Kingdom Principles

Kingdom Principles

Portugal all competed for new territory in the Western Hemisphere. It was, in fact, the Portuguese monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella who sponsored and financed Columbus’ epic voyage. Portugal focused most of its attention on South America and eventually claimed the area that now comprises the nation of Brazil. For many years Brazil was a colony and a possession of Portugal. That is why to this day Brazilians speak Portuguese. It is a legacy of their years under Portuguese influence and control. The story goes that the son of the king of Portugal said to his father, “I want to be king.” “Well,” the king replied, “you can’t be.” “Why not?” “I am the king of Portugal, and we are in Portugal. You can’t be king because I am still alive. When I am dead, then you will be king.” “But I want to be king now,” the prince said. “I don’t want to wait that long.” So the king of Portugal shipped his son off to South America and made him king over the territory of Brazil. The son was sovereign in Brazil but ruled as a regent under his father, the king of the Portuguese empire, which included Brazil. Whenever the father vis ited his son in Brazil, the son became the prince again until his father left. Then the prince was again king. Whenever the son visit ed his father in Portugal, he again became the prince until he returned to his own domain. If the son wanted to rule as king, it was better for him to stay away from his father. That’s how kingdoms work. All kingdoms have territory, but there can be only one sovereign to rule over it. More than one does not mean divided rule; it means revolt. This picture also illustrates the relationship between God, the King of Heaven, and man, His regent on earth. Because God is a King, and because a kingdom is a country ruled by a king and must therefore have territory, we can draw the conclusion that Heaven is

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