A Biblical View of Globalism and Nationalism, part 3 by S. Jones

A Biblical View of Globalism and Nationalism, part 3

Dec 14, 2018 by Dr. Stephen Jones

https://gods-kingdom-ministries.net/daily-weblogs/2018/12-2018/a-biblical-view-of-globalism-and-nationalism-part-3/

God has always revealed His goals from the beginning, but He seldom (if ever) reaches His goal in a single step. He created Time as a staircase with major resting places along the way to set forth progressive principles that are not yet perfect or complete.

For example, God instituted the Old Covenant, not as a permanent feature, not as his goal, but as a means toward His goal. He instituted types and shadows, not as final goals but as patterns by which we might understand the goal before reaching it. These patterns provide us with road maps that encourage us to press on toward the goal.

The Kingdom under David was a pattern of things to come, but the actual Kingdom of God is a much greater manifestation than the nation that David ruled.

Normally, the big plan begins small. God turned the page of history when He called one man, Abraham, to be the trustee of a global kingdom. A few generations later, God took one nation, Israel, and “married” it at Mount Horeb. Although only a few people were present to make vows, they represented more than just themselves. Their descendants were bound by the vows of their fathers. The few represented the many.

In Deuteronomy 29, all who were part of the Israel nation, including foreigners, gathered to “enter into the covenant with the Lord your God and into His oath” (Deuteronomy 29:12). The people represented the whole earth, even those who had no knowledge of the true God or would ever hear what the Israelites had done. Deuteronomy 29:14, 15 says,

¹⁴ Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, ¹⁵ but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God and with those who are not with us here today.

This shows that the Kingdom of God is a form of representative government. It is NOT the case that the covenant was made only with Israel, for all Israel was present but God also applied that covenant with “those who are not with us here today.” God’s oath was going to affect all of mankind, not just Israelites.

You could say that God was a globalist from the beginning. He created all things, and hence, He had a vested interest in all things. Even though He started with just one man, His scope of interest was global. In Numbers 14:21 God told Moses, ²¹ but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.

When God said, “as I live,” He was swearing an oath upon Himself, because there was no one greater on which to swear an oath. In the context, God was having apparent difficulty getting the Israelites to cooperate and to enter the Promised Land. When Moses reminded God of what the neighbors would say if God should fail, that was when God opened up the floodgates of truth and blurted out His intention to fill the entire earth with His glory.

That brief revelation exposed the divine intent, the goal of the Kingdom, and the global scope of the divine promise. God was working nationally at the time, but He was planning globally.

The Dispersion of Israel

God married Israel at Mount Horeb, but this was an Old Covenant marriage, where God married a bondwoman. The bondwoman was pictured as Hagar in terms of Abraham’s immediate family; however, on the national application, Israel itself was Hagar. The individual citizens of Israel were thus portrayed by Ishmael, the child of the flesh. In other words, the nation of Israel that God married at Mount Horeb was not the heir of the promise, for only through the New Covenant (Sarah) can one become an heir of the promises of God (Galatians 4:30).

God’s marriage with Israel was rocky from the start. She committed adultery almost immediately by worshiping the gold calf (Exodus 32:4). Israel received a lot of marriage counseling over the years through the prophets. But finally, that marriage ended in divorce (Jeremiah 3:8), and in accordance with the law of divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1 KJV, God sent her out of His house.

Israel was thus removed from God’s house and sent to the land of Assyria. This ended God’s marriage to “Hagar.” According to the law in Deuteronomy 24:2-4 KJV, the bill of divorce allowed “Hagar” to remarry. The Law of Tribulation in Deuteronomy 28:64 prophesied that when Israel was to be scattered into other lands, she would “serve other gods.” In other words, those ex-Israelites would be married to false gods until the time of the end.

Meanwhile, the kingdom of Judah remained in the land of Canaan for another century and then was taken to Babylon temporarily for 70 years. Some of them returned later in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, where the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

The histories of Israel and Judah, then, took different paths. Each nation had its own calling. Judah’s calling was to bring forth the Messiah (“ruler”) who was to carry to Dominion Mandate. Israel’s calling was to bring forth the sons of God by the Fruitfulness Mandate. Another way of putting it, Judah carried the Scepter, while Israel carried the Birthright (1 Chronicles 5:1, 2).

