spoken by angels (Heb
2:2). Likewise, whenever the prophets were sent out, they were first
commissioned by God in the presence of His divine council.
Now we are told that the tabernacle of the Old Testament was
built according to the pattern of what Moses saw on the mountain
(Heb 8:5). Therefore, the tabernacle or the tent of the congregation
was a place associated not just with God’s presence but with His
divine council. The earthly place of worship typologically reflect-
ed the heavenly realm of worship. The Hebrews were aware that as
they participated in worship, they were participating not merely in
a flippant ceremony but were worshipping God in the presence of
men and angels.
It is in the context of these things that the author of Hebrews
proclaims that we have entered mount Sion with an innumerable
company of angels (Heb 12:22), the general assembly and church of
the firstborn and the spirits of just men made perfect along with the
presence of God (Heb 12:23). This is the family of God in earth
and in heaven, named by the name of Jesus Christ (Eph 3:15). It
includes the people of God on earth, the people of God in heaven
and the holy angels. The congregation of God consists of a spiritual
union of the earthly and heavenly. This is a cosmic family that con-
sists of men and angels, God being the Head. The Son of God, Jesus
Christ has pre-eminence and is now seated at the right hand of the
Father. He has redeemed for Himself a brotherhood of saints who
are to be priests and kings with Him.
The church then is a gathering or assembly of that divine coun-
cil or God’s family in space and time. Just as the divine council met
at the mountain of the Lord in Eden, it now meets at Mt. Zion.
Wherever God’s people gather, even if it be just two or three of
them, Christ is present in their midst (Matt 18:20). Now if Christ,
the Elohim of elohims is present in our midst then we know that we
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 257

are entered into the presence of God’s divine council. This means
that whenever God’s people gather in His name, as families or con-
gregations, we are in the presence of God and angels. We cannot ar-
bitrarily make distinctions about types of gatherings. Regardless of
where we gather and when, the people gathered become an assem-
bly of God’s divine council in space and time. We are worshipping
God as one congregation with those who are already in the eternal
realm - both men and angels. Now in the Old Testament, the earth-
ly typologically reflected the heavenly. In the New Testament, the
earthly is raptured and participates in the heavenly.
Paul’s injunction in favour of head coverings further explains
this theme. In his exposition of the order of nature, Paul declares
that women ought to have a sign of power (head coverings) over
their head because of the angels (1 Cor 11:10). Paul is referencing
notions that his readers were already familiar with and didn’t need
further elaboration. He is referencing the Genesis 6 incident where
the sons of God were tempted by the beauty of human women and
fell into sexual sin with them. The early church understood this
theme quite well as evidenced by Tertullian’s treatise On the Veil-
ing of Virgins. Sadly, today many are likely to view this as a cryp-
tic reference that they must rationalise away. Yet, in Paul’s mind the
gathering of God’s people in Christ’s name was a place where the
boundaries between the material and celestial are blurred. It is a
place where we enter the divine council. Therefore, by refraining
from covering their heads in such a gathering, women contribute
to tempting the holy angels who are part of such gatherings.
The head covering is a symbol of order, authority but most im-
portantly modesty. A woman’s hair as the Bible says is her glory
(1 Cor 11:15). Thus, it is her duty to have a symbol of authority
over her head to veil or cover that glory, lest it cause angelic beings
to stumble. Whether or not an angelic being will actually sin is
irrelevant. Indecent behaviour by women causes the holy angels
258 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

to stumble or be distracted as they participate in Divine worship.

This ties in with Paul’s appeal to women in the gatherings to dress
themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not
with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array (1 Tim 2:9).
The principle of modesty is to not draw attention to oneself. This
is in line with the mandate to be shamefaced and sober. They are
also told to avoid earthly beautification in such gatherings. Sadly,
churches today do nothing to bring such discipline in their gather-
ings. Not only has the head covering itself been forsaken as a sup-
posed cultural relic of the past, it is quite common to see women
dress immodestly. As mentioned here, immodesty doesn’t necessi-
tate scanty clothes. Rather, it is about drawing attention to oneself.
This can be done in many ways including as Paul says overly beau-
tifying one’s hair, abundance of jewellery or clothing and makeup
that takes away from sobriety and shamefacedness. In doing this,
they become a stumbling block to men and angels who have gath-
ered to worship God at His holy mountain.
What then is the business for which this divine council meets
on earth? The purpose of the divine council assembly insofar as this
present age is concerned is to wage war against the principalities
and powers of darkness and to proclaim judgement on them. We
have already seen how the very purpose of Christ’s coming was to
bring about the end of Satan’s kingdom of darkness (1 John 3:8).
We have also seen how the prayers of the saints ascend to God and
then are used to bring judgement upon the earth (Rev 8:3-5). This
has been God’s purpose throughout history, from the holy war in
Canaan to the coming of Christ and till His second coming. This
is why we are taught to pray Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
in earth, as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). What might sound like a
pithy spiritual statement is a declaration of war. It is a reminder to
the gods of this world and the people that serve them that there is a
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 259

judgement coming. Christ will return with tens of thousands of his

saints and angels to execute judgment upon all ( Jud 15).
This war in the unseen realm is not something that can be em-
pirically perceived, but it requires eyes of faith to see it waged. It
is not a war in this present realm of space-time but a war in the
eternal spiritual realm. We wage this war in ways that seem like fol-
ly to those of this world. We read the Word of God, we pray, we
baptise, we commune with Christ, we offer alms and we sing songs,
hymns and spiritual songs. This is because the weapons of our war-
fare are not carnal (2 Cor 10:4). We cry out with the saints who
are in heaven, before the altar of God, “How long, O Lord, holy and
true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell
on the earth?” (Rev 6:10). We proclaim anathema (curse) on those
who reject Christ and pray maranatha, come Lord Jesus (1 Cor
16:22) and we look forward through the bread and wine, towards
the blessed hope of the glorious appearing of our Great God Jesus
Christ (Tit 2:13).
Thus, the assemblies of God’s divine council are means He uses
to bring about His Second Coming and the final judgement that
will end this present age and usher in the eschaton. In the Old Tes-
tament God’s authority was imaged on earth by his earthly king-
dom, the nation of Israel in the holy land of Canaan. In the New
Covenant God’s authority is imaged on earth by the assemblies of
His divine council throughout the world. The holy land that God
claims on earth, is the very hearts of His people and its collective -
the assembly gathered. Therefore, His people can establish Gospel
Colonies throughout the world in the territories of the gods of this
world. Moreover, by worshipping God in agreement with the saints
and angels in heaven we proclaim the triumphant Christ to the
kingdom of darkness, reminding them of the coming judgement
and destruction of their order.
260 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Note how this warfare is concerned with spiritual and not

earthly things. Unlike the saints of the Old Testament who waged
war in space-time in a limited territory, we wage spiritual war
against the kingdom of darkness, who are seated in their high
places in the spiritual realm (Eph 6:12). To then shift the focus
from the spiritual realm to the temporal realm and to confuse this
eternal battle with earthly battles of politics, money and power is
to fall into perdition. We are to pray for God’s will to be done on
earth as it is in heaven as we are taught to pray but it has also been
revealed to us that will only happen at the coming of Christ with
His saints and angels. The prayer is another example of typology
showing us that the ultimate fulfilment of God’s will being done on
earth concerns the world to come, being ushered in at His return.
Till then our work is one of proclamation and bearing witness.
Now if these are the things that the Bible teaches us about our
assemblies, can we then make them places of casual, light-heart-
ed self-focus? Or ought we to make these assemblies places where
we presume upon God and introduce our own ways, according to
our own judgements to worship Him? Will means He never or-
dained profit in any way in waging spiritual warfare against the
forces of darkness? The Word of God is called the sword of the
Spirit (Eph 6:17) and yet none of us would brandish a sword of
iron if we encountered the evil one. For we know that the carnal
sword can do nothing to the evil one. Yet we are promised that if we
resist him, He will flee from us and we can only resist him through
God’s Word. Likewise, it is vain and unprofitable for us to use car-
nal means like candles, vestments, censors, smoke, incense, etc. in
our assemblies according to our judgement. We are no longer wag-
ing war typologically, but we are engaged in actual spiritual warfare,
assembling with the saints and angels before God’s throne and pro-
claiming the end of Satan’s Kingdom. Let us then serve God accept-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 261

ably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire
(Heb 12:28-29).

The Ethics of the Kingdom of God

The religious separation of the covenant body is tied to a distinc-
tive set of ethics. These ethics set the people of God apart from the
world and its various institutions. In fact, these ethics are so dif-
ferent from the ethics of the world that they seem foolish to those
who are of the world (1 Cor 3:18-20). Similar to what we read
about God’s calling to Abraham, the New Testament doesn’t exten-
sively regulate our life outside the covenant realm and in the world.
For example, the Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us what clothes to
wear, what kind of profession we ought to work in, how we should
get educated or what means we ought to use to seek a spouse. In-
stead, it presents us with the ethical standards of the Kingdom of
God and expects that these ethics will affect every aspect of our
lives, including the decisions we make regarding this present world.
These ethics can be summed up in Christ’s sermon on the mount
and are revealed throughout the New Testament. They confront
the Christian with a radical view on things like power, stability and
money. Thus, teaching them to have a whole different outlook on
life when compared to the people around them.
The central theme of these ethics is a recognition that the king-
dom of God is not of this world and the already not-yet nature of
that kingdom. While we are yet awaiting the final judgement that
will usher in the new heavens and the new earth, we as Christians
are already positionally living in that reality through the Holy Spir-
it. Since Christ reigns in our hearts, we are already living in the eter-
nal realm, in the presence of God. Therefore, our ethics ought to
reflect that spiritual reality.
262 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Power, Stability, Money

As we have seen, the Old Covenant Israelite theocracy was typo-

logical of the heavenly kingdom. In that covenant we see that the
Lord made several promises of earthly prosperity to His people, if
they were obedient to Him - “And the Lord shall make thee plen-
teous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cat-
tle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware
unto thy fathers to give thee” (Deut 28:11). We have also seen how
all of these earthly blessings were typological pointers of the eter-
nal blessings we have in Christ, with the apostle Paul saying that
all the promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ (2 Cor 1:20).
They were thus typological of kingdom blessings and not an end in
and of themselves. Since the kingdom of God is not of this world
and doesn’t claim worldly territory, worldly wealth no longer serves
as a covenant blessing to its citizens. Christ Himself teaches this
when He declares, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's” (Mk 2:17). The implications
of that statement are important to understand. Christ isn’t saying
that worldly wealth is an intrinsic evil, but He is declaring that it is
not something that is part of His kingdom.
Since worldly wealth isn’t part of God’s kingdom, it has a ten-
dency to captivate one’s heart away from that kingdom. Paul calls
the love of money the root cause of all evil (1 Tim 6:10) and warns
those who even desire to be rich (1 Tim 6:9). The reason the New
Testament is so critical of the accumulation of wealth on Earth
is because it is a representation of our dreams and aspirations in
this present age. All other dreams including marriage, building a
house, stability, respectability, influence, power, possessions, retire-
ment, etc. are subordinate to one's ability to amass wealth. Wealth
provides the gateway to fulfil these dreams. In other words, wealth
promises a temporal fulfilment in this age of what God promises
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 263

in the age to come. Therefore, it possesses an intrinsic tendency to

bind our hearts here (Matt 6:19-21).
Not only are we cautioned against the tendency of wealth to
bind our hearts here, but we are also explicitly told not to accu-
mulate wealth here. Christ specifically places an antithesis between
storing treasures on earth and storing treasures in heaven (Matt
6:19-21). For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
(Matt 6:19) is very instructive. Since our hearts are the manifes-
tation of the kingdom of God, they reveal our true allegiance. A
heart that resides in the eternal kingdom is not concerned by the
cares of this life while a worldly heart is consumed by the cares of
this life. It is the heart in which Christ rules that resides in heav-
en. Therefore, storing up treasures in heaven while forsaking earthly
treasures is but the natural inclination of someone who lives in the
heavenly realm. We are told to be content with what we have (Heb
13:5). Worldly riches wage war against the Word of God and cause
their owners to become consumed with the cares of this present life
(Matt 13:22).
Instead, the Christian is praised when he cheerfully gives be-
yond his means (2 Cor 8:3) and is willingly plundered (Heb
10:34). In the kingdom of God, the widow who gave all she had
in two copper mites was a more generous giver than the rich (Lk
21:1-4, Mk 12:41-44). The notion of "stewardship" popular in
Christian circles today encourages storing up treasures on Earth.
One is a bad steward if they are unable to provide for their family
the middle-class American dream lifestyle. Yet the Biblical picture
is very different. The widow who gave all she had is antithetical to
the modern Christian notion of "stewardship". Biblical stewardship
is willingness to forsake all and even be completely plundered (Heb
10:34) for the good of God's people, the poor and widows. Stor-
ing up treasures in heaven is antithetical to storing up treasures on
earth.
264 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Some have wrongly assumed that having Biblical generosity

leads to earthly prosperity. This is a complete misunderstanding of
the Biblical ethic. In fact, it is a consequence of corruption to think
that godliness is gain in material terms (1 Tim 6:5). Were the Bib-
lical ethic to be applied to worldly institutions, those institutions
would fail. An example of that is how the early church lived shar-
ing everything in common (Acts 4:32-37). However, every earthly
society that has tried that has failed miserably. It is within the king-
dom of God that these ethics bear fruit. They do not grant earth-
ly prosperity but instead grant prosperity in the kingdom of God
through Christ. It is in the kingdom of God that two copper mites
are greater than great riches. It is in the kingdom of God that giv-
ing everything one possesses leads to eternal riches. It is within the
kingdom of God that one is able to be persecuted and plundered
of worldly possessions and yet rejoice. It is within the kingdom of
God that one is able to give generously for the needs of one’s broth-
ers and sisters knowing that great is our reward in heaven.
It is also important here to consider the “not-yet” aspect of the
kingdom. Failing to consider that aspect can lead to disobedience
to what God requires of us. Our giving can never be at the expense
of lawful obligations that God has placed in our life. Jesus con-
demns the Pharisees for refusing to help their parents financially,
instead claiming that it had been given to God (Matt 15:5). Paul
condemns those who fail to provide for the needs of their own fam-
ilies as being worse than unbelievers (1 Tim 5:8). These Texts are
instructive in reminding us that our liberality in giving cannot be
at the expense of providing for the needs of those whom God has
placed in our lives. A father cannot give away everything he possess-
es if he has a wife and children to provide for, unlike the widow. We
are certainly commended to give sacrificially but we cannot sacri-
fice the needs of others that we are lawfully required to provide for.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 265

That said, it is also important to note that the Bible is referring

to providing for the needs of those whom we must lawfully provide
for, not every desire and want. It is not a need of anyone to live
a middle-class lifestyle with a large suburban home and the many
creature comforts that are part of the modern world. It is not a
need to have a fancy wedding. It is not a need for everyone in the
household to have a vehicle. It is not a need to go on nice vaca-
tions. It is not a need to eat out regularly or eat expensive meals
at home. Paul commends all Christians to be content with having
food and clothes (1 Tim 6:8). These are what we need as humans.
Each household should work among themselves how much they
are willing to sacrifice to store up treasures in heaven and we ought
to be careful not to conflate our desires with genuine human needs.
It certainly isn’t sinful to enjoy things that aren’t basic needs, but
we ought to understand that the enjoyment we get out of them will
always be temporary and it is that which we store up in heaven that
is eternal.
Power, stability, respectability and money are often tied to each
other. Accumulation of money is often a perceptible outward rep-
resentation of the respectability, power and stability an individual
or institution has. In the material world, it is natural for humans
to seek stability and power. Even the godliest of Christians often
seek stability through earthly means. However, the New Testament
teaches Christians not to seek stability and respectability as the
men of the world do. Christ in addressing the love of money and re-
spectability among the Pharisees, declared, “for that which is highly
esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Lk 16:15).
Therefore, not only are we encouraged not to seek those things,
they are an abomination in the eyes of God.
The pursuit of stability, respectability and power in this present
world are by nature outside the kingdom of God. They fail to take
into account the reality of God’s providential ordering of the cre-
266 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ated order and provisions for all His creatures. This is why Christ
says that we are to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness
above all things (Matt 6:33). We are to not be worried about the
cares and concerns of this life, even those concerning our basic ne-
cessities, knowing that the Lord providentially governs the created
order and provides for all His creatures (Matt 6:24-31). It is the na-
tions of this world who seek after these things, but the Lord knows
that His people have earthly needs and provides for them (Matt
6:32).
Therefore, Christianity becomes the religion of those who on
earth are poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the persecuted,
the reviled and the falsely accused rather than the religion of those
who on earth are self-confident, rejoicing, haughty, stable and re-
spectable (Matt 5:3-11). A Christian ought to expect that as con-
cerning earthly things, his life will not reflect the stability and re-
spectability of his worldly peers. Instead, he will be scorned, de-
spised and considered foolish by them. Simply put, if most Chris-
tians followed the New Testament implications on worldly wealth,
not a lot of Christians would have the kind of respectability and
worldly stability they have accumulated by seeking places of wealth
and power in society.
In the kingdom of God, the last shall be first, and the first last
(Matt 20:16). In the world, those who are great exercise authority
on those who are weak and rulers establish their power by exercis-
ing authority over those under them (Matt 20:25). However, in the
kingdom of God to become great, one must serve and those who
seek to be rulers do so by becoming servants. In doing this, they fol-
low the example of Christ (Matt 20:26-28). Even elders appoint-
ed in the churches are to not be as lords over God’s people. Rather,
their authority is to lead by example (1 Pet 5:3).
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 267

Non-Resistance, Restoration and Reconciliation

We have already seen how God established a system of retributive

justice to govern the created order in the Noahic Covenant. This
is an outworking of the very nature of God, which is Justice. Since
God is Just, every act of injustice and unrighteousness must be pun-
ished by Him. This punishment is proportional to the injustice
or unrighteousness committed (Gen 9:6). This was the principle
God established for the governing of His kingdom on earth in the
Old Covenant (Ex 21:23-25, Lev 24:18-21, Deut 19:21). How-
ever, Christ Himself declares that this principle of justice does
not characterise the citizens of the kingdom of God in the New
Covenant (Matt 5:38-42).
This isn’t a change in God, who cannot change. Rather, it is
simply an outworking of what God has always desired for His peo-
ple. We have already seen how even in the Old Testament even
though God had ordained the holy war against Canaan, He would
not permit David to build His temple because of his participation
in them. Likewise killing was always something associated with the
cursed realm, something that defiled those who participated in it
(Num 31:19). It is only God who is able to mete out judgements in
perfect righteousness and not be defiled by the destruction of the
wicked.
Therefore, it is an ethic of forgiveness and reconciliation that
must characterise God’s people as concerning the kingdom of God.
The Bible plainly teaches that those who sin grievously must be dis-
ciplined by His assembly (Matt 18:15-17, 1 Cor 5:1). While the
primary goal of this discipline is to protect the assembly from being
corrupted (1 Cor 5:6-8), restoration and reconciliation is always
hoped for (Matt 18:15, 1 Cor 5:5, 2 Cor 2:1-7, Gal 6:1). An un-
repentant sinner is to be treated as a foreigner, as one belonging to
the kingdom of Satan (Matt 18:17). Yet, God’s assembly is to take
268 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

several steps to ensure that such an action is not a necessity. First, it

is necessary to approach the sinner individually (Matt 18:15). Sec-
ond, the unrepentant sinner is to be approached by a few members
of the assembly (Matt 18:16). Third, if they are yet unrepentant,
they are to be taken to the whole assembly (Matt 18:17). It is only
when each of these fail that they are to be put outside the kingdom
of God. Thus, it is evident that the hope is restoration and recon-
ciliation.
This ethic also has application towards individual Christian be-
haviour. Christians of all people ought to be defined by forgiveness
and reconciliation. They ought to live peaceably with all men (Rom
12:18, Heb 12:14). They ought to earnestly avoid the root of bit-
terness from taking hold of their lives (Heb 12:15). In fact, one of
the defining characteristics of a Christian is that they are not bitter
and vengeful, always willing to reconcile. Reconciliation on earth
doesn’t always mean the restoration of something to exactly what
it was. However, it always means living without bitterness and a
vengeful spirit.
This means that Christians do not seek to respond propor-
tionately when offended by others. Instead, they are to turn the
other cheek (Matt 5:39). They are to be peacemakers who don’t
seek vengeance, leaving room instead for the wrath of God (Rom
12:18-19). They are to even love their enemies (Matt 5:44). In do-
ing this, they show themselves to be children of their Father in
Heaven, who is patient, continuing to providentially bless both the
righteous and the unrighteous (Matt 5:45). They show themselves
to be image bearers of Christ, who rather than respond proportion-
ately to insults and sufferings, quietly committed His cause to the
Father in Heaven (1 Pet 2:23). Thematically this is revealed to us
throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament God reveals to the Is-
raelites that unlike the nations around them, they would not rely
on war for their survival. Instead, it would be God who would wage
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 269

war for them. In a majority of the military encounters we read of in

the Old Testament, there are Divine interventions that display that
it is God who wages war in righteousness. As we have already seen,
when the Israelites engaged in warfare even at God’s command, it
defiled them.
Practically speaking this means that Christians are not to be
people of the sword or those who follow the power of the sword to
coerce others. Christ Himself declares that they that take the sword
shall perish with the sword (Matt 26:52). Likewise, Paul contrasts
the governing authorities who execute vengeance in the temporal
order and respond with wrath against evil (Rom 13:4) with the
Christian who doesn’t avenge and responds to evil with good (Rom
12:19-21). Overcoming evil with good and not seeking vengeance
aren’t abstract concepts. Rather, they have a bearing on how we
as Christians live in our day to day lives. It is not merely taking
up a physical sword and hacking our enemies that the New Testa-
ment condemns. Nay, it condemns any means we might use to seek
retribution or recompense in this life. This implies that Christians
ought not to use any form of coercion to accomplish the mission
of God’s people on earth or to get what they want. They ought not
to appeal to the state to protect their rights or to enforce Biblical
values on those outside the covenant. To coerce someone into any
form of moral behaviour is to use the power of the sword to accom-
plish one’s goals. To do so is to reject the ethics laid out in the New
Testament and thus to reject God’s covenant itself.
This also means not dragging others to court to have our way.
Some will justify this by saying that Paul only condemns Christians
from dragging other Christians to court (1 Cor 6:1-8). That how-
ever is to miss the point. The New Testament and of course Paul
himself lay out the ethical imperatives for being a Christian. This
requires turning the other cheek and rejecting vengeance. It is fool-
ish to seek to find hundreds of loopholes and situations where
270 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Christians might be justified in seeking vengeance or not turning

the other cheek. In fact, Christ explicitly lays this out in Matt 5:40
- “And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat,
let him have thy cloak also”. Note, that Christ is specifically speaking
of a legal entanglement where someone sues another for their coat.
Sadly, to many Christians today, it would be normal to respond to
such an escalation by hiring a lawyer of their own and waging legal
war. Yet, this is contrary to the expectations set by Christ for His
kingdom citizens. We are to not return evil for evil and we are to
leave vengeance unto the Lord. We have to live evidencing our pro-
fessed belief that our hope in justice is in Christ’s return, not the
courts of the elohim rulers of this present world.
Moreover, Christians ought to be opposed to war in all its
forms. The later philosophical justifications of the so-called “just
war” have no Biblical basis. In the Old Testament, God’s people
waged holy war on His direct command. This wasn’t a war based on
human reasoning and debates on justice. Rather, it was a war com-
manded by God and a war He was actively involved in. Wars out-
side the covenant though, do not have such justification. And given
that the people of God are a separate nation who are to not be en-
tangled in the affairs of this life, they ought to withdraw themselves
from the madness of this present age that justifies any form of war-
fare.
Christians also cannot therefore take up soldiering or the mag-
istracy. This was something well understood by the early church
prior to Constantine. The profession of soldiering is intrinsically
opposed to these kingdom ethics. It requires striking back rather
than turning the other cheek. It requires avenging oneself, espe-
cially in the context of national vindication, a common theme of
wars. It doesn’t allow room for God’s wrath, rather encourages and
even forces avenging evils in this age rather than yielding humbly
to Providence and trusting in God. It is antithetical to loving one’s
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 271

enemies because it requires working towards their destruction. It

encourages living by the sword, the end of which Christ warns His
disciples against. Likewise, the governing authorities, who as Paul
states are outside the covenant, are a means of vengeance, while the
Christian is a citizen of the eternal kingdom of the Prince of Peace.
The citizens of the kingdom of the Prince of Peace do not bear the
sword of vengeance. To take up the sword and to engage in striking
back and avenging oneself is to reject the ethics of the kingdom of
God and therefore to reject the kingdom itself.
People often respond to this with pragmatic arguments that use
human reasoning and philosophy to work around these ethical im-
peratives instead of accepting them for what they are. Some say that
if many were to adopt such a position, especially among those who
are righteous, the wicked would prosper. However, this fails to take
into account God’s Providential ordering of the universe by which
He ordains the rise and fall of various earthly powers. Moreover,
God does indeed use wars as a means to accomplish His justice and
vengeance as far as this age is concerned and yet calls His people
away from the world, its concerns and judgement.[31]
It is also important to remember that we don’t expect these eth-
ical standards to make rational sense to those who are given to the
cares and concerns of this present age. These are kingdom ethics
for the people of God and they are utter foolishness to those who
are in the world. It is the covenant people who must reject the
sword and vengeance because we are citizens of the eternal king-
dom where vengeance has passed and the sword has been turned
into a ploughshare. This cannot be understood by those who do
not have the Spirit of God and who have not been transported by
that Spirit to the heavenly kingdom.
Again, it is important to consider the “not-yet” aspect of the
kingdom. Christian non-violence is not an absolute category be-
cause non-violence isn’t something that is tied to God’s nature. This
272 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

is why God does indeed use governing authorities as His servants

to execute vengeance and judgements on the world. Even though
we as Christians are not to use them, they do exist as a means that
God uses to restrain evil in the created order. Therefore, it is wrong
to adopt an absolutist view on non-violence because God will judge
the world in violence on that ultimate day of judgement and does
use violence to restrain sin in our own days.
As Christians we look forward to the day of God’s wrath when
He will avenge all His enemies. This judgement, while already de-
clared, is yet to be accomplished in space-time and this is some-
thing that should cause God’s people to rejoice. God the Just Judge
will vindicate His people and be avenged on His enemies. Those
who reject the generous mercy offered to them through Christ and
persisted in their rebellion will be confronted by the dreadful real-
ity of coming face to face with the Living God. A Christian can le-
gitimately sing imprecatory and second-coming Psalms like Psalm
68 and Psalm 110 that speak of God destroying His enemies. Yet,
in our actions we always show that we do not seek vengeance of our
own accord but await the Lord who judges all things righteously.
The prevalent rejection of kingdom ethics in the church today
is evident in how common it is for many professing Christians to
boast about their plans to kill even in self-defence. Rather than see-
ing killing as a defiling thing that perhaps might be necessary in
some extreme circumstances to prevent death or rape, they see self-
undertaken vengeance as something to glory in. This has nothing
to do with the Kingdom of God but everything to do with becom-
ing descendants of the evil Lamech, who boasted to his wives about
his murderous exploits in self-defence (Gen 4:23-24).
There might certainly be situations where a Christian is oblig-
ated to engage in violence to protect the weak. This is something
that must be painfully and sorrowfully considered in some situa-
tions like when a maleficent actor seeks to kill or rape someone.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 273

