The Pinnacle of Holiness: A Soldier's Manual

© 2013 D. L. Anderson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 2/27/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8424-7 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8425-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-8426-1 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012920126

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

To Receive Knowledge

Second-Tier Peaks

CHAPTER 1

The Initial Point of Salvation

The Conditions of the Father’s Will

Access to the Kingdom

CHAPTER 2

The Current and Future State of Heaven

The Kingdom of Heaven and Darkness

The Eternal Reign of Heaven

Of Kingdoms and Reigns

The Kingdom v. the Eternal Reign

The Kingdom is at Hand

From Everlasting to Everlasting

CHAPTER 3

Full Salvation

Not as Though I Had Already Attained

The Peril of the Shortcut

The Universal Salvation Experience

Heirs of the Eternal Salvation

Mark the Perfect Man

Trial Before Victory

CHAPTER 4

Safe But Not Saved

His Will, Our Good

Redemption Highlighted

In All Thy Getting

CHAPTER 5

The Contradiction of Eternal Life

The 5 Phases of Existence

The Contradiction of Perfection

The Contradiction of Holiness

The Contradiction of Sin

The Contradiction of Judgment

Sins Past, Sins Present

No Baseline For Judgment

The Master’s Sheep Follow His Will

The Contradiction of Eternal Security

CHAPTER 6

The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand

To Regret

A Reaction Verb

To Turn

The Danger of a Seared Conscience

We Can Stop Sinning

Are Your Sins Remitted?

Our Full Remission of Sins

Repentance in Our Quest

CHAPTER 7

Mighty Ones v. the Gods

Yahuwah is Supreme

The Eternal Forces of Good and Evil

The Depths of Our Studies

Perfect Sovereign, Imperfect World

Before the Beginning

The Falling of Angels

Before the Fall

Dominion Within the Earth

The Peripheries of Good and Evil

We Did This to Ourselves

Only Good Comes from Yahuwah

Protection Comes With Service

The Factors of Descent

How Powerful is Our Mighty One?

CHAPTER 8

Tests and Talents

Tests, the Fundamental Form of Assessment

Trials, the Focal Form of Assessment

The Evolution of a Trial

Tribulations and Conflicts

The Danger of Spiritual Wear and Tear

The Missed Opportunity of Avoidance

CHAPTER 9

The Greatest Measure of Merited Favor

Do You Want the Abundant Life?

The Trouble With the Middle Ground

The Cycle and 2 Paths

Point of No Return

The Conflict Between Flesh and Self

The Reduced Life

Obtaining the Abundant Life

CHAPTER 10

Combatting Anti-Governance

2 Fools

The Holy Spirit – My Life Source

16 Gifts

The Holy Spirit – My Guide

The Holy Spirit – My Translator

The Holy Spirit – My Revelator

The Holy Spirit – My Connection

The Holy Spirit – My Regulator

CHAPTER 11

The Way of Holiness v. the Christian Walk

The International Travelers Club

The Body of Believers

Traditions, the Breaking Point of the Believer

The Sojourning of Abram

The Brotherhood of Sojourners

CHAPTER 12

All Have Been Called

End Times and the Call

Will You Heed the Call?

