Types Of Secular Governments

There are different types of government. Until we understand what types there are, we will not understand what type of government is going to come forth in the kingdom of God.

There is the Republican from of government. By definition, it is a state in which the sovereignty resides in the people or a certain portion of the people elected by the people to represent them. The United States is a republic. It is not a democracy. We elect officials to represent us.

What then is a democracy? It is another form of government, which in its purest sense holds that ALL the people should hold the state in control. Each person has an equal share of prosperity and responsibility. It is obvious that the idea of a democracy is good but untenable.

Absolutism is another form of government. It masquerades under many names so that it doesn't always sound bad to the listener. Offshoots of the form of absolutism are: dictatorship, despot, autocracy. This form of government is the doctrine of unlimited authority and control. Generally, it is found in one individual.

Totalitarian government is where one party suppresses all the other opposition. Some examples of that are found in World War I & II under the Nazis, the Fascists, and today the Communists.

In the time of Robin Hood (900-1300 A.D.) we find the feudal form of government. It was a political and social combination. The land was given to the people for their military service, and the people were called serfs of the Lord or Master.

Of course, we cannot forget to mention the monarchy. An absolute monarchy is where the ruler has total authority. England had that for a while but now it is a constitutional monarchy where the leader has limited authority by the law.

Types of Church Governments

We have talked about the major forms of government found in the world. Now, it is time to talk about church government. Basically, there are three forms of church government that are found: Episcopal, Republican, and Democratic.

The Episcopal form of government is where the power comes from the top down. The bishops have the power (remember we are dealing with generalities) and they appoint the ministers who then rule the local church. You will find this in the Episcopal and Methodist churches as a rule.

The Republican form of government is found in other churches. Since I came from Presbyterian stock, I can clearly state that this church system abides by the Republican form of government. The people (church members) elect elders (Greek New Testament word is Presbyters). These run the church and also pick the pastor or minister. The elders rule the church for the benefit of the people.

Then we have the Democratic method of running a church and this is where everyone has an equal say in the direction of the church. The church as a whole votes on a minister coming, and the congregation is fairly autonomous. We generally find this structure in the Baptist organizations.

A Theocracy

None of these forms of government are God's form of government. Once I was visiting a friend and attended a church with him. The pastor was teaching the class, although I didn't know that. He was going over the different forms of church government. He then stated to us that the Republican form of government was God's plan for the church (not just his but all!). So, I raised a question to him. "Is that true?" I asked. He said "Yes." Then I said to him "I guess you never heard of a theocracy." He finished the class by no longer talking about church governments.

God's form of government is a theocracy. The word "theocracy" means a God-run government. Some may say that God runs their church and sanctions their form of church government. That statement would be true, but whatever form of government it is, it will not be allowed in the kingdom. In the kingdom it is TOTALLY run by God, man has no say at all.

If you remember your Old Testament, the people cried out to Samuel for a king. Until they had a man-king they were being ruled directly by God. When the Israelites decided to be like other nations rather than being a separate people as the Lord required, they sought to have a monarchy. God clearly states that the people didn't reject Samuel but rejected Him as their head.

One of the fallacies of the evangelical movement today is the fact that they are trying to establish God's laws and God's ways through the use of a form of government that man has established. In the United States, we have many Christian men trying to put God's laws into a Republican form of government that is not sanctioned by God, although the best form of government in the world. They are trying to do something in their carnal, fleshly way that will never be established.

They will never change man's government by using God's way within it. There has to be a totally new structure. Before a government can be established there has to be a people that not only see it with their inner eye, but also understand how to use it.

What we are looking for then, is a government of the Kingdom of God. It is coming and first must be allowed full reign within the hearts of the Christians in order that they might set it up on this earth. We cannot have a kingdom manifested in the natural until there are leaders prepared to set it up.

What does the word "kingdom" mean? I think the definition is very important. The word "kingdom" means: a territory, a people, a state, a realm, ruled by a king. That is Webster's definition, not mine. But it if is a kingdom, you say, "How can it be a theocracy?" God's kingdom has NO relationship with kingdoms of men.

He is the king ruling over a territory, which is what a kingdom means - a realm or area. The saints, that are called the elect, will be the ones SERVING him in positions of authority, but Jesus Christ will be the authority ruling through them. They, themselves, will not be ruling.

I do not care how much or how little preaching is done on the kingdom. It will not be established until the kingdom of God is established 100% in a people. There is no sense in looking for an outward manifestation of the kingdom of God (I do not mean healings or things of that sort), rather we should be looking for the King to manifest himself totally within us. He must increase and we must decrease in order to learn true divine government.

It is only when a people are set apart, as Israel was as a nation that we can hope to see on earth a change of government. The Kingdom is first spiritual and must first be allowed to rise within the people of God. All during the history of the world, there has been a remnant conformed to the image of God. There will be enough of this remnant in this age that is closing to be the leaven that will change the whole structure of the world.

The Church Age Verses the Kingdom Age

The church age is a time of a people being called out of the world for the purposes of God (Acts 15:14). It is a passing order that will last for a season but will be followed by that which is perfect (I Cor. 13:10). There is a mystery here also, for every saint is a member of the church - the body of Christ. Yet, there is a call that is within to learn the ways of the kingdom. This form of kingdom government is learned only by the spirit (I John 2:27). So, while our natural inclination is to church order, there is a higher order that is of the coming age that is contrary to the present age. It is this conflict which causes such dissension that we wish to direct our investigation.

The soul and the spirit is one difference between the church and the kingdom. The church is soul-led and the kingdom is spirit-led. The church is very much concerned with the natural man (prosperity, health, etc.). The kingdom man is concerned only with the spiritual aspects of life (Gal. 6:8).

The church is a man made form of government. The kingdom age is a God centered form of government. The church age is a republican form of government as according to Acts. But the kingdom is a theocracy.

The church has the gifts of the Spirit. But the kingdom has the life or the fruits of the Spirit which are the very eternal nature of God.

The church has a Levitical priesthood. Some would question this statement. Let me explain. The Levitical priesthood was of the type Israel had before Jesus came. It was a ritualistic, traditionalistic form of service. The early church under James and others made the church the same rituals, traditions, and doctrines of men. They rejected the true word of grace. They accepted grace for salvation and then laws followed. Paul preached only grace, and totally grace. So, we have a Levitical priesthood. The minister hears for the people. But the kingdom is a Melchizedek priesthood where man can go directly to God.

In the church age there is abundance of grace. Grace covers a multitude of sin. It is because of easy grace that sin abounds among the church. In fact, grace is used as a license for many things. But the kingdom is run by Divine Law and there is no grace. Hear and understand. We are to mature and not need grace!

If you are in the church realm, you are man-like. But if you begin to move in the kingdom realm you will become God-like. In the church order you have man ministry, the ministry of Ephesians 4:11. But in the kingdom you have God ministry - prophet, priest and king.

