Thrones, Dominions, and the Kingdom of Heaven

Understanding Biblical Authority in Two Realms

King Belshazzar of Babylon was hosting a great feast for a thousand of his nobles when the unthinkable happened. In defiance of the God of Israel, he ordered the gold and silver vessels taken from Jerusalem’s temple to be brought so his guests could drink from them while praising their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

“Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking… Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale”

— Daniel 5:5-6, 8-9, ESV

In that moment, the invisible realm broke through into the visible, and earthly authority faced divine judgment. The most powerful man in the ancient world—commander of armies, builder of empires, master of nations—stood trembling before words he could not read, written by a hand he could not see. The king who ruled from India to Ethiopia was about to discover that there are rulers and authorities far beyond the reach of human power.

This dramatic scene captures a tension that runs throughout Scripture: the complex relationship between earthly rulers and spiritual authorities, between the powers we see and the powers we cannot see. The Bible consistently presents both human governance and spiritual forces as real, active, and interconnected—yet ultimately subject to the supreme authority of God. Scripture’s vocabulary itself reflects this dual reality, using terms that can describe either earthly kings or spiritual powers, sometimes leaving readers uncertain whether human or supernatural authorities are in view. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals that behind every earthly throne stands either the throne of God or the rebellion of darkness, and that understanding both this dual reality and the biblical language that describes it is essential for Christian faithfulness in every generation.

The Foundation: Divine Authority and Human Delegation

The biblical understanding of authority begins not in human institutions but in the character of God Himself. “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). This foundational truth means that all legitimate authority—whether exercised by kings, governors, parents, or pastors—flows from God’s sovereign rule and must be understood in relation to His eternal kingdom.

In the creation narrative, we see the first human exercise of delegated authority as Adam is given dominion over the creatures (Genesis 1:28). This dominion was never meant to be autonomous; it was a stewardship exercised under God’s ultimate sovereignty. When sin entered the world, it corrupted not only individual hearts but also the structures of authority, introducing the possibility of rulers who would oppose rather than serve God’s purposes.

The Tower of Babel provides our first clear picture of human authority set in defiance against divine authority (Genesis 11:1-9). Here, human rulers unite not to serve God’s purposes but to “make a name for ourselves” and resist God’s command to spread across the earth. The confusion of languages and scattering of peoples demonstrates God’s sovereign ability to humble earthly powers that oppose His will—a theme that will resonate throughout biblical history.

Old Testament Portraits: Earthly Kings and Heavenly Council

The Old Testament presents a rich tapestry of rulers operating within the framework of both visible and invisible authorities. When God calls Moses to confront Pharaoh, the narrative reveals that this earthly confrontation is simultaneously a spiritual battle. The plagues are not merely natural disasters but divine judgments “on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD” (Exodus 12:12), demonstrating the Lord’s supremacy over both Pharaoh and the spiritual powers that Egypt’s religion represented.

The book of Daniel provides perhaps the clearest Old Testament picture of the relationship between earthly and spiritual authorities. When Daniel receives visions of future kingdoms, he sees earthly empires as beasts emerging from the chaotic sea (Daniel 7:1-8), while simultaneously witnessing “one like a son of man” approaching “the Ancient of Days” to receive eternal dominion (Daniel 7:13-14). The earthly kingdoms are temporal and brutal; the heavenly kingdom is eternal and righteous.

Most remarkably, Daniel 10 pulls back the curtain on spiritual warfare when an angel explains his delayed response to Daniel’s prayer: “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me” (Daniel 10:13). Here we see that earthly kingdoms—Persia, Greece—have corresponding spiritual “princes” or ruling powers, and that prayer and angelic activity intersect with the rise and fall of human governments.

Israel’s own experience with kingship illustrates the tension between human and divine authority. When the people demand a king “like all the nations,” Samuel warns them that earthly kings will inevitably abuse their power (1 Samuel 8:10-18). Yet God grants their request while making clear that even Israel’s kings must submit to His word through the prophets. The tragic cycle of faithful and faithless kings demonstrates that human authority, even when divinely instituted, remains vulnerable to corruption and rebellion.

