BREAKING, RULING AND DISCIPLINING THE NATIONS 2
(week 34/09)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week, we saw how God is going to ‘break’ the nations by the ‘stone’ or revelation of prayer to perfect the love of God. This week, we will see how God will rule and disciple the nations after breaking them,
After the ‘breaking’ of these nations, God will now rule them through the perfect church by force of spiritual arms like Daniel (Dan. 3.28; 4.24-26) ruled in Babylon, Ezra (Ezr.6.6-14; 7.21-26), Esther and Mordecai (Est.8-10) in Persia
Ezra 6:6-14 ESV: “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away. (7) Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. (8) Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. (9) And whatever is needed–bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require–let that be given to them day by day without fail, (10) that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. (11) Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. (12) May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.” (13) Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. (14) And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia;
Notice God’s decree or rule was enforced by the decree of heathen kings through prayers (Dan. 9.2-22; Neh. 1.4-11) of His people: the rod of strength that went out of Zion:
Psalms 110:1-6 MKJV A Psalm of David. Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I place Your enemies as Your footstool. (2) Jehovah shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion; rule in the midst of Your enemies. (3) Your people shall be willing in the day of Your power, in holy adornment from the womb of the morning: You have the dew of Your youth. (4) Jehovah has sworn, and will not repent, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (5) The Lord at Your right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath. (6) He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill them with dead bodies; He shall shatter heads over much of the earth.
Ezra 7:21-26 ESV “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, (22) up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. (23) Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. (24) We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God. (25) “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach. (26) Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”
We see here Ezra ruling in Persia by the decree of the king. In the same way in this 3rd day the church will rule the nations by political decrees enacted for the benefit of church through prayer of the church for the nation: the ‘stone’ cut from the ‘mountain’ (Dan. 2:34-35;44-45; Is 56:7; 2:2-3) ‘without hands’!
Esther 8:1-2 ESV: On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. (2) And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
Esther 8:7-12 ESV: Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. (8) But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.” (9) The king’s scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. (10) And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king’s service, bred from the royal stud, (11) saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods, (12) on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
Here, we see Esther and Mordecai ruling in Persia, through Ahasuerus by the power of God released through Esther and Mordecai’s fasting and prayer (Est. 4.15-17).
Esther 4:15-17 MKJV: And Esther said to return to Mordecai this answer, (16) Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat nor drink three days, night or day. My maidservants and I will also fast in the same way. And so I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish. (17) And Mordecai passed over and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
Esther 5:1-3 MKJV and it happened on the third day, Esther put on royal clothing, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, across from the king’s house. And the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, across from the gate of the house. (2) And it happened when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she received favor in his sight. And the king held out to Esther the golden scepter in his hand. And Esther drew near and touched the top of the scepter. (3) And the king said to her, what do you desire, Queen Esther? And what is your wish? It shall be given to you even to half of the kingdom.
In the same way, in this 3rd day as the perfect church, typified by Esther, puts on her royal clothing (2 Cor. 5.2-4) of cleansing perfection in which the sin nature has been completely cleansed (Heb. 10.22; Eph. 5.26-27; 2 Cor. 7.1) from the physical body, comes to the throne of God in prayer she will receive divine favour to rule the nations of the earth by the force of spiritual arms!
As the perfect church rules the nations in this way (not necessarily by campaigning for and holding political offices or positions) she will at the same time, like Ezra (Ezr. 7.25), disciple every tribe, tongue and kindred by teaching them all the Lord Jesus has taught us which is summarized (Rom.13.8-10) in the perfection of the love of God by the blood (Heb. 13.20-21), the Word (1 Jn. 2.5) and the Spirit (1 Jn. 4.12-13).
Matthew 28:18-20 ESV And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Galatians 5:14 MKJV For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
