Two Kingdoms

In looking at the world we live in from a spiritual perspective, we must acknowledge that there are only two spiritual kingdoms that - from this standpoint - are evident: the kingdom of God in the hearts of a redeemed remnant, and Satan’s kingdom working through the hearts and minds of unregenerate man and which, I might add, also influences the redeemed.

Satan governs His kingdom through principalities and powers in heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). The scriptures point out two of those princes: the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece. When YHVH wanted to bring back to the Land a remnant of Jews (from the house of Judah and Levi), who were in exile in Babylon, two of Satan’s most powerful princes stood up to oppose this move. And so we read in Daniel 10:13: "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.” Further, in Daniel 10:20 it says: “Then he [Michael, YHVH’s chief prince] said, ‘Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come.’”

As we know, Satan’s kingdom is a counterfeit of YHVH’s, and thus he too has kingly and priestly positions in his hierarchal system with two princes who fulfill those two roles at the highest spiritual level. The prince of Greece governs the political realm, and the prince of Persia the priestly one. In the days of Nimrod Satan set up his counterfeit kingdom in the family of man, and used Nimrod to build the city of Babel as the first expression of his nature (rebellion and self worship, ref. Gen 10:10; 11:3-4). Not surprisingly Nimrod’s name means, “we will rebel”. Because of iniquity and sin YHVH never allows these two orders (the priestly and kingly) to remain together, therefore when He judged Nimrod’s kingdom He by necessity divided it. The priestly or religious office stayed in the region of Babylon, in the Valley of Shinar, under the control of the prince of Persia, but the political portion went with Javan and sons to the area that today we call Greece. Just to note some scriptural evidence of this fact: One of Javan’s sons’ (Nimrod’s cousin) was Rhodanim, whose name stems from the root r.d.h. meaning “rule or dominion” (Gen. 1:26). The Island of Rhodes gets its name from this son and has a very interesting history. One of the Seven Wonders of the World was situated there; the Colossus, which was a giant statue of Helios the sun god.

During this time period in the history of the manifestation of Satan’s kingdom, the Greek beast (the leopard with the four heads) was brought to power. One of the heads of that beast was the political head - “democracy”. This was the head (one of four) that was to be wounded “like unto death”, but destined in latter days to be “healed”. All seven heads of the four beasts are described in Revelation 13:2-3: “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.”

According to Rev.2: 12-13, Satan’s seat is in Pergamum (or at least around its spiritual environs), which is in northern Turkey, north of the Land of Israel. Apparently Satan sits in the heavenlies and looks down upon the Land of Israel with his two princes; the prince of Greece on his right, and the prince of Persia on his left. Lucifer knows that one day YHVH is going to unite the two houses of Israel and restore His kingdom order to the House of Jacob, and that the kingly/priestly office of the Melchesedic order will again be made manifest through them in the Land, forming one nation and one kingdom. However, YHVH will permit Satan to have his day, by allowing him to bring together the two offices of his kingdom.

If the political system of democracy is the kingly portion of the beast, and if Islam were its priestly expression, we would suspect that eventually those two will somehow work together to accomplish Satan’s plan. Actually, examining the results of the three wars that were fought in less than a decade for the cause of democracy (which was imposed on autocratic governments) – in Bosnia, Kossovo and Iraq - will verify Islam’s victory. In Iraq the Shiites, who are the most fundamental and radical of Islam’s two main sects, came out on top, and being a majority in a (future) democratic system will guarantee their political and religious supremacy in that area. Notice that the coalition’s military made sure that no mosques and Islamic holy places were destroyed or harmed (except in instances when the forces were fired upon). Additionally, if we look at the looming “peace” process in Israel, we cannot help but sense that Israel is going to be the scapegoat in future negotiations with the Palestinians and the Syrians. Although President Bush balked when Tony Blair insisted that the Quartet’s “road map” to peace in this area be a pre-condition to coalition cooperation in the war with Iraq, he did ultimately concede. Syria also has been placed on notice to stop cooperating with terrorist groups and leftovers of the Saddam regime. If Syria plays ball with the Quartet, “democracy” will make sure that the Golan Heights be returned as a good will gesture.

What is really behind all these wars and so called peace negotiations? What motivates Islam to rule the world and to be seen as the one religious system that can bring true justice to this earth? What will happen if Islam adopts democracy or some form of it, with Islamic law governing the judiciary? Is this what Satan is looking to accomplish in order to bring the two offices together? Will YHVH allow it to happen at this time? Could this be why the United Nations is so intent on establishing a “democratic Islamic Palestinian state” in the heartland of Israel with East Jerusalem (the Old City) as its capital?

What is it about democracy and Islam that challenges YHVH’s original plan for Israel, His chosen nation? What did Mohamed steal from the Torah to make Islam a viable competitor in this conflict?

Ephraim 25/04/2003