UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF KINGDOMS

Genesis chapter 1







Today we are walking in: Understanding The Concept Of Kingdoms










Today we look to the word-KNOWLEDGE- H847 da'ath--knowledge, perception, skill, discernment







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




Genesis 2:9




And out of the ground made Yahuah Elohiym to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 2:9 את CEPHER





Genesis 2:17




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) 2:17 את CEPHER





Exodus 31:3




And I have filled him with the Ruach Elohiym, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, SHEMOTH (EXODUS) 31:3 את CEPHER




Exodus 35:31




And he has filled him with the Ruach Elohiym, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; SHEMOTH (EXODUS) 35:31 את CEPHER




Leviticus 4:23




Or if his sin, wherein he has sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: VAYIQRA (LEVITICUS) 4:23 את CEPHER




Leviticus 4:28




Or if his sin, which he has sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has sinned. VAYIQRA (LEVITICUS) 4:28 את CEPHER




Numbers 15:24




Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the assembly, that all the assembly shall offer one young bullock for an ascending smoke offering, for a sweet savor unto Yahuah, with his oblation, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. BEMIDBAR (NUMBERS) 15:24 את CEPHER




Numbers 24:16




He has said, which heard the words of El, and knew the knowledge of El Elyon, which saw the vision of El Shaddai, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: BEMIDBAR (NUMBERS) 24:16 את CEPHER




Deuteronomy 1:39




Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. DEVARIYM (DEUTERONOMY) 1:39 את CEPHER













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




1 Samuel 2:3




Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for Yahuah is an Elohiym of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. SHEMU'EL RI'SHON (1 SAMUEL) 2:3 את CEPHER




1 Samuel 23:23




See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Yahudah. SHEMU'EL RI'SHON (1 SAMUEL) 23:23 את CEPHER








Nehemiah 10:28

And the rest of the people, the priests, the Leviyiym, the porters, the singers, the Nathiyn, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the Torah of Elohiym, their women, their sons, and their daughters, everyone having knowledge, and having understanding; EZRA V'NECHEMYAHU (NEHEMIAH) 10:28 את CEPHER




Isaiah 8:4




For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Shomeron shall be taken away before the king of Ashshur. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 8:4 את CEPHER




Isaiah 11:9




They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Yahuah, as the waters cover the sea. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 11:9 את CEPHER




Isaiah 28:9




Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 28:9 את CEPHER




Isaiah 32:4




The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 32:4 את CEPHER





Isaiah 33:6




And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of your times, and strength of yeshu`ah: the fear of Yahuah is his treasure. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 33:6 את CEPHER




Isaiah 40:14




With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 40:14 את CEPHER







Jeremiah 3:15




And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. YIRMEYAHU (JEREMIAH) 3:15 את CEPHER








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



1 Kings 9:27




And Chiyram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Shalomah. MELEKIYM RI'SHON (1 KINGS) 9:27 את CEPHER




2 Chronicles 1:10




Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this your people, that is so great? DIVREI HAYAMIYM SHENIY (2 CHRONICLES) 1:10 את CEPHER




2 Chronicles 1:11




And Elohiym said to Shalomah, Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor את the life of your enemies, neither yet have asked long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king: DIVREI HAYAMIYM SHENIY (2 CHRONICLES) 1:11 את CEPHER




2 Chronicles 1:12




Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto you; and I will give you riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before you, neither shall there any after you have the like. DIVREI HAYAMIYM SHENIY (2 CHRONICLES) 1:12 את CEPHER




2 Chronicles 8:18




And Churam sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Shalomah to Ophiyr, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to King Shalomah. DIVREI HAYAMIYM SHENIY (2 CHRONICLES) 8:18 את CEPHER




2 Chronicles 30:22




And Yechizqiyahu spoke comfortably unto all the Leviyiym that taught the good knowledge of Yahuah: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to Yahuah Elohiym of their fathers. DIVREI HAYAMIYM SHENIY (2 CHRONICLES) 30:22 את CEPHER




