The Authority of the Firstborn

The original priesthood was a royal priesthood. The first priest, the first Adam, failed through disobedience. Yahweh God raised up a firstborn nation and redeemed them out of Egypt, but they transgressed the covenant also at Sinai and needed redemption from the curses outlined in that covenant. The second Adam, Y'shua, as a faithful and merciful High Priest, came and brought eternal redemption for Adam's sons and restoration of their inheritance in the earth.

Restoration of Authority

After His resurrection, His final words to His disciple in commissioning them were, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth”.

All authority in heaven and in earth. He has been exalted to be above all, to have a more excellent name on earth than all other creatures, both in heaven and in earth and in the demonic realms beneath the earth. Philippians 2: 9-11

Y'shua said, "In My name they will .. .. " perform demonstrations of divine power and authority over the works of the enemy in deliverance from afflictions and healing of the body. Mark 16:17-18

For this purpose He came, that He might destroy the works of the enemy. 1 John 3:8

Y'shua took back the authority that was forfeited to the enemy.

In His commission to His disciples, He transferred this authority which He had to His disciples to use,-- "in His Name"! In His name, we have the same authority over the works of darkness.

So we no longer have an authority problem in the Kingdom! And He has given to us the AUTHORITY to become sons of God! "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right (the authority) to become the children (literally, sons) of God" (John 1:12). We become a son by receiving Him as our life-source - by receiving His commission.

The power that is received, is power to become a son, rather than power to do the acts of one. It is not so much the works that we do, as it is what we have become. The 'works' will flow out of what we are -- sons of God!

This 'right' or authority, is given to "as many as received Him" -- to those who were born of God.

"God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth His Spirit into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba Father'. Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Messiah." Galatians 4: 4-7

On the basis of that authority which He has, He commissions us to go - with that authority, and take back the dominion of the earth.

The authority as a son and a co-heir with Him is to rule with Him over all His inheritance.

In this realm, our primary calling is preparation for a cooperative, governmental relationship with Him. To assume our role of kingship -- "And we shall reign on the earth" Revelation 5:10b.

For those of us in covenant with Him He has given us the authority and the power to do what needs to be done, to do what He did in fulfilling the mandate to be a king and a priest in the earth.

That is the restoration of authority!

That is the restoration of the power of the kingdom, that was lost in Eden! This is power and authority over the enemy and all that he has brought into existence on this planet. Bringing men back into relationship with their heavenly Father and releasing them from the power of the enemy, who has had dominion over them.

Exercising The Restored Authority

Restoration of authority is based on restored relationship - by coming back into unity with the Father in His plans and purposes. By being a firstborn son whose life is committed and consecrated to do the Father's will and carry on the 'family' inheritance.

As Y'shua said, "I do nothing of myself", "I do always those things which please the Father"

A representative 'Son' in the earth who presents the image of the Father to the world and seeks to fulfill His purposes of restoring His kingdom. And He said, "Go ye therefore" - with the power and authority which He has given to us and "make disciples" - teach them the principles and statutes of the kingdom, immersing them in the Name, so that they also become sons of the Most High God. Release them from the bondage and slavery of sin and sickness and set them free to serve the living God. Matthew 28:18-20

As He is, so are we in this world, co-heirs of the kingdom and ambassadors for Him on the earth. We have a commission and we have the empowering to fulfill the commission as His kingdom of priests, His firstborn sons, functioning as a firstfruits offering in the earth.

We are now of the same priesthood as our High Priest who birthed us in His image. From our position with Him as spiritual sons of the new order under a new covenant, we function in delegated authority and service under Him in the Melchizedek, kingly priesthood.

By His atonement and redemption in mediating for us, He has made us ministers of the new covenant serving in the power of His life. 2 Corinthians 3: 6; 6: 4 We serve as priests functioning under divine authority to bring His dominion, His kingly authority onto the earth, as Y'shua taught us to pray,

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven .. .." Matthew 6:10

We have the authority as a son and a co-heir with Him to establish His government and rule with Him over all His inheritance, as part of Y'shua’s body, His “assembly of firstborn ones” (Hebrews 12:23). But, through Him and Him alone, are we able to stand before the throne of His Power and exercise that authority. It is His authority, His power and His commission.

"Y'shua Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen." Revelation 1:5-6 " .. .. .. and we shall reign on the earth" Revelation 5:10 Authority is being restored, but how we exercise that authority is the key. Y'shua gave s the example of how to exercise it by being a servant to the family of God.

We are the firstborn. We are to reach out to the lost and restore them to fellowship with our heavenly Father. We are to love our brother and watch out for him and serve him and bless him. That is our calling and we must walk in it.