David’s psalms reveal a king who understands his authority as derivative and accountable: “By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly” (Proverbs 8:15-16). The ideal king in Israel was to be a “servant of the LORD,” ruling according to divine law and pointing beyond himself to God’s ultimate kingship.

The Prophetic Lens: Judgment and Hope

The prophetic books consistently present earthly rulers as accountable to divine justice while simultaneously revealing the spiritual dimensions of political power. Isaiah’s taunt against the king of Babylon seamlessly transitions from describing an earthly tyrant to addressing the fallen angel behind him: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!” (Isaiah 14:12). The earthly king and the spiritual power are so interconnected that judgment on one involves judgment on the other.

Ezekiel employs similar imagery when addressing the king of Tyre, moving from political critique to spiritual rebellion: “You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God… You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:14-15). These passages suggest that earthly rulers often embody and express the character of spiritual authorities that stand behind them—whether aligned with God’s purposes or in rebellion against them.

The prophetic vision consistently looks beyond present political arrangements to God’s ultimate establishment of His kingdom. Isaiah sees a day when “On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth” (Isaiah 24:21), indicating that final judgment will encompass both spiritual and earthly authorities. This dual judgment prepares the way for the messianic kingdom where “the government shall be upon his shoulder” and “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

New Testament Revelation: Christ’s Victory Over All Powers

The New Testament dramatically expands our understanding of spiritual authorities while affirming the continued reality of human government. Paul’s teaching in Romans 13:1-7 that “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” must be read alongside his extensive discussions of spiritual powers in Ephesians and Colossians. The apostle who commands submission to earthly rulers also warns that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

This apparent tension resolves when we understand that Paul recognizes both legitimate human authority (which serves God’s purposes for order and justice) and illegitimate spiritual authority (which opposes God’s kingdom). The key distinction lies not in the realm—earthly or spiritual—but in the relationship to God’s will. Human rulers who serve justice and maintain order function as “God’s servant for your good” (Romans 13:4), while spiritual powers that promote rebellion and chaos stand under divine judgment.

The Gospels consistently present Jesus’ earthly ministry as involving encounters with both human and spiritual authorities. When Jesus casts out demons, they recognize His authority and cry out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” (Mark 1:24). When He stands before Pilate, Jesus acknowledges earthly authority while asserting its limitations: “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11).

The crucifixion represents the ultimate confrontation between earthly and spiritual authorities. Human rulers—represented by Jewish religious leaders and Roman political power—conspire to execute the Son of God, yet this very act becomes the means by which Christ “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15). The apparent victory of earthly and spiritual powers becomes their ultimate defeat.

Paul’s prison epistles, written while he was literally under the authority of Roman guards, contain his most extensive teaching about spiritual powers. In Ephesians, he describes Christ as seated “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21). The language of “rule and authority” encompasses both earthly governments and spiritual powers, all of which are subject to Christ’s supremacy.

Similarly, Colossians presents Christ as the one “by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). The comprehensive scope—visible and invisible, earthly thrones and spiritual powers—emphasizes that no authority exists outside of Christ’s creative and redemptive work.

Decoding the Language of Power: Understanding Biblical Terminology

Before examining how Christians should live in light of these dual authorities, we must address a crucial interpretive challenge: the Bible’s vocabulary for describing rulers and powers often blurs the line between human and spiritual authorities. Understanding these terms is essential for faithful Bible reading, as the same words can describe earthly kings, spiritual beings, or both simultaneously.

In the Hebrew Old Testament, melekim (kings) typically refers to human rulers, from Pharaoh to David to foreign monarchs. Yet the term can also describe God as the ultimate King (Psalm 47:7) and is used metaphorically for spiritual powers. Similarly, sarim (princes or rulers) usually denotes human officials and nobles (Isaiah 1:23, Daniel 1:3), but can also refer to angelic beings, as when Daniel speaks of “Michael, one of the chief princes” (Daniel 10:13) or the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” who opposed God’s messenger.