Few Will Be Chosen

The Wheat and the Tares

The Truth Behind the Harvest

Coexisting With the Tares

Separation of Church and Saints

The Assault on the Church Circuit

Choose to Be Chosen

Destiny and Fate

CHAPTER 13

What Believers Believe

Traditions Are Not Truth

Truth in the Beginning

Good Isn’t Good Enough

Our Traditions Are Men’s

We Don’t Have a Say

CHAPTER 14

Unlicensed to Change His Will

Spiritual Commission

Blessed Adherence

The Burden of Deviation

Let the People Judge

CHAPTER 15

The Hierarchy

The Players

The Deadliest Agents

The Path and the Climb

Too Far Ahead, Too Far Behind

No Shortcuts to Perfection

The Path Revealed From Day to Day

CHAPTER 16

Go Forth and Progress

Spiritual Energy

Professional Soldiers

The Principal Battlefield

CHAPTER 17

One Battle Ax, Many Weapons of War

Endeavoring to Pray

Prayer Defined

Praying With Purpose

Prayer Carries Results

The Misfortune of Failed Prayers

To the Victor Belongs the Spoils

Why We’re Not Growing

The Fervent Effectual Prayer

Reaching the Highest Echelon of Prayer

The Prayers of the Righteous Avail

Get You Out of Your Way

Keys of Agreement

CHAPTER 18

The Premium Opportunity

The Daily Fast

The List

The Time is Always Now

The Kind Which Requires Fasting

More Than Abstaining From Food

Eat to Live

The Requirements on the Body

The Dietary Code and Principles

Fasting and the Abundant Life

Perfecting the Body Perfects the Soul

CHAPTER 19

The Key to Conflict

The Obedient Life

What Are You Expecting?

Torah Makes Us Perfect

Written Torah

I Am Not Come to Destroy Torah

Dynamic Torah

Torah v. Traditions

An Everlasting Covenant

For the Love of Truth

Lawlessness

Legalism

The Danger of Making Comparisons

The False Judger and the Judged

The Variation Between Works

CHAPTER 20

Spiritual Trajectory Factor

Creatures of Spiritual Habit

Mind Over Mountain

Failing to Clear the Mountain

Beyond Repentance

Landing on the Mountain

Are Your Steps Ordered?

The Dreaded Cross-Pull

The Full Cycle of Enticement

The Pinnacle v. the Mountain

Before the Plunge

Comfort Above Conformance

CHAPTER 21

Daily Perfection

Win Today

Critical Path

3 Deficits

Study for Approval

The Way of Works

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Spiritual v. Eternal Value

Diminishing Spiritual Return

Always the Thing to Do

The Greatest Work of All

CHAPTER 22

Masters of Sanctification

The Model of Redemption

Mastery Springs Eternal

The Criteria on Our Election

We’re Nothing if We’re Not Consistent

The Dangers of Looking Behind and Ahead

1 Deficit at a Time

Our Selves We Justify

Super Mastery

CHAPTER 23

Did You Stop Often to Pray?

The Slippery Slopes on Our Quest

Ditches

Pitfalls

Premeditated Sin

Unexpected Descents

Where Do I Go?

The Slide of Complacency

The High Price of Regression

CHAPTER 24

Those Crept in Unaware

Beware of Mercenaries

The Trouble With Pastors

Spiritual Accountability and Responsibility

Who Watches the Flock?

Consider the Ant Thou Sluggard

On the Outside Looking In

Overseers of Mess

No One Passes the Pastor

Spiritual Deficit Disorder

Awake, O Sword, Against My Shepherd

The Most Beautiful of Man

Contra Doctrine

In Man We Trust

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D

ENDNOTES

INTRODUCTION

Another Lesson before Reading

*

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

PROVERBS 18:15

To Receive Knowledge

Perhaps the only joy in ending any profitable endeavor is the opportunity to initiate another profitable endeavor. I remember writing these words a few weeks before I graduated from high school. Of all the words I’ve written in my life, these were the ones which kept coming to mind as I finished the first volume of The Pinnacle of Holiness.

To be quite honest, writing this preliminary thesis was the greatest thing I had done at that time in my life. As a teacher by spiritual trade (and writer by natural), it wasn’t long after I had finished this introductory volume that I began to outline the objectives of a second volume for one primary reason – I had not yet begun to lecture on holiness in depth (a matter I understood before I ever published the first volume). From the day I finally began to format my notes into book format, I was confronted with a glaring question – how could I honestly include almost 10 years’ worth of study on the most pervasive scriptural subject in less than 300 pages?

