Biblical Perspectives of Dominion Theology

Dominion Theology (also known as Kingdom Now Theology) believes and teaches that Christians will rule all areas of society and must govern over non-Christians. They reason that believers in Christ Jesus have been mandated by God to bring the entire world under Christianity (by force if necessary). It is only after this has been achieved that Christ will come. The adherents of Dominion Theology believe that God at creation gave man (Adam) dominion to rule over the world, but man lost this opportunity when he sinned against God in the Garden of Eden. Christ however restored this dominion back to man through His victory over satan on the cross. Christians who are believers in Christ have therefore been mandated in this present age to rule over the earth’s social and governmental institutions in order to establish God’s Kingdom on earth. But is this what the Bible teaches? Is it true that God has mandated Christians to domineer over the affairs of this world's civil affairs? Is the present nature of Christ’s Kingdom a physical one? Are believers called by Christ to Christianise the world or to make disciples for Him? Is Christianising the world the condition upon which Christ's second coming would be based? We will in this article look at these beliefs and see what the Word of God (our more sure Word of prophecy) teaches on these beliefs. This will help us to determine whether Dominion Theology is true or just a fallacy designed to deceive people. In no particular order, let us look at some of these beliefs:
Belief 1 - Christians are mandated to rule and domineer the world
They say that God at creation gave man a divine mandate to assert dominion over the earth physically, spiritually and politically. In other words, God handed over the rulership of this world to man. This belief according to them is derived from
Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

What the Bible teaches on Belief 1 above
The above passage clearly shows the plan of God for mankind. Part of this plan is that God gave man authority to take care of His other creations in the natural world in accordance with the counsel of God’s will. God gave the authority to man to responsibly take care of his earthly creations and not to degrade it. The true meaning of this passage is therefore very different from that postulated by dominion theologians which states that God have handed over the rulership of the earth to Christians. The Bible declares unequivocally that God is in charge of the world and the nations, not man or the devil. He decides those to rule over the nations. This includes Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists etc.
Psalm 22:28 'For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor (ruler) among the nations.'

Psalm 47:8 'God reigneth over the heathen (nations): God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.'

Daniel 4:17
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

Daniel 5:21
And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.'


Belief 2 - the Church must gain control of the earth's government and social institutions in order to establish God's Kingdom on earth.

What the Bible teaches on Belief 2
The Lord Jesus Christ said the following while here on earth about His Kingdom.

Luke 17:20-21
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

When asked by Pilate just before His crucifixion if Christ was the King of Israel. He responded thus in John 18:36

My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

It is very clear from the above passages that Christ prior to His crucifixion openly declares that the present nature of the Kingdom is spiritual and not a material or political one.

His stand on the nature of God's Kingdom did not change after His resurrection from death. When His disciples asked Him in Acts 1:6 "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? Let us see the response of The Lord Jesus Christ.
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The disciples asked the question in Acts 1:6 because they like the Dominion Theologians thought that The Lord Jesus will break the Roman yoke from off their necks while the Kingdom of God will immediately be erected physically in Israel. Their minds were still full of a temporal kingdom to be erected by Christ, in which the Jews should have dominion over all nations. The response of Christ showed that Christ was more interested in His disciples going out to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God with power. They are to preach repentance from sins and turning to Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. They are through the enablement of The Holy Spirit make disciples for The Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16). The plan of God therefore is not to 'Christianise' the world but to make disciples for Him.

Belief 3 - The second coming of Christ is dependent upon the physical establishment of God's Kingdom on earth

What the Bible teaches about Christ's second coming
To do this we shall briefly look at events that will take place before the second coming of Christ. This will enable us to know whether the establishment of a physical God’s Kingdom on earth is part of God’s plan before Christ’s second coming.
1. The Rapture of the Saints
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Verse 16 makes reference to the resurrection of those who died in The Lord rising up immediately after Christ appears in the air, accompanied by the voice of the archangel and the trump of God (please note that this resurrection is different from the resurrection described in Revelation 20:4). Verse 17 describes what will happen next: we who are alive, that is believers who are living in true holiness and righteousness at the time of the rapture shall be caught up together with the resurrected saints to meet The Lord in the air. It is the time this corruptible must put on incorruption; this mortal shall put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53). The time of tribulation will come up immediately after the rapture.

