Dominion – “Sovereign or supreme authority; the power of governing or controlling (the right of governing); power to direct, control, use and dispose of at pleasure; right of possession and use without being accountable.”
(Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)
Mandate – “An authoritative [order or] command; an authorization to act given to a representative; to officially require (something); to direct or require (someone) to do something, a decree.” (Merriam/Webster Dictionary)
Taking dominion has to do with God’s people possessing the land, bringing everything into subjection under the rule of Jesus Christ. At this point though, “we do not yet see all things subjected to Him.” (Hebrews 2:8) As seen through the definition for mandate, the church has been given the “authorization to act given to a representative.” The kingdom of God is a representative government. Over the last few years, the church in America has not represented Him all that well. The evidence of our apathy to our God given responsibility is the occupation of wickedness that we now find ourselves in.
Joshua 1:1-11 refers to the preparing of God’s children to cross over/pass over and take possession of the land of their promised spiritual inheritance. They are a type and shadow for the children of God today that need to be understood. The majority of God’s people in America are not actively occupying the land until the Lord returns (see Luke 19:13 below in the KJV). Like Jonah, they have rebelled against the commands of God, sleeping below the deck while a storm is being unleashed around them. They’re presuming on the goodness of God to save them while living in rebellion against His Lordship. If not mercifully awakened, they too will perish.
On the other hand, those who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church in these last days, and act accordingly, will be used by God to “soon crush satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). The children of Israel had to dispossess the current tenants from the lands that the Lord was giving them. The Promised Land of their inheritance required their participation. Possession occurred only as they worked together with the Lord (2 Corinthians 6:1). The promise alone wasn’t enough. It had to be acted upon. So will ours in regards to our eternal inheritance.
To be placed “under your feet” is to subdue and rule over the devil, regaining our Divinely designated dominion. But, we cannot possess the outside until the Lord possesses the inside (i.e. Lordship). As the seven sons of Sceva learned (Acts 19:12-16), His authority flows through His servants that are called by His name and are led by His Spirit. It will be for His name’s sake. He alone is worthy, Almighty, and all-powerful. May we serve the Lord “by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11)
The psalmist wrote;
“The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.”
(Psalm 125:3-5/NIV)
A scepter is a symbol of authority. As the inhabitants of Canaan realized, their pagan authority was no match for the scepter of Almighty God. Like Aaron’s scepter/staff, it will swallow their serpent’s staff (Exodus 7:8-13).
Something that should put the fear of the Lord in every Christian’s heart is the statement, “But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers.” He had just made the statement that if the wicked are allowed to continue in authority over the land allotted to the righteous that they “might use their hands to do evil.” You cannot turn from that which you were not a part of. This a direct reference to God’s people forsaking Him if wickedness is allowed to continue unchecked. This is evidenced by what is currently taking place within the church in America. We now see many foolish teachings that have cast aside God’s written law. In fact, God’s law is not even preached from many pulpits, and Bibles have become also nonexistent among those being entertained.
Through the prophet the Lord declared, “Wicked men [“evildoers”] are found among My people” (Jeremiah 5:26; see the Bible study Evildoers In The House Of God). In Amos 9:10 the Lord said, “All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, those who say, ‘The calamity will not overtake or confront us.’” Identified in the New Testament as those in the church who practice lawlessness without repentance (Matthew 7:23), they are also referred to as workers of iniquity in some versions.
I hear those who foolishly reject that God would cast out His own children into a place of destruction away from Himself. Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12:35-48 alone is enough to reveal the seriousness of presuming on the goodness of God while walking in rebellion against Him. Jesus, not man, taught;
“But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.”
(Luke 12:45-46/NIV)
Jesus (again, not man!) is saying that if a servant of His is practicing wickedness when He returns, He will “cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers!” May the fear of the Lord and the truth of His word wash us in these final moments from evil before He returns. Out of love, He is warning us from heaven before he comes so that we will escape His wrath;
“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.”
(Hebrews 12:25/NASU)
(Also see Revelation 18:4-5, and the sections The Escaped Remnant and Those Who Will Not Escape in the Bible study The Nephilim And The End Of All Flesh.)
Genesis 1:26-28 – See the note below. This is “The Dominion Mandate.”
