SCRIPTURES: 
Old Testament 
Gen. 49:10; Pr. 25:2; Dan.4:29-32 
New Testament 
Mt. 3:2, Mt. 4:17; Mk. 4:24-25; Ac. 17:11

Tim Miller

Full Gospel

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<li>The proclamation of the kingdom; no need for definition</li>
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In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 3:2, ESV)
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 4:17, ESV)
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<li>A time and a place for careful thought, attention to detail, and rigorous analysis; love and concern expressed through attentiveness and hunger</li>
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24 Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. 25 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” (Mk. 4:24-25, NLT)
<ul>
<li>24 He also said to them, “Make sure that ᵖyou give careful thought and attention to what ᵖyou are hearing. The more ᵖyou do so, the more understanding you will be given, and then still more will be provided to ᵖyou. 25 If someone is responsive and attentive and trustworthy with little, you see, further understanding will be entrusted to him. If someone is dull and stubborn and unwilling to listen, however, then even the little understanding he does have will be taken away from him.” (Mk. 4:24-25, BHT)</li>
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11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Ac. 17:11, NIV)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal things (cf. Dt. 29:29; Jb. 11:7; Is. 40:12-14; Dn. 2:22), but the glory of kings is to search things out. (Prv. 25:2, ESV)
<ul>
<li>2 God is honored for what he keeps secret. Kings are honored for what they can discover. (Prv. 25:2, NCV)</li>
<li>2God is praised for being mysterious; rulers are praised for explaining mysteries. (Prv. 25:2, CEV)</li>
<li>2God gets glory from concealing things; kings get glory from investigating things. (Prv. 25:2, CJB)</li>
<li>People honor God because he acts mysteriously, and they honor their king because he makes matters clear. (Pr. 25:2, UBSHS [Pr], 541)</li>
</ul>

HONORING GOD THROUGH HUNGER AND ATTENTIVENESS

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<li>All of us experience government, rule, and authority on some level each day.</li>
<li>Question: What are some of the key elements that seem to be a part of government, rule, or authority of any kind? At work? In a country? In the home? Etc.</li>
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INTRODUCTARY DISCUSSION

