REDISCOVERING THE KINGDOM CONCEPT

Psalm chapter 24







Today we are walking in: Rediscovering The Kingdom Concept







Numbers 24:7




He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom H4467 shall be exalted.







KINGDOM





Today we look to the word-KINGDOM- H4467 mamlâkâh, (mam-law-kaw') -dominion, (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm):—kingdom, king's, reign, royal





The Torah testifies...............




Exodus 19:6




And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.




Numbers 32:33




And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom H4467 of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom H4467 of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.




Deuteronomy 17:18




And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, H4467 that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:






The prophets proclaim..................




1 Samuel 10:18




And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, H4467 and of them that oppressed you:





Isaiah 9:7




Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.






Jeremiah 18:9




And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom H4467, to build and to plant it;









The writings bear witness...........................





1 Kings 9:5




Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom H4467 upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.





1 Chronicles 17:11




And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom H4467.




Psalm 145:13




Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.










CHAPTER TWO REDISCOVERING THE KINGDOM CONCEPT




At the beginning of this teaching we talked about the power and importance of concepts when attempting to understand and communicate our ideas. It is most important to note that The Most High Yah the Creator chose the concept of a kingdom to communicate His purpose, will and plan for mankind and earth to us. The message of the Bible is primarily and obviously about a Kingdom. If you do not understand kingdoms, it is impossible for you to understand the Bible and its message.




However, over the past 2,000 years the true concept of kingdom has been lost, especially since the advent of modern governments built on new concepts of governing, e.g., democracy, socialism, communism, and dictatorships.




For the most part, people in the Western world know very little about kingdom and the concept of royalty and monarchy.




This is further compounded by the idea that kingdoms are designed to elevate one family above all families and subjugate and oppress citizens.




While it is true that many kingdoms have dark histories of atrocities and oppression, prospering at the expense of the dignity and value of their citizens, the original concept of kingdom as introduced by The Most High Yah Himself, stands alone as the perfect prototype of government built on righteous judgment. All the kingdoms of the earth were mere attempts to imitate this perfect Kingdom. Today our modern democracies are attempts to achieve the goals of the perfect kingdom, without the necessary raw material—the Ruach HaQadesh.




Added to this confusion, and even ignorance, concerning kingdom, religion has further diverted our understanding by converting the message of the Kingdom of The Most High Yah into a moral belief system. The result is that religion has become an end in itself, distinguishing itself from the Kingdom concept with pride. In fact, many religions take pride in the separation of religion and state and see the two as opposing entities with no common relationship. The dilemma is that the Kingdom is a state government with all the characteristics of a state.




Yahusha came to earth to restore what Adam lost, and He brought a kingdom message. Yahusha came to reestablish the government of The Most High Yah on earth and to reinstate His earthly kings to their rightful place of dominion. Adam lost a kingdom, not a religion, and therefore the redemptive work of the Creator would be the reestablishment of His Kingdom on earth. Let’s take a look at what a Kingdom entails, in order to better understand the message of Yahusha Hamachiach and the Bible.




WHAT IS A KINGDOM?




The kingdom concept was born in the heart of man, placed there by his Creator as the purpose for which he was created. Despite the fact that there were many types of kingdoms throughout history, there are certain characteristics common to all kingdoms. The Kingdom of The Most High Yah, according to Yahusha, also possesses these components. Here are some you will need to know in order to understand the concepts of Scripture. All kingdoms have:




• A King and Most High – a sovereign;

• A Territory – a domain;

• A Constitution – a royal covenant;

• A Citizenry – community of subjects;

• Law – acceptable principles;

• Privileges – rights and benefits;

• A Code of Ethics – acceptable lifestyle and conduct;

• An Army – security; and,

• A Commonwealth – economic security; and,

• A Social Culture – protocol and procedures.




The King is the embodiment of the kingdom, representing its glory and nature. Authority flows from the king and the word of the king is supreme.




The Territory is the domain over which the king exercises total authority. The territory and its resources and people are all personal property of the king. The king by right owns all and, therefore, is considered Most High over all. The word Most High denotes ownership by right. Most High is only given to one who is sovereign owner. This is why the Scriptures declare, “The earth is the Most High’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Ps. 24: 1KJV).




The Constitution is the covenant of a king with his citizenry and expresses the mind and will of the king for his citizens and the kingdom. It constitutes the intent of the sovereign for his people as well as containing the benefits and privileges of the kingdom. The constitution is the documented words of the king. The Bible contains the constitution of the Kingdom of The Most High Yah which details His will and mind for His citizens.




The Citizenry is the people that live under the rule of the king. Citizenship in a kingdom is not a right, but a privilege, and is a result of the king’s choice. The benefits and privileges of a kingdom are only accessible to citizens and, therefore, the favor of the king is always a privilege. Once one becomes a citizen of the kingdom, all the rights of citizenship are at the citizen’s pleasure. The king is obligated to care for and protect all of his citizens, and their welfare is a reflection on the king himself. The number one goal of a citizen in a kingdom is to submit to the king, seeking only to remain in right standing with him. This is called righteousness. This is why Yahusha said the priority of all men is to seek His kingdom.




But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt. 6:33).




The Law constitutes the standards and principles established by the king himself, by which his kingdom will function and be administered. The laws of a kingdom are to be obeyed by all, including foreigners residing in it. The laws of a kingdom are the way by which one is guaranteed access to the benefits of the king and the kingdom. Violations of kingdom law places one at odds with the king and thus interrupts the favorable position one enjoys with the king. The laws in a kingdom cannot be changed by the citizens, nor are they subject to a citizen referendum or debate. Simply put, the word of the king is law in His kingdom. Rebellion against the law is rebellion against the king. King David understood this principle of the royal word when he stated,

I will bow down toward Your holy temple and will praise Your name for Your love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word (Ps. 138:2-3).




The Privileges are the benefits the king lavishes on his faithful citizens. This aspect of kingdom is very different from other forms of government. In a kingdom, citizenship is always desired by the people because, once you are in the kingdom, the king is personally responsible for you and all your needs. In addition, because the king owns everything within his kingdom, he can give to any citizen any or all of his wealth as he desires.




A Code of Ethics is the acceptable conduct of the citizens in the kingdom and their representation of the kingdom. This code includes moral standards, social relationships, personal conduct, attitude, attire and manner of life.




The Army is the kingdom’s system of securing its territory and protecting its citizens. It is important to understand that in a kingdom the citizens do not fight in the army, but enjoy the protection of the army. This is why, in the Kingdom of The Most High Yah, the Messengers are called the host of heaven. This word host means army and identifies the Messengers as the so-called military component of the Kingdom of heaven. This kingdom concept presents a challenge to our religious thinking of the Church as an army. A careful study of the biblical constitution of the word will show that the Church, as Yahusha established it, is not identified as an army but rather a citizenship, a family of sons and a nation.