Christians ought always to first seek to wound or scare away the of-
fending party rather than seeking their death as the default option.
Moreover, should they face such a situation and live, they ought to
reflect on it in soberness and sorrow rather than glorying in the vi-
olence and vengeance. We are not in the place of God and we are to
live as those who are citizens of a kingdom where swords have been
turned into ploughshares. May we be careful to show ourselves as
sons of our Heavenly Father instead of proving ourselves as sons of
Lamech and his master, Satan. Moreover, it is a non-sequitur to ex-
trapolate these rare individual circumstances to national categories
to justify what is called “just” war for the many reasons we’ve con-
sidered so far.

A Remnant and Apostates

We have followed this theme of remnants and apostates through-
out the Bible. We have seen how throughout the Old Testament,
the people of God were a small minority that was persecuted and
rejected by both those who rejected Jehovah and many who pro-
fessed to belong to Jehovah but lived in wickedness. In the days of
Noah, a single family was spared. In the days of Abraham, a sin-
gle family was called out. In the days of Elijah, only seven-thousand
Jews remained faithful to Jehovah. This theme also holds true in
the New Covenant.
Like Israel, the church is the nation of God’s covenant. Like Is-
rael it consists of a visible and invisible aspect. The invisible aspect
is those who have truly repented of their sins and trusted in Christ,
being cleansed by the Holy Spirit. The visible aspect consists of
these true believers and those who have outwardly professed repen-
tance but their hearts lack the true cleansing that makes them right
before God. These people, like the majority of Jews in the Old Tes-
tament, participate in God's elements of worship and therefore the
Holy Spirit does indeed work in them. They have both been united
274 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

to Christ in some sense and experienced the blessings of the world

to come but their hearts remain worldly (Heb 6:4-6). Like Israel
of old where many were circumcised but few were circumcised in
heart, these false professors are baptised with water but resist the
Holy Spirit and are not cleansed internally. These outward citizens
of the kingdom of God will eventually be exposed for their false
faith and worldliness on the last day. However, in the present they
continue to be a part of the visible manifestation of the kingdom of
God on earth.
There is a lot of indication in the New Testament that these
false professors will be the majority of the visible church. The Bible
often compares the New Testament era to the days of Elijah (Mal
4:5-6, Lk 1:17, Matt 17:11-13, Rev 11:3). In Romans 11:2-5,
where Paul explicitly makes this connection, he connects the seven
thousand faithful Jews in Elijah’s day to the present state of the
Church, i.e., a small faithful remnant in a sea of apostasy. It is esti-
mated that the population of Israel in Elijah’s day would have been
around 2.5 million people. This would indicate that the percentage
of true believers in Israel was less than 1% (0.28% assuming those
figures).
We can’t assume that the same percentage holds true in the
New Testament; however, the concept holds true. Jesus compares
the days of the New Testament to the days of Noah (Lk 17:26),
a time when a single family was spared. He also rhetorically asks
the question, “shall he (Christ) find faith on the earth?” (Lk 18:8),
in reference to the days preceding His coming. There will be false
prophets and false messiahs who will deceive many and even seek
to deceive the elect (Matt 24:4-5,24). This isn’t referring to those
who claim to be Christ, but those who deceive God’s people into
minding earthly things (Phil 3:19). God’s people will be hated by
all nations, not accepted by them (Matt 24:9-10). Similarly, Paul
reminds us of the prophet Isaiah and how he declared that even
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 275

though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea
only a remnant shall be saved (Rom 9:27). The writers of the New
Testament keep calling back to this remnant theme to remind their
readers why Israel rejected the Messiah.
The Book of Revelation is one of the best summaries of the
church age and it likewise paints a grim picture of the prevalence of
apostasy from Christ’s Ascension to His Second Coming. We see
the remnant theme in the letter to the seven churches. Seven is sim-
ply a number for fullness and a representation of the fullness of all
churches in the New Testament era. Among these churches, we see
that -

1. Two have kept themselves completely pure (Smyrna,

Philadelphia).
2. Two have tolerated worldliness or become worldly while
having a remnant that remains faithful (Thyatira, Sardis).
3. Two have some good qualities but have become dead
according to their affections and works. There isn’t a
faithful remnant present (Ephesus, Pergamum).
4. One is fully corrupted and ready to be cast out (Laodecia).

Again, these figures aren’t exact proportions that we need to

mathematically consider but the point is that churches will be full
of worldliness and apostasy throughout the New Testament age.
It is only two congregations that have kept themselves pure and
these are the ones that live in much persecution. The Letter is writ-
ten to the fullness of the New Testament church (i.e., all church-
es throughout the New Testament era), to compare themselves
against these template congregations, consider where they are and
repent where they need to, lest they be cast out. This theme can be
summed up in Rev 12:17, where Satan wages war against the rem-
nant who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of
Jesus Christ. A majority of conservative Protestant and Evangelical
276 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

churches in our time would fall into the third category where they
have some admirable qualities but need to largely repent of their
worldliness, tolerance and lack of genuine affections for God. It is
very rare that these congregations have any kind of faithful rem-
nant present. Sadly, most of these congregations are largely headed
towards the fourth category.
It is important to understand that these things we consider
about the kingdom of God have serious implications for Christian
living. A warped view of the Christian life, salvation and particu-
larly the kingdom of God and its ethics has led to an abundance
of false professors in the churches and exceeding worldliness in the
body of Christ. Many Christians assume that their pursuit of mid-
dle-class stability and respectability is a Christian virtue, forgetting
the harsh condemnations of congregations that had become world-
ly, tolerant and respectable.
Many churches tolerate divorce and remarriage, which the
New Testament calls adultery[32]. Many tolerate secular psycholo-
gy as something that improves upon what the Bible offers. Many
tolerate feminism, a rejection of the Biblical order and the New
Testament commandment that women seek to be keepers of the
home. Many tolerate patriotism and nationalism, which is harlotry
against the covenant with God. Many tolerate living by the sword,
abandoning the ethics of Christ’s kingdom. Many have a low view
of sin and congregations are full of men and women who are con-
sumed with pornography, romance novels and movies, mixed danc-
ing, over-indulgence in worldly entertainments, etc. Many have
never felt the true conviction of the extent of their sin caused by
the Holy Spirit and thus continue to tolerate what they think are
“minor” sins or simply don’t feel convicted that these things are
sins at all. The charge of “legalism” flies quickly but self-examina-
tion is rare. Even among rather conservative congregations, toler-
ance for feminism, divorce, secular psychology, patriotism, etc. is
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 277

quite prevalent. This is why these congregations are quite akin to

Thyatira and Sardis. They cannot be completely written off. How-
ever, they will be cast out unless they repent.
Many churches have rejected God ordained simple spiritual
worship and replaced it with innovations that God did not com-
mand. They are more excited about holy days like Christmas and
Easter that have no basis in the Scriptures than gathering with
God’s people on the Lord’s Day. They are more excited about shows
with instruments and candles than simple God ordained worship.
Elders seldom preach against the prevalent sins in their congrega-
tion. Christian liberty has become a byword for tolerance of all
kinds of evil and worldliness. Elders often enforce things that God
never ordained while refusing to enforce that which God did in-
deed ordain.
Sadly, many Christians are not taught to be discerning. They do
not seek to Prove all things and hold fast that which is good (1 Thess
5:21). Instead, they are taught to trust their elders, many of whom
have themselves become compromised, worldly and tolerant. This
also ignores the reality of the New Testament warnings to take heed
that no man deceive you, for many will come in Christ’s name to
deceive (Matt 24:4-5). Paul warns the elders at Ephesus that at his
departure they would be infested by wolves from within and with-
out that would seek to wreak havoc in the assembly and deceive
many (Acts 20:28-30). John warns of how many false prophets are
gone out into the world (1 John 4:1). These are those who are ac-
cepted or respectable before the world (1 John 4:4-6). Peter warns
of the prevalence of these false prophets in the assemblies by com-
paring our days to Old Testament times when again, the remnant
was small and the influence of false prophets abounded (2 Pet 2).
Likewise, Christ warns His disciples of the ever-present danger of
false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ravening wolves (Matt 7:15). Note, the deceptive nature of these
278 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

deceivers. They come not as wolves but as sheep. Therefore, those

who lack discernment will easily be swayed by their deceptions.
It is with this in mind that we read that Satan himself is trans-
formed into an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). We are told that we
ought not to be surprised then if his ministers also be transformed
as the ministers of righteousness (2 Cor 11:15). Deceivers do not
appear as wolves or wicked men; this is why they deceive. Many
Christians wrongly believe that these passages are exclusively talk-
ing about the charlatans prevalent in Charismatic circles, particu-
larly among the New Apostolic Reformation. While they certainly
are in this category, they are visibly deceptive. Any Christian with
an ounce of discernment can see how wicked their agenda is. How-
ever, these individuals that the apostles and Christ warn about are
distorters of the truth that manifest as children of light. Often, they
deceive themselves and believe their own distortions. Their lives
seem upright and their beliefs seem orthodox in every way. Yet, if
one closely observes them, their fruits are evident in their tolerance
for things that God rejects or doesn’t command.
Indeed, the state of the Church is dire. As Christ says, His peo-
ple will be separated from the company of others for Christ’s sake
(Lk 6:22). Christ was speaking to a largely Jewish audience who
wouldn’t generally interact with Gentiles. Thus, Christ was primar-
ily teaching His people that they would be rejected even by the
churches, which will be full of apostates. This is established in Lk
6:26 where Christ speaks of how apostate Israel spoke well of false
prophets while rejecting God’s prophets. However, the Christian
can take hope because we are promised that when we suffer like
Christ, outside the camp, He will honour His people. Moreover,
His return to avenge His people is at hand. Fear not, little flock; for
it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Lk 12:32).
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 279

A Typological Judgement
Just as the Great Flood in Noah’s day and the destruction of the
Canaanites were typological of the ultimate judgement that will
one day fall upon humanity, the New Testament reminds us of how
this age itself is typological of the judgement that is to come. Many
Christians ignore the implications of the New Testament by either
writing off most of it as being pertinent to the Church prior to 70
AD or the Church that will exist in a future period of great per-
secution. However, the New Testament writings are descriptive of
the whole Church age. 70 AD was merely typical of this age and
what is to come when the Lord returns to judge the world.
In the destruction of the temple, we see a typical Day of the
Lord, an intrusion of the final day of wrath in space-time. Remem-
ber that heaven is beyond space-time. When Christ ascended in-
to heaven, the destruction of this present world was already pro-
claimed but it is yet to become a reality in space-time. The destruc-
tion of the Jewish temple was one of the most cataclysmic outpour-
ings of this Day of the Lord before its time. It is a reminder of the
judgements that will fall upon those who reject Christ in this age,
culminating in Christ’s return.
 Chapter 13:
Understanding the
Great Commission

N o discussion of the Redemptive Kingdom can be undertaken

without a discussion on the Great Commission. It is one of,
if not the most appealed to passages in the New Testament by those
who hold to a Dominionist persuasion. This is particularly perti-
nent given what we have read about holy war.
We read about the Great Commission in Matt 28:18-20, where
Christ says -
“18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is giv-
en unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have com-
manded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the
world. Amen.”
The Dominionist (particularly Postmillennial) reading of the
Text goes like this - Since Christ has been given all authority, Satan
has been divested of all his authority. Therefore, it is the duty of the
church to invade his kingdom and establish itself over the earth.
Christ’s statement that His kingdom is not of the earth refers to its
origins in heaven and not to its purpose in this age. Since the Great
Commission calls for the Church to teach all nations to observe all
of God’s commandments, one of the ends of the proclamation of
280
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 281

the Gospel is the transformation of societies and establishment of

righteous laws. On the surface this sounds like a coherent under-
standing of the passage. Yet, this departs from the themes and mo-
tifs that have already been revealed in the Old Testament and are
further revealed in the New Testament.

The New Testament and the Governing

Authorities
The chief end of the Dominionist understanding of the Great
Commission is the transformation of this present world. Now of
course, the Dominionist would state that his hope is not in the
transformation of the world but in Christ’s reign which brings
about the transformation. This is just a matter of semantics and the
Biblical picture is very different. Paul’s teaching in Titus 2 well ex-
plains the hope of the Great Commission. He mentions that the
grace of God has appeared to all men (Tit 2:11). This is the first
aspect of the Great Commission, i.e., going out to bear witness of
the Gospel. Then, he mentions how the grace of God teaches us to
deny all forms of worldliness and live righteously (Tit 2:12). This is
the second part of the Great Commission, i.e., to teach all nations.
Yet, according to Paul, the chief end of this transformation is not in
this present age, rather the transformed Christian awaits the com-
ing of Christ, His blessed hope (Tit 2:13). This is because God’s
purpose of redemption is for people made in God’s image, not the
cultures and institutions of this present world that have developed
in sin (Tit 2:14).
He concludes the section by encouraging Titus to speak and
rebuke with all authority, hearkening back to Christ’s claim of au-
thority in Matt 28:18. Hence, we read in John 3:16 - “For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be-
lieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God’s love
282 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

for the created order (kosma or world) is manifested in the outpour-

ing of His mercy towards people - the sons of Adam. Rather than
transforming the created order as such, He is specifically transform-
ing His people so that they will inherit the world to come.
The return of Christ therefore is the fulcrum of Biblical
prophecy. It is that return that separates the already from the not-
yet. It is true that the Christian looks forward to both judging an-
gels (1 Cor 6:3) and ruling (2 Tim 2:12). Yet, we do neither in this
present age. Rather, we image our Saviour by suffering as He did.
We accept persecutions and sufferings and look forward to His re-
turn. When He returns, we know that He will renew all things and
we will reign with Him.
Since the transformation of this present world to various de-
grees is a key goal of Dominionism, its adherents consider influ-
encing the governing authorities to be an important part of the
Church’s witness. Hence, they appeal to several passages of Scrip-
ture to support their goals. These passages are often in the Old
Testament and involve a flawed hermeneutic of reading covenantal
statements outside of their context, applying what was meant for
Israel to modern nation states. The New Testament on the other
hand doesn’t provide any support for their tendencies so their ap-
peals to it tends to be quite limited.
One New Testament passage in particular that is of interest is 1
Tim 2:1-4 -
“1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, inter-
cessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowl-
edge of the truth.”
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 283

Are we to conclude from this passage that God desires Christ-

ian authorities in the nations? When these 4 verses are read with-
out context, the argument can certainly be made. However, if one
has read the New Testament leading up to Paul’s letter to Timothy,
one would be hard pressed to conclude that an appeal to this pas-
sage is anything but a reading into it of Dominionist assumptions.
There are two flows of thought in the passage. First, Paul is con-
cerned about prayers being made for all men in general. Second, he
is concerned about prayers being specifically made for those in au-
thority. Note that Paul presupposes that Christians will be living a
detached life not concerned with the affairs of this world in v2. The
prayer for kings and those in authority is in the hope that they will
leave us alone to live quiet lives. There is no hope in that prayer that
the governing authorities will enforce righteousness on the masses,
just that they will leave the Christian alone to pursue otherworldli-
ness.
Paul then completes his train of thought that God desires all
kinds of men to be saved (v4). This prayer is not specifically for
the transformation of the system. If anything, it militates against
the idea that since the rulers are pagan, Christians should refuse to
submit to them or pray for them as some schools of Dominionism
would argue. Paul is reaffirming the example from Old Testament
exile when the Israelites prayed for Babylon. Yet, there was never
a hope for the transformation of Babylon into Zion. What Paul is
saying is that though all kinds of men are evil, especially kings and
those in authority, God is able to save even people like that.
The Dominionist will now ask if it doesn’t logically follow that
the conversion of a ruler leads to his desire to enforce righteousness
in the realm of his rule. This is begging the question. The Jews were
to always be faithful to God, even in Babylon. Yet it would be a pro-
fane thing for Babylon to be transformed into Zion. Indeed, such a
thing was not possible. The Dominionists presume that those who
284 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

oppose their view wouldn’t know what to do should their prayers

be answered and a ruler turn to faith in Christ. Firstly, the sub-
stance of our prayers are different from that of the Dominionist.
We pray that the governing authorities might leave us alone, not
that they would coerce others into obedience. Secondly, principled
opposition to Dominionism recognizes that God can indeed save
those who serve as governing authorities. Yet, the outcome of such
a conversion would not be what the Dominionist expects.
Biblically, if a ruler were to turn to faith in Christ, he would
come under the same ethical imperatives that govern every Christ-
ian. The sermon on the mount is a good summation of these ethics
for the New Testament Church. Romans 12 is another good exam-
ple. These ethics as we have seen are not based on retribution but
mercy - they teach the Christian to not resist evil. Thus, the Chris-
tian who is now in a position of authority is put in a difficult spot -
he can no longer be an avenger but is to wait on God for vengeance
(Rom 12:19), he is to turn the other cheek (Matt 5:39) and he can-
not recompense any man evil for evil (Rom 12:17). This makes it
rather difficult to become the ideal “Christian” ruler that a lot of
Dominionists are hoping for.
We have examples from church tradition which although are
not authoritative are a good guide to help us understand how the
early Christians thought about these things. Sergius Paulus, the
proconsul of Cyprus became a Christian under the preaching of
Paul (Acts 13). Tradition states that he left his governorship and
followed Paul all the way to Spain, eventually becoming an elder in
a church in Southern France. Similarly, tradition states that Cor-
nelius left his authoritative position in the Roman system and mil-
itary to become an elder in either Caesarea or Skepsis. Whether
these traditional accounts are true or not, I do not know, but they
do tell us that early Christianity was quite opposed to having a
Christian governing authority. Their ethos would not lead them
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 285

to idealise a “Christian-soldier” or a “Christian-ruler.” Rather they

idealised the abandonment of soldiery and governing authority as
the outworking of their ethos. In their thought, a Christian could
not resist evil, be an avenger or seek power in the world system[33].
How does this tie into what Paul teaches in Romans 13? We
must not let the artificially inserted chapter divisions influence our
exegesis. Paul is engaged in a flow of thought that goes through
chapters 12 and 13. There is a juxtaposition of the conduct re-
quired of the Christian (Rom 12) placed against the means used in
the Providential governance of the material order (Rom 13). The
Christian overcomes evil with good (Rom 12:21) whereas the gov-
erning authorities overcome evil with the sword and terror (Rom
13:4). In other words, the governing authorities by definition can-
not be Christian. The means used by the governing authorities to
overcome evil is the antithesis of how a Christian overcomes evil.
Even though the governing authorities don’t operate under the
principles of the kingdom of God, they serve a providential pur-
pose - to promote good and avenge evil (Rom 13:3). Yet this good
they promote and evil they avenge is common and not holy or
covenantal. What this means is that God providentially uses the
state to restrain the evil of sinful men and promote good, but this
isn’t according to the ethics of the kingdom of God because the
governing authorities are outside that kingdom, serving the general
good of this present world. The general good of this present world
is to restrain sin and provide a place for the church to perform its
kingdom duties whereas covenantal good is holiness, righteousness
and peace, wrought by the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17).
In the Old Testament, God calls Cyrus, the Persian Emperor,
his anointed (Isa 45:1), i.e., he was set apart by God for His purpos-
es. We read that God gave Nebuchadnezzar the kingdom of Egypt
as a reward for serving Him (Ezek 29:20). Similarly, we read that
Assyria was the rod of God’s anger (Isa 10:5). Note the similarities
286 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

between that and Rom 13:4. These examples show that God us-
es governing authorities of the world to establish His purposes in
human history. However, recollect that Daniel describes the Baby-
lonian and Medo-Persian Empires as bestial entities that stand in
opposition to the kingdom of God. We must accept this tension
rather than seeking to rationalise it away. On the one hand, govern-
ing authorities serve a positive role in restraining evil and encourag-
ing the common good and therefore are ministers of God. On the
other hand, they are still part of the kingdom of this world and ser-
vants of the elohim who rule the nations.
These empires and their rulers being called “anointed” or “min-
isters” doesn’t indicate that God is sanctioning their actions, agen-
das or declaring them holy. The case of Assyria is a good example
of this. Assyria had its own agenda it was pursuing (Isa 10:13-15).
Its rulers engaged in violence for their own desires and aggrandis-
ement. Therefore, their ultimate end is to suffer judgement at the
hands of God (Isa 10:12). Their Providential work as God’s ser-
vants doesn’t spare them from judgement for the very things God
ordained for them to do. This is a very important point. God was
judging Assyria for the very service He ordained for them. They
were God’s servants of vengeance against many other kingdoms
of those times but ultimately, they too would be judged for the
vengeful acts they committed. Even though they restrained sin and
brought judgement, they aren’t holy and therefore their actions can
never be redeemed. Ultimately the violence with which they en-
forced God’s Providential rule will be turned on them.
There are many that have wrongly understood the State’s role
as being divine. Just because the State’s role is divinely ordained,
doesn’t mean it performs a holy or covenantal task. God has even
ordained Satan to rule the present world along with the elohim.
This doesn’t mean that they are holy or good. This is the same for
the governing authorities. They cannot be within God’s covenant
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 287

and operate according to the ethics of the fallen world. Even more
so they are given over to their own agendas and pride, guided by
the elohim that rule over them. The citizens of the kingdom of God
do not participate in the service of the governing authorities or the
military. To serve in those capacities is to renounce one’s allegiance
to God’s kingdom and swear allegiance to the elohim.
This is why the distinction between Romans 12 and Romans
13 is essential to understand. Paul is saying that the ethics by which
the governing authorities operate, even the ethics by which they
perform God’s work are contrary to the kingdom ethics God’s peo-
ple are called to live by. To become a ruler of Romans 13, even
the good ruler, the Christian must abandon the ethics called for in
Romans 12 and the sermon on the mount, which would be tan-
tamount to rejecting the faith itself. To be a ruler is to be a terror
to evil, an avenger, a bearer of the sword and an executor of wrath
(Rom 13:3-4). To be a Christian on the other hand is not to rec-
ompense evil for evil, live peaceably with all men, not be an avenger
and to overcome evil with good (Rom 12:17-21).
The governing authorities cannot be Christian as according to
the language of Rom 12:17, they respond to evil with evil - sword
for sword, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. While God will indeed
judge the world accordingly in purity, the Christian humbly waits
on the Lord for this vengeance rather than taking it upon himself
(Rom 12:19). Simply put, only someone with absolute purity can
punish evil with violence and not be consumed by evil themselves.
This is why only God can be a pure avenger, not man. This is why
judgement is committed to the Most High while we as Christians
already live in the heavenly kingdom where judgement has been ac-
complished and God’s people live in righteousness, peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit.
This is also why Romans 13 doesn’t call for Christians to agitate
for or work towards the establishment of ideal governments based
288 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

on our covenantal understanding of what is good and evil. The only

call to action is Rom 13:5, which calls the Christian to submit
rather than rebel against authorities. This is because it is God who
Providentially ordains every authority (Rom 13:1), both good and
evil, both material and celestial. Rebelling against the governing au-
thorities therefore is a rebellion against God’s Providential order
and an attempt to usurp authority that He has established. It is a
transgression of the divinely ordained material and celestial order.
Romans 13 isn’t calling for Christians to rebel when an ideal
government doesn’t exist. It was written during the reign of Nero,
the proverbial evil ruler. Rather it is establishing the principle that
God uses Absolute Monarchies, Republics, Dictatorships,
Caliphates, Feudal Orders or anything in between to restrain sin
and encourage the common good. Thus, we ought to be thankful
for the governing authorities, but we cannot join with them in their
providential ministry for to do so would be to abandon the ethics
of the kingdom of God.