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<li>Right to govern
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<li>“power, authority, jurisdiction, control, command, sway, dominion mean the right to govern or rule or determine.”  (bolding mine)</li>
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<ul>
<li>Right: “2: something to which one has a just claim: as a: the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled &lt;voting rights &gt; &lt;his right to decide&gt;… 3: something that one may properly claim as due &lt;knowing the truth is her right&gt;” (bolding mine)</li>
</ul>
“power implies possession of ability to wield force, permissive authority, or substantial influence &lt;the power to mold public opinion&gt;. authority implies the granting of power for a specific purpose within specified limits &lt;gave her attorney the authority to manage her estate&gt;. jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits &lt;the bureau having jurisdiction over alcohol and firearms&gt;. control stresses the power to direct and restrain &lt;you are responsible for the students under your control&gt;. command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience &lt;the army officer in command&gt; sway suggests the extent or scope of exercised power or influence &lt;an empire that extended its sway over the known world&gt;. dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority &lt;given dominion over all the animals&gt;.”
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<li>Power to enforce, execute, and carry out
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<li>“power, force, energy, strength, might mean the ability to exert effort. power may imply latent or exerted physical, mental, or spiritual ability to act or be acted upon &lt;the awesome power of flowing water&gt;. force implies the actual effective exercise of power &lt;used enough force to push the door open&gt;. energy applies to power expended or capable of being transformed into work &lt;a worker with boundless energy&gt;. strength applies to the quality or property of a person or thing that makes possible the exertion of force or the withstanding of strain, pressure, or attack &lt;use weight training to build your strength&gt;. might implies great or overwhelming power or strength &lt;the belief that might makes right&gt;.” (bolding mine)</li>
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 C. Other important points of analysis: 
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<li>Right to govern (authority, jurisdiction, control, command, sway, dominion, etc. [see above])</li>
<li>Power to enforce (energy, force, strength, might, etc. [see above])</li>
<li>Possessors, agents, exercisers, executors, administrators of rule (kings, governors, stewards, managers, functionaries, administrators; supreme authority, delegated/appointed authorities; higher authorities, lesser authorities; human, non-human, etc.)</li>
<li>Subjects and recipients of rule (citizens, vassals, native-born, foreigners, etc.)</li>
<li>Degree or extent of rule (spatially, temporally, in terms of rank or status)</li>
<li>Timing of rule (coronations, anointing, formal ceremonies, formal acknowledgment, and appointment, etc.)</li>
<li>Terms of rule (covenantal stipulations, character of ruler, etc.)</li>
<li>Place or domain of rule (heavens, earth, certain geographical boundaries, etc.)</li>
<li>Goal or purpose of rule (order versus lawlessness, common good, well-being, etc.)</li>
<li>Basis of rule (grounds for authority, claims to authority, legitimation of authority, recognition, etc.)</li>
<li>Manner and means of rule (impositions, decisions, laws; human agents and divine agents, etc.)</li>
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<li>All elements/features interconnected</li>
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<li>Few times that most of these are not present in context, and even when they are not, usually assumed.</li>
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29 Twelve months later, as the king (3 above) was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon (8 above), 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon (8 above; cf. v. 22—“and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth” [5 above]; cf. v. 21—“[tree] giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air” [4 above]), I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power (2 and 11 above) and for the glory of my majesty (9 above)?” 31 The words were still on his lips when a voice (cf. v. 17; 3 and 11 above) came from heaven (1, 2, and 3 above, a greater authority), “This is what is decreed (11 above) for you, King (3 above) Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority (1 above) has been taken from you (6, 7, 10 above). 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle (removal of 2 above). Seven times will pass by for you until (6 above) you acknowledge (7 above) that the Most High (3 above; the highest authority) is sovereign (1 and 3 above) over the kingdoms of men (5 and 8 above) and gives them (10 above) to anyone (3 above) he wishes (10 above).” (Dan. 4:29-32, NIV)
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<li>Language
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<li>Need to be aware of figures of speech. E.g., Metonymy and synecdoche</li>
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10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, 
until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. (Gen. 49:10, NIV)

KEY POINTS TO SEARCH OUT

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<li>In the days to come we will be filling this out. Lord, give us hunger!</li>
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<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top">(some overlap)</td>
<td valign="top">Kingdom of Creation</td>
<td valign="top">Kingdom of Eden</td>
<td valign="top">Kingdom of Satan</td>
<td valign="top">Kingdom of Israel/David</td>
<td valign="top">Kingdom of the Messiah</td>
</tr>
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<td rowspan="2" valign="top">Who?</td>
<td valign="top">Rulers</td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
</tr>
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<td valign="top">Subjects/
Citizens</td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="3" valign="top">What?</td>
<td valign="top">Right/Authority</td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top">Ability/Power</td>
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<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
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</tr>
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<td valign="top">Terms</td>
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</tr>
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<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top">Degree/Extent
(spatial, temporal, rank)</td>
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<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top">When?</td>
<td valign="top">Timing</td>
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<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
</tr>
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<td valign="top">Where?</td>
<td valign="top">Place/
Domain</td>
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<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
</tr>
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<td rowspan="2" valign="top">Why?</td>
<td valign="top">Goal/
Purpose</td>
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<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
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</tr>
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<td valign="top">Basis</td>
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<td valign="top"></td>
<td valign="top"></td>
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</tr>
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<td rowspan="3" valign="top">How</td>
<td valign="top">Manner/Means</td>
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<td valign="top">Personal Agency</td>
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<td valign="top">Results</td>
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</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<ol>
<li>John has a great teaching on government on the DTN site (his Biblical Theology of Mission course).</li>
</ol>

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