He unleashed against them His hot anger, His wrath, indignation and hostility—a band of destroying angels (Ps. 78:49-50).




Praise the Most High, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His word. Praise the Most High, all His heavenly hosts, you His servants who do His will (Ps. 103:20-21).




So it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:40b-42).




A Commonwealth is the economic system of a kingdom which guarantees each citizen equal access to financial security. In a kingdom, the term commonwealth is used because the king’s desire is that all his citizens share and benefit from the wealth of the kingdom. The kingdom’s glory is in the happiness and health of its citizens.




Consider carefully the word of the King of the Kingdom of The Most High Yah, Yahusha Hamachiach,

Then Yahusha said to His disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes (Luke 12:22-24).




But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:31-32).




The Social Culture is the environment created by the life and manners of the king and his citizens. This is the cultural aspect that separates and distinguishes the kingdom from all others around it. It is the culture that expresses the nature of the king, through the lifestyle of his citizens. This distinction in Kingdom culture is evidenced in the words of the Most High Yahusha, when He repeatedly said in the Book of Matthew, “you have heard it said... but I tell you,” (Matt. 5:21-22), and again, “it shall not be so among you” (Matt. 20: 26KJV). Kingdom social culture is supposed to be evident in our daily activities and encounters.




KINGDOM COMPONENTS




All kingdoms are comprised of a number of components necessary for them to function effectively. All kingdoms, including the Kingdom of The Most High Yah, have:




• A Health program – healing;

• An Education program – Teaching ministry of the Ruach HaQadesh;

• A Taxation system – Tithing;

• A central Communication system – Gifts of the Ruach;

• A Diplomatic Corps - Ambassadors of Hamachiach;

• A System of Administration – the Ministration of the Ruach through mankind called the Church; and,

• An Economy – a system of Giving and Receiving (seed time and harvest time).




A careful study of the biblical message and the presentation of the message of the Kingdom of heaven by Yahusha will illustrate the presence of all these components and characteristics of life in the Kingdom of The Most High Yah.




However, the most outstanding element distinguishing the Kingdom of The Most High Yah from every other kingdom is the concept that all of its citizens are relatives of the King, and are kings themselves. This was the message brought to earth by the Most High Yahusha Hamachiach.




A CONTRAST OF KINGDOMS




The buses lined the streets of the small town, bringing tourists from far and near to visit and photograph the little wooden house. Many traveled over seas to see this antique structure that had no architectural relationship to the modern concrete jungle that surrounded it. It looked like a slice of history served on the streets of the 21st century. It had now become the source of new tourist dollars for the staggering local economy and provided much needed jobs for the citizens of this small town.




However, it wasn’t that long ago that this same old house was falling apart, dilapidated and an eyesore. Its walls held many memories and stories of the great past of the city. Some of the citizens demanded that it be taken down because it was affecting the real estate value of their properties. However, an old man who looked and acted almost as old as the little house began a petition to save the quaint little structure. Finally, he gained enough support to qualify the structure for the city conservation and preservation and antiquities act, and so began the long journey of restoration of this masterpiece of historical architecture.




Being a visitor to the city, I wanted to meet the old man and requested my driver take me to his house so I might hear the full story of the salvation of the condemned house.




A LESSON IN RESTORATION




As the car pulled up to the fence surrounding the old wooden house with the paint peeling, three dogs ran out to meet us with unexpectedly friendly barks. The old man sitting in his creaky rocking chair beckoned to us as if he had been waiting for us for years. I stepped onto the porch and sat on an old crate he provided for us to rest. After I introduced myself, he asked what was our interest in the house. I asked him to tell me how he saved that house from impending destruction. With a twinkle in his eyes, he gathered his thoughts and proceeded to take me on a mental journey that held my attention like a child hearing a tale for the first time.




He spoke fondly of the history of this little old house and of his childhood experiences with its life. When I asked him about the restoration process, he told me a story I will never forget. He said that the house was a genuine restoration. “What do you mean by genuine restoration?” I asked. “Well,” he replied, “You see, some so-called restorations are not genuine because they substitute materials for the original.” Then gesturing toward the city square, he said, “But that project is genuine restoration because the architects went back to the archives and located the original drawings, then used the exact same materials for every part of the restoration reconstruction. In fact, the little house looks just like it did the day it was built.”




“So true restoration requires the original plans and materials to be complete and genuine,” I asked. “Absolutely! This is why the value of the restored house is worth more than the towering skyscrapers surrounding it,” answered the old man. I left that porch that day with a greater appreciation for the complicated process called restoration and also understood more fully the great restoration program the Creator has been executing on this earth.




The divine strategy devised by the all-wise Creator follows the same principle as that of the old man’s story. The loss of heaven’s Kingdom on earth through Adam’s disobedient act and, subsequently, the loss of its earthly envoy, the Ruach HaQadesh, demanded restoration. This required a heavenly program for earth preservation. This program became known as the redemptive work of The Most High Yah. The goal of the program is the recovery and reestablishment of the Kingdom of heaven on earth and the reinstatement of mankind as its legal kingly representative.




The divine strategy was the return of the original Adam to earth to reconstruct the old Adam that had failed. The means would be the coming of the Messiah King to redeem, restore and reconnect man back to heaven’s government once again. This promise of a royal seed in Genesis 3:15 established the coming of The Most High Yah in the flesh as a legal redeemer with all the rights to enter earth’s realm to achieve this goal.




This declaration was known as “the promise” and activated the long historical expectation of a Messiah king destined to redeem all men and restore them back to their kingly position.




This process included the calling and appointment of a specific line through which this great king would come. Divine prerogative then chose an obedient man named Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4) to whom the promise was given of the coming of the Kingdom seed to redeem and restore, not just his nation, but all the nations of the world of mankind.




I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:2-3).




MISUNDERSTANDING THE MESSAGE AND THE METHOD




The greatest danger in life is the misconstruing of a concept. A careful study of the promise will show that the promise was made “to” the nations “through” Abraham. This promise was the material for the introduction of prophets to the world. All the prophets of the Old Testament were raised up primarily to continually proclaim this promise of the coming messianic king, who would restore the Kingdom our father, Adam, lost.




Abraham had a son of promise as promised, Isaac, who had two sons named Jacob and Esau. Jacob was chosen by The Most High Yah to be the line for the seed of the messiah king and his name was changed by The Most High Yah Himself to Israel, which means “prince with The Most High Yah.” Perhaps this was to confirm the royal line of descendants. Israel had 12 sons who became known as the 12 tribes or clans of Israel and collectively as the Israelites.




