Who Rules the World?

Who rules the world? Jesus does. When does he rule it? Now. Why do we care? It impacts most of the rest of our Christian experience.

The Question of the Age

One of the most important questions that must be answered before the Bible can be properly related to world headlines is this:

Who rules the world?

The simple answer is that Jesus rules, and he does so now.

In the Old Testament he was known by several names, the most prevalent was יהוה (YHVH) commonly transliterated as Yahweh. (Perhaps more accurately, Yahvah.)

Hebrew is a picto-gramatic language, each letter has meaning and in this case the letters carry well the meaning. The י is an arm. The ה which occurs 2 times means "revealed" and is the root for the English words "hey" and "the." ("Hey" means look here, or pay attention. The root meaning is revealed. The English word "the" also means specificity, or look here, or at the most general the same ideal of revealing. The ו is a pictogram of a nail.

Thus, when literally translated YHVH (or more accurately YHVH) means "arm, revealed, nail, revealed." A direct reference to Jesus' crucifixion.

The Book of John dwells on the fact that this God, YHVH, became flesh and dwelt amongst us. The Old Testament name Yahvah, is now known to most of the English speaking world by the name Jesus.

The Controversy

That this Jesus, the Old Testament YHVH incarnate, is the world's ruler, is incredibly controversial. Most non-Christians would never think to acknowledge Jesus as a current world ruler. Allah, Buddha, or others would not, nor, unfortunately, would many supposed Christians.

We need not deal with non-Christian reasons for denying Jesus' rulership here, but the rest of this article deals with the key scriptures usually called on by Christians in this debate to show Jesus' rulership.

These are the verses were we learn the Bible says Jesus rules the world now.

So, who rules the world?

Conspiratists believe a small cabal of evil men control most of the world. The supposed rulers are the "Free Masons" or "Illuminati" or any of their associated ilk. Many Christians run around in fear of these men.

The Bible paints a different picture.

Christians are not to call conspiracy what the world calls conspiracy. The one to be feared, above all others, is God himself. The reason is simple: he is all powerful and despite what things may look like, he really is in control.

Of course this does not mean life will be free of trouble, or oppression. Jesus warned quite specifically:

Through a walk with Jesus we have peace within. That peace gives the strength to deal with the troubles around.

Yes, but, who really rules the world?

Revelation begins with this stated fact:

It is Jesus who rules over the kings of the world, despite rebellious people who believe or suggest otherwise.

Even people ruling many mainline Christian churches fail to ascribe rulership over the kings of the world to Jesus. This belief, when we find it, is revealing more about those who hold it, than it is anything about the earth's kings nor Jesus.

Yes, but, doesn't Satan (or Lucifer) rule the world?

This theology usually starts with some fanciful fiction that says the earth is now ruled by Satan who was a fancy angel in the throne room in heaven. He sinned, got cast out to earth and now rules here.

Of course this sounds an awful lot like Adam's history, being in heaven, sinning and then being cast to earth, and the fundamental scriptures, when correctly understood, are telling Adam's story, not a second story.

Here is a sample of the key passages that are worth committing to memory, both the text and the addresses, since it is so commonly misquoted.

The first verse to look at is the only passage in the Bible that uses the word, "Lucifer." Note that this term is only translated to the name in the King James traditions of Bibles. Recent translations translate the word by meaning, and end up with something like "son of the dawn" or similar.

Many take this as the foundation verse for thinking that Lucifer was in the throne room and rebelled. The problem is the context. This verse is part of a much larger prophecy against the nation of Babylon. That context starts at Isaiah 13:1 and runs through Isaiah 14:23 and includes this, singular Lucifer verse.

The first problem is this is a prophecy to and about a nation not about an angel. The passage is thus using the term, "Lucifer" to describe some aspect of this nation, this people group.

The second problem, and perhaps the most severe, is that the passage actually explains that the sin of this group was an attempt to ascend to heaven. This is not a sin committed in a throne room, nor is it committed off of planet earth somewhere.

To claim this supports Lucifer's fall to earth from somewhere off the planet, is simply impossible using the text. Review the charges against the Babylonians here...

This should sound a lot like the Tower of Babel. Why? Because it is the same sin. The Genesis version is a prophetic match to this passage in Isaiah and it helps to frame the sin of anyone who is Babylonian. Babylonians want to build up to heaven, making themselves like God. For that sin the nation gets punished by dispersion to the nations. This is simply not about a guardian angel.