The Success of the Great Commission

So how does all this tie into the Great Commission itself ? One
of the major talking points of Dominionism is the success of the
Great Commission. Their argument goes that since Christ has tri-
umphed over His enemies and we know that all the promises are
fulfilled in Christ, the Great Commission must be successful. The
statement itself is true but the question must be asked - how is suc-
cess defined? Answering that question is key because success itself is
a vague term. Consider the example of a corporation. Its leadership
might determine that success is increasing its revenues by 10% over
the year. Now that the leadership has set a clear target, at the end of
the year one can gauge their success. If they increased their revenue
by 9%, they have failed and if they increased it by 10.5% or 12% or
100%, they have succeeded. The point being that the clear metric
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 289

set by the leadership on what success is, defines it. In the same way
when we speak of fulfilment of Biblical prophecies and therefore
the success of the Great Commission, we ought to consider them
through the lens of Christ and the apostles. What did they consid-
er as success?
The Commission is about the preaching of the Gospel first and
foremost (Mk 16:15). In our modern context, we tend to think of
preaching as being something that happens in Church or to lead
others to repentance. While we do desire that many repent, preach-
ing itself is just a proclamation of something. Thus, when Christ
commands His disciples to preach the Gospel, He is tasking them
with proclaiming that He has been victorious over the gods of the
nations.
Therefore, the Great Commission is already successful since
the Gospel of the kingdom has gone out to every nation. Remem-
ber, that the table of nations in Genesis consists of seventy nations.
Every nation-state or ethnic group that we see today is a derivation
of that original set. We are not to number nations according to
the various nation states and tribal groupings that have developed
throughout world history. Rather, in Biblical language there are
seventy nations. The Great Commission is about the good news
that Christ’s spiritual kingdom will extend to all these nations and
it already does.
From a historical perspective one could argue that there was
a rapid spread of the Gospel during the days of the apostles and
the seventy nations either received the Gospel during the days of
the apostles or soon after. A study of Church history shows us that
the apostles reached the ends of the known world in their time.
Thomas preached in China and later died in India. Through the
Ethiopian eunuch, the Gospel was taken to Africa. One could now
ask - what about the native Americans or the Pacific islanders or
other scattered ethnicities? The apostles would have never inter-
290 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

preted the Old Testament promises in a hyper-literal sense - in that

they would have never considered every “people, nation and tribe”
to mean every single ethnic entity that comes into being or goes
extinct in world history. Rather, that the spread of the Gospel will
affect all seventy nations, no longer being restricted to Abraham's
physical children.
In fact, the New Testament itself shows us that the apostles
thought this way. Paul declares that the gospel was preached to every
creature which is under heaven (Col 1:23). Note how in Paul’s mind
this is already in the past tense. This is very similar to Mark’s read-
ing of the Great Commission where Christ commands His people
to preach the gospel to every creature (Mk 16:15). Considering Paul
uses Jew-Gentile reconciliation language in v21, he sees the fulfil-
ment of the Great Commission in the reconciliation of the nations
in Christ.
Paul teaches the Athenians that in the past, God overlooked
the ignorance of men outside the boundaries of His earthly territo-
ry. However, He now commands men throughout the world, even
those who live in the territories of the gods of the nations to repent
(Acts 17:30). Since Christ is victorious and has made a public spec-
tacle of the gods, the kingdom of God will go throughout the world
and plunder the gods of their possessions – mankind that they have
placed in bondage.
Similarly, Christ proclaims that the end will come after the
Gospel has been preached to all the world as a witness (Matt 24:14,
Mk 13:10). This is in the same section that speaks about the state
of the last stage of world history. As we have seen earlier, this is a
prophecy about the church age as a whole being typologically ful-
filled in the events leading up to the destruction of the temple in
AD 70, with the destruction itself being typological of God’s final
day of judgement. In fact, the book of Acts is a testimony of the
success of the Great Commission. What begins as a little sect in
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 291

Jerusalem has spread to the entire known world, drawing in people

from all nations and is knocking at the emperor’s door by the end.
The emperor is unable to do anything to stop its success.
This theme is especially pertinent to understand given that Do-
minionists often use the Great Commission’s mandate to teach all
nations as referring to the need to transform and disciple national
and political entities. The argument is that just like Israel was the
nation of God in the Old Testament, the Great Commission calls
for each nation today to be discipled and influenced by Christian-
ity. This is a complete misunderstanding of what the commission
is about. The mandate to teach all nations is fulfilled when house-
holds from the nations are brought into the holy nation of God -
His Church. These households then operate within the holy nation
according to the teachings of Christ and the apostles. This is how
the nations are discipled, not by the transformation of ethno-po-
litical entities. In other words, it’s not the elohim realms or nations
that are being redeemed but households. The gods and their realms
are marked for judgement and destruction but those who renounce
the gods and swear allegiance to Christ will join His holy nation
and be spared.
The Bible clearly teaches us that the kingdom of God cannot be
observed (Lk 17:20). Christ makes it plain that one must be born
again to see the kingdom ( John 3:3). This makes it evident that the
success of the Great Commission and by extension the kingdom of
God is not something that can be observed physically. One needs
eyes of faith to perceive the kingdom of God and therefore to ob-
serve the success of the Great Commission. If this is the case, it fol-
lows that the success of the Great Commission is certainly not in
the large-scale repentance or increasing Christian influence in na-
tional entities or ethnic groups.
The success of the Great Commission instead is viewed
through the lens of a seemingly small and insignificant but perse-
292 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

vering Church. Christ promises that the gates of hell (Hades) shall
not prevail against His Church (Matt 16:18). Dominionists have
recently twisted this verse by trying to make the Church’s role of-
fensive rather than defensive. Their argument goes that since gates
are defensive and we are told that the gates of hell will not prevail,
the Church is on the offensive and is seeking to storm the gates of
hell. Apart from the fact that this explanation has no credibility in
the history of the Church, it simply neglects the Text itself.
Remember, in the Bible Satan is always associated with death
and Hades is the realm of the dead. While this is a specific place
in the cosmic order, the corrupting influence of that netherworld
has permeated the whole material order. Creation itself is given
to death and decay (Rom 8:20-21). Therefore the gates of Hades
refers to this present world which is under the sway of Satan (1
John 5:19). Christ is promising that the corrupting influence of the
world will not consume His Church. There’s also a deeper implica-
tion here. Since Christ has already conquered death[34], the Chris-
tian will no longer go to Hades. To be absent from the body is to
be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). Unlike the Old Testament
saints, the Christian who dies no longer has to wait in that realm of
the dead. Christ has already harrowed Hades.
This is why the New Testament places such a premium on en-
during till the end (Matt 10:22, Matt 24:13, Mk 13:13, Rom 5:3-4,
2 Tim 2:12, Heb 10:35-39, Heb 11:27, Jam 5:7-11) and not be-
ing consumed by this present world (Rom 12:12, Eph 2:2, Col 3:2,
Jam 4:4, 1 John 2:15). In enduring and rejecting the present world,
the Christian and thus the Church shows that the dominion of hell
cannot subsume them. This is in line with what we have considered
given the apostolic interpretation of the Old Testament promises.
We saw that the apostles in Jerusalem saw Amos 9:12 as being ful-
filled in the Church. Therefore, when God preserves a faithful rem-
nant of His people who endure through trials and persecutions and
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 293

are not assimilated by the world, the Great Commission has indeed
succeeded.
One of the clearest New Testament indications of the success
of the Great Commission is in Revelation 22:10-12 -
“10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of
this book: for the time is at hand.
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is
filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be
righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give
every man according as his work shall be.”
John received the Revelation in around 90 AD during the era
of emperor Domitian. This was a time of great persecution of the
Church throughout the Roman Empire and the end of the apos-
tolic era - John being the last apostle alive. In this vision, John is
notified that the time of the things revealed to him are at hand. As
we have seen before this would be indicative of Biblical imminence
language which doesn’t necessitate soonness by human standards
but an attitude of living as if these things are at the very brink. Con-
sidering these realities, the reader is told that generally speaking
those who are wicked will remain wicked and those who are right-
eous will remain righteous. This is concluded with a promise that
Christ will return soon and reward every man according to their
works.
In other words, Revelation assumes that the Great Commis-
sion is largely fulfilled and in the rest of the Church age till the
return of Christ, things will largely remain as they are - i.e., the
wicked will remain wicked and the righteous will remain righteous
or that very few people will actually turn from darkness to light.
This is in line with Christ’s teaching that the way to eternal life is
narrow and will be found only by few (Matt 7:13-14).
294 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

This Biblical expectation that presupposes very few conver-

sions means re-examining forms of missiology that are popular in
Evangelicalism today. Many Christians largely embrace the missi-
ology of men like William Carey who is called the father of world
missions. Many are not aware that Carey was a staunch Postmillen-
nialist and therefore viewed the success of the Great Commission
quite differently from what the New Testament reveals. To him, the
success of the Great Commission meant large-scale Christian influ-
ence in national entities through large-scale revivals leading to so-
cial justice and transformation of societies. These expectations con-
tradict both the explicit teachings of the New Testament and the
reality that the Great Commission itself has been largely fulfilled
in the apostolic age.
This modern missiology leads to an emphasis of doing some-
thing great and having an impact on society. The pursuit of goals
and emphases that God hasn’t commanded often coincides with
a neglect of the things that He has commanded. Therefore, many
Christians ignore the ordinary means God has ordained for the ex-
pansion of His kingdom. These ordinary means have not changed
from Eden to our present days. This is through the basic unit of
the household where a man leaves his father and mother becomes
one with his wife and they raise their children in the fear and ad-
monition of the Lord. In doing this they are making disciples of
the nations by teaching their children to be imagers of the invisible
God. This is why Paul calls Christians to make it their ambition to
lead a quiet life (1 Thes 4:11-12). This quiet life of keeping to our-
selves, working with our hands and being found faithful is antithe-
sis of the spirit of modern missions and yet when ordinary house-
holds live faithful lives and gather together with other households,
worshipping God and proclaiming the coming end of the age, the
Great Commission has already succeeded.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 295

Dangers of Triumphalism
The Dominionist view of the Great Commission is dangerous be-
cause it confuses the boundaries between God’s kingdom and His
providential governance of the cosmos. In eschatological terms, the
gods of the nations have already been judged and their kingdoms
are marked for destruction. Yet, in terms of the present created or-
der they still possess rank. Peter asserts that even angels don’t ac-
cuse these elohim or dignities before God (2 Pet 2:10-11). Jude il-
lustrates this further by showing that Michael the archangel didn’t
dare bring an accusation against Satan, even while he disputed with
him ( Jud 9).
In the mind of Peter and Jude and therefore the New Tes-
tament, the eschatological judgement of the gods of the nations
hasn’t yet resulted in them being stripped of their dominion. Christ
has made a public spectacle of them and proclaimed their final
judgement. However, the New Testament warns its readers that
this doesn’t mean that they are being replaced in the framework of
this present cosmos. This means that as far as this cosmos is con-
cerned, God has allowed the elohim to continue their rule for a
time, even as His kingdom manifests itself in their midst. This is
the already not-yet concept of the kingdom. Christ must rule in the
midst of His enemies.
The Church is not seeking to claim earthly territory from the
gods, nor is it tasked with toppling them from their thrones. In-
stead, she awaits the day of Christ’s wrath. To take up carnal means
and portray it as engaging in kingdom work is to be in rebellion
against God – who has ordained the powers that be in the material
and celestial realms. Those who use the reality of our warfare in the
spiritual realm to encourage Christians to participate in the politics
of this world, activism, transformation of this present world and to
stir up agitation against the powers that be, have completely misun-
296 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

derstood the nature of God’s kingdom and they lead many to perdi-
tion.
There has always been a temptation for Christians to view the
Bible through the lens of Judaism which views the Messianic
prophecies as promising victory in the present age. As we have seen
in Paul’s discourse in Gal 4:8, this Judaized lens is prone to syncret-
ic influence of paganism. This is particularly true of the influence of
more sophisticated and philosophical forms of paganism that orig-
inated in the Greco-Roman world. The early church was infiltrat-
ed by this thinking and the apostles frequently wrote against them.
For instance, Jude’s illustration of Michael’s humility in not dar-
ing to accuse Satan is contrasted with men of certain movements
who speak evil of the elohim or dignities ( Jud 8). These movements
tempt the Church with promises of earthly victory or a transforma-
tion of this present age. Even while using some Biblical language,
they read the New Testament through the lens of the Old and their
Judaized hermeneutic causes them to promise the church tempo-
ral victory and gain in contrast to what we are taught by the apos-
tles. Ultimately, their Judaized hermeneutic leads to a mindset of
pragmatism and worldly gain that supplants the New Testament
calls towards perseverance (Heb 3:14, Matt 10:22, Jam 1:2-4, Matt
24:13, Rev 2:10, Rev 2:19, Rev 14:12, Heb 10:36, Rom 2:7, Heb
12:1, Jam 1:12, Rom 5:3-5, Gal 6:9, Phil 3:13-14) and faithful-
ly awaiting the return of Christ (Phil 3:20, 1 Cor 1:7, Tit 2:13, 1
Thess 1:10, Jud 21, Rom 8:23, 2 Pet 3:12, Luk 12:36).
What Peter and Jude are warning against is the seed form of
a movement called Triumphalism. Triumphalists argued that since
Christ had made a public spectacle of the celestial powers of this
world at the cross, it was legitimate to work towards toppling the
earthly power of those gods and replacing them with “Christian”
alternatives. According to Peter and Jude these men are so evil
and presumptuous that they dare accuse celestial rulers appointed
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 297

by God when even angels won’t (2 Pet 2:10-11, Jud 9-10). These
false teachers are known for their use of pompous language (2 Pet
2:18a). They loved mocking their opponents and being presumptu-
ous of temporal victories.
These men have adopted the ways of Balaam who loved money
(2 Pet 2:15). Money is always tied to influence and power. Hence,
these men while claiming to love the Kingdom of God, desire
wealth and influence in the world. This should be evident in the
abundant pursuit of middle-class stability and respectability in
Evangelical circles. They allure with promises of earthly gain (2 Pet
2:18b), promising that godliness leads to temporal gain (1 Tim
6:5). They tickle the ears of their listeners by validating natural
man’s lust for money, comforts, earthly influence and prestige.
These false teachers promise liberty but are themselves in bondage
(2 Pet 2:19). Specifically, they are in bondage because even after re-
ceiving deliverance from this present world, they willingly entangle
themselves in its affairs (2 Pet 2:20). Living a life disentangled from
the affairs of this world is a Biblical expectation for the Christian
(2 Tim 2:4). Like Korah, they have rebelled against the authorities
God has placed over this present world and like Cain they have be-
trayed their brothers by loving the world ( Jud 11).
Triumphalism was simply the seed form of what we can call
Dominionism today. While this notion of replacing the celestial
hierarchies might sounds strange to Protestant ears, this is an un-
dergirding theology in many apostate denominations even today,
particularly Eastern Orthodoxy but also Roman Catholicism. In
their worldview, the saints and angels in the divine council are
slowly replacing the gods, starting at Christ’s resurrection. There-
fore, in their view, the spread of the gospel and the “Christianizing”
of the nations corresponds to the dethronement of the gods and el-
emental spirits from those nations.
298 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

This is where they get the idea of patron saints and angels who
are associated with families, individuals, nations, cities, professions
etc. According to them, these patrons have replaced the former
gods and spirits who once ruled over those categories. Therefore, in
their theology it is legitimate to work towards toppling the earth-
ly power of the elohim to see them replaced by patron saints and
angels. Triumphalism in the early church developed into the Ro-
man Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy that we know of today. It
was present in seed form in the New Testament era but became the
dominant strain after Constantine.
The only difference between this and Protestant forms of Do-
minionism is that the Protestant forms tend to be materialistic.
In the post-Enlightenment worldview of modern Christianity, the
deep cosmology of the Bible has been lost. Therefore, Protestant
and Evangelical Dominionism tends to focus on the earthly realm.
While blind to the celestial allotments, their ambitions are the
same. In promoting earthly rulers who help them achieve their
goals and seeking to influence all aspects of culture with a “Chris-
tian worldview”, they are attempting to replace or subdue fallen
angels to build an earthly kingdom whether they realise it or not.
They might use all kinds of spiritual language to justify their goals,
but they refuse the pilgrim calling of the New Testament and fail
to submit to the rule of Providence by which the powers that be are
established (Rom 13:1). Moreover, they are truly treading on dan-
gerous territory by waging carnal warfare against powerful celestial
spirits.
It is important to note that Dominionism takes various forms.
While Postmillennialism is one of its most overt forms, the average
Evangelical has usually embraced some form of Dominionism and
desires to see the nation or empire he lives in come under the in-
fluence of Christianity. Often the Dominionism pushed by such
non-Postmillennial factions tends to be a softer form whereby they
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 299

seek to influence their nation according to the Ten Command-

ments or “Natural Law”. They appeal to one’s concern for the state
of the world or of a country. A lot of the pull towards Dominion-
ism is because the New Testament alternative seemed too spiritual
or “pietistic.” The flesh delights in investing itself in the present age
and Dominionism tickles their ears to make them feel better about
their worldliness and desire for justice and vengeance in the present
world.
The logic of this Soft-Dominionism is rather subtle. We are
told that love for family, community and nation are natural. It fol-
lows that the Christian must pursue justice and common good in
civil society. Therefore, the Christian must seek to engage in a na-
tion’s political process and see God’s moral law (usually a reference
to the Ten Commandments) reflected in society as much as possi-
ble. Thus, they would argue that Christians ought to influence the
State to preserve life, marriage, family, property, etc. These are pre-
suppositions simply absent from the Bible. This rejection of Bibli-
cal truth and attempts to enforce covenant norms outside covenant
boundaries seduces the church into various distractions that God
simply didn’t command His people to pursue. It places them in se-
rious peril as they are waging warfare against celestial beings in a
realm that Christ hasn’t chosen to redeem. The cursed realms of
the gods are to be destroyed, not conquered and redeemed. Such
distractions end up destroying the antithesis between God’s peo-
ple and the world. Rather than the world becoming more like the
church, the church becomes more like the world.
It is blasphemous to have God’s law applied to nations that are
under the domain of the gods of the nations. The territorial al-
lotments of the elohim are by Divine appointment. Disregarding
their rule and seeking political or social change, even for seemingly
righteous goals of pursuing justice is rebellion against God. As
Psalm 82 describes, the elohim will be judged by Jehovah for their
300 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

perversion of justice. This is not through Christians influencing the

city of man. Attempting to influence the city of man only ends up
making those who engage in such projects, tools at the hands of the
elohim. It opens them to facing the wrath of these beings by oppos-
ing them outside the protection of Christ’s holy realm.
The promises of Dominionists are shallow. As Paul points out
not only are these men who seduce the faithful, deceivers - they are
themselves deceived (2 Tim 3:13). These are people who truly be-
lieve the lies that they teach. They genuinely believe that they are
serving God by gaining influence in the world, meddling in poli-
tics and the affairs of the nations in which they live. They teach a
form of godliness that lacks power (2 Tim 3:5). What this means
is that their teachings look godly. It is exposed by its affirmation of
this present world and resistance to God ordained authorities. In
rejecting the path of sufferings that define the very Christian reli-
gion and promising earthly gain, they seduce the faithful (2 Tim
3:10-13). This means that Christians ought to be discerning not to
be deceived by the seemingly “wise” words (worldly wisdom) spo-
ken by such individuals and the sophistries by which they seek to
justify their desire to gain influence in the world and its systems.
This worldly quest often leads to an elevation of pragmatism
and consequentialism. The end justifies the means so supporting a
certain partisan faction to achieve a supposedly Biblical goal is jus-
tified even if said faction is deeply flawed and has many evils. They
deceive themselves into believing that they can use certain political
parties, politicians, rulers, systems or institutions to achieve their
supposedly Biblical goals of justice in societies of the world. How-
ever, in the end those very systems they seek to use as tools swallow
them up.
This is an embodiment the imagery of Revelation 17 where we
see a whore dressed in scarlet seated on the beast. This whore rep-
resents false Christianity which has abandoned the ethics of God’s
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 301

kingdom for the love of power, money and influence. The beast
represents the power of the State through its celestial patron. The
false church takes the reins as it were of the State and persecutes the
true Church which remains faithful to kingdom ethics and rejects
the lure of power and money (Rev 17:6).
This is simply that same Babel impulse that we have seen earlier
– humanity colluding the gods of this world to build an earthly
holy mountain. Fallen angels are cunning and will gladly accept this
syncretistic Christianity as a tool to strengthen their dominion be-
fore their final judgement. They rejoice in this outward form of
godliness that lacks power.
Christ reminds His disciples that this present age will be
plagued with an abundance of false christs and false prophets
(Matt 24:24). We tend to think of this in hyper-literal terms – i.e.,
actual humans pretending to be Christ. Is that what Christ is talk-
ing about? According to Jesus, these deceivers will be so sophis-
ticated with their signs and wonders that, if possible, they would
even deceive the elect. Now if someone claimed to be Jesus in some
random corner of the world, it’s rather unlikely that any serious
Christian would be deceived. At most, such deceivers would be
able to form some isolated cult and gain a few followers.
If on the other hand, the deceivers sought to appropriate as-
pects of Christian theology and mix it with worldly ethics, many
would be deceived. This project to build a counterfeit Zion with
great works of culture and civilization would appeal to many. False
prophets would enable this deception by building sophisticated
theological systems through worldly philosophy. They would de-
velop elaborate justifications for Christians seeking influence and
power in the world, “just” wars, serving in the military, storing up
earthly treasures, etc. In other words, they would attempt to build
systems that relegate the sermon on the mount ethics to the private
sphere. This deception becomes even more dangerous as the de-
302 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ceptions are codified in the so-called holy tradition or the writing

of widely accepted confessional documents that reject the ethics
of the New Testament. The signs and wonders they demonstrate
aren’t necessarily miracles but worldly success and power that are
availed when one follows the ethics of this age taught by these false
prophets and their christs.
This is the story of Western civilization and Christendom. The
nations and apostate churches that have worked to build Chris-
tendom claim to worship Christ. However, this is a deception.
The Christ they worship is not the humble suffering servant of
the Bible. Rather, they worship false christs, encouraged by false
prophets who work with them. These christs embody the values of
the culture they represent – individualism in the West, authoritari-
an-communitarianism in Eastern Europe, tribalistic authoritarian-
ism in Africa, etc. These are the deceptions that many of the elect
are in danger of falling for since they embody the nations from
which we are drawn out. The gods of the nations have done much
for their own cause by masquerading as christs and building coun-
terfeit Zions that mix the ethics of the Bible with those of this
age. These christs bless their followers when they abide by worldly
ethics and engage in these worldly projects. These blessings which
are effectively success in this age leads to many being deceived.
Ultimately the fate of these deceived deceivers is to be con-
sumed by the very system they once controlled or sought to con-
trol. They are devoured by the beast (Rev 17:16). It was a fool’s er-
rand to attempt to control or topple fallen angels by carnal war-
fare. At some point the gods will turn against them when it no
longer suits their agenda. This is simply the nature of these fallen
beings. These fools will claim this as persecution, but they suffer
for meddling in other men’s matters (1 Pet 4:15). Since they are
themselves deceived, they genuinely believe that they are doing the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 303

Lord’s work. However, any honest reading of history bears out the
fruit of such efforts.
This is why Dominionism tends to verge towards antinomian-
ism and worldliness even though it often begins with much false
zeal. Their embrace of the Babel impulse leads the faithful away
from the liberty they have received from this cursed order. They
lead them back into bondage to the gods of this world by entan-
gling them in the affairs of this age - wealth, power, influence, poli-
tics and the like.
 Chapter 14: Of Last
Things

S o far, we have considered the unravelling story of the kingdom

of God throughout the Bible. It is now time to consider the ul-
timate end and purpose of these things. Philosophers often use the
term telos to refer to the fulfilment, completion, goal or aim of
something. Since God created the present cosmic order, it goes
without saying that He has purposed for it an ultimate end. The
created order finds its beginnings in God, who is its first cause. Sim-
ilarly, the created order will find its end in God, for whom all things
were created (Col 1:16).
Since we began this book with the creation of the material or-
der we ought to begin our conclusion with its end. God created
a material world that was good. Its purpose was for man to image
God and reflect His cosmic rule in space and time as a priest-king
in the material order. Man failed to keep God’s commandments
and his kingdom was subjugated by Satan. God then placed the
whole material order under a curse, awaiting ultimate destruction
on a day that God has ordained. We have seen how throughout his-
tory there are intrusions of that day in space and time. We have al-
so seen how these intrusions are typological warnings of what is to
come.