In the church age you have sacrifices and sacrificial giving. In the kingdom there is no sacrificing. You minister life at all times realizing none is yours and all is His. In the church order you are trying to die to self, but in the kingdom order you give life realizing you were crucified with Him. The church has their eyes continually on the self-nature. But the kingdom looks only on Him and the life.

The church age has the Word. But it says that the kingdom has the power in 1 Corinthians 4:10. Now, the Word will bring conviction but the kingdom is what will bring the change. The church has meat and drink, but the kingdom has righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). The meat and drink represent natural inclinations for the carnal man. But the kingdom is only concerned with the spiritual man and thus righteousness etc.

The church age ministry is continually preaching a corporate perfection, which the church shall receive. The whole church will come into perfection in due season. But the truth of kingdom preaching is personal perfection. Within the church you will find those striving with the help of God to obtain personal perfection, while the rest of the church looks on and does not understand. Those few, that remnant, are the kingdom people.

The church age says that you are part of the body of Christ. This is true if you are in the church-age order of things. But the sons of God, are not party of the body of Christ, they are part of his headship. They have lost their heads (Revelation 20:4) that is, their carnal nature. And He who had no place to lay his head, will now place it on them. The kingdom is a headship company but the church is the body of believers.

In the Scriptures the Lord curses the fig tree. The reason for the curse is that the fig tree produces a firstfruit of figs before its leaves appear. The regular fruit does not appear until after the leaves. Jesus was looking for the first fruits. Just as Israel was to be a firstfruit unto the nations and failed, so the church is to produce a firstfruit. The church age is the normal fruit of a fig tree. The kingdom age is the fruit before the leaves, the firstfruits.

The church preaches a second experience of the baptism of the Spirit. It is real and it is true. The church was started on the day of Pentecost and the message of salvation and the second experience was part of the church from the beginning. Those that deny the baptism of the Spirit are not really a part of the body of Christ. They are outer-court people, but the tabernacle has only two parts - the holy place (spirit baptism) and the holiest of Holies (Spirit birth). The outer-court people are saved, but that is all.

At any rate, the kingdom people partake of a third experience, where the church only preaches two experiences. We note the three experiences in John 3:3-5. Born again gives the ability to SEE the kingdom. But verse 5 says to get the kingdom one must be born of the water (the second experience of the Holy Spirit) and of the Spirit (the Father birth). Below are listed the three experiences. Tabernacles is the kingdom ruling in you, Christ in you, and the fulfilling of Galatians 2:20.

Passover                         Pentecost                     Tabernacles

Jesus                                      Holy Spirit                             Father

Way                                        Truth                                      Life

Spirit                               Soul                                      Body

Heart                               Soul                                        Might

30 fold                                60 fold                                  100 fold

Birthright                                Blessing                                Inheritance

Red Sea                                Rock of Christ                      Promised Land

Outer Court                           Holy Place                            Holy of Holies

Faith                                      Hope                                     Love

Blood                                    Water                                    Spirit

Baptism of Water                Baptism of Spirit                  Baptism of Fire

The third experience is when the saint is birthed into a realm where there is no contention with the devil. Oh, there are still trials, even the Lord our pattern, was tried/tempted by the devil. But what we speak of is a realm where the devil can find nothing in you (John 14:30). There is no contention because you reside in Christ and know where you are going. Nothing can remove you out of the third heavens. Those in Pentecost or Passover might say that is not possible, but it is because the devil can only touch that person who has something in him left to touch. There was nothing in Jesus. If we remain in Christ and not in Adam we too can overcome the world. The new creation man cannot sin, only Adam can and Adam as Romans brings out is dead, we just have to live that!

The kingdom nature is putting on the nature of God and the fruits of the Spirit. The kingdom is living in the third heavens; whereas the church is in the second heavens fighting the enemy all the time with the gifts of the Spirit. The kingdom age is principle led but the church age is doctrine led. The church uses the gifts to bless the flesh man, always wanting the anointing to "come down". But the Spirit man seeks the well of living water to flow out. The kingdom per-son does not want rain, he wants a river to flow out of him.

The kingdom is flesh and bone; whereas the church lives by flesh and blood. In the kingdom no one fights to establish the kingdom because it is a spiritual place and no one can take it away from them. Church age people try to establish the kingdom in a fleshly way and fight the world to do it which shows they are of the world because Jesus never fought to establish anything.

Those of the kingdom are living in a spiritual realm. They are living in the Christ, the Most High God. Those in the church live in their bodies but do not reside in the Christ in their bodies. The kingdom age are the "huois" (the sons) but the church age are the "teknon" (the children). The church always needs the basics. The kingdom age is a 100% fold realm living - 100% Him and 0% self. The church age is 60% Him and 40% self.

There were 12 disciples. 9 represent the church. They never entered into the close relationship with the Lord that the 3 did (Peter, James, John). It was these three that were with Him on three special occasions. They saw the engathering and the fullness that the Lord spoke of. Today, we find others in the church who are disciples of the Lord and they are being set apart and being caught up to see the revelations of God that the others deny.

These last few pages are only a small amount of comparisons that could be made. But let me express something very clearly here. The kingdom age IS here and it HAS begun. It has begun in a people - whoever they are. They are being constantly caught up and their coming 'down' isn't as low. In fact their catching up isn't as 'high' for they are ascending. Some will deny such truth as saying the kingdom is here. They will deny because they haven't possessed their possession - Him. Yet, they will charge: "why no change in the outer visibility (our bodies) if you have been possessed?" "It is not time" is the answer. The veil has been rent and some have entered into the Holiest of all and they are beholding the Lord of glory.

Those who look for a kingdom manifested in the natural plane will not see it. The kingdom comes within (Luke 17:21) to be developed and released outwardly, even as Jesus our pattern did at the transfiguration. Jesus did not seek to establish a literal ruling kingdom like the Romans, but He ruled from the realm in which He lived. That is our pattern. You cannot set up a literal kingdom if the Lord has not tabernacled with you (John 14:23, 1John 2:24, 1 John 3:9)

Corruption and Incorruption

In the New Testament the word corruption is PHTARTES and means decayed or perishable. In other words it doesn't take long for it to rot. It is either already decayed or it will be. The question arises whether or not Jesus, the Son of God, was made of corruptible seed, a descendant of Adam. I believe not and will, through the Lord's mercy try to make it plain, for the standard teaching is that Jesus came from Mary and had flesh of Adam. I cannot see how God could save me if He had corruption.

There was nothing in Him that could be decaying. He was the full embodiment of God in the flesh. Scripture states that man is drawn away by his own lusts (James 1). Scripture also states that Jesus was tempted in all ways like we but that He did not fall. The reason He didn't fall was that there was no lust in Him. How glad I am that I have this incorruptible seed in me and it is growing (I Peter 1:23). There is a man in me that cannot sin!

