Refusing to be subjects in someone else’s empire, Johannes and his family took a page out of colonist Noah’s book, got on a ship and left behind this old world for the New World.
The Church on earth is a colony of heaven’s citizens commissioned to heavenize earth.
I started believing this twenty-five years ago. Ever since I’ve been on a journey to live as a free citizen of the Kingdom of God on earth now. I refuse to be a subject of the Fallen World System where my highest ambition is merely to go to heaven when I die.
Charting a fresh path today for how to be a colony of heaven begins by engaging in a little Secret Counsel with our friends. One of those friends is Johannes Wolff, Jr., currently a member of the Church in heaven.
From Subject to Citizen
On July 25, 1889, Sheila’s great-grandfather, Johannes Wolff, Jr. appeared before the Clerk of the District Court of McIntosh County, Dakota Territory, before whom he “made oath that he was born in Russia on or about the year eighteen hundred and sixty eight, that he immigrated to the United States and landed at the port of New York on or about the month of April in eighteen hundred and eighty five; that it is bona fide his intention to become a CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, and to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatever, and particularly to the Czar of Russia whereof he is a subject, and that he will support the Constitution and Government of the United States.”
Johannes was born a German colonist in Russia. Beginning in the late 1700’s, waves of German colonists immigrated to Russia at the invitation of Catherine the Great, who was of German descent and who became the renowned, longest-reigning female ruler of Russia. But on June 4, 1871, when Johannes was about three, Czar Alexander II revoked the rights that Catherine had granted the colonists, turning Johannes and his family into subjects of the Russian Empire.
Refusing to be subjects in someone else’s empire, Johannes and his family took a page out of colonist Noah’s book, got on a ship and left behind this old world for the New World.
Baptism Revisited
The document Johannes Wolff signed on July 25, 1889, is the civil equivalent of a baptismal certificate rightly understood.
Baptism is not a rite by which individuals publically declare that they are “saved” and going to heaven when they die. Through the waters of baptism the Church collectively declares that the person being baptized is now accountable to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to the powers of the Fallen World System, and particularly to the Prince of the Fallen World System, Satan, whereof we have been subjects, and that the one baptized is now a citizen of the Kingdom of God on earth who serves Emperor Jesus, His Constitution, and His Government.
Noah and his family passed through the baptismal flood waters to colonize the New World. Israel did not go through the baptismal waters of the Red Sea for any reason less than to be constituted as a colony of heaven on earth at Mount Sinai. The Lord then commissioned Israel to take heaven’s culture revealed on Mount Sinai with them through the baptismal waters of the Jordan River and heavenize the Promised Land.
Colonists bring the culture of their homeland with them to transform whatever land they land in accordingly. While exiles conform to the culture of their captors, colonists invite their would-be captors to convert to their culture or let them go. The Lord was a perfect Gentlemen in telling Pharaoh through Moses, “Let my people go.” After Pharaoh refused, ten plagues later Israel left anyway.
Captors beware. Colonists be brave. God favors colonists.
“You are a Colony of Heaven”
The ancient city of Philippi took its name from Philip of Macedon, Alexander the Great’s father. Caesar Augustus refounded Philippi––a city in the midst of “barbarian” territory––as a colony of Rome for Roman military vets in honor of their service. Philippi thus became a beachhead of Roman life and values that served as a model and training ground for people seeking Roman citizenship.
Philippi’s status as a colony of Rome is the background to Paul’s statement to the Church at Philippi, “We are a colony [politeuma] of heaven” (Phil. 3:20a, Moffatt translation). Other English translations render this phrase as, “Our citizenship is in heaven.” The idea is that the Church on earth is a commonwealth or colony of heaven’s citizens.
The Greek word politeuma is where we get the English words political and politics.
Heaven’s politics or politeuma make the Church a polis (a “city”) called to embody on earth heaven’s worship, culture, music, customs, lifestyle, family values, story, language, art, science, clothes, government, law, mercy, justice, constitution, calendar, economics, and education.
Thank you, Johannes “Noah” Wolff, Jr. for helping us to see that heavenly citizenship isn’t just for heaven anymore.
Boyd+
The Eighth Week after Pentecost, 2015
Boyd writes a new Secret Counsel blog every couple weeks. Click here to see the whole collection.