The Greek New Testament presents even more complexity. Paul’s letters employ a rich vocabulary of authority that often leaves interpreters debating whether specific passages address human governments or spiritual powers. The term archē (beginning, rule, authority) can refer to human magistrates (Luke 12:11, Titus 3:1) or to spiritual “rulers” (Ephesians 3:10, Colossians 1:16). Exousia (authority, power) similarly describes both human governmental authority (Romans 13:1-3) and spiritual powers that oppose God (Luke 4:6, Colossians 1:13).

Most intriguingly, Paul uses kosmokratores (world-rulers) in Ephesians 6:12, a term that literally means “rulers of this world” but in the ESV is memorably translated as “cosmic powers over this present darkness”—the only use of “cosmic” in the entire Bible. This term clearly refers to spiritual forces rather than human politicians, emphasizing the universal scope of spiritual warfare. This same universal scope appears when Paul writes of Christ’s supremacy over “every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21)—language broad enough to encompass both Caesar’s throne and Satan’s kingdom.

The interpretive key lies in recognizing that biblical authors often used this deliberately ambiguous language because earthly and spiritual authorities are interconnected. When Isaiah pronounces judgment on the “king of Babylon” who falls like “O Day Star, son of Dawn” (Isaiah 14:4, 12), the prophecy works on both levels—condemning a human tyrant while revealing the spiritual rebellion behind earthly pride. Similarly, when Paul commands submission to “governing authorities” (exousiai) in Romans 13 while warning against “rulers” (archās) of darkness in Ephesians 6, he recognizes that human government can serve either divine or demonic purposes.

Context becomes crucial for determining whether specific passages emphasize human or spiritual authorities. References to taxation, courts, and civic duties clearly indicate human government (Romans 13:6-7). Descriptions of warfare, heavenly places, and invisible realms point to spiritual powers (Ephesians 6:11-12). Yet many passages intentionally embrace both dimensions, reflecting the biblical worldview that earthly and heavenly authorities operate in dynamic relationship.

This linguistic complexity explains why Christians have sometimes struggled to know when Scripture calls for submission to human authority versus resistance to spiritual oppression. The vocabulary itself teaches us that these are not always separate categories—that human rulers can embody spiritual forces, whether godly or demonic, and that our response must be shaped by discerning which kingdom they ultimately serve.

The Unseen Realm: When Scripture Addresses Spiritual Powers Directly

While much biblical language about rulers and authorities can apply to both human and spiritual powers, certain passages speak directly and exclusively about demonic spiritual authorities that operate behind earthly systems. Understanding these texts is crucial for recognizing when Scripture calls Christians not to political engagement but to spiritual warfare.

The book of Daniel provides the clearest Old Testament picture of these invisible spiritual hierarchies. When the angel explains his delayed response to Daniel’s prayer, he reveals a spiritual realm organized much like earthly kingdoms: “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days” (Daniel 10:13). This “prince” (sar) is clearly not the human king of Persia but a spiritual being assigned to that earthly kingdom. Similarly, the angel refers to “Michael, your prince” (Daniel 10:21), indicating that Israel too has a spiritual guardian. These passages reveal that earthly nations have corresponding spiritual “princes” or territorial spirits that influence their direction and character.

Paul’s letters expand this understanding dramatically. When he warns that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12), every term he uses—archās, exousias, kosmokratores, pneumatika—refers exclusively to spiritual entities, not human governments. The context makes clear that these are organized demonic forces operating in hierarchical structures that mirror earthly authority.

The phrase “cosmic powers” (kosmokratores) is particularly revealing. This compound word literally means “world-rulers” and was used in ancient literature to describe gods or spiritual beings who governed earthly affairs. Paul appropriates this term to describe fallen spiritual authorities that have usurped dominion over earthly systems. These are not human rulers but spiritual entities that seek to control and corrupt human institutions.

Colossians provides additional insight into these spiritual hierarchies. When Paul describes Christ’s victory, he specifies that Christ “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15). The context—discussing circumcision, food laws, festivals, and ascetic practices—suggests these “rulers and authorities” are spiritual powers that promote religious legalism and false spirituality rather than human governments.