Romans 8:3 states: "For what the law could not do in that is was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the LIKENESS of sinful flesh...". The word "likeness" means similar to but not the same as. Thank God that the flesh of our Lord wasn't the same as ours. He did bear our sins and that is why he could - he didn't have any sinful flesh. Philippians 2:7 states: But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the LIKENESS of men." Twice the Scriptures declare the truth that Jesus' flesh was different from ours, in that He did not have the sin nature in that Adam had whom we have descended from. He came from heaven, we came from the earth (1Corinthians 15:49) and we have a body in us that is spiritual and growing (2 Corinthians 5), eternal and not made with hands.

Now, look at your body. It is the same type of body that Christ had - sinless - or is it still of Adam? If you are in the church (which even those called to the kingdom are in the church) your body hasn't changed. The kingdom people haven't a changed body yet for the power of the kingdom is not yet strong enough to deliver them. But the firstfruits are allowing the kingdom seed of incorruption to grow and change them. Where the church sleeps and hopes for a change.

Look at Luke 1:35. This is where Mary is overshadowed. It states: "...the angel answered and said unto her, 'the Holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore, also that holy thing (what is holy? Is anything of Adam holy?) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

God created all things out of himself. He needed no mate in the beginning to create the earth, cosmos or anything in those two. He didn't need Mary. Note that it says that Jesus was begotten of the Father, not his mother. Most of us are begotten of our mother - she brings us forth. Jesus was fully birthed of His Father. If He wasn't He would have had some of Mary's nature which was descendant of Adam - which was a fallen nature. Such would not be becoming of God.

Note also the word 'overshadowed'. In the Greek 'overshadowed' means preternatural influence. What this means is that God took the natural course of childbearing and super-imposed on it His own way. If one can bear it, he used Mary as a surrogate mother. She was merely an incubator for God. Still a chosen vessel, for God wanted a special vessel, but she had no part of Jesus in the natural.

I Corinthians 15:47 states: "The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven." This alone shows that Jesus Christ that man from HEAVEN had no part of the earthly. His very nature was totally divine. This total divinity shall be ours as Peter states: "an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fades not away." (I Peter 1:4). Peter continues in his second letter chapter 1 verses 4 saying: "...we might be partakers of his divine nature."

We have borne the image of the earthly (Adam), and now we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (Jesus). I Corinthians 15:48 makes that very plain We bear the image of the heavenly by allowing the incorruptible seed within us to ascend and manifest its nature, which cannot be tainted by the old nature. Jesus was a man, of this there is no doubt. He was tempted in all ways as we. BUT the life of the Father was so powerful in him that the life of the Father en- abled him to be victorious. We have the same promise.

If corruption can touch God's beloved, God is not God. God is the giver of Life, and as such there is no death or decadence in Him. He neither ages, slumbers or sleeps. He is eternal and the very fullness of Life. If He is the giver of Life then there can be no death or anything perishable in Him.

The proof of the Life that is in the Father is found in the Son. He raised Himself from the dead (John 10:17). He did it of his own accord, for the Life of the Father was that vibrant in Him. Death had no power and the sting of death was not found in Him. This is why John 14:30 states that the devil could find nothing in Him. The devil only works on those things that are dying or have death in them. Jesus Christ had no death working in Himself.

Now, in the King James we find the word immortality used where in the Greek it means incorruption or incorruptible. One place is Romans 2:7 and 2 Timothy 1:10 also used the word immortality when in the Greek it is incorruption.

The word "incorruption" is different than the word "corruption". Corruption we noted meant decayed or perishable. Incorruption comes from the Greek word "APHTHARSIA' which means: unending existence, genuineness. Unending existence means without time. Whereas, corruption with the word "perishable" means that at some time the end comes. If you live in the realm of incorruption that means you are never ending and not bound by time.

As long as we are tied to carnality and the ways of the flesh nature inherited from Adam, we will remain in the realm of death. But Christ did ascend in order that we might live on a higher plane. In the church age saints, we find a desire for the earth and the things thereof and they hope for a change in the bye and bye. They are content where they are now though. Those of the kingdom age are discontent with their nature and strive to attain the fullness of Christ now.

Some seek to be clothed upon with the nature of Christ, and these are the very elect of God. The remainder of the saints will be found naked at this coming for they have not enough oil and have not prepared themselves for the revealing. Their garments will condemn them because they are not clothed with that which is required and they will be thrown out of the feast. We who put on the incorruptible will attain the third-heavens living.

2 Timothy 1:10 states: "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and has brought life and im-mortality to life through the gospel." The "immortality" here in the Greek is in-corruption. There is a large difference between incorruption and immortality. We will deal with immortality later, but suffice it to say that you can be mortal and live an incorruptible life. Jesus was mortal - he aged and died just like the rest of us. But he lived a sinless life. Immortality means that death has been conquered and you cannot die. Before we can put on immortality we must have incorruption (See: I Cor. 15:53). Those that remain in the flesh realm of living will never attain to the "out resurrection" of Philippians 3:11, the only time it is used in the New Testament.

1 Corinthians 15:42 reads "So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption and raised in incorruption." Few Christians believe that they have died. But Romans 6:6 states "...knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him...". Verse 11 states: "reckon yourselves to be dead in-deed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." In truth what is being ministered is that we are indeed dead to sin and alive to God if we but will believe. We can separate ourselves from the perishable, decaying world of corruption. If we live and move and have our being in Him, we are partaking of an unending existence of true genuineness. Beloved, some do live in this realm.

Now, most of the church age is not on that level of existence. They are still fighting the enemy and themselves. But to those of the kingdom age, that coming age, although they are in the church (the body of Christ) they are not of it. Even as Christ stood in the mist of the 7 candlesticks of Revelation (representing the churches), He was in their midst but not of them. There are those learning the ways of the higher heavens.

I Corinthians 15:50 states: "Now, I say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God and neither does corruption inherit incorruption." In the natural, there is no way that this decaying body can enter the kingdom. We won't have a physical body of the Adam nature perfected with all its faults residing in the heavens. Corruption can NOT, WILL NOT receive any incorruption.

This corruptible fallen nature can't receive incorruption. It doesn't need to! For in us is an incorruptible seed that is maturing to the point of the unveiling, or manifestation - the sons of God of Romans 8:19. Romans also talks about the "quickening" of our mortal bodies. This word "quickening" in the KJV, means "to change" in the original Greek. So, the incorruptible seed causes the "dead body" to be changed into a "living body". The only true living thing in us

is Jesus Christ! "It is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). When we partake of the living flesh, it causes us to live.

Now, let us look briefly at verse 53 of I Corinthians 15. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal immortality." There are 3 steps here for consideration. First the corruptible must receive incorruption. Then, the saint receives immortality. Notice that mortal and incorruption are tied together. Jesus was mortal when He walked this earth, but also during His 33 and 1/2 years He was incorruptible. Whereas, you and I are not only corruptible but mortal.

