#266 Kingdom: Administration by His Life
The Kingdom of God will be administrated by Jesus Christ, our High Priest, along with the king / priests who are the body of the High Priest. Therefore, the Kingdom will be administrated by that Kingdom of priests who are after the order of Melchizedek. What form the Kingdom will take or how the laws of the Kingdom will be enforced is not clear. Jesus said that the overcomers will rule the nations with “a rod of iron.” Of course we know that most of the Book of Revelation is a vision and is “spiritual”, “symbolic” and not just “logical” and not interpreted by the letter but by the Spirit. Therefore, many of the popular and logical interpretations are false or at least too shallow. For example; We don’t need to expect the rulers of the earth to be carrying around iron rods!
Dan 7: 27] `Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’.
Many things about the Kingdom of the Ages do not seem to require spiritualization and interpretation. Still, even these straight forward scriptures may not be exactly how we think they should be. Even though the scriptures are straight forward we still need revelation in order to uncover the mystery. For this we are 100% dependent upon the Holy Spirit and the Living and Abiding Word of God within us.
Personal understanding by scholarly research cannot be fully trusted. This reveals why there is such a wide variety of interpretation and understanding that is everywhere today. Many of the things that I was very confident to share in the past now seem to be a little questionable. The reason is because it seems the scriptures are uncovered in layers and every time another layer is pulled back our understanding must be adjusted. It is for this reason that if we are still sharing the same revelation that we shared 30 years ago no layers have been pulled back. The revelations of God appear to be progressive. For example; The understanding about the Holy Spirit and the gifts that was normal in 1906 surely would not be our complete understanding today. Our understanding and function in the Spirit today should be approaching “perfection” after nearly 100 years of development. However, there are multitudes who are not as far advanced in the Spirit today as they were in 1960. To speak about a Kingdom of priests today sounds like a very strange doctrine to most all Christians. A “royal priesthood” is like a hidden truth today. Even speaking in tongues is too far out for a great many born again people. In a word it seems like we have gone backward and not forward. We are like Israel at Mt. Sinai.
Jer 7:21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat flesh. [22] “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. [23] “But this is what I commanded them, saying, `Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’ [24] “Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. [25] “Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. [26] “Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did evil more than their fathers.
The work of the ministries today must always be playing catch up continually rather than taking the church on to greater revelations and deeper understanding and a transformed life. Transformation of life must be understood from two directions. One is the removal of the old carnal life of Adam and the other is the restoration of the mighty Life of God that was demonstrated by Jesus Christ. This Zoe Life of the resurrected Christ must become the motivating factor within each of us. This IS the Life of the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
Heb 7:15] And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, [16] who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. [17] For it is witnessed of Him, “THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”
This original priesthood after the order of Melchizedek operated on the basis of a different kind of Life than the priesthood after the order of Aaron. This higher realm of Life is indestructible, in-dissolvable and incorruptible in its character and eternal in its nature. It should be obvious that the life that we manifest today is not sufficient to support this priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. It is within this better priesthood that we have a “better hope” by which we draw near to God. Trying to “draw near” outside of this “better priesthood” would strain the types and pictures that God has given us for understanding. In other words; If the worship leader was able to take a bunch of carnal people into the Presence of God it would result in a disaster.
Isa 33:14] Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. “Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?” The Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle of God is the Mt. Zion and the New Jerusalem. Sinners, even forgiven sinners, will not be comfortable in His Presence.
Heb 5: 4] And no one takes the honor to himself, [priesthood] but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. [5] So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “THOU ART MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE” [6] just as He says also in another passage, “THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER
ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”
This priesthood after the order of Melchizedek is not a volunteer priesthood that we may just “make a decision and sign up “ to join. God is the one who qualifies us for the priesthood. For that reason those who resist the cleansings, the change of garments, ignore the anointing and are reluctant to make a full consecration of their lives to God will be left outside the Holy Place priesthood ministry. This is exactly how it should be because this priesthood can only function after the power of a indestructible Life. None of those who are born after the first Adam can possibly participate. Therefore, we must die, be buried and be resurrected into the family of the High Priest just to be considered for priesthood.
Since the Kingdom is administrated by this Resurrection Life of Christ it is evident that a death must first take place. This is the necessity of the full Consecration Offering. We may assume that death burial and resurrection took place at water baptism. Then we discover that death to Adam, the flesh and the old nature is NOT the only death that is necessary. Suddenly we discover the problems of Romans 7 and the problems of the redeemed person trying to serve God out of his own ability. After many failures of serving God with the very best that we have we find that God cannot use our best human efforts. Still, we can’t resist trying harder the next time. Finally we discover that the problem is not the death of Christ on Calvary or bringing the old Adam’s inheritance to a conclusion. We discover that the real problem is with ourselves and God’s solution is for us to offer ourselves as a full consecration offering to God so that we are consumed in the fire of His love and the resurrection Life of Christ has taken the place of me trying my best to serve God.
Gal 2: 20] “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
Col 3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. [3] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Obviously this is a matter of “His Life” not ours. To discover the real identity of our life we must understand that it is now hidden with Christ in God.
This IS the next [restoration] preparation for participating in the Lampstand Church because there is no wood in the Lampstand, just gold. This “exchange of life” [psuche] for Life [Zoe]” is a little confusing because the fact that “I no longer live” is not experiential but just doctrinal at the present time. Even following the entrance into the Consecration Offering there is not a clear delineation between the two kinds of life and that may not be evident until later as God requires the experience of full consecration.
This Kingdom of God will be administrated by the Life of God that is in Christ Jesus, the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Then His body , which functions by the same Life, IS the kingdom of priests after the order of Melchizedek that will have dominion over all the kingdoms UNDER Heaven. Obviously, Jesus Christ [the Head] will have dominion over everything including heaven. Trying to picture this with the natural mind will result in total confusion.
