Government: June 2021
Table of Contents
The Institution of Government
Where sin exists, there needs to be government. Without it, the earth became so violent and corrupt that God had to destroy it with a flood and start over. To restrain man, the sword of justice was placed in his hand. Noah was told, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Government involves power, as Pilate said to the Lord Jesus, “I have power to crucify Thee, and I have power to release Thee.” When the children of Israel came into their land of promise, they had one to govern them under the title, “The Lord of all the earth.” In time they rejected Him, wanting to be like the nations around them. Finally, for their sins and refusal to repent, God stepped back from them and put them under the government of the Gentiles, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar. Being the sinner that he is, giving man power leads man in pride to exalt himself and turn from God to idolatry. What is God’s answer to the mess man has made? “I will overturn, overturn, overturn ... until He come whose right it is [to whom justice belongs]” (Ezek. 21:27). “Unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful ... the mighty God ... the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.” And what is our response to God’s solution? “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Government in the Earth
It seems clear from the Word of God that there was no government in the earth until after the flood of Noah. Rather, we read that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). But God was going to try man under different ways of His ordering, to see if there was any good in fallen man. It is not that God needed to be convinced of man’s utter ruin; rather, God would prove to man what his real condition was.
Accordingly, after the flood, we read that “whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man” (Gen. 9:6). It does not seem that God specified any particular form of government; He merely set it up, as a curb on man’s sinful desires. We may notice, however, that God looked to Noah, as the head of his family, to be the leader in carrying out government in the renewed earth. God knew that even the memory of the awful judgment of the flood would not in itself restrain evil in the world, for “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21). But man in the person of Noah failed almost immediately, and then later the pride exhibited in building the tower of Babel necessitated the confounding of man’s language. This was the beginning of nations in the earth.
City States and Small Nations
At first there were city states and small nations, governed mostly by kings, although larger nations such as Egypt gradually rose to power. God then chose the nation of Israel, which was initially ruled by the Lord Himself, through chosen men whom He raised up. But Israel rejected God’s way and insisted on having a king, wanting to be like the other nations around them. At that time the Lord reminded Samuel, “They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should reign over them” (1 Sam. 8:7). Eventually Israel failed under judges, prophets, priests, and then kings. Their history as a sovereign nation ended with the word “Loammi” (“not My people”) being written over them.
The Gentile Nations
Then followed the times of the Gentiles, when power and authority in the world were committed to them. Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar was first and is described in the image in Daniel 2 as “the head of gold.” This was largely because he was a supreme ruler, whose will and word could supersede that of everyone else. Other governments that followed (such as Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome) were of a lesser constitution, as usually the will of others entered into the government.
Down through the duration of the “times of the Gentiles” (the times we are still living in today), man has tried various forms of government, always seeking to find something that will work perfectly. These governments have generally been either imperialistic or democratic, but neither has been found to work well. Imperialistic governments, although usually having a supreme ruler, often have a small group of people who surround the supreme ruler and who also hold power. In their jockeying for influence, self takes over, and oppression of the people is the common result.
Democratic Government
Democratic forms of government might seem to work, but as another has remarked, “Democracy is freedom of choice, but it is the freedom of service self-chosen and of sacrifice self-imposed.” Democracy has worked generally as long as a reasonable percentage of the people were of moral integrity, and the influence of Christianity in the world has had much to do with this. Even in nations that have not largely embraced Christianity, Christian morality and altruism have had their effect and thus have enabled democratic forms of government to survive. However, this has begun to break down during the last 50 years or so, and as the Word of God has gradually been removed from the public domain, the impact of Christian morality and virtue has waned. As with imperialistic governments, self-interest has increasingly been characteristic of government in the Western democracies. Also, many perceive democratic administrations today as being almost paralyzed and ineffective, as they seek to satisfy the widely differing interests of those who elect them. Instead of moral integrity and uprightness, corruption has set in, causing further disillusionment to the electorate, whose morality is usually no better than that of their government. Instead of a strong sense of right and wrong, based on the absolutes of the Word of God, a self-centered attitude has gradually developed. Thus decisions of government are based on “What will make me popular with the electorate and get me elected again?” Among the electorate, the attitude often is, “What’s in it for me?” instead of “What is right, and what is for the good of the country?”
It is comforting to know that the Lord is over all this seeming confusion, for we read in Daniel 4:17 that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” The history of the times of the Gentiles shows clearly that most of the time, God has accomplished His purposes by allowing the basest of men to rule.