304
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 305

The End of the Present Material Order

Of all the intrusions of the Day of the Lord into space and time,
the flood in Noah’s day was the greatest. As we have already seen,
this was a judgement on a global scale. Not only were the humans
of the first world killed, all their works, their cities and everything
they built and stored up were destroyed. In other words, the works
of civilization did not survive the destruction of the first world. Af-
ter this destruction, we have seen how God established a general
covenant with all of Noah’s descendants, promising to preserve the
world and its natural ordinances - day and night, summer and win-
ter, cold and heat, springtime and harvest. Yet, this promise was
given under the backdrop of the ultimate destruction of the order
- for the covenant was made as long as the earth remaineth (Gen
8:22). Though there was a promise that the world would not be de-
stroyed in water, the ultimate end of the second world has always
loomed on its horizon.
The New Testament speaks of the Day of the Lord as coinciding
with the promised return of Jesus Christ and the physical resur-
rection of the dead (1 Cor 15:22-24, 1 Thess 4:13-18, 5:1-3, 2 Pet
3:3-5). This aligns with what we have already learnt about Christ’s
resurrection and His defeat of the kingdom of Satan. Christ has
already ushered in the final judgement of this present world in
the heavenly realm at His ascension. We just await that judgement
to be manifested in space-time. Thus, we are indeed living on the
brink of eternity - the very last age of this present world.
The apostle Peter gives us the clearest account of this ultimate
Day of the Lord in 2 Peter 3. He warns that in the last days many
will scoff at the faithful for believing in an imminent return of
Christ (v3). These scoffers will emphasise how the world has been
functioning in the same manner since the beginning of creation
and thus will continue forever (v4). Peter calls out the wilful igno-
rance of this thinking and explains how the first world was brought
306 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

under judgement and destroyed in water (v5-6). He explains that

the present world is reserved for judgement by the same word (v6).
This same word is both a reference to creation when God created
the heavens and the earth by His Word and the Great Flood where
God destroyed the first world by His Word. Comparing the judge-
ment of the first world and the present one, Peter declares that the
present world is reserved unto fire against the day of judgement (v6).
Note that according to Peter, the fate of the present world is not to
be transformed but to be destroyed. The only difference will be that
the first world was baptised or cleansed in water while the present
world will be purged in fire.
Peter’s account of the end of the ages isn’t isolated. He is simply
building upon what was already prophesied through Isaiah (Isa
24). The prophet speaks of a future judgement on account of man’s
transgression of the Noahic covenant (Isa 24:5). This leaves to the
earth being burnt in fire and leaving a very small remnant (Isa
24:6). The works of human civilisation are destroyed (Isa 24:7-12).
This leads to a complete destruction and dissolution of the earth
(Isa 24:19). Both the gods and the kings that represent them are
brought to judgement (Isa 24:21-23).

The End of the Material Order

This Day of the Lord will come at a time unexpected and will be
greatly cataclysmic. The destruction wrought by it will be so com-
plete that the very elements that form the substance of the creat-
ed order will melt in fervent heat and heavenly bodies will be dis-
solved (2 Pet 3:10,12). Thus, the destruction of the present order
will be complete and cataclysmic. Peter contrasts this dissolution
of the present world with the Christian hope of the new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness (2 Pet 3:13). In oth-
er words, the Christian has no hope whatsoever in anything in this
present world.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 307

The symbolism in Peter’s prophecy must not be missed. The

heavenly bodies and elements (stoicheia) melt in the fires of judge-
ment. This is not merely some external judgement on the material
world but also a spiritual judgement on the elemental rulers of this
present order. Since they exerted their authority through these el-
ements, the very means through which they extended their rule
are purged in the judgement. The passing away of the heavens, the
earth and the melting of the stoicheia are symbolic representations
of the totality of the future judgement. Not only is the material
world destroyed, but the means through which the elemental rulers
in the heavens and the earth exercise their authority are destroyed.
Christ Himself teaches that the day of His return will be like
the days of Noah (Matt 24:37). Some of the Preterist persuasion
have sought to peg this passage as finding fulfilment in the AD 70
destruction of Jerusalem by stating that the resemblance to the days
of Noah is merely in the fact that people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage. However, people have done those
things throughout all human history and still are. In fact, Christ
explicitly connects the days of Noah analogy to the destruction
wrought by the flood and ties it in with His coming (Matt 24:39).
In other words, Christ is saying that the Great Flood of Noah’s day
was a foretaste of the second coming of Christ and the Day of the
Lord.
The destruction of the material order is a culmination of the
curse that was placed upon it at the Fall[35]. Everything that came
under the curse was consigned to bear God’s wrath and be ulti-
mately destroyed. Yet God mercifully chose to redeem a people
for Himself from the curse, taking their curse upon Himself (Gal
3:13). Thus, the people of God are redeemed but the world and its
works are still under a curse. On account of this curse, they will be
destroyed in fire on the Day of the Lord.
308 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

The End of Human Civilization

Not only will the elements of the heavens and earth be destroyed
but the earth itself and all its works will be burnt up (2 Pet 3:10).
These works are a reference to the cultural works of human civi-
lization. Unlike what some have posited that these works will be
purified and then transferred into the world to come, Peter indi-
cates that they will be utterly destroyed. This agrees with what we
see throughout the New Testament. In his teaching on Christian
contentment, Paul affirms that we brought nothing into this world
and will take nothing out of it (1 Tim 6:7). He plainly teaches
that the works of this present world will be destroyed with the pre-
sent world. Therefore, we ought not to seek them or be consumed
by them. Similarly, he plainly states that visible things are tempo-
rary while the invisible spiritual things are permanent (2 Cor 4:18).
Likewise, the author of Hebrews makes it plain that God will shake
not just the earth but also the heavens so that the things that are
shaken will be removed and those that cannot be shaken will re-
main (Heb 12:26-27). He specifically points out that the things
that cannot be shaken is a reference to the kingdom of God (Heb
12:28). He closes the section with a reminder that God is a consum-
ing fire (Heb 12:29), a reminder of the manner in which the things
of this present world will be shaken on the last day.
We also see this utter destruction of the works of civilization
in Rev 18. At the final judgement we see the fate of Babylon the
Great. Babylon is simply a perfected form the empires and nations
of this present world. It symbolises the Babel impulse. As seen in
Rev 17, this Babylon often emerges as an alliance between govern-
ing authorities and apostates who abandon the kingdom of God for
worldly power and wealth. The analogy of Babylon was familiar to
the Jews who had lived as strangers and exiles in that empire. Many
a Jew abandoned his heritage to gain the riches and power of Baby-
lon. Babylon today is whatever empire in which we as citizens of
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 309

the heavenly kingdom live as strangers and pilgrims. It particularly

symbolises the West, which holds global hegemony and where the
false church seeks political power.
Babylon is a world of rulers, merchants, riches and many del-
icacies (v3). She is a centre of world trade (v11). One can find in
her all kinds of precious things, for she is a fountain of wealth. She
produces great cultural works - luxury clothes, luxury furniture and
luxury vessels. Her prosperous farmers and herders grow wheat,
grapes, spices, olives and raise cattle. Her manufactories build great
tools of warfare (v13). She is a patron of the arts and commissions
various musicians and craftsmen (v22). Her wealth and power have
brought peace which enables her citizens to live in prosperity, in-
creasing their wealth through trade and providing opportunities
for human flourishing (v23a). She mesmerises the nations and de-
ceives them with sorceries (v23b). Sorceries here aren't referring to
the use of magic but all kinds of sophistries employed by empires
to deceive nations and bring them on their agenda – philosophies,
technology, political systems, economic systems, institutions, etc.
Note, how John emphasises that these world empires are places of
great cultural activity. The symbolism here should not be missed.
John is associating Babylon with the first human culture that devel-
oped as a collusion between Cain’s descendants and cosmic dark-
ness. At the final judgement, these cultural activities will come
to an end because Babylon came in remembrance before God (Rev
16:19). Therefore, she will be destroyed (Rev 18:2).
John calls the children of God to Come out of her and to be not
partakers of her sins so that they receive not of her plagues (v4). Those
who invest themselves in Babylon and her cultural activities will in-
evitably be drawn to her. This is why the New Testament time and
time again tells the Christian to not be consumed by the cares of
this life. To be invested in her is to share in her plagues and de-
struction. The Bible thus expects that Christians will to the best of
310 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

their abilities attempt to disentangle themselves from Babylon and

her culture. Paul uses the analogy of a soldier and encourages Tim-
othy to likewise not entangle himself in the affairs of this life (2
Tim 2:4). This doesn’t mean that Christians should isolate them-
selves and live as monks, but it does mean that Christians ought to
demonstrate to the citizens of this present world that they do not
belong to the realms of the gods. The cultural life of Babylon and its
institutions are intrinsically corrupt and cannot be redeemed. We
cannot completely escape their existence, but we ought not to prof-
it from them or participate in them by profiting and gaining influ-
ence in them.
Implicit in this judgement on Babylon is a recognition that
most of Babylon’s cultural achievements were gained through wars
and exploitations. They are not symbols of glory but of shame.
Consider for example the glories of Western Civilization that many
Christians are beholden to. They are not concerned with how many
of those things were built. Western Civilization’s history is one
of wars, conflicts, bloodshed, adulteries, fornications and exploita-
tions. It was through these wars, exploitations and usurious systems
that the West was able to build its great cultural works. John partic-
ularly notes that the blood of the prophets and saints were found
in Babylon (Rev 18:24). One can ponder for a moment how many
faithful Christians have been slain throughout history by the West
and by other empires. Many Christians seem to want to whitewash
this history of the West, which greatly persecuted the Proto-Protes-
tants, free churches and other faithful dissenters so that they can
enjoy its temporal glories.
The West is the best example of what Babylon represents in the
Bible - an alliance of the apostate church with the powers of this
present world. In the Middle Ages this manifested as the alliance of
the Papacy with European rulers. In the age of the Reformation this
manifested as the alliance of various Protestant churches with their
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 311

local rulers. Today it manifests in various Dominionist movements

seeking power and influence within the system. God will not forget
the violence and seductions that these Babel projects have wrought
on God’s people. We can then be certain that the West, all its cul-
tural glories, and the cultural glories of all the nations and empires
of the world will be destroyed on the last day, along with the com-
plete destruction of the present cosmos in the fires of the coming
of the Lord.
What are some practical implications of this reality? Peter re-
minds Christians that on account of the certainty with which we
know the present order will be destroyed in fire we ought to display
great holiness and godliness (2 Pet 3:11). This isn’t some abstract
statement but a practical call to an outlook that is sober and rec-
ognizes how much our present life is merely a vapour. The Day of
Judgement hangs over every human. It is imminent and has already
been ushered in. Of all people, Christians ought to live recogniz-
ing the gravity of that truth. So many Christians are careless in their
talk and how they spend their time. Their conversation is primar-
ily guided by entertainment, shallow talk and worldly concerns.
Seldom is there much conversation about the things of God, His
Character, His Attributes, His works in history and His promises.
Yet according to Peter, our conduct ought to be holy and upright
in everything that we do. Moreover, on account of these truths and
the promise of the new heavens and new earth, Peter implores the
Christian to be diligent in the pursuit of holiness so that one may
have peace and be found blameless before God.
Similarly, while Paul assumes that Christians will be marrying,
weeping, rejoicing, buying and selling and using the things of this
world, he expects that Christians will be doing those things with
a plain understanding of their ephemeral nature, not being con-
sumed by them (1 Cor 7:28-33). Many Christians just like the peo-
ple of this world are often consumed by this life - whom they will
312 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

marry, where they will live, what kind of house they will live in,
weeping and rejoicing over worldly things, etc. While those activ-
ities are not intrinsically sinful, they easily become idols that bind
our hearts to the present world. Christians ought to examine them-
selves to see if they are truly living according to Paul’s instructions
in 1 Cor 7:29-32. To become consumed by the cares of this life is
to renounce one’s heavenly citizenship.
The author of Hebrews derives the application of reverent fear
in worshipping God (Heb 12:28-29). We have already considered
that in detail in the past but it’s a good reminder that these immi-
nent realities ought to stir us up to holy living and holy worship.
We ought not to be pompous or jolly like the people of the world
but a people that recognize the gravity of the judgements that will
befall the created order. Thus, we ought to be willing to joyfully sac-
rifice many worldly things for eternal reward because we know that
every worldly thing is temporary.

The End of the Present Celestial Order

We have seen how the created order consists of both a material
and a celestial component and how these realities reflect each oth-
er. At Babel God divided the nations as an inheritance to the sons
of God. Earthly nations became a manifestation of their rule from
the high places. These beings, along with the angels who were loyal
to Jehovah formed God’s divine council. This forms the basis for
the present celestial order. Even though these beings were defeated
at Christ’s ascension, the established order whereby the sons of God
rule over the nations of this world remains. However, as we have
seen a judgement on a nation reflected the judgement on its gods
and vice-versa. Therefore, the end of the present material order also
spells the doom of the present celestial order. This doom was al-
ready proclaimed in Eden. It was ushered in at Christ’s death, resur-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 313

rection and ascension. It will become a consummate reality on the

last day.

The Final Fall of Satan

From the very beginning the fall of this celestial order was prophe-
sied. Eve was given the promise that her Seed would crush the head
of the Serpent. Likewise, the curses on Satan showed that his des-
tiny was to become lower and lower until he had become the low-
est among all created things. The first aspect of this judgement was
the curse itself. The second part of this judgement was on Christ’s
ascension when Christ, the Great High Priest purified the heavenly
places (Heb 9:23-24). After this Michael and his angels wage war
against Satan and cast him out of heaven (Rev 12:7-8). Satan him-
self is bound for a time while his kingdom is plundered. As we have
seen, this is the New Testament era where Christ spiritually reigns
with the saints and angels from heaven while His rule is imaged on
earth through His Church.
At the end of this New Testament age, preceding the return
of Christ, Satan is given one last taste of freedom before his final
and greatest fall. Satan comes out of the abyss and sets out to go
and deceive the nations of the world. He successfully deceives them
and gathers them together to do battle against God and His people
(Rev 20:7-8).
The assemblies of God’s people are referred to as the camp of
saints. This camp of saints is encompassed on all sides by Satan and
his armies. It is important to not miss the symbolism of this pas-
sage. In earthly terms, the kingdom of God manifests itself merely
as a camp of God’s holy ones (saints), while Satan’s kingdom mani-
fests itself as a collection of all the nations of this present world. We
have considered this theme throughout this work but it is impor-
tant to emphasise again - the kingdom of God cannot be observed.
314 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Its growth is always viewed in spiritual terms and through the eyes
of faith, not by carnal metrics.
After this, Satan himself is cast into the lake of fire, the realm
that was prepared to punish him and his angels (Rev 20:10). This is
his final fall, fulfilling the curse that made his destiny one of falling
lower and lower. Satan first fell from the holy mountain, then he
fell from heaven, then he was cast into the abyss and finally he will
be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. Thus, the promise that
the Seed of the Woman would crush the head of the Serpent is ulti-
mately fulfilled. Satan becomes the lowest of the low and will never
trouble the cosmic order again.

The Final Fall of the Elohim

In Psalm 82, Asaph proclaims the end of the other beings in this ce-
lestial order. The elohim are brought to judgement by Jehovah (v1)
for being unjust in their rule of the nations (v2a). The shaking of
the foundations of the earth is a prophetic statement of the cata-
clysmic destruction of the present created order (v5d). A recurring
theme in apocalyptic literature of the Scriptures is the shaking of
the heavens and the earth (Isa 13:13, Joel 3:14-17, Hag 2:6,21). We
have already seen how heavenly bodies are reflections of celestial
beings. Thus, it was apparent to a Jew reading those passages that
it referred to the judgement that would befall the gods who were
allotted to rule over the present created order. This judgement on
these celestial beings was prophesied by Christ who declared - “Im-
mediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened,
and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (Matt 24:29,
Mk 13:25, Lk 21:26). This is also foretold in Heb 12:26 - “Yet once
more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven”. In other words, the
New Testament era will conclude with a cataclysmic judgement on
the gods of this world.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 315

The destiny of these rebellious celestial beings is to die like men

and to fall like one of the princes or sarim (v7). In the Bible, we
often read that the dead go down to sheol, the realm of the dead.
While these entities rule over the nations from their high places
in the present (Eph 6:12), they will themselves be cast down in-
to Hades on the day of their judgement, joining the souls of unre-
deemed dead men and the angels that were kept in bondage from
the days of Noah. At Christ’s return that final judgement will be
sealed along with those angels that are yet to be judged and the
souls of men who have refused to proclaim Christ as Lord and re-
jected the mercy offered in Him.
These angelic entities are often called thrones, principalities,
powers and dominions according to their rank (Col 1:16, Eph
1:21, 3:10, 6:12). Thrones are also a representation of their author-
ity and their celestial realms, also called high places or heavenly
places. Remember how Satan desired for his throne to be above
every other throne? These thrones represent the authority vested in
these entities in the celestial realm through which they exert their
rule and influence on the material realm. Since the final judge-
ment will involve a complete destruction of the present celestial
order, those very spiritual realms through which they rule are cast
down (Dan 7:10)[36]. In other words, both they and their heavenly
realms are cast into Hades. After this we see that the dead are
brought out from Hades and judged before God according to their
works (Rev 20:13). Ultimately Hades itself is thrown into the lake
of fire (Rev 20:14). Thus, the present celestial order will also be
judged in fire as the material order and brought to an end. The ma-
terial and the celestial are reflections of each other and do not exist
independently - they must both be judged and destroyed in fire to
pave the way for a new order. Thus, Christ at His Second Coming
accomplishes the purpose for which He was made manifest - “that
he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
316 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

A Great Kingdom Reversal

So far, we have read about the judgement of God that will end the
present material and celestial orders. However, what will become of
the new humanity that God is redeeming for Himself ? The Bible
never gives us a detailed account of God’s plans for the world to
come, in fact it specifically tells us that we aren’t even able to com-
prehend those truths (1 Cor 2:9). That said it does give us several
glimpses into that reality, at least in forms that we are able to ap-
prehend, to comfort us as we go through afflictions in our present
life. These glimpses strengthen the Christian’s resolve to persevere
in the faith, knowing what lies ahead. These glimpses are of things
promised to us by God Himself and therefore we can be certain
that we will inherit those promises if we persevere in Christ.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

When Christians think of the world to come, they often think of
heaven as an ethereal spiritual realm that will be the focus of eter-
nity. Yet, the pattern of eternity revealed to us in the Word of God
is that of a new heavens and a new earth which mirrors the present
cosmic order and yet is without the curse that brought frustration
to the present world. Peter says that we look forward to the promise
of the new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness
(2 Pet 3:13). God Himself promises to create this new heaven and
new earth (Isa 65:17) and John sees a vision of this new cosmic or-
der (Rev 21).
This theme of a new earth is quite central to the Biblical mes-
sage. As we have seen, one of the aspects of the Redemptive King-
dom is how God is forming a new humanity in Christ, distinct
from fallen humanity in Adam. The destiny of this new humanity
is to rule the world to come. The Bible plainly teaches us that we
will have physical bodies in the resurrection. Our resurrection bod-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 317

ies will be similar to Christ’s own resurrection body (Phil 3:20-21).

And we know that Christ ate and drank with His disciples after
He was raised from the dead. His disciples could touch, feel Him
and recognize that he wasn’t merely some disembodied spirit. That
said, our bodies will not merely be physical, they will also be spiri-
tual. We will be like the angels in heaven (Matt 22:30, Mk 12:25).
We will be raised with a spiritual body after dying in a natural body
(1 Cor 15:44). Note that the antithesis here isn’t between physi-
cal and spiritual but between what is natural and spiritual. The pre-
sent cosmic order and thus nature is under a curse but the future
one won’t be. Therefore, the physical and the spiritual can coexist
in perfect harmony, united together.
While the Bible does not give many details about what this
new cosmic order, it does give us some clues. John shows us that
this new cosmos will not have sea or sun or moon (Rev 21:1,23).
The symbolism of this should not be missed. As we have seen, the
sea represents the chaos realms of disorder. Likewise, the sun and
the moon are representations of the elemental spirits of this age
who rule arbitrarily and spread disorder. John is comforting his
readers by assuring them that their judgement is final. No defiling
thing will enter that new cosmos (Rev 21:27). The elemental spir-
its will not govern the sun and the moon instead Jehovah Himself
will be the light (Rev 21:23). Jehovah’s people will image Him and
shine as bright as the stars (Dan 12:3). There will be no sea because
Jehovah has completely conquered chaos to bring order.
The greatest joys of this present world are tainted with the
curse and sin. We are often made dull by the curse, being unable
to perceive true pleasure and joy, we tend to think that the good
things that we enjoy in this life have eternal qualities. The kingdom
of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in
the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17). The spiritual presence of God that we
enjoy today, we will enjoy physically in the new creation. The great-
318 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

est loss humanity experienced was to be banished from God’s sa-

cred space. The whole narrative of Redemption is about how God’s
presence does reside with His people in His kingdom. In other
words, these promises of physicality primarily pertain to enjoying
this presence of God.
Paul says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him” (1 Cor 2:9). In other words, what that world to come
will look like is beyond our grasp and we ought not to compare
our present world, even in its greatest joys, to the world to come.
That said, we can be certain that God who has said that at His right
hand are pleasures for evermore (Ps 16:11) will bless us in Christ
even more abundantly than we would have been blessed in Adam
had our earthly father been faithful to God. In Christ, we will gain
far more than we lost in Adam. The eternal state will be an increase
to the greatest physical pleasures Eden could have offered, not a de-
crease.