Ruth 2:10




Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in your eyes, that you should take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? RUTH (RUTH) 2:10 את CEPHER




Ruth 2:19




And her mother in law said unto her, Where have you gleaned today? and where wrought you? blessed be he that did take knowledge of you. And she showed her mother in law את with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought today is Bo'az. RUTH (RUTH) 2:19 את CEPHER







Job 34:2




Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. IYOV (JOB) 34:2 את CEPHER




Psalm 119:66




Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed your commandments. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 119:66 את CEPHER




Proverbs 1:7




The fear of Yahuah is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. MISHLEI (PROVERBS) 1:7 את CEPHER







The Principle and Power of Kingdom Citizenship: Keys to Experiencing Heaven on Earth by Myles Munroe




CHAPTER 1 UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF KINGDOMS




The pursuit of power is one of the most significant motivations of the human heart. The passionate desire to manage one’s circumstances and environment seems to be built into the entire human race.




To the best of their ability, people work hard to control and improve their surroundings. Within any culture, people learn the “rules of the road” so that they can either follow them— or break them. Even acts of rebellion or aggression, whether isolated to a single individual or initiated by an organized army of soldiers, can trace their origin to this desire to control and dominate.




Young children cry and squabble to get the things they need and want. When a boy climbs his first tree, he is seeking to conquer new territory. When a girl picks a bouquet of flowers, she is trying to create something beautiful. As children mature, they gain knowledge about the world around them, and they put that know-how to use, striving not only to survive but to thrive.




This innate urge to manage the prevailing circumstances causes people to band together to accomplish things. Starting with family units, people organize themselves into towns, cities, geographical regions, and nations. They identify themselves as residents and citizens of the places where they live and work. Together, they share resources, face challenges, and train their children to do the same.

In a true kingdom, every single thing becomes part of the king’s personal property. Where did this pursuit of power come from? Why does this trait manifest itself so consistently over the centuries, regardless of the color of a person’s skin, gender, age and maturity, education level, skills, economic situation, or family of origin? I am convinced that it is because the whole human race, individually and collectively, was created to exercise management over its prevailing circumstances. And in order to understand ourselves better and to identify how we fit into the big picture, we must first understand the concept of kingdoms and how kingdoms work.

All Kings Have Territory— and Extend It.




Anything called a kingdom is a place where someone called a king has dominion over something. No king can have dominion unless he can claim ownership over territory. For centuries, kings vied for territory all over Europe. They could call themselves kings or lords because they owned vast acreages of land, and whatever was in the land became their property (their kingdom). Every field of barley, road, and river, every fox and tree and rat belonged to them.




Whenever one king grew strong enough to invade another king’s property, he could extend his holdings. The greatness of his kingdom was measured by the amount of land he possessed.




Kings formed armies of soldiers to protect their territory and to invade neighboring regions. The armies were funded by the resources of the king, and in the same way the farmers who worked the land depended on the king’s generosity, even as they turned over most of their crops and livestock to him.




Nothing in the experience of modern governments equips us to understand this. The president of the United States does not own the whole country. The prime minister of England does not own the country he governs, and neither does the Queen. But in a true kingdom, every single thing becomes part of the king’s personal property, every mountain, all of the roads, the animals and plants, the food and the water. No king can claim rulership unless he possesses some territory, which makes all kings products of their property.




The glory of a kingdom is determined by the size of the king’s territory. That is why kings love to expand their kingdoms. The history of kingdoms is a story of expansion. A king must have territory. He must have something to rule. He must be wealthy and strong and decisive. And he must desire to be the king. No part-time or reluctant kings need apply for the job. The king embodies the essence of his kingdom. The kingdom issues forth from him. His relative permanence instills confidence. May I suggest that your president or prime minister does not embody your country? He is not permanent enough. In fact, he has a part-time job. That’s right. A democracy or a republic is not the same as a kingdom. If you are looking for stability and consistency, you do not want to put your faith in somebody who will be in charge for only four years or so. Your mortgage has twenty-five or thirty years on it. Wouldn’t you like someone to be in charge at least longer than your mortgage?




