03 Sep OUR BIRTHRIGHT: DOMINION OF THE EARTH
From the moment that God made man in his image, breathing His breath into us, He gave us our inestimably precious birthright—the dominion of earth.
The heavens belong to the LORD, but he has given the earth to men. Psalm 115:16
In his book, Birthright, Timothy Alberino clarifies that, “Adam’s birthright was not merited but inherited through his genome. The seal of man’s authority is the image he bears. As long as man remains human, he will retain his dominion of Planet Earth.” (1)
Our birthright cannot be taken from us. It is backed by the authority of God Who rules and reigns every celestial sphere, age and dimension of creation from His throne in what is called Heaven. But when we worship other gods, the fallen princes and powers of a previous age, we yield our dominion to them, allowing them to rule through us. This is immutable law.
Satan, the dragon, the devil—who Paul called the Prince of the power of the air—saturates the spiritual atmosphere with lust, greed, insecurity, hatred and fear, where he has been given dominion Yesterday, over 400 men and women were gunned down by jihadi terrorists in Burkina Faso, Africa. Very little mention will be made of their loss, but the brutality against them bears the mark of a beast that is gaining dominion. Look at Europe. Who or what is gaining dominion? Who is being given dominion here in the United States? Why is our dominion being usurped with all hell breaking loose in our souls, our children, our cities and our nation? What have we abdicated to?
At no time has the human race been forcefully subjugated to an inhuman power (1) , but we give dominion to evil when we depart from God and worship the fallen ones, who in the ancient past carried out an insurrection against Holy God, to their perpetual ruin. We are told, but are only dimly aware of the war that is being fought on earth, over us, to finish what God began.
I am not a proponent of Dominion Theology, which holds that Christians are mandated to take dominion of the earth in order to establish the kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is mighty, powerful, unstoppable, unflappable, moving forward with precision, orchestrating events to our amazement, sending each one of us messages that are God’s invitation to walk with Him in what He is working out. He wants us to collaborate with Him, not against Him. But in the past, Dominionism has been used to justify the brutal military conquests of non-Christian peoples, predicated on the belief that only Christians have the right to rule. Modern dominionists disavow violence, but they are no less erroneous (in my opinion). They teach that as the exclusive inheritors of Adam’s birthright, we are mandated “to conquer the so-called seven spheres, or mountains, of societal influence.” Most adherents of this doctrine believe that when the church has accomplished this conquest, Jesus will come to establish his millennial kingdom. (1)
Jesus taught us to forgive our enemies, to take the lowest place at the table, to turn the other cheek and to walk the extra mile to demonstrate our dominion. His ways are not ours. No where in Scripture do I find that we are to bring the kingdoms of this world to the throne of Jesus Christ. But I do find that He will keep us until He comes in might and power to rule with a rod or iron. Scripture tells us that the earth dwellers, those who do not hear Him, who have refused to listen to him, will hide themselves in rocks and caves in terror of the majesty of His presence, when He comes. (Isaiah 2:10,19,21) And after that, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)
Adam was never commanded to take dominion of the earth. It was given to him as his birthright, as it has been given to every man. But inexorable law governs The Kingdom. Because of that law, Jesus came to fulfill what was required. As the son of God, the seed of the woman, a descendant of Adam, born of a woman; it was prophesied from earliest time that He would CRUSH the head of the serpent (dragon), His sacrifice of himself on the cross was His priceless gift to restore us to our birthright of dominion. When we paint his blood he shed for us over the doorposts of our life, it covers us, saving us from the conflagration that will swallow the fallen ones along with those who belong to them. The immutable law stands. It requires only our submission to His authority. When we have done that, we will see Him move on our behalf. He will make Himself real to us, and His kingdom will break into our sphere of dominion as we recognize our precious Jesus for who He is.
The insurrection is almost over, and the dragon rages, because he knows his end is near.
AT A FAVORABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU,
AND ON A DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.”
Behold, now is “A FAVORABLE TIME,” behold, now is “A DAY OF SALVATION”
2 Corinthians 6:2
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- Timothy Alberino, Birthright, page 103 of 379 Kindle format,