THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE ON EARTH

The Government
of God

Isaiah 60 speaking about the New Jerusalem.

Isaiah 60 1. Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon you, and his glory shall be seen upon you. 3. And the nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4. Lift up your eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to you: your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5. Then you will see, and flow together, and your heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come unto you.......9. Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, to the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you. 10. And the sons of strangers shall build up your walls, and their kings shall serve you: for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor have I had mercy on you. 11. Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, and that their kings may be brought. 12. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted 13. The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. 14. The sons also of them that afflicted you shall come bending to you; and all they that despised you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 15. Whereas you hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations. 16. You will also suck the milk of the nations, and shall suck the breast of kings: and you will know that I the Lord am your Savior and your Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. 17. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make your officers peace, and your exactors righteousness. 18. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. 19. The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you: but the Lord shall be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. 20. Your sun shall no more go down; neither shall your moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. 21. your people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. 22. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.

Jesus quotes something similar as Isaiah in reference to his followers.

Matthew 5:14. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light to all that are in the house. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1-4 in reference to himself, the rest of the chapter paints a picture of what Christ's followers would do in the earth.

Isaiah 61:1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me............4. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 5. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6. But you will be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: you shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall you boast yourselves. 7. For your shame you shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. 8. For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9. And their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the descendants which the Lord has blessed. 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11. For as the earth brings forth her bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Here Daniel is spelling out that the government of God is given to the people of God and they guide the affairs of mankind with their truth and their judgment.

Daniel 7:9. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.............13. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 15. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings (empires), which shall arise out of the earth. 18. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. ........ 22. Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom........... 27. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Paul reiterates the same thing to the church in Corinth. That it is their word and their judgment that will some day set the standards for all the nations.

1 Corinthians 6:2. Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?.........

A few references to the Word of God being the instrument that brings righteousness, and if righteousness is rejected then judgment.

Isaiah 11:4. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Revelation 1:16. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength......19:15. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ......17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Finally: A reference to nations that are guided by the saints judgment become the ministers of God to the world for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid; for he bears not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil; Romans 13:4 as articulated in:

Psalm 144:....6. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; 7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9. To execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all his saints. Praise the Lord.

Another Reference to the New Jerusalem and that the Gospel and the Holy Spirit are to heal the nations. (For those of you who just don't get it. Why would the nations in a new universe with a visible kingdom of God need healed when there is no need of "healing" in this new place that you imagine?)

Revelation 22:1. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.