We, as descendants of Adam, are corruptible and mortal. Jesus, as a descendant from God, was incorruptible but mortal. Mortal means liable to die. Jesus conquered mortality (this mortal must put on immortality) when He arose from the grave. We have yet to follow the pattern of Christ. We are just in the first stage of putting on incorruption. Immortality will come to us as it did Jesus. When Jesus finished His ministry, then He received immorality and when we finish our ministry as sons, we shall receive our immortality.

2 Corinthians 4:11 states: "For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake that the life also of Jesus may be manifest in our mortal flesh." The word for "mortal" is "THNETOS" in the Greek. It means that thing which is liable to die (note: it says LIABLE - meaning it doesn't have to). It states in Romans 8:11: " But if that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwell in you, it shall quicken your mortal bodies." It is the very Spirit of Christ in us that shall cause us to be glorified (2 Thess. 1:10).

So, as we are looking for the appearing of the sons of God do NOT look for an immortal and incorruptible appearing. We do not receive glorified bodies until after we have received incorruption. We do not receive incorruption until we have allowed the seed of Christ within us to be fully birthed. As Christ is the pattern, I am assured of such order of things. So, we look for the body that we had before the fall of Adam. This is what the sons of God will appear in at first.

We already know that the word mortal means so let us look at the word immortal. The word in the Greek is "ATHANASIA' which can mean no death or deathlessness. When we have incorruption in a mortal body, we have the ability to die. There will be some sons, though they be in the incorruptible state, will still fall because they haven't attained to immorality. Scripture shows that 1/3 of the stars of heaven will fall - these are sons. Also in Revelation 2 it states of the overcomers (sons) "If they will keep my word until the end, I will grant them to rule." This life now is our testing ground to see if we can rule. Some sons will fall because though they have the incorruptible seed they have a mortality that isn't conquered. Jesus in the garden was sorely tested of His mortality, but He conquered albeit by sweating blood.

A mortal state, that is a state of being able to die, cannot enter into an immortal state. There has to be a change. Death cannot become deathlessness. The state of incorruption is supposed to lead us into immorality. I Timothy 6:16 states: "Who only has immortality dwelling in the light which NO MAN can approach unto. " The capitals are mine for emphasis. Anyone in the mortal state, which is a state of death cannot approach immortality which is deathlessness. The brightness of the glory of immortality overcomes the person. We can approach the Lord through the incorruptible Son until the change comes.

Hebrews 10:5 states that there is a body prepared for us. This body that has been prepared for the Lord is not of flesh. It is Christ's own body. We must be partakers of Him. If we are to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, then we must change this vile body to the very body of Christ. So that which is being formed in us, is totally of Him and we are complete in Him. The sons of God are to be the firstfruits of that Christ body. I think that no man fully comprehends that which is going to occur in and to us!

Everything that we have inherited from Adam is done away with in Christ. We must begin to realize that we live no longer after the flesh but after the Spirit. All of Adam was corrupted and since we have become new creatures in Christ we need to behold the Life that is working within us. A Life that is found in Hebrews 7:16 "power of an endless life". In the parable of the Sower we need to realize that is the Father sowing and the Son is the seed for the seed is the Word of God (Rev. 19:13, Luke 8:11). It is the Christ in us that is alive, and we must dwell in Him rather than Adam.

Isaiah 65:23 states "They shall not labor in vain nor bring forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their offspring with them." This seed that has been placed within us, that incorruptible seed, is going to bring forth a life that will cause us to beget other offspring. The kingdom people are a seed in the body of Christ. The body of Christ is going to birth them, but not be aware of the reason for its birth pains. In Exodus 19, we find that God called Israel to be His seed and the whole nation to be a sign of kingdom government and rule in the earth. They rejected Him and His ways. God realized that the corrupted could not produce what He wanted so He placed in us His Son who shall produce in us!

The kingdom-order seed is Isaac. The church order seed is Ishmael. Both have the same father, but only one is called - but both are blessed. Both live in the same tent - in the same family, that body of Christ. Neither get along for one is of the flesh desires and the other is after spiritual gain. They reside together until the time appointed. Ishmael always contending for the inheritance; yet knowing that he cannot receive for he is not of the seed of promise. Isaac is biding his time until the day he matures.

The Ishmael in us is that mortal, corruptible fellow. The Isaac is that incorruptible, immortal seed. Consequently, there is a contending and a war. It behooves us to separate ourselves from Mammon (Ishmael) and serve the Christ. Church-age government serves Ishmael for its form of government is run by Ishmael. But those of the kingdom are not subservient to any man-made form of government, and seek only the King as their ruler.

When the part realm is done away (the gifts of the Spirit), the desires of the use of the gifts for fleshly wants will end. When the fullness of the kingdom is revealed the perfection will shine out of Zion. A perfection not made with hands, but made by the Spirit writing upon the hearts of the elect.

Church-age government dwells in the corruptible. A little leaven in the feast of Pentecost (Lev. 23, Acts 1-3) ruined the whole feast. A little sin did corrupt the whole Pentecost. But the realm of kingdom living which some are entering into, has no leaven in it. It is incorruptible, immortal.

Flesh and Blood Verses Flesh and Bone

There is a great difference between flesh and blood and flesh and bone as it relates to the church order and the kingdom order. Flesh and blood refers to the church order and flesh and bone refers to the kingdom order of things.

The first occurrence of the word "blood" is found in Genesis 4 :10. This refers to the slaying of Abel. Blood was never mentioned until this time. The word "blood" in Hebrew is D-A-M and is pronounced "dawm". It can mean and is translated in some places in the KJV as wine or grapes. This is because it does also mean wine. It is obvious why Jesus used wine then as a symbol of His Blood. The verse of Genesis 4:10 states the earth received the blood. The blood shed caused life on that plane to come to an end.

The atonement of Christ was to lift us up out of the realm of the blood and to start us on the way of establishing the kingdom. He shed his blood for the remission of sin that we, the descendants of Adam, needed saving from. The church age proclaims the word of deliverance and salvation. It is the duty of the church to proclaim such a word.

But the ministry of the kingdom is not to proclaim salvation and deliverance but to minister life of the new order. Jesus, who had come into the flesh and blood-order of things, conquered that lower realm and revealed that we no longer need to live by the bread of the lower plane. God tried to show this to the people in Exodus with the Manna but they couldn't receive it. So He sent His Son to reveal a resurrected plane of living that required no natural food. This is the realm of the kingdom. A way of living so totally spiritual that food is not required. This is why we call it flesh and bone.

Genesis 2:23 states: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." Eve was taken out of man and called "woman". This was before the fall. The man represents the spiritual side, the woman nature represents the fleshly side. We have a type here of Jesus Christ (the man) marrying the church (the woman). This all occurs before the fall. We have here a spiritual realm that is above the natural. No flesh and blood here. It was flesh and bone.

Although we are not going back to the garden of Eden, since it was a beginning place we are going to go through the garden to a higher level of existence. We are called to leave the fallen nature realm of Adam and enter into the life that Adam had before the fall - which is what Jesus revealed. Our progression in God will eventually supersede even that through the grace of God.