An Expansion of the Divine Council

Theologians speak of salvation as having three aspects - justifica-
tion, sanctification and glorification. We often hear a lot about
the former two aspects, but we seldom hear much about glorifica-
tion. Paul tells us that we who suffer with Christ will also be glori-
fied with Him (Rom 8:17). Sharing in His sufferings, which forms
the basis for our sanctification results in sharing in His glorifica-
tion. What exactly does this glorification entail? Often when we as
Christians read the Bible and see words that we don’t clearly un-
derstand or seem supernatural, we tend to ignore them or not pay
much attention to their significance. However, several such words
throughout the Bible give us glimpses into the reality of the glorifi-
cation that we look forward to.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 319

In the same verse in which he speaks of our shared glorification

with Christ, Paul calls us children of God, heirs of God and joint-
heirs with Christ (Rom 8:16-17). Similarly, we are told that we have
been seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Eph 2:6). What does
all of this mean? The fact that we are seated with Christ in the heav-
enly places should offer some clues. Paul states that the manifold
wisdom of God is revealed through His assembly to the principal-
ities and powers in heavenly places (Eph 3:10). We have seen that
these principalities and powers are referred to throughout the Bible
as the sons of God, the original image bearers of God. Thus, in po-
sitionally seating us with Christ in the heavenly places, God has re-
vealed that His assembly, the new humanity, will soon replace the
principalities and powers who are presently seated in the heavenly
places. This is simply a reference to God’s divine council. Thus, the
people of God will replace fallen angels and become part of God’s
divine family.
According to Paul, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit we
become sons of God (Gal 3:26, Rom 8:14). John reminds us of the
Divine love by which we are now called sons of God (1 John 3:1).
According to him, this is tied in to increasing in Christlikeness (1
John 3:2). By calling Christians sons of God, the apostles remind us
that we are now replacing the fallen sons of God. Not only this, Peter
says that we will be partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4). This
implies that the image of God in us will finally be perfected. Thus,
the new humanity in Christ is restored to that from which Adam
fell - for Adam was called a son of God (Lk 3:38) and participated
in the divine council in Eden.
We become children of our Father in Heaven, of who’s name
the whole family in heaven and earth is named (Eph 3:15). We will
join with Michael, Gabriel and the other elect angels in the divine
council and the saints who have gone before us and become part of
God’s family. The ramifications of this truth must have a profound
320 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

impact on our lives. We often hear Christians say that they are chil-
dren of God. Very rarely do they pause to meditate on what that
means. To be a child of God is to become part of the dynasty that
will rule the world to come.
While the specifics of what it will mean to be part of God’s di-
vine council through eternity has not been revealed to us, we do see
several glimpses of how those things will play out -

We Will Judge Angels

Paul tells us that we will one day judge the world and angels (1
Cor 6:2-3). In other words, we will be involved in the judgements
that befall the present material and celestial orders. Paul uses this
to teach Christians why they ought not to appeal to those outside
for judgement (v1,6). Why should we appeal for judgement from
them whom we ourselves will judge?
Remember that one of the roles of the sons of God was judicial -
they were to rule the celestial realms as a reflection of God’s justice.
This justice should have reflected in the earthly realm. Instead, we
have seen in Psalm 82 that these sons of God perverted justice and
ruled according to their own desires, for which they will now face
judgement. Having forfeited their judicial role by rejecting God’s
standards of justice, they are dethroned and replaced by the human
sons of God. This is made evident by the prophet Daniel who shows
us that when God establishes His final judgement, this judgment
was given to the saints of the most High when the time came that
the saints possessed the kingdom. (Dan 7:22). Thus, God’s people will
play a major role as part of God’s divine council in executing judge-
ments against both the material and celestial order on the day of the
Lord.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 321

We Will Rule the World to Come

As we have seen God hasn’t subjected the world to come to angels

(Heb 2:5). Rather, the world to come has been subjected to Christ
(Heb 2:7-8). Again, we should be careful not to ignore the empha-
sis of the author of Hebrews. He is contrasting the present world,
which is subjected to the elohim rulers against the world to come,
which is subjected to Christ, who’s humanity is the main empha-
sis of Heb 2:5-10. Unlike this world, which is to be destroyed, the
world to come is placed under the subjection of Christ and there-
fore the new humanity that is restored in His image. The physical
always reflects the spiritual and therefore the new humanity will
physically image the rule of God in the world to come. This is the
greatest and final humiliation of Satan and the elohim. Rather than
receiving worship from humanity as they desired, God creates a
new humanity that ultimately replaces them, judges them and rules
under God in the world to come.
Paul plainly states, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him” (2
Tim 2:12). The chorus in heaven is that Christ has made us kings
and priests: and we shall reign on the earth (Rev 5:10). Likewise, we
hear the voice of Christ that says if we persevere till the end, He
will give us authority over the nations and the morning star (Rev
2:25-28). This term morning star is used to refer to the highest an-
gelic beings ( Job 38:7, Isa 14:12). It is also a term Christ uses to re-
fer to Himself (Rev 22:16). Thus, the granting of such a title to the
persevering Christian is indicative of the rank God’s people will en-
joy in the world to come. God’s people will share in the glorification
of Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to rule the world to come? While the
specifics has not been revealed to us, there are several Biblical indi-
cations to consider. Christ teaches His disciple that among the na-
tions, to be a ruler is to exercise lordship over others (Matt 20:25).
322 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

This is undoubtedly an aspect of imaging the gods they serve. How-

ever, Christ asserts that among His people, rulership is tied to hu-
mility and service (Matt 20:26-27). This images Him, who exem-
plifies such rulership (Matt 20:28).
The rulership exercised by the original sons of God should give
us a glimpse into what God has in store for His people. We saw that
God assigned to the members of the divine council various tasks as-
sociated with upholding the functioning of the cosmos. They were
the ministers of God responsible for its care. There are angels asso-
ciated with the sun, moon, stars, hills, mountains, trees, etc. It was
God’s good pleasure to allow them to participate in His Providen-
tial rule of the present cosmos.
In a similar way, God’s human sons will participate in His Prov-
idential rule of the new cosmos. It is good for us remove from our
minds the notion that heaven will be a boring place where we will
be playing harps on clouds, bored and with nothing to do. This was
never God’s intention for humanity. The divine council has always
shared in God’s Providential rule. If we as sons of God become part
of that family council, we too will serve God in taking care of the
new cosmos. This is what it means to rule. To rule is to serve. There-
fore, God’s faithful sons serve Him in taking care of the things He
has created. Just as humanity under Adam was to participate in
tending to paradise in the first world, humanity under Christ will
tend to paradise in the world to come. Only, in the world to come,
the whole cosmos will be paradise. Therefore, the Biblical narrative
concerning the kingdom of God is that Christ came into the world
to deliver the sons of Adam from bondage and restore them to their
original purpose – i.e., to be sons of God.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 323

We Will be Priests Unto God

The worship of God will always be the central theme of the heav-
enly realm. The primary purpose for which Adam was created was
that he would be a priest-king in God’s Divine Council and in
union with God. Thus, Adam was to perform His priestly duties in
the garden of the Lord. We have seen how the Bible lays out this
theme of the new humanity being a nation of priests throughout
redemptive history (Exo 19:6, Isa 61:6, 1 Pet 2:9, Rev 1:6). This is
a song of praise that is constantly sung around the throne room of
God (Rev 1:6, 5:10).
This theme will be fulfilled in perfection in the new heavens
and the new earth. The centrepiece of this new creation is the holy
city of God, New Jerusalem (Rev 21:2). In this city is the taberna-
cle of God, where He dwells with them (Rev 21:3). As we have seen
previously, the tabernacle was the place where God met with His
nation and where they felt His presence on earth. It was the priests
of Levi who ministered to the tabernacle and later temple of God
in Jerusalem. Likewise, those who dwell in this holy city will be the
priests of God and the Lamb that dwell in that city with them (Rev
21:22).
John’s vision of this new creation in Revelation 21 has several
parallels to the original creation in Eden. Just like Eden was on a
mountain, John is taken to a high mountain to see the descent of
the holy city (Rev 21:10). The city is built with an abundance of
precious metals and stones (Rev 21:18-21), reminiscent of Eden
(Gen 2:11-12). Moreover, the tree of life is present there (Rev 22:2,
Gen 2:9). Therefore, New Jerusalem is a temple where God’s divine
council meets. The purpose of all of this is to show us how we in-
herit great riches in Christ, far greater than we lost in Adam. In oth-
er words, New Jerusalem is greater than Old Eden.
324 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Keeping with the Edenic theme, John mentions that no defil-

ing or abominable thing shall ever enter into this holy realm (Rev
21:27). That is a reminder of the days when the Serpent entered
Eden, bringing with him his craftiness and deceiving mankind. Yet
now because Christ has purified this holy realm and has perfect-
ly done what Adam couldn’t - banishing the Serpent, the fallen
gods and fallen humanity into the lake of fire (Rev 21:8). Thus,
everything unholy is forever purged out of the cosmos and can no
longer corrupt it again and the people of God can faithfully serve
as priest-kings, inheriting these privileges through Christ. These
truths ought to greatly inform and affect every aspect of our lives.
 Chapter 15: What
Manner of Persons
Ought Ye to Be?

I n concluding his section on the imminent destruction of the

present created order in fire (2 Pet 3:1-12), Peter rhetorically
asks the reader to consider what kind of persons they ought to be
in light of these realities. The Christian, according to Peter, must be
defined by godliness and holiness considering the realities he has
expounded on (2 Pet 3:11). These two aspects of godliness and ho-
liness can be considered analogous to the framework of antithesis
that we’ve considered throughout this work. Godliness implies
that the Christian is set apart to worship the True God. Holiness
implies that the Christian is covenantally separate from the world.
Now every Christian who affirms the Bible as the inerrant and in-
fallible Word of God would affirm these aspects as essential but
how do these realities apply to our lives? Particularly in the context
of Christians living in the 21st Century in a rapidly changing
world.
The purpose of this concluding chapter will be to provide some
practical applications for Christian living considering the things
we have learnt about the kingdom of God and how it ought to
affect our lives. It is one thing to make a broad statement about
living godly and holy lives, but we also need to think about how
that practically works out in our lives, in the places where God has
placed us. Since the primary mission of God’s holy nation is to bear
325
326 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

witness to the victory of Christ and the coming judgement and to

establish gospel colonies in the dominions of the elohim, it goes
without saying that the citizens of this present world should be able
to perceive in us a lifestyle that rejects the ways of this world and
hopes in the promises of Christ.
Paul commands the Christian to not be conformed to this world
but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom 12:12).
This, according to him, enables the Christian to discern those
things that are according to the will of God. In other words, Paul
expects the process of sanctification to make the Christian more
discerning of God’s will. This means that we as Christians have an
imperative to not simply accept the ways of thinking and wisdom
prevalent in the world. Rather, we are to think things through in
the light of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in
us. This has particularly been a blight that has affected the citizens
of the kingdom of God throughout redemptive history and be-
comes particularly prevalent after Constantine. Instead of rejecting
the world and being renewed in their mind, Christians often seek
to syncretize the ways of God with worldly wisdom and philoso-
phies. In doing this they can end up justifying things that God de-
spises.
This chapter therefore will be an exercise in thinking through
some issues that affect our day to day lives. Many Christians prefer
a lazy approach of having everything laid out for them in the form
of a list or rules. That is not the purpose of this chapter. I strongly
believe that one of the imperatives of being sanctified is learning to
think with a renewed mind while rejecting worldly wisdom. Like-
wise, I believe that God alone is the Lord of one’s conscience and
therefore I cannot bind anyone’s conscience to anything that isn’t
explicitly commanded in the Scriptures. This chapter is intended to
aid the reader in considering the implications of the ethics of the
kingdom of God that they might not have considered previously.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 327

In doing this, hopefully it will help the reader make practical life
decisions that conform to the good, acceptable and perfect will of
God.

Occupation
The first area that we will be looking into is that of one’s occupa-
tion. By this I mean the activity or work one engages in to earn a
living. I use this in distinction from the word vocation that is more
prominent in Evangelical circles and the main reason I make that
distinction is because I believe the theology of vocation that goes
hand in hand with that term is not Biblical. In simple terms the
theology of vocation argues that every Christian’s secular work is
a calling they receive from God and therefore participating in it
helps build the kingdom of God. This means that God divinely
calls people towards the secular work they engage in and the work
itself becomes worship of God and contributes to building His
kingdom. Many Christians often ask questions like, “Is God calling
me to a particular job, profession or type of work?” or “Do I find
meaning in my work?”.
This theology of vocation simply isn’t Biblical. The word vo-
cation itself means “calling” which is intrinsically associated with
God’s holy realm. The only vocational callings that can build the
kingdom of God are those that are within the holy realm. This
would include the vocation of being an elder, deacon and evangelist
(Eph 4:11). The Biblical word gift literally means a calling or voca-
tion. Therefore, this would include the gift of prophecy (or preach-
ing), serving, teaching, exhorting, ruling in the covenant commu-
nity and showing mercy (Rom 12: 6-8). Note that these callings
aren’t restricted to those who are specifically called to be elders,
deacons or evangelists but Paul expects that various Christians will
receive these callings.
328 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

An often much neglected Biblical calling is that of fatherhood

and motherhood. As we have already seen, in God’s eyes, the base
unit of society isn’t the individual but the household. Likewise, ac-
cording to Paul, marriage itself is a God given gift, calling or voca-
tion (1 Cor 7:17). A husband and wife are called full time to minis-
ter to one another and to raise up children in the fear and admoni-
tion of the Lord. Peter commends the Christian to make their call-
ing and election sure (2 Pet 1:10). This isn’t referring to one’s secular
work but to affirm firstly their Christianity and secondly their call-
ings within the body of Christ.
These kingdom callings are the vocation or full-time ministry
of every Christian. Every kingdom citizen has a full time calling to
be a Christian, i.e., to participate in and contribute to the build-
ing of the kingdom of God as members of God’s family council.
They do this through various callings God grants them within the
Church and through the raising of children in a godly marriage. A
secular job is certainly essential, in that a secular job provides the
means for sustenance that we might pursue our kingdom callings.
That said, a secular job is not a holy calling. It is simply interchange-
able with any other secular job to provide the means for survival
and sustenance in the realm of the curse.
This means that the middle-class navel gazing about if they are
“called” to a particular career or if they find meaning in their work
is vanity. It is unsurprising then that the theology of vocation is ex-
tremely popular in middle-class circles, which tend to overwhelm-
ingly represent Evangelical and particularly Reformed Christianity.
It’s easier to talk about your vocational calling when you have a re-
spectable professional career. The poor on the other hand often bet-
ter understand the reality of the vanity and futility of life. They rec-
ognize that their toiling in demeaning jobs for meagre wages isn’t
some grand holy calling. It’s simply a means of survival for them-
selves and their families. They perceive that their labours ultimate-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 329

ly contribute to increasing the coffers of the rich, not to building a

better world for themselves and their children. Sadly, the wisdom
of the poor is neglected in Christian circles. Since the days of Con-
stantine Christians have sought the wisdom of those in power, the
rich and the affluent - those who move and shake society. I would
argue that the entire Book of Ecclesiastes attests to this wisdom of
the poor and recognizes the futility and vanity of earthly labours.
Unsurprisingly, I’ve never run into anyone who’s said that they
feel called to work as a janitor, day labourer or coal miner. I’ve run
into many that are certain they have a divine “calling” to be a pro-
fessor, engineer, doctor, researcher, or lawyer. This shows how re-
spectability is intrinsically woven into the theology of vocation.
Many Christian parents would want their children to become re-
spectable in the eyes of the world and therefore they would take ac-
tive efforts to ensure that their children end up in respectable rather
than “demeaning” professions. This would be the opposite of what
Joseph did when the holy nation was in exile in Egypt. Joseph en-
couraged his brothers to tell Pharaoh that they were herdsmen, a
profession that the Bible notes was an abomination to the settled
Egyptians (Gen 46:34). It was better to be despicable in the eyes of
the Egyptians than for the holy nation to lose its identity and be
consumed by Egypt.
If the systems of the world are as evil as the Bible reveal to us,
being respectable and flourishing in the world should be nigh im-
possible in most circumstances. In fact, it should be a normal ex-
pectation for Christians that we will live as second-class citizens
and many of us might have to work “demeaning” jobs as they might
be the only ones that don’t violate our kingdom ethics. We don’t
have to worry if we can’t seem to find meaning or purpose in our
work. Our work simply isn’t our holy calling. Our calling is to be
part of God’s family and to pursue specific kingdom gifts that He
has given each of us. Ultimately even those with the “cool” jobs end
330 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

up frustrated and dissatisfied with life. This is a feature, not a bug of

living in a fallen world. If they are honest, they will like Solomon,
admit that life is all vanity. If one is in Christ, hopefully they can
see that the only place where one can find meaning is within the
kingdom and not in their secular work.
This doesn’t mean that Christians shouldn’t seek to do work
that they can enjoy. Each of us has different personalities and abil-
ities and this is the work of God. This means that each of us will
find different kinds of work more enjoyable and satisfying. I’ve of-
ten had conversations with others about my work as a software en-
gineer. They either find it incredibly cerebral or incredibly boring.
On the other hand, I find it both practical and enjoyable on most
days. That said I won’t conflate my satisfaction and joy in my occu-
pation with a calling or vocation. Either way, it’s not my calling -
it’s a means to an end. I pursue it so that I can earn a living. This in
turn helps me pursue my true callings in the holy realm - teaching
the Church, being an example, showing mercy through giving and
perhaps someday by being a husband and father.

Occupation and Respectability

As Christians, we ought not to follow the world in their perception
of respectability. Prior to Constantine, most Christians subsisted
on what the world would call “demeaning” work - many of them
were slaves. This has been true of many Christians throughout his-
tory and is also true today in many parts of the world. Sadly, many
Christians have adopted worldly thinking in this regard and would
want their children to be in respectable professions, oftentimes un-
der the guise that they can have a greater kingdom “impact”. As we
have already seen, one’s secular vocation is simply a means to an end
and cannot intrinsically contribute to one’s impact for God. Con-
sider the Apostle Paul, who’s apostolic calling (which none of us
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 331

will have) caused a great impact on the kingdom and yet his occu-
pation was that of a simple tentmaker.
This is particularly true when we consider our calling as mem-
bers of God’s divine council. We are the sons of God. It is through
these great kingdom callings that we ought to consider our worth,
not through what the world considers respectable. The vanity of
the world is that one can seek respectability in it and be nothing;
yet everyone who becomes a son of God receives kingship and
priesthood in the holy realm. Therefore, every Christian is called to
be in the royal line of priest-kings who will serve God in the new
creation. How vain then is it for us to seek respectability in the eyes
of the world. How wicked it is to look down upon those who lack
that respectability in the eyes of the world and are yet priest-kings
in God’s family. Very few Christians will openly look down upon
those who lack affluence and respectability. That said it is always an
implicit attitude in middle-class circles evidenced by the quest for
respectability itself. It is evidenced in the rejection of the wisdom
of the poor and the formulations of theological positions that both
justify and provide meaning to the Edenic and Babelic pursuits of
the rich and the middle-class.
For example, consider how over time the simple village wisdom
of marrying young, having many children and living a simple con-
tent life has been replaced with a quest for purpose, meaning and
respectability. This often coincides with delaying marriage to have
a stable career, stable finances, finding one’s purpose and exploring
the world. Similarly, the poor often recognize that the world system
is deeply flawed and exploits them. Of course, this is rejected as
simplistic and impractical thinking and various specious philoso-
phies and theological presuppositions are created to sanction the
wicked system and justify the pursuit of respectability and status
within it. While this is not always true, a lot of those who are
poor and lack respectability in the eyes of the world often live lives
332 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

of contentment. They willingly accept the simpler lifestyle at the

bottom rungs of society because they perceive the futility of the
world and are happy to enjoy the simple joys of life without getting
consumed by the vain quest for respectability and purpose in the
world.
These are but some examples, but one can think of many ways
in which middle-class and affluent Christians look down upon the
poor. Again, people tend to think that they are not guilty of the
sin of partiality spoken of by James because they don’t actively kick
the poor out of the churches or tell them literally to sit at the back.
That said, it’s very unlikely that someone who was poor and lacked
worldly respectability would ever be accepted as a teacher or mod-
el of emulation in an affluent church. Their poverty and lack of re-
spectability would be equated to simplicity and laziness. It should
be unsurprising then that pastors of many churches these days are
paid an upper middle-class salary. Just as the congregants them-
selves pursue respectability, they want ministers who have that per-
ception of respectability in the world. Indeed, the Church has be-
come like Babylon in its quest to transform Babylon.
This pursuit of respectability in one’s occupation is tied to the
pursuit of wages. An occupation’s respectability is directly tied to
the remuneration it offers. Money and status are always inextrica-
bly linked. Christians seek to justify their quest for money with all
kinds of philosophical sophistries. I’ve often heard several of the
following justifications for the quest for money - it will help me be
more generous, it will help me gain stability/security, it will help
me provide for a household, etc. None of these are Biblical justifi-
cations for the pursuit of more money. The Bible expects a Chris-
tian to be generous, regardless of their situation. In fact, it is con-
sidered generosity when one gives sacrificially out of one’s necessi-
ty, i.e., giving up the stability and comforts that come with having
more money.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 333

Likewise, a lot of the so-called needs to be able to provide for a

family are simply just wants that masquerade as needs. One doesn’t
need a lot of money to be able to provide for the basic needs of a
household. The quest for stability/security is outright rejected by
the Scriptures and the Bible time and time again warns the Christ-
ian not to find their security in money. If anything, the Bible warns
the Christian that even the desire for riches causes many to fall into
temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that
plunge people into ruin and destruction (1 Tim 6:9).
Paul declares that godliness with contentment is great gain (1
Tim 6:6). The author of Hebrews commands the Christian to be
content with such things as ye have because God has promised to
never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5). Therefore, Christians of
all people should be content with the wages they are paid and not
grumble about not having enough. As Paul says, having food and
raiment let us be therewith content (1 Tim 6:8). We ought not to
seek to rationalise or justify away these Biblical imperatives but to
embody them in our lives as citizens of the kingdom. If we have
the opportunity, it is certainly legitimate to seek work that we find
satisfying and/or enjoy but we certainly ought not to seek work
because it will give us more money, respectability or status in the
world.
This is something Christian parents ought to teach their chil-
dren from a young age. As kingdom citizens, our lifestyle and ethics
should bear witness to the world that we reject their cares, concerns
and quest for respectability, meaning and purpose in the cursed
realm. Christian parents ought to teach their children that it is ok if
they don’t end up with respectable work that grants them status in
society. Rather, they ought to teach their children to pursue work
as a means to an end. Depending on the situation, this will mean
some Christians will drive garbage trucks while others might work
office jobs. Regardless, they are both priest-kings in God’s divine
334 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

council and they are both to not find purpose or meaning in their
work.
We are to be marked out as dissenters against the way of this
world. Worldly wisdom is contrary to heavenly wisdom. As chil-
dren of the light, we ought to bear witness to heavenly wisdom.
This heavenly wisdom should show us that respectability, status
and money in the world is vanity. Therefore, Christians ought not
to be caught up in the rat race. Instead, they ought to find work
that will best facilitate their ability to pursue kingdom callings. Ul-
timately all the work that we do outside the kingdom only con-
tributes to building the Babel projects of men and elohim.

The Vocation of the Christian Household

One of the ways in which we see worldly thinking in Christian cir-
cles is the prevalence of career women. Proverbs 31 does not justify
this. The woman in that passage works within the household econ-
omy for its betterment rather than working as a wage slave for an-
other man. The Bible always shows women as being designed for a
domestic role. It is the adulteress who is described by her inability
to stay in her home (Prov 7:11). A simple domestic life might seem
dull and boring to the world, but it is of great value in the eyes of
God.
The quest for a stable and comfortable middle-class life is now
increasingly difficult on a single income. So many Christians have
compromised and accepted the double income household as the
norm. I’ve often seen many argue that a double income household
is a necessity in our age. But it is only true when one assumes mid-
dle-class affluence as a necessity. It’s true, a single income household
in the modern world will likely not be prosperous and might even
struggle to make ends meet, especially if the father doesn’t earn a
respectable wage. And yet, this has been normal throughout histo-
ry for most of the human population who were either serfs or sus-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 335

tenance farmers on small plots of land. They were able to live that
way because they had few necessities. What many have done is con-
flate their desires and wants with necessities.
The calling or vocation of being a wife and mother is the calling
that God intends to give a great majority of women. To the world
this might be unproductive and even demeaning but it has great
value in the eyes of God. Women are the only ones who are able to
partake in God’s creative work by bringing new life into the world.
They are deeply involved in the process of moulding their children
in the image of God. They need to spend much time in prayers and
discipling their children. There is much time needed to engage in
liberal hospitality within the body of Christ. All these little things
are not too relevant to the world, but they are very important to
the children of the light who live for the world to come.