The Hebrews or Israelites were reminded of the promise from generation to generation, that the Messiah king would come and through Him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. However, they as a people misunderstood the promise and made themselves the object of the promise rather than the conduit. The Most High Yah had promised Abraham that the Messiah would come through his seed to redeem the world, but the Israelites used the choice of their line as a distinguishing factor to separate themselves from the very people they were to serve.




They developed a self-centered religion that condemned the world to which they were appointed to deliver the Redeemer, rather than The Most High Yah’s intention of a Kingdom of heaven on earth. Israel became the masters of misinformation.




This error has left scars throughout history and continues to feed the remnant of Judaism today. This is where the religion of Judaism was born, causing the reactionary development of many other religions of today. Over the past 3,000 years, the message of the Kingdom was gradually buried in the graveyard of religion.




THE PROMISE OF KINGDOM REDISCOVERY




The Old Testament is earth’s file of heaven’s record of the promise of the coming of the King and the Kingdom. All the prophecies were about His arrival and what He would bring; the laws given to Moses foreshadowed the laws and principles of the Kingdom. There are thousands of references to this specific announcement and a few are worth reviewing:




Moses predicted it:




The Most High your The Most High Yah will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to Him (Deut. 18:15).




David spoke of the Kingdom:

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations (Ps. 145:13).




Isaiah saw the coming of the King and the Kingdom in detail:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, El Gibbor, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Yahuah Tseva'oth will perform this. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 9:6-7 את CEPHER.




Daniel saw the King and the Kingdom in graphic detail:

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. DANIY'EL (DANIEL) 7:13-14 את CEPHER.




I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the Truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the qodeshiym of El Elyon shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom forever, even forever and ever. DANIY'EL (DANIEL) 7:16-18 את CEPHER.




I beheld, and the same horn made war with the qodeshiym, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the qodeshiym of El Elyon; and the time came that the qodeshiym possessed the kingdom. DANIY'EL (DANIEL) 7:21-22 את CEPHER.




But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the qodeshiym of El Elyon, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniy'el, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. DANIY'EL (DANIEL) 7:26-28 את CEPHER.




It is incredible to read these few scriptures and see, without a doubt, that the message of the Bible is about the coming of a kingdom, not a religion. However, the announcement of the Old Testament was about the coming of a prophet who would prepare the way and introduce the Messiah-King to the world personally. This was referring to John the Baptist. Let’s read the prophecy from Malachi:




Remember ye the Torah of Mosheh my servant, which I commanded unto him in Chorev for all Yashar'el, with the commandments and judgments. Behold, I will send you את Eliyahu the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Yahuah: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. MAL`AKIY (MALACHI) 4:4-6 את CEPHER.




So we see that the restoration plan of The Most High Yah was in motion from its earliest announcement to the adversary in Genesis, chapter 3. The prophecy stated that He would come and prepare the people for the entrance of the King and the Kingdom.







THE LONG WAIT—4,000 YEARS




According to biblical chronology, despite the possibility that the earth may have been in existence much longer, the creative act of The Most High Yah’s making man is determined to be at least six thousand years ago. If we were to use this measure to calculate the length of The Most High Yah’s redemptive drama for mankind, then the promise of the coming Messiah King would have occurred 4,000 years before the birth of John the Baptist. This means The Most High Yah waited for 4,000 years before He sent His Messiah King to earth. The question is why?




WAITING FOR A KINGDOM MODEL




The Most High Yah is a great communicator. He knew that He could not fully reveal the good news of His Kingdom until an environment existed in which people could understand the message.




Only when the time was right could Hamachiach come. Yahusha could not come until a Kingdom model existed as a visual illustration to help people understand His teachings on the Kingdom. Only in the “fullness of time” could the Kingdom be revealed.




The same chapter of Genesis that describes the fall of man also announces The Most High Yah’s promised solution, but many millennia would pass before its fulfillment. Because of the serpent’s (HaSatan’s) role in tempting the first human couple to sin, The Most High Yah pronounced a curse on him, which also foretold his future doom: “And Yahuah Elohiym said unto the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 3:14-15 את CEPHER. The Most High Yah promised that one of Eve’s offspring (“seed” in the KJV) would crush the serpent’s head, inflicting a fatal wound. That “seed” would be Yahusha Hamachiach.




When Yahusha appeared preaching the Kingdom of heaven, He was the culmination of thousands of years of preparation in The Most High Yah’s plan. What was The Most High Yah waiting for? Throughout history The Most High Yah was setting the stage and preparing an environment for His Son’s appearance.







PREPARING FOR THE KING




Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying The Most High Yah and by this action they cut off themselves (as well as all future generations of human beings) from His Kingdom. The first significant biblical figure after Adam and Eve was Noah, a righteous man who believed in and followed The Most High Yah. He and his family survived the great flood by riding it out in an ark.




Afterwards, however, Noah planted a vineyard and got drunk. Eventually his sons went their own ways and forgot The Most High Yah. Their descendants fell into idol worship and other kinds of evil. The time was not yet right for the Kingdom.

Ten generations after Noah, The Most High Yah spoke to Abram, a descendant of Noah’s son Shem. The Most High Yah revealed Himself to Abraham and made a covenant with him that would make of him a great nation. From Abraham came Isaac, the son born to him in his old age. Still, The Most High Yah had no model of the Kingdom.




Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. The Most High Yah appeared to Jacob and said, “I will make of you a great nation. Your name will now be Israel.” Israel had 12 sons, who were the fathers of the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel. The Most High Yah was working toward His model.




Through Moses, He delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, brought them into the desert, and told them, “You will be My people and I will be your The Most High Yah. I will lead you into the land I promised your forefathers.” In other words, He was saying, “I will be your King and you will be My Kingdom.”




After awhile, however, the people of Israel got tired of a The Most High Yah they could not see and longed for a king they could see. The Most High Yah never desired for them to have an earthly king. This was not the appropriate model that He was seeking. Nevertheless, The Most High Yah gave in to their wishes and instructed the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul as king of Israel. Because the nation of Israel rejected The Most High Yah in favor of an earthly king, the time still was not right for the Kingdom of heaven to be revealed.




A LONG SUCCESSION OF KINGS




After a promising start, Saul disobeyed The Most High Yah to the point at which The Most High Yah rejected him as king. The Most High Yah then chose David, a man after His own heart, to be king in Saul’s place. David was a good king and a mighty warrior who loved The Most High Yah. He was also a poet and worshiper whose songs comprise the bulk of the longest book in the Bible: the Psalms. David was the first to informally combine the functions of priest and king. He worshiped and wrote worship songs, but he also administered government wisely and ably. A model of The Most High Yah’s Kingdom was beginning to emerge.