This paper then will focus upon this Zoe Life of God. He IS this Life. This is the uncreated Life of God that has no beginning and no end and is not affected by time or eternity.
John 1: 4] In Him was life [Zoe] , and the life [Zoe] was the light [phos] of men. This IS the light that illuminated the earth before the Sun and the moon were created..
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [2] And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. [3] Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. [4] And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. [5] And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
This was day one! It is important to note that the natural light was not yet created. On Day two the earth was revealed and heaven was set as an expanse. Then God caused the vegetation to grow and fruit trees and plants yielding seeds. [before the sun, moon or stars were created] This was the 3rd day.
Then on the 4th day God created the sun, moon, stars and the natural lights in the expanse of the heavens. These were for signs, seasons, and for days and years.
This Light that caused everything to grow was the uncreated Life of God. That which was “created” first grew by the Light / Life that is God. This IS the Light / Life that is the light of redeemed men that causes the seed to germinate in us..
John 1:9 There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. [10] He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. [11] He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. [12] But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, [13] who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
It is clear that this Light / Life is a person. John 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” He evidently was the Light of the world before the sun, moon and stars were created. Those whom don’t have His Light / Life are in darkness because they don’t have the light of life.
John 12: 35] Jesus therefore said to them, “For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. [36] “While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light.”
The manifested sons of God will surely be “sons of that Light / Life” which is Christ.
John 6: 35] Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; [Zoe] he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6: 48] “I am the bread of life
John 6: 51] “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
Trying to find a natural bread or a wafer that becomes His flesh is the result of natural man trying to understand the spiritual mysteries with the natural mind and logic. Obviously the manna was just a type and shadow of Him who was to come down from heaven and give Life [Zoe] to the world. It was this Life that Adam could have received from the Tree of Life. [Zoe] Even if Adam had eaten from this Tree of Life he could not have imparted this Life to his genealogy. Only his natural life is transferrable. Each person must personally eat from the Tree of Life themselves. Even if all do have natural life {psuche} not all have His Life / Light [Zoe].
Rom 5:10:] For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. [Zoe] Saying these words after me is nothing if we don’t receive His Life / Light.
If the Light that is in us becomes darkness how great is that darkness? It is un-measurable and maybe the Light is un-recoverable. Darkness is the absence of His Life.
John 11: 25] Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; [Zoe] he who believes in Me shall live [Zao] even if he dies, [26] and everyone who lives [Zao] {has My Life} and believes in Me shall never die. This is not just a matter of faith but of living by His Life.
When Paul said that he no longer lives but Christ lived in him it was not a cliche. We cannot have Life [Zoe] unless we have Christ living in us. It is this Law of the Spirit of Life [Zoe] that has set me free from the Law of sin and death. The Law of sin and death reigned in me as a corrupt king that I could not defeat. God’s solution was to introduce a new, greater and higher Law that has more power that can annul the lower Law.. It is this Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that sets me free from the Law of sin and death. Of course this Law of Life must also reign in me if it is going to set me free from the Law of sin and death.
Rom 5: 17] For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life [Zoe] through the One, Jesus Christ.
John 5: 26] “For just as the Father has life [Zoe] in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life [Zoe] in Himself; [27] and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
Ruling and exercising authority and judgement is a mater of Life [Zoe] and not just a matter of position, title or even calling.
The point that I am making is that the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek functions according to the power of an indestructible Life [Zoe]. Any “five-fold ministry” that is not manifesting His Zoe Life is locked in the Outer Court ministry. No priest can function in the Holy Place Life and ministry unless he is manifesting His Life. My theory is that the manifestation of His Life will be a much more powerful ministry than manifesting the gifts of the Spirit. However, ministering the gifts of the Spirit by His Life will produce the greater works. When His Life [Zoe] “reigns within us” we can say the Kingdom has come. As long as “our life [psuche] reigns within us” we can say our kingdom still stands and our “king” has not been crucified with Christ. It is for that reason that we cannot “reign in His Life.” Men reigning in their own life has caused untold problems for the church. Therefore, the next restoration will follow the extinction of the personal lives and ambitions of the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek {Consecration} and they will reign by His indestructible Life. Calling ourselves kings and priests is very deceptive and a little ridiculous.
Rev 2: 26] `And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO him I will give authority over the NATIONS; [27] AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; {this breaking is part of the Consecration Offering}!
Therefore, those who rule with an “iron rod” will be ruling by His straight forward, inflexible and unchanging Life. Aaron’s rod that budded [uncreated Life] is the confirmation of His priesthood authority that was placed in the Ark of the Covenant as a witness against the rebellious.
2 Cor 4: 6] For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. When the Word of the Kingdom comes in to take root within us it comes as seed.. This seed must also have the same Light to cause it to grow that we see in Genesis 1 that caused the seed to germinate before the natural light was set in the heavens. This is the same light that God will cause to shine in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Lord. This Light / Life is an essential part of our development into the Kingdom of God and the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. If the Kingdom is within us as seed it still requires the Uncreated Life / Light of God to grow and produce a harvest of righteousness.
Mat 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. [14] “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, [Zoe] and few are those who find it.
As we begin to apply these 120 scriptures that refer to this Zoe Life, the impact of God’s Truth, Life and Light alters the way we see God and His purpose for the ages ahead. Seeking for “things” or “ministries and gifts” without seeking first the Kingdom and the Life of the Kingdom will be disappointing. We have gone around that mountain long enough and it is time that we moved on into the purpose of the ages. A Kingdom of priests is a Kingdom that rules in the priest before the priest can rule over anything. Carnal authority will soon be so visible that it will appear as unclean.