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image [6754- “statue, image, copy, likeness, a representative figure”], according to Our likeness [1823- “likeness, shape, figure, form, pattern”]; and let them rule over [7287] the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue [3533] it; and rule over [7287] the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
NASU
OT:7287 radah (raw-daw')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to tread down, i.e. subjugate; specifically, to crumble off:
KJV - (come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule,- r, over), take.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
1) to rule, to have dominion, to dominate, to tread down
a) (Qal) to have dominion, to rule, to subjugate
b) (Hiphil) to cause to dominate
2) to scrape out
(Qal) to scrape, to scrape out
OT:3533 kabash (kaw-bash')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to tread down; hence, negatively, to disregard; positively, to conquer, subjugate, violate:
KJV - bring into bondage, force, keep under, subdue, bring into subjection.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to subject, to subdue, to force, to keep under, to bring into bondage
a) (Qal)
1) to bring into bondage, to make subservient
2) to subdue, to force, to violate
3) to subdue, to dominate, to tread down
b) (Niphal) to be subdued
c) (Piel) to subdue
d) (Hiphil) to bring into bondage
This passage in the first chapter of the Bible is referred to as “The Dominion Mandate.” It is an official authorization by God directly for mankind. Notice, first of all, that God refers to Himself in a plural form; “Us” and “Our.” This is the first place in the Bible where the Trinity is mentioned (see the Bible study The Trinity).
Mankind, under God’s authority, was given the responsibility to subdue and rule over the earth. We lost our right to subdue and rule over every living thing when Adam and Eve sinned against God by listening to, and then acting upon the serpent’s will. This is how the devil gained dominion “over every living thing that moves on the earth,” including mankind. The way for us to gain this right of dominion back, bringing the earth into subjection under our feet, is now through obedience to Christ and His will. He gained this right of authority/rulership back from the serpent through His obedience to the Father (Matthew 28:18-20). At Calvary, through the cross, the right of dominion over the earth was regained. We then retain our dominion originally granted to us, including over the devil and his demons, when we rise up by faith, after hearing and obeying the way of victory in Christ, especially at the end of this age.
One day Jesus asked His disciples who they said He was. This question came after Jesus had first asked them who others were saying that He was. Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus then replied;
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome [2729- “to prevail against, to be superior in strength, to overpower”] it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
(Matthew 16:17-19/NIV)
I think that it’s interesting that upon his confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God, Peter was given the responsibility of binding and loosing things in heaven and on earth. This right has been granted to all the Lord’s followers since then as well. That would mean that the actions of God’s children have a literal effect, whether good or bad, on the seen and the unseen world around us.
Doing nothing in obedience to the Lord’s commands and guidance affects nothing. On the other hand, our obedience determines the advancement of the kingdom of God, affecting both earth and heaven. Does this mean that, at the end of this age, by using the keys revealed to by the Holy Spirit to loose certain things on earth we will loose the angel with the key of the abyss in heaven to then lay hold of the dragon and bind him for a thousand years? (Revelation 20:1-3) I believe so. God has chosen to work through His servants until He returns to fulfill the Dominion Mandate.;
The rock Christ spoke of was not Peter, as some teach, but his confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” This statement of faith in Christ lays our foundation on the rock that, once built upon per the guidance of the Holy Spirit (i.e. a “doer” of the word, not just a hearer), will allow us to be able to withstand the storm of the Lord that will soon engulf the entire world.
One day while teaching His disciples, Jesus referred to this “bedrock” statement of faith. He said;
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them [i.e. “does them”], may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed [4363- “to strike against, to violently rush upon (in storm), to beat against”] against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded [2311- “to lay the foundation”] on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”
(Matthew 7:24-27/NASU)
At the end of this age we will experience a great storm, the perfect(ing) storm that will test everyone’s faith. It will be the storm that perfects the body of Christ and destroys the wicked, revealing the foundation that each of us has built upon; whether that be Christ or the shifting sand of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Tempestuous (“stormy, turbulent, violent”) winds will be allowed to beat against us, proving what, and whom, we have built upon. (See Deuteronomy 2:26-31 below for more on “tempestuous,” one of the definitions for king Sihon’s name.) This is the cause of the great falling away from the faith Paul mentions in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2.
While teaching about His return, Jesus warned His followers regarding what was coming at the end of this age and the dire need for being watchful so as to not be overcome in that severe moment of testing. He said;
“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength [2729] to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
(Luke 21:34-36/NASU)
Notice that the same Greek word interpreted as “overcome” in Matthew 16:17-19 is interpreted in English in this passage as “strength.” So we can see through this that in order to have the strength necessary to withstand the final storm of this age and be known as an overcomer is to have a foundation built upon, and deeply rooted in, Christ. This is why in these final moments before the storm we must run to the only sure place of refuge, examining ourselves to see where we stand. Every other foundation besides Jesus Christ is built upon the sands of false security and will tragically fall (away from Christ)… “and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:27).