Then David disappointed The Most High Yah by committing adultery with Bathsheba and compounding his sin by trying to cover it up. He arranged to have her husband, Uriah, killed. From then until the end of his life, trouble dogged David’s steps. After the death of Solomon, David’s wise and capable son and successor, the kingdom they had built split in two as ten tribes rebelled against the house of David. The time still was not right for the Kingdom of heaven to be revealed.




Following a long succession of kings, most of whom rejected The Most High Yah and served idols, first the northern kingdom of Israel and then the southern kingdom of Judah fell to outside conquerors. The northern kingdom was assimilated into the Assyrian empire and ceased to exist. The kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians, and the brightest and best of her people were carried into exile for 70 years.




Daniel, one of the exiles and an official in the Babylonian government, received a powerful vision from The Most High Yah that showed him that the Kingdom was not dead and forgotten. The Most High Yah was still working toward His model, preparing for the “fullness of time” when His Son would come and reveal the Kingdom. Daniel spoke of a “son of man” who would do great things. Several hundred years later, Yahusha would refer to Himself as the Son of man, His favorite self-designation.




BABYLONIANS, GREEKS, AND ROMANS




The Babylonians fell to the Persians, who allowed the Hebrews to return to their homeland and rebuild their Temple and the city of Jerusalem. The Persians fell to the Greeks, whose great tradition of philosophy influenced the entire Mediterranean world. In time, the Greek Empire fell to the Romans, with their genius for military campaigns, law, and government administration. At last, the time for which The Most High Yah had been preparing drew near. The Roman Empire was the first in history with a structure and administration that resembled the Kingdom of The Most High Yah. Finally, The Most High Yah had His model.




Unlike the empires that preceded it, when Rome invaded and conquered a country, it set up its own administration with its own governor appointed by the emperor, but left the indigenous people in the land. Rome governed its conquered territory through appointed representatives who ruled with the authority of the emperor himself. The job of a Roman governor was to govern his province in such a way as to make it a reflection of Rome.




Rome became the greatest empire in history because it had a system of government that worked better than any that had gone before. It was a simple system, really: take over territory, leave the people in the land, but appoint a governor and establish an administration that will turn them into Romans.




Everything was now set. The Roman Empire provided the perfect model for the message of the Kingdom of The Most High Yah because it contained the concepts of the Kingdom that would make the message of Yahusha easily understood. The Most High Yah’s Kingdom model was in place. The time had come for The Most High Yah to send His Son. The time had come for the Kingdom of heaven to be revealed.




JUST AT THE RIGHT TIME




The Bible says that when the fullness of time came, The Most High Yah sent His Son, Yahusha Hamachiach, into the world (see Gal. 4:4). This means that The Most High Yah waited to send Yahusha until the situation was ripe. Yahusha came at just the right moment and place in history. What made this particular time 2,000 years ago right? Among other things, the time was right because there was a great earthly kingdom in place that could provide tangible, visible illustrations for Yahusha’ teachings about the Kingdom. The Roman Empire served as a model.




Under Caesar, the Roman Empire was a kingdom, not a democracy. Caesar was a king, not a president. During Yahusha’ day Rome ruled most of the known world. Its government, laws, institutions, and culture were everywhere. Every word that Yahusha spoke about the Kingdom of The Most High Yah had a physical equivalent in Rome, making His message easier to understand for the people who listened to Him.




For example, the Roman senate was called the ecclesia, a Greek word that means “assembly,” or “called-out ones.” Greek and Latin were both widely spoken throughout the Empire. Yahusha spoke Aramaic, the common language of the Jews of Palestine, but the Gospels were originally written in Greek. The Gospel writers use the word ecclesia in passages where Yahusha talks about building His “Church.”




Just as Caesar had an assembly of called-out ones—the Senate—so also did Yahusha Hamachiach, the Son of the living The Most High Yah and King of kings have His assembly of called- out ones—His Church.




IMAGE OF A KING




Caesar issued coins stamped with his image and inscription. People understood that whatever bore Caesar’s image belonged to Caesar and he had every right to claim it. Likewise, they could understand that whatever bore The Most High Yah’s image and stamp of ownership belonged to The Most High Yah and was His for the claiming. When we come to Yahusha and give Him our lives, the first thing He does is change our name. He gives us His name and calls us His sons and daughters. John tells us that to those who believe in His name He gives the right to become children of The Most High Yah (see John 1:12). As children of The Most High Yah, we are joined together with Hamachiach and seated with Him on His throne in heaven next to our Father.




The Bible says that as believers we are citizens of heaven. That remains true no matter where we go. We do not have to be in heaven to be citizens there. Right now, we live on earth, but are citizens and ambassadors of the heavenly Kingdom.




YOU ARE A KING!




When Yahusha stood before Pontius Pilate mere hours before His crucifixion, the Roman governor was surprised at His silence in the face of the accusations that had been brought against Him. At one point Pilate asked:




“Then said Pilate unto him, Speak you not unto me? know you not that I have power to crucify you, and have power to release you? Yahusha answered, You could have no power at all against me, except it were given you from above: therefore he that delivered me unto you has the greater sin. YOCHANON (JOHN) 19:10-11 את CEPHER.




As the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate represented the full power and authority of the Emperor himself. The full force of the mightiest empire in history backed Pilate’s words, yet Yahusha said that all that power had come from above, meaning, from His Father. This was Kingdom talk, and Yahusha was saying that His Kingdom was greater than Rome’s because it was from His Kingdom that Rome received its power.




At another point, Pilate questioned Yahusha about His Kingdom:

“Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Yahusha, and said unto him, Are you the King of the Yahudiym? Yahusha answered him, Say you this thing of yourself, or did others tell it you of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Yahudiy? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you unto me: what have you done? Yahusha answered, My Kingdom is not of this world: if my Kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Yahudiym: but now is my Kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Are you a King then? Yahusha answered, You say that I am a King. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the Truth. Everyone that is of the Truth hears my voice. Pilate said unto him, What is Truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Yahudiym, and said unto them, I find in him no fault at all. YOCHANON (JOHN) 18:33-38 את CEPHER.







Yahusha answered Pilate plainly, acknowledging that He was both a King and that His Kingdom was “from another place,” that is, not from the earth. His Kingdom is a kingdom of truth, for He came “to testify to the truth.” All who desire the truth listen to Him. Therefore, Hamachiach’s Kingdom of truth is made up of citizens who are not only truth seekers but also truth followers. This alone makes His Kingdom unique, completely different from the kingdoms of the world.