The book of Revelation pulls back the curtain on this spiritual realm most dramatically. The “great dragon” who “is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” (Revelation 12:9) leads organized spiritual forces in warfare against God’s people. The beast that emerges from the sea receives “authority” from the dragon (Revelation 13:2), indicating that earthly political systems can become instruments of spiritual powers opposed to God.

Jesus Himself recognized these spiritual authorities when He acknowledged Satan as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). This title (archōn) indicates that Satan claims authority over earthly systems, though his rule is illegitimate and temporary. When Satan tempts Jesus with “all the kingdoms of the world” (Luke 4:5-6), he claims that earthly authority “has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.” While Jesus doesn’t dispute Satan’s current influence over worldly systems, He ultimately defeats this usurped authority through the cross.

Paul’s teaching about these spiritual powers explains why political solutions alone cannot address humanity’s deepest problems. Behind unjust laws, oppressive systems, and corrupt institutions stand spiritual forces that promote rebellion against God’s purposes. This is why Paul commands Christians to put on spiritual armor rather than simply advocating for better policies (Ephesians 6:13-17).

Recognizing these spiritual authorities also explains why the early church could submit to imperfect human governments while simultaneously resisting the spiritual powers that sought to compromise their faith. They understood that Caesar, while holding legitimate earthly authority, was himself influenced by spiritual forces—and their ultimate battle was not against Caesar but against the spiritual powers that sought to turn his authority against God’s purposes.

This understanding transforms Christian engagement with earthly authority. We neither demonize human rulers (who may be unknowing instruments) nor ignore the spiritual dimensions of political and social issues. Instead, we engage in both civic responsibility and spiritual warfare, recognizing that lasting change requires victory over spiritual powers as well as wise engagement with human institutions.

Understanding the biblical teaching about rulers and authorities has profound implications for Christian discipleship. First, it calls for a nuanced approach to earthly authority that neither absolutizes human power nor dismisses the need for ordered government. Christians are called to “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17) while remembering that ultimate allegiance belongs to Christ alone.

The book of Acts provides multiple examples of this balanced approach. The apostles submit to lawful arrest and trial (Acts 4:3, 5:18) while boldly declaring that “we must obey God rather than men” when commanded to stop preaching (Acts 5:29). They show respect for governmental processes while maintaining prophetic courage when those processes conflict with divine commands.

Second, this teaching transforms our understanding of prayer and spiritual warfare. When Paul urges “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Timothy 2:1-2), he recognizes that human rulers operate within a larger spiritual context. Christian prayer for political leaders is not merely civic responsibility but spiritual warfare, seeking God’s intervention in both earthly and heavenly realms.

The model prayer that Jesus taught includes the petition “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), which implicitly recognizes the present gap between earthly reality and heavenly authority. Christian discipleship involves living as citizens of heaven while engaging responsibly with earthly citizenship, always with the hope that God’s kingdom purposes will ultimately prevail.

Third, this perspective provides both realism and hope in the face of corrupt or oppressive earthly authority. The biblical recognition that spiritual powers of evil influence human governments explains why political solutions alone cannot address humanity’s deepest problems. At the same time, the promise of Christ’s ultimate victory over all powers provides hope that transcends any earthly political arrangement.

Living Between Two Kingdoms: Practical Implications

The Circle of Supremacy: From Babylon’s Fall to Heaven’s Throne

As we return to that throne room in Babylon where human authority trembled before divine judgment, we see the pattern that runs throughout Scripture: earthly powers rise and fall, spiritual authorities rebel and are defeated, but God’s kingdom endures forever. The handwriting on Belshazzar’s wall declared that earthly kingdoms are “weighed in the balances and found wanting” (Daniel 5:27), but the vision of Daniel 7 reveals “one like a son of man” receiving a kingdom that “shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).

This same Jesus who stood silent before earthly judges now sits at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven, “with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him” (1 Peter 3:22). The crucified King has become the exalted Lord, and every earthly throne must ultimately bow before His eternal throne. The powers that seemed so formidable—whether the Roman Empire