My reality was quite simple. This assignment was too great for me to wholly accomplish in those days as I was in the early stages of my personal quest for holiness. Resulting, Volume 1 is limited to a high-level analysis of the 16 primary degrees of perfection and their undeniable constitution of the way of holiness spoken of by the prophet Isaiah.¹

Now, after lecturing on the way of holiness and discussing the various facets of perfection with many diverse individuals, I have come to a pivotal conclusion – the informative nature of Volume 1 qualifies it as decisive, but not conclusive. Verily any honest reader could easily discern the five highest peaks of scriptural theology by considering the lessons found within Volume 1. At the same time, not every reader is spiritually mature enough to ascertain how to dedicatedly apply the principles of each lesson in their individual quest. For that reason, this volume will focus on laying a foundation for understanding the dedicated application of holiness by divulging various pieces of spiritual knowledge critical in applying the principles of perfection in our individual lives.

In Volume 1, I likened perfecting holiness to a quest and sought out initially to focus on establishing the path we must take to have a successful journey; for how could we follow a path which we could not first perceive? In this volume, I would like to take it one step further by providing each sojourning soldier with a spiritual manual which will guide them along the path to perfection. As the way of holiness is the only clear path which affords eternal life, it is not enough to merely know the way. We will also need ample spiritual guidance to verify our continuance on the correct path. This detailed guidance is what this thesis offers – information vital to understanding the most effective manner to complete the quest for holiness.

Moreover, by providing key information regarding this quest, this thesis will help to prevent many from falling victim to the various snares and deceptions along the way. This knowledge is crucial because spiritual shipwrecks don’t generally occur in one turn. Quite the opposite; these disasters are typically a result of a sequence of unfavorable events. Once the collective spiritual impact of these events becomes greater than our current spiritual thrust, we will experience regression and potentially fail our quest.

Along these lines, a series of unfavorable spiritual events is not a result of blatant acts originating from a spirit of disobedience. Neither is it the unavoidable aftermath of relentless assails from the kingdom of darkness. On the contrary, the setbacks preceding spiritual breakdowns usually stem from our lack of knowledge regarding some facet of the Father’s will; a deficit which will often set us off course unknowingly. This makes the consequent failure even more depressing, for we will suffer a similar fate as those who take similar actions based on malicious intents. Therefore, as we have already delineated the path to perfection, we must now analyze the full body of knowledge required for us to successfully finish this course. Else we will surely become spiritual casualties to some manner of ignorance or misinformation.

As a result of these findings, we clearly must take this obligatory step if we are to conclusively understand the detailed version of the quest for holiness – and although it may appear to be a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be. Truly the Most High will reveal all things to us if we fear Him. The scriptures confirm, The secret of Yahuwah is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant. ² Accordingly those of us who fear the Most High can take great comfort in this certainty – our physical limitations will not prevent us from any manner of knowledge. All we have to do is ask.³

Now the second and weightier matter is our acceptance of the knowledge revealed to us. One might think this would not be a complicated matter. After all, we are merely sojourners seeking eternal life by following a foreign course. Would we not then take advantage of our access to the Author and the Finisher of the path, accepting every manner of knowledge revealed to us for our continued success? Such direction sounds as logical as it is straightforward. Inopportunely, this path is commonly disregarded as many will intentionally concede the greatest advantage associated with this quest – direct access to the Maker of the course.

The summation of this matter is sure. Accepting and following instructions as it pertains to holiness are amongst the most complicated of spiritual matters, for the majority of us will choose rather to lean unto our own carnal understanding.⁴ Subsequently, as a result of our rejection of the peerless guidance of the Most High, we will be rejected by Him.⁵

Let us hear the conclusion of this matter. At the highest level, there are only two kinds of people in this world. There are those who will choose to accept and execute all of the Father’s commands in pursuit of perfection and there are those who won’t. The former will be elected into the Father’s eternal kingdom while the latter will be plunged into endless death. The question which each reader should consider as they read this thesis is simply this – which will you be?

Second-Tier Peaks

Before moving forward to consider the varying lectures of this thesis, I would briefly detail the topics which will be discussed. In the following table, I have organized these topics by their relationships with the five highest peaks of scriptural theology [i.e. eternal life, perfection, holiness, sin, and judgment]. In this regard, the subjects we will focus on in this thesis should be considered as the second-tier peaks of scriptural theology [see table Second-Tier Peaks of Scriptural Theology].

Second-Tier Peaks of Scriptural Theology

For a more detailed explanation of these second-tier peaks, see Appendix A.

