Abraham's Physical vs. Spiritual Blessings

Introduction

In some circles, the physical and spiritual blessings given to Abraham and his seed are conflated into a single package of blessing. The physical and spiritual blessings given to Abraham are each distinct, and provided for differing people groups.

Gen 12:2-3 "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

The tenets of the Abrahamic Covenant, through which these blessings were provided, can be detailed as follows:

Land - A National Blessing to Ethnic Israel

God promised to make Abram's natural descendants into a "great nation", and give them the land of Canaan (Gen 12:2 - "I will make you a great nation", cf. Gen 18:18, Gen 17:6, Gen 35:11) This is a blessing to national Israel. Once Abram arrived at the land that God called him to, God declared that this new land would be given to his offspring (Gen 12:7). This is the land of Canaan, in the area of present day Israel.

Seed - A Universal Blessing to All Nations

God promised to bring the Redeemer who would crush the serpent's head through the genealogical line of Abram and his descendants thus blessing all people (Gen 12:2 - "you will be a blessing") and (Gen 12:3 - "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you"). This is a universal blessing promised to all the nations on earth, including the Gentile nations. Abram would be a blessing to all nations through the birth, death, and resurrection of his descendant, Jesus Christ (Gen 18:18-19, Gal 3:14, Gal 3:8).

Blessing - A Personal Blessing to Abram

God promised to make Abram's descendants as numerous as the stars (Gen 12:2 - "I will bless you"). Abram would be blessed and his name would be great. This is a personal blessing to Abram himself, and is related to Abram being the father of many nations (Gen 17:4-5, Rom 4:16-18).

The Purpose of this Article

A part of the reason for this article is to address those who believe that the various English words translated from the Hebrew "zera" should be taken as singular per Gal 3:16. The implication of this belief is that the promise of the land was not for the benefit of ethnic Israel, but for all who are "in Christ", making it a spiritual blessing, with allegorical instead of physical implications. This belief blurs the physical and spiritual blessings given to ethnic Israel and to the rest of the world, and ends up conflating the unique nature of the respective physical and spiritual blessings given to Abraham. We will cover Gal 3:16 later in this article.

Gal 3:16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.

Land - A National Blessing to Ethnic Israel

To whom is the "land" blessing given? The question we are seeking to answer here is whether the "land" blessing is a physical blessing of actual land to a specific people, or if it is a spiritual blessing for all people of the world.

Bible Translators

The English words "children", "family", "offspring", "seed" or "descendants" are all translated from the Hebrew word "zera". "Zera" is a "collective singular", meaning that the term can be taken either singular or plural. An example is the English word "sheep". "Sheep" is a single word that can mean either one "sheep" or many "sheep". So it is with "seed" or "offspring", as translated from the Hebrew, they could indicate one or multiple "seed" or "offspring". "Children", "family" or "descendants" are words that are plural alone, and would not be used to refer to a single person.

All of the following translations indicate that the translators believed the Hebrew "zera" indicated a quantity of offspring greater than one. This discussion will be pertinent as we answer the question later of what Paul meant in Gal 3:16 when he said that "the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed ... meaning one person, who is Christ".

In Gen 12:7, offspring is understood to be plural referring to Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob's physical children, family or descendants. We can see this when we look at the various translations and see that the translators used the plural words "children", "family", and "descendants".

(NIrV)  The LORD appeared to Abram at Shechem. He said, "I will give this land to your children after you." So Abram built an altar there to honor the LORD, who had appeared to him.

(GNB)  The LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "This is the country that I am going to give to your descendants." Then Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

(NKJV)  Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

(CEV)  but the LORD appeared to Abram and promised, "I will give this land to your family forever." Abram then built an altar there for the LORD.

(ISV)  Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I'll give this land to your descendants." So Abram built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

(NAS77)  And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

(NASB)  The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

Clearly, the above translators understood that the Hebrew word "zera" was intended to reflect multiple descendants.

Scripture Interprets Scripture

But it is not enough that we should exclusively rely upon the translators to determine this important distinction. We should allow scripture to interpret scripture in these cases, and Gen 13:14-16 provides that interpretation by explicitly defining "zera" as "children", "family", and "descendants". I will use the English word "descendants" for the remainder of this article.