As believers, we live on earth but our citizenship is in the Kingdom of heaven, and all the resources, authority, and power of that Kingdom are available to us as we seek to live as faithful and responsible ambassadors of our King. When someone asks us, “Where are you from?” we should give careful thought to our answer. The more we learn to think like Kingdom citizens, the more we will act like Kingdom citizens. The more we act like Kingdom citizens, the more we will proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom to a lost world, because that is our primary dominion mandate. It is important that we learn to live distinct Kingdom lives so that others can tell the difference between the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of The Most High Yah.




Every human being who has ever lived, has faced the same tension: being designed for one kingdom, yet forced to live in another. Most people are never able to clearly define the problem. For them, life always seems somewhat out of kilter, purposeless, and full of misery, as if something just doesn’t quite fit. They are generally dissatisfied and discontented with life, but don’t really know why.




Nothing works accurately when it is removed from the environment for which it was designed. A fish out of water will quickly suffocate; a human being under water without special breathing apparatus will soon drown.




THE MOST HIGH YAH CREATED A WORLD JUST FOR YOU







One of the fundamental principles of creation is that whenever The Most High Yah creates something, He designs it according to its purpose and intended environment. In other words, when The Most High Yah created birds to fly, He gave them wings and the desire to fly. When The Most High Yah created fish to swim, He put in them the ability to swim and gave them gills so they could breathe in water. When The Most High Yah created mankind to have dominion over the earth, He imparted to us the ability to govern, rule, lead, and manage the earth, its creatures, and resources. We are designed to rule, not to be ruled. We are designed to govern, not to be governed. We are designed to manage, not to be managed. We are designed to lead, not to follow.




Whenever anyone tries to tell us what to do, even someone in a legitimate position of authority, there arises in us a Spirit or attitude of resistance. It is our nature to resist being ruled or controlled by others. This is due in part to our sinful nature, which we inherited from Adam and Eve, and which the Bible says is always in rebellion against The Most High Yah, who is the ultimate and absolute authority. Adam and Eve sinned when, out of pride, they sought to be equal with The Most High Yah, their Creator, and free from His authority over them.







Our resistance to others ruling over us is also due to the Spirit of leadership that The Most High Yah placed in us when He created us. The Most High Yah’s purpose was for us to rule over the created order as vice-regents under His authority. He designed us for that purpose and put in us the appropriate Spirit and innate ability to fulfill our destiny. Sin distorted and exaggerated that Spirit, pushing it beyond the bounds that The Most High Yah intended. Our natural tendency is to resist all authority, including The Most High Yah’s.







One reason so many of us experience frustration in life is because our environment has changed. We were designed to rule our lives and environment but instead we live in a world where we are ruled by our own pride, lust, passion, greed, and selfishness. We are dominated by the adversary, HaSatan, the author of sin and the instigator of humanity’s downfall. The Most High Yah designed us for mastery, yet that is not the reality we experience in our daily living. We are frustrated because we are not fulfilling our purpose. We do not function properly because we are not living in the environment for which we were designed.




The key to fulfilled and purposeful living is discovering how to regain our place of dominion, to return to our position of leadership in the earthly domain as The Most High Yah originally intended. To do this, we must understand the contrasts between the two kingdoms that envelop our lives as well as how we are to integrate ourselves properly into these two different worlds.













THE SEEDS OF LEADERSHIP




When The Most High Yah created us, He gave us everything we needed to fulfill His original plan and purpose. Because The Most High Yah designed us to lead, the seeds of leadership lie within us, dormant until they are ready to be activated by the power of The Most High Yah. For this reason, leadership is not something we should have to study as much as something that is already inside us. It is a matter of discovering and nurturing those powers of leadership within us.




Within the earthly realm, The Most High Yah has given us great freedom. Ultimately, the kind of leaders we become and the degree of dominion we exercise depends upon us. The Most High Yah will never violate our freedom or override the dominion Ruach He placed within us. Although, I must say that He might make life awfully unbearable for us until we turn toward Him. The Ruach HaQadesh will never force our hand. But as we allow Him, the Ruach HaQadesh will convict us, guide us, and lead us, but He will never drive us.




Some of you may question this concept of the leadership potential within you. Maybe you consider yourself to be a follower and not a leader. Maybe you think you don’t have the skills, qualities, ability, or experience to be a leader. Perhaps you have accepted the negative things others have said about you. In truth, it does not matter what other people say or think, or even what we think of ourselves. What matters is how The Most High Yah sees us, and He sees us as leaders and rulers in the earthly domain. He created us for this purpose and designed us with the necessary abilities to fulfill our destiny.




As Creator, The Most High Yah knows what is inside each one of us because He put it there. Whenever The Most High Yah speaks to you, He addresses you based on what He knows about you, not on what other people think they know.




CALLED TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE




The Bible is full of stories of people who were called out of ordinary circumstances and challenged by The Most High Yah to do the impossible. When childless Abraham and Sarah were in their old age, far beyond the normal years for childbearing, The Most High Yah told them, “You will have a son, and he will grow into a great nation.”




The Most High appeared to Gideon, the youngest of his family, which was of the least of the tribes of Israel, and He addressed him as “mighty warrior” (Judg. 6:12) and used him to deliver his people from the marauding Midianites.




In the eyes of his family, David may have been only a runt, useful for nothing but herding sheep. Nevertheless, The Most High Yah said, “You are a king,” and sent Samuel to anoint him as such.




Seeing Joseph while he was a slave in Egypt, The Most High Yah said, “You are a ruler,” and elevated him to the position of prime minister under Pharaoh.




When The Most High Yah speaks to us, He always speaks to the real person, not the person others see or even how we see ourselves. He looks beyond our external circumstances and personal characteristics as He addresses the leader inside us. No matter who we are, where we are, or what we do, The Most High Yah wants to deploy us into leadership. Wherever we work, whatever our career, we should think of our employment not as just a job but as an opportunity The Most High Yah has given us to release our leadership abilities. We should not complain about our wages or salary because we are already worth more than anyone could ever pay us. Work is not about simply making money in order to live. Work is also about being trained to assume our rightful place of leadership in the world.




As believers, we are all children of the King. The first step in successfully navigating between two kingdoms is learning how to think and act like the King’s children. In Spiritual reality we are all princes and princesses, but practically speaking most of us are not there yet because negative thinking has stunted our mental processes. Because we never learned to think like royalty, we still act like the prodigal son, seeking only the servant’s share.




The Most High Yah wants us to open our eyes to see the wonders of who we truly are—His children—and reach out to claim all that is ours by right of sonship. It all comes down to a decision that each of us alone must make: whether we will live as sons and daughters in the Kingdom of The Most High Yah, or as subjects in the kingdom of the world.