The king is the center of a kingdom. He is the heart of it. People have to obey a king. He is the sovereign, and you do not argue with him or vote him out of office. We know what it is like to disagree with our elected officials. In fact, we tend to disagree quite loudly, and we broadcast it on the news. But disagreement with a king puts you in peril for your life. You do not have to like what he says, but you have to obey if you expect to stick around.

A kingdom can be good, bad or, most of the time, a little of both. Why did the kingdom model turn out to be such a typical form of government?




Rediscovering the First Country

The things we can see and experience turn out to be the evidence of unseen governing influences, yet little do we know what we are dealing with. We see both beauty and ugliness, joy and suffering, harmony and conflict. “That’s just life,” we say. In reality, we have two worlds on one planet. The Earth is the name of the planet, and the two worlds that contend with each other are actual kingdoms—the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light.

The kingdom of darkness has a ruler, and he stands in opposition to the ruler of the kingdom of light. HaSatan is one of the names people have given to the prince of darkness. The word “prince” means simply ruler, first or fundamental ruler. On the other side, people call the Son of The Most High “the light of the world” or the ruler of the heavenly government.

Did you know that in Hebrew the word for “darkness” is the same as the word for “ignorance”? Similarly, the word for “knowledge” in Hebrew and Greek is the same as the word for “light.” So when we talk about the world or kingdom of darkness and the world of light or Kingdom of The Most High, we are not talking about light bulbs on or light bulbs off. We are talking about ignorance and knowledge. The prince of darkness is the prince of ignorance. He rules by your ignorance. Wherever you are ignorant, he can gain a foothold. Because of these two unseen kingdoms, we are living in a world that is always tense with ongoing territorial conflicts of interest.

We are living in a world that is always tense with ongoing territorial conflicts of interest.

The way I see it is this: the ruler of the kingdom of light created the physical place called the Earth in order to extend the Kingdom of Heaven. He created it so that the people He was about to create would have something to rule over on His behalf. I believe that the Earth was formed so that human beings could exercise co-rulership, so that they could become regents for the King in Heaven. I also believe that Heaven is a real place, and that it is the first real country, the original one, and that all other kingdoms since the beginning of time have been mere shadows of the Kingdom (which I distinguish with an uppercase K because it belongs to The Most High).

In many ways, we can say that The Most High was setting up a colony on earth, much as strong and wealthy countries have colonized parts of the earth. This heavenly colonization effort is still a work in progress. Most of what we see around us is the evidence of numerous conflicts between the colony of the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. We will be learning how this works in this series.

Substitute Kingdoms

When you serve under a king in a kingdom, you have the power to dominate your territory and to manage your assignment.

What happens, however, if you lose your position? By nature, you are still a manager. Now you have been deprived of what you were managing. You have no purpose anymore.

When that happens—and it happens all the time—people latch onto whatever makes them feel comfortable and at least partially in charge of the challenges around them.

One of the biggest fallbacks is—you guessed it—religion. If you cannot change your situation and you are trying hard to reconcile yourself to it, religion does a great job of helping. It makes you happy in your poverty, content in your illness, satisfied in your depression, and almost peaceful in your frustration.

It works because it tells you that everything will be all right by and by. Your life will improve later. Religion tells you that Heaven is your destination, and all you have to do is hold out until you die. Religion postpones your reality to the future. It makes itself very attractive because it helps you accept things as they are when you feel you have lost control over your circumstances.

I am mentioning religion because I do not want you to get off on the wrong track about the Kingdom. Religion is not the same as the Kingdom I am talking about. It is a substitute. I know that both “Kingdom of The Most High” and “Kingdom of Heaven” sound religious, but the Kingdom is something higher than any religion in the world.

