Matthew 16:18 – I will build my ecclesia; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
In our modern Bibles the word church has been used in place of the original Greek word ecclesia. Much has been lost to us through this translation. At that time in history ecclesia was a familiar word used to describe government. It literally means; those set apart for the sole purpose of implementing and exporting the vision and values of the culture they are responsible for. The disciples listening to Jesus would have understood this word in the context of the Roman Empire. In essence then Jesus was saying:
I will build my government, my authority structure for the earth. It will be made up of those of you fully set apart, who have seen who I am and have yielded to me as your king. Through you I will advance my kingdom infusing the wisdom and values of my heart restoring the vision of creation I had at its inception.
After Jesus’ death and resurrection he instructed his brothers to wait before advancing in their mandate to be imbued with power from on high. Once Jesus had returned to heaven they responded to his instruction by setting themselves apart continuing in prayer and worship together in one accord. Then suddenly the promised power engulfing the building as the Holy Spirit poured out as wind and fire filling all those present. The ecclesia, Jesus’ precious, holy people, his resting place on earth through which his unstoppable, eternal, supreme authority would flow was finally in place. His new creation was now visible, shining, powerfully filled with his nature, flesh of his flesh. The previously marred image purified, washed by his blood. He had overcome and now, supported by the power of his indwelling presence, one with him, so would they!
As the impact of his words and the truth of what he has done penetrates our understanding, power will enter into our lives. We will begin to rise up and take our seat of authority and the gates of hell, the place where those in charge sit to decree and implement their ways, will bow. The superior authority of our king will be understood as heaven reveals the ways of God through the now ruling sons of the kingdom. All that the false government has held in its clutches under shrouds of deception will be released. The spirit of truth overruling sin and death will set every captive free.
At midnight on New Year’s eve coming into 2015, the presence of God began to enfold me, saturating me and clearing my spiritual vision. In a moment I again found myself in the throne room. A crown I was told was called the crown of rulership, was placed on my head. Jesus then appeared in front of me as our king. He was majestic, present as dazzling light and riding the white horse described in the apostle John’s vision recorded in Revelation 19. The pure power emanating from him blasted through me breaking off every trace of the intense opppression I had previously been struggling with.
The absolute authority radiating out from him changed me. Understanding was imparted showing me that Jesus is releasing to his people now this incredible entrustment. It will provide for us a recreative power the like we have never seen before and will begin to rest on those of us prepared as yielded vessels. It will impart from us traveling through the vehicle of our words as we move as oracles of his ecclesia. Its purpose is to release freedom, correctly realigning all he shows us to influence. It is the beginning of us operating effectively together as Kings and tasting the power of the age to come.
I believe a part of the fruit of this entrustment will be a sustainable cultural shift. As people begin to hear heavens truths, about creation, marriage and relationships, economies, creativity in all its forms, in a language they can understand and through his enabling power accompanying our words, they will come alive. It will cause the realm of darkness to shrink back allowing the values and beliefs of people’s hearts to be transformed as their eyes are opened by the truths we share. The crown of Rulership is the power through which we will reach the nations.
In closing I want to leave with you the whole of what is coming for all of us, as human history closes out and we are with our king forever. There is, as we all know, coming a day where every tear will be wiped away, all pain will cease and will become complete. Our role in till then is to walk with him, to trust Jesus, to grow in our knowledge of his nature and the absolute authority of his word.
This will result in us becoming increasingly effective as his government made ready to walk as the bride in the fullness of this responsibility. We can trust him with the journey of our preparation as he works all things together for the good of those of us who love him and are called according to his purposes.
As Paul shares in first Corinthians 13, there is coming a time where we will no longer be those peering through a glass dimly, trying to comprehend the unfathomable depths of God. All will be laid bare and we will know our father as clearly as we are known by him. We can trust in his perfect leadership as he completes the building of his ecclesia.
In all the change and challenges of this life we must always remember its purpose, that we are the body of Christ through which he will bring his kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy. Forever we are the most valuable, powerful thing in all of creation. We are his plan for transforming every sphere of life and there is no failure in God!
A great ocean of humanity stood before me. They were the elect of God gathered from all ages of human history. It was the final moment, the culmination of the ages. As Jesus began to step forward into view, a roar of a static joy erupted as billions of souls finally home worshiped with every fiber of their being. Each grateful heart now free to love their king in full of abandonment, cried out, filling the atmosphere of heaven with the pure sound of the voluntary love Jesus had long to hear since the foundations of the earth were laid.
The bride has made herself ready; the work of redemption was now over; the wedding celebrations had begun…