POWER OVER THE NATIONS
Revelation 2:24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
What a glorious time we have been brought to as the King of all kings now takes over the world rule. Daniel was given a vision of this centuries before it occurred. Here is his prophesy: Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, (that is the four Gentile world kingdoms), and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 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 kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
For the Lord Jesus Christ, exalted in the heavens, now reigns over all the kingdoms of the world! And his is an everlasting kingdom, unlike Nebuchadnezzar’s, Darius’, Alexander the Great’s and Julius Caesar’s, as it shall never be conquered and taken over by anyone else! Daniel 7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Christ’s kingdom began with the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. His present reign began upon his ascension after he had accomplished redemption. Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding 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; For his flesh and the temple vail were both torn at Calvary, ending the old earthly kingdom and giving entrance to the new, spiritual kingdom. Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And this kingdom cannot be pointed to as a specific physical location. Mark 13:21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. It is exclusively seen and entered into by the new spiritual birth, given by grace through the Holy Spirit! John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
All nation’s locations, as well as the time of their beginning and ending is established by the Lord God according to his people! Deuteronomy 32:8 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.
Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations 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; 27 That they should seek the Lord,
Haggai 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. Take good notice of that verse, as it is so ofter misquoted. The little word, “all” is often omitted by those quoting it. For it is said that the Lord Christ is the “desire of ALL nations!” But the meaning is not that every individual within every nation, without exception shall desire him. Revelation 5:9 gives us the clear understanding. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; He is the desire of all nations as he shall redeem some “out of” every nation! The Prophet Haggai was informing that Jesus Christ, the Messiah would not be for just the nation of Israel.
Dare you to believe this proclamation by the Lord as listed in Isaiah? Isaiah 19:24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.
What?!? Egypt and Assyria are on equal spiritual standing with Israel? That’s what He said! For he commanded his powerful gospel to be preached in all the world to “every creature!” A born again Egyptian, or Assyrian is just as holy and loved by the Lord Christ as is a born again citizen of Israel! Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
For no longer is there a national Israel to be seen as the exclusive people of God. Now we come to see that it is the spiritual Israel; that is, all the born again souls, washed in the blood of the Lamb! Galatians 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision (the Jew), availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, (the Gentile), but a new creature. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. That is, the church!
Hebrews 12:18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, We are no longer commanded to go to Jerusalem for accepted worship, but are instructed by the Lord to “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. I will give your rest.” Matthew 11:28. The Holy Spirit’s ‘invitation’ is never to come to a religious order. He effectually invites believers to come to the Person of Christ.
For our Lord instructed the woman at the well that neither Jerusalem, nor any other earthly location was any longer the “place” of worship. But beginning at that very time true worship was to be defined as a condition of the heart! Those worshippers were alone sought by the Father! John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Romans 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
The new Jerusalem is the true church! It is the city come down from God out of heaven on Pentecost. It is a city “without walls.” That is, it is not defined by physical boundaries! Zechariah 2:4 And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: 5 For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. Because you can’t wall in an organism! That which is walled in, that is, only identified by its physical location, is but an organization! – The Harlot church.
The power over the nations is given to the church, ruling with the gospel – the rod of iron. For it alone is the power of God unto salvation! Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Genesis 18:18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
The Lord has endowed the true church with two mighty weapons by which she has power over the nations. They are the gospel and prayer. Of the gospel we read; Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is the most powerful weapon ever turned loose on planet Earth! By it every soul that escapes the awful results of sin, comes to know God and is granted entrance into His eternal glory! It both fills heaven and hell! 2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour (“fragrance”), of Christ, (“discernible alike”), in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
The other weapon of prayer is also mighty as it connects the Sovereign’s throne with the circumstances in which the true church is involved on earth. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Carefully consider these verses which reveal the vital connection between Christ’s work on Calvary, the church’s prayers, and the responding results of the shaking of earth’s matters for the gospel’s sake. The mighty angel, or messenger, representing our interceding Christ, stands to bring the force of “the altar,” which represents his work at Calvary, to bear upon earth’s circumstances, as he mingles it with the prayers of his people. When these are co-mingled and poured out upon earth, a mighty shaking occurs. Thus the church has power over the nations by means of their prayers.
Revelation 8:3 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. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
The Hebrew writer informs us that it by these “earthquakes” in which the kingdom of Christ is advanced. Hebrews 12:27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Pastor Gene Breed
February 21, 2020