The Regathering

Hosea 1:11 prophesied that Judah and Israel would be reunited under “one leader” (Christ). The great breach between Israel and Judah was to be repaired in the end (Isaiah 58:12). While there was disunity, the fullness of the Kingdom was impossible. While the Scepter was separate from the Birthright, the Kingdom could not be established. The King needed to be united (married) to the Kingdom.

This new marriage was to be a New Covenant relationship, unlike that which was established at Mount Horeb. God’s first marriage ended in divorce, but His New Covenant marriage was designed to last forever.

No one will be part of the Sarah company apart from faith in Christ, who is the Mediator of the New Covenant. No one can claim to be married to God by virtue of his/her physical descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Neither can one claim to be married to God by virtue of the Old Covenant marriage ceremony that occurred at Mount Horeb—because that marriage ended in a lawful divorce.

The new marriage is based upon better things, as the book of Hebrews tells us. It is, in fact, the only/exclusive manner in which one can have a relationship with God. Jesus said, “no man comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). One must acknowledge and believe that Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for sin and was not merely murdered by His enemies for the sake of truth. His blood must be applied to the altar of the heart in order to be lawful (Leviticus 17:4).

If men attempt to recreate an Old Covenant marriage relationship with God, they must do so through Moses, not through Jesus. But such a marriage is already null and void, because it ended in divorce many years ago. No Old Covenant relationship has validity any more, for it was proven to be inadequate. God has no intention of trying to recreate an Old Covenant relationship with any man, nation, or religion.

God is now doing a new thing, something that will actually succeed, a relationship that will never end in divorce.

The prophets often spoke of the regathering of Israel under the Messiah. Isaiah says that others will be gathered along with the dispersed Israelites, for he tells us in Isaiah 56:6-8,

⁶ Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath, and holds fast to My covenant; ⁷ even those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. ⁸ The Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, “Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.”

In the original temple built by Solomon, the king declared that it was to be a house of prayer for all people, including foreigners (1 Kings 8:41, 42, 43). This is a truly globalist view, for Solomon in his wisdom understood that God intended to include all nations in His Kingdom. In fact, the first Kingdom failed in order to establish something greater and broader in scope.

One might think of the original kingdom of Israel as a model for something greater, a type and shadow rather than the final reality. All men, regardless of their ethnicity, were to gain citizenship in the Kingdom in the same manner—by faith in Jesus Christ. By swearing allegiance to King Jesus, they were to be granted equality in the Kingdom.

Isaiah 45:23 gives God’s oath through the prophet, ²³ I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

The apostle Paul adds to this revelation in Philippians 2:11, “to the glory of God the Father.” The glory of God is in the fact that He will succeed in making this happen, not merely in giving men the opportunity to bow their knees. When God makes vows, He does so with the knowledge that He has the power to succeed. He does not vow things that are outside of His control. If some portion of mankind, in the end, does NOT confess (literally, profess) Christ to the glory of God the Father, then God’s oath will have failed.

All will bow and profess Christ, however, for this is how His glory will cover the earth (Numbers 14:21).

Leveling the Playing Field

By reducing salvation to a single act through one Man (Christ), the regathering of Israel and “others” is effective for all, regardless of ethnicity or nationality. Paul says in Romans 3:22 that “there is no distinction.” He repeats this in Romans 10:11, 12, 13,

¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; ¹³ for “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

This regathering, then, began in the first century as men and women everywhere began to call upon the name of Jesus. It began in Jerusalem, particularly on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:47) but spread to the rest of the world in later years. It has continued throughout the Age of Pentecost, between the two comings of Christ.

As the Age of Pentecost ends and the Age of Tabernacles Age emerges, the Kingdom of God will form a government of its own, complete with land that will grow until it fills the whole earth. The Kingdom started with one man and his family. It grew into a nation. And finally, it will become global.

The Kingdom will be made up of rulers and citizens, but all will be required to have faith in Jesus Christ and to declare Him as King. It will not be a Jewish kingdom, nor an Israelite kingdom as such, but all people, regardless of ethnicity, will become citizens of the Kingdom. It will constitute the united Kingdom of Israel, and all its citizens will be Israelites by right of citizenship. There will be one law for all people, as the law of God demands.