CHAPTER 1

We Are Not Saved

*

Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not Yahuwah in Zion? Is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities? The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

JEREMIAH 8:19-20

The Initial Point of Salvation

I would like to begin this thesis with a very pointed declaration to everyone who ventures to read it – you are not saved. It doesn’t matter what your religious persuasions are – you are not saved. All the good you have done in your life is inconsequential – you are not saved. Even if you have completed your quest for holiness and are currently operating within the boundaries of spiritual perfection – you are not saved. Truly no one living has experienced the scriptural precedence of full salvation, an avowal supported by countless scriptures which I shall comprehensibly tend to during this lecture.

While the scriptures do confirm this crucial matter, the conglomerate church is filled with countless individuals who boldly claim that they are saved. Many years ago, such contradiction within the aliased body of Christ would have come as much of a surprise to me. Nevertheless, as I have grown older and more accustomed to the church circuit, I have concluded that there are more believers in contradiction with the scriptures than there are in agreement. Hence, I now begin to expect inconsistency and am more or less shocked at compliance.

As it pertains to salvation, the source of such widespread ambiguity is a general misunderstanding of two distinct occasions – receiving the Holy Spirit and inheriting eternal life. I would initiate this thesis by addressing the former event which I will consciously refer to as the initial point of salvation (or the initial salvation).

From the outset, this particular matter is decorated with controversy because the conglomerate church endorses countless ways to receive the Spirit. This unlimited offer is fundamentally counter-scripture because the reception of the Spirit occurs on the path to perfection (a path which the scriptures confirm is singular in nature).⁶ Therefore, as there can only be one manner of receiving the Spirit, many who claim to be saved have never even experienced the most basic form of salvation.

If you believe this is a crucial matter then we are definitely in agreement, for it is dangerous to continually view ourselves outside of our reality. For that reason, I will discuss the various facets of the singular manner in which we receive the Spirit throughout this thesis. Yet for the purpose of following this lecture, the actual manner of salvation which mistaken believers support is of no consequence. What is critical to understand is this – many within the church circuit believe or (more likely) assume they have received the Spirit when the scriptures prove the contrary.

Let’s talk about salvation. With regards to the Pinnacle of Holiness, the initial point of salvation marks the beginning of our quest. At this interval, we become spiritually qualified to embark upon the path to perfection. By the power of the Spirit, we possess the spiritual faculty to effectively finish the course of holiness wherein our perfection lies.

All the same, what many fail to realize is that fulfilling the obligations associated with the initial salvation does not save us for all eternity because we are not made perfect at this early juncture. On the contrary, we must perfect holiness in our lives by mastering various complex and unique spiritual courses. In other words, it’s a process and we must all endure the process to inherit the prize of eternal life.

Notwithstanding, the initial salvation does provide us with conditional access to the kingdom of heaven. I emphasize the conditional nature of this access for one primary reason – the religious world has been incessantly misled by the faulty doctrine of eternal security. As a result, many within the church circuit have been deceived into believing in the mythological state of unconditional, unremitting access to the kingdom of heaven preceding the eternal future.

As for me, I invested a credible effort in debunking this fallacy in the prior thesis and will dedicate an even greater effort in this volume. At this particular juncture, I would initially affirm my position on conditional access to the kingdom for this cause – we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth we may stand.⁷ Henceforth, I will address the principal condition on accessing the kingdom of heaven – abiding in the Father’s will.

The Conditions of the Father’s Will

From the prior thesis, we learned that perfection via the Father’s will is the criteria for inheriting eternal life. Accordingly, both our current and eternal levels of access to the kingdom of heaven are solely dependent upon our proficiency at executing the Father’s will.⁸ This fact alone disproves the ideology of unconditional kingdom access during this life. If we were audacious enough to even attempt to work out this contrary solution, we would first have to discredit the Father’s will; for the mere insinuation that the Father has a divine purpose dynamically establishes spiritual conditions. In any other model, we would be forced to deem the Father’s will as optional and (to some degree) insufficient.