Occupation and Use of Time

Since the theology of vocation posits one’s secular occupation as
their calling, it seeks to legitimise and justify an inordinate invest-
ment of time and effort in the pursuit of one’s secular vocation ei-
ther directly by investing in the work itself or by spending a lot
of time improving oneself to better perform that work. However,
since the Bible shows us that our calling is to be citizens who build
the kingdom of God, Christians ought to be defined by their use of
time being overwhelmingly allocated to kingdom pursuits.
As we have seen, these kingdom pursuits aren’t some great
deeds that require one to do something radical. It could mean
something as simple as investing time into being a good husband
and father. I’ve known so many Christian men that are convinced
that they need to provide a better life for their family and therefore
will slog hour after hour in their profession. At times they will take
up two or three jobs. In most cases this isn’t to provide for their
family’s basic needs but in the false supposition that they need to be
336 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

able to provide their family a comfortable middle-class lifestyle to

qualify as a good provider. After spending hours and hours working
stressful jobs to earn that high wage they are left tired and stressed.
Christian, if God has given you a wife and children, they are your
full time calling. Anything else you do is simply to facilitate the
pursuit of that calling. God doesn’t want you to invest your best
time and effort into your job and give your family whatever is left
over. It’s your full time calling that needs to be the priority. Your
wife and children don’t need more money, they need your time.
This might mean taking up work that pays less and doesn’t provide
much opportunity for growth but provides greater flexibility for
kingdom pursuits.
It is a sad reality that many Christians don’t see the compro-
mises they’ve had to undertake to achieve the middle-class lifestyle
that they now live. They’ve become successful in Babylon, but at
what cost? The Christian view on time and our vocational priori-
ties mean that any kind of job that takes away from our kingdom
callings are simply not something we can engage in. It’s quite pos-
sible to provide for the needs of one’s family and be content on a
very meagre income. I’ve seen that to be the case as someone who
grew up in a poor country. In affluent countries the riches and com-
forts of life choke the faith of many and deceive them into conflat-
ing their worldly desires and comforts with genuine needs. This al-
ways leads to drowning in destruction and perdition (1 Tim 6:8).
Be good at what you do and don’t rob others of their time or
resources. But don’t become a slave to advancement or growth in
your occupation in this present world. It’s ok to not be the best or
aspire to be the best in your occupation, as long as you are not using
your liberty as a cloak for laziness and idleness.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 337

Occupation and Kingdom Ethics

This brings us to the issue of how our kingdom ethics ought to
affect the kind of jobs that we choose. As we have seen certain
professions like soldiering and the rulership are simply outside the
purview of what a Christian can do. In fact, to do them is to simply
reject the basic definition of what it means to be a Christian. While
those are plain examples of what a Christian just cannot do, think-
ing through our ethics and their outworking in the present world
will show us that there are several other professions that at the very
least should cause a Christian to consider if they can in good con-
science work in that occupation.
Let me illustrate with an example. Several years ago, I received
an offer to interview for a software engineering role at a company
that designed gaming systems used in casinos. My conscience kept
pricking me. I believe it is sinful to gamble. It combines various sins
in one - covetousness, ignorance, profligacy and idleness. In many
cases gambling is a lure that brings many to destitution and un-
der the exploitative mercy of loan sharks. Taking up that job would
mean being actively involved in a role that encouraged others to
gamble whether I gambled myself or not. The point of this example
is to show that the Bible doesn’t explicitly say that a Christian can-
not work as a software engineer for a company that designs gam-
ing systems for casinos. That said the ethical imperatives it lays out
would clearly not permit me to take up such a job.
This kind of thinking is a very important part of being renewed
in our minds. We must think through how the things that we do
can be used in systems that can harm others or exploit them. We
must think through how our involvement in a particular occupa-
tion can affect the lives of others even if the specific job that we do
doesn’t directly cause harm. We must think through how the very
industries in which we work affect the lives of others. This is a nat-
ural outworking of considering the needs of others above our own
338 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

(Phil 2:3). This means a lot more jobs and industries that are re-
spectable in the eyes of the world become out of the question for
Christians.

Investments and Lifestyle

Paul encourages the Christian to pursue what he calls a quiet life
(1 Thess 4:11). According to him, this is a lifestyle of minding our
own business and working with our own hands (i.e. the fruit of our
own labours rather than specifically requiring manual labour). Ac-
cording to Paul, this will help us to walk honestly before those who
are outside the holy realm and that we might not lack anything (1
Thess 4:12). Paul assumes that the Christian will be pursuing a de-
tached lifestyle that will not leave them dependent on outsiders.
This is the antithesis of middle-class values that require one to in-
vest in the system and acquire their stability in and through it.
We have already seen how the New Testament views money,
stability, power and respectability in the world. Christ Himself de-
clares that the coin belongs to Caesar (Mk 2:17). The implications
of this statement are more profound than meets the eye. By plac-
ing the coin outside the holy realm, Christ is relegating it to one
of the categories of the cares and concerns of this life. Things that
Father is aware of and provides for His children according to their
needs. However, when these cares become matters of concern for
the Christian, they tend to choke one’s faith. Therefore, we ought
to have a very different view on money. Sadly, Christians often tend
to become just as consumed with matters of money as the people
of the world.

The Modern Financial System and Usury

This inevitably means Christians are more than happy to invest
in the modern financial system. The modern world thrives by the
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 339

system of usury. Historically, usury has simply been understood as

charging any kind of interest on money. The Protestant Reformers,
particularly Calvin rephrased the term to mean charging exorbitant
interest. However, that modification has no Biblical basis. Opposi-
tion to charging interest of any kind has a long line of pedigree both
in Church History and among pagan philosophers. Apart from
the fact that the Bible plainly condemns it and calls it an abomi-
nation (Exo 22:25, Psa 15:5, Prov 28:8, Ezek 18:13, 22:12, Luke
6:35, Matthew 5:42), the principle is that money by nature cannot
beget money. Therefore, it is immoral to charge someone a greater
amount than what was lent because money cannot reproduce it-
self[37].
This modern financial system is also based on a foundation of
lies. It exists by the principle of inflationary economics which per-
mits the State or a central bank to print money at will. This sys-
tem robs people of their savings and coerces them to invest in the
system. Failing to invest in the system is to have your money lose
value. This inflationary economics combined with usury means the
whole system is built on a foundation of lies. The government can
print as much money as it wants and rich corporations can access
loans at very low interest rates so that they don’t need actual capi-
tal to be able to expand or enrich themselves. This creates a facade
of affluence and wealth that exploits the poor who can never secure
those same loans. The poor will then be offered exorbitant interest
rates for loans that they need simply to make ends meet (oftentimes
they’ve been brought to that place by inflation in the first place).
When they are unable to repay those loans, they become debt slaves
who have everything confiscated from them through the threat of
the sword. This should certainly make a Christian question if they
can legitimately work for the modern banking or financial systems.
Add to this the reality of how large corporations act and have
acted throughout history. They often exploit people in poorer
340 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

countries, hiring them as cheap labour, making them work long

hours and paying them a pittance. There is a lot of evidence on how
these corporations displace people, steal their resources and even
encourage warfare throughout the world. One can look at the con-
dition of workers in factories that build cheap goods for the mid-
dle class or of miners who mine resources critical to the prosperi-
ty of the affluent. Even when it comes to more respectable service-
based jobs, workers in the third world are exploited, made to work
long hours and paid subpar wages. The modern financial system has
grown rich from such exploitation.
As Christians we have a moral obligation to separate ourselves
from systems that are intrinsically wicked and oppress others. The
prophet Amos condemns the covenant nation thus - “Forasmuch
therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him bur-
dens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not
dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not
drink wine of them” (Amos 5:11). The Israelites had accumulat-
ed earthly stability and prosperity by oppressing the poor. Rather
than separating themselves from evildoers, they had perpetrated
evil. Note how Amos condemns those who build houses of stone
and plant vineyards from a system that treads on the poor. We all
like to read the Old Testament as if the condemnations could have
nothing to do with us. However, Amos’ condemnation of Israel
is quite applicable to affluent Christians today. Many Christians
have invested themselves in the system through the ownership of
stocks, bonds, retirement plans and other financial tools. Through
this they have become willing participants in the modern financial
system which is based on exploitation and usury.
Many argue that the modern financial system is a net good as
through usury it makes venture capital available for human flour-
ishing. According to them this allows for innovation and progress.
In some sense this is true. Without the modern financial system,
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 341

the world would probably be centuries behind in terms of

“progress” as it is understood today. However, this usurious system
combined with the ability to create money from thin air has led to
far more regression than we realise. The rich and the middle class
have grown increasingly prosperous while the poor have become
even more poor and miserable.
The modern financial system is globally connected which
means that certain parts of the world have collectively become af-
fluent while others have collectively languished. The affluent blame
the poor - accuse them of laziness or blame their cultures, gov-
ernments and history. Yet, a lot of the systemic issues that lead
to poverty and despair can be traced back to their exploitation
through the modern financial system. This has led to a very pros-
perous and affluent First World and a poor and desperate Third
World. This has also led to great inequality within the West. Sadly,
Christians have tried to sell Capitalism as some sort of self-evident
Biblical truth. While its alternative is just as flawed, Christians have
been far more deceived by the lies of Capitalism than they have
been of Socialism.
This shouldn’t surprise us. Psalm 82:2-4 condemns the elohim
for being unjust, ignoring the cries of the needy and oppressing the
poor and the fatherless. It shouldn’t surprise us then that those who
rule the material world in the name of those elohim likewise im-
age their attributes. The modern industrial capitalist world simply
wouldn’t exist without usury and exploitation. One needs to close
their eyes and shut their ears to ignore the plight of the poor in this
system and be comfortable investing in it. The Bible doesn’t teach
us that “progress” and “human flourishing” as defined by the world
are things that please God. Christians have deceived themselves by
becoming slaves of a form of worldly philosophy. The Bible does
teach that usury and exploitation implicit in usurious Capitalism
displeases God. Capitalism and Christianity are not compatible.
342 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Paul shows us that we wage war against the elohim by Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God (1 Cor 10:5). In other words, we ought to expose
the philosophies and schemes used by the elohim to deceive people
of the world.
It is impossible to completely avoid the system as that would
need leaving the world. That said for starters, Christians can do the
best they can to divest themselves from the system. They can avoid
investing themselves in a system that exploits the poor and builds
its wealth through usury. They can avoid investing themselves in
a system that considers profit to be its primary goal. They can ac-
cept in integrity that being faithful to Christ means that one can-
not prosper in the realms of the gods of this world. That means re-
thinking the middle-class aspirations many of us are beholden to.
Middle-class prosperity is impossible without being heavily invest-
ed in the system.

The Christian Businessman

If the institutions of the modern world are so wicked, one must ask
the question if Christians can indeed have prosperous businesses in
this system. I would argue that it is rather difficult if not impossi-
ble. Firstly, it is very difficult to operate in the business world with-
out having to partake in the system of usury. Secondly, the mod-
ern business world requires preparing for liability by retaining le-
gal assistance. This means willingness to threaten others and use co-
ercion and the sword to have one’s way. If threatened with a law-
suit for liability, very rarely will a so-called Christian businessman
be willing to simply let go of the sword, accept the injustices of the
courts of the world and refuse to return evil for evil. Rather, they
will use lawyers and seek to avenge themselves and return evil for
evil. This is a rejection of the ethics of the kingdom of God.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 343

This is not to say that Christians cannot open any kind of busi-
nesses. The point is that Christians who do choose to start one
ought to be willing to understand the situation they are putting
themselves in. They should be willing to accept that their ethical
imperatives could mean they could lose everything. This means
even if they’ve made a significant investment and someone comes
for it, they must be willing to turn the other cheek and not return
evil for evil. This means following through with the teaching of
Christ and offering one’s cloak when sued for a coat (Matt 5:40).
In most cases it would mean running a small and insignificant busi-
ness that will certainly not be flourishing by worldly standards. Per-
haps they can yet have a mindset that will easily let go of everything
if they are ever dragged to court by the children of the world.

Repenting of Usury

What must we do if we want to acknowledge our complicity in

the usurious system and repent? The answer is not as easy as it
might seem. The point of this section isn’t to lord it over others’
consciences and tell them what to do. The point is to help people
think about these things in the right way so that they might make
decisions wisely. We are not those of the world who are dead in
their trespasses and sins. We are those who have been made alive
in Christ and are being renewed in our minds. This means that we
cannot go with the flow as dead men but must actively resolve to
take actions to repent of our participation in the system that we see
is utterly wicked.
For starters repentance requires acknowledging that we have
blindly gone with the flow and become partakers of this system.
The Bible teaches us to confess our sins both voluntary and invol-
untary. Most of us have been involuntary participants in the usuri-
ous and exploitative financial system of the modern world. Just be-
344 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

cause we don’t feel sorry for it anymore, doesn’t mean we can wash
our hands off the sin of usury and exploitation. We can acknowl-
edge this and seek the Lord’s forgiveness and guidance.
Secondly, we can resolve to rid ourselves of debt we have accu-
mulated and not accumulate further debt as far as possible. When
debt is readily available, the price of goods and services keep in-
creasing. In the long term, this simply means that debt ridden con-
sumers become debt slaves to banks. The modern State sets the ex-
ample by funding its regular expenditure through debt. The result
is a regressive usurious system in which everyone is bound in some
form or another. It would be irresponsible to say that we need to
walk away from our mortgages or car loan or any other obligation.
As we have seen previously, we still have obligations to our house-
holds. One of those obligations is to provide for them a place to
stay. That said we can choose to start looking for much cheaper
housing options that we can pay off sooner. As mentioned, sever-
al times throughout this work, one doesn’t need a nice suburban
home to be a good provider for one’s household.
Thirdly, we can start to live within our means in all aspects of
our life. This means committing to not purchase things we cannot
afford with our savings. Rejecting the temptation of having to have
the latest and greatest in technology, home innovation or trans-
portation. Obviously, this means we will lose face before those who
are affluent as we will be unable to keep up with them. Moreover,
we will be penalised through inflation simply for saving up money
to buy something we need (or want). At the end of the day though,
the spiritual benefits of purifying ourselves from these sins far out-
weigh any penalties that the world imposes on us.

A Clash of Stewardships
This is where many will bring in arguments about wisdom and
stewardship. This “stewardship” is a Dominionist notion that has
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 345

become popular in Evangelicalism at large. Now the Bible teaches

us that everything we possess belongs to God. We don’t own any-
thing. This can lead to one of two conclusions. The early church
and various dissenters after Constantine have argued that this is
an imperative for Christians to reject materialism and freely dis-
tribute the things that they possess. This would be in line with the
ethics laid out in the sermon on the mount and the rest of the New
Testament. In fact, Paul explicitly commands rich Christians to be
willing to do this (1 Tim 6:18). Historically, this view of steward-
ship dominated the Church prior to Constantine. After Constan-
tine, the Church adopted the values of the world and this notion
of stewardship was relegated to dissenters. For clarity, let us call
this view Two-Kingdoms Stewardship, mainly because it relegates
wealth to the worldly realm and therefore is simply an outworking
of a consistent Two-Kingdoms theology.
This can be contrasted with what we can call the Dominion
Stewardship model. In Evangelical circles and Christianity at large,
this is simply called “stewardship”. This is the idea that views our
place as something of a fund manager of God’s possessions. There-
fore, its proponents posit that since we are to be stewards of that
which God has given us, we need to save and invest our money well,
earn a good return and provide a good life for our families. After
this we can give generously from our excess. The idea is that the
more we make the more we can give. In this system, giving away too
much, especially when it affects one’s initial accumulation is un-
wise. To give more you need to earn more. Giving therefore must
come from a place of abundance or excess.
An examination of the latter model will show that it is not
too different from various views of financial advice prevalent in the
world. Unsurprisingly, it is geared towards being financially suc-
cessful and stable. A close examination of its definitions and ideas
will show that it defines things like savings, investing, earning a
346 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

good return and providing a good life for one’s family according
to what is generally accepted by the world. Therefore, in the mind-
set of the proponents of Dominion Stewardship, saving and invest-
ing means buying into stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other finan-
cial assets. Earning a good return means making more money with
money (rather than through labour), beating inflation and becom-
ing more affluent. Providing a good life for one’s family means hav-
ing some degree of middle-class affluence and stability. It usually
consists of a decent size home in a good neighbourhood, a college
education, a nice car(s) and things of that nature. Being generous
givers means preserving one’s original accumulation, increasing it
further while giving more in absolute terms but not necessarily in
a way that is truly sacrificial. For example, this teaching would say
that it is unwise to give too much if it affects our ability to provide
a good life for one’s family. Again, this is defined according to the
world and its standards.
This is the major contrast between Two-Kingdoms Stewardship
and Dominion Stewardship. The former would argue that we ought
to reject worldly wisdom and as Christians we ought to think
about these things differently. This doesn’t translate to a simplistic
view of the financial realm. Rather, the ways in which the world
makes money is unethical. We ought to live simple lives, earn a liv-
ing by our labours and give away the excess of what we make. There-
fore, in this model, the widow who gave everything away is wise
even though she gave all she had[38]. Sacrificing a better life or even
everything we have for the good of God’s kingdom is a great invest-
ment that bears fruit within that kingdom. The latter view would
argue that it is generally foolish to give away too much. They would
assert that it is unwise to give too much when your family doesn’t
have that “good life” or you don’t have enough stored up for your
earthly needs. Thus, these are fundamentally different understand-
ings of stewardship. One argues that divine ownership of our re-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 347

sources results in unrestricted and sacrificial liberality even in the

face of scarcity. The other argues that divine ownership of our re-
sources results in greater accumulation which in turn leads to giv-
ing out of the abundance.
There’s nothing wrong with saving money or seeking to give
one’s family a good life. In fact, I would argue that is required of us.
That said, all these things must be defined in the light of what the
New Testament teaches us, not what the world thinks. Jesus Him-
self teaches that we ought to use the mammon of unrighteousness to
make friends, so that when we lose everything here, they will re-
ceive us into heaven (Lk 16:9). Firstly, Christ calls money the mam-
mon of unrighteousness emphasising how it is viewed in the New
Testament. Secondly, his instruction is that we be very generous
and liberal with our money. He ties in being faithful in handling
worldly money and receiving eternal riches (v10-11). Therefore, in
Jesus’ eyes, faithful stewardship of money is to give everything away
to make friends for the kingdom of God rather than accumulat-
ing, investing, storing and seeking to grow the value of one’s earthly
money. To add to this plain call towards liberality presuppositions
of Dominion Stewardship is to read into the Text what the Text nat-
urally doesn’t allow for.
It would be good to remind the reader of this quote from an
early church writing called the Shepherd of Hermas -
“You know that you who are servants of God are living in a
foreign country, for your city is far from this city. If therefore, you
know your city in which you are destined to live, why do you prepare
fields and expensive possessions and buildings and useless rooms
here? If you are preparing these things for this city, you obviously
are not planning to return to your own city.”
Dominion Stewardship which dominates Christian circles to-
day, encourages the opposite of that which the early church consid-
ered normal. It encourages Christians to prepare fields, expensive
348 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

possessions, buildings and useless rooms here. Clearly those who

invest themselves in such things aren’t a pilgrim people, at least not
by their public witness. By their public witness they testify that
they do not hope to return to their own city. They publicly pro-
claim that they intend to dwell and prosper in this land for a long
time, if not forever.
James says this of those who are affluent in James 5:1-5 -
“1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that
shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be
a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have
heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your
fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of
them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of
sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye
have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.”
In the context of the first century, rich didn’t just refer to the
filthy rich but also to the affluent class of traders and professionals
that we now call the middle-class. Firstly, the affluent are con-
demned for storing up earthly treasures in the last days. As I have
argued throughout this book, the New Testament uses that phrase
last days to refer to the entire Church age. Secondly, it speaks of the
affluent growing rich through exploitation, like Amos 5:11. Many
will respond and say that they have earned their wages honestly and
have not exploited others. That might be true as far as the wages
of their labour go. However, as we have already seen, investing in
the wicked system is to become a participant in its wickedness.
When the system exploits the poor and we grow rich by investing
in that system we participate in that exploitation. A lot of Chris-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 349

tians tend to be ignorant of these things because their investments

are often handled by professionals through the mutual funds and
similar investment vehicles they hold in their retirement accounts.
This means that they often don’t even know what corporations are
using their money. Yet this ignorance doesn’t mean that the money
isn’t going through the system and being used to exploit the poor.
When we know that the system is wicked and we have the option
to not invest in the system, why would we willingly do so?
Many will now argue that it will be very difficult to survive
without investing in the world as that would mean constantly los-
ing money to inflation. The argument being that since the system
itself is wicked, we should seek to game the system, prosper and
then use that prosperity to be generous for the kingdom of God.
This is a fundamentally flawed argument. Just because it’s a cut-
throat survivalist world doesn’t mean we as the children of Light
ought to live that way. At least we shouldn’t if we truly reside in the
new heavens and new earth. I agree that it will indeed be difficult if
we decide not to invest in the system. What is said here is not good
advice for those who desire to be rich or even middle-class in this
present world. We will struggle to make it and we certainly won’t
be affluent. But we will retain our integrity and be a shining witness
to the lost world of the vanity of the systems in which they’ve built
and accumulated their treasures.

Rejecting Middle Class Values

A lot of this requires rethinking lifestyle choices that we’ve all be-
come accustomed to in one degree or another. It means willingly
moving to places that are not affluent and therefore allow cheaper
housing. I often hear many complain about the price of housing
caused by inflation. A historic analysis will show that the statistic is
very misrepresented. While median house prices have indeed risen
over the years so has the median square footage and the amenities
350 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

that a new home contains. Even in the West, it’s quite possible to
buy a smaller home in either an impoverished or rural area at a rea-
sonable cost. It’s just that the average family now wants a much big-
ger house, with a lot more amenities that are considered necessities.
Throughout history men and women have established large house-
holds in homes that would be tiny by our modern standards. Sadly,
that wouldn’t be a respectable option for many middle-class Chris-
tians.
Christians could consider moving to locations with cheap
housing. These will likely be rural or insignificant towns. These ar-
eas will likely have jobs that pay less and limited employment op-
tions. Living in bigger cities does bring with it a lot of challenges
that tempt us towards middle-class affluence but like the early
church it is possible to resist that trap and live life faithful to Christ.
In the long term I do believe that life in the modern city will be-
come more and more difficult if not impossible for those seeking
to live a Biblically faithful life. Christians will have to accept being
relegated to the small towns and rural areas in the backwaters of
civilised society where they will be able to continue pursuing a qui-
et life. It is also quite possible that in the not-too-distant future
there might come a time when like many saints throughout re-
demptive history, being a faithful Christian might require wander-
ing the mountains, forests and caves of the earth.

