DIVINE GOVERNMENT by BILL BURNS
In these days the Lord is establishing His “Divine Government” among those who recognize that we are in the process of moving from the Church Age to the Kingdom Age.
Daniel 2:44-45 "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold––the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."
In the days of these kings, kingdoms – end-time governments, God will establish His kingdom (the Stone Kingdom). The Kingdom of God will now begin to be spiritually established and continue on through the millennial reign of Christ and His kings.
In Daniel chapter 7, Daniel sees four beast nations. He sees the destruction of the beasts (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome), but he also sees them come into power at the end of the age to persecute God’s people.
Daniel 7:12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
Has been seated and the kingdom established.
Daniel 7:26-27 ‘But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
We are now under the power of the fourth element (Christ, the foundation – Rock). Revelation Four ministry – the year of the open door.
Revelation 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.
Come up to the New Plateau and feed on the fresh bread (manna) of this season.
Order in the likeness of Christ:
Ephesians 4:
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head––Christ––
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Until we all come into our positions – the whole Body joined together!
Apostles, prophets, pastor-teachers (one) and evangelists.
Apostles, prophets and teachers are set positions or offices.
1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
What happened to the evangelist?
Those who are not set as apostles, prophets and teachers are evangelists who bring miracles, gifts of healings and help to the whole Body of Christ.
Every Christian who is full of the Holy Spirit is an evangelist (a bearer of good news) and demonstrating the power of the kingdom.
Another word for evangelist (bearer of good news) is witness.
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
You shall receive power and be My witnesses, giving testimony to those around you.
First order of business for His witnesses.
Revelation 12:10-11 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
The word of and in your testimony brings deliverance for yourself and others that you witness to and pray for.
Secondly, the testimony of Spirit-baptized Christians releases the prophetic power of the kingdom.
Revelation 19:10 “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
All of God’s witnesses can and should have the spirit of prophecy functioning in their lives.
1 Corinthians 14:
1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.
Acts 2:
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
They were all (120) filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, but they were not all apostles, prophets and teachers. Those who were not were evangelists (witnesses).
Peter explains what happened.
Acts 2:
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.
15 "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
16 "But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’
I will pour out of My Spirit on ALL flesh, and you will prophesy, see visions and dream dreams.
The whole Church prophetic witnesses according to the Word. It shall come to pass in the last days.
The Church has, for the most part, lost the vision that God’s word gives us.
Mark 16:
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 "they {NU–Text reads and in their hands they will.} will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 ¶ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
This commission of Christ is for all – it was a command, which has been turned away from. But, Peter prophesied that in “the last days” a fresh baptism will come to God’s people. And, signs will be seen in the earth following God’s witnesses. Blood and fire and vapor of smoke glory.
God’s order among His true Church in the end of the age will establish His divine government (rule), and the kingdom of God will begin to crush the four beasts that Daniel saw, and this will be the outcome:
Revelation 11:
15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
16 And the twenty–four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17 saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth."
19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
His covenant – the power of the kingdom established among ALL of His people, and victory is assured.