Additionally we see the connection between the "land", and the "descendants" in Gen 13:14-16. The land is given to Abraham's descendants, and those descendants will be of an uncountable quantity, not just one individual.

Gen 13:14-16 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. (15) All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. (16) I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.

The descendants are further defined as the flesh and blood of Abraham in Gen 1:4-5. The descendants are not "spiritual" descendants, but physical descendants. Additionally, the descendants are compared in quantity to the stars in heaven, and their identity is further clarified as "a son who is your own flesh and blood", referring to the physical bloodline of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their physical descendants.

Gen 15:4-5 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir." (5) He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Gen 22:17, Gen 26:14, Gen 28:4 and Gen 32:12 also explicitly define the quantity of these heir's by blood, the descendants, as "numerous as the stars in the sky".

Gen 22:17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,

Gen 26:4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,

Gen 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

Gen 32:12 But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'"

The prophecies that the blood related descendants of Abraham would become as "numerous as the stars" and "as the sand of the sea" was fulfilled by Israel in Egypt. The reference is not to spiritual descendants, but to the physical Israelites fleeing Egypt:

Deu 1:10 The LORD your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Deu 10:22 Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

All of the above passages refer to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The physical land, and the physical descendants are the context of all of this discussion so far. The "land" is not a spiritual blessing, but a physical blessing.

Seed - A Universal Blessing to All Nations

So what are we to make of Gal 3:16 in light of all the evidence above that the promise of the land was to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their physical descendants? Is Paul contradicting what was written regarding the Land blessing to Ethnic Israel?

Gal 3:16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.

Unlike the Land blessing to ethnic Israel, the Seed blessing is a promise given to all the people of the nations on earth. This is an important distinction in blessings. The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant are not to be conflated as a single blessing, but as a single covenant with multiple blessings applied to distinctly different people. The Land blessing is stated as "I will make you a great nation", while the Spiritual blessing is stated as "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you".

The Spiritual nature of Gal 3:16 is defined through the context of Galatians 3. The topic being discussed here is Spiritual blessing, which is distinct from the Land blessings.

Gal 3:6-9 So also Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (7) Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. (8) Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." (9) So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The spiritual nature of Gal 3:6-9 is apparent in the discussion of "righteousness", which is a spiritual characteristic. "Faith" is also a spiritual characteristic". Additionally, the passage explicitly ties itself to the spiritual blessings opened to "all nations will be blessed through you" in vs. 8, which can be compared to Gen 12:3.

Gen 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

The context of Galatians 3 is further clarified by Gal 3:14, which explicitly states that the blessing in view in this context is "the promise of the Spirit".

Gal 3:14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

So two verses further on, we come to the statement that Paul makes that the promise spoken to Abraham was a promise spoken to Christ alone.

Gal 3:16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.

If we are faithful to the context, then we will understand that the promise in view here was the specific promise defined in vs. 8, the promise that "all nations will be blessed through you", and that the promise to the nations was defined in vs. 14 as "the Spirit".

Conclusion

It is improper exegesis to conclude that because Paul stated that the promise spoken to Abraham was a promise spoken to Christ alone, that it applies to a conflated collection of all the promises given to Abraham. Scripture shows that there are physical land promises that were given to ethnic Israel and Jacob's physical descendants, and that there are spiritual promises given to all people in the nations. Paul's discussion in Galatians 3 relates to the spiritual promises, not the Land promises.

Paul is able to make the statement that the promise spoken to Abraham was a promise spoken to Christ alone because the context of the passage was spiritual blessings, and because all the people of the nations receive their spiritual blessings by being "in Christ". This statement is not to be confused with the land blessings given to ethnic Israel.

To be "in Christ" means to be baptized into His body. Baptism simple means to be immersed into Him, an immersion that occurs through faith.

Gal 3:26-27 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, (27) for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

1 Co 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body--whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Essentially, Paul is conveying the understanding that the only path that the nations have to receive the spiritual blessings is through Christ, and that is true of both Jew and Gentile.

