The phrase theocracy goes right to the heart of a tough question: what does the Bible say about how faith-based beliefs fit with the government?
What Does the Word Theocracy Mean?
The Jewish historian Josephus used the word theocracy in his 20-volume Antiquities of the Jews, written in Greek in 94 CE. Josephus strove to make Jewish history more appealing to Romans and Greeks in their expanding empires in the Middle East. He describes Biblical leaders—Moses, Samuel, and the following kings—as “philosopher-leaders” of the Jewish people, a nation living under “the direct government of God himself.”
The quest of the Hebrew people for a king ruling with God’s authority and guidance is described in 1 Samuel 8. The Lord tells Samuel, “. . . it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (1 Samuel 8:7). Samuel recognizes that the Hebrew people do not want one of Samuel’s corrupt sons to follow him as a judge. God’s chosen people want Samuel to choose a king to rule over them, the first for the nation of Israel. They believe a strong spiritual leader will curb the practice of Jewish people worshipping false gods.
In 1 Samuel 8:18-22, Samuel warns his people that having a king will have social and economic disadvantages, but they continue to ask for one. Some of the following kings (like Saul) do not follow God, but others (like David) make God and his truths the center of their rule.
What Does the Bible Say Defines a Theocracy?
The book of Psalms contains verse after verse celebrating the relationship between the Lord and the king. Here is one example describing how God protects His people from other nations.
Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call! (Psalm 20:6-9 NIV)
This Bible passage may make readers think about the “Onward, Christians Soldiers” message popular in nineteenth-century England. Receiving blessings associated with being God’s anointed or chosen plays a primary part in Christianity. It is not merely the afterlife that many Christians aspire to, but also to live fully for God today (John 10:10b).
But what does this “fullness of life” entail?
Was Old Testament Israel a Theocracy?
From their beginnings, Old Testament Israeli people lived in a theocracy—God called them His chosen people. In Genesis 17:7-8, God establishes an everlasting covenant with Abraham, which includes the promise that his descendants will have “all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” This prophecy, “I will be your God and you will be my people,” is repeated dozens of times in the Bible.
There is one caveat in living as God’s chosen people: the Israelites must obey God’s law. As God tells Moses in Exodus 19:5-6, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Obeying God’s commands—especially the first commandment, “Though shalt have no other gods before me”—proves to be a major problem as the Israelites spend decades wandering in the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land. Israelites’ religion and faith dilute further when they mingle with other cultures and worship other cultures’ false gods. God is very angry with His chosen people, and the Israelites sometimes feel he is ignoring or punishing them for their disobedience. Meanwhile, prophets cry out warnings and promises to the Hebrew people. For example, Jeremiah 24:7 contains the prophesy, “I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”
These Bible verses about God’s chosen people express a very exclusive, special relationship between the Israelites and their God. Deuteronomy 7:6 says, “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”
God’s calling His people, selecting them from the masses of people on earth, continues into New Testament scripture. First Peter 2:9-10 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
This invitation to be part of God’s holy nation seems to extend to all believers of the New Testament church. It may be the basis of the entitlement many Christians feel in their position in the world.
Are There Any Other Theocracies in the Bible?
The nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, operated against the backdrop of a world of false gods and idol worship. In the cultures encountered by traveling Hebrews of the Bible’s Old Testament, people worship Bael and Athena. These gods and goddesses seem to be merely advisors, teaching life lessons in an entertaining, dramatic way. Yet the unstructured court systems of ancient Greece and Rome were influenced by the authority of their mythic gods. Roman emperors were considered gods, and Greek councils looked to the authority of the gods and goddesses. Indeed, the chief gods of ancient mythology had the highest authority in the Greek and Roman political world. In recorded Bible history, Elijah won a contest with 450 other prophets worshipping foreign gods—to their ruin (1 Kings 18).
What Modern Governments Claimed to be Theocracies?
The idea of religious beliefs shaping public policy resonates throughout history.
Religious leaders clashing with political leaders sometimes created problems—like when Anglican church leader Thomas Beckett clashed with King Henry II, leading to Beckett’s death. In America, early settlers like the Puritans and Pilgrims had varying opinions on combining church and state—sometimes leading to extreme cases like the Salem witch trials.
When American leaders drafted the Constitution, they conflicted over how to separate church and state. Influenced by John Locke, Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1689 that “the church itself is a thing absolutely separate and distinct from the commonwealth [government].” Jefferson did not want Christianity to be any colony’s state religion. On the other hand, his fellow Virginian, Patrick Henry, supported Christianity as its state religion.
The issue continued to cause controversy in American government. When Congress first met in 1789, James Madison introduced the Third Article to the First Amendment of the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . . .” Jefferson continued this idea during his presidency, arguing for a “wall of separation” between church and state and refusing to recognize a national day of prayer and thanksgiving that prior presidents established. However, nine of the thirteen colonies individually supported official religions with tax dollars when the Civil War started in 1861.
Though the United States Constitution supports separating church and state, church doctrine may still be used as a guidebook for judging public affairs. Many great American leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr., used Christian ideals as the basis for changes they wanted to see in society.
Does the Bible Say There Will Be Any Theocracies in the Future?
Can modern-day Christians find their Promised Land, their privileged destiny on earth?
The prosperity gospel assumes Christians can create the kingdom of God right now, particularly by having the right to benefit from the economy. There is support for this idea in Nehemiah 1:11, where Nehemiah seems to pray that financial and political success will go hand in hand with a rich spiritual life: “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. I was cupbearer to the king.”
Does success mean something more than financial and political success? The real kingdom of God, Jesus said, is within you (Luke 17:21). It is a peaceful life serving others with the benefits of the gifts God has given us.
Jesus also spoke about how the kingdom of God was coming. Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” This will be a perfect theocracy, our Promised Land, ruled by the King of Glory. It is another mention in the Bible of the promise that God will be our God, and we will be His people. It will come in God’s timing, not ours.
In the meantime, follow the advice of Hebrews 13:17: to obey leaders, “for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.”
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/d1sk
This article is part of our Christian Terms catalog, exploring words and phrases of Christian theology and history. Here are some of our most popular articles covering Christian terms to help your journey of knowledge and faith:
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