The Rise of the Beast
At least in the West, eventually all this will culminate in the rise of the beast, the head of the revived Roman empire, who will have supreme authority, but in an evil way. In his association with the Antichrist, he will hold the Western world in his sway for a short time. But God will have the final word. As we read in Daniel, “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Dan. 2:34-35). The stone is, of course, our Lord Jesus Christ, who at His appearing will destroy all the kingdoms of men and institute righteous government in the earth during the millennium. Then, for 1000 years, man will live under a perfect and righteous regime, with prosperity and justice.
The Millennium
But will man be satisfied with this? No! At the end of that wonderful millennium, Satan will be loosed again and will instigate a rebellion against Christ that will assume awesome proportions. The numbers involved will be “as the sand of the sea” (Rev. 20:8), as they seek to overthrow the only righteous government the world has ever had. But they will be destroyed, for “fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them” (Rev. 20:9).
Then will be introduced what is often called the “eternal state,” where God will be “all in all,” where sin will be forever banished, and where no government will be needed. The kingdom of God in its full moral effect will be there, but no visible kingdom of rule. There will be “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
For now, God recognizes even unrighteous governments and commands His people to obey them, unless they order us to do what dishonors God (Rom. 13:1-2). But in the words of a hymn, “We wait for Thee, O Son of God, and long for Thine appearing!” (Hymn #325, Little Flock Hymnbook).
W. J. Prost
Israel's Failure Under Government
Eli was the high priest, the judge and head of Israel, yet the glory of Israel was cast down to the ground (1 Sam. 4:11), the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. In verses 18-21, Eli himself died, and his daughter-in-law named the child which was born of her, Ichabod, saying, “The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.”
After this, God raised up Samuel, the first of the prophets, and governed Israel by him, but Israel soon rejected him (1 Sam. 8:6-7). “The Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them, according to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt even unto this day.” It was then that God “gave them a king in His anger,” and we know what befell the king of their choice. The judgment is pronounced; Samuel says to Saul, “I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel” (1 Sam. 15:26).
David is raised up in the place of Saul: God made this choice in His dealings in grace. David, a type of Christ, as he is the father of Christ according to the flesh, was His gift to Israel. Thus it is solely by the goodness of God that Israel becomes rich and glorious under David and Solomon. But still this people transgressed afresh under these two princes: “The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel” (1 Kings 11:9). However, because of God’s promise to David, a light was preserved in Judah until the time of Zedekiah.
Man’s Distaste for God
It is an unhappy subject to dwell on this constant distaste of man’s heart for God, under every condition in which he is placed; this is the instruction which we ought to draw from the history of the children of Israel. They subsequently divided themselves into two distinct parts, and the ten tribes became altogether unfaithful. It was in the person of Ahaz that the family of David, the last human stay of the hopes of Israel, began to become idolaters (2 Kings 16:10-14). The sin of Manasseh put the finishing stroke to all their misconduct (2 Kings 21:1-16). Such, in a few words, was the behavior of Israel, and even of Judah, until the captivity. The Spirit of God sums up the history of their crimes and of His patience in this impressive language: “The Lord God of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because He had compassion on His people, and on His dwelling place: but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chron. 36:15-16).
This was the end of their existence in the land of Canaan, into which they had been introduced by Joshua. The name of Loammi (“not My people”) is at last written upon them.
J. N. Darby (adapted)
Contrasting Governments: Israel and the Gentiles
When the fall of the Jewish nation was complete, God transferred the right of government to the Gentiles, but with this difference: This right was separated from the calling and the promise of God. In Israel the two things were united — the calling of God and government upon the earth. These became distinct things from the moment that Israel was put aside. In Noah and Abraham they were distinct; government in the one, calling in the other.
Israel failed and ceased to be capable of manifesting the principle of the government of God, because God in Israel acted in righteousness. Unrighteous Israel could no longer be the depository of the power of God.
The Earthly Calling of Israel
Notwithstanding this, as to the earthly calling, Israel continued to be the called people, “for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29). There are indeed the called from among the nations, but it is for the heavens they are called. The calling of God for the earth is never transferred to the nations; it remains with the Jews. From the instant that the church loses sight of its heavenly calling, humanly speaking, it loses all.
What has happened to the nations by their having had government given over to them? They have become “beasts” (Dan. 7), the oppressors of the people of God. The fourth monarchy, Rome, consummated its crime at the same instant that the Jews consummated theirs, by killing Him who was both the Son of God and the King of Israel. Gentile power is in a fallen state, even as are the called people, the Jews. Man has failed in handling both power and calling, and judgment is written upon both, in man’s hand.
The Jews, the called people, have become rebellious. The nations are become equally rebellious, but government abides there, though in a state of ruin. But the patience of God is always there, until the church goes to join the Lord in the heavenly places. The government of the fourth monarchy will be then still in existence, but under the influence and direction of its last head, and the Jews will unite themselves to him, in a state of rebellion, to make war with the Lamb.