Joh 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The Land blessings given to Israel and the Spiritual blessings given to all nations are distinct blessings and should not be conflated. Paul's statement that the promise spoken to Abraham was a promise spoken to Christ alone does not conflict with the passages in Genesis that speak of the promises being for all of Abraham's descendants because Paul is speaking of the spiritual blessings while Genesis is speaking of the physical blessings.

A Study of Prophecy - Covenant Post Millennial Theology

Introduction

Post-Millennialism was more popular before WW1, as the onset of the war disillusioned people who thought that the world was improving. It has seen a resurgence in popularity with the rise of theonomy and reconstructionism.

Post-Millennialism was quite popular prior to WW 1. When WW 1 broke out, many doubted the fundamental tenets of Post-Millennialism that said the world would get gradually better. Loraine Boettner was instrumental in the resurrection of Post-Millennialism through his book "The Millennium". In the 1957 book, the author takes pains to convince the reader that the world is really getting better. During the 1980's the market was flooded with Post-Millennial books and the theology took off once again. The two most prolific and influential authors are Earl Paulk and David Chilton.

Post-Millennial Church Age Timeline

From Pentecost to Start of Millennium

The church takes on the task of preaching the gospel, the world improves incrementally. The church progresses in it's mission until a golden age gradually arises. The church age gradually merges into the Millennial period.

From Start of Millennium to the Tribulation

The church continues spreading the gospel during an undefined period of time known as the Millennium. Many Millennial kingdom prophecies are fulfilled at this time by the church, and it is called "the glorious age of the church", or "the golden age".

Incredibly large numbers receive salvation. Rousas John Rushdoony claims "the church will conquer the world from pole to pole", and the Millennium will be "a long and glorious reign of peace", during which time "the government of the world will be ruled by he law of God;, and after all this, Christ will return".

Rushdoony continues: "Suffice it to say that basic to all these activities, health, education, welfare, politics, economics, the family, the church, our vocations, and son is is the necessity to TITHE, so that the work of reconstruction may be expedited."

Post-Millennialist claim these prophecies speak of the nations coming under the rule of the church during the Millennial period "before" the Lord returns. Psa 2:8, Psa 22:27-28, Psa 45:17, Psa 47:1, Psa 66:4, Psa 110:1, Isa 2:2-4, Isa 9:6-7, Isa 9:11, Isa 40:4-5, Isa 52:10, Isa 54:1, Isa 60:1, Isa 62:1, Isa 66:1.

Read Boettner's example of how Isaiah is used to apply prophecies meant for Israel to the church during this "Millennial" period on page 18 of Israelology - The Missing Link is Systematic Theology by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum.

From Tribulation to the Second Coming

R. Ludwigson states, "At the very end of this period, there will be a reactionary outbreak of wickedness known as the period of the Great Tribulation."

"At the end of this millennial period, and just before the second coming of Christ, ... Satan will be loosed for a little season. There will be a brief period of apostasy and violent conflict between the kingdoms of light and darkness."

Ludwigson continues regarding Revelation 20, "This is exclusively a martyr scene. John has seen the souls of the martyrs under the lather in Rev 6. Now he sees them on thrones reigning with Christ during the millennial period."

From Tribulation to the Second Coming

Ludwigson, "Postmillennarian hold that Christ will return at the close of this millennial period after a brief period of tribulation. At His coming, there will be a general resurrection... Christ will also deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and the "righteous ones will shine firth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matt 13:43)".

"The wicked will also be resurrected and will be judged together with the righteous at the second coming..."

"The present earth and heaven will be dissolved by fire, giving way to a new heaven and a new earth which will be characterized by righteousness, unalloyed by any evil."

Post-Millennial Summary

Definition

Charles Hodge believed that Israel was "cast off" and the blessings were extended to the Gentiles. Israel is just another people group that gets absorbed into the church.

Since the post-millennial view sees the Millennial Kingdom being established over time and with improving conditions brought on by the church, it depends heavily upon the identity of Israel being the church. There is no Messianic (Jewish) Kingdom.

J. Marcellus Kik - "... looks for a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of a glorious age of the church upon earth through the preaching of the gospel under the power of the Holy Spirit."