KINGDOMS IN CONFLICT




The Most High Yah reigns as King and absolute Sovereign over all things in both the Spiritual and physical realms. After He created the earth with all its varied plant and animal life, He created mankind to rule over it. By His design we are rulers over the earthly domain. The Most High Yah is King of the universe, and we are His ruling representatives in the physical realm. The earth is our designated territory. As The Most High Yah’s vice-regents in this world, we are the Kingdom of The Most High Yah on earth.

The Kingdom of The Most High Yah, therefore, is not the earth itself, but the ones chosen to function as His rulers in the earthly domain. This planet is not the Kingdom of The Most High Yah. The Most High Yah’s Kingdom is us carrying out His dominion on this planet. The Most High Yah’s Kingdom is manifest in His people rather than in a particular place.




Psalm 115:16 says, “The heavens, even the heavens, are Yahuah's: but the earth has he given to the children of men. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 115:16 את CEPHER” Every king or ruler must have territory to rule. Heaven is The Most High Yah’s territory; the earth is ours. We were born to dominate earth, not heaven. That is why heaven is always a temporary excursion for the human Ruach; it is not our territory.




Yahusha spoke constantly about the Kingdom. Sometimes He referred to the “Kingdom of The Most High Yah,” and other times to the “Kingdom of heaven.” One deals with the person while the other deals with the place. Essentially, both phrases are the same, with one distinction. Whenever Yahusha mentions the “Kingdom of The Most High Yah,” He is referring to the actual rule of The Most High Yah in the Spiritual realm. When He says, the “Kingdom of heaven,” He is talking about its “headquarters” and the heavenly invasion upon the earth, or the transfer of power from the Spiritual realm to the physical.




The prayer of the The Most High Yah illustrates this truth when He prays that the will of The Most High Yah be done in the earth regions as it is done in heaven’s realm. The first speaks to The Most High Yah’s actual rulership, while the second speaks of the source of that invading powerful Kingdom and its impact on the regions of the earth. As His representatives we are called to enforce the rule of heaven in the affairs of man.




The Kingdom of The Most High Yah on earth, therefore, is The Most High Yah’s authority within the heart and Ruach of man, and the Kingdom of heaven is when that authority impacts the human earthly environment through His designated representatives.




In other words, we who are the “Kingdom of The Most High Yah” on earth can, through the Ruach HaQadesh, take our King with us everywhere we go and impact our environment by helping bring the “Kingdom of heaven” to that place. This is what Yahusha meant when He said, “From that time Yahusha began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 4:17 את CEPHER. He had arrived, bringing the Kingdom with Him and in Him. With His Ruach in us, we, too, carry His Kingdom with us wherever we go.




A KINGDOM OF IGNORANCE




The Most High Yah’s orderly design was disrupted by the fall of man. By their disobedience, Adam and Eve abdicated their throne of earthly dominion, yielding it to HaSatan, the architect and instigator of their fall. This ushered in a counterfeit kingdom that the Bible calls the “kingdom of darkness,” which is in constant conflict with the Kingdom of The Most High Yah. When man chose to will something other than the will of The Most High Yah, he created a great disturbance in the force and initiated a time of great darkness.




Frequently throughout the Bible, the word darkness is used as a symbol of ignorance, while the word light represents knowledge. The kingdom of darkness, then, “is a domain where the king rules by ignorance—not in ignorance, but by ignorance.” HaSatan rules his kingdom of darkness by keeping his “subjects” in ignorance of the true nature of their environment and of the existence of The Most High Yah’s Kingdom. He fills their heads with lies and deception. HaSatan controls his subjects by keeping them “in the dark” regarding Spiritual truth. He blinds their minds lest they understand the glorious good news of Yahusha and the Kingdom of heaven.




The apostle Paul stated it this way: “In whom the el of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Besorah of Mashiach, who is the image of Elohiym, should shine unto them. QORINTIYM SHENIY (2 CORINTHIANS) 4:4 את CEPHER.




In contrast to the darkness of ignorance, light symbolizes knowledge. The Kingdom of The Most High Yah is a Kingdom of light, the light of the knowledge of the Most High. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of Yahuah is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. MISHLEI (PROVERBS) 1:7 את CEPHER. In this verse, the word fools refers to “people who are morally deficient.” The Most High Yah’s Kingdom of light brings the knowledge of grace, forgiveness, and salvation in Hamachiach. In his letter to the believers in the city of Colosse, Paul wrote of The Most High Yah as “...Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the qodeshiym in light: Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the Kingdom of his yachiyd: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: QOLASIYM (COLOSSIANS) 1:12-14 את CEPHER.




Darkness and light—ignorance and knowledge—are opposites that exist in continual conflict with each other.




We either walk in the darkness of ignorance or in the light of knowledge. The two cannot coexist.




CREATING A LIGHT IN THE DARK PLACES




I have made it clear that there are two kingdoms with which we must deal on a daily basis. One is a counterfeit kingdom of darkness controlled by a false prince who rules by the power of deception and enforced ignorance. The other is the true and legitimate Kingdom ruled by the King of kings and Most High of Most Highs, who rules by the power of light, knowledge, and truth.




The Most High Yah’s plan is to restore His original design to rule the visible earthly realm from the invisible heavenly realm. This plan is accomplished through human beings who properly exercise their dominion over the earth. In order for us to fulfill our destiny we must overthrow HaSatan from the throne of the earthly domain he seized illegitimately. From a spiritual standpoint, this has already happened through the death and resurrection of Yahusha Hamachiach: “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of Elohiym was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. YOCHANON RI'SHON (1 JOHN) 3:8 את CEPHER.




Yahusha’ death on the crucifixion stake broke sin’s power forever; His resurrection from the grave conquered death for all time: “O death, where is your sting? O She'ol, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Torah. But thanks be to Elohiym, which gives us the victory through our Adonai Yahusha Ha'Mashiach. QORINTIYM RI'SHON (1 CORINTHIANS) 15:55-57 את CEPHERi.




In a practical sense, from the beachhead established at Calvary, we must move forth in an all-out attack to free mankind from bondage to the devil and his evil kingdom of darkness. We who are in Hamachiach must work to eliminate the ignorance of those still trapped in the darkness of HaSatan’s deceptions. The antidote to ignorance is knowledge. Knowledge comes through truth, and truth brings liberation. Yahusha said, “Then said Yahusha to those Yahudiym which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my Talmidiym indeed; And ye shall know את the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. They answered him, We are Avraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how say you, Ye shall be made free? Yahusha answered them, Amein, Amein, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abides not in the house forever: but the Son abides ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. YOCHANON (JOHN) 8:31-36 את CEPHER.




KNOWLEDGE: INFORMATION FROM THE MOST HIGH YAH




Knowledge lies at the heart of the struggle between the two kingdoms, because knowledge is where the adversary mounted his original attack on humanity. HaSatan’s most powerful weapon is ignorance, but to use it he must first destroy or distort true knowledge. That is exactly what he did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He deceived and overcame them by attacking the source and substance of their knowledge.