The Church Taken to Heaven
But God will, at the close, when the church is gathered and called up on high, take things into His own hand. He will begin to act in restoring everything to its proper order. Accordingly, as soon as the church shall be received to Christ, there will follow a battle in heaven, in order that the seat of government may be purged of Satan, the active agent of the ills of humanity and of all creation. Satan will be expelled from heaven and be cast down to earth. Thenceforth power will be established in heaven according to the intention of God.
But on the earth it will be quite otherwise, for when Satan is driven from heaven, he will excite the whole earth and will raise up, in particular, the apostate part of it, which has revolted against the power of Christ coming from heaven. Then, the created heavens will be occupied by Christ and His church, and Satan, in great wrath upon the earth, will have but a short time. Under the conduct of Antichrist, the fourth monarchy will become the sphere upon which the activity of Satan will then be displayed, who will unite the Jews with the apostate empire against heaven. Jesus Christ will destroy the power of Satan in that government, which, we have seen, was confided to the Gentiles. Both the Roman beast and the Antichrist will be destroyed by the coming of the Lord of lords and King of kings, and Christ will occupy this chief seat of government in Jerusalem, which will become the place of the throne of God on the earth.
Israel Reestablished in the Land
The Lord will then purify His land of all the wicked. It will be done by the power of Christ in favor of His people reestablished by His goodness. The people are put into security in the land, and then Christ will show Himself, not as the Christ from heaven, but as the Messiah of the Jews.
Blessing to the Gentiles will be the consequence of the restoration of the Jews and of the presence of the Lord. The church will have been blessed; the apostasy of the fourth monarchy will no longer have existence. The lawless one will be cut off, as well as the unbelieving Jews, and the land of Israel will be at peace.
Afterward there will be the world to come, prepared and introduced by these judgments and by the presence of the Lord, who will take the place of the lawless one. All the promises of God being accomplished and the throne of God being established at Jerusalem, this throne will become to the whole earth the source of happiness.
Government in the Heavens
At this time Satan will be bound. Instead of the adversary and his government in the heavenly places, Christ and His church will be there, the source and instrument of blessing. Government in the heavenly places will be the security, and not the hindrance, of the goodness of God. The glorified church will fill the heavenly places with its joy, and in its service will constitute the happiness of the world, towards which it will be the instrument of the grace which it shall be richly enjoying.
Meanwhile, upon the earth is the earthly Jerusalem, the center of government and of the reign of the righteousness of Jehovah her God. She will be the place of His throne, the center of the exercise of justice. In that state of terrestrial glory, this city will be the witness of the character of Jehovah, as the church is of that of the Father. God also will realize the full force of that name — “The Most High God, Possessor of heavens and earth” (Gen. 14:19 JND). Christ will fulfill all the functions of High Priest, after the order of Melchizedec, who, after the victory gained over the enemies of God’s people, blessed their God on the part of the people and the people on the part of God (Gen. 14:18-20). True separation from the world ought to be the fruit of the understanding of all these prophecies!
J. N. Darby (adapted)
Gentile Government and Its End
There is a vast difference between lawmaking and governing. Law expresses a ruler’s will; government demands observance. After the flood of Noah, God instituted government; violence must now be restrained, and human life respected. “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed” (Gen. 9:6). Inquisition for blood was placed in man’s hand, and God supported him in it.
The Necessity for Government
The necessity for government points to its use: the restraint of lawlessness and the support of well-doing. “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well” (1 Peter 2:13-14).
In order to appreciate rightly God’s present use of government, we must bear in mind that it is only a temporary provision until the scepter is given to “the Prince of Peace.” “Of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33). In the meantime, God has two objects of interest on the earth — Israel and the church. But Israel, the natural seed of Abraham, must wait until the church is gathered home. Paul could say, “The Lord... will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:18). But a remnant of the Jewish nation will be preserved for the earthly kingdom.
Until His designs for both are accomplished, God will have the world kept in a measure of order, though, if He sees it necessary, He may permit persecutions, national conflicts, or commercial upheavals to prevent their settling down, for neither are yet in their destined position. Israel’s place is Canaan; the church’s home is heaven, and God is behind the scenes acting for both.
God’s Ideal in Government
God’s ideal in government is to have all power placed in the hands of one man — the one only Head (Eph. 1:10; Psa. 2:6-8). He gave Nebuchadnezzar absolute control, but instead of using it for God’s glory and man’s blessing, he used it for his own glory and man’s destruction. In a little while absolute dominion shall be given to another Man — Christ. Then God’s will shall “be done in earth as it is in heaven,” and “men shall be blessed in Him” (Psa. 72:17,19).