Globalism & Nationalism Part 2: by S. Jones

A Biblical View of Globalism and Nationalism, part 2

Dec 13, 2018 by Dr. Stephen Jones

https://gods-kingdom-ministries.net/daily-weblogs/2018/12-2018/a-biblical-view-of-globalism-and-nationalism-part-2/

God created families, which grew into tribes, and tribes became nations. God deals directly with these groups, even as He deals directly with individuals. Certain men and women were given specific callings, and it was the same with nations. For this reason, we must understand the mind of God on both levels, knowing that the same laws of God apply to each.

Nationalism is good, as long as one recognizes Jesus Christ’s right as the King of all nations. Globalism, too, is good, as long as one recognizes Jesus Christ’s right to rule as King of the world. Neither is good when one worships the state or a group of nations (empire). Throughout history, nationalists have done injustices to other nations on the basis of self-interest, conquest, and oppression of others. Nations have sought to become empires, and those empires sought to extend their power to the rest of the world. In other words, their goal was global power, or what we might call globalism.

The Bible shows that globalism is the divine goal, where Christ rules all nations (Revelation 19:15) by His righteous laws. In Revelation 11:15 John sees how “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” That is biblical globalism. It is righteous because it is not based on self-interest but upon love. The laws of God demand a single law for all men, regardless of their ethnicity (Exodus 12:49; Numbers 15:16). When applied to the global empire known as the Kingdom of God, one nation is not privileged above another, but there is equal justice for all.

Those who are “chosen” are called to administer those laws under Christ. They are not called as a privileged class but as dispensers of the love of God for all men. They are called as examples of love, not as slave owners. They are the trustees of the Kingdom.

Stewards and Trustees

I have often written how authority is properly exercised only when a man or woman is subject to the sovereignty of God. When authority usurps God’s sovereignty, the man thinks he owns the throne and is authorized to do as he pleases. But the Bible considers that to be rebellion, which inevitably leads to lawlessness. I have shown often that we should consider ourselves to be stewards, rather than owners.

But last evening I received a greater insight that involves a change of language that better expresses the purpose of God. We are not stewards but trustees. Abraham had a faithful steward. His name was Eliezer (Genesis 15:2). Abraham also had an heir. His name was Isaac. Isaac was more than a steward. He was the heir to the calling of Abraham as the trustee of the Kingdom, the one responsible to dispense the blessings of the inheritance to “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3).

A steward is good, but a trustee is better. A good steward is part of the household, but a trustee of the Kingdom is family. In the Old Testament, to be the trustee required being a direct descendant of the previous trustee—in this case, Abraham. Unfortunately, many of the trustees over the centuries misused and abused their position, because they hoarded the blessings for themselves and refused to dispense the blessings as required in the original promise. So this was modified after the coming of Christ.

Jesus Christ was the head Trustee, the Heir of Abraham, and He was indeed a direct descendant of those who received the promises—David in particular. But the children of God are also trustees, and they are called “priests of God and of Christ” (Revelation 20:6). To be a priest is to hold an office of trusteeship under Christ, the Head Trustee. This priesthood used to be a matter of genealogy, for they had to be descended from Aaron, who was of Levi. However, because the Levitical priests failed in their duties, they were replaced by a new priesthood, the Order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:17).

Likewise, the trustee family was no longer biological but spiritual. No longer does one have to be of Aaron to be a priest or trustee. Now the requirement is to be begotten by the Spirit of God through the seed of the word (1 Peter 1:23, 24, 25). To be a physical descendant of Aaron or Abraham did not ensure that a trustee would fulfill the calling that was required of him. But once the requirement was to be genuinely begotten by the Holy Spirit (as opposed to being religious), then the trustees are assured of having a heart change that gives them the mind of God and the heart of a steward to fulfill the requirements of trusteeship.

The sons of God, then, are not those who were begotten by fleshly forefathers but those who have God Himself as their Father. In addition to this, they have Sarah as their mother, not the fleshly Sarah but the New Covenant that she represents allegorically (Galatians 4:24, 31). Old Covenant believers are not qualified as trustees, although they will certainly receive the blessings dispensed by the trustees.

