These coming weeks we are getting into a crystallization-study of the books of Daniel and Zechariah, and this week particularly we will focus on an amazing topic, The Rule of the Heavens, the Economy of God, and the Excellent Christ as the Precious and Preeminent One in God’s Move. Wow!
I am prepared to be amazed by the Lord in His daily speaking in the books of Daniel and Zechariah. The first thing that we need to see in Daniel is that The Heavens Rule!
This is actually the central thought of Daniel, that the “ruling of the heavens (Daniel 4:26) by the God of the heavens (Daniel 2:37, 44) over all the human government on earth matches God’s eternal economy for Christ to terminate the old creation for the germination of the new creation and to smash and crush the aggregate of human government and establish the eternal kingdom of God.” (Life-Study of Daniel, msg. 1).
We need to see that God is in the heavens on the throne, and all human government is under His rule. In light of this, our daily life with its daily activities and things need to be brought under God’s rule – not only under the rule of the government or under the conscience, but under the rule of the God of the heavens!
Lord Jesus, cause us to see that there’s a throne in the universe and that the heavens rule! Bring our whole being with all our daily life and its activities under the rule of the God of the heavens. May we see and be under the rule of the heavens in a practical way today!
The Heavens Rule!
In Daniel 4:17 we see that God, the Most High, is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills. We need to see and know that the heavens rule!
All the living need to know that the heavens rule – not only to believe this but know it and have it settled in our being once and for all so that we would not be merely under the human government or the conscience, but in God’s full salvation we would be recovered and brought back under the rule of the God of the heavens!
We respect the authority of the government, and we are a people of peace living in subjection a life of obedience to the authorities that are set up by God in our country.
But we have the spiritual sense that so many in high positions and in power are proud, arrogant, and boastful – just like Nebuchadnezzar. This one was eventually subdued by God and he learned the lesson, the hard way, that the heavens rule!
The day is coming when the king of the rulers of the earth will subdue such pride and arrogance in the kings and rulers in this world! We in the church life need to learn and know, even take the lead to know, that the Heavens Do Rule!
If we really see this, we will pray according to this for North Korea, Syria, Central Africa, and all the Arabic nations, appealing to our Heavenly Ruler to carry out His intention!
When we are under the rule of the God of the heavens, we can cooperate with Him to pray for His grand intention to be accomplished on the earth!
The Most High is the Ruler over the Kingdom of Men!
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision is a command of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills and sets up over it the lowliest of men (Daniel 4:17)
From Nimrod all the way to Antichrist, all human government has been and will continue to be under the ruling of the heavens by the God of the heavens (Gen. 10:8-10; Daniel 7:8, 24-26).
The kings and emperors in history thought that they did this or that great thing, but God actually used what they did and allowed to go as far as He wanted so that He may accomplish His economy.
God used the Assyrian empire, the Babylonian Empire, and the Medo-Persian empire to deal with His people Israel and eventually release them from captivity that they may rebuild the house of God.
Even though Nebuchadnezzar was proud and arrogant, God caused him to know that he was nothing and that the Mighty God, the Ruler over the kingdom of men, the One who gives the kingdom to whomever He wills, is everything (see Daniel 4:34-37).
God has the right in His sovereignty to place in political power anyone He chooses. God doesn’t need our democratic consent for Him to accomplish His sovereign will.
No one can resist God or ask Him, What are You doing? This is why it is dangerous to be in a position of responsibility yet never know that the heavens rule. It is dangerous and not safe to have a ruler in who the principle of rebelliousness has never been touched.
It is God’s mercy to preserve us and cause us to know intrinsically that the heavens rule. We need to learn to never touch the direct rule of God.
Never speak ill of any genuine expression of God’s rule. Rather, we need to learn to live a life of subjection, which is a life of protection, provision, enlightenment, and preservation under God’s rule.
If we know from our youth that the God of the Heavens rules, we will not only be preserved but we can be like Daniel, part of those who will turn the age!
