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If there are not enough mature believers to form a pivot the client nation comes under discipline


We are presently discussing the doctrine of the pivot that is defined as the accumulation of mature believers living in a client nation or under civil government in a specific geographical location.

We have seen that a believer matures because of their persistent and consistent residence and function inside the PPOG of God following the pattern set by TLJC.

These believers become the invisible heroes who provide the prosperity of that nation through the principle of blessing by association and it becomes a "priest" or client nation to God.

Gentile client nations are responsible to perform the following functions in history:
It must evangelize its own population at home.
It must communicate Bible doctrine to the believers in the nation.
It is responsible for the custodianship of Bible doctrine.
It provides a safe haven for the Jews.
It is responsible to send out missionaries to evangelize other nations.

Last time we concluded with the idea that The United States of America is presently a client nation but even before it became a nation, the United States of America was already under client nation status as a part of the Anglo-Saxon pivot that had formed in England under the teaching of John and Charles Wesley and George Whitfield.

When the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4. 1776 the USA became an independent client nation.

The foundation for this had started in 1517 when Martin Luther published 95 theses and nailed them to the door of the castle church at Wittenberg.

The Protestant Reformation that followed was based on a move back to the literal interpretation of scripture from allegorical interpretation of scripture that had been adopted by the Catholic church when the theology of the Alexandrian school was accepted and the theology of the school of Antioch was rejected.

The recovery of Bible Doctrine that that occurred as a result of the reformation was a major factor in the development of the pivot in the eighteenth century and because of this the eighteenth century was one of the greatest periods of change in modern history.

It began with the death of King Louis XIV in 1715, and terminated with the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and like the period of the Antonine Caesars of Rome cannot be properly understood apart from the standpoint of the pivot principle.

France's Louis XIV's reign and policy in the seventeenth century shaped the course of Europe for over 100 years.

The very arrogant Louis XIV who was referred to as "the Sun King" ruled France from 1643 to 1715 under the concept of; "I am the State."

He was an advocate of the divine right of kings. He wrote that, "kings are absolute lords. To them belong, naturally, the full and free disposal of all property of their subjects, whether they be churchmen or laymen." He also said, "God has given kings to men and He has willed that they alone should review their conduct."

Louis XIV started out under the influence of Cardinal Mazarin who had succeeded Cardinal de Rechelieu as chief minister of France. After Cardinal Mazarin died in 1661, King Louis XIV took over the reign of the government himself and in his arrogance, proceeded to destroy the pivot in France.

He not only impoverished France through many useless wars, but in 1685 he changed the course of history and set up events that would establish the Anglo-Saxon pivot.

He revoked the Edict of Nantes that had been issued by Henry IV in 1598 that had established the separation of church and state and provided for limited religious freedom in France. In revoking the Edict of Nantes he again made Protestantism illegal in France with the Edict of Fontainbleau.

Because of the freedom established by the Edict of Nantes, France had become a client nation to God. The Protestant Huguenots, who were French Calvinists formed the middle class and under the pivot principle were the source of the prosperity for France.

In his arrogance, Louis XIV renounced the Edict of Nantes and began to persecute the Huguenots. This caused the Huguenots to flee France for Holland, Prussia, England and the North American colonies that were to become part of the United States all of which were to subsequently become client nations to God.

They were prevented from moving to the French colonies so they moved to the English colonies in Virginia, Pennsylvania and South Carolina and the Dutch colony of New Netherland that became New York and New Jersey. They rapidly assimilated into the colonies that were the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon pivot in North America.

The pivot in the Americas has only existed north of the Rio Grande river because of the influence of the Catholic Church.

These believers were scattered because of war and persecution and became the basis for the establishment of new pivots and new client nations. We see from this that new pivots are formed as a result of persecution, war, dislocation and immigration.

This is consistent with the prophecy of TLJC in John 15:19-20;

Paul in his prayer starting in Eph 1:15; anticipated that Rome would become the first Gentile client nation. As he traveled, he was always looking for those with positive volition to Bible Doctrine who would ultimately form up a pivot of mature believers.

He found it Ephesus and the nearby cities in the Roman province of Asia where the pivot formed and existed for several hundred years. These churches and their rise and fall are described in chapters 2-3 of the Book of Revelation.

As the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul's prayer also extends to the pivot as it spreads around the globe throughout the Church Age.

The first pivot, that was started in Ephesus, could be called the Aegean pivot since it spread to Greece, Cyprus, Crete, Northern Africa, and Rome.

The second pivot was the pivot formed up around the Mediterranean Sea, under the one hundred year reign of the Antonine Caesars. During that time, the Mediterranean Sea became a Roman lake.

The third great pivot was formed in the eighteenth century in Western Europe it was characterized by the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the four great pivots in Germany, France, Holland, and England.

The fourth was the Atlantic pivot of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It began with the Age of Discovery and Columbus. Then came the colonization of the western hemisphere, Australia, Africa and India.