The Post-Millennialist sees these Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled by the church and not Israel during Messianic Kingdom.

Loraine Boettner - "Post-Millennialism is that view of the last things which holds that the Kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit, that the world will eventually be Christianized, and that the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace commonly called the Millennium."

Some points Boettner makes - "Our current time will gradually merge into a coming a golden age, which is understood as the Millennium, during which time sin will be reduced. The Millennial period, will last an indefinitely long time, be brought about by the preaching of the gospel, and result in a negligible number of unbelievers at the time Christ returns.

Branches of Post-Millennialism

Two forms of Post-Millennialism are:

Dominionism (Theonomy - Rule by God's Law)

The work of the church is to see a theocracy implemented on the earth, including OT Law with the NT.

Christ in Prophecy (David R. Reagan), "The other major flavor of the Post-Millennial revival is called Dominion Theology. Its roots are very different. It is advocated by non-Charismatic, Calvinist theologians.

The philosophical father of Dominion Theology is Rousas John Rushdooney. He has been on the scene for a long time, but his writings are obtuse and have been popular among only a handful of intellectuals. But in the past ten years his theories have been popularized by his son-in-law, Gary North of Tyler, Texas and by David Chilton, a Presbyterian preacher in California."

Christ in Prophecy (David R. Reagan), "Dominion Theology differs from Kingdom Now not only in its roots but also in its methods. Kingdom Now supposedly relies on supernatural methods. Believers, as “little gods,” assert their godhood by speaking dominion over the nations.

Dominion Theology relies on more traditional methods. The world is to be claimed for Christ through missionary effort and political activism." This theology is generally cessationist and it opposition to the operation of the charismatic gifts in direct opposition to Kingdom Now theology.

"Dominionism is the theocratic idea that regardless of theological view, means, or timetable, Christians are called by God to exercise dominion over every aspect of society by taking control of political and cultural institutions."

Dominionism Rising - A Theocratic Movement Hiding in Plain Sight

https://www.politicalresearch.org/2016/08/18/dominionism-rising-a-theocratic-movement-hiding-in-plain-sight

Branches of Dominionism

Soft vs. Hard Dominionism - Soft = Believe America is a Christian nation, opposed to separation of church and state. Hard = dominion theology and Christian reconstructionism.

Authors and Writers

• Theonomic Theologians - Greg Bahnsen, Ray Sutton, Gary North, J. Marcellus Kik, Rousas John Rushdoony. Writers include Gary DeMarr, Kenneth Gentry, Larry Pratt and Peter J. Leithart.

• Associated Organizations - Calvinist Christian Reconstructionism. Many of these organization arose from "Christian Nationalism", and are broadly related to "the Christian Right".
  

Charasmatic

Pentecostal, the Charismatic revival is God's means of binding Satan and reclaiming material possessions and wealth. The church needs to restore it's understanding of its role and potential for dominion through the work of the Spirit so that it can bring about the Kingdom of God on earth in it's fullness. The believer must learn to exercise dominion if he is to take part in advancing the kingdom.

Charasmatic and Pentecostal Kingdom Now Theology - Christ in Prophecy (David R. Reagan), "Paulk’s approach is a natural outgrowth of the confused hyperfaith doctrines that have come to characterize much of the Charismatic movement. Paulk says that Christians are “little gods” with the authority of Christ. We can therefore confess dominion over the earth and, through faith, what we confess will come to pass. Paulk’s theology is the one referred to as Kingdom Now."
It should be noted that not all Dominionist are Post-Millennial.

Theologians and Writers

• Dominion Theologians - Bishop Earl Paulk, Paul Yongi Cho, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Pat Robertson.

• Other writers include Loraine Boettner, Lain H, Murray, Charles Hodge, A. A. Hodge, B. B. Warfield, Roderick Campbell, David Brown, and William G. T. Shedd.
  

Dominionist and Charismatic Sub Groups

Post-Millennialism manifests in the world around us through specific actions and strategies designed to bring about a theonomy that can one day be turned over to Christ.