Lord Jesus, may it be settled in our being that the heavens rule. We want to live a life in subjection to the God of the heavens, so that we may be safeguarded, protected, enlightened, supplied, and even produced as Your overcomers. Recover us fully, Lord, from merely being subject to the government outwardly or to our conscience inwardly to being under the throne, the rule, of the God of the heavens! Lord, may this be a vision that guides our being and our living daily. May all the saints in all the local churches all over the earth know the rule of the God of the heavens! Hallelujah, the heavens rule!
References and Further Reading
- Sharing inspired from brother Ron K’s speaking in this message and portions in, Life-study of Daniel (msgs. 1, 6), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on Crystallization-Study of Daniel and Zechariah, week 1 (entitled, The Rule of the Heavens, the Economy of God, and the Excellent Christ as the Precious and Preeminent One in God’s Move).
- Hymns on this topic:
# On His Father’s throne is seated / Christ the Lord, the living One! / All His toil on earth completed, / All His work for sinners done.
# Shining One—how clear the sky above me! / Son of Man, I see Thee on the throne! / Holy One, the flames of God consume me, / Till my being glows with Thee alone.
# In full and glad surrender, / I give myself to Thee, / Thine utterly and only / And evermore to be. - Pictures credit: blue sky and NASB Daniel 4:17.
Oh Lord Jesus thank You for the realization that the heavens rule, thank You Lord that we can fully subject, submit and surrender ourselves to Your ruling by cooperating with You. Have Your way in our lives. We give You our best cooperation and our best coordination Lord. Oh Lord Jesus!
Oh dear Lord, we know that the whole creation groans together and travails in pain together until now. (Rom 8:22) Come Lord Jesus!!!
Dan 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, & the decision is a command of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men & gives it to whomever He wills…
26 …Your kingdom will be assured to you after you have come to know that the heavens do rule.
‘The central thought of Daniel is that the ruling of heavens by the God of the heavens over all human government on earth matches God’s eternal economy for Christ to terminate the old creation for the germination of the new creation & to smash & crush the aggregate of human government & establish the eternal kingdom of God.’
Dan 2:35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, & the gold were crushed all at once, & they became like chaff… & the stone that struck the image became a great mountain & filled the whole earth.
Amen
🙂
Daniel 4:26 “… THE HEAVENS DO RULE.” The God of the heavens, the Most High, is the Ruler over the kingdom of men, and over all human government. We must have this vision deeply impressed into our being. All human government from Nimrod to Antichrist has been and will continue to be under the ruling of the heavens by the God of the heavens.
God will rule over the world, produce a situation for Israel to be His elect, gain the church to be His mysterious people, and have all nations to be the peoples of the eternal kingdom of God; if we see this, we will know where we are, and we will know the meaning of our human life. In Daniel 4:34-37, God caused Nebuchadnezzar to know that he was nothing and that the mighty God, the Ruler over the kingdom of men, the One who gives the kingdom to whomever He wills, is EVERYTHING. Lord, cause us to see today that the heavens do rule!
We need to know that the heavens rule both in our personal universe and the entire world. O Lord, set up Your throne in the centre of my being.
If we can really see that the heavens do rule, spontaneously we will drop our opinions, feelings and ideas and subject ourselves under the mighty rule of God, and consequently, we will find ourselves gazing at the smiling face of our pleased Lord Jesus. This is because we would have finally SEEN that the heavens DO RULE! Amen Lord Jesus.
The day is coming when the king of the rulers of the earth.When we under the rule of the God of the heavens,we can cooperate with Him to pray to be accomplished on the earth.
Praise the Lord! What a rule, a Ruler, this is, to rule is inwardly!
Amen
I love this
Dan 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision is a command of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills and sets up over it the lowliest of men.
Dan 4:36 …. For His dominion is an eternal dominion, / And His kingdom is from generation to generation;
Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of earth are considered as nothing, / But He does according to His will in the army of heaven / And among the inhabitants of the earth; / And there is no one who can resist His hand / Or say to Him, What are You doing?
Amen Lord Jesus, Thank You Lord Jesus.