My Kingdom Is Not of This World

From our earliest days we as a church have understood that the union of church and state will play a decisive role in end-time events. During the past few years we have witnessed something reemerging: a growing movement among Christians, not to separate from the state, but to seize it in the name of Christ. Across the United States and beyond, Christian leaders and influencers are entering the public sphere with the goal of transforming society through politics.

Seventh-day Adventists have preached about controversy and persecution in the end-times, and we must also sound a warning cry about the diversions that distract us from our mission in these last days. Evangelistic meetings and Bible studies traditionally address the futurist interpretation of the Second Coming, commonly known as the secret rapture. This idea that God’s people will be taken to heaven before Christ’s visible return has been prevalent in Christianity since the 1800s. Many in our church are thus familiar with futurism and the secret rapture theory, but another equally seductive doctrine in the futurist school of thought also deserves our attention.

In recent years a growing movement among evangelical and charismatic Christians has been reshaping the way some think about the mission of the church and its role in society. It is known as dominion theology. This ideology blurs the line between spiritual mission and political power, replacing the biblical hope of Christ’s return with a human-driven agenda to establish God’s kingdom on earth through civil authority. By reinterpreting the Great Commission as a mandate to seize control of cultural and governmental institutions, dominion theology offers an alternate eschatology that directly contradicts the prophetic message entrusted to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and paves the way for the revival of church-state union.

The first dominion theologians believed that theocracy was the means to achieve their goal. Christian reconstructionism, a form of dominion theology, was launched around 1968 by Rousas J. Rushdoony, Greg Bahnsen, and Gary North. They taught that America must become a theocracy similar to ancient Israel, and that the Mosaic laws are binding for Christians today.[1]

In recent years a growing movement among evangelical and charismatic Christians has been reshaping the way some think about the mission of the church and its role in society.

The theology is based on postmillennialism, the belief that God’s kingdom will be established on earth before Christ returns. This desire to create a Christian kingdom on earth motivates dominionist Christian leaders to pursue roles in civil government to promote their prophetic reinterpretation. They believe they have been appointed by God to build His kingdom, and their ideology is gaining support in legislative circles.

Dominion theology teaches that Christ’s Great Commission involves not only personal evangelism but also the transformation of entire nations. Its proponents believe the ultimate goal is for the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdom of Christ through Christian influence and obedience. In other words, it is the belief that Christians are mandated to take control of culture, law, and civil institutions to establish God’s kingdom on earth before Christ returns. This view effectively equates the Great Commission of Matthew 28 with a divine transfer of authority to the church to rule the world by human means.

One of the organizations driving this theology is the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement, cofounded by C. Peter Wagner, a professor and theologian, who was well-known in the 1980s in the church growth movement. In Wagner’s book Dominion he offers insight into what our society and world should resemble under this ideology. As he summarizes: “The Kingdom of God is not confined to the four walls of the local church. . . . It is these extended church leaders who will be most effective in transforming society. Workplace apostles are called to take dominion in business, government, arts and entertainment, media, family, and education.”[2] He calls this regulation the Seven Mountain Mandate. One of the NAR motivational speakers, Lance Wallnau, who has spoken about this since the early 2000s, writes in Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate: “We need believers in positions of power—at the peaks of these mountains—in order to see our communities impacted by the presence of the King and His Kingdom.”[3] Their strategy combines political activism with spiritual warfare to claim these seven cultural spheres for Christ (religion, family, education, government, media, business, and the arts).

Resist the Distraction

For some Seventh-day Adventists there can be a subtle temptation to adopt dominionist ideas, particularly when they appear to align with efforts to uphold morality or resist cultural decline. Some members are drawn to dynamic Christian leaders or movements that emphasize moral reform, religious freedom, or national revival, without fully realizing the theological framework behind these messages. Through social media, conferences, and online platforms, themes such as “Standing for Truth” or “Restoring America” are shared with sincere intentions but have dominionistic roots.

As we navigate the complexities of today’s religious and political landscape, it is vital that we reaffirm the historicist method of interpreting prophecy and the prophetic identity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Satan is a master of diversion. When God’s people lose sight of their distinct prophetic calling, they can be drawn into movements that seem righteous but subtly shift the focus from Christ’s kingdom to earthly power. Dominion theology presents itself as a solution to secularism, but in doing so, it can distract believers from the real work of preparing hearts for Christ’s return. Instead of proclaiming the everlasting gospel and calling people out of Babylon, we risk becoming entangled in political agendas and culture wars. The enemy knows he cannot destroy the message outright, so he seeks to dilute it or redirect the messenger, replacing spiritual urgency with nationalistic zeal. This is why we must remain vigilant and grounded in Scripture, ever mindful of our identity and the gospel mission entrusted to us.

As we navigate the complexities of today’s religious and political landscape, it is vital that we reaffirm the historicist method of interpreting prophecy and the prophetic identity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The greatest threats are not always external; they often arise from within. Compromise with worldly ideas will gradually reshape us as individuals and as a church if we are not careful. We have seen this happen throughout Christian history.

In the days of Christ the Jewish people longed for a Messiah who would establish a political kingdom, enforce what they believed were God’s laws, and elevate the Jewish people as the spiritual and civil authorities over the world. They were willing to accept Jesus if He would fulfill those nationalistic expectations.

Ellen White also mentioned that this was happening in her day. “Today in the religious world there are multitudes who, as they believe, are working for the establishment of the kingdom of Christ as an earthly and temporal dominion. They desire to make our Lord the ruler of the kingdoms of this world, the ruler in its courts and camps, its legislative halls, its palaces and market places. They expect Him to rule through legal enactments, enforced by human authority. Since Christ is not now here in person, they themselves will undertake to act in His stead, to execute the laws of His kingdom.”[4] Jesus, on the other hand, refused to take an earthly throne. Instead, He made it explicitly clear: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36); He rejected the use of civil power to advance spiritual causes. Like Christ, we are called to reject earthly dominionist ideas and faithfully proclaim His heavenly kingdom to lost souls until He returns.

[1] Greg L. Bahnsen and Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., House Divided: The Break-up of Dispensational Theology (Tyler, Tex.: Institute for Christian Economics, 1989), p. 3.

[2] C. Peter Wagner, Dominion!: How Kingdom Action Can Change the World (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 2008), p. 8.

[3] Lance Wallnau, Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate (Shippensburg, Pa.: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 2013), p. 13.

[4] Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, Calif..: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1898, 1940), p. 509.