This was the great period of the British Empire, whose influence caused stability and provided the opportunity for evangelism throughout the world.

The core of this was the Anglo-Saxon pivot, that was mostly found in England and the United States. But today the Anglo-Saxon pivot is practically non-existent in England and is dying in the USA.

Today, in the USA, we see a decline in interest in Bible Doctrine and as a result, we see believers who are involved in the human good and evil of the cosmic system.

Many who claim to be believers do not even accept basic doctrines such as the Deity of TLJC, faith alone in TLJC alone for salvation and the eternal security of the believer. As a result of this, we have also failed to send out the right kind of missionaries.

If a large enough pivot is not maintained so that the responsibilities of the client nation are not fulfilled here then disaster will inevitably result.

Client nations are destroyed either by self destruction from strife, criminality and the enemies within or the overt destruction of a nation from the enemies without through warfare and conquest.

The self-destruction of a nation results from a maximum number of wrong decisions being made from a position of weakness, plus the arrogance involved in the struggle for power. We see this happening right now in our country.

The overt destruction of a nation results from failure to see the necessity for and the proper support for both the military establishment and law enforcement. Law enforcement is our only protection from criminals who are the enemies within, and the military is our only protection from enemies without.

Both overt and self-destructive concepts in a nation can be averted by a large pivot of mature believers.

Under the principle of "as goes the believer, so goes the client nation." A large pivot means blessing for the United States; a small pivot means discipline, decline, and eventual destruction.

We are at the crossroads now, at that point where the survival of this client nation depends on every believer's attitude toward Bible Doctrine.

There are no tragedies in history only disasters. People and nations are the products of their own decisions, good or bad and disaster is the result of the people making bad decisions.

From the spiritual perspective, a good decision as defined by the Word of God, is Faith Alone in TLJC Alone for salvation followed by PVTD and Spiritual Growth through the persistent and consistent PMA of the mystery doctrine for the Church Age under the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit.

If the Exit Resurrection or Rapture of the Church doesn't occur first, and there isn't a change of thinking regarding Bible Doctrine among believers in the USA, the pivot could move across the Pacific Ocean into Asia into a nation such as South Korea.

There has already been great influence of Christianity in Korea that is based on the evangelism of protestant missionaries of the late 19th century. Recent surveys have shown that South Korea sends more Christian missionaries abroad than any other country except for the United States. Today South Korea is home to 23 of the 50 largest churches in the world, and that Christians make up nearly 30% of the South Korean population.

We do not know where the next pivot will be formed. We just know that if the pivot in the USA is sufficiently reduced, and history is repeated, there will be a new pivot formed somewhere and a new client nation will be formed up around it.

Just as the barbarians who invaded the Roman Empire in its decline were often evangelized, resulting in many becoming strong believers who became the basis of new client nations; so today we see those invading USA coming to be evangelized.

God will establish the pivot wherever there is persistent PVD that results in mature believers and that will ultimately result in the relocation of the client nation.

We see from the succession that has occurred that the nations that were once client nations do not cease to exist they just become more involved in internal strife and violence from social unrest and criminality and with external wars. Because of this the nation is weakened and becomes less influential.

The nation no longer has a core of believers who have PVD and most of the believers who remain become purveyors of satan's kosmic thinking and evangelists for the dark side.

This brings us to a discussion of the Cycles of Discipline.

We have seen that Israel is the pattern for client nations so we will look what happened to the successive Israelite client nations to determine what happens to the client nation in decline.

The dispensation of Israel began with the Exodus in B.C. 1441 and concluded with the launch of the church age on Pentecost the year of the crucifixion of TLJC in 29AD

Most of the Old Testament is devoted to the study of Jewish client nations. We have seen that there were five Jewish client nations in the dispensation of Israel.

The Theocratic Kingdom from Moses and the Exodus to the time of Samuel, B.C. 1441 - 1020.

The United Kingdom from Saul to Rehoboam., B.C. 1020 - 926.

The Northern Kingdom from Jeroboam to Hoshea, B.C. 926 - 721.

The fifth cycle of discipline was administered to the Northern Kingdom by Assyria, commanded by Sargon II.

The Southern Kingdom from Rehoboam to Zedekiah, B.C. 926 - 586. The fifth cycle of discipline was administered to the Southern Kingdom in 586 by the Chaldeans, commanded by Nebuchadnezzar.

Their seventy years of captivity or slavery extended from B.C. 586 - 516.

Then there was the restored nation of Judea from Zerubbabel in B.C. 536 - A.D. 70

The fifth cycle of discipline was administered to Judea by the Romans, first under the command of Vespasian and his son, Titus

With the fall of Jerusalem in August of 70 A.D., there are no more Jewish client nations until the Second Advent of TLJC.

In the meantime, as we have seen, we live in the times of the Gentiles. That means that there are only Gentile client nations today. The Gentile client nation to God at the present time is the USA.