Consider the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. In this image we get a glance at the whole scope of Gentile government as God foresaw it to its end. Four imperial powers are represented in this image by the four chief materials that form it (Dan. 2:38-43). The head is of fine gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, with a combination of “potters’ clay” at the lowest extremity — “his feet part of iron and part of clay” (vs. 33).
The Head of Gold
Nebuchadnezzar’s power was absolute. Fine gold represents it (Dan. 2:38; 5:18-19). “Thou art this head of gold.” Succeeding powers are more and more inferior, down to the toes. It is important to take note of this, for we can gauge the present whereabouts of Gentile government only in the light of the real secret of its decline.
It is said of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, “Whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive” (Dan. 5:19). But Darius the Medo-Persian had no such supreme authority. He tried his utmost to deliver Daniel from the lion’s den, but failed. Why? It was the intrusion of other wills. That principle has been gradually developing ever since, until today it is not a few wills backed up by royal assent, but millions of wills — wills strong and weak (iron and clay). These wills are making their voices heard by representation, to make laws that suit themselves, and to which the king (or other head of state) is expected to put his seal! When subjects rule and kings are expected to submit, we are approaching the very opposite of God’s ideal, and, according to the image, the end of Gentile government.
But pause here a moment to notice one thing. The figure of “potters’ clay” is associated in Scripture with the supremacy of God’s will over man’s. “Hath not the potter power over the clay?” God will have the last word; He who set up Gentile government will, in His own time, set it aside forever. It is when the utmost extremity of the “image” is reached that the “Stone cut out without hands” will completely destroy the whole image, and the atoms will be carried away as chaff.
The Stone
The Stone that smites the image will then fill the whole earth. David in the Psalms (Psa. 118:22), Isaiah (Isa. 8:14-15), and the apostles Peter (Acts 4:11-12) and Paul (Rom. 9:33) all declare that the “Stone” is Christ. And this is confirmed by the Lord Himself, for He says, “On whomsoever it [the Stone] shall fall, it will grind him to powder” (Luke 20:18).
If having fellowship with both the image and the “Stone” will be an utter impossibility then, why try it now? To spend our best on that which is certain to be demolished is not true wisdom and can only diminish our interest in the Kingdom “which shall never be destroyed” (Dan. 2:44). How much better to take the blessed Savior’s advice: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). One great help toward this is to see the import of Daniel’s dream in Daniel 7.
Daniel’s Dream
In this dream the same four powers are brought before us, but this time under the figure of four beasts. A “beast” in this context is God’s symbol of earthly government, but the figure is not intended as any personal slight upon the king himself, for God says, “Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17). The first three powers are definitely named: Babylonian, Medio-Persian, and Grecian. The fourth and last, the Roman Empire, is named in the New Testament (Luke 2:1). This power held sway during the lifetime of the Lord and His apostles. It was set up shortly before Christ’s first appearing and will be ended by His second. This great empire has since been divided into many kingdoms, but it will again be united under one political head, spoken of in Revelation 13 as a beast rising out of the “sea.” The mass will gladly hail his advent as the very man they have been looking for!
The Beasts
In the “image” of Daniel 2, the prominent thought seems to be the sovereignty of God’s will in earthly government. In the “beasts,” it is more the ravaging of man’s will. The symbol is a simple one. With the exception of the fourth beast, they are all beasts of prey: unclean, but with conquering power.
Now, a beast naturally follows the bent of its own will, without any reference to God, or even to man, save for its own protection. The Lord Himself provides us with a key for the understanding of this figure of a beast. The unjust judge in Luke 18 “neither feared God, nor regarded man,” and a judge is clearly representative of governing power. As a matter of justice, this judge disregarded the widow’s appeal. It was only when she gave him trouble that he interfered for her. As to motive, he served himself; in result, he served her. So with God’s symbol.
Men in power may think that their policies serve their own ends. But they forget that, long before their scheme was thought of, God had secret designs of His own to further. By a hidden link with theirs, He can give effect to His own. If governing powers will not by choice carry out God’s will consciously, they shall, by the very force of their own wills, carry it out unconsciously.
The Most High Rules
If rulers are God-fearing men, all the better, but while things are in disorder, God does not confine Himself to good men for earthly government. “The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men” (Dan. 4:17). As an example, we know that one of the greatest boons in British history came to the nation through one of the basest of her kings. When, for his own ends, Henry VIII defied papal authority, the very Bible, which condemned his wickedness, was opened to millions of his subjects. By the will of God, however dark the monarch’s motive, the bright result was an open Bible and full liberty to read it. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will” (Prov. 21:1).