Besides being wholly irreligious, such reasoning contradicts the very nature of the Most High [i.e. Yahuwah Elohiym].¹ As He is perfect, His will must also be perfect while all the conditions thereupon would be more than sufficient and applicable to all believers.

Additionally, these conditions are progressive and structured for our betterment not our detriment. We often fail to comprehend this realism because we are more focused on carrying out our own agenda as opposed to seeking the Father’s kingdom and His righteousness.⁹ For this cause, many of us will fatally wrestle with the scriptures to our own destruction.¹⁰

Now we might initially assume none would dare accuse the Most High of authorizing a substandard will. I would surmise this is generally the case per a direct accusation. However, anyone who follows the doctrine of eternal security consistently indicts the Father on the basis that He lacks the competence to establish an abundant will for their lives. This is primarily why many believers assume they have the option to contravene His will.

All things considered, we do retain the right to neglect the Father’s will (for none are forced to follow His ways). At the same time, we should not deceive ourselves into believing that we will inherit eternal life if we take this path. The scriptures confirm, Be not deceived; Elohiym is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. ¹¹

Visibly, these verses touch on the very heart of this discussion. Sowing to the flesh is equivalent to following our own will and is only accomplished by disobeying the Father’s will. We know this because our will is (in its origin) incongruent to the Father’s and will remain incongruent until we master the first six degrees of holiness. Until then, we will continually war against our flesh to accomplish 1 of 7 major milestones on our quest – the demotion of our will in favor of the Father’s will [see table Quest for Holiness Milestones and figure Pinnacle of Holiness]. After this pivotal occasion, we will begin effectively sowing to the Spirit by consistently submitting ourselves to the Father’s will.

Quest for Holiness Milestones

Pinnacle of Holiness

The conclusion of this matter is sure. We will not inherit eternal life if we follow our own will; specifically because our will evolves from our physical nature. The scriptures confirm, Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood can not inherit the kingdom of Elohiym; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ¹⁹

On the other hand, if we submit ourselves unto the will of the Father, we shall have everlasting life. Yahushuwah² [i.e. Messiah] confirms this matter testifying, Not every one that saith unto me, Master, Master, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²⁰

Access to the Kingdom

In the prior thesis we segregated the Father’s will into two distinct segments – the permissive will and the decretive will [i.e. the decreed will]. As mentioned before, the permissive will refers to the Father’s will at the individual level and is diverse across humanity. For that reason, no two individuals in the world would have an identical path to perfection. Conversely, the Father’s decretive will refers to His will at the universal level. Unlike the permissive will, this division of the Father’s will is not diverse across humanity; rather, it is the same.

Additionally, the Father’s decretive will is non-negotiable. Neither does it contain any degrees of flexibility. For these causes, the decretive will of the Father is clearly the source of our conditional access to the kingdom of heaven. This leads us to our first inflexion point.

If we consistently fail to execute the decreed will of the Father, we will forfeit our continued access to the kingdom of heaven.

This truth confirms a crucial realism – we do not become members of the kingdom of heaven upon our reception of the Spirit. At this early juncture, we are consigned as servants and are given basic, conditional access to the kingdom [see table Kingdom Roles].

Strategically, our status is upgraded after our mastery of the degrees of power. At this juncture, we transition from servants to stewards. Resulting, we acquire both greater access and responsibilities within the kingdom. For this cause, we can accurately view ourselves as participants within the kingdom; yet we are still not members. This milestone is not reached until we master the degrees of balance. At this juncture, we will transition from stewards to ministers who have proven their spiritual mettle by obtaining the faculty required to master the Father’s will.

Kingdom Roles

Even though this is a true matter, many will reject this knowledge and choose rather to underestimate the Most High. As for me, I would not so readily assume that the Eternal Creator is incapable of following through on His decreed Word; neither would I take His commandments lightly. Hear the words of the Most High, I am Elohiym, and there is none else; I am Elohiym, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure: I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. ²⁴

CHAPTER 2

The Kingdom and the Eternal Reign

*

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Elohiym: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

LUKE 8:10

The Current and Future State of Heaven

In further deliberating the controversy surrounding salvation, we must further analyze the dubious yet common phrase I’m saved. For the most part, when believers utilize this phrase, they are declaring their liberation from the endless death sentence assigned to man because of the original sin.²⁵ This assertion would (in theory) qualify them to inherit eternal life.

