Since most of those who profess to be Christians are ignorant of the subtle form of idolatry that involves the worship of one's country in conjunction with the worship of God, this article is provided with scriptural references and commentary to alert them about the danger associated with this form of idolatry. Since nationalism involves the worship of one's country, a consideration of the concept of nation has been presented from both a logical and a Biblical perspective.
According to Websters's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary a nation is defined as "a body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own." Thus, three requirements are necessary in order to establish a nation; first - a body of people, second - a territory, and third - a government. In Bible times the nation of Israel met these three requirements, and as a result was considered a nation. The first requirement was fulfilled by the descendants of Abraham, whom God promised to make into a great nation. (Genesis 12:2) This promise was kept when Abraham's descendants settled in Egypt and greatly increased in numbers. (Genesis 46:1-4; Exodus 1:1-7) The second requirement was met when God gave the land of Israel to the descendants of Abraham, as God had promised previously. (Genesis 12:1-7) The command for God's people to take possession of the land, together with a description of its borders, is recorded in Joshua 1:1-4 and reads as follows,
"Now it came to pass after the death of Moses the servant of Jehovah, that Jehovah spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Everyplace that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, to you have I given it, as I spake unto Moses. From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border." - Joshua 1:1-4; American Standard Version.
After their entry into the promised land the tribes of Israel proceeded to take possession of their allotted territories. However, the tribe of Levi did not receive an inheritance. The Levites were assigned the duties of temple service; their function was to accept the sacrifices from the people, and to assist the High Priest in mediating between God and the people. What was lacking under this arrangement was the presence of a visible king like those of the other nations. One could reason that since it was God who had delivered the people from the hand of their oppressors, and brought them in a land flowing with milk and honey, that it ought to be appropriate for him to rule over them as their king and lawgiver. Nevertheless, the people rejected the idea of having God rule over them. They wanted a visible king as can be seen from the following scripture,
"Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah; and they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." - 1 Samuel 8:4, 5.
Since the people had rejected God from ruling over them as king, he appointed Saul as the first king to rule over the people. Then for over 400 years the position of the king was held by the descendants of Abraham. And although some were worse than others, they all failed in some respect. Each one of them had been found guilty of breaking one or more of the terms contained in the law covenant. And not only did they themselves break the terms of the covenant, they also led the people into sin as well. For this reason, when God was no longer willing to put up with the error of their kings, he allowed the people to be removed from the promised land, and taken into captivity, were they would serve a foreign king in a foreign land. This was the punishment for their error. Nevertheless, God was merciful and was willing to allow his people to return to the promised land; but he was not willing to allow a sinful king to rule over them again. God made this clear to the prophet Ezekiel when he said,
"Son of man, this is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places; in their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their door-post beside my door-post, and there was but the wall between me and them; and they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. Now let them put away their whoredom, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me; and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever." - Ezekiel 43:7 - 9.
Since the law had demonstrated that the kings were sinful, and not fit to rule, God gave his only Son, Jesus, to the nation of Israel. He was the one of whom all the prophets and the law had foretold was to come. He was without sin and kept the law perfectly. Surely he would have made a fitting king. Yet the rulers of the people rejected him, and plotted to have him put to death. With help from many of the people, the religious rulers were successful in having the Romans put Jesus to death, even though he had done no wrong. For this reason God allowed the Romans to destroy the Holy City, the Temple, and the entire Jewish system of worship. The people were carried away captive and dispersed among the nations. With these events the terms of the law covenant was concluded with the nation of Israel. Thus, the only nation on earth that had entered into a covenant with God, for the possession of land and the right to establish a government, had failed to meet the terms of its agreement. This was disclosed long ago by the prophet Amos,
"Hear this word that Jehovah hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities." - Amos 3:1, 2.
Since that time no earthly nation has had the right to claim an agreement with God for the possession of land based on its own righteousness; and neither has God sanctioned the establishment of any earthly government based on its own righteousness. Nevertheless, he has allowed for men to exercise their free will upon the face of the earth. For this reason, mankind has seen the rise and fall of various forms of government throughout history. It must also be noted that God, in keeping with his right to exercise his free will, has not refrained from intervening in the affairs of men when he deemed it necessary to do so. This lesson was learned by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. God had used him to punish Israel for her sins; but he became proud, and boasted as if he had accomplished his victories solely by his own power. For this reason God put himself in judgment with Nebuchadnezzar, and drove him from his throne to dwell like a beast in the field for seven years. This prophecy was recorded by the prophet Daniel,
"and thou shalt be driven from men; and they dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over thee; until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." - Daniel 4:32.