Fleeing from City to City

The New Testament teaches us to hold on to earthly things with a
light grip. It teaches us to be willing to flee when we are persecuted
(Matt 10:23). In fact, as this entire work has described, the calling
of the covenant community throughout the ages has been to live
in tents signifying that they look forward to a better world. Those
who have accumulated much in this life or indebted themselves
heavily to achieve the middle-class affluence they’ve sought will like
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 351

Lot’s wife struggle to leave this wicked world behind. They’ve be-
come comfortable here and aren’t uneasy about its systems. There-
fore, they cannot leave with joy but must always look back at the
things they’ve had to leave behind. In the process they might realise
that they are simply unable to leave the things they’ve loved.
Many Christians have adopted worldly notions of being rooted
to or becoming attached to a particular place. Often this is com-
bined with a form of patriotism towards the nation or land in
which they were born (or choose to immigrate to). This patriotism
towards these nations ruled by elohim is harlotry towards God. If
we open our eyes to the reality that the nations of the world are the
possessions of false gods and marked for destruction, we will not
become attached to specific nations or lands. We would see the de-
ceptions and lies of those false gods and instead cling to the new
nation that we have become part of. Like Ruth, we ought to plain-
ly declare that God’s people are our people (Ruth 1:16). Implicit in
this declaration is a rejection of all former allegiances, including na-
tional ones. We are citizens of the kingdom of God, not citizens of
the kingdoms of this world.
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come (Heb
13:14). Speaking of the saints of the Old Testament, particularly
Abraham, the author of Hebrews notes -
“14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a
country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from
whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have
returned.
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 pre-
pared for them a city.”
Many Christians pay lip service to passages like this but then
become very attached to the place in which they live. So many will
352 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

not consider being guided by the Spirit to move away from the
land in which they’ve become comfortable. This is by no means
a mandate or a calling for everyone. That said the author of He-
brews and several other New Testament passages indicate that we
will be a people driven from this city to that or this country to that.
The saints of the Old Testament wandered about in sheepskins and
goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented (Heb 11:37). They
wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the
earth (Heb 11:38). If they then counted it as joy to leave the famil-
iar and seek after Christ, why do Christians today think they ought
to become attached to the land in which they live?
A simple survey of the history of the covenant people through-
out the Bible shows us that rootedness simply wasn’t something
they cared about. The only exception to this would be in the Old
Testament nation of Israel but their rootedness in the holy land was
typologically pointing to our rootedness in the new heavens and
the new earth. In every other instance from the Sethites to Abra-
ham to the wilderness to the exilic Jews, being a pilgrim people who
were willing to wander the earth and bear witness to the Truth was
definitive of the God’s people.
It's also important not to gloss over the detail that when Christ
permitted His disciples to flee when persecuted (Matt 10:23), He
was setting up an organic principle of missions whereby His people
would establish a new gospel colony in the place to which they fled
and live a quiet life of bearing witness there. Inevitably those who
are very attached to a particular place cannot serve the kingdom
of God in this manner. Instead, they get drawn into vain earthly
battles of politics and worldly affairs so that they can preserve the
things they have accumulated and retain some standing in society.
This affects Christians in affluent and non-affluent nations in
different ways. Christians in non-affluent nations often suffer phys-
ical persecution and even death if they are unwilling to flee when
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 353

they can. In the case of Christians in affluent nations, there is the

ever-growing tendency for the State to become more bestial and in-
volve itself in every aspect of one’s life. This can be seen in many
European nations where disciplining one’s children or even seeking
to educate them in the home according to the fear and admonish-
ment of the Lord can lead to legal repercussions and even having
one’s children taken away. I’ve often read stories of families in Scan-
dinavia and Germany where the State has sought to penalise par-
ents and take their children away to be raised by the State. Chris-
tians in countries like that ought to leave for the good of the souls
of their children. There is simply no way for a Christian to be faith-
ful in performing kingdom work and live a quiet life.
Now some would ask how then should the Gospel be pro-
claimed in places like that? I would argue that such a question
stems from a faulty presupposition. A presupposition that posits
that there must be a constant Gospel witness in every corner of the
world in every period of human history. Both the Biblical narrative
and history proves such a presupposition to be false. When Jesus
sent out His apostles to preach the Gospel throughout the Israelite
nation, He commanded them to dwell in cities and towns that were
open to their message and to leave those cities and towns that re-
jected their message (Matt 10:11-14). This is intended to be a testi-
mony of judgement against that place. This is repeated when Jesus
sends out the seventy disciples to all nations (Lk 10:1-23).
The point being that there will always be places on earth which
will reject the Gospel and make it impossible for Christians to live
a quiet life. In such nations, Christian parents will find it rather dif-
ficult if not impossible to raise their children faithfully. The gods
of those nations have laid claim to the souls of all children born
in their land. Therefore, living in such a nation is simply impossi-
ble for a Christian. Sadly, Christians in affluent countries are more
likely to become attached and comfortable in their lands and there-
354 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

fore unwilling to leave. Even when they see the rapid intrusion of
the State into the household and the likelihood that simple Christ-
ian living will be impossible, they might choose to stay because they
would rather have the comforts of Egypt for a season than endure
sufferings with the children of God. In the long run this will come
at the pain of compromise and apostasy with every generation. It is
better to leave and have your children be of ill repute in the eyes of
the world in a less affluent nation that affords greater ability to live
a quiet life than to have the affluence of Egypt and have one’s chil-
dren turn Egyptian.
The Bible calls the people of God both strangers and pilgrims.
It also calls us a peculiar people and a holy nation (1 Pet 2:9). This
is a covenantal statement. The Church is God's holy nation today
as Israel was in the Old Testament. This means the Christians are
to be as "weird" and peculiar to the modern world as the Jews were
to the ancient world. This peculiarity of course is not based on
the Mosaic Law and its prescriptions of outward conformity, but
on piety that flows from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Our
antithesis with the world is not based on the peculiarity of our
clothes, hairstyles or other externals - this is the error of legalism.
Rather our peculiarity is through the distinct kingdom culture em-
bodied in the ethics of the kingdom of God. Moreover, we are set
in antithesis with the world with our rejection of its ways, its false
hopes, its philosophies, its glories and its very desires.
Christian, if you are more comfortable with outsiders who
share the culture or social status into which you were born than the
fellow kingdom citizens who were born in a different culture or so-
cial status, you ought to examine your heart to see if you are truly a
stranger to this world. The whole point of the Gospel is to reverse
the curse of Babel in Christ so that those who once belonged to var-
ious nations under the bondage of other gods can now become part
of one holy nation, one spiritual family in Christ. The Bible liter-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 355

ally calls us the brothers of Christ and children of the Father (Heb
10:19, Matt 12:48-50). It also shows us that the vain distinctions
of social class that exist in the world do not exist in this spiritual
family. This should be evidenced in our lives in that we should have
greater affinity towards our spiritual family and seek their company
and proximity over that of the people of the world who might be
of similar social standing and culture.
A good application of this would be to seek out like minded
Christians and look for ways to live closer to each other. In this
way Christian households can encourage each other and support
each other spiritually and in the flesh. Since we are now part of this
new spiritual family, we ought not to intentionally isolate ourselves
from those who are of the household of God but ought to make
every effort to intentionally seek them out, fellowship together, en-
courage one another and support one another. In fact, this strange
unity between people of various cultures and social standings is a
Gospel presentation of judgement against this present world. It’s
values, divisions and Babelism are marked out for destruction.
The world has its own Babel projects by which it seeks to unite
various groups of people under a common goal - Communists seek
to unite all working-class people towards a goal of Marxist utopia,
White Supremacists seek to unite all people of European heritage
towards a goal of building an ethnostate, Liberals seek to unite var-
ious groups of people towards their goal of absolute human auton-
omy, etc. Yet these projects are bound to fail and keep failing. The
kingdom of God is the only entity capable of reversing all the divi-
sions that have entered humanity since the Fall. It is only the king-
dom of God that can erase those distinctions by making us one
spiritual family. The early church embodied this principle well as
evidenced by this quote in Justin Martyr’s work, the First Apology
-
356 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

“We who hated and destroyed one another, and on account of

their different manners would not live with men of a different tribe,
now, since the coming of Christ, live familiarly with them, and pray
for our enemies.”
Christians ought to ask themselves if they joyfully live in famil-
iarity with those with whom they would have once not associated.

Social Issues, Activism and Participation in

Babylonian Affairs
The Bible calls the Christian to seek judgment, relieve the oppressed,
judge the fatherless, plead for the widow (Isa 1:17). This is an ex-
cellent commandment that the kingdom citizens ought to follow.
The problem arises when we misunderstand the covenantal context
of this commandment and every other commandment throughout
the Bible that calls the Christian to pursue justice. As we have
seen in several places in this work, the commandments of God are
covenantal and therefore pursued in the context of that covenant.
Therefore, as citizens of the kingdom of God, the commandment
to pursue justice is an effort we undertake within the kingdom of
God and its territory. It is an effort we undertake for those who are
citizens of said kingdom of God. To confuse this with a pursuit of
justice in Moab or Egypt or Babylon is to profane the covenant we
have with God.
This of course does not mean that God sanctions the wicked-
ness and injustice of the nations of the world. Rather, He is storing
up wrath for the day of the Lord when it will be unleashed on the
gods and their nations. In His patience and mercy, He has placed
us in the realms of the gods of the nations to establish kingdom
colonies that witness to the truth through our message, life and ac-
tions. The purpose of these colonies isn’t to bring about a transfor-
mation, progress or even to influence the cultures of the nations of
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 357

the world. Rather, just as Israel of old, we are to be a shining beacon

of God’s justice in an unjust world. Thus, in seeing justice within
the kingdom of God, we hope that at least some of the people of
this world will seek after God, repent and join His kingdom.
Consider the case of the kingdom of God in the Old Covenant.
They were to pursue justice within the boundaries of Canaan.
Within those borders, the stranger and the native born alike were
to be treated equally. The poor were not to be trodden upon. The
widows and the orphans were to be cared for. Slaves of their
brethren were to be liberated in due time. Debts of their brethren
were to be cancelled in due time. Yet there is not a single instance
where God commanded them to bring about this justice in the na-
tions surrounding them. The hope was that some from those na-
tions would see God’s justice and join themselves to the holy nation
in the covenant land and worship Jehovah.
When it comes to the covenant community living in exile,
we’ve already considered how God commanded them to live quiet
lives in Babylon during their days of exile. Their goal was not to be
assimilated by Babylon, nor to transform it into Zion, something
that was simply not possible. Rather, they were to seek the peace of
the city ( Jer 29:7). Some will use this to argue that this is an active
call to pursue justice in Babylon and participate in its systems, pol-
itics and institutions. Yet this is a misunderstanding of what is be-
ing commanded. The means of seeking the peace are laid out in that
same Text. By praying for the city, living quiet lives, honouring the
authority of their rulers and not stirring up discord, the Israelites
would play their part in the preservation of peace in Babylon. This
is certainly not a call to the covenant community to play an active
part in Babylonian affairs. Rather, as we have seen earlier, to the
contrary, it encourages a quiet life of detachment from Babylonian
affairs.
358 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

This is not too far off from the New Testament expectation
for God’s covenant people. Peter commends the Church, whom
he refers to as strangers and exiles (1 Pet 1:1, 2:11) to live lives of
integrity before outsiders (1 Pet 2:12a). Even in this, Peter’s hope
isn’t that this is somehow likely to transform the outsiders. Rather,
he assumes that the outsiders will continue to mock them as evil-
doers (1 Pet 2:12b). However, ultimately this lifestyle of integrity
and good works will cause them to glorify God at Christ’s Second
Coming (1 Pet 2:12c).
This will make sense if we understand the Biblical covenant
mindset. When David committed his sin with Bathsheba, Nathan
reminded him that his actions had given cause to unbelievers to
blaspheme God (2 Sam 12:14). Similarly, Paul reminds the hypo-
critical Jews that their sinful behaviour gave room for God’s name
to be blasphemed among the nations (Rom 2:24). This is a simple
principle of Biblical antithesis - we aren't trying to transform or
even to influence the world. We are simply trying to live as a faith-
ful witness community so that the name of God will be magnified.
As the children of the kingdom of God live holy lives full of integri-
ty, the gods of the nations and their children have nothing with
which they can oppose our God. It is expected that they will con-
tinue to slander the faithful as evildoers and even to persecute us at
times. Yet through this God’s name is magnified.
Peter continues in this vein that Christians ought to submit to
every human ordinance and authority because this is God’s will and
so that none will have reason to call Christians agitators against
the order (1 Pet 2:13-15). Our liberty in Christ must not become
a means by which we maliciously seek to subvert the order of this
age (1 Pet 2:16). Peter is simply presenting a strong antithesis be-
tween the kingdom of God and the world. Within the kingdom of
God, we have liberty from the ordinances of men. We have equali-
ty among the brethren. That said, outside the kingdom hierarchical
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 359

institutions like slavery and the human monarchy continue to ex-

ist. Peter implores the Christian slave to submit to his master, even
the wicked ones (1 Pet 2:18). Likewise, he implores the Christian
to honour the king (1 Pet 2:17) and obey every human ordinance
(1 Pet 2:13). Simply put, the kingdom of God hasn’t manifested it-
self in this age to overthrow the present order. That will happen at
the return of Christ. Till then neither are we commanded nor are
we to expect the world to change.
It is legitimate to say that stable societies are better than unsta-
ble ones. A society that makes it easy for the existence of the nat-
ural family and one where evil is restrained will certainly be more
stable than a society where the natural family unit is destroyed and
where evil runs rampant. Similarly, liberty in society is a good thing
for Christians. We are not to seek persecution. Persecution is cer-
tainly something that God uses to refine and purify us and is ul-
timately good but it isn’t something we actively seek. On the con-
trary we seek a quiet life. A society with greater liberty provides a
better framework for kingdom citizens to live quiet lives. While it
does bring with it much temptation, for those who are discerning,
it can be a great boon. Yet the nations of the world, regardless of
their levels of stability and liberty, are outside the context of our
kingdom and therefore not our direct concern.
The means by which we can encourage stability and liberty in
society is through prayer and living in quiet integrity, not by partic-
ipation in Babylon’s systems and institutions. We ought to pray for
the peace of the city. This is an attitude of trusting in Providence.
Sadly, many Christians have a rather low view of prayer. Since they
don’t see the complex cosmology of the Bible where our prayers
become a means of warfare in the spiritual realm, they don’t see
its deep importance or only see its significance in what transpires
in the material realm. Our prayers are received before the throne
room of God and He dispatches holy angels to wage war against
360 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

fallen angels or confounds those fallen angels so that they wage

wars against each other. He can relieve us from persecutions and
provide for us the means to pursue a quiet life without our partici-
pation in Babylon.
Therefore, the fact that stability and liberty are good doesn’t
mean Christians are to join with the citizens of Babylon and par-
ticipate in its systems to build or influence Babylon into a realm of
stability and liberty. This doesn’t mean working together with the
Babylonians to make Babylon a better place to live in. This doesn’t
mean getting on board with the agendas and schemes of Babylon.
This doesn’t mean seeking to appropriate the Babylonian bureau-
cracy to pursue stability and liberty.
Many well-meaning Christians have lost their way by becoming
actively involved in and concerned with Babylonian affairs. They’ve
lost their identity. They’ve forgotten the ethics of their kingdom.
Far too often they are forced to resort to pragmatism, enter un-
equally yoked alliances with the world and engage in coercion. In
many cases they start seeking after power and money - the sword
and coin by which the powers of this world gain their authority.
The long-term effects of this is to lose one’s antithesis with the
world and thus one’s identity. When the Church tries to transform
the world, the world might indeed become a slightly better place.
This is always accompanied with the Church becoming very much
like the world. Rather than looking like a virgin bride, the Church
is transformed into the whore riding a beast imagery of Revelation
18.

Building the Kingdom of God Through

Ordinary Means
It is important to emphasise here that the Bible teaches us to first
prioritise our fellow kingdom citizens. As we have become part of
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 361

this new household and will together inherit and rule the world to
come, any works of benevolence must first begin and be prioritised
at home. I would go so far as to say that the works of benevolence
outside the covenant isn’t really mandated and Christians shouldn’t
be shamed into feeling insignificant for not participating in such
efforts. That said, works of benevolence and relieving the difficul-
ties of our own people are non-negotiable imperatives that each of
us must cheerfully participate in.
In fact, this is such an imperative that the collection of offerings
that we saw as an element of worship was done specifically to pro-
vide for the needs of other Christians (Rom. 15:25–29, 1 Cor
16:1-2, 2 Cor 9). Sadly, in most churches today the lion’s share of
this gathering goes towards covering overheads - paying the staff,
paying rent or maintenance of a building, utilities, etc. A Biblical
model of the assembly simply wouldn’t need such embellishments.
It would just need a group of faithful households gathering either
in homes or other facilities they are able to freely avail. Their elders
would follow Paul’s example and work in the world outside to earn
a living which could possibly be supplemented with some of the
congregation’s collection.

Rejecting the Respectability Model

Most churches in our time are based on what can be called a re-
spectability model. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are look-
ing to be a State Church but that they want recognition from the
State and a sense of stability and respectability in society. This is
contrary to the pilgrim model that the Bible lays out. Biblically a lo-
cal assembly is simply a gathering of several Christian households
who recognize mature men who oversee the body and deacons who
assist with benevolence tasks. The respectability model comes with
the need to have a paid staff, a permanent building and similar trap-
pings. Each of these things enable these churches to operate within
362 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

the Babylonian system but over time leads to more and more com-
placency. In the US, churches that seek this recognition from the
State end up accepting the State’s intrusion into kingdom matters
by appointing the unBiblical offices of a treasurer and board of di-
rectors. They willingly record minutes taken in the gatherings that
they would be willing to share with the State. This is not a mod-
el that strangers and pilgrims would adopt in a foreign land if they
knew they were going to leave everything behind. This is the model
of permanent residents seeking citizenship.
Reducing such needless overhead would mean that Christians
would be able to support one another without the need to depend
on the institutions of the world. Today many Christians are forced
to depend either on the State or insurance companies because fel-
low Christians being deceived by Dominion Stewardship will not
part with great wealth to relieve their brothers and sisters. Accord-
ing to the Bible’s view of stewardship we ought to be willing to sell
our very possessions for the good of our people. The author of He-
brews commends the Hebrew Christians for their willingness to be
plundered of their goods to show compassion to him while he was
in prison (Heb 10:34). The rich are to be willing to freely distribute
what they have (1 Tim 6:18).
This should be a natural outcome of the things we have consid-
ered. Paul asserts that one that doesn’t provide for his own house-
hold is worse than an outsider (1 Tim 5:8). While this command
does pertain to the natural family, we can draw a similar conclusion
to the body of Christ. If we have all become part of the household
of God and members of His Divine Council, we ought to be will-
ing to even sell our possessions for the good of our people. If Chris-
tians were to follow these commandments and the outworking of
our kingdom ethics, no Christian would ever need to depend on
the State or an insurance company.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 363

This isn’t some abstract concept that cannot be realised in a

fallen world. Throughout history communities of people both
Christians and otherwise have taken care of their own. The modern
world has slowly outsourced what would have naturally been the
realm of one’s family and community to the State and exploitative
corporations. If Christians resolve to not love money and are will-
ing to be plundered of all their goods for the benefit of their spiri-
tual kinsmen, the citizens of the kingdom of God can through this
sacrificial love proclaim to the world the coming judgement. While
the world becomes increasingly isolated, cold and soulless, God’s
people should show that the kingdom of God is one household, a
household that will together rule the world to come.

Tent Making Elders

The notion of elders paid a regular middle-class wage is simply not
Biblical. The oft quoted references to support it are 1 Tim 5:17-18
and 1 Cor 9:14. In the former, Paul argues that elders who rule
well are to be worthy of double honour (v17). He supports this using
moral gleanings from the Old Testament - a working ox must not
be muzzled and a labourer must be paid his wage (v18). The point
being, just like the labourer receives his wage and the ox receives
the grain, the elder receives his honour. It would be an error to as-
sert that the elder deserves a wage because the labourer deserves it.
That would be like saying the elder deserves grain because the ox
deserves it. Paul is simply using analogy to make a point. Moreover,
in the same passage Paul asserts that true widows are to receive ho-
nour (v3) and that slaves are to honour their masters (1 Tim 6:1).
If those arguing for paid pastors are to be believed, true widows
should be paid half the salary of an elder and slaves should pay their
masters this same salary. Double honour is not a regular middle-
class salary.
364 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

In the latter reference, Paul argues that they which preach the
gospel should live of the gospel. Firstly, this passage isn’t about elders
of the churches but about apostles like Paul, as he is speaking about
himself. Yet the point that Paul is driving at is that he refuses to
use this apostolic privilege as it might hinder the Gospel (1 Cor
9:15-17). He asserts that he preaches the Gospel without charge to
avoid abusing his apostolic power (1 Cor 9:18). If anything, a par-
allel can be made between those sent out as missionaries and the
apostles[39]. This passage has nothing to say about paid elders. If
anything, it asserts that accepting such payments becomes a hin-
drance to the Gospel.
Many will now argue that a pastor needs to work over forty
hours a week and must be available on-call all the time. I would
agree that this is the case but that’s simply because the whole pas-
toral system itself isn’t Biblical. A Biblical elder is simply a man who
is recognised by the Church for his maturity in the faith, ability to
teach and exemplary character. (1 Tim 3:1-7, Tit 1:5-8) A plurality
of such elders exercise oversight in local assemblies as examples to
the congregation but not as lords (1 Pet 5:1-3). According to Peter,
these elders are to shepherd their assemblies not for money (1 Pet
5:2). This is not the same as the career path that is called the pas-
torate.
In the Old Testament, a separate paid priesthood existed to
show the people that they were far from God and to typologically
point them to Christ. The New Testament asserts that every Chris-
tian is part of the holy priesthood (1 Pet 2:9). God never intended
for the establishment of a paid spiritual aristocracy in His king-
dom. The presence of this aristocracy impoverishes spiritual ma-
turity and growth among Christians. This system has led to many
Christians living a lifeless form of pew Christianity. They have for-
saken the responsibility of discipling, encouraging, visiting, ad-
monishing and teaching one another because it is assumed that
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 365

these responsibilities must be handled by the paid pastor(s). This

leads to spiritual atrophy in the congregation as the God ordained
means by which we experience the kingdom and learn our duties as
priest-kings is put on the shoulder of one man or a few men instead
of the assembly of gathered priest-kings. Inevitably, this results in
a system where the majority in an assembly become dependent on
the paid elite.

Simple Piety
Since Christ makes it plain that His kingdom cannot be observed
(Lk 17:20) and it doesn’t belong to this world ( John 18:36) we can
be certain that both the means by which the kingdom advances and
the outcome of that advancement cannot be observed by the eyes
of the flesh. The means by which the kingdom advances are ordi-
nary and not of significance to the world. When Christians think
of the kingdom advancing, they usually think in rather romantic
terms about global missions, influence in culture, Christians in po-
sitions of authority, etc. Sadly, this shows the ubiquitous nature of
Dominionist presuppositions in the Church at large.
Contrast this with what we see in the Bible. Consider the case
of Mary and Joseph. They were an ordinary Jewish couple living
in the village of Nazareth. This mountain village was so obscure
it isn’t even mentioned in any extra-Biblical source until 200 AD.
Theirs was a simple life far from the great city of Jerusalem - its
intrigues, theological schools, architecture, cultural works and the
temple. Joseph worked as a simple carpenter. He likely worked
small jobs for a largely impoverished agrarian population. His wife
Mary probably managed the household as did most women in
those times. The highlights of their simple life would have been get-
ting married and the birth of their children. Their regular means of
entertainment and excitement would have been to enjoy the calm
of nature and the beauty of the mountains.
366 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

To many Christians in our time theirs would have been a dull

life that lacked excitement, purpose, direction and ambition. A
lowly village carpenter had no great prospects or ways for social ad-
vancement. To the world he would have been someone who lacked
drive and ambition. Their lowly status would mean that they had
no real means to avail their children anything but the most basic of
education - to teach their children what they knew and had learnt
in life.
Yet this couple living a rather dull life raised the Anointed One
who would save His people from their sins. No Christian is ever go-
ing to be part of such a specific redemptive historical purpose. Yet
every Christian household is raising children who are to be image
bearers of that Anointed One and receive anointing through Him
(2 Cor 1:21). From the world’s perspective this is insignificant and
meaningless. In their eyes this isn’t a life of success or impact. Yet
through eyes of faith, we can see that raising one’s children to be
in the image of Christ is a truly meaningful life and one where the
Christian leaves an everlasting impact.
We are often looking for opportunities to have influence out-
side the ordinary means and natural institutions God has already
provided us. This ultimately leaves us empty and chasing after van-
ities. The problem here is that we far too often esteem ourselves
too highly. This individual quest for purpose, meaning and direc-
tion that makes us increasingly identify with self is the primordial
lust that Eve succumbed to. It is the lust that drives the Babel im-
pulse. Rather than live a simple and quiet life of detachment, await-
ing the fulfilment of things promised, we seek satisfaction in trying
to make Babylon a better place. In doing this intentionally or oth-
erwise we are seeking to build our own holy mountains on earth.
This is increasingly a problem in our highly individualistic age
where each of us have been taught that we are individually special
and have a unique purpose. I read an article about how the avail-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 367

ability of mirrors to the masses in the 19th century changed the

world. In the past people largely viewed themselves with relation to
something else, i.e., they belonged to a certain place, a certain tribe,
a certain religion, a certain family or to a certain god. The abili-
ty to gaze upon oneself on a regular basis detached people from
those former identities and enabled people to increasingly identi-
fy with themselves as individuals. I believe this is true. This height-
ened sense of individualism has affected every aspect of the modern
world including how we think about the kingdom of God and our
place in it. Therefore, each Christian wants to be a part of some-
thing unique and exciting.
Yet the Bible doesn’t teach us to increasingly identify with our-
selves. Rather, we are taught to deny ourselves (Matt 16:24). We are
to esteem others more highly than ourselves (Phil 2:3). We are to
no longer live for ourselves but for others (2 Cor 5:15). This princi-
ple of self-denial can be considered the sum of the Christian faith.
To deny oneself is to image Jesus Christ. Unlike Satan, Jesus Christ,
being equal to God, made Himself of no reputation, lived an or-
dinary life, became a servant, was rejected by many (Phil 2:7). He
obediently died on the cross (Phil 2:8).
To pursue self-denial is to see the world in a very different light.
Jesus Christ being equal with God lived an ordinary life. Even the
sum of his public ministry lasted three years, most of which was
spent in isolation teaching His own disciples. The first thirty years
of His life were spent in that little backwater Jewish village of no
significance. He worked as an ordinary carpenter with His earthly
father.
Even the final three years of His life are surprisingly quiet if you
take away a Dominionist spin. In fact, when Christ died, neither
the Jews nor the Romans thought that anything significant had
happened. Yet we know that in His death the elohim were made
a spectacle of. In other words what was seemingly a dull earthly
368 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

life bore great fruit in the spiritual realm. When we live in self-de-
nial, we see that various things that happen in our ordinary life are
full of deep spiritual meaning and purpose. Teaching one’s children
the Word of God, having a conversation with a coworker, giving
some money to a homeless person, overcoming anger and lust, vis-
iting our brothers who are in prison, praying sincerely, reading the
Bible, gathering with God’s people to worship Him, partaking of
the sacraments, etc all suddenly take on a new and deeper meaning.
Through these ordinary means we know God better and grow in
our union with Him.
In summation, you don’t have to feel insignificant if you aren’t
“called to be a missionary”, aren’t street preaching, aren’t picketing
an abortion mill or distributing tracts. You also shouldn’t feel in-
significant if you don’t see growth or direction in your worldly am-
bitions. When we live an ordinary life and participate in the ordi-
nary means and elements of worship, we advance the kingdom of
God. When we have families and raise our children to be image
bearers of Christ, we advance the kingdom of God. When we deny
the flesh and control our lust or anger, we advance the kingdom
of God. When we reject the world, its desires, its institutions and
its promises, we advance the kingdom of God. Through these ordi-
nary means we defy the elohim powers of this world and proclaim
the coming judgement and destruction of this world and its civi-
lization. The Biblical view is that living a quiet life isn’t a life of re-
treat. Rather a quiet but faithful life lived in integrity is the life that
greatly contributes to God’s kingdom and testifies of Christ to the
lost world. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can observe
the kingdom advancing in this way.
The Bible asserts that we are more than conquerors when we
are under tribulations, distress, persecution, famine and nakedness
(Rom 8:35-37). To the world, those who undergo these things
are the insignificant losers and failures. In the world, the winners
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 369

are those who triumph, have power, wealth, land, houses, stability,
respectability, ambition, drive, direction and various comforts. In
Christ, those who willingly give up all those things for His king-
dom receive the right to rule in the world to come. If we patiently
endure the frustrations of the recognition of the vanity and
wickedness of this age, we inherit kingship in the realm of right-
eousness and peace.

