Powers of the World to Come
(week 12/02)
Olubi Johnson
Powers of age to come
One of the stages of spiritual development Paul speaks of in Heb. 6:4-6 is tasting of the powers of the world or age to come.
Hebrews 6:4-6 (KJV) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Hebrews 6:4-6 (NIV) It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
The age to come is the millennial reign of Christ. Tasting of the powers of the age to come is to be able to exercise in this age the power of ruling over nations that we would have in the age to come:
Luke 19:12-16 (KJV) He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
Revelation 20:6 (KJV) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
This does not mean we are to seek political power in this age but rather to allow God through our prayers to rule in the affairs of men in this life so that like Jesus asked us to pray: God’s kingdom or dominion come and so that His will be done on earth as it is heaven.
Luke 11:2 (KJV) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Exercising the powers of the age to come
In scripture we have the example of David who experienced the power of the New Testament age to come. In the OT (Old Testament) the children of Israel did not have access to the Shekinah presence of God. It was in the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle or temple. Only the high priest could go into that presence and that only once in a year under the covering of the blood of a sacrificed animal. If the high priest did not perform the ceremony as carefully as God instructed He would be struck down dead by the Holy Spirit. This was because in the OT age or dispensation the blood of Christ had not yet been shed to make a way to enter into God’s presence.
However ,we see David who was not a priest or high priest, not of the tribe of Levi, taking the Ark of God having the very presence of God and putting it under a tent behind his palace in Zion. David by faith and the quality of His relationship with God was able to exercise a NT (New Testament) privilege in the OT: he tasted of the powers of the age to come.
Enoch and Elijah were caught up to heaven without physical death an experienced reserved for the rapture of the church in the NT. In this way they tasted of the powers of the age to come.
Esther, Mordecai and Daniel all ruled over Gentile kingdoms by spiritual power through prayer and a life of dedication, exercising the power of ruling over nations reserved for the millennium during the OT. They tasted of the powers of the world to come.
How to taste of powers of age to come
In our generation and in particular at this time: as this third day dawns, God is looking for Christians who will exercise the powers of the world to come.
This is because the will of God for Israel and the nations of the world to have the gospel of kingdom preached and demonstrated in power as a witness to all nations is presently being hindered by political, economic and religious powers.
The September 11th. 2001 terrorist attack and the present (March 2002) Middle East violence are examples of the manifestation of these powers seeking to hinder the will of God.
However, God has an answer: the rod of strength out of Zion that will rule, not just in the millennium, but right now in the presence of God’s enemies. In fact in the millennium there will be no enemies since Satan will be locked up in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. So the major part of the fulfillment of this scripture is to be in this age when the enemies of God are present in the earth: a small part of it will be fulfilled when Christ appears physically and destroys the antichrist and his armies.
Psalm 110:1-6 (NIV) The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion ; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
Revelation 20:1-3 (KJV) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
This rod of strength, or mighty scepter, is a company or remnant of God’s people who will pray the price of tasting of the powers of the world to come.
The scripture in Ps. 110:3 above calls them God’s troops who will be willing in the day of battle, arrayed in holy majesty from the womb of the morning, which prophetically refers to the dawning of this third day.
Observe that Paul says in Heb. 6:4-6 that those who have tasted of the powers of the world to come cannot to afford to fall away from the faith in Christ. This is because if they do they will be eternally damned. So God does not normally permit those who are immature or unstable in their Christian commitment and walk to taste of the powers of the world to come. It is because the majority of the Christians today do not have the necessary depth of commitment and maturity that we see very few of us exercising the powers of the age to come and even when we do it is in a very small measure. God requires at this time, for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done in natural Israel and the nations of the world, a significant number of his people to taste of and exercise in great measure the powers of the age to come.
Paying the price
The price to pay to taste of the powers of the age to come is that of prayer and purity: see our last article. This also requires the tasting of the good word of God: revelation knowledge of God’s word.
It is those who through intercessory prayer and travail have had Christ formed in them and have revelation knowledge, that have the spiritual wisdom, strength and stability to taste of the powers of the age to come.
Ephesians 1:17 (KJV) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Galatians 4:19 (KJV) My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
The purpose of this article is to challenge us to pay the price to taste of the powers of the age to come.
