As this series points out, one the ploys Satan uses to keep the people of the United States of America serving him is their obsession with “freedom of religion” and the “separation of church and state.”  Question: did God establish this great nation–His “light to the Gentiles” (heathen) by using true Christians?  Answer: no.  There were only a few–His tiny remnant–who continued to believe and obey His Word–arriving on these shores.  As was the case with their ancient ancestors, their fellow true believers were few and far between.  And with the arrival of boatloads of self-professing Christians of both Catholic and Protestant persuasion, the minutely few true believers trod the path of Biblical Christianity for only a short time before they were overcome by superior numbers and eventually disappeared from the social scene.  Soon Sunday Sabbath keepers, along with Christmas, Easter and Valentine’s Day came to rule the religious day, becoming the new nation’s “true Christians” inhabiting this “Christian nation.”  This phenomenon has a long history.

Adam and Eve were created spiritually pure, knowing only the Word of their Creator.  They were the original Sabbath keepers and God obeyers.  Then the possibility for self-determination was presented to them.  We all know how that worked out.  Before their creation, God’s angels were presented with the same choice–God’s way or Lucifer’s way.  One third of the angels chose to follow Lucifer.  Later, Adam and Eve followed in their spiritual footsteps and made the same choice.  The rest is human history.

Later, God used Abraham to raise up the nation of Israel.  His plan for Adam and Eve to be His lights to their descendants being thwarted, His plan for Abraham’s descendants (Isaac, Jacob, his 12 sons, etc.) was for His “Chosen People” to be His light to the Gentile (heathen) world.  Israel’s job was to point them to Him.  Israel failed to maintain His light.  The Lord then established England as His light to the world.  That island nation was populated primarily by British people who are the descendants of Joseph’s son Ephraim.  The word “British” is comprised of two words: “brit,” meaning “covenant,” and “ish,” meaning “man”.  God’s “light bearer” nation was peopled by His “covenant men.”  Britain failed.  He then established the United States of America with the descendants of Joseph’s other son, Manasseh.  As did her brother nation (Britain), America has failed to fulfill God’s commission.  Both nations have failed because they have trod the spiritual path of Adam and Eve.  Both have rebelled against the Word of God.  In both nations the rebellion is at an all-time high level and climbing continuously.  Why?  In her quest for freedom OF religion America has settled for freedom FROM religion which always results in the Separation of Church and State, which opens Satan’s gate to moral degradation limited only by the mind of Satan-directed man.  This phenomenon also has historical roots.  In Genesis 6:5 we find these words written about mankind: “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (mind) was only evil continually.”  As King Solomon said: “There is noting new under the sun.”  The evening news affirms that he was right.

What only a few people (God’s remnant) have known throughout history is that, prior to her decline, the Nation of Israel under King David was what the Lord had in mind when He created mankind.  The nation ruled by David was the pattern after which the future Kingdom of God will be like following Christ’s return.  We will now prove this Truth using that Truth–God’s Word (Jn. 17:17).  Those who reject the Old Testament and believe that the twelve tribes of Israel are no longer God’s Chosen People will not like the following passages.  Read Who and Where is Israel Today?  Key Word–Today.

Looking back to the Kingdom of Israel during the time of David’s reign we find that there was no separation of church and state–THEY WERE ONE IN THE SAME.  For a nation to survive it must have a system of laws and a governmental apparatus to enforce those laws.  The law of the land during David’s tenure were comprised of the stone-etched Ten Commandments that was kept in the Ark of the Covenant–the covenant God made with the Nation of Israel.  The Law was unchangeable and strictly enforced.  But was the Ten Commandment Law the Lord’s ultimate standard of behavior for all who would join Him in His future kingdom?  Did God establish Britain and the United States to be ruled exclusively by His Ten Commandments?  Is obedience to that Law determine who will spend eternity with Him and His Son?  He answers those questions for those willing to study His “fine print.”

In Acts 1:1-7 we find that the resurrected Christ has returned to earth where, for forty days, He had been teaching His disciples about “the things concerning the Kingdom of God” (vs 3) that He would later establish on earth.  During this extensive teaching session Jesus drew a verbal picture of what the kingdom would be like and taught His disciples how to enter to it.  They, as would anyone else, had to qualify to enter that kingdom.  The following conversation reveals that the disciples understood exactly what that kingdom would be like–IT WOULD BE A PERFECTED REPLICA OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL AS IT APPEARED DURING KING DAVID’S REIGN.  We learn this in verse six where we find the disciples saying to Him: “Lord, will You at this time RESTORE AGAIN THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL?”  Christ’s answer speaks directly to the question concerning God’s plan for His people throughout eternity.  He replied: “It is not for you to know THE TIMES OR THE SEASONS (FOR THE RESTURATION OF THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL), ONLY THE FATHER KNOWS.”

Notice that He did not refute the fact that the future Kingdom of God would replicate the Kingdom of Israel as it existed during the reign of King David.  And what was the character of that kingdom?  THERE WAS NO SEPARATION OF (DIFFERENCE BETWEEN) RELIGION AND STATE.  THE STATE WAS RULED BY THE LAW OF GOD.  THE STATE AND THE LAW WERE ONE IN THE SAME.  To “restore” means to bring something back to its original condition.  In Acts 15:16 Jesus promised to “… BUILD AGAIN (RESTORE) THE TABERNACLE (HOUSE/ FAMILY) OF DAVID” as He had earlier promised He would do (Amos 9:11).  Why will He need to RESTORE the kingdom?  Why did the light He had established (the Kingdom of Israel) always turn into the darkness that eventually overcame it?  What happened to Adam and Eve, the Nation of Israel, Britain and America that resulted in failure?  L.J.