The Election

Hence, the “chosen” people, sometimes translated “the elect,” are also called the remnant of grace (Romans 11:5-7). Paul makes the point that only 7,000 men of Israel were chosen. Although the Israelites themselves numbered in the millions, only a few were chosen. This did not mean that only a few were “saved.” It means that only a few were trustees and heirs of the Abrahamic promise. The few were called to dispense the blessings to the rest of the world.

Being “elected” has often been thought of as a matter of salvation, and this has caused some confusion among Christians and church leaders. Calvinists, for example, taught that God has elected a few for salvation and has condemned the rest to the fate of eternal torment. By this definition, the elect were the saved ones, and the rest were not. But election is not about salvation. It is about being called as a trustee, an heir of Abraham, to bless all the families of the earth. How can those other families be blessed if they cannot even be saved?

Election has to do with coming into a position of authority, a calling that is not for everyone. That position is a calling to dispense blessings to all, not to hoard them exclusively for a small inner circle. Scripture illustrates this in the first fruits offerings at each of the three main feasts. On the first Sunday after Passover, the first fruits of barley were offered to God. When the high priest waved the barley before God in the temple, this was the signal to begin the barley harvest. God did not simply take the barley and destroy the rest of the harvest. The first fruits of the barley sanctified the rest of the harvest.

Paul says in Romans 11:16 KJV, “If the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy.” Hence, God is not only interested in the first fruits but desires the entire harvest as well. The elect are the first fruits of a greater harvest in the same manner that Christ was the first fruits of others who were to be raised from the dead afterward (1 Corinthians 15:20).

So we must view the elect in terms of being called to dispense blessings, rather than seeing them as the sole recipients of those blessings. The elect, or chosen ones, are not those who are saved but those who rule and reign with Christ in positions of authority. Authority is not just a matter of ruling over others but of being responsible to dispense the truth and to set the example of God’s love for all to see and adopt for themselves.

There is a difference, then, between a believer and an overcomer. An overcomer is a trustee, and as others receive the blessings of Abraham, they become believers and join the household of faith. As they learn the mind of Christ, they are then able to bless others in their own way.

Priorities

There is a divine order that involves priorities. Having married my wife, she takes priority over other women. This does not mean that I hate all other women. Marriage simply elevates her to a position of priority over others.

God married the nation of Israel at Mount Horeb. This put Israel into a position of priority over the other nations. But this did not mean that God hated all other nations, nor did it mean that other nations could not be saved. Priority does not mean exclusivity except in a limited sense.

The nation of Israel was first married to God under the Old Covenant. That Old Covenant marriage ended in failure and divorce (Jeremiah 3:8; Hosea 2:2). It had to end in failure in order that a better marriage covenant might be established. Knowing that these two covenants are represented by Hagar and Sarah, we can see that there are two kinds of marriage relationships that nations (groups of people) have with God. Some have an Old Covenant relationship with God, while others have a New Covenant relationship with God.

To be a trustee, one must come under the Head Trustee, Jesus Christ, who was the Mediator of the New Covenant. Hence, an Old Covenant believer is not a trustee, not chosen, not one of the elect, and not an overcomer. It does not mean that such a person is lost forever. It just means that he or she has not been elected to the office of a trustee and is not fully qualified to dispense the blessings of Abraham to the rest of the world.

Even Old Covenant believers are called to love God and their neighbors, but they are part of the bond woman company (Hagar), rather than of the free woman (Sarah). Children of the bond woman are to be stewards like Eliezer, but they are not heirs and trustees unless they are children of Sarah.

Most Christians have been blind to these truths, because they have been taught to focus primarily on the distinction between saved and unsaved. While there is certainly an element of truth in such a distinction, it is not the full truth. We must think of the two groups in terms of present and future believers. Further, we should distinguish between the children of Hagar and the children of Sarah. As trustees, we should view non-trustees as recipients of the blessings of God and that, as trustees, we are called to dispense those blessings to them, knowing that at some point every knee will bow and every tongue will profess Christ as Lord (Philippians 2:10, 11).

Although there is a distinction and even a separation into two groups, in the end all will be blessed in Abraham, all will profess Christ, all will be saved, and God will be all in all. The divine plan is not merely national but global. Yet globalism must be established under the rule of Christ in order that all nations may be truly blessed.