Needless to say, eternal life is one of the greatest of all spiritual enigmas. This is primarily due to various (yet common) misinterpretations surrounding the state of heaven. Besides being a more popular concept than eternal life, heaven is even more controversial. This is because many who believe in heaven neither appreciate nor understand what heaven really is.

Contrary to popular beliefs, heaven is not some mystical paradise similar to the Garden of Eden; neither is it some fairy-tale utopia. Heaven is simply a vast expanse many miles above the earth and is the primary abode of the spirit beings. Thus, in its current state, heaven is the equivalence of the spiritual sphere.²⁶

Going further, heaven is not an eternal resting place where righteous individuals are relocated when they die. Albeit it is not common knowledge, every soul (upon physical death) enters a state of dormancy and will not be revitalized until the Judgment.²⁷ The scriptures are revealing, Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. ²⁸

In line with these verses, heaven (in its current state) will never be populated by the souls of men. However, heaven is currently inhabited by adverse spiritual beings. The co-occupation and divisions of these spirits are so sharp that heaven has become a perpetual battlefield sustained by a profound source of conflict and warfare. These have caused for heaven to exist in a constant state of spiritual ruin, a far cry from the perfect order in which it was created and evidence that it will not last forever.²⁹

This realism is contingent to the laws upon eternity which maintain that no manner or opportunity of imperfection can continue forever. Accordingly, there will be both a new heaven and a new earth before the eternal future sets in.³⁰ The Most High declares, For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. ³¹

The scriptures are also revealing, Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. ³² In accordance with these verses, we must realize that the current state of heaven is temporary. We must also make sure that we are clearly delineating the current state of heaven from its eternal state. Otherwise, we will be reduced to unrealistic expectancies while forfeiting an accurate point of reference for understanding salvation.

The Kingdom of Heaven and Darkness

To further understand the phenomenon of heaven, we should analyze the kingdom of heaven.³³ At the highest level, the kingdom of heaven represents the Father’s dominion within the spirit realm and includes all of His ministers and associates. These heroes of the spirit world work together for one central cause – to promote the Father’s will within the earth as it is in heaven. The end result of this objective is the spiritual reunion of man with his Creator.

The counterpart of this kingdom is the infamous kingdom of darkness. This sinister kingdom is spearheaded by a dastardly fallen angel commonly known as Satan. Along with other fallen angels, Satan works to accomplish death and destruction throughout the earth.

Now the reason why Satan focuses his efforts in earth as opposed to heaven is sure – the Father’s kingdom is vastly superior to Satan’s. Therefore, the kingdom of darkness has no influence within heaven. This is the primary reason why the Father’s kingdom is referred to as the kingdom of heaven. It continually prevails over the kingdom of darkness and is the pillar of the heavens.

Nevertheless, the kingdom of darkness maintains a substantial amount of power; for although it could never subvert the Father’s kingdom, it is capable of causing eternal damage by destroying the destinies of men. This speaks to the immense conflict associated within the heavens. As the kingdom of darkness is consummately unable to subdue Yahuwah’s kingdom, its primary focus is to prevent mankind from entering in.

Satan’s success in this struggle would result in two devastating occasions. Initially, it would prevent the Father’s blessings from being freely bestowed upon man. In the former volume, we discussed how vital blessings, favor, and grace are to our quest for holiness. Apart from these critical factors, the path to perfection is nearly impossible to master. This is why Satan invests his principal efforts in keeping us from the center road of the Father’s will, for this is where the majority of blessings are located.

This brings us to Satan’s ultimate victory in this conflict – preventing man from entering into eternal life [i.e. the ultimate blessing]. This transpires because our inheritance of the eternal kingdom of heaven is predicated upon our lawful participation in its current manifestation. Satan realizes this and will fight to the bitter end to keep us from this destiny. Nevertheless, we are more than conquerors in Yahushuwah.³⁴ All we have to do is continually progress the Father’s will in our lives to guarantee our access to both the current and eternal manifestations of the kingdom of heaven.