• Christian Nationalism - The mixing of the spiritual kingdom of God and physical kingdom of men. Mixing patriotism and righteousness. It places one's earthly citizenship above that of being a follower of Christ. It gives a nation-state a Messianic identity, a nation state through which salvation will come. (What is Christian nationalism? - https://christianchronicle.org/what-is-christian-nationalism/)
  

• Kingdom Now Theology - Teaches that Jesus cannot return until the church subdues and rules the earth. (Apologetics Index - https://www.apologeticsindex.org/l04.html)

• Latter Rain Movement - Teachings include 1) the Church must be restored and equipped to rule by the five-fold ministries. 2) it must come to perfection and complete visible UNITY. 3) out of the purified church will come a spiritual elite corps, a Corporate Christ who possess the Spirit without measure 4) they will purge the earth of all wickedness and rebellion 5) they will judge the apostate Church 6) they will redeem all creation, and restore the earth 7) they will eventually overcome death itself in a counterfeit of the Rapture 8) the Church will thus inherit the earth, and rule over it from the Throne of Christ. (Apologetics Index - https://www.apologeticsindex.org/l39.html)
  
  The Latter Rain movement, revived by C. Peter Wagner, teaches that there is coming an outpouring of supernatural powers in the future, which will allow them to subdue or take over the nations. (Dominionism Rising A Theocratic Movement Hiding in Plain Sight -
  https://www.politicalresearch.org/2016/08/18/dominionism-rising-a-theocratic-movement-hiding-in-plain-sight

   Latter Rain morphed into the New Apostolic Reformation

• Five Fold Ministry - The 5 fold ministry comes from Eph 4:11, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. This ministry claims that God is "restoring" to the church these 5 fold ministries. This is a part of the "Restoration" movement, and the "Kingdom Now" movement. The New Apostolic Reformation claims to have apostles and prophets with equivalent roles to the early church.

• New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) - Like the "Five Fold Ministry" group, NAR teaches that God is restoring the offices of Apostle and Prophet. They claim that these apostles and prophets alone have the power and authority to execute God's plans on the earth. They claim Jesus visits them in person, and they hear directly from God new revelations.
  
  Bill Johnson, Kris Vellotton, Johnny Enlow, Sh are an influencial part of NAR.
  
  From Dominionists are on the move...and they mean business (http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/mwest/111011)
  
  "The goals of the CR and the NAR seem like a good idea, right? I mean, who could argue with wanting to influence the seven spheres of society that are dominated by secular humanists. Christians are not wrong in desiring to have a society based on Judeo-Christian principles. But here's the problem. This "mandate" the NAR mob subscribes to did not come from the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 18:36 Jesus made it clear: "My kingdom is not of this world."
  
  However, dominionists never let a little thing like what Jesus said get in the way of their lofty goals. One of the most troubling aspects of their "theology" is the unbiblical teaching on spiritual warfare. They believe they have a kingdom mandate to do "strategic-level spiritual warfare" which is "a popular charismatic method of casting out demons from geographical locations or territories. It identifies three levels of demonic control on earth. Firstly, are "Ground-Level" demons, which possess people. Secondly, "Occult-Level" demons empower witches, shamans, magicians. Finally, "Strategic-Level" demons which are the most powerful of the three, are said to rule over certain regions or territories. Their main purpose is to hinder people from coming to Christ." (Online source)
  
  Hence, dominionists go hither and yon to do strategic-level spiritual warfare to tear down demonic strongholds established by Satan and his demons. This is not local; it's global.
  
  7 Mountain Mandate
  https://www.gotquestions.org/seven-mountain-mandate.html
  
  "The leading edge of the seven mountain mandate is the New Apostolic Reformation, which teaches that the church of the 21st century will be ruled by apostles and prophets. The movement is not governed by a specific denomination but by the alleged apostles and prophets who, of course, claim to receive direct revelation from God. In lending credence to modern-day prophets and apostles, the NAR denigrates the Bible and sola scriptura, emphasizes experience-oriented theology, and promotes mysticism."

• Manifest Sons of God - Teaches that a "new breed" of Christians will arise, who will have supernatural spiritual power and be instrumental in subduing the earth. This group is also known as "Joel's Army". They claim they will eventually subdue all the enemies of Christ, and gain power and authority throughout the world. After all earthly authorities submit to them, Christ will return, and they will present the Kingdom to Him.