So, why the vocabulary word, "Lucifer?" The answer is elegant and simple. There are 2 men in scripture who are documented "sons of the dawn." They are the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. Their mother was the daughter of Egypt's high, sun worshipping, priest. These men are who are being reference by the word "Lucifer."

These 2 sons of Joseph became tribes, tribes that ruled the northern kingdom of ancient Israel. These tribes were hauled away from ancient Israel by the Assyrians who planted them in Babylon.

So, the prophecy directed to Babylon is using a sinners title for this lost tribe. Note that Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon would start a succession of kingdoms that would become ancient Rome and the modern European, American and Russian powers. These Babylonians still build towers to the sky, and they moved the only modern place-name "Babylon" to a suburb of New York City. Their pagan religion, Free Masonry and friends, is a Luciferian religion that was responsible, in part, for inserting this word into the King James editions of the Bible, and twisting it to introduce a theology that references themselves. We'll get to them below.

Throughout the world, in many places, through many media, there are people who believe that either Satan, Lucifer, or a small group of people rule the world. This belief even pervades many Churches and is carried around like Gospel by many otherwise sound Christians.

I believe: this belief is as far as the conspiracy actually goes. If you believe such a group exists and rules the world, then guess what, they've got you.

This belief also pervades how we pray. If God is impotent, at the mercy of a few hidden rulers, then prayer becomes ineffective. Jesus repeatedly warned that if you don't believe he can answer prayer, then he cannot answer your prayer. (So increase our faith, Lord Jesus.)

If you run around thinking that men alone are in control then they are and your prayers in this area will not be answered.

Who sets up national borders? Who causes the wars that change borders?

Paul addressed this question in nearly so many words. The following is the relevant passage:

God sets up the seasons, or times, when we each live, he sets up the dwellings, or borders, where we each live. He alone is the one who has separated each nation and set in place over those nations all authorities. This includes both authorities who seek him and even authorities that don't.

In the Old Testament a pagan king, Nebuchadnezzar, the closest Bible character to a Hitler, explained the same thing.

This witness is important because who Nebuchadnezzar is. He is not one of the kings of ancient Israel under the Davidic covenant. If he were his witness would be less important. Here, as an arbitrarily reigning king, one who reigns at the whim of God himself, we see the testimony of how this process works.

The people of the earth are nothing. God will and does whatever he pleases with the nations of men. No one can talk back to him or stop him from moving exactly as he alone pleases.

But doesn't Satan Rule?

This question is usually asked from a reference in Matthew.

The standard logic goes like this: 1) Satan is offering the kingdoms of the world to Jesus if only Jesus would bow down and worship Satan. So 2) those kingdoms must be Satan's to give.

Problem, of course, is the verses already mentioned, but there is another problem with Satan. Satan is a liar, and the father of lies. ¹ In this passage Satan must be speaking falsely. Let me state this again: On the authority of the Bible itself Satan offered Jesus these kingdoms. But Satan is a liar.

Would Satan give the kingdoms of the world to Jesus? No. Are the kingdoms of the world Satan's to give? No. If Jesus were to bow down in such a way" count=" like Adam and Eve did in the garden, then the kingdoms of the world would no longer be Jesus' to rule.

Of course Jesus is going through several steps in order to redeem the entire race at this point so he has given up, voluntarily, many of the powers he had before the earth began in order that he would be a sinless substitute for our sins. At the trial before Jesus was hung on a cross Jesus made the following point:

Power on earth is assigned by God's sovereign choice, even the power to crucify Jesus was granted from heaven above. Jesus had voluntarily given up that power in order to achieve a more important purpose. When the time was right Jesus took that power back.

Won't Jesus only Rule in the Future?

The next line of argument, that attempts to diminish the power of Jesus, now, in the world, is the time argument. This argument says that Jesus will rule, but only in the future. In the millennium, after he has returned to earth. He isn't ruling now over the earth from heaven, but is waiting out some period until Satan is defeated.

Paul addresses this idea in his letter to the Ephesians.

Here Paul makes the important point that Jesus' reign is in both this age and the age to come. Not just the age to come that begins at Jesus' return.

By the way, the usual way this is stated, that Jesus will only rule in a future millennium is wrong on two counts. Not only does Jesus rule now, but the supposed millennium, the "Magog" millennium ² is now over. Across that millennium Jesus was ruling from heaven. He wasn't here for that period.