The Eternal Reign of Heaven

As the kingdom of heaven corresponds to the current state of heaven, there should be a succeeding manifestation corresponding to its eternal state. This manifestation is generally referred to as eternal life, for it perfectly contrasts the eternal end of those who live outside of the kingdom of heaven [i.e. endless death]. At the same time, the original scripture texts provide us with an even more accurate description of this everlasting state – the eternal reign of heaven.

The eternal reign of heaven represents the perpetual continuance of the Father’s kingdom apart from any antagonism.³⁵ Accordingly, this eternal reign will immediately precede the new heaven and the new earth. Here again, these events are contingent to the laws upon eternity. As every progressive element of eternity must be demarcated by perfection, the new heaven and earth can not come into place until every outlet of imperfection has been assigned to a state of endless death. After this juncture, the new heaven and earth will be inhabited by those counted worthy of an incorruptible inheritance.³⁶ All others will have been assessed as unworthy and thus excluded from eternal life.

Of Kingdoms and Reigns

I would at this time like to elaborate on the naming convention of the eternal reign of heaven. As it simply corresponds to an eternal state of the original kingdom, one might consider why the original texts did not refer to this time as the eternal kingdom of heaven. To solve this matter, we must analyze the difference between a kingdom and a reign.

By definition, a kingdom is simply a government capable of making independent actions. From the perspective of the spiritual sphere, there are only two kingdoms. These are the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of darkness. All other sub-kingdoms fall under one of these two super-kingdoms. This includes all of man’s kingdoms because they fail the preliminary requirement of a kingdom – an internal point of spiritual origin. This source is imperative because it allows a kingdom to make independent actions which are in and of themselves assigned to its government and not an external force.

Certainly all of man’s kingdoms fail this criterion because all of men’s actions are governed by a spiritual source [i.e. light or darkness]. Consequently, all of man’s kingdoms must trace their governing authority back to 1 of the 2 super-kingdoms.

On the other hand, a reign refers to the sovereign authority and control of a kingdom. This designation reveals why Yahuwah’s current dominion in the heavens is not a reign. It is for this cause – presently, the kingdom of heaven does not (at all times) impose its sovereign authority within the spiritual sphere.³⁷ Therefore, it cannot truly be classified as a reign.

Now this reality does not suggest that the kingdom of heaven is incapable of imposing its will in both spheres of existence. Although it is more than capable of accomplishing this exploit, the Father has made a calculated decision not to enforce the full breadth of His sovereign authority in heaven or earth by way of His superior kingdom.³⁸ Accordingly, the kingdom of heaven is currently (by the Father’s preference) operating outside the manifestation of a full reign.

For this cause, the scriptures consciously refer to the present time as the kingdom of heaven – and even though the kingdom of darkness does persist, it is not a legitimate threat to the sovereign authority of Yahuwah. On the contrary, the kingdom of darkness was permanently crippled after an unsuccessful attempt to gain control over the heavens. Thus, although this damnable kingdom is formidable against man, it is principally irrelevant to the eternal ambitions of the Most High.

Furthermore, once this present time has ended, the kingdom of darkness will be disbanded and destroyed forever.³⁹ In that day, the full manifestation of the kingdom of heaven will be revealed and shall be instituted as an interminable establishment. From that point in time, there shall arise no other kingdom to challenge the everlasting authority of Yahuwah. The scriptures confirm, And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of Yahuwah, and of his Messiah; and he shall reign for ever and ever. ⁴⁰

The Kingdom v. the Eternal Reign

This analysis of the kingdom and the eternal reign clearly reveals the primary difference between the two – time. The kingdom of heaven is as temporary as it is present. The eternal reign is yet to come and will be an everlasting dynasty. Outside of this variance, the remaining factors are predominately similar (if not the same).

Perhaps the most obvious time discrepancy between the kingdom and the eternal reign is related to their commencement. Whereas our involvement in