The Road Ahead

Hopefully this book has helped you understand how the Bible pre-
sents the kingdom of God and our place in this world. Hopefully
it has given you some ideas to consider and think about, particular-
ly pertaining to choices in lifestyle and ethics. I hope it helps you
see the prevalence of Dominionist thinking and worldliness in the
broadly Evangelical Christian world. This stream of thinking has
been dominant in the Church since the days of Constantine and as
things are it’s quite likely that it will develop further.
In the West we will be confronted with the reality of increasing
lawlessness and anarchy in society. The religion of Secular Human-
ism, as with all State religions will become more and more totali-
tarian as its followers seek to establish their Babel. In reaction to
this we are likely to see many Christians sympathise with Domin-
ionism. They are also likely to make partisan alliances with increas-
ingly radical right-wing factions in the political realm - a trend we
are already seeing in the US.
Outside of Christ’s realm, we will see increasing social and
racial unrest between various factions. As right-wing groups gain
prominence and Dominionist Christianity throws in with them,
we will see increasing instability throughout the West. As the vi-
sions of Revelation show us, this pattern of the Church seeking to
tame and ride the beast is a repeating cycle in history till the return
of Christ. The gods of the West have been quite successful in de-
370 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

ceiving many with Babel projects that syncretize Christianity with

their agenda. This syncretizing has birthed the religion of Secular
Humanism as the dominant ideology in the West. In the East we
are likely to see greater persecution of the faithful as their rulers
will increasingly see Christianity as a fifth column if Dominionism
continues to radicalise and gain more influence in the West.
Christians will have to know where they stand and Biblically
count the cost of being a citizen of Christ’s kingdom. Most church-
es that have become comfortable in the world will increasingly
compromise further and further - either through capitulating to
the tenets of the Secular Humanism or by radicalising and asso-
ciating with right-wing elements. As it is, most churches have be-
come comfortable in the world, function by various pragmatic sys-
tems they’ve built in worldly wisdom, worship God according to
their own innovations, fail to separate from the world, have capitu-
lated to the world on issues like divorce, feminism, and psychology
and have functionally denied kingdom ethics. This accomodation-
ism and ecumenism will continue to grow in these circles.
Even in our time a faithful Christian should find it rather diffi-
cult to be comfortable in the Evangelical milieu. This will only be-
come worse and the faithful will be increasingly isolated and cast
out from worldly congregations as “troublemakers”. Biblical Chris-
tians will have to come to terms with the reality that to be faith-
ful in many cases is to suffer outside the camp as Christ did (Heb
13:13). As A.W. Pink once noted in a letter to his friends, “that
(outside the camp) is the place of reproach, loneliness, and of testing;
but as it is the place where Christ is, it is, necessarily, the place of bless-
ing, peace and joy.”
Dominionist piety is spreading to the rest of the world and is
no longer restricted to the affluent West. I hear Christians in Asia
increasingly talk about “influencing the culture for Christ”, “trans-
forming society”, “raising the next generation of Christian leaders to
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 371

influence the nation” and similar Dominionist talking points. The

growing middle class is learning from Dominionist minded
preachers in the West. Their concerns are now increasingly about
the things of this age - social issues, participation in society, mar-
riage, finances, emotional issues, economics, laws, government
forms, etc. Historically, Christians in those parts largely under-
stood their place in the world but that is rapidly changing.
This can also be observed in other less affluent parts of the
world like Eastern Europe. I recently read a letter from a Ukrainian
pastor where he equated Russia with “the enemy” and called for
Westerners to pray for “our troops”. He was complaining about how
disheartened he was by the behaviour of Western leaders. This is
an example of how Dominionist piety corrupts even those in trag-
ic circumstances. Even places like Ukraine where historically Evan-
gelical Christianity was defined by its otherworldliness and heav-
enly mindedness have increasingly come under the wing of Domin-
ionism. By placing Russia as the “enemy”, Ukraine and the West as
“our” side and Ukrainian soldiers as “our troops”, they’ve conflated
Christ’s holy realm with national and imperial entities of the world.
There’s an increasing number of “Christian” organisations
forming in these places that focus on teaching young professionals
and respectable individuals notions of Dominionist piety. Several
of these organisations are directly funded by Western sources. Un-
surprisingly this has led to a younger generation that has become
indistinguishable from the world when it comes to matters like
feminism, divorce and psychology. They have also become con-
sumed by the worldly quest for purpose, meaning and direction.
Faithful Christians ought to strive to become increasingly ground-
ed in the Bible so that when they are confronted with the worldly
wisdom of Dominionist teachers they will be able to expose those
deceivers instead of being deceived by them. Those who come un-
der the yoke of Dominionist teaching are consumed by various
372 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

needless anxieties and hurtful lusts that will ultimately lead them
to perdition lest they repent.
The best thing that Christians can do in these times is to dili-
gently seek out like minded households and make an active effort
to form small remnant gatherings in various places. If possible,
working towards moving to join other godly households can be
very helpful in an age of increasing isolation. One of the greatest
encouragements to faithfulness can be to persevere with other like-
minded households. At the end of the day, I hope the Lord blesses
each of us with contentment and fortitude to endure persecution
and live simply quiet lives.
The time is short and the days are evil. Even so, we who are the
citizens of the kingdom of God must not despair. Through the in-
creasing reproach, loneliness and testing that we are to face in the
days ahead we look forward to an imperishable crown. We are cer-
tain that Christ has established a kingdom that will last forever. We
are assured that the kingdoms of the gods of the nations will fall,
but our kingdom will last forever. We have already tasted of that
kingdom in the Spirit, we will soon taste it in the flesh.
Rev 22:20 - “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come
quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 373

A Note from the Author

Thank you for reading My Kingdom is Not of This World. I be-
gan writing this book a couple of years ago as I became more aware
of the increasing influence of Dominionism in Evangelical Chris-
tianity. The values of this form of Christianity were not in line with
what I saw in the Bible. I came to realise that these were not mere-
ly theoretical matters but affect every aspect of the Christian life.
Moreover, the extent to which Evangelical Christianity at large had
succumbed to these worldly ideas shocked me.
I recognise that not everyone will agree with some of the prin-
ciples and application laid out in this book. That is totally legiti-
mate. My hope isn’t to turn others to be exactly like me. My hope
is to encourage fellow Christians to think about the implications
of their kingdom citizenship and how it ought to affect their life
and witness. My hope is that this book will help Christians to think
about and wrestle with concepts and ideas that they might not have
thought through or considered before.
Nothing I have presented in this work is unique nor have I
come up with these in isolation. I have learnt from various sources.
These sources are not of great importance to respectable Christian-
ity, but I’ve learnt much from the writings of dead men who fin-
ished well. I have been strongly influenced by the Ante-Nicene Fa-
thers, the Proto-Protestants and some free church and non-con-
formist groups after the Reformation. Their willingness to suffer re-
proach from the world to be faithful to Christ is of great encour-
agement.
I grew up in a Christian household in India. My dad was an el-
der in a house church. When we moved to another city, we joined
a congregation in the Brethren. While I greatly respect the ecclesi-
ology of the Brethren, I’ve come to strongly reject their Dispensa-
tionalism. That said, I’ve greatly benefitted from their strong sense
374 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

of antithesis with the world. Broadly speaking I would classify my-

self as a Protestant with a lot in common with the Brethren.
I have since moved to the US where I work as a software en-
gineer. If you would like to get in touch to discuss some of the
ideas in this book, want recommendations for further reading or
just chat about things of the kingdom I’m always willing to ex-
change emails. You can write to me at joshuaimmanuel.au-
[email protected].
In Christ
Joshua Immanuel
[1] There are some that distinguish between the usage of heaven as referring

to the atmosphere of earth and the outer space beyond it. They consider the sky
to be the first heaven and outer space to be the second heaven. While this is cer-
tainly a plausible theory, it seems unlikely given that from a human perspective,
the only difference in perceiving these heavens is the time of the day. During the
day, we see the sky and during night we see the stars and other heavenly bodies.
Categorically, they are together the material realm beyond us.
[2] Most English translations seem to translate this as the stars fighting
against Sisera rather than with him. This is another example of rationalizing
away the text because of a materialistic worldview. The Hebrew preposition im
translated as against in most translations is translated throughout the Old Testa-
ment as the English preposition with. It’s odd that in this instance it would sud-
denly mean against.
[3] The KJV translates this as God making his angels spirits. While the He-
brew word ruach can be translated as spirit. It is often used in the Old Testament
specifically to refer to winds (Gen 3:8, Gen 8:1, Exo 10:3, 10:19, 14:21, etc.).
Given the context of Psa 104:4, the Psalmist is trying to convey the elemental na-
ture of certain angelic beings, i.e., their association with elements like wind and
fire.
[4] In this book, the use of the word materialism is in the context of its philo-

sophical use, i.e., the view that nothing exists except matter, its movements and
modifications. In one sense all Christians reject materialism because they confess
the reality of a spiritual realm. That said a majority of Christians see the spiritu-
al realm as distant and not directly involved in the affairs of what is observable.
This is a form of materialism. Materialism here does not refer to the greater de-
sire for material things.
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 375

[5] The king of Ammon at this time was likely a Moabite. The national god

of the Ammonite people was Moloch or Milcom.

[6] There are some who use this curse to indicate that Satan appeared in the

form of a snake and the curse is where snakes lost their legs. There is no indica-
tion that upon thy belly shalt thou go (Gen 3:14) represents the loss of limbs.
For instance, the creation account tells us that God made creeping things (Gen
1:24), and therefore they were part of the order He called good. The plain read-
ing of the Text indicates that Satan is being dishonoured and brought low. Pride
was the sin by which he corrupted the cosmos, and the ultimate end of that sin is
to be the lowest of low and grovel in the dirt.
[7] Many Dominionists consider this to be natural femininity, just twisted

by the fall, however the Bible indicates that this is a consequence of the Fall.
[8] We are told that Abel raised sheep. It should be evident that Abel raised

this specific type of animal both for sacrifice to God and for clothing. He didn’t
raise sheep to disobey God’s commandment and take it upon himself to eat meat.
[9] Some see this system as being an institution of a general system of restitu-

tion for all kinds of crimes and therefore Christians ought to be involved in par-
ticipating in and influencing the legal/justice systems in the nations where they
live. However, there is no indication in the Text that is the case. The punishment
of death for the shedding of blood is specifically tied to the image of God in man
and not the institution of a general system of justice for the world.
[10] These lesser beings would include the shedim (Deut 32:17, Psa 107:37)

and the elemental spirits we have already considered. Shedim is a loan word from
the Akkadian Shedu, lesser protective deities associated with households, cities,
buildings, etc.
[11] The latter case is particularly important because there are civilized soci-

eties like Rome that do have outward concepts of shame and thus restrict overtly
promiscuous behavior. Yet the sin is perpetrated by the ease of availability of di-
vorce and remarriage.
[12] It is important to note that it wasn’t a monarchy itself that was sinful be-

cause that is the government of all the created order, under God’s rule. However,
the Israelites were to be different from the nations around them. This included
acknowledging Jehovah as their ruler and awaiting the Messiah who would be
376 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

their King. In not having an earthly king, the Israelites were testifying to the na-
tions around them that they looked forward to their king.
[13] The Old Testament doesn’t explicitly lay out how these cosmic allot-

ments work; it does teach that Jehovah allotted for Himself a particular land in
that Covenant. We never see such direct Divine retribution outside the holy land
when the nations fail to fear the Lord and engage in idolatry. However, things
are different in Jehovah’s land. Jehovah does indeed rule the whole cosmos and is
therefore able to exercise judgement on the nations as He pleases. That said He
has established His law and worship in the holy nation.

[14] Some would point to Naaman the Syrian to assert that one didn’t have to

become an Israelite but had to believe and worship Israel’s God. While that is
true with regards to salvation, Naaman’s case is the exception and not the rule.
It is an outpouring of God’s mercy and a foreshadowing of the future state of
the Kingdom, which would consist of covenant members sojourning in every na-
tion. The initiation of Exodus 12:48 was the norm and that is how one came into
covenant with God in the Mosaic system.
[15] Many Dominionists have essentially made violence and aggression an

intrinsic part of masculinity. Rather than seeing it as an aberration that is part

of a fallen order and can be necessary at times because of the existing evil of the
world, they’ve spuriously turned it into something central to being a man.
[16] The position of Daniel and his friends is certainly one to consider be-

cause it is often used to justify seeking power in the world. Firstly, these men
did not desire nor seek positions of power in Babylon. They were slaves who
were elevated to their positions by their rulers in God’s Providence. Secondly,
their calling was not the calling of the average Jew who was to live a peaceful
and quiet life, a life that would keep them in separation from the wickedness of
Babylon. Thirdly, while they were educated in the Babylonian system (Dan 1:4),
excelling in it (Dan 1:17) and served in the Babylonian court, they refused to
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 377

become Babylonian, even avoiding the meat served from the king’s table. Their
covenant identity was central to who they were, seeking Babylon’s peace was to
that end. Fourthly, they were uncompromising with regards to their values and
ethics and did not pragmatically mould their ethics according to what was al-
ready respectable and acceptable in Babylonian society.

[17]Bel is simply a title that the Babylonians conferred on many deities. It was
primarily used to refer to their chief god, Marduk.
[18] God’s judgement on Babylonian kings is never on account of their fail-

ure to keep the Mosaic law or ceremonies but with regards to their lack of mercy
for the poor and pride (Dan 4:27, 30-32, 5:20-23)
[19] It is important to distinguish between literalistic and literal. Literalistic

means a Text is read as is. Literal means reading the Text as the author of the Text
intended – which means recognizing symbolism, figure of speech, poetry, etc.
[20] As an aside, this is perhaps a good place to dispel some notions popular

in Dominionist circles that God made Adam and thus men to be physically ag-
gressive in the prelapsarian state based on the notion that Adam should have vio-
lently put Satan out of Eden. However, if Jesus’ temptation is a parallel to Adam’s
temptation, Adam’s weapon against Satan was spiritual, the Word of God, the
command that God had given him not to eat of the tree rather than “masculine
aggression”. We use the same weapon to resist the Devil today.
[21] It is important to note that Satan and his angels are cast out of the divine

council, i.e., the throne room of God, the heaven of heavens or third heaven. Sa-
tan himself is bound for a time but the New Testament makes it evident that the
principalities and powers continue to rule from the heavenly realms, i.e., the other
spiritual realities outside of God’s throne room.
[22] It is belief in His kingship and resurrection that saves, not specifically

belief in the individualistic notion that He died for our sins. While that notion
is true, it never forms the basis of Biblical calls to repentance.
[23] Many think this passage refers to human princes or rulers. However, that

is plainly not the case. In v6, that come to nought can be literally translated, who
378 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

are passing away. In other words, something that is presently taking place and will
be done in the future. The human rulers like Pontius Pilate, Herod Antipas and
High Priest Caiaphas who were instrumental in Christ’s crucifixion were already
dead when Paul wrote the letter to the Corinthians and therefore this cannot be
referring to them.
[24] I would say the exception here would be widows. While 1 Tim 5 does

permit younger widows to remarry, it is not given as an ideal but as a better

option than falling into immorality and apostasy. Paul teaches that widows are
happier if they remain the way they are (1 Cor 7:39-40). 1 Tim 5 also assumes
that there will be younger widows who will prove faithful, not remarry and serve
Christ, eventually receiving double honour from the Church if they remain the
wife of one man - showing both exceptional continence and holding fast to the
ideal of marriage as being between one man and one woman throughout the age.
In fact, the term for wife of one husband draws from an existing theme of the uni-
vira in Roman culture that considered the most virtuous woman to be a widow
who never remarried and honoured her husband’s memory. Paul is drawing on a
well-known cultural theme in Roman society.
[25] Certain Dominionists have sought to explain away Peter’s acknowl-

edgement of the Church’s exilic status with respect to the world by saying that he
is writing to a Jewish audience in Asia Minor that was in exile. That however does
not explain the weight of the rest of the New Testament that consistently em-
phasises the message of pilgrim identity. Moreover, it misses a very key redemp-
tive-historical theme - the Already-Not Yet nature of the Kingdom of God.
[26] It is also important to add a point here about the nature of Revelation

of heavenly realities. When the prophets or apostles were taken into the heavenly
places, they were confronted with realities that were far greater than their human
minds could understand. Therefore, they seek to represent those things accord-
ing to forms that they knew from the times they lived in. Thus, all accounts of
spiritual things are analogical, i.e. when the Bible tells us about censers and in-
cense in heaven, we should not necessarily assume that they are exactly the same
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 379

as censers and incense on earth but great heavenly realities that can be best com-
pared to censers and incense on earth.

[27] The KJV translates these proclamations as “gods” in plural. However, that
isn’t accurate. The Bible always uses the word Elohim in plural, both when it
refers to Jehovah and the gods of the nations. Aaron and Jeroboam are equating
the bull with Jehovah. The bull was an idol that represented a single deity not a
plurality. Essentially, they are saying “This is your God, O Israel”.
[28]
The ancient mind always associated astral bodies with beings that they
worshipped as gods. As we have seen even the Bible associates astral bodies with
the elohim beings.
[29] Again, to the ancient mind, the primary elements of the world were al-

ways tied to various beings they worshipped as gods.

[30]
In Greco-Roman myth, the Olympian gods defeated the old gods (Ti-
tanomachy) and giants (Gigantomachy) and brought order to the cosmos. This
order was to be imaged on earth by the kingdoms and empires that belonged to
them. This perversion of the truth had led many in bondage to those gods. In
fact, a significant portion of the book of Revelation uses symbolism to show that
the Roman empire doesn’t represent the order of heaven as it claims. Rather, it
represents the chaos embodied by the Titans and Giants of their mythology.
[31] Others speak in terms of national obligation to serve as a soldier or

magistrate. This contradicts what the Bible teaches about God’s people being
called out of the nations into the kingdom of God. That is our only allegiance.
We cannot serve God and Caesar. Our obligations to the nations in which we
live are to live orderly lives, not stir up discord, not be troublemakers, paying our
taxes and honouring our rulers. We are not called to join in the mission of the
nations of the world in their vengeance and madness one against another.
[32] For a thorough treatment of the Biblical and historical case against di-

vorce and remarriage read Except for Fornication by Daniel R. Jennings

[33] Similarly, we have the witness of the early church in how they dealt

with men who were converted out of the Roman legions. One couldn’t simply
leave the legions. To do so was to become an outlaw who could be put to death.
380 JOSHUA IMMANUEL

Thus, Christians showed mercy to soldiers who converted. Rather than expect-
ing them to leave immediately because the ethics of soldiering were contrary to
Christianity, they tolerated them as long as they stayed away from military en-
gagements. These Christians would thus hope that their assignments would be
restricted to building and engineering tasks. Should the time come where they
would be called to fight for the Empire, many of these Christians would refuse
to go out and face execution or severe punishment rather than compromise their
ethics. If on the other hand a Christian intentionally joined the legions, he would
be put under discipline.
[34] The only context in which we can view the gates of Hades being on the

defensive is the imagery of Christ’s death. As we have seen, this culminated in

the harrowing of Hades where Christ broke down the gates of the netherworld,
proclaimed His victory and freed the Old Testament saints from the realm of the
dead.
[35] Some would now bring up the accusation of gnosticism against those

who teach that the present order of material things must be destroyed. However,
this is a slanderous accusation. Not only does it fail to understand what Gnos-
ticism was, it intentionally misrepresents the Biblical teaching of the end of this
material order. The destruction of the present world does not mean that matter
is intrinsically evil in the same way that the Great Flood didn’t change the reali-
ty that when God made the earth, it was very good. The present created order is
under a curse and God in His infinite wisdom has chosen to dissolve it, redeem
His own people and build a new heavens and a new earth. This new earth will
also be a physical material reality and it will be very good.
[36] Several modern translations translate Dan 7:10 as thrones were set in
place instead of the KJV’s thrones were cast down. The KJV’s translation in this
case is far more accurate. The Hebrew root word remah is used in Dan 3:6, 11,
15, 21 and 24 to refer to being cast into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow to
Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. Similarly, it is used in Dan 6:7, 12, 16 and 24 in refer-
ence to Daniel being cast into the lion’s den. The context of its usage in Daniel
confirms that it refers to thrones being cast down rather than set in place.
[37] Some Christians try to justify the practice of usury by appealing to
Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matt 25:14-30. That is the error of parable inver-
 MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD 381

sion. Parables are tools that Christ used to teach the people using terms famil-
iar to them. This doesn’t justify an action in the parable that is elsewhere con-
demned in the Bible. This would be like saying the parable of the unjust judge
(Lk 18:1-8) justifies being unjust or that the parable of the wheat and the tares
(Matt 13:24-33) opposes weeding one’s farm or garden.
[38] Some in the Dominion Stewardship camp have even gone so far as to

call the whole episode of the widow giving all she had at the temple as being a
scene of religious exploitation rather than that of sacrificial giving.
[39] When Christ sent out the twelve and later seventy missionaries, they

were told to live off the hospitality of the people they were sent to (Matt
10:11-14, Lk 10:1-23).
 About the Author
Joshua Immanuel is a Protestant Christian who was raised in a
Christian household. He works as a Software Engineer in Atlanta
and is passionate about studying and teaching the Bible to others.
He enjoys reading and writing about theology, history and philos-
ophy. When he isn't deeply engrossed in a book or writing some-
thing, you can find him pursuing his love of the great outdoors by
hiking, camping and travelling to various national parks across the
US.