Look at I Corinthians 15:39 which states: "All flesh is not the same flesh." By all appearances Jesus looked like the other men that followed Him. Yet, He ate of food that they did not know of and it confounded the others. He had a flesh similar to theirs but it wasn't governed by the laws they were.

Romans 8:3 states that "His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh...". What this means is that Jesus had a flesh similar to ours but it wasn't sinful. It was of "Adam before the fall". It is this small point that brings to light the un- derstanding that not all flesh is the same. There is a heavenly flesh as well as earthly, animal flesh as well as fowl etc.

The church order, or the church-age government is a passing order. The ministry found in Ephesians 4:11 is what all churches should be run by and we know that few follow that pattern! But even that order is a passing order. The gift realm is temporal. In other words, death is working in it and this is also found the "flesh and blood" nature. It requires a total deliverance and change. It can't last for it is run by the "blood" of people who are anointed from the realm of the flesh and carnality. Nothing it tries to establish can remain.

The Kingdom order is "as many as are led of the Spirit they are the sons of God". Yet, even in that many think that they are led of the Spirit when they cannot recognize that it is the flesh! Jesus preached only the kingdom order of things (Matt. ˜4:23) and did only what He saw His Father do. He was birthed of flesh, bone and Spirit. He lived on that higher order and we shall also.

We have been birthed of an incorruptible seed. It is a seed of the kingdom that is growing within. It is life giving, and by that we mean totally giving of eternal life - unending existence. It replaces the death of the Adam nature working in us with the Life of the Melchizedec.

Luke 24 is quite appropriate. The disciples knew Jesus. But they really didn't know Him at all. When they say Him in verse 38 He asks them why they are troubled. The disciples were troubled because they thought He was a spirit. They were finally seeing that His flesh wasn't the same as theirs. He was raised from the dead, and just flesh and bone. He was living on the kingdom plane (He did too when He was alive before that but they didn't know it). It takes kingdom life to conquer the cross! You have to have the life before you go to the cross or you cannot be delivered from the death of the cross. In the Old Testament if the priests did not have life before they stepped into the Jordan River (Joshua 3:16) they would have been swept away.

They were astonished and afraid. He wanted them to touch Him in order that they would be convinced. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom, and they saw that for themselves. Is it no wonder that in Matthew 17 Jesus said that Peter knew He was the Christ because the Father revealed it to him? Read the verse and you find that "...flesh and blood has not revealed it to thee." The lower realm of church government cannot grasp neither can it understand one growing in the way of the kingdom.

The realm of the Father is the kingdom realm. The Son shows the way to the church. But as Matthew states in 11:27 "...Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him." It takes a revelation to see and follow the ways of the kingdom. Flesh and blood, those that seek the things of the flesh, although they call it spiritual (financial prosperity, health, all are carnal and earthly oriented), cannot receive the depths of God. The kingdom may be within, but is dormant for they have not received the revelation lest they corrupt the truth.

Everyone preaches Ezekiel 37 as the restoration of natural Israel. But I see something more there for those true Jews (Romans 2:29). Let us leave the flesh and blood interpretation (the natural Israel idea) and see something far more spiritual. Let us see a kingdom truth. Verse 7 states: "So, I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied, there was a noise, behold the shaking and the bones came together, bone to his bone." Are we not "bone of His bone"? Yes, Hallelujah! Just as Adam had Eve fashioned from him, so we come the full circle and partake of the very fullness of Christ. I feel the bones rattling within me - a man is forming and ready to come forth. "And when I beheld, lo, the sinews (the muscles) and the flesh came up upon them and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me; prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man and say to the wind: Thus saith the Lord: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breath upon these slain, that they may live." He goes on to say "I will open your graves and cause you to come out of your graves..."

The coming of the Lord is with His saints that He would be glorified (2 Thess. 1:10). We have been slain - we slayed the carnal nature, and are dead IN Christ! Now, is the time for the saints to arise, and proclaim a word of life unto themselves that we shall come forth out of our grave clothes (this present dead body) and be clothed upon! Yes, we have received a heavenly tabernacle not made with hands.

The day of the revealing of the sons of God -who will appear as a corporate son of man, is at hand. They live and move by kingdom principles not listening to the flesh and blood realm, but the Father of the Lights.

The church order has had a priestly understanding of Christ. They teach salvation. They show Jesus as Saviour. They know that Jesus is King and will be the coming King. But just like Israel, they will reject the sons when the sons come forth. Why? Simply, they rejected Jesus for He came as a Prophet in the first phase of His ministry, and we shall be like Him. They readily can accept Jesus as Saviour because it HELPS them. They can readily accept the idea of being kings under the King, because it PLEASES them. But the role of the prophet is to bring correction in order to elevate the people into the fullness of God. They reject that!

Prophet, Priest and King Order

The Prophet Ministry in the Kingdom Age

I am firmly convinced by the Spirit of God, that the sons will come forth in the very pattern of Jesus Christ. He revealed Himself as a prophet first. There is the life of Christ in us that is always trying to proclaim and break forth. Many are proclaiming the word of the kingdom, just like Jesus did (Matt. 4:23) and the church order reverberates with the sound of another trumpet, the seventh trumpet.

Jeremiah was pulled up out of his pit in order to give the people a word. When he gave them one they didn't like, he was placed again down in the pit. The man, John the Baptist, was beheaded because of his testimony of truth that Herod couldn't bear to hear. Isaiah was sawn asunder. Jesus was crucified. Such is that WORD that is proclaimed and the reactions it causes on people.

Grace abounds during the church-age order, but the beginning of the kingdom order removes the working of grace in a person's life because that person is under the obedience of Christ totally. It is a rending situation. The sons will convince people of their sin, not by proclaiming against it but the LIFE that is in them will convict people. Consider Jesus' response: He told the adulterous lady "sin no more." He knew what her sin was and so did she. He just gave her life and said go and do no more.

The kingdom order is of DIVINE LAW and not grace as found in the church. The prophet ministry that is coming in the kingdom establishes divine law. Grace is needed where sin abounds, but the ability to give life in place of sin and deliver people from their carnal nature will alleviate the need for grace.

Now, the church order of Jesus' day didn't care to hear the word of the Lord. It was the church government of that day that crucified Jesus. As the kingdom word is being proclaimed through the prophetic ministry in the land, the church order will rise up against it for two reasons: (1) they don't want to lose what power they do have (2) and they don't want to be convicted of their sins.

Ironic isn't it that the same thing that happened in Jesus' day is again going to occur in this last hour? The leaders will revolt against the new day.

The second thing that Jesus did do was to proclaim the future. He always showed the church age that would follow Him and the coming Kingdom. He always taught the kingdom, never seeking to establish church order because His ministry was on the higher righteousness. Daily He spoke of the future and what it held, even what would transpire in His life. The sons of God will also speak of the immediate future and the future eons. Their truths and proclamations will be just as well understood and received as were Christ's.