When believers in the client nation fail to advance in the spiritual life for their dispensation and form the core of believers who are basis for Divine blessing, the client nation comes under what is referred to as the cycles of discipline.

The Bible reveals that this discipline is administered in five cycles or waves of increasing intensity. These cycles or waves of discipline were executed on the Jewish client nations during the dispensation of Israel and because of God in his grace giving them time to change their mind, it extended into the first forty years of the Church Age.

Since the beginning of the church age these cycles of discipline have been executed on the successive Gentile client nations beginning with S.P.Q.R.

The outline of the Five Cycles of Discipline is found in verses 14-39 of Leviticus.

The first cycle of discipline is described in, Lev 26:14-17.

The second cycle of discipline in, Lev 26:18-20.

The third cycle of discipline in, Lev 26:21-22.

The fourth cycle of discipline in, Lev 26:23-26.

The fifth cycle of discipline in, Lev 26:27-38, amplified in Deut 28:15-45;

The cycles of discipline are based on the principle that Jesus Christ controls history directly, indirectly, and permissively.

He controls history directly through the function of His own divine essence.

He controls history indirectly through the function of the laws of divine establishment.

He controls history permissively through permitting nations to use their own volition to destroy themselves.

No nation is ever destroyed by an external power before it is first destroyed from within by its own individual and collective bad decisions from a position of weakness that come from NVTD.

Jesus Christ permits the function of the freewill of mankind that is the policy of the angelic conflict to continue in human history. Therefore, Satan's policy of good and evil must exist in every generation; everyone must have their attitude toward TLJC and Bible doctrine tested.

Because Jesus Christ is righteous and holy, when believers in a nation persist in NVTD He must judge their nation. He does this with increasing intensity under waves or cycles in order to give believers an opportunity to repent and be preserved. Hosea 5:15;

The cycles of discipline are God's punitive measures against apostasy and evil in the client nation.

The First Cycle of Discipline as described in Lev 26:14-17.

Lev 26:14, "But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all of these mandates,"

Obedience in Israel meant the execution of God's plan for their dispensation. It meant the execution of the three categories of the Mosaic Law. It meant perception of doctrine as it was revealed at that time, through the Torah and through teaching of the prophets.

The mandates refer to the three parts of the Mosaic Law that are explained further in verse 15.

Lev 26:15, "If instead you reject My statutes and your soul despises My ordinances, and you fail to carry out all my commands so breaking My covenant,"

The Mosaic Law is divided into three parts.

The first part of the Mosaic Law is the decalogue, or the freedom code that is made up of ten commandments. These commandments define freedom in terms of morality, privacy, property, and authority.

Freedom without authority is anarchy; authority without freedom is tyranny. The ten commandments also define freedom in terms of one's relationship with God.

The second part of the Mosaic Law is called the ordinances, it is the spiritual code. It presents soteriology and Christology ritually and pictorially through the various articles of furniture in the Tabernacle and the temple, and through the function of the Levitical priesthood, through the observance of the holy days that are described in Leviticus 23, and through the Levitical sacrifices.

This spiritual code presents the Gospel and Jesus Christ as the God of Israel.

The third part of the Mosaic Law is the judgments as part of the establishment code. It includes explanations related to freedom, privacy, marriage, criminal law, taxation that is called tithing, military policy and freedom through military victory, diet, health, sanitation, quarantine, free enterprise, and profit motivation. It outlaws violence, terrorism, civil disobedience, and revolution.

Lev 26:16, "Then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror (terrorism), epidemic diseases, and fever will destroy your sight and drain your life; also, you will plant your seed in vain because your enemies will devour it."

"Sudden terror" is the function of terrorism. It is also a reference to violence, unrestrained criminality, and hostility from other nations.

Disease epidemics have often been the beginning of the end of great nations or empires.

The last phrase refers to economic disaster and depression. The illustration used refers to an agricultural economy. In our industrial economy, this refers to economic decline from the exportation of jobs and the inability to compete in foreign markets.

Lev 26:17, "I will set My face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; consequently, those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you."

In the first cycle, such defeat by enemies refers to only to relatively small losses. But before the other cycles of discipline are administered, there are already some battlefield losses.

The Hebrew word that is translated "hate" here is "sawny" and means to hate because of envy. The Jews were the recipients of such fantastic blessings from God that they were envied and then hated by other nations. Just as the USA is today.

"You will flee when no one is pursuing you" is an idiom saying that the general population becomes cowardly, afraid of war.

Because of their NVTD they have no motivation from divine establishment, or the spiritual life, therefore, the population will do anything to avoid war or because they have no clarity of thought they establish rules of engagement that make defeat in battle inevitable even though they have the power that would win the victory if they were to wage an all out "righteous" war from a clear conscience as it should be conducted. The last war that the USA waged in this manner was WW2.

 

© Copyright 2007, Michael Lemmon Bible Ministries. World Rights Reserved.  This document was created on 9/16/2009