Studying lately about Moses and the Law of God given to the Israelites has pricked my interest in theocracies. Just what are they, and when might Israel have been one?
According to Oxford’s dictionary, a theocracy is a government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god. According to this source, Israel was mentioned as a theocracy from the time of Moses until they elected Saul as king. An opinion many Christians, no doubt, share. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 603, gives some evidence for this line of thinking.
An enhanced definition of a theocracy, however, is a country “ruled by divine guidance or by officials who are seen as divinely guided, with a supreme deity or religious figure as the ultimate authority. In a theocracy, laws are based on religious texts, and the clergy often hold political power, making decisions based on religious doctrine rather than popular vote.”
Several Muslim countries today, like Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen are therefore seen as theocracies. And so is Vatican City, since it is ruled solely by a religious cleric, the Catholic pope.
With this wider definition, Israel might have been seen as a theocracy even after Saul’s reign. God certainly worked with and alongside several Israelite and Judean kings. Would they not at least be considered under God’s rule, when their kings, who had originally been anointed by God, adhered to their religious doctrines?
And of course, this brings into question the Babylonian exile. This pivotal event, which included the destruction of the Temple, certainly caused a major disruption and shift in how those coming from Judah, now called Jews, maintained their ties with God so He could rule over them. After their return to Jerusalem seventy years later, they did go back to a theocracy of sorts, with the High Priest and synagogues serving a prominent role.
Furthermore, many today see Israel no longer a theocracy, or having the possibility to be one, after they rejected and killed Jesus, their Messiah, and with the stoning of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, a few years later. For most Christians, this ended the period when the Jews were considered God’s chosen people. Instead, His chosen ones now include both Jews and Gentiles, all those who accept Him as King in their hearts (which by the way, the Jews also were required to do even when they were a theocracy). We, who belong to Jesus, are now all spiritual children of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).
Could some also claim the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. as a time when Israel ceased to be a theocracy?
Why was it important for me to grapple with these questions about theocracies? Well, for one thing, many people today think Israel will be elevated to a theocracy again before the Second Coming of Christ. I find no solid Scriptural evidence for this. All verses seem to point to the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven (Revelation 21:2). Why would that happen if it were already here on earth?
With all this in mind, ancient Israel’s spotty performance as a theocracy has shown us the difficulty of setting up God’s Kingdom here on earth. That’s why Jesus tried desperately to teach us about God’s Kingdom existing in the hearts of His dedicated followers, whoever they are.
Another reason I wanted to explore this issue is the fact that some countries, including the United States right now, feel it is their solemn duty to become a nation ruled by God’s laws, in other words, a theocracy. If we aren’t careful, we can become just like Muslim countries today, where their particular brand of religion takes precedence over all others and freedom to worship is severely limited.
Let’s remember that only Jesus is “King of kings and Lord of lords”. I can’t wait for the only true theocracy we will someday enjoy–when Jesus comes literally to take us out of this world.