The third thing that the prophetic ministry does is: it reveals the spiritual truth of the law. It changes it from letter into life. It doesn't do away with the law, and neither did Christ. Christ told them to keep the commandments (ie. the ten commandments) by loving one another. Jesus fulfilled the ordinances of sacrifices, but the statutes, commandments, and judgments remain even to this day. Although grace will forgive a sin, break God's law and judgment will be paid even if forgiven. Jeremiah 31:33 states HE will write the LAW upon our hearts, in order that we might fulfill it.

Those who live in the church-order do's and don'ts have not life. Those who have the kingdom within, obey the law by the life that enables them to so obey - the Life of Christ. For we cannot keep it, but the Christ within can.

So then, the prophet in the kingdom order who is after Jesus Christ, his pattern, has three main functions. He reveals the higher level living and convicts the people of their sin. He delivers the people from their sins by the life he gives. He also reveals the life that establishes the kingdom. The people either accept or reject what he offers.

It must be remembered that the church order preaches a church government headship. You must have a leader over you. The kingdom order teaches no leadership but Jesus Christ. So there will be contention between the two. BUT let me say that as in the image of Jesus Christ, Jesus became the servant of all. So, we who are sons can and should obey church order, but never com-promise the word of truth. Jesus submitted to synagogue order that when He ministered in it, He didn't compromise the word He spoke.

The Priestly Ministry of the Kingdom Age

The Levitical Priesthood is far different in its form of ministry than the Melchizedec Priesthood. The Old Testament shows that Aaron and his family which were of the tribe of Levi (thus, the term Levitical Priesthood) were to act as priests for the people. The New Testament shows a church order where we have a ministry (Eph. 4:11) that ministers for the people. Now, I realize that there is a difference in the Old Testament and the New Testament and that is that the saints of today can have a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus which could not be done in the times of the Old Testament. But the type of ministry is still similar today. For church ministry still causes the people to sit on the pew and warm a seat while the minister assumes all responsibility just as Aaron and his sons did. So, for our purposes, when we use the term Levitical Priesthood, we are considering the church order as such.

The Levitical priesthood never let the people into the tabernacle. They always remained outside awaiting the minister to bring them a word. The people never seemed to be in contact with the Lord for themselves. The Levitical priest-hood was a substitute for the real personal relationship with their God. In the churches of today, we find such an order apparent to anyone with eyes to see. Few be the saints that hear from God for themselves - in deep things.

Hebrews 5:1 states: "For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for them." This is the Levitical priesthood that is being spoken about. The Melchizedec priesthood came from the Father and not from man. The Melchizedec priesthood is ordained to minister to the Father. Although Jesus died for mankind and its sins, His ministry was to do the will of the Father, which had NOTHING to do with the will of man. The Levitical priesthood comes from the lower order and seeks to deliver men to the higher order. It comes from Horizontal ministry (man to man) and then tries to elevate up to God and this can't be done. Jesus came from the Vertical ministry (God down to man) and this is the only way man can be elevated.

The Levitical priesthood calling is to minister unto man "that he might offer both gifts and sacrifices." The Levitical priesthood offers up DEAD things in order to please God. This church- order ministry, because it does not possess the kingdom truth, gives only temporal life to people. They give healing not divine health.

Levi and his sons always took in living animals, fowls etc. and killed them. The Levitical priesthood kills. People come in with the salvation experience and are bubbling with life, and in the evangelical church the person soon is bled to death by the system of religion. The joy of the new experience is soon lost.

The Levitical priesthood keeps people in subservience. The people must come under their leader. It becomes a bondage to people so that they can not personally ascend into higher spiritual realms. When I was saved, the American Baptist church kept me there working myself to death and preaching against the Holy Spirit. When I, by the grace of God, broke free, the people in the Holy Spirit-baptism realm tried to hold me down. Now, I see even in sonship where the elders hold the people down from receiving new words of deeper truth! Will this Levitical priesthood never end?!

The Levitical priesthood continually teaches the people deeper truths, but they never become experiential. Ever learning, but never knowing the Father. "For though by this time you ought to be teachers you need someone to teach you again the rudiments..." (Heb. 5:12). Even though they have knowledge of salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and end time thoughts (perhaps), they still haven't entered into the Melchizedec realm. The mind realm makes one think they are there and in the move of God and it deceives the person!

Levi takes the sacrifice (a dead thing) and acts as a go-between for the person and God. We find that in the Old Testament, but we also find it in the New Testament church! The minister acts as a go-between so that the people can just receive. Receptacles of food become rotten if it is not given out. So the saint as he receives and never is allowed to give is even poisoned by his own actions. Jesus was the sacrifice so people could live.

Exodus 30:7-8 states: "And Aaron shall burn sweet incense thereon every morning: when he dresses the lamps, at evening he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations." The key word is that word "generations". It would be done throughout the genera- tions. In other words somewhere it would have an end, but in Hebrew when they didn't know when a thing would end, but knew that it would occur, they would use the word "generations". The Levitical Priesthood has an end. Some folks have entered into that new realm of the Melchizedec.

Hebrews 6:20 states: "...the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedec." The word "forerunner" means that others will follow in His footsteps. Some will, some have and some can enter the new order.

Therefore we must know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the church order of government and the Levitical priesthood we see in the land will end be-cause it is in its very death throes. The Melchizedec priesthood ministers LIFE and never uses a sacrifice. Hebrews 8:11 states: "And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying 'Know the Lord": for ALL shall know Me from the least to the greatest." Note that I capitalized the word "All". If all shall know Him, the Levitical priesthood is done away for they ministered for the people and kept the people from the Lord. The Melchizedec priesthood ministers life so that each man may come into that ultimate relationship with the Father that is self-satisfying. Can you imagine everyone needing no preacher for all are able to learn directly from God?

In the New Testament the word "priest" means holy and separated. In the Old Testament it means mediator. The saints that aspire to become sons of God are a separated and holy people. They have not been contaminated with the ways of the church order and its rituals and traditions. The Melchizedec order comes from above where its life is and roots are. It has no part of the earth or the order thereof.

The phrase "order of Melchizedec" occurs seven times in the Bible. Seven being the number of completeness and fullness. There is not a higher ministry that can be seen than that of Melchizedec. The teaching of Melchizedec couldn't be fully expressed because the people were dull of hearing (Hebrews 5:11). So, although it can be understood by those that seek the Lord, the saints as a whole will not grasp it. Why? The Levitical priesthood has dulled their hearing by so much teaching that they are not able to move in the Spirit.

In Hebrews 7:16 it states: "Who is not made after the law of a carnal commandment but the POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE." Those that remain in the realm of church order (ministry of Eph.4:11) will not enter into the Melchizedec order. Ephesians 4 states that it will bring people to the point of perfection, but it is the higher order that gives it to them. The church order, that gift realm and gift ministry realm, will pass away because of the leaven in it and the death in it. But those that leave that realm are able to enter into endless life. It is the Melchizedec priesthood that gives us life and perfection.