• Christian Reconstructionism - An extreme sect of Christianity that advocates for a government that brings Old Testament law to earth. They claim the Biblical Law is a basis for "reconstructing" society towards the Kingdom of God on earth. (Apologetics Index - https://www.apologeticsindex.org/r10.html") Rushdoony was a definer of the concept.

• Word of Faith Movement - The belief that faith is a "force" and that man has the ability to speak things into existance in the way that God spoke the universe into existence. This concept is related to groups such as NAR. (Apologetics Index - https://www.apologeticsindex.org/4914-word-faith-movement)

Post-Millennials in the News

• The Radical Theology That Could Make Religious Freedom a Thing of the Past
  https://www.texasobserver.org/dominion-theology/

• Dominionism Rising A Theocratic Movement Hiding in Plain Sight
  https://www.politicalresearch.org/2016/08/18/dominionism-rising-a-theocratic-movement-hiding-in-plain-sight
  
  Quote: "The rise of Ted Cruz is a singular event in American political history. The son of a Cuban refugee and evangelical pastor, Cruz was raised in the kind of evangelicalism-with-a-theocratic-bent that has come to epitomize a significant and growing trend in American public life. That is, dominionism: a dynamic ideology that arose from the swirls and eddies of American evangelicalism to animate the Christian Right, and become a defining feature of modern politics and culture.
  
  Dominionism is the theocratic idea that regardless of theological camp, means, or timetable, God has called conservative Christians to exercise dominion over society by taking control of political and cultural institutions. The term describes a broad tendency across a wide swath of American Christianity. People who embrace this idea are referred to as dominionists."
  
  “According to his father and [New Beginnings Pastor Larry] Huch, Ted Cruz is anointed by God to help Christians in their effort to “go to the marketplace and occupy the land … and take dominion” over it, Fea continued. “This ‘end-time transfer of wealth’ will relieve Christians of all financial woes, allowing true believers to ascend to a position of political and cultural power in which they can build a Christian civilization. When this Christian nation is in place (or back in place), Jesus will return.”
  
  "Rafael Cruz and Huch have long embraced a strain of evangelical theology called Seven Mountains dominionism, which calls for believers to take control over seven leading aspects of culture: family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business, and government. The name is derived from the biblical book of Isaiah 2:2 (New King James Version): “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains.” "
  
  "But it is the broad vision that dominionists share that should be of greatest interest and concern to those outside the movement. C. Peter Wagner traces the lineage of his version of dominion theology “through R.J. Rushdoony” and theologians of the Protestant Reformation in his 2008 book, Dominion! How Kingdom Action Can Change the World.50 Wagner adopted an old concept: “sphere sovereignty,” the idea that all areas of life must be brought under a comprehensive biblical worldview. While Rushdoony called this “theonomy,” Wagner’s 7M theology offered a contemporary version with a Pentecostal twist. (There is some metaphorical flexibility in this sector as the term “mountains” is sometimes used interchangeably with “spheres” or “gates.”) Reflecting the trend away from premillennialism, Wagner emphasized the “primacy” of the cultural (or dominion) mandate, over evangelism."
  
  "For the Apostles and Prophets who comprise Mattera’s USCAL, 7M roads to dominion are just as clear. The government officials that emerge from their ranks must be informed by a “biblical worldview” and their “every purpose must be to establish or further the Kingdom of Jesus on earth.”
  
  Recruitment
  
  "This may be a less peaceful process than Wagner and some 7M roaders would have us believe. Many dominionists of all stripes anticipate deepening political tensions, violence and even religious or secessionist war, especially in the wake of legal and social acceptance of marriage equality and permanent access to legal abortion.79 Gary North thought this was likely. He predicted in 1989 that as the dominionist movement rose, the idea of constitutionally protected religious pluralism “will be shot to pieces in an ideological (and perhaps even literal) crossfire” as Christians and humanists continue to square off in “an escalating religious war.”80 [emphasis in the original]
  