The first thing The Most High Yah gave Adam for their protection was information: “And Yahuah Elohiym commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die. BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 2:16-17 את CEPHER. Adam received knowledge; he knew what the boundaries were and what was expected of him. Furthermore, he passed this knowledge on to Eve after she appeared on the scene. As long as they obeyed The Most High Yah and respected His boundaries, they would live and prosper and enjoy unlimited fellowship with their Creator.




HaSatan, that serpent and deceiver, was very subtle in his approach. He did not launch a direct attack on The Most High Yah, but sowed seeds of distrust in Adam and Eve’s minds that led them to doubt and question the truth and veracity of the knowledge The Most High Yah had given them and, therefore, to doubt The Most High Yah Himself.




NOW the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which Yahuah Elohiym had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, has Elohiym said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohiym has said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For Elohiym knows that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as elohiym, knowing good and evil. BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 3:1-5 את CEPHER.




Did The Most High Yah really say that?




The first thing the devil did was attempt to get Eve to doubt whether she correctly understood The Most High Yah’s instructions: “Did The Most High Yah really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Next, he suggested to her that The Most High Yah was not being straightforward with them in His prohibition against eating the fruit from the tree in the middle of the Garden. “You will not surely die...For The Most High Yah knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like The Most High Yah, knowing good and evil.” In this he represented The Most High Yah as knowing both good and evil. In His omniscience, The Most High Yah understands the nature of evil, but in His perfection He does not know evil experientially. HaSatan knows evil because he is evil and, after their disobedience, Adam and Eve knew it also.




As a result of HaSatan’s ploy, Adam and Eve developed a distorted understanding of the knowledge The Most High Yah had given them. They succumbed to the devil’s manipulation and trickery to become “like The Most High Yah,” although they were already like Him. Once they took the devil’s bait, they fell into sin and became like the devil. In their sin, Adam and Eve, rather than becoming like The Most High Yah, became less like The Most High Yah than they were before.




BATTLE OF THE KINGDOMS




HaSatan’s tactics have not changed much. Today he still attacks us most often by attempting to draw us into doubting the knowledge we have received from the Most High. The Most High Yah tells us one thing; HaSatan tells us another. For example, The Most High Yah might say, “By My Son’s stripes 2,000 years ago, you are healed today.” HaSatan says, “You still feel the pain.” Two conflicting pieces of information come into our minds, and we must decide which one is real, which one is true, which one we will believe and stand upon, and which one we will reject or disregard. If we choose to believe in the pain, then we remain “in the dark” concerning our healing.




This is an example of how the two kingdoms work against each other. The kingdom of darkness is out to deceive and destroy us. The Most High Yah’s Kingdom of light gives us life because Yahusha Hamachiach, to whom the Kingdom belongs, is both light and life. As John the apostle wrote concerning Yahusha, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. YOCHANON (JOHN) 1:4 את CEPHER. The Most High Yah’s plan, which will surely come to pass at the time of His choosing, is for the Kingdom of His Son to undermine and replace the adversary’s kingdom of darkness. On that day will come true the words of Revelation 11:15: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Adonai, and of his -Mashiach; and he shall reign forever and ever. CHIZAYON (REVELATION) 11:15 את CEPHER




Until that day, we who are believers must navigate the delicate balance of living in the kingdom of darkness, while walking in the Kingdom of light. The Most High has called us to “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Yahusha Ha'Mashiach his Son cleanses us from all sin. YOCHANON RI'SHON (1 JOHN) 1:7 את CEPHER. Yahusha said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a menorah; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 5:14-16 את CEPHER.




KNOWLEDGE IS IMPORTANT




The kingdom of darkness gets its power from that which we do not know. The truth we are ignorant of cannot protect us against HaSatan’s deception. That is why we must devote ourselves to studying, learning, experiencing, and practicing the Word of The Most High Yah. The light of knowledge dispels the darkness of deception and ignorance; the light of truth destroys the darkness of lies and error.




HaSatan hates the Word of The Most High Yah. He has no weapon that can stand against it. Whenever The Most High Yah’s Word is taught or proclaimed, HaSatan immediately attempts to steal it away or to blind and confuse people’s minds so that they do not understand and believe. As ruler of the kingdom of darkness, HaSatan fears the light. He fears the One who is the light, and he fears all who walk in the light. HaSatan is afraid of us because, as believers, we are children of the light. We possess and display in our lives the divine light of truth and knowledge spelling his destruction.




It is important to know the difference between what the world calls knowledge and the true knowledge of the Kingdom of The Most High Yah. The Bible teaches that all of us, as descendants of Adam and Eve and Spiritual heirs to their sinfulness, are born as children of darkness. This means that we are born in ignorance. Even as we grow, and no matter how much education we receive, our fundamental ignorance remains until it is removed in Hamachiach. No matter how smart we are and no matter how many degrees or titles we may carry after our name, until we come to know The Most High Yah through faith in Hamachiach and begin to obey His Word, we remain in the darkness of spiritual ignorance. Without Spiritual enlightenment of the divine truth of Hamachiach, all other knowledge ultimately is irrelevant.




Knowledge unenlightened by the truth of The Most High Yah is dark knowledge. We may have a B.S., an M.S., and a Ph.D., but without The Most High Yah all we have is dark information. It may be sufficient to help us navigate in the world of darkness, but by itself will never lead us to the truth. Apart from the revelation of the Ruach of The Most High Yah, none of us could ever find our way into the light. Darkly educated people are like those whom Paul described to his young protégé, Timothy, as “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7).




Darkness is the absence of accurate information about The Most High Yah. It is possible to spend a lifetime in the schools of the kingdom of darkness and never see the light. That is why Yahusha told Nicodemus, an expert on the Hebrew law, that he needed to be born again (see John 3:3). In effect, Yahusha said to him, “Nicodemus, you need to start over. What you have learned up to now is no good.” A person of great learning who does not know the Most High is nothing more than a highly educated fool.




SURRENDERING YOUR HEAVENLY PASSPORT




Whenever a citizen of a country is convicted of a crime against the state and is about to be incarcerated, one of the first things the government requires is that he surrender his passport. A passport is one of our most significant symbols of citizenship because it is an official document that identifies our legal status as a citizen of a specific nation. It grants us the freedom as citizens to travel outside our country and still enjoy all the rights and privileges that we have at home.