The Lord has sworn, and will not relent, 'you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedec.'" (Heb 7:21) God made an OATH here. This priest-hood will live forever. This priesthood will stand forever as the Lord's word will stand. It has no idle promise of the quality of this kingdom-order priesthood. God promises that this priest of Melchizedec will NEVER fail and NEVER end. It is because this ministry elevates all the cosmos into the very nature of the Father.

The Levitical priesthood covenant was broken and that is why it ended. It was broken through disobedience and the people did not keep the feasts. But the Melchizedec priesthood is a covenant that cannot be broken because it is fulfilled by the only Son of the Father. We complete the priesthood by being in Him.

Hebrews 7:9 states: "And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid them in Abraham. For he was yet in the Loins of his father, when Melchizedec met him." This clearly shows that the Melchizedec priesthood supersedes that of Levi. Levi wasn't born - still in the genealogical loins of Abraham (great, great grandfather). The Levitical priesthood's ministry was indebted to Melchizedec. Could we say it this way? Place a dot on a piece of paper and put a circle around it. The Levitical priesthood is the dot and the Melchizedec is the circle that surrounds it. You see, the Melchizedec priesthood is eternal - that is never ending. The lesser is encompassed about by the greater.

In fact, we find in Hebrews 7:11 that "if therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it people received the law) what further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?" Again we see that the Melchizedec is tied to perfection while the Levitical or church order is tied to death.

So, it is with new understanding then when we realize that Abram who met Melchizedec was meeting him on the kingdom level. Abram lived ABOVE the realm of the law. Therefore if we be the seed of promise through Abram we must also live from above. Abram delivered his relative Lot from the powers of the enemy (Lot surely represents the church). It is only when the sons of God have delivered creation, that they then are rewarded with the Melchizedec priesthood. For Abram met Melchizedec after he delivered his brother and had not taken any booty for himself. Abram was so much on the higher plane that he had no desire for anything on the lower plane.

In Genesis 14 we met Abram and Melchizedec, King of Salem(meaning righteousness, peace). Here we find that Melchizedec brings forth bread and wine unto Abram. Isaiah 62:5 states: "For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you ...". The bread and wine symbolical of Matthew 26:26 represents the sons (Abram) entering into the life or marriage with Melchizedec (Jesus Christ). The church (the body of Christ) doesn't marry Jesus as has been taught. They marry the sons for the sons are Him unto the church. If Christ is our head, and we eat His "body" and drink His "blood" then we become His body!

Note that the wine taken and the bread represent the new covenant as the Old Covenant has passed away. This is the Melchizedec covenant. There are those that literally keep the communion. If they do it is a shadow of the real (I Cor.11) and a remembrance to them of past things. But to those who enter into the relationship as Abram, it is a spiritual place and a living and on-going realm that is not past but present in the third heavens.

"For I say unto you that I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." Did not Jesus do this is Luke 24:30? When did Abram drink it? When Abram walked in that kingdom realm. Why then should we settle for a type and shadow with wine and bread in the natural when we can be in the kingdom (For the kingdom is within us. We must just dwell there Luke 17:21). Abram was called "the father of the kingdom and all men shall enter therein (I Cor. 15:22, I Tim. 4:10).

I was talking with a Lutheran minister and he told me that they believe that Jesus is above, below and through the sacrament of communion but not in it as the Catholics do. I proceeded to rejoice and tell him why I was so happy that salvation wasn't found in stale bread and a little wine! The communion we speak of is not on this plane of remembrance. Neither is it through, above or below! The flesh that I eat of is a living flesh! It is daily partaken of on the kingdom realm.

Now, church order people think that they also partake of Jesus through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. But the life is in the kingdom order and the church order is the gift realm that will pass away , ie. death. The life in the Melchizedec realm is different than the Levitical. Many will confuse what we are trying to share and think they have life and experienced the realm of the 100% when in actuality they are still in the Holy Place realm (that 60% fold, Spirit-filled realm).

Some Christians in the body of Christ have a strange god in them. Yes, that is correct. Though they think they serve the Lord, yet the god of the flesh makes them desire things that appear holy but are fleshly. Many use the gifts of the church order for ministry gain or for a name etc. But those that come into the Melchizedec priesthood aren't like the Pharisees who like to pray in public and be well clothed and rich in wealth, doctrine and traditions. Psalm 81:9 states that in the Melchizedec "There will be no strange god in thee; neither shall thou worship any strange god. I AM the Lord thy God."

How joyous it is to realize that His ways will not be strange to those who allow Him to come forth. The Melchizedec priesthood is one that lasts forever for it has no flesh in it, and NO MAN can stand before the Lord and his glory and live. Consequently, those who do stand before Him and allow Him to minister out of them have totally died to self. He is not strange to those that live on the higher order. They know Him quite well! The ministry of church order is a strange God for they bring the life of God to you and keep you in subservient state to them. But the way of the kingdom priesthood is to allow and assist you to come into the presence of God and hear for yourself.

In the Levitical priesthood you take a sacrifice of "praise" in and hope that He accepts it. Those of the Melchizedec know their God when they go in and go in offering the LIFE that is in them - no sacrifice needed. Paul states that he knew ALL the mysteries of God (I Cor.˜4:1). Why could he not explain them to the saints? Hebrews 5 states that they were dull of hearing. The Melchizedec priesthood is a living flesh, saints of the Most High, who give themselves in order to deliver those on the church order. They are not mediators like Levi but offer life having eaten of the Lord, that offends those of Levi.

The Melchizedec priesthood is found in individuals. It is a direct line of fellowship with the Father, that the saint can develop. Whereas, those who dwell in the church order (that Levitical priesthood) cannot begin to move in the same way because they wait on the minister to lead them.

The true Melchizedec priesthood serves man in any way possible. Jesus even went into the system of his day and preached a deeper word to them. They marvelled because He spoke as one with authority and not as the Pharisees or Saducees. The deepest truth of the Melchizedec realm is that it is a servant realm. Those who are called to sonship are those that serve - not those that gloat over their high calling! It isn't mind knowledge that makes one a son either. It is the heart-led life that reveals the divine nature of the Father.

As Melchizedec laid down his life for Abram (the giving of wine and bread) and as Jesus Christ laid down His life for the brethren, so the sons of the Most High shall follow the same pattern. For the Melchizedec priesthood can absorb all death into itself and change it into life eternal.

The Kingly Ministry of the Kingdom Age

In Hebrews 1 we have seen how Christ came as a prophet and a priest. Verse 3 shows how Jesus lastly manifested the Kingly ministry. It states: "sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High." This is the last manner in which Jesus Christ is manifested. He ascended this way, and will in the eons of time reveal himself in such a manner. The reason we say eons of time is that the feast of Tabernacles takes eight days to complete. The full engathering that needs to be done before His total Kingship can be revealed will take far longer than has been expected.