Even if there is a combination of powers, it is all the same. If ten kings at last combine to give their power to the beast and destroy the harlot, it will be because God puts it into their hearts to fulfill His will (Rev. 17:16-17). It was so with our blessed Lord. “Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together.” They did so for their own wicked ends, but in God’s account it was “to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done” (Acts 4:27-28). In all things, it is “whomsoever He will,” “whithersoever He will,” and “whatsoever He predetermines.”
G. Cutting (adapted)
The Failure of Government Today
Elsewhere in this issue of The Christian, we have commented on the failure of government in the hands of man all down through the ages. But now we are truly in what Scripture calls “the last days” — days that are described as being “perilous times” (2 Tim. 3:1). There have indeed been serious times in the past, but God in His grace has allowed revivals. However, it is a principle with God that light rejected always brings about a worse state of things than if the light had never been given. The light from God in this dispensation of God’s grace has far exceeded any that was ever given to man before, and thus, when this light is given up, the resultant devastation is worse than anything seen before. The description of the last days given in 2 Timothy 3:1-8 is not depicting the pagan world; no, it is Christendom, that now has “a form of godliness,” but denies the power of it. And as Christendom has had an influence for good in this world, so in these last days its evils also affect the entire world.
Democracy
This brings us back again to the question of government and its failure today. Someone has aptly said that in a democracy, people generally get the character of government they deserve. There is a large measure of truth in this, for those who are elected reflect the values and morals of those casting the votes. As an example of this, in one Western country, a leader who campaigned some years ago against a corrupt and incompetent government lost the election, not because any questioned his competence to govern, but because of his “social conservatism.” His conservative (and biblical) views on issues like abortion, homosexuality, and same sex marriage did not square with many, and thus he was rejected. This trend has been general in the Western democracies, although some countries are affected more than others. Another has written the following concerning the U.S.A.:
“The most obvious signs of moral decay in America are the prevalence of out-of-wedlock births, the breakup of families, the amorality of public education, and the eruption of criminal activity. But there are other signs as well: the decline in civility, the lack of integrity in both public and private life, and the growth of litigation as the chief way to settle disputes.”
The same author also writes as follows:
“One cannot blame government for all of society’s ills, but there is no doubt that economic and social legislation over the past 50 years has had a negative impact on virtue. Individuals lose their moral bearing when they become dependent on welfare, when they are rewarded for having children out of wedlock, and when they are not held accountable for their actions. The internal moral compass that normally guides individual behavior will no longer function when the state undermines incentives for moral conduct and blurs the distinction between right and wrong.”
The Fall of the Roman Empire
A similar situation has developed in Europe. A European author, writing a little over two years ago, draws a comparison between the fall of the Roman Empire and the present condition of Europe. He points out that the Roman Empire fell because it was corrupt; moral corruption was the essential concept. The rule of law was either circumvented or frankly ignored. All took care of their personal interests and neglected utterly the general one. He then remarks that the Romans of that day would not feel disoriented in the present European Union. Another has written concerning the European Union:
“True education begins with a knowledge of God, but [in Europe] this is being replaced with a secular agenda that is teaching social justice, gender neutrality ... sexual inclusiveness, LGBT rights, on demand abortion, a welfare state, entitlements, rewriting Christian history ... and other leftist ideologies.
“European education has completely rejected the Judeo-Christian values bequeathed to them during the Protestant Reformation. The great Christian principles of the Reformation shaped the European landscape, but modern liberals today are describing the Reformation period as a time of discrimination, hate, racism, slavery, homophobia, misogyny, colonialism, genocide and anarchy.”
The Purpose of Government
We could go on, but these quotations are sufficient for us to see which way things are headed. In the Word of God, we read that the government is a “minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” (Rom. 13:4). To the extent that governments carry out this mandate, we can be thankful, for it is God-established government that is referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2:6: “Ye know what withholdeth.” Even evil men would like evil in others to be held in check, while leaving them free to practice their own wrongdoing.
The above quotations reflect the tremendous change in the moral standards of the Western world during the last 50 years, and this, of course, has been reflected in government. However, for some time biblical moral values that had shaped the culture, constitution and laws of the West at least had “lip service” paid to them, even if these values were not followed practically in society in general. But in the past 20 years or so, we have seen those old values almost completely discarded. Immoral and corrupt principles of conduct have been enshrined into law, and those who oppose all this are labeled as intolerant and guilty of “hate crimes.”
In all this we see what might be called a vicious circle. As the morality of the people declines, so inevitably does the morality of government. But then, when the government enacts laws that suit the people they govern, the result is further decline.
