Have you ever wondered why politics is so universally despised?
"No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."
- St. Paul
A note to my anarchist friends:
Though I write this article from my perspective as a follower of Jesus and student of the bible, reading it may well help you better understand the antipathy you may feel towards "organized religion." As you will see, I share those feelings.
I begin this article with a bold thesis.
Human government, as we know it, is Satanic.
I will further assert that the church has been co-opted by the devil himself to unjustifiably support human government.
Lucifer, Messenger of Light ~ Image courtesy of Moise Marian
I can imagine the objections now.
"How can you say that?"
I'm sure that if you grew up in a typical church, you are shaking your head, almost ready to click "close" and move on to the next article.
You've no doubt from childhood had pounded into your head statements like the following, cobbled together from a few bible passages taken out of context.
"Governments are God's agents to maintain order in the world. While particular leaders may not be godly, God put them in place, and you must therefore obey them."
I will surely be bombarded with those few and much misused passages in the comments below.
But, what does the preponderance of scripture say? What is the overarching biblical story of history, and what is the origin of and rationale behind human government?
After a lifetime of being misled, I have come to a clear understanding of the biblical teaching on human government.
I no longer subscribe to "the prevailing view."
Humanly speaking, I have become an anarchist. This quite simply means that I acknowledge no mere human being as having any right to rule over me.
Nor do I accept any human organization as having legitimate authority over me. The reason for this is the clear connection I see between the foundation and practice of government as we know it, and the origin of evil.
Biblical theologians are in general agreement
that it was Lucifer's rebellion that originally brought evil into existence.
"But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’"
- Isaiah 14:13-14
For the full picture, please read the entire chapter 14 of Isaiah. In it you will find that these words are directed to "the king of Babylon," taunting him.
Babylon in scripture is a type or figure, an analogy if you will, of human government as led and directed by Satan, A.K.A. Lucifer. What was Lucifer's fault, what brought sin into the universe?
It was seeking to exalt himself above God Almighty. It was arrogating to himself the power and authority that belong to God alone.
Because all humans are made in God's image,
we are on a level playing field. None of us has any right to rule over his fellow man, or to coerce him to do our will. No aggregate collection of humans, whether or not they may be called "government," have that right. Our Creator/God is the only one with such an inherent right.
In Psalm 2, we see God ridiculing human governments:
"He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them."
- Psalm 2:4
Once again, the entire Psalm is instructive, worth reading in its entirety. The evil of human government is again confirmed in Acts chapter 4, where Psalm 2 is referenced.
That God is the only one with an inherent right to rule is also consistent with what Jesus said before he departed for his throne in heaven.
"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “ All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”"
- Matthew 28:18 (emphasis added)
How much authority?
ALL of it.
Where is that authority to be exercised?
In heaven AND on earth.
It is certainly true that God raises up and deposes human leaders. The bible is very clear, however, that such elevation when it happens is absolutely not a stamp of moral approval.
Those in the church complicit with human governments and their aims have intentionally blurred the distinction between God's moral will and His sovereign will.
God raises up and deposes human leaders.
White House photo by David Bohrer.
God in His infinite wisdom has permitted human government to exist for a time, and has allowed it power to act. This does not mean that the actions of government are moral. To the contrary, God condemns and will judge every wicked act.
In every scriptural instance where human government overreaches,
it is condemned for such an action. As those oppressed, we may be counseled to be patient, but we never need approve of or participate in such evil.
This can be seen very clearly when Jesus stood before Pilate.
"So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”"
- John 19:10-11
Is Jesus here speaking of God's moral will or his sovereign will? It was clearly not God's moral will that Jesus be crucified. Jesus was the innocent Lamb of God. Pilate had no moral authority to execute Jesus, but he had sovereignly granted power.
Likewise, human government has no moral authority to rule us; only temporarily granted, sovereignly permitted, raw power to abuse us and make our lives miserable. God makes no moral demand of us to submit to this abuse.
Human rule over humans is destined for extinction.
From God's pronouncement to the serpent, to Jacob's pronouncement of Shiloh, to David's portrayal of God's laughter, to Daniel's interpretation of the stone and the statue, to Jesus declaration of the kingdom:
One thing is crystal clear.
Man was never intended to rule his fellow man.
There is one plain, central message.
God raises up and deposes human leaders.
White House photo by Joyce N. Bogosian.
God intends to supplant the rule of man.
Immediately following the seminal events in the garden, God said this to Satan:
"I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”"
- Genesis 3:15
On his deathbed, Jacob prophesied the coming King.
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples."
- Genesis 49:10
Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's vision of the stone thusly:
"And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”"
- Daniel 2:44-45
That Satan is behind human government was shown in his interaction with Jesus.
"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”"
- Matthew 4:8-10
Just as Jesus resisted Satan and his dominion, we are admonished by the Apostle Paul to resist.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."
- Ephesians 6:10-13
God has sent his King. ~ Image courtesy of Pablo
Jesus came proclaiming the arrival of that kingdom.
Why, then, does the church, and why do its leaders, regressively demand that the flock of God mindlessly submit to human rule?
God has established His kingdom. He has sent his King, who is now enthroned at God's right hand.
Sadly, just as Jesus own rejected his kingship, the modern church persists in rejecting the kingdom of God. In its place, church leaders demand that the congregation effectively worship the state, giving up to it their tithes, handing the state their sons and daughters for warmaking.
I call upon the church,
its leaders, and everyone in its membership to cease your worship of Luciferian human government. Stop attributing "worth" to a Satanic system that initiates force. Abandon worship of this evil beast that promulgates war, that oppresses your neighbor.
"But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”"
- II Timothy 2:19
It is past time to come out and be separate from human governments. Our citizenship is in heaven.
"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."
- Ephesians 5:11
Visit my Library Christianity Shelf for more theology.
Visit my Library Liberty Shelf for more on government.
FIN
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