The Resources of the Kingdom

It says in the opening lines of the Ephesians letter: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Y'shua the Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah” (1: 3)

The Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the spiritual realm in Y'shua. Y'shua has given us everything we need to go out and restore authority in the earth. He took the authority back, and He has commissioned us to go in His Name and assert that authority.

Y'shua has restored our ability to effectively rule over this planet. The Father has now empowered the Renewed Covenant Israel to be His kingdom of priests in the earth.

The firstborn was always given the resources to fulfill his calling. Those in the royal priesthood today, have been equipped with powerful spiritual gifts and weapons, not of the flesh (natural resources), but divinely powerful for the destruction of the structures of the enemy's fortresses which he has in place in his system of government, yet to be dethroned from their present position.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10: 4).

The priestly aspect of our calling has to do with a high level of spiritual worship. This worship not only pleases the heart of Yahweh, but lifts us into the heavens in spiritual warfare, where the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness are defeated and brought down.

We are provided with armour for this spiritual warfare - kings exercising authority have to put down rebellion in their domain and we as yet have the forces of darkness at work in the kingdom.

Y'shua "spoiled the principalities and powers" in the spiritual realm, but it is given into the hands of His "called out ones" (His assembly) to enforce the victory and make it a reality on the earth. Colossians 2:15

"To the intent that NOW unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known by the ASSEMBLY the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Messiah Y'shua our Lord"" Ephesians 3:10-11.

The mandate for kingdom rule on the earth was given to Adam. Y'shua reclaimed it as a man of Adam's race, but His victory over the enemy's dominion was only effectual for Himself. What He gained becomes effectual for those who are IN Him, of the same kind, as Him, who appropriate all that He gained for themselves. That is, to rise to the fullness of the stature of the life of Messiah in every way.

There is a present demonstration of the Millennial rule of the Kingdom that is to take place within the Assembly, through an overcoming people who have so completely submitted themselves to "being made unto our God kings and priests." Yahweh God has a present, higher purpose for us than our going to heaven at the end of our lives. Once we see the reality of this, we will be able to place the totality of our being in His hands for the outworking of this higher purpose in our lives; being made ready to participate with Him in His Millennial Kingdom, which is in preparation now.

It is His purpose "that you might know .. .. .. what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power" Ephesians 1:19

This verse tells us that there is a present expression of this reign upon earth.

In Ephesians Chapter 6, the spiritual equipment that we are given is outlined. This has been wrongly interpreted to be the dress of a military uniform. However, it is the garments of the Melchizedek Priest (Isaiah 59:17). We do not engage the enemy in warfare.

He is a defeated foe!

Y'shua triumphed over him and defeated him and we stand in His victory. Hence, the exhortation, "Stand therefore!", and "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" Ephesians 6:10,14a

As priests we minister the benefits of the atonement and as kings we exercise the dominion gained over the enemy.

Firstly we are exhorted to:

• STAND STRONG IN YAHWEH and in the
• POWER OF HIS MIGHT, THEN to put on the
• ARMOUR OF GOD to stand against the enemy's wiles - his deception over our minds.

We put on:

TRUTH as a GIRDLE, and

RIGHTEOUSNESS as a BREASTPLATE; putting the

GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION on our FEET, with

FAITH as our SHIELD and

SALVATION as our HELMET; the

WORD OF GOD as a SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, and

PRAYER as our SACRIFICES to our High Priest

"But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation." 1 Thessalonians 5: 8 Faith and love = righteousness

Breastplate acts also as a shield - hearts fully toward Him, we stand in faith! The garments of the Priest were described as "the garments of salvation and the robes of righteousness" which covered him. Added to this was a helmet, called a 'mitre' on his head. The 'Ephod' which was the Breastplate, was over his heart and he had a girdle around his waist. These are his protective armour. He has the offensive weapons of prayer/intercession (priest) and the sword (king).

The garments for the ministry of priesthood are outlined in Exodus 28. The garments were required to be worn when the priests conducted their ministry (Exodus 29:4-5,21,29; 31:10).

We see in Revelation, when the saints stand before the throne that they are wearing the linen garments of their holy priesthood. Leviticus 16:32 ; Revelation 7:10; 19: 7-8

The "priests of Yahweh" and the "servants of our God" will say in that day, "I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness" Isaiah 61: 6, 10

Those who attain to this royal priesthood are "blessed and holy" and they "shall be priests of God and of Messiah" and will rule and reign with Him for the thousand years of the kingdom. Revelation 20: 6