Command Governments
Up to this point we have focused on the Western democracies, but we are also seeing changes in the imperialistic or “command governments.” Despite the atheistic tendencies of many of these totalitarian governments, as we have already noted, Christendom has had a beneficial effect on the world. Man cannot entirely deny his conscience. Those who stood firmly for absolutes of right and wrong commanded respect, even if they were not emulated. But now the lack of principle among many in Christendom is having an adverse effect on atheistic and pagan nations. The lack of uprightness exhibited by the West has emboldened other governments to act in their own interests, without regard for morality.
Needless to say, all of the bad behavior of totalitarian governments cannot be laid at the feet of the West. So-called “command governments” have always tended to act without regard for right and wrong, but the decline of Christendom and its effect on despotic regimes has accelerated this tendency. The aggressiveness of dictatorial governments and the degenerate character of the democracies, combined with the frightful power of the weapons available today, has produced a most dangerous and unstable world.
In speaking about the evil character of the last days, Paul writes, “They shall proceed no further” (2 Tim. 3:9). God will intervene, although He may bear with the iniquity for a long time. But when it is fully ripe, God will judge it and institute righteous government. Isaiah prophesies that “I [the Lord] will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see My glory” (Isa. 66:18). Today governments and the men involved in them seek their own glory; in that day “they shall declare My glory” (Isa. 66:19).
W. J. Prost
Democracy in the Light of Scripture
At the present time two great viewpoints prevail in the world, as far as its national, political and social life is concerned. They are radically different, but may yet be brought together in a kind of amalgamation, and the prophetic Scriptures confirm this. The two great ideas are, respectively, the democratic and the imperialistic.
Democracy presents itself to us as the finished product of the wisdom of the ages. After the long and dismal record of human experiments in government, the democratic idea has been evolved and now holds the field among enlightened nations. It is, to use Abraham Lincoln’s famous phrase, “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” In practice it comes to this, that government is by a majority of the people (for they are never unanimous), and hence the minority must give way. It is presumed that “the majority” should rule by its accredited representatives for the good of all the people and not for the majority’s interests only.
The imperialistic idea has as its watchword that “union is strength.” In national life it leads to groups of nations and powerful alliances and leagues. In politics it expresses itself in groups of parties to achieve together what they cannot hope to enforce singly. Socially it produces giant trusts, federations of industries, and unions. It even threatens to appear in the religious world in the form of a federation of “churches.” It is really a reversion to the old idea which animated the post-diluvians in their schemes at Babel (see Genesis 11:1-9).
Our present concern is not with the political advantages or disadvantages of democracy; rather, we want to get the light which the Word of God sheds upon it.
God’s Delegation of Government
In the first place, then, we must inquire of Scripture as to what God’s way for the government of the earth may be. In the beginning, Adam, as yet unfallen, was placed in the position of sole authority. He was God’s image or representative and had dominion over the lower ranks of created beings (Gen. 1:26). Sin having invaded creation, a long period elapsed during which there was no further authority delegated to man by God. That age terminated in the flood.
The post-flood age opened, however, with a further delegation of authority. Noah and his sons after him were responsible to maintain God’s rights in man, and God hereby delegated to certain men authority over men, even to the execution of capital punishment. Patriarchal authority was thus established.
The Patriarchal Order
Among those who soon thereafter cast off the fear of God, not liking “to retain God in their knowledge” (Rom. 1:28), this authority evidently changed its form. It was no longer patriarchal in character, but fell into the hands of men of prowess and renown, such as Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-10), and after the confusion of speech at Babel, nations with their “kings” appear (Gen. 12:15; Gen. 14:1-2).
Moses, “King in Jeshurun”
However, those who still feared God adhered to the patriarchal order until God set His hand to deliver Israel from Egypt and raised up Moses. Moses was invested by God with an authority in Israel far beyond anything that Noah received. Moses was indeed “king in Jeshurun” (Deut. 23:5), but it was a kingship of an informal order. Properly speaking, theocracy was established in Israel with Moses as the spokesman and mediator, and therefore in that sense king.
For centuries authority in Israel was of that order, but the power of it declined; those who wielded it were far inferior in faithfulness and in force. The resultant feebleness led to an outcry for a king like the nations (1 Sam. 8:5), and after the episode of the willful king of the people’s choice, God raised up David and established kingly authority on a proper basis. David’s authority was absolute, and he was to rule, but his rule was to be wholly beneficent.
Authority to the Gentiles
With the failure of David’s descendants, the glory of it departed, and at last God transferred authority into Gentile hands. It was entrusted first of all to Nebuchadnezzar, as stated in Daniel 2:37-38, and though the king’s dream foreshadowed the changes that would supervene as to forms of government, yet it showed that the authority that lay behind government, whatever its form, would remain in Gentile hands until the execution of divine wrath brought in the kingdom which “shall stand forever” (Dan. 2:20). This rapid sketch of the course of government among men is enough to show that the ultimate authority is always God, and God alone.