1 Chronicles 22:17-19 – The decree that it was time to rise up and build! See the note below.
17 David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying,
18 "Is not the Lord your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued [3533] before the Lord and before His people. [See Judges 8:34, Psalm 18]
19 "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God [sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart; see Joshua 3 below]; arise [6965- “to stand up, to rise up, to become powerful, to come on the scene”], therefore, and build the sanctuary [4720- “a consecrated thing or place, a sacred or holy place, used of the temple”] of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord."
NASU
David exhorted the people to build the sanctuary of the Lord so that they could bring the ark of the covenant, also referred to as the ark of His presence, and the holy vessels of God into it. This is a type of the sanctuary of the Lord that is being built in the Spirit for Him to come and dwell in. We are His building, a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22; also see the Bible study The Place Of God’s Throne And The Soles Of His Feet).
John reveals that the ark of the covenant, not the copy that was on earth, is in heaven (Rev. 11:19). The holy vessels represent “vessels of honor” in the body of Christ who have abstained from wickedness, cleansing themselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit (2 Cor. 7:1, 2 Chron. 20:21). They are “sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:19-21). They are His bride who has “made herself ready” through her righteous acts (Rev. 19:7-8).
“The house that is to be built for the name of the Lord” is not one built by human hands, but a holy temple, sanctuary/dwelling, in the Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22). This is the fulfillment of the dominion mandate, bringing everything into subjection under the feet of the Lord (Hebrews 2:8), preparing a body for Him to indwell forever (see the Bible studies Footstool and A Body Prepared).
The evidence that we have entered the rest of God is the subduing of our enemies, within first and then without. David had a desire to build the temple of the Lord but he was told that his son, not him was to build it. He explained to Solomon that the Lord had declared to him;
“Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.”
(1 Chronicles 22:9-10/NASU)
And so today it is the “man of rest,” the one who has entered His rest (Hebrews 4:6) that will be used to build His dwelling among His people for Him. (See the Bible study Noah; A Sign Of The End.)
In Deuteronomy 11:29 Moses said in part of his exhortation to the children of Israel as they were preparing to cross over into the Promised Land, “…when the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it…” It was as I read this that the following thought came to me; at the right time/the appointed time or season (the end of the children of Israel’s journey, which means our journey), we will enter in (as Noah and Israel did, preparing themselves per the Holy Spirit’s instructions), in order to possess the land/receive the kingdom/take back dominion. It is now our time, the time for the body of Christ to prepare our hearts by faith so that we are ready/prepared/dressed in readiness to pass over, to enter into the promised place of our eternal inheritance in Christ, taking back the rightful dominion of our Lord assigned to us at the beginning.
To Rule Over
Deuteronomy 15:4-6 – One of the many blessings of obedience God gave to His people would be dominion over other nations (Deut. 28:1, Rev. 2:26-27). The opposite would be true when disobedient (see Deuteronomy 28; the blessings of obedience and the numerous curses for disobedience). Our nation is now seeing this take place. The lack of obedience among God’s people is the issue. It’s not just the ungodliness among the ungodly, but the lack of God’s restraining light/presence coming through Christians who are acting in an ungodly manner. When darkness has the upper hand, as we now see it, it’s simply a matter of the absence of the Light of God flowing through His representatives on earth. God’s Light, who is Christ (John 8:12), always overpowers the darkness (John 1:5).
4 "However, there will be no poor among you, since the Lord will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,
5 if [one of the many conditional “if’s” throughout the Bible] only you listen obediently to the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today.
6 "For the Lord your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over [4910] many nations, but they will not rule over [4910] you. [See Deuteronomy 28:1, Revelation 2:26-27]
NASU
OT:4910 mashal (maw-shal')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to rule:
KJV - (have, make to have) dominion, governor, indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule (-ing, -r), have power.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to rule, to have dominion, to reign
a) (Qal) to rule, to have dominion
b) (Hiphil)
1) to cause to rule
2) to exercise dominion
Other [4910] verses:
Genesis 3:16 – This was Eve’s judgment from God after her and Adam ate that which was forbidden (see 1 Cor. 14:34).
16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over [4910] you."
NASU
Psalm 8:4-9 – See the Bible study Footstool.
4 What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You make him to rule over [4910] the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet [see Ezekiel 43:5-9, Matthew 22:44, Romans 16:20],
7 All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
NASU
Psalm 19:13 – See the Bible study Noah; A Sign Of The End for more on being blameless before God as His requirement for entering into the ark which is a picture of His safe place during His wrath on earth.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous [2086- “arrogant, proud, insolent”] sins; let them not rule over [4910] me; then I will be blameless [8552- “to be complete, to be finished, to be at an end, to be completely crossed over, perfect, without blame”], and I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
NASU
Proverbs 16:32
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty [James 1:19], and he who rules [4910] his spirit, than he who captures a city [Proverbs 25:28].