If the Kingdom of The Most High is not the same as religion, what is it? Let’s put together what we know already and see what we come up with. We have determined that a kingdom involves a king having dominion over actual territory, and that the original territory, or the first country, of the Kingdom of The Most High is Heaven. So a kingdom is a government and the Kingdom of The Most High is The Most High’s government.

To that I added the fact that a king’s decisions affect his territory and its citizens. A king is sovereign. He does not need to consult anyone else or get their votes. In other words, his will can become law. If he is a wicked, self-serving king, his expressed will can mean that the citizens will suffer. Just think what happened when people did not obey the expressed will of ancient kings. One moment he could be lavishing a fortune on them and the next moment he could say, “off with their heads!” For better or for worse then, a king’s decisions and decrees produce the quality of life of his subjects. Over time, the king’s declarations produce a culture for the citizens of the kingdom.

It may be a culture of fear and poverty or it may be a culture of freedom and peace.

What Is a Kingdom?

By basic definition, then, any kingdom can be defined as follows:

A kingdom is the governing influence of a king over a territory, impacting that territory with his will, his purpose, and his intent, producing a culture and a moral standard for his citizens.

A kingdom is definitely a governmental system, but a kingdom is not a democracy or a republic. The king’s word is law, and he does not need to share his power with other branches of government. He is the government. He is the sole and final authority. He is the law, the court, the judge, the cabinet, the congress, and the parliament. He is the head of state, the president, and the prime minister. And he does not have to worry about term limits. Nobody votes for or against him, because in a kingdom, nobody votes. Referendums are unheard of in a kingdom.

From our national culture as well as from our religious culture, we sometimes get the notion that we can exercise our vote for or against one of the King’s laws or decisions. But it doesn’t work that way!

The king has influence over his territory and he rules over it. This means that he rules over the people who dwell there, the ones who are the citizens of his territory. He looks after them. He organizes them to function as a society.

Now most of you have been raised in countries that are considered democracies or republics.

Even in countries with a king or queen, like England, the governing power and authority does not reside solely in that one person. It can be very difficult for most of us to wrap our minds around the concept of living as a citizen of a kingdom. Our idea of the kingdom concept is insufficient, to say the least. From our national culture as well as from our religious culture, we sometimes get the notion that we can exercise our vote for or against one of the King’s laws or decisions. But it doesn’t work that way! Even when highly respected religious leaders vote, for example, to promote a practicing homosexual into a position of high authority, they cannot change the moral standard of the King or His true Kingdom. The King of the original country (Heaven) is The Most High, and He is the highest King of them all.

Characteristics of a Kingdom

All kingdoms share specific characteristics. As you read through this list, you will find yourself nodding in agreement, “Yes, I knew that….” It seems so obvious when you see the facts.

How could we have missed it for so long? We will be discussing this series. Here are the characteristics of a kingdom, any kingdom, whether an earthly one or the heavenly one:

All kingdoms have a king. Kings are born into kingship, not nominated and elected.

All kingdoms have a lord, which means an owner. The lord and king are the same.

The king’s power is absolute in a true kingdom.

All kingdoms have territory. The king must have a domain.

The king personally owns everything in his domain.

The king is never voted out of power in a kingdom.

All kingdoms are a country, a nation, and they are different from each other.

All kingdoms have a constitution, a covenant that the king makes with his own citizens.

All kingdoms consist of a group of people who identify themselves with a sovereign.

All kingdoms have laws. Laws are the strict principles by which the citizens must live.

All kingdoms have citizens. Citizenship entails certain responsibilities and it bestows specific rights and privileges.

All kingdoms have royal privileges to which the citizens can have access through royal favor.

All kingdoms have a principle of royal favor.

All kingdoms have a code of ethics.

All kingdoms have common wealth, which is why they are often called a “commonwealth”; the citizens have access to the same supply of wealth.