Turning now from government as presented to us in Scripture to the practice of it by those to whom it has been entrusted on earth, we at once see that it has been terribly abused, as has all else that has been entrusted to fallen man. Tyranny and self-seeking have everywhere flourished, and history is a record of the long and painful struggles by means of which nations have turned from one form of government to another, or have introduced modifications into their various governmental systems, in the vain hope of evolving ideal conditions. Of all these changes, democracy is the latest, and its advent is not surprising to anyone at all versed in the abuses which gave it birth.
The Will of the People
Comparing it, however, not with its predecessors, but with the ideals of Scripture, we see that it is more hopelessly condemned than any other form of government. It deposes God as the source of authority and puts man — “the people” — in His place. To the democrat, only one question really matters: What is the will of the people? What the people desire is regarded as the right thing, and the functions of a truly democratic government are to carry out the people’s desires, whether right or wrong.
In this matter, as in all others, the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ provides the Christian with a supreme test. At that solemn hour, Pontius Pilate was the representative of Caesar, and at his autocratic bar Christ was arraigned. Yet in an unusual moment of weakness, autocracy abdicated its functions. He “gave sentence that it should be as they required” (Luke 23:24). Viewed as a setting forth of democratic principles, this might be passed as all right. Viewed from every other standpoint, it was the most outrageous wrong of the world’s history.
From Gold to Clay
Reverting again to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as recorded in Daniel 2, we may now be better able to grasp the significance of the clay which entered into the image when the feet of it were reached. God started the “Times of the Gentiles” with an ideal form of government, but as the empires developed, men deviated from the golden ideal, and introduced human modifications. The government became silver, brass, and iron, as divine thoughts were forgotten and human policies came to the fore.
It is, however, in the last stage of the Roman Empire that we find for the first time the introduction of clay. The clay is not a further modification of the old, but is fundamentally different. Because of it “the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken” or “brittle.” Daniel’s interpretation of the clay and iron mixed is “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay” (Dan. 2:43). The “they” of this passage appears to be those in whose hands authority rests.
We have no hesitation in seeing here a prediction of the uprising and prevalence of democracy in the last days. The authority which finds its source in God and that which finds its source in man are as different from one another as metal is from clay. The two things may be mingled, but only weakness and brittleness are induced.
However, in practice the transition from democratic to imperialistic forms is very easy. Let a man of transcendent genius appear, and nothing is easier than for him to assume for himself supreme power. The people, fickle and easily led, will be glad to have it so. The career of Napoleon I. springing out of the French Revolution, is a case in point. The coming “beast” of Revelation 13 will assume power in the same way, and will quite likely uphold democratic institutions in theory while carrying on autocratic rule in practice — iron mixed with clay.
Full well we know that nothing but the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord can effectually lift our souls above the level of the world and its thoughts, yet the exposure of world politics and schemes by the light of Scripture has its value, and this has been our present endeavor.
The world system is doomed. Out of the impending catastrophe, souls are being rescued by the abounding grace of our Lord. It is ours to seek them, bearing witness to our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us then not waste time in vain attempts to shore up the tottering structure, but let us busy ourselves in the great work which our Lord has allotted to us. To be thoroughly for Him and His interests is to be thoroughly outside the world system and its hopes. As far as this earth is concerned, we look, not for a perfected system of democracy, but for the setting up of the kingdom of Christ by the God of heaven, which shall never be destroyed but shall stand forever.
F. B. Hole (adapted)
Truth and Righteousness
If there is any moral elevation to be found in the world, if the tide of evil is in any measure stemmed, if society is able in any degree to hold together, and human life has any security or enjoyment, to what is it owing? It is owing to the measure in which truth is respected, and practical truth and righteousness practiced. Imagine what the world would become, if truth and honesty disappeared, and falsehood and deceit reigned everywhere; morality gone, wickedness triumphant, family and social bonds dissolved. And the world owes it to God’s grace, and to God’s providence that it is not so. Were the government of God for a brief season to cease, it would quickly be apparent what Satan would make of the world. It would indeed be a hell upon earth.
Let us then extend this principle to the whole universe. Imagine that evil was supreme, truth banished, righteousness annihilated. What a fearful state of things! And who is the judge, what is the standard, what power maintains truth, righteousness, and order? God is the judge, truth is the standard, and it is the power of God alone which ensures the maintenance of everything that is good and excellent, and which will ensure the judgment of all evil in due time, and its disappearance from the scene of ordered government. But it is not till the game is played out, not till the conflict between the powers of good and evil ceases, that all this will take place in its full, final, and everlasting issues. The history of corruption and violence on the face of this earth will, when iniquity is full and God’s purposes accomplished, come to an end. The result to the moral agent, whether of blessing, or of judgment, will be at that time in the strictest sense, everlasting.
