REVIVAL MINISTRIES AUSTRALIA
An Apostolic Ministry to the Nations
And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ. - Acts 5:42
And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ. - Acts 5:42
In order to fully appreciate the kingdom of God it is important for us to understand the authority of the King. The Kingdom of God is expressed through the authority of the King. Knowing the authority of the King is directly related to us coming to know the authority that has been given to us. As we know more of who He is, we then understand more fully who we are, "because as He is, so are we in this world" 1 John 4:17. It is time to know by revelation the authority of the King!
In Ecclesiastes 8:4 Solomon declared, "Where the word of a king is there is power; and who may say to him, 'What are you doing?' The word in Hebrew for King is Melek which comes from a word malak meaning:- to reign, to ascend the throne, to induct into royalty [Strong's Concordance Hb. #4427]. A King is someone reigning, sitting upon the throne, the seat of authority. The word for Power is the Hebrew word Shilton which means:- a potentate, the root of this word, shalat, means to dominate, to govern, to permit [Strong's Concordance Hb. #7983 & #7980]. As the King, Jesus governs and dominates, having been given "all authority in heaven and on earth" Matthew 28:18.
This word, shalat or to govern, also links to what Jesus taught about the authority He has given to the church to bind and to loose, or to permit and forbid (Matthew 18:15-20). We have been given the keys (the authority) of the kingdom of heaven to permit or forbid on the earth what is permitted or forbidden in heaven. This is governmental authority and it is given by the King, Jesus.
The verse in Ecclesiastes 8:4 also reveals that the authority of the king is released through His word. Where the word of the King is there is power, which is governing and dominating authority. This was seen in Ephesus as the apostle Paul taught the word daily in the school of Tyrannus for two years. The result was "all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks" Acts 19:10. Finally this led to the point that "the word of the Lord grew mightily [literally in governmental power, Gk. "kratos"] and prevailed" in the province of Asia (Acts 19:20).
We have been given the Word of the King. It is so important that we come to know the Word as there is authority and power when we know the word of the king. Heaven's will is done on the earth through His Word. The Word will then manifest through preaching (Titus 1:3).
In Ecclesiastes 8:5 it is written that, "He who keeps His command will experience nothing harmful..." Jesus the King gave His trained disciples authority, saying to them, "Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the devil and nothing shall by any means harm you" Luke 10:19. This authority is absolute and protects us from the retribution of demonic forces when we have used it over the power of the devil. The key is staying in obedience ["keeping His command"] to the word of the King; then we stay in authority over the devil!
In the days of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar was dramatically judged with madness until he "came to know that Heaven rules" Daniel 4:26. We need to know who rules. It is Heaven; it is God in Heaven that rules; it is knowing that "the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses" Daniel 4:25. The word rules is the Hebrew word 'Shalit' which means: - having mastery, ruling, having authority, permission, mighty [Strong's Concordance Hb. #7990 and Hebrew Lexicon on MySword]. It is linked to the word shilton which was translated as power. Heaven has mastery over the earth. Authority comes from Heaven. Nebuchadnezzar then recognized God as the "King of heaven" Daniel 4:37.
As the church we are commanded to pray for leaders and authorities (1 Tim.2:1-7). This is very powerful spiritual warfare. As we pray according to the Word, for governments and leaders on the earth, then God reveals His government through us to the earth. Heaven ruling looks like "a quiet and peaceable life with all godliness and reverence" 1 Tim.2:3. The authority of the King is revealed through Him answering our prayers! The world then sees that Jesus is in heaven ruling and reigning over the earth now, through His Body (Eph.1:19-23).
Psalm 2 is a Messianic Psalm, meaning, a Psalm speaking of the Messiah, the Anointed King. It speaks of the kings of the earth setting themselves against Yahweh and against His Anointed, the Messiah, the King (v.2). God in heaven laughs (v.4) as no one can usurp His Throne or dislodge Him. It is a futile effort to come against God and His King! Then there is God's answer for the nations, "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion" (v.6). The word set in Hebrew means poured or installed. God has poured His King on Mount Zion, installing Him, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, as the Ruler.