  One contemporary example will suffice. David Lane, a leading Christian Right electoral organizer, declared in a 2013 essay that religious war may be on the horizon.81 Meanwhile he has shifted the electoral emphasis of his Mississippi-based American Renewal Project. (The group hosts all-expenses paid policy briefings for clergy and their spouses, featuring top politicians like Gov. Mike Pence (R-IN), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Gingrich, Huckabee, Cruz, and often David Barton. Republican presidential contender Donald Trump addressed one such event in August 2016.82) They are currently recruiting and training clergy with a dominionist vision to run for office at all levels.83 Lane’s own pastor, Rob McCoy, won a city council seat in Thousand Oaks, California, in 2016.84 Lane’s vision is clear: “I don’t think there’s any such thing as a separation of church and state. This was not established as a secular nation, and anybody that says that it is, they’re not reading American history. This was established by Christians for the advancement of the Christian faith. My goal is to return—to restore a biblically based culture and a Judeo-Christian heritage.” "
  
  Note: The Seven Mountain's Dominionism is based on a spiritualized reading of Isaiah 2:2.

• C. Peter Wagner: Dominion Theology and Postmillennialism on NPR
  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/c-peter-wagner-dominion-theology-and-postmillennialism-on-npr_b_996000
  
  Quote: "In the 1980s, the early years of the NAR, there was significant cross-fertilization between Reconstructionists and Pentecostalism. Notable Pentecostals were reading Reconstructionists and Gary North was in conversation with several leaders, hoping that the energy and vitality of those movements made them a more promising vehicle for spreading Christian Reconstruction than the “frozen-chosen” Orthodox Presbyterian Church. North dedicated Unholy Spirits to Bob Mumford and 75 Bible Questions to Bob and Rose Weiner.
  
  For Reconstructionists, Postmillennialism and dominion theology are inextricably linked, but Pentecostals blended dominion theology with their Premillennialism. Though, when Gross asked Wagner if he believes in the “rapture and all that,” Wagner said he used to but not anymore, and surprised me by embracing Postmillennialism:
  
  “the Gospel will be preached to all nations... I believe the world is going to get better... we believe God has sent us out to restore things... when that has happened enough, Jesus will return to a very strong world, reflecting the Kingdom of God.” "
  

• Citing rise of ‘Christian nationalism,’ Secular Democrats unveil sweeping recommendations for Biden
  https://religionnews.com/2020/11/30/secular-democrats-unveil-sweeping-recommendations-for-biden-administration/
  
  "WASHINGTON (RNS) — A Democratic group dedicated to representing secular values unveiled a slate of recommendations for President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration on Monday (Nov. 30), outlining a sweeping agenda designed to roll back many of President Trump’s actions involving religion and to “restore a vision of constitutional secularism.”
  
  The 28-page document, crafted by the Secular Democrats of America PAC, is being presented to the incoming administration by Democratic Representatives Jamie Raskin and Jared Huffman — both co-chairs of the Congressional Freethought Caucus.
  
  The SDA’s agenda offers a wide range of policy recommendations to push back against the so-called “Christian nationalist movement,” which the the group describes as an “extraordinarily well-funded and well-organized” phenomenon whose “extreme and sectarian agenda (was) on constant display under the Trump-Pence administration.”
  
  Restoring Constitutional Secularism and Patriotic Pluralism in the White House
  https://seculardems.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SecularDemocratsofAmerica_Blueprint_BidenHarrisTransition_11-30-20_FINAL.pdf
  
  Note: Jared Huffman coauthor. 2nd Congressional district, northern coast.

• The rise of Christian Nationalism in America
  https://www.salon.com/2020/10/04/the-rise-of-christian-nationalism-in-america-_partner/
  

• Christian Nationalism and Donald Trump
  https://www.politicalresearch.org/2018/04/06/christian-nationalism-and-donald-trump

• American Postmillennialism: Seeing the Glory
  https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-61/american-postmillennialism-seeing-glory.html

• A Theology of Power: Mike Pence and the Dominionists
  https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/01/30/a-theology-of-power-mike-pence-and-the-dominionists/
  
  "Those involved in what’s become a major component of the evangelical right in the United States call themselves “dominionists.” They follow “dominion theology.” Pointing to the Bible, they emphasize that in it God gave humans “dominion” over the natural world and life in it. This, they believe, gives them license to exploit the earth. Further, the “dominionists” have expanded this to justify theocratic rule of society.
  
  It is an evangelical segment that Donald Trump has sought to attract. They constitute a significant portion of his so-called “base.
  
  And, as the just-published book, The Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence, by award-winning journalists and authors Michael D’Antonio and Peter Eisner, states: “For most of his life Pence had believed he was guided by God’s plan. He believed that the Lord intended for him to halt the erosion of religious conviction in the United States. And though he avoided stating it himself, many of his evangelical friends vbelieved Pence’s ultimate purpose was to establish a government based on biblical law. That was what they called Christian Dominionism.”

• A Creeping Threat: Christian Dominionism in America
  https://brewminate.com/a-creeping-threat-christian-dominionism-in-america/
  
  "If you stop to wonder how the political arena in the U.S. got so top heavy with fundamentalist Christians, indeed, as the social fabric began to fray under the multiplicity of stressors associated with modernization, a parallel movement of “back to fundamentals” began to emerge in all three Abrahamic religions. It is not only Islam that has birthed its own variety of fundamentalism. Orthodox synagogues are seeing a swelling of congregations, and a new strain of Christianity, which is both fiercely political as well as militant in its promotion of theocracy has emerged as a potent force on the American scene.
  
  Its ideology calls for the institution of a government under Biblical law. This mandate is called “Dominionism.” Christian Reconstructionists believe that the authority to exert political control in the material world is provided in Genesis, where it is written that: “Let them [man] have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” According to CR, this dominion is also to be executed over nations, specifically the American nation, which is seen as the instrument for God’s plan to rule the world."

• Dominionists are on the move...and they mean business
  http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/mwest/111011
  
  "Once we have the apostles in place, we will then bring the intercessors and the prophets into the inner circle, and we will end up with the spiritual core we need to move ahead for retaking the dominion that is rightfully ours." — C. Peter Wagner
  
  Until recently not many folks were aware of a man by the name of C. Peter Wagner. But Wagner is quickly becoming a person of interest thanks largely to Christian Right (CR) becoming chummy with him and other high-level charismatic dominionists. In the past couple of months much has been written on pro-family groups uniting of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) dominionists. In fact it was the prominent American Family Association (AFA) that sponsored Governor Rick Perry's August 2011 prayer rally The Response that included many NAR notables in leadership roles.
  
  The NAR's purpose is to restore the office of Apostles and Prophets and advance the Kingdom of God. According to Albert James Dager "dominion theology is predicated upon three basic beliefs: 1) Satan usurped man's dominion over the earth through the temptation of Adam and Eve; 2) The Church is God's instrument to take dominion back from Satan; 3) Jesus cannot or will not return until the Church has taken dominion by gaining control of the earth's governmental and social institutions. (Online source)
  
  So — the NAR/dominionist's goal is to transform society into the kingdom of God on earth. How? By controlling various aspects of society. The term they use is the "Seven Mountains," or "Seven Spheres" of society. The Seven Mountains are: 1) Arts and Entertainment; 2) Business/Economy; 3) Education; 4) Family; 5) Government; 6) Media; 7) Religion. The NAR holds that as they accomplish ridding the world of evil, things will get better and better and then Jesus Christ will return to set up His kingdom.

• Dominionism: Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry’s Dangerous Religious Bond
  https://www.thedailybeast.com/dominionism-michele-bachmann-and-rick-perrys-dangerous-religious-bond
  

• Dominionism and the Actual Deep State
  https://www.wthrockmorton.com/2018/12/12/dominionism-and-the-actual-deep-state/

• Johnny Enlow's Facebook Page
  https://www.facebook.com/Restore7
  Dec 3rd
  Nov 18th

Credits

The Error of Post-Millennialism
https://christinprophecy.org/articles/the-error-of-postmillennialism/

Post-Millennial Problems

https://christinprophecy.org/articles/the-error-of-replacement-theology/

Dominion Theology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominion_theology#Kingdom_Now_theology