2. The Tribulation
This according to Daniel 9:27 will last for 7 years. It will be the time of the antichrist (the man of lawlessness), who will set up the image of himself in the temple and will demand worship. A time when people will receive the mark of the beast and those who refuse the mark will be greatly persecuted or martyred. A time that will be characterised by lawlessness; great signs and wonders will be performed by false prophets; a time of worldwide distress; demonic activities will increase greatly; religious deceits like the ones being peddled by dominion theologians and others like them will increase astronomically. It is a time of terrible suffering for the Jews. It is also a time when many Jews will turn to Christ. This tribulation period will end with the battle of Armageddon when The Lord Jesus Christ will triumph over the antichrist and his forces to commence His millennium rule on earth (Revelation 16:12-21; 19:11-21).

3. Christ's Second Appearing from Heaven to reign a Thousand Years on Earth
This period commonly known as the millennium is the time that satan will be bound for a thousand years. Christ and the saints (including martyred tribulation saints) will reign on earth. It will be a time of peace. A time that nature will be returned to its original order. A time of perfection.

At the end of these thousand years, satan will be released for a brief time. Satan will then go out and deceive those who desire to rebel against God and Christ's rule. He will gather them from the four corners of the earth (Gog and Magog) for a battle against Christ. The fire of God will descend from heaven and consume Satan and his forces. He will then be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:7-10).

4. The Final Judgement

The final judgement will then take place after the devil has been cast into hell. The wicked will be raised from dead to face judgement. All enemies of God will be banished into the lake of fire.

5. The Establishment of the New Heaven and New Earth

This will be the final event. God will destroy this present earth and will create the new heaven and the new earth. The new earth will become the dwelling place of humans and God (Revelation 21:21:1-3; 22:3-5). All the redeemed will possess bodies like Christ’s resurrection body: bodies that real, visible and tangible but incorruptible and immortal (Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54).
Brethren there is nowhere in the Bible that states that Christ will establish God's Kingdom physically on this particular earth that we live in now. The establishment of God's physical Kingdom will take place when God creates the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21:1-3). This will happen well after the following events: the rapture of the saints; the tribulation period; the millennium rule of Christ; and the final judgement have taken place.

Conclusion
The beliefs and teachings of 'dominion theologians' or 'kingdom now' preachers are false teachings. They are teachings from the pit of hell. To know that pastors such as C Peter Wagner, Rick Warren, Fred Price and a host of this ‘word of faith’ preachers, who are held in very high esteem by many Christians are part of this movement makes it more worrisome. Many pastors most unfortunately have keyed into this fallacy, without taking their time to read the Bible and do a proper research. It is now the norm to see pastors jumping all over the place preaching dominion theology, using such catch phrases as 'name it and claim it'; 'think big and feel big'; 'believe it and receive it' etc. Such pastors will usually preach big revivals, wealth and prosperity to all the nations. They talk about revivals without repentance. They fail to understand that there can be no revivals without repentance.

Finally, dominion theology is the teaching of the New World Order designed to gain control over the Evangelical - Pentecostal Christians and other Christians of the world. It is a heresy that drifts from sound doctrine and from the essentials of the Christian faith. Underlying the belief of dominion theology that states that God has given the authority of the earth to Christians, is a subtle attempt and desire to elevate man and diminish the Person of Jesus Christ.

There are other beliefs of dominion theology that I have decided not to touch so as not to bore you with many details. But we hope to look at them in the nearest future by the grace of God and if The Lord permits us.

Think about all you have read in this article.

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 11:15)

Remain bless in Jesus' name, Amen.

Ok