Where is Zion? Physically it is a mountain of Jerusalem. However, this verse says that the King was installed upon Zion. Where is Jesus, the King? Hebrews 12:22-24 says "You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem...to God...to Jesus..." Zion is a heavenly, spiritual location. We are there with Jesus, with God. The apostle John, in the Spirit, saw Jesus as the Lamb of God "standing on Mount Zion" Revelation 14:1. Mount Zion is the place of rulership and government and it is accessed in the Spirit.
The Psalm says that when the King was installed on Zion the decree was spoken by the King, "I will declare the decree that Yahweh has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You" (v.7). At Jesus' baptism this was fulfilled when the voice from heaven spoke, "You are My Beloved Son" Matthew 3:16-17. That was the day He was installed as King on Zion. He was not physically on Zion when those words were spoken but He began to function as the King in authority from that time on.
He was installed and poured out as King by having the Spirit of God anoint Him and be poured out upon Him, descending and remaining on Him (John 1:32). From that day of His baptism the "government was upon His shoulder...and of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end...from that time forth, even forevermore" Isaiah 9:6-7. The anointing of the Spirit of God was His robing to rule as King.
This rulership was finally confirmed when He was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly places (Eph.1:20), and now able to send forth His Spirit into all who believe (Acts 2:33). His authority is total, over all principalities and powers (Eph.1:21). He is reigning now from the true Zion, the right hand of God (Ps.110:1-2). He has absolute authority over nations, kings, rulers and all the earth (Ps.2:8-12).
We are encouraged to speak to the gates to "Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up you everlasting doors! And the King of Glory shall come in." Psalm 24:7. We have authority to speak to gates and doors of nations to open so that the King of Glory will come in. Nothing can stop Him coming into a nation. The King of Glory is "Yahweh, strong and mighty, Yahweh mighty in battle...Yahweh of hosts (armies)" v.8,10. This King is strong in battle, goes to war and has armies. He wins the battle over nations and enters in! He opens and no one shuts and shuts, and no one opens (Rev.3:7). We also have all authority in heaven and earth, given by the King, to disciple all nations (Matt.28:18-19). Nations will open to us as we are obedient to the King!
In Zephaniah 3:15 we learn that:
When Nathanael met Jesus, the result of the encounter was Nathanael spoke out saying, "Rabbi...You are the King of Israel" John 1:49. In Zephaniah 3:15 it said that the King of Israel is Yahweh! Nathanael recognized that the Messiah would be the King of Israel; the Messiah would be Yahweh! Jesus is Yahweh, the King of Israel! Jesus is the King in the midst of us. Jesus has taken away our judgements and cast out our enemy, the devil! The authority of the King is to deliver His people from their enemies!
In the awesome chapter of Isaiah 6, Isaiah was caught up in a vision to heaven and saw the "The Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up" Isaiah 6:1. He then saw Seraphim crying, "Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts [armies], the whole earth is full of His glory" v.3. From the vantage point of the throne, the earth is full of His glory! Isaiah then says "my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts" v.5. Isaiah saw the King. The King is Yahweh of hosts. The whole earth is full of the glory of the King!
The apostle John, in referring to the same passage from Isaiah 6, said in John 12:41, "These things Isaiah said when he saw His [Jesus'] glory and spoke of Him [Jesus]." Isaiah saw Jesus' glory and spoke of Him. Isaiah saw Yahweh of armies as the King. John said Isaiah saw Jesus! Jesus is the King that Isaiah saw. He is Yahweh of armies and has authority to manifest His glory in all the earth! He will do this through being revealed in His people, "Christ [the Anointed King] in you; the hope of glory" Colossians 1:27.
As a result of Jesus humbling Himself and being "obedient to death, even the death of the cross", God has also highly exalted Him and "given Him the name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus' authority came through His service, His willingness to be a bondservant, having no reputation and being humbly obedient.