Since there has only been one man out of all mankind who was fit to rule as king based on his own righteousness, all others who claim the right to rule as king must put themselves in judgment with God based on their own merit, which amounts to no legal claim at all because all of them are the sinful descendants of Adam. It is plainly seen that from the time of Adam sin and death have ruled as kings over the entire world of mankind. The only one for whom sin and death could make no claim was God's only Son, Jesus Christ. It was for this reason that Satan sought to cause him to sin as he had done with Adam. It must also be noted exactly what it was that Satan used to tempt him. The account in Matthew relates the circumstances concerning the incident in question,
"Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." - Matthew 4:8, 9.
From this it can be seen who claims to be the absolute ruler of the kingdoms of the world. It is none other than Satan the Devil, the original serpent, who established his kingdom at the time of the sin of Adam. When Adam entered into sin he subjected himself and all of his offspring to the reign of sin and death. These two kings are the direct consequence of Satan's lie. It was he who promised Adam and Eve that they would not die if they disobeyed God. Yet he was not able to keep his promise because he is a liar and the father of the lie. Since his kingdom is based upon the lie, and no lie can stand against the truth, his kingdom is about to be destroyed. Scripture teaches that Jesus came to break up the works of the Devil. It was Christ who repurchased those believing in him from the reign of sin and death. He paid the price in behalf of sinners, so that death might have no legal claim over those accepting him as their Eternal Father. He is the only one with the legal right to rule over mankind. It was for this reason that he taught his disciples to pray,
"Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." - Matthew 6:9 -13.
He did not teach his disciples to pray for the establishment of an earthy kingdom under the leadership of sinful men. Yet this was precisely the desire of his enemies. In considering the account in Matthew, it must be noted that the Pharisees, who were determined to have Jesus killed, had enlisted the services of the political elements; some of whom were known as the "Herodians," who were the party followers of King Herod.
"Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might ensnare him in his talk. And they sent to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, and carest not for any one: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why make ye trial of me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a denarius. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. And when they heard it, they marvelled, and left him, and went away." - Matthew 22:15 - 22.
From this account it can be seen that Christ did not rise up against the worldly rulers while he was in the flesh. This was because it was not his purpose to conquer the world by means of the flesh. In fact, had he done so, no one would be able to claim forgiveness of sins, because it was by means of the offering of his flesh that forgiveness can be obtained through faith. Furthermore, it is by means of the Spirit that the Kingdom of God will come to pass. For it was by the power of the Spirit of God that Christ was raised from the dead. And in his resurrection there is the victory over sin and death. This victory was something that no earthly ruler could accomplish. With these things in mind one can come to appreciate just what Jesus meant when he said,
"My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." - John 18:36.
So the question remains, "How ought a Christian to conduct him or herself while the sinful rulers of this world claim authority to rule over its inhabitants?" This question is not by any means a new one. Paul wrote to the Romans concerning this very matter with the following words,
"Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God's service, attending continually upon this very thing." - Romans 13:1-6.
So the issue is thus resolved, that a Christian ought to be obedient to the worldly authorities so long as they do not require for one to sin against God. Scripture plainly states, "we must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29) However, there are times when the governments will pass laws that are out of harmony with God's righteous standards. For this reason Paul wrote to the Ephesians and explained,
"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12.
Consequently, many of the rulers of the world dwell in ignorance of God's standards. And many of them are directly opposed to his rule. Yet in both of these cases the end result is the same, as God will bring an end to all worldly kingdoms and governments in due season. (Daniel 2:44) Paul sought to enlighten the Corinthians about these things in his first letter by saying,
"We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought: but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory: which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory:" - 1 Corinthians 2:6-8.
The scriptures bear witness that Satan, like a great dragon, claims to be the ruler of this world. In Eden he called into question the right of God to rule over the earth, and ever since then man has had a free hand to do as he pleases. It is also a result of Satan's action that the rulers of this world make their claims to the lands of the earth and establish their governments. Revelation represents these worldly governments as a "beast" that comes up out of the sea of wickedness, with the sea of wickedness being sinful mankind dwelling upon surface of the earth. Concerning the reaction of sinful men to the beastly governments Revelation says,
"and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? And who is able to war with him?" - Revelation 13:4.
It is not only the worldly governments that are represented as a beast. Religion itself is also likened unto a beast, although a somewhat milder one, who speaks like a lamb. Yet the reality is that the religious beast exercises all the authority of the worldly governments, because it is from them that it receives the power to speak according to the will of Satan, who is represented as a dragon. Religion often appears to represent Christ and his kingdom, but the reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. Religion represents and promotes the worship of the worldly governments. This is evident by the close relationship between political and religious leaders. The various idolatrous representations of the worldly governments are seen in practically all churches. Many churches promote the ideal of allegiance to God and country as if the two can be worshipped simultaneously; as if there were some alliance between God and the specific country being promoted by some aspect of the religious beast. The text in Revelation clearly demonstrates that the power of both the worldly governments, and religions, originates with Satan, and not with God. Consider the text,
"And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed. And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men. And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived. And it was given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed." - Revelation 13:11-15.