Once before, the wickedness of mankind was so great and so universal, that God cleared the earth by the deluge. Some may be “willingly ignorant of this,” or may willfully deny it; to the Christian it is the most solemn confirmation of those statements of Scripture which assures us of the overwhelming judgment which is coming upon all, who are not found in the true ark, that is Christ. Meanwhile the gospel, God’s grand ordinance for the salvation of men, is being proclaimed, and happy are those who fear and accept God’s proffered terms of mercy. “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Tim. 4:8).
W. Kelly
Sowing and Reaping
We reap what we sow, not only in our gardens, but in our lives. Scripture affords many illustrations of this. Jacob deceived his father who was old and could not see, but Jacob was then deceived by the father of Leah. Jacob’s sons sold Joseph into Egypt, but they also had to go into Egypt afterwards. They saw the anguish of their brother when they sold him to the Midianite slave traders, but they were made to feel anguish before Joseph afterwards. Abimelech slew his seventy brethren on one stone, and he was himself slain by having a piece of a millstone cast upon his head. King Saul spared Agag, the Amalekite, and finally an Amalekite took away his life. David wronged the wife of Uriah and slew her husband, but he lived to see his son Amnon wrong Tamar and then Amnon slain by Absalom. In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, there the dogs licked the blood of Ahab. As we sow, so we reap is the general principle of God’s government in this world. However, sometimes He may come and show mercy and not reward us according to our deserts. When the Lord Jesus suffered for us on the cross, He took the judgment that we deserved and set us free. How great was His love for those who were enemies by wicked works!
Bible Searcher, April 2007
Suffering and Government
To remove the sufferings in this world while sin is present would be a denial of God’s righteous government.
R. Beacon
Government Not Yet in Righteousness
God has not yet made such a government of the earth as can be an adequate measure and manifestation of His righteousness. Christianity does not even contemplate this, but is a display of His grace to faith calling souls to heavenly glory. The law in Israel did take this ground, but necessarily failed through their rebelliousness. The millennium will be exactly this, when Christ shall be exalted in earth as in heaven to the glory of God the Father.
Bible Treasury, Vol. 8
God's Representative Governments
In Israel’s case man had been tried on the ground of obedience to God, and had not been able to possess the blessing that should have resulted from it. Then God abandoned this direct government of the world (while still the sovereign Lord above), and casting off the elect people with the nations round them and His own throne there, subjected the world to one head. Under this new trial, God gave man a new test, to see whether he would own the God who gave him power to make those happy who are subjected to him, when he [the supreme ruler] can do what he will in the world. This began with Nebuchadnezzar, the head of the image — the system of imperial power. We know that man failed here too. But the Lord Christ will reunite the two things in His Person. He will be the one man to whom the whole dominion is given, and Israel, as well as the various nations with their kings, shall be re-established, each in his own land and his own heritage, as before the time of Nebuchadnezzar. Nations such as Edom, Damascus, and Hazor will be omitted, as having occupied Israel’s territory. Babylon herself (which had absorbed and taken the place of all the others), must disappear by the judgment of God, to give Israel their place again.
Bible Treasury, Vol. 8 (adapted)
The Direct Government of God
The first government given to Israel was the highest conceivable — the direct government of God. They could say with truth, The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King. That they should prove themselves unworthy of this supreme honor, this exalted government, which set them above all the nations of the earth, might perhaps be expected; but that they should reject it was the basest ingratitude, and, surrounded as they were by powerful enemies on all sides, the greatest folly. It was this grave dishonor put upon the Lord which called forth the address that now invites our attention. “They have not rejected thee,” God said to Samuel, “but they have rejected Me that I should not reign over them.”
Bible Treasury, Vol. 18
Lift Up Your Heads, Eternal Gates
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psa. 24:1).
Lift up your heads, eternal gates,
A glowing dawn shines o’er ye!
At Salem’s door, the Sovereign waits —
He is the King of glory!
The palms of yore their branches waved
When Judah’s sons were singing:
“Hosanna! Zion shall be saved,”
Their gentle Monarch bringing.
But the sun’s light at midday died,
And Judah’s matrons, wailing,
Lamented loud the Crucified,
All trace of glory failing!
Those gloomy years have rolled away,
The years of Israel’s mourning;
The rising sun with healing ray
Proclaims the King’s returning.
Lift up your heads, eternal gates,
Transcendent dawn glows o’er ye!
At Salem’s door, Messiah waits:
He is the King of glory!
Who is the King of glory?
Who is the King of glory?
The great I AM, the Lord of Hosts —
He is the King of glory!
E. L. B.