Jesus taught us how the authority of the kingdom of God works. In Luke 22:24-27, Jesus told us that true authority to govern comes from serving, "he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves" v.26. Authority comes through humility, taking the place as the younger. God exalts and raises the humble (1 Pet.5:6-7). Jesus, as the King, came to serve. He did not come to dominate as a dictator. True authority comes through humility and service!
Zechariah prophesied of the day that "Yahweh shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be - 'Yahweh is one,' and His name one" 14:9. There is a revelation for the earth to receive. The authority of Yahweh is to be seen in the earth and it will come through a revelation of Yahweh being one and His name being one! What name do we preach? "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" Acts 4:12. What name is above every other name? "At the name of Jesus every knee will bow" (Phil.2:9-11). Who said, "I and My Father are one"? (John 10:30). JESUS!
After Jesus said He had "all authority in heaven and on earth" (Matt.28:18), He then said to make disciples of all nations "baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt.28:19). There is a name which expresses and carries the authority of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In that day it shall be Yahweh is one, and His name one. Peter had the revelation of that name, "be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ (the Anointed King)..." Acts 2:38. The name is JESUS! Jesus is King over all the earth today. He rules over the kings of the earth now (Rev.1:5). He must reign until all His enemies are made a footstool for His feet (1 Cor.15:25). We are in the day where His name is one and He is the King!
The apostle Paul teaches us to keep a good confession, like Jesus did before Pontius Pilate, "until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (1Tim.6:13-14). Paul says that this appearing, He, the Lord Jesus Christ, will "manifest in His own time" v.15. Then He describes the Lord Jesus to us as, "He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords" v.15. The word Potentate is the Greek word dunastes and means:- a ruler or high officer, a sovereign, a prince [Strong's Concordance Gk. #1413 and Hebrew Lexicon in MySword]. Jesus the Messiah is the blessed and only Ruler. He is the Highest Officer in the land, the only Sovereign! It is important to keep this as our good confession!
Paul then says that Jesus as the only Potentate is the One "to whom belong honour and everlasting power" 1 Timothy 6:16b. The word Power is the Greek word kratos which means dominion, strength, manifested power (power that is seen/visible), exerted strength, power shown effectively in a reigning authority [Word Wealth in New Spirit Filled Life Bible at 1 Timothy 6:16]. Jesus has everlasting dominion, strength and governmental manifested power! We need to speak of Jesus as the one who has the dominion and reigning authority.
We are to know "the exceeding greatness of His power (kratos - power shown in a reigning authority) toward us who believe" Ephesians 1:19. This dominion power combined with His dunamis power worked in Christ to place Him in the position of all authority at the right hand of God (Eph.1:19-20). We are to be "strong in the Lord and in the power (kratos - governmental power) of His might" Ephesians 6:10. To effectively exercise spiritual warfare we must know this governmental power of Jesus in us!
Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me" Matthew 28:18. Authority is the Greek word exousia which means privilege, force, capacity, competency, the mastery, ability or strength with which one is endued [see Word Wealth in New Spirit Filled Life Bible Mark 3:15]. Jesus has been given all the capacity, competency, mastery, ability and strength to rule over all creation and work with us to disciple all nations (Matt.28:19).
Some examples of the extent of Jesus' authority, exousia:
1. He has authority to forgive sins - Mk 2:5-12
2. He teaches as one who has authority - Matt 7:29
3. He has authority to cast out demons - Mk 1:27
4. He has authority over death - John 10:18
5. He has authority to heal all sickness and disease - Matt 10:1
6. He has authority over all flesh - John 17:2 - to give eternal life to whom he wishes
7. He has authority to rule all nations - He gives this authority to those who do not tolerate Jezebel - Rev.2:26
8. He gives apostolic authority to build up His church, not to destroy it - 2 Cor 10:8
Finally, in Daniel 7:13-14, we can read of the great vision of Daniel concerning, "One like the Son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven". To the Son of Man was given "dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away; and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed".
When Jesus was asked by the High Priest if He was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed, He responded by saying, "I AM. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven" Mark 14:61-62.
Nicholas Jackson
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