The image of the first beast is promoted by religion. Religion sets up the various symbols, and directs those of whom it holds power over to worship the worldly governments by means of some representation of these worldly governments, which can be either a slogan, or a literal image, or a power structure similar to that of the worldly governments. In fact it is these elements, functioning under the authority of Satan, that gather the rulers of the world together for the final battle against God. This is also clearly set forth in the text of Revelation,
"And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty." - Revelation 16:13, 14.
What is God's response to this assembly of evil? He sends forth his only Son, whom he resurrected from the dead, to take that which he earned the legal right to own, namely the rule of this world. And as for those who oppose his rule, again the text is clear,
"And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KINGS OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." - Revelation 19:15, 16.
Will the kings of the earth bow before Jesus Christ? Was it not the rulers of the earth who put him to death without just cause? The Revelation foretells that he will be opposed a second time. However, on this occasion Christ does not come as a being of flesh to offer himself up for the sins of the world. On the contrary, he comes to take vengeance upon all those who reject his rule and seek to establish their own. The teaching from scripture is clear on this matter also,
"And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone:" - Revelation 19:19, 20.
Nevertheless, there are those alive today who think that they, by means of their own power, can establish God's kingdom here on earth and then present it to Christ when he arrives. They think that the following Old Testament prophecy applies to them,
"And I sought for a man among them, that should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none." - Ezekiel 22:30.
But what they don't realize today is that God did not find a man from among the sinful sons of Israel that could prevent his taking vengeance upon that rebellious nation. (Ezekiel 21:1-7) At that time the sons of Israel were no different from their forefathers, who had wanted a king for themselves in their own sinful image. The text in Ezekiel 22:30 applies to the destruction that was pending upon Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. At that time no sinless man was found, and the city suffered destruction. It was not until some 600 years later that God sent his only Son to the people of Israel. He was the only sinless man that could have "stood in the gap" between God and that sinful nation; but him they put to death, and for that the Jewish nation suffered total destruction. Furthermore, no one can make a legal claim to a righteous standing before God based upon a claim of descent from Abraham. Abraham died, as did all the prophets; all were sold under sin by Adam, and Christ is the only way to the Father. Paul explained this during his ministry when he said,
"The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." - Acts 17:30, 31.
The only man that can "stand in the gap" between God and the sinner is Christ himself. Nevertheless, many a preacher has claimed this special status of mediator between God and the sinner. Such men place themselves in the gap between God and men, and think that God will accept them and their followers based on some righteousness other than that established by the man Jesus Christ. Such individuals often introduce some form of a law code for their followers to adhere to. Thus, they, and their followers, seek to establish their own righteousness based on their works, and not on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is very common to see both the leaders, and those who are led by them, aligning themselves with a particular government, or territory, with the idea that they can present, from their works, some form of sacrifice that will be accepted by God. It is as if they hold the governments, to which they have aligned themselves, as a fit mediator between God and men. Yet they do not realize the true standing of the governments before God. The following text shows just how insignificant the governments really are,
"Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: Behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing." - Isaiah 40:15.
The refusal on the part of a Christian to engage in idolatry does not exclude such one from serving worldly leaders altogether. As was previously shown, a servant of God can render service to the worldly leaders so long as such service is not in violation of God's commands. This principle was demonstrated by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego during their exile in Babylon, where they were appointed over the affairs of the provinces and rendered service to the king. However, when the king set up an idolatrous image, and called upon all his kingdom to worship it, these three Israelites refused to obey his command with the following words,
"But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." - Daniel 3:18.
Much can be learned from this example by those who stand and praise the symbols of the worldly governments from the pews of their churches. Too often a country is praised for its military prowess by those same lips which are quick to confess Jesus Christ as the source of their salvation. They fail to recognize that the authority of the worldly governments does not originate with God. (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4; Revelation 2:13) This strange perversity is not unlike that displayed by the Israelites when they set up idolatrous images in the temple of God. God is not pleased with those who worship him halfheartedly. The commandment to worship God with the whole heart, the whole mind, and all one's strength, does not allow for a rivalry between God and idols. Whether these idols be kings, military men, religious leaders, symbols of worldly governments, or those of stone, makes no difference. For those who find themselves guilty of this offense, the words of Samuel still carry a valid principle,
"And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not; ye have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart: and turn ye not aside; for then would ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain." - 1 Samuel 12:20, 21.
Today the way to serve Jehovah is by believing in his Son Jesus Christ, and by obeying his commandments to love God with the whole heart, and with the whole soul, and with all of one's strength, and to love one's neighbor as one's self. Soon Christ will return to separate the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46) And the criteria he will use to determine the difference between a sheep and a goat will not be a person's professed alignment with any political system. Individuals will be separated based on their faith, or the lack thereof, in Jesus Christ. Consequently, no worldly government can claim a righteous standing before God.
In conclusion let us pay heed to the words of the beloved disciple,
"We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. My little children, guard yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:19-21.