Heaven Rules
Heaven rules, and only a heavenly king can save us.
This past week, I took a short detour from my ongoing study in Isaiah 40, and did some research in the Book of Daniel - a divergence that seemed both timely related to our nation and also to the ongoing “politics of heaven.”
In Daniel chapter 1, God allows a heathen nation to conquer Jerusalem and take captives. This sad moment in history is one of many evidences in scripture when God allows an event to take place that doesn’t make sense to us, but where God is still at work. Later In the book of Daniel, verse 4:26, God confronts that same king, taking time to educate him on the supremacy of God’s rulership of all time, space, and eternity. The eternal, almighty, everlasting, and infinite, King of all Kings, reminds this finite, fragile, and short-lived human king that his earthly reign will remain “after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules.”
Frequently, when mortals approach the intersection of faith and politics, we take a ‘fait accompli’ approach, a view that relegates God to the side of whatever is happening at the moment. An approach that is often unhelpful and inaccurate, both in theology and in history.
From Genesis, the first book in the Bible, to the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible, God’s holy word proclaims the reality that God is the only eternal King, and that Heaven rules.
We mortals make far too much of our human rulers, especially the ones we most admire. Oh to be sure, they have influence, and the decisions that they make can bring great good or great harm to their nation. However, their impact on history is not only short lived, flawed, short sighted, but often overrated.
No matter if you voted for President Trump, President-elect Biden, or someone else a few weeks ago, we would be wise never to overestimate the influence of a human leader, nor to underestimate the eternal, almighty, and powerful King of Heaven. If you voted for our President-elect, take your time to enjoy his time in the sun, and if you were on the losing side this time, take time to smile as you recall the many great accomplishments our President achieved since 2016.
Rest assured, God has been at work in history, not only over the past 4 years, but throughout all of history, and will continue to impact the kingdoms of this earth until as it says in Revelation 15:11, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ”
In a few weeks, we will again celebrate the arrival of the heavenly King, the only one who can save us from our sins, open the doors of eternity, and one day create a new heaven and a new earth. We will also all be invited to join with the angels of old who first proclaimed, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, Christ the Lord.”
Dear Brother or Sister in Christ, or friend along life’s journey, as you face the challenges and opportunities of a new week, and with ongoing vigilance to confront the pandemic, I hope you can also smile along with me, knowing that heaven rules, and only a heavenly King can save us.