In requiring a citizen to surrender his passport, the government is saying, “You are under judgment and during that time have forfeited your citizenship rights.” Citizens have the right to move freely, earn a living, own property, buy food, drive on the streets, pay taxes, and receive the benefits and services provided by their government. A citizen who is convicted of a crime has fallen out of favor or position with the government. During the terms of the sentence he must forgo many of those rights and privileges, particularly freedom of movement. Incarcerated prisoners must endure great restrictions of their personal freedom. The correctional system owns them and controls every aspect of their lives from the time they get up in the morning, to when they eat, what they do during the day, and when they go to bed.




This was Adam’s experience when he disobeyed The Most High Yah’s government. When Adam sinned, he lost his favored status. In other words, Adam fell out of position with the government and had all of his citizen rights cancelled. The Most High Yah took away his “passport” and Adam became a prisoner of darkness, a slave to sin, and was ruled by a “warden” named HaSatan.




PRISONERS IN A FOREIGN LAND




Every human being has been held captive in this precarious predicament. This is the universal human dilemma: Until we are enlightened and set free by Hamachiach, we are all prisoners in the kingdom of darkness. All of us are born in a prison of sin and darkness. Because of our sinful nature inherited from Adam, we are unrighteous. Being unrighteous means that while we are still created “in The Most High Yah’s image” (although somewhat marred), “we have no Kingdom rights.” Our citizenship is nonexistent until our unrighteous condition is removed.




In Luke 4:18-19 Yahusha describes His purpose in coming to earth: “The Ruach Adonai Yahuah is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the Besorah to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of Yahuah. LUQAS (LUKE) 4:18-19 את CEPHER” Yahusha came to restore our position in The Most High Yah’s government—to make us righteous. He came to restore our “passport” so that we can once again claim and enjoy our citizen promises.




Until the right time for the coming of Yahusha, The Most High Yah has set up a temporary government on earth called the covenant. The history, development, and specific circumstances of this covenant are related in the Old Testament. The Most High Yah established His covenant with Abram (later called Abraham), and promised to make of him a great nation through which all the people of the earth would be blessed (see Gen. 12:2-3). Even though Abraham and his wife Sarai (later called Sarah) were childless and far beyond childbearing age, The Most High Yah assured them that this great nation of people would descend from a son born to them in their old age (see Gen. 15:4). The Scripture says that in light of this promise, “Abram believed the Most High, and He credited it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6).

Righteousness means being in right position with The Most High Yah, getting into relationship with The Most High Yah’s government and able to claim all the benefits promised in the covenant. When Abram believed The Most High Yah, the Most High declared him righteous on the basis of his faith, and Abram became a qualified citizen of the Kingdom of The Most High Yah. Abram received his “passport.”




THE COMING OF THE The YAH-MAN




Centuries later, Yahusha would appear. In order to resolve the predicament, The Most High Yah would visit planet earth in the person of His Son. As a descendant of Adam He would open the way for man to become righteous. This would be accomplished through the offering of His blood on the crucifixion stake. Yahusha came to bring us back and synchronize our lives with the government of The Most High Yah, so that we can once more claim our citizen rights. It is in this manner that The Most High Yah sought to reconcile us to Himself: “For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of Elohiym in him. QORINTIYM SHENIY (2 CORINTHIANS) 5:21 את CEPHER.

The word righteous is a legal term, not a religious term, and means “to position oneself rightly.” Yahusha came to make us righteous again, to put us back in right relationship with The Most High Yah so that we are qualified to receive the promises of The Most High Yah. Understanding this is critical to developing solid Kingdom thinking. When we are in right relationship with The Most High Yah, He can extend His Kingdom—His rulership—into our lives, and rule the earth through us. It is as we rule the earth in the power and presence of The Most High Yah that the Kingdom of heaven impacts our planet through our physical lives.




A FULL PARDON FOR MANKIND




Through Hamachiach, our sins are forgiven and we receive a full pardon from The Most High Yah. A pardon is a powerful and potentially dangerous thing because it is irreversible. Once a king or ruler has pardoned someone, that person is forever free and exonerated of the crime or offense for which they were previously under judgment. Unlike a parole, which is a probationary state that still carries restrictions for the parolee, a pardon cleans the slate completely. A pardon declares its recipient to be as innocent as if the offense never occurred. Once a person is pardoned, the government returns his or her passport, and from that moment forward that person is free to travel, work, engage in business, buy and sell, and enjoy all other citizen rights and privileges without limitation. A pardon justifies and reestablishes a person’s righteousness in the eyes of the law.




That is what Yahusha did for all of us on the crucifixion stake. His death and shed blood bought our pardon and made us righteous in the eyes of The Most High Yah once more. Our Kingdom citizenship and rights were restored, and we were positioned once again as recipients and heirs of all The Most High Yah’s promises.




Righteousness is made possible through Hamachiach’s death and resurrection, but it is imparted to us through faith, just as it was for Abraham. When we believe, we become children of The Most High Yah. As Paul wrote to the Galatian believers, “For ye are all the children of Elohiym by faith in Mashiach Yahusha. For as many of you as have been baptized into Mashiach have put on Mashiach. There is neither Yahudiy nor Yavaniy, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Yahusha Ha'Mashiach. And if ye belong to Mashiach, then are ye Avraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. GALATIYM (GALATIANS) 3:26-29 את CEPHER.




Many centuries—millennia even—passed between the time Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and the time Hamachiach came to restore our righteousness and return our “passport” to The Most High Yah’s Kingdom. If Hamachiach’s death on the crucifixion stake was so critical to mankind’s restoration, why did The Most High Yah wait so long to send Him to the earth?




CHAPTER TWO PRINCIPLES

• The Most High Yah’s purpose was for us to rule over the created order as vice-regents under His authority.

• Because The Most High Yah designed us to lead, the seeds of leadership lie within us, dormant until activated.

• As The Most High Yah’s vice-regents in this world, we are the Kingdom of The Most High Yah on earth.

• The Kingdom of The Most High Yah on earth is The Most High Yah’s rulership within the hearts and Ruachs of believers, and the Kingdom of heaven is when that rulership impacts the human earthly environment.

• The Kingdom of The Most High Yah is a Kingdom of light, the light of the knowledge of the Most High.

• The antidote to ignorance is knowledge. Knowledge comes through truth, and truth brings liberation.




• Without Spiritual enlightenment into the divine truth of Hamachiach, all other knowledge ultimately means nothing.

• Yahusha came to restore our position in The Most High Yah’s government—to make us righteous.

• When we are in right relationship with The Most High Yah, He can extend His Kingdom—His rulership—into our lives, and rule the earth through us.

• Through Hamachiach, our sins are forgiven and we receive a full pardon from The Most High Yah.

• Yahusha could not come until a Kingdom model existed as a visual illustration to help people understand His teachings on the Kingdom.

• Hamachiach’s Kingdom of truth is made up of citizens who are not only truth seekers but also truth followers.




“You can not lose what you never had”