JUDICIAL, LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE

Isaiah 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. In our text we see the three powers of government; judicial, legislative, and executive. Our founding fathers created a system of government which took into account the sinful nature of man and his ever present desire to accumulate more power in his hands to lord it over his fellow man. They had enough Biblical wisdom to create a constitutional republic which keeps these powers separate and has them checking and balancing one another. This avoids a concentration of power where one branch of government takes for itself the roles of all three branches. Because of the sin nature of men (of course excluding the man Christ Jesus who has no sin nature and who is also God), this is likely to lead to tyranny of one sort or another. Throughout history, there have been kings, dictators, and presidents who have desired to have ultimate and full power over their fellow man. That is, not content with being the executive who carries out the legislation which has been determined by the judiciary to be consistent with the law of the land (in America's case, the Constitution), such men have sought to decide what is right and wrong (judiciary), make laws in accord with what they think is right and wrong (legislative), and carry out the enforcement of those laws. This is what we refer to as tyranny. Humanly speaking, the coming antichrist will be the ultimate tyrant. This is because he will be a man whose "power, and seat, and great authority" come from the dragon, Satan. He will be a man who readily accepts Satan's offer in Luke 4:5-7 (5) And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. (6) And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. (7) If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. Incidently, Satan made this offer to Jesus Christ, who refused it with a scripture verse, Luke 4:8 (8) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Apparently, at the time of that temptation, Satan was ignorant of the fact that Jesus Christ was not only a man, but the Almighty God who created the universe. As such, Satan's offer to him was a pathetic joke, since the entire universe is owned by Christ. Only our great God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ fully and completely holds all three branches of power: legislative, judicial, and executive. Only he qualifies for the job, for several reasons. He is absolutely holy and righteous and just and cannot sin. There is no abuse of power by him, no use of his power to do unrighteousness and injustice. All he does is right and just. Also, he created the universe. He owns it all. Therefore, he can do as he pleases with what is his own. We show now that Jesus Christ is indeed the ultimate legislator, judge and king. He gives his commandments which we are to obey: Matthew 28:18-20 (18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:... He has all judgement in his hands: John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son: Finally, he is the king who executes judgement based on his law: 1 Timothy 6:14-15 (14)...the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: (15) Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Godly people long for the day when he manifests himself visibly to this world, and executes his kingly power in judging all who violate his laws.