John Eckhardt - The Invisible King and His Kingdom: How to Understand, Operate In, and Advance Gods Will for Healing, Deliverance, and Miracles

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THE INVISIBLE KING AND HIS KINGDOM by John Eckhardt
Published by Charisma House
Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, Florida 32746
www.charismahouse.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are from the Amplified Bible. Old Testament copyright 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright 1954, 1958, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NAB are from the New American Bible. Copyright 1991, 1986, 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington DC. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version of the Bible. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked THE MESSAGE are from The Message: The Bible in Contemporary English, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked YOUNGS are from Youngs Literal Translation of the Bible. Public domain.

Cover design by Justin Evans
Design Director: Bill Johnson

Copyright 2011 by John Eckhardt
All rights reserved

Visit the authors Web site at www.impactnetwork.net.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Eckhardt, John, 1957
The invisible king and his kingdom / John Eckhardt. -- 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-61638-279-7 (trade paper) -- ISBN 978-1-61638-420-3 (e-book)
1. Kingdom of God. 2. Jesus Christ--Royal office. 3. Jesus Christ-
Kingdom. I. Title.

BT94.E25 2011
231.72--dc22

2011012744

First Edition

11 12 13 14 15 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America

T HERE WERE MANY who heard the word of the kingdom and did not understand it. The kingdom was a mystery that was revealed to some and hidden from others. This book is designed to give you a greater understanding of the kingdom.

It is important to understand the kingdom in its first-century context. What would the announcement of the kingdom mean to a Jew living in the time of Christ? What is the historical context of the kingdom message? What forces were at work during the time of the announcement? This book will help you understand the context, and this will result in a much greater understanding of the kingdom of heaven.

The announcement of the kingdom does not arrive in a vacuum. There is a historical backdrop to the arrival of the kingdom. Jesus came in the fullness of time, at the end of the age (or consummation of the age). The time was set (fulfillment). It is impossible to understand kingdom without having a historical perspective. You cannot just pick up the Bible, go to Matthews account, read it, and completely understand the message of the kingdom.

The kingdom of God is the rule of God over Israel and worldwide. The hope of Israel was the hope of a golden age of righteousness ushered in by the Messiah, the Son of David. They were looking for the restoration of the Davidic kingdom and the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David. The kingdom would be the age of the Messiah.

The Messiah would be a victorious king who would defeat Israels enemies and rule in righteousness. This was the hope of the prophets. These prophecies were given in times of great apostasy and darkness. When Israel lived under the yoke of foreign enemies, they held on to these prophecies as hope for a bright future. During the darkest days and years of suffering and defeat, these prophecies gave them hope.

The prophets used figurative language to describe the kingdom age that was coming.

The eyes of the blind would be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped (Isa. 35:5).

The lame man would leap as a deer, and the tongue of the dumb would sing. Waters would break out in the wilderness and streams in the desert (Isa. 35:6).

A highway would be built called the way of holiness (Isa. 35:8).

The ransomed of the Lord would return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy (Isa. 35:10).

Zion would be comforted and her warfare accomplished (Isa. 40:12).

The glory of the Lord would be revealed, and all flesh would see it together (Isa. 40:5).

The Lord would come with a strong hand and rule and feed His flock like a shepherd and gather the lambs with His arms (Isa. 40:1011).

The Servant of the Lord would bring judgment to the nations and would set judgment in the earth. He would be given as a covenant to the people and a light to the Gentiles. He would open the eyes of the blind and bring the prisoners out of the prison house (Isa. 61:1). People would declare His praise in the islands. He would make darkness light and crooked things straight (Isa. 42:12, 16).

The Lord would pour water upon the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. He would pour His spirit upon Israels seed and blessing upon their offspring. He would blot out their transgressions and sins and redeem them (Isa. 44).

The Lord would raise up the tribes of Israel and restore the preserved of Israel. He would be a light to the Gentiles and salvation to the ends of the earth. He would hear in the acceptable time and help in the day of salvation. He would establish the earth and cause them to inherit the desolate heritages. They would no longer hunger or thirst; neither would the sun smite them. He would have mercy on them and guide them by springs of water. He would make the mountains a way, and His highways would be exalted. The heavens would sing; the earth would be joyful; the mountains would break forth into singing because of the Lords comfort and mercy. The Gentiles would bring their sons in their arms and their daughters upon their shoulders. Kings would be their nursing fathers and queens their nursing mothers. All flesh would know that the Lord was their Savior and Redeemer (Isa. 49).

The Lord would comfort Zion and comfort her waste places and make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Righteousness and salvation would come. The heavens would vanish away like smoke and the earth wax old like a garment, but His salvation would be foreverand salvation from generation to generation (Isa. 51:6, 8).

Glad tidings will come; salvation would be published. The waste places of Zion would break forth in joy and sing together. The Lord would make bare His holy arm in the eyes of the nations, and the ends of the earth would see the salvation of God. Many nations would be sprinkled, and kings would shut their mouth at the Messiah (Isa. 52:15).

The barren would break forth into singing and need to enlarge the place of her tent, for it would break forth on the left hand and on the right hand. God would be called the God of the earth. Gods covenant of peace would not be removed. God would lay her stones with fair colors and her foundations with sapphires. Israels children would be taught of the Lord and would have great peace (Isa. 54).