You will remember the Old Testament story of how grieved Samuel was when the people cried out for a king. Samuel felt that the people rejected him and his ministry (I Samuel 8:7). Yet, God said they rejected Himself and not Samuel. Thus, we find that the kings that would follow, starting with Saul, were out of God's divine order.

The nation of Israel wanted to be like other people. But God had called them to be a separate, peculiar people (Ex.19:5-6). It was not that they were better than anyone else but because God loved them (Deut. 7:7-8). Yet, they rejected His marriage covenant, and sought another for themselves. When they took a king for themselves, they committed adultery and fornication. As we all know, God them a bill of divorcement (Jer.3:8). The relationship ended when Israel took kings unto herself. The remnant God still persevered with, but the nation of Israel was rejected.

So, if we as a people place any man over us other than Jesus Christ, we deceive ourselves. For we commit the same whoredom as Israel did. Respect the ministry and receive from it. In fact, it is our duty to give to the support of the ministry. But we are never to let the ministry to become our head or the "covering" over us. He is our "covering". The only king is Jesus. We may be a "kingdom of priests" as the Greek brings out in Revelation 1:7, but we will never be kings with the capital "K". For He alone is worthy of such. We shall be servant kings.

The important thing to remember is that our kingship is WITHIN JESUS CHRIST. We are not kings in ourselves, but only as much as we have His nature, is how much of the kingship we have. Our citizenship, our common-wealth, our conversation, is all from ABOVE. It is only, as we reside in the higher order which is that heavenly order, that our kingdom realm is revealed.

It is not a kingdom order after man's own understanding. The sin of Israel is that they patterned their kingdom after the other nations, which was after man's own understanding. We have the same thing today where fundamentalists are striving to set up God's kingdom on earth with the governments designed by man. It is the same sin of Israel.

Thus, we must learn of the Master, the new way which we have never gone before. Now, it cannot be determined by ourselves, it must be revealed by the Father. Those who will rule and reign, do not desire to do so. Those whom He will allow to rule and reign do so because they seek to serve. The saints caught up with the revelation of sonship as ruling and reigning have a false un- derstanding that is of the carnal mind. For sonship is giving Life to all people and that only comes by giving up one's own life.

Jesus didn't receive His actual kingship until He FINISHED His ministry. As Jesus is our pattern, we shall not receive ours until we come to the end of our time as ministers of sonship. We must be faithful.

We must realize a few things about this kingship ministry. It is a benevolent ministry. Benevolent means those that are in a position of authority, work for the people as a servant. Jesus said that he who would seek to be mighty must first be lowly.

The second point is that during this kingdom with kings reigning, there will be no working of Grace - FOR THE LEADERSHIP. The age of Grace (if we can call it that), ends when the kingdom and kingdom law goes into effect in the lives of the leaders. Jesus did not minister by the grace of God, He was obedient to God - subservient to His will 100%. Because He was, He revealed grace to the people. As the sons of God made in His image, we shall do the same.

It is a theocratic kingdom. By that we mean a kingdom run by God. There is no man running the show. The kingdom has laws. The laws will be just and fair as our Lord is such. It will not be harsh but will who the way unto life to all people. But sin will still cause death. In fact many will be a child and die 100 years old - in their infancy - because they have not matured nor have they set aside their sins. In man's kingdom there are many inequities. But the kingdom of God has the very fullness of light and love. Everything is righteously done without corruption entering into any judgment of God. When we begin to rule, we will have the very mind of God during this time.

During the feast of Tabernacles, which is an eight day feast, there will be killed 70 offerings unto the Lord. The most on the first day, and decreasing unto the last day. The decreasing need for a sacrifice is evident because righteousness will conquer corruption. It took 6,000 years ˜(6 days to fall) and it will take 8,000 years (eight days) to bring us to the full deliverance. Perhaps, it is the gradual growing righteousness that we need to consider.

So, this kingdom is benevolent (that is, kindly and considerate). It is authoritarian. It is righteous. It is a law-giving kingdom. The ruler in this new age is governmentally oriented. It is a form of government that the ruler uses. But there is a more important fact, I am concerned about the spiritual leadership. The leader or ruler is also to be a spiritual leader.

Revelation 1:6 in the King James states: "And He hath made us kings and priests...." This is close to the Greek but not quite accurate. Wuest's translation states: "...who constituted us a kingdom, priests to His God." This is closer to the Greek original. We are made a government of priests.

In the Old Testament the priests of Israel were separate from the government of the King of Israel. The priests would counsel the king but they had no power over the kings. Peter stated that we are to be a "royal priesthood". This also shows that the new age coming is different than the Old Testament times.

This new form of government is made up of priests. Not religious people, but true priests are the rulers. These are selected by God and thank God for that! It isn't like the times of the Northern kingdom of the Old Testament where ANY person could be a priest. The priests of the Kingdom Age are those that have entered into a relationship with Christ that is beyond the realm of the flesh. The priests no longer live, but Christ lives in them.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE KINGDOM

It has been with Godly fear that we have approached the study of the Kingdom Age. We can, by no means, exhaust the depth of truth of the kingdom and by the same token, we can sincerely state that we do not have a full understanding of the kingdom. In fact, that which we claim to have as light on the matter today, will not be as much light as we will have tomorrow.

There are two places a saint may dwell. He may live in the spiritual heavens of the church order or he may dwell in the heavens of the kingdom order. You will dwell in either of those. Many in the church realm will proclaim that they are living in the kingdom and their fruits belie the fact. By the same token, those that live in the kingdom (at this time of writing) do not fully manifest the kingdom because of an "age overlap" and their growing in the ways of the kingdom.

Consequently, we will find two groups proclaiming the kingdom. One thinks that they have it - but don't. The other has it - but doesn't fully manifest it. Just as John the Baptist lost some disciples who decided to follow Jesus, we shall find the same today. The ministry of the church age decreases as the kingdom age increases. Some of the church order will cross over to the new age. Most shall not and that is because they desire to remain in the old order.

There will be the appearance of much confusion in the body of Christ concerning this time of the "age overlap". But it will be orderly for our Father is orderly. The sons are birthed BEFORE they cross or stand in the Jordan River (Jordan meaning death). Therefore, they have the life of the new age before they enter the new age (Canaan land). For further detail of that truth see our message on BIRTH IN THE WILDERNESS.

It will be impossible to rule in the kingdom unless you know how to do so. Church order doesn't teach you how to rule in the kingdom. It is church order. So, the way to learn how to rule (actually we serve and don't rule) comes only from the Lord himself teaching us or one who ministers the kingdom. True kingdom starts within (Luke 17:21) when He rules totally in all your desires and this is a prerequisite for serving as a ruler.

It is our hope and desire that this small booklet shall quicken your heart to possess your possession in the fullness - Jesus Christ.