Jesus hit on the same point a parable where he explains the crowning of himself as king happens in the middle of the age" count=" not at the end. The following is the account:

The point of this story is the order. The man of noble birth is crowned king and returns home. Then, at some point in future time the king returns to settle accounts. Different servants have done different things with the money they where given. At the end of the accounting the king turns his attention to those who did not want the noble man crowned king. Here the men are brought before the king and killed.

Overlaid on the chronology of world history, the point in time where Jesus was crowned king was at his trial in Jerusalem. The crown was a crown of thorns. The purple robe the sign of royalty. As Jesus did when he ascended into heaven, he returned home. We still await the point in future history when Jesus returns to settle accounts, both with those entrusted with his money, and those who would rebel against his rule.

Hasn't the God of this Age blinded people?

The New Testament quote begins with a reference in the Old Testament. The following is the orders received by Isaiah on how he should speak to the people:

Here Isaiah is sent by the Lord himself to tell the people they are ever hearing, but never understanding, that their hearts have been calloused, or blinded, to the things of God. Who is the agent? God himself.

The story is picked up again in John.

And still again in 2 Corinthians.

Of course even the translators believe the god of this age isn't God and they lowercase the first letter of the word. Problem, if course, is God is the God of this age. He is the one blinding those who cannot see. Blinding them into thinking Satan or men are in control.

This is an evil age, no doubt. The best we can do in this age is to taste the glories that will be the main feature of a future age, an age with no death, mourning or sickness.

Until then we live in a world designed to produce generation after generation of people who have the chance to follow Jesus. Jesus chooses to whom he will send, and to whom he will reveal the father. ^{3 4}

In each generation he hardens whom he chooses to harden" count=" he has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy. ⁵

Why is God blinding men?

We put up with this age, with all the stuff going on around us, because in the next age we will understand more completely his glory.

Epilog

It is pretty clear that the Free Masons directed the American Revolution. Most of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were church attenders, that we know. They were also mostly Free Masons. Their religion teaches them to be free of the king and free of the priest. This is the point of the initiation ceremony for 33rd degree Free Masons. These are the two things that Free Masons are free of.

At the time of the American Revolution the people wanted George Washington, a Free Mason, as a new king. George argued against this, and suggested the elected Presidency American now has. Why?

Making George King would have seriously offended his Free Mason god. An elected leader was thought by these men to be an answer that would rid America of a king, just as they covenanted when they became high level Free Masons. So what happened? America ended up with an elected presidency.

Did Jesus, ruling the kings of the world from heaven, have trouble with this? Not at all. The joke was on the Free Masons. Elections allowed Jesus to more finely tune who would rule the country. Time would accelerate and the demands 100 years hence would be to great for a monarch to handle. Jesus would be able to switch out rulers every 4 years instead of every life time. God sets up all kings, all national rulers he has never once given up sovereignty in this area. Not even in the case of elected rulers.

Another feature of the American Revolution was the Establishment Clause. This prevented the American government from establishing a state religion. Nearly all Americans at the time were sympathetic to Christianity. The Bible was the primary textbook for people learning to read. Christian morality was the only morality known to the culture.

Why would America's founding fathers not want a state religion of some sort? Because their religion demanded that they be free of priests and priestly mediation. This is what they covenanted to be rid of when they became high level Free Masons.

Did Jesus have trouble with this? No. It allowed for seasons in American history when the Church could be far stronger than it ever could if a cabal of Free Masons had been running the thing from Washington DC. It allowed Jesus to deal with his church as he saw fit, with far wider variety and specialization than ever would have happened with a European style state Church. Jesus rules now, always has, always will.

Final Cautions

The Free Mason system is quite old, being introduced into the English speaking world by a political wedding in Egypt almost 4000 years ago. ⁶ Jesus has chosen not to rid this people of this false religion, but has used it for his express purposes throughout history.

In the New Testament era they were called the "Synagogue of the Freedmen."⁷ and were responsible for the stoning of Stephen. It is a dangerous group, hostile to Christianity for more than two millennia. Christians must learn to witness to people who worship at Masonic Temples and are caught in its numerous tentacles.

Christians must not run around in fear of that system, giving that system the power it so desperately wants.

Phil Stone
Written: 2006-12-02
Updated: 2008-10-02

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¹John 8:44   
²Revelation 20:7   
³Matthew 11:27   
⁴Luke 10:22   
⁵Romans 9:18   
⁶Genesis 41:50   
⁷Acts 6:9