NASU
Proverbs 17:2 – Wise sons will rule over those who have acted shamefully in the body of Christ.
2 A servant who acts wisely [7919- “to be prudent, act wisely, give attention to, ponder, prosper”] will rule over [4910] a son who acts shamefully, and will share in the inheritance among brothers.
NASU
1 Peter 4:11 – Other verses in the New Testament with [2904- “dominion”] are Luke 1:51; Ephesians 1:19, 6:10; Colossians 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:16; Hebrews 2:14 (this verse refers to Satan’s power/dominion over death that Christ removed through His death); 1 Peter 5:11; Jude 25; and Revelation 1:6, 5:13.
11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion [2904] forever and ever. Amen.
NASU
NT:2904 kratos (krat'-os)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
perhaps a primary word; vigor ["great"] (literally or figuratively):
KJV - dominion, might [-ily], power, strength.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
1. force, strength
2. power, might (Ephesians 1:19; 6:10)
3. dominion: in the doxologies (1 Timothy 6:16)
Acts 19:18-20 – By their acts of confession, and then ridding themselves of the evil, the kingdom of God took dominion away from the devil, causing His followers to prevail over him. Notice that by their confession and fruit-bearing “in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:7-10), separating from that which held them in bondage (i.e. the elemental things of the world), the word of the Lord was “able” [2480 def.] to take back dominion, setting them free.
18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily [2904] and prevailing [2480- “to have force, to be strong, to have power, to be able”].
NASU
Proverbs 29:2
2 When the righteous are in authority [7235- “to multiply, become numerous, become great”], the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules [4910- see def. in Deut. 15:4-6 above], the people groan.
NKJV
“Occupy till I come.”
Occupy – “To take possession; the person who first occupies land which has no owner has the right of property; to keep in possession; to possess; to hold or keep for use; to employ; to use; to follow, as business.” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)
Luke 19:11-15 – See the note below.
11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.
12 So He said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return.
13 "And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business [4231] with this until I come back.'
14 "But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.'
15 "When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business [1281] they had done.
NASU
Luke 19:13
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy [4231] till I come.
KJV
NT:4231 pragmateuomai (prag-mat-yoo'-om-ahee)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:4229; to busy oneself with, i.e. to trade:
KJV - occupy.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to be occupied in anything; to carry on a business (Luke 19:13); specifically, to carry on the business of a banker or trader
NT:1281 diapragmateuomai (dee-ap-rag-mat-yoo'-om-ahee)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:1223 and NT:4231; to thoroughly occupy oneself, i.e. (transitively and by implication) to earn in business:
KJV - gain by trading.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
thoroughly, earnestly (dia) to undertake a business, to undertake a business for the sake of gain
In this parable of Jesus, He speaks of our giving an account of that which He has entrusted us with when He returns. He says that we are to “do business” or “occupy” until He comes. It’s interesting that the definitions in the Greek for “do business/occupy” (v.13) and “business” (v.15) both involve being intently occupied in something. So, therefore, in order to “occupy” until the Lord comes we must be intent on being thoroughly occupied in His business, for His name’s sake, rather than our own personal gain. (Interesting synonyms of “occupied” are “busy, engaged, absorbed, engrossed, involved, immersed, preoccupied, and focused.”)
There is a negative side also to doing the business of Christianity. When a country is occupied, it’s been invaded and taken over by a foreign power. The occupiers have taken possession of that nation, controlling all of its business within its borders. We see an example of this, and Jesus’ reaction, in the New Testament.
In John, chapter two, we read about the time when Jesus went to Jerusalem during Passover. He went into the temple and found those who “were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” To those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business.” (John 2:14-16/NASU)
In an article entitled “The Question That Changed My Life,” David Ryser tells of a time when he was teaching at a school of ministry and a young student asked him a question that changed his life. He was discussing with his students how Christianity in America had become an enterprise, in other words, a business. A young woman raised her hand and asked, “A business? But isn’t it supposed to be a body?” David replied, “Yes.” She then continued, saying, “But when a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?”
In David’s words, “The room went silent. For several seconds no one moved or spoke… [Her] question changed my life. For six months, I thought about her question at least once every day. “When a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?” There is only one answer to her question. The answer is “Yes.”
(Continued in part 2; Dispossessing The Devil)
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