Along the same lines, all kingdoms discourage private ownership.

All kingdoms have a culture. This has to do with their lifestyle, clothing, values and morals, food, and even the way people respond to problems.

All kingdoms have an economy.

All kingdoms have a taxation system.

All kingdoms have a principle of giving to the king. Citizens never come before their king empty-handed.

All kingdoms have an army. (The soldiers are not civilians or ordinary citizens. In the Kingdom of The Most High, you cannot see the army because it consists of angels.)

The king’s presence is the same as the king’s authority. The king’s name is the essence of his authority.

All kingdoms have delegated authority.

A king embodies the government of his kingdom. The government is not divided into branches or departments.

All kingdoms have an educational system.

All kingdoms have administration and organization.

All kingdoms have a principle of glory, related to the sovereign king. The citizenry represents its king’s glory.

Similarly, all kingdoms have a principle of worship, directed toward the king but beneficial to the worshippers.

All kingdoms have principles of reputation and provision. (This means that, for the sake of his reputation, the king must meet the needs of his citizens.)

All kingdoms have a principle of decree. (Kings do not need to debate proposed laws, and their decrees cannot be changed.)

Kings can choose their own citizens. Without knowing the big picture, most of us get involved in all of our rituals and we forget about our relationship with our Creator. We think that everything begins and ends with us.

People are looking for qualities such as these. They would like a new economy. They would like to live under different laws. They want to experience royal favor and privileges. This is the kind of kingdom we are all seeking. Even though all of us will remain subject to the restrictions of whatever country and municipality we belong to as long as we are alive on the planet Earth, we retain an instinctive passion for something bigger and better, some kind of kingdom of light and goodness.

The Big Picture

If you do not understand the big picture of what The Most High intended for the earth and its citizens, you cannot understand your small part of the whole story. What did The Most High really want to accomplish when He created countless solar systems, millions of planets, and billions of stars? What was He thinking about when He made one of those solar systems with all the planets. What was His intent when he chose the third planet from that solar system’s sun and put life on that planet? And what was He thinking about when He decided to put a piece of Himself into a “dirt suit” on that planet, creating something called man? What was He thinking about; what was He after?

Meantime, here on earth, what is the point of staying alive? Are we born just to make a living, reproduce by having a child or two, and eventually die? Without knowing the big picture, most of us get involved in all of our rituals and we forget about our relationship with our Creator. We think that everything begins and ends with us. We are always scrambling to stay on top. Our lives never seem to have very much meaning.

If, however, you understand that the created universe stems from a parallel universe called Heaven, and that the Creator is a King who is always extending His territory, you can begin to recognize that you are part of a family business. In fact, being part of that family business gives you significance.

The Kingdom is a family business and our Father wants to extend His business into foreign territories. He wants His kids like you and me to run the Earth Department for Him.

All human beings are searching for some kind of significance, and their search manifests itself in many ways. All religions attempt to answer the Big Picture questions. All the conflicts between religions come from the competing searches. It is not just the Buddhists, the Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians, and the other major or minor religions; even the agnostics and the atheists are part of the same search.

The search is not bad, but as we know very well, the search often becomes its own answer. We stop searching and make the means the end. We get defensive about our own version of the search and protective of our particular rituals. We set ourselves apart as members of our own particular group. We miss the fact that there is more.

We are the King’s kids. The King has been inviting us to realize that we are His children and to become full citizens of the biggest, richest, most glorious Kingdom we can imagine, and we have not heard His invitation. Instead, we have been fooling around like a mischievous child in some vacant lot, trying to change it into a playground.

The Kingdom is a family business and our Father wants to extend His business into foreign territories. He wants His kids like you and me to run the Earth Department for Him. His intention was to have the Earth Department look a lot like the Headquarters. He wants to extend His experience from the invisible world to the visible world through his family members.

He wants His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

This study will tell you what you want to know if you want to become part of the most important family business of all time.