Spring 2001
Preparation to Receive the Keys to the Kingdom
Wade E Taylor

"And has made us unto our God kings and priests:
and we shall reign on the earth." Rev 5:10.

The "priestly" aspect enables us to relate to and affect the heavenly realm, through our worship, commitment, and relationship to the Lord. The "kingly" aspect enables us to relate to and affect the earthly realm, as an overcomer. Each of these is to function through a delegated authority – “Kings” and “Priests.”

The present emphasis of the Lord is to prepare those who will become a governmental people empowered to bring judgment and rule the earth. Most Christians believe we are being prepared for heaven, and they are waiting to be raptured. But there is a present work of preparation that precedes any catching up. This "catching up" has to do with our being empowered to rule here on the earth, rather than with our leaving the earth.

"...we shall reign on the earth."

This speaks of a future "ruling" during the Millennial Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the
end, to him will I give power over the nations, and
he shall rule them with a rod of iron" Rev 2:26-27a.

To be ready ("hath made us"), there must be a present ruling ("overcoming") in our lives. We will never be qualified to rule others, unless we have first submitted ourselves to divine governmental rule over us.

When Israel entered the promised land, they were told to slay all of the inhabitants of that land. The names of these nations can be related to the works of the flesh. Thus, we also must first slay the "inhabitants" of our land (the works of our flesh) before we will be ready to partake of this promise - "we shall reign on the earth."

These that we must slay are very busy within us, manifesting themselves in various forms as “worldliness.” Thus, they must be utterly slain in order for us to become "the habitation of God" (priestly role) and begin to "rule all nations" (kingly role).

There are those whom the Lord desires to use, but there is not the discipline, nor the rule over the circumstances of their lives that would give them the ministry ground and authority that is necessary to fulfill their calling. It is one thing to be called (in-working preparation). It is another to be sent (out-working manifestation).

There must be the inner dealings of the Holy Spirit within our lives in order to produce within us the necessary quality of character, which will make us ready and available to the Lord, in order for us to rule with Him in “that day.” The Lord must first be able to trust us with "The Keys of the Kingdom" which will unlock and open the door that will release us into the outworking of our part in the Millennial Kingdom rule of our Lord.

"I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears
and opens ..." (Rev 3:20).

The Lord is well able to walk through this door and enter. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the believes who were assembled in rooms behind locked doors. He can walk through any locked door. Rather, He is standing at the place of entrance saying, "if you will open the door, I will come in." He gave the key to Peter, and through him, to us. Therefore, the Lord is waiting for an action on our part.

There is a present work that we are to do, which requires the use of this Key.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of
God created He him: male and female .... and God said
unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth, and subdue it; and have dominion ..." Gen 1:27.

Jesus came to His disciples, walking on water. He cursed the fig tree, and immediately it withered. In Rev 3:21 the Lord said that we are to overcome, as He also overcame. If Jesus used His deity to do these things, we have a problem, because we are not deity. But there is an explanation.

Jesus, as the "Last Adam" fully overcame, and thus obtained the "dominion" that Adam forfeited. As a new creation man, Jesus used this authority to walk on water, and to curse the fig tree.

There was a “testing” place in the midst of the Garden: The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve chose wrongly and ate of the tree of (self) knowledge. They lost the authority and dominion that had been given to them.

Jesus faced this same testing in the wilderness, when He became intensely hungry and refused to turn stones into bread and eat at the word of Satan, as Eve had done. As a result, Jesus regained this lost dominion authority.

"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the
garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." Gen 2:15.

The Lord created a beautiful environment, which Adam was commissioned to dress, or to control and improve.

"And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking ... in
the cool of the evening." Gen 3:8.

During the day, Adam dressed, or rearranged things in the Garden of Eden. Then in the evening, the Lord, the creator of the universe, came to see what Adam had accomplished during the day. As they walked together, Adam pointed out to the Lord the things he had changed. The Lord found great satisfaction in this, as the Lord takes pleasure in the works of our hands.

As a result of the authority that Jesus gained in His victory over Satan, we have been given "The Keys of the Kingdom" which gives us authority to rule, or to affect our environment. We are to "dress and improve" the world of our day and time, which in time will result in the Millennial Kingdom.

When Jesus comes to walk with us in our present environment, He should find pleasure and satisfaction in what we have accomplished, because we have been given the key that unlocks end-time governmental authority. Our neighborhood, city, state, and nation should be affected by us, as we exercise this authority.

"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests:
and we shall reign on the earth." Rev 5:10.

In our new creation life, we have this authority.

There are areas in Washington DC, where I presently live, that if the Lord were to say, "This evening, you and I will go for a walk in that area." I would have to say, "Lord, it is not safe to walk there at night."

But we have been given dominion, and there should be a present application of the authority that we will be given to "rule on the earth." This means that our prayer life, our word, and our ministry, should be affecting the place where we live.

“He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke,
he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none
hindereth. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they
break forth into singing.” Isaiah 14:6-7.

May this be said of us, as a result of our exercising the “dominion” we have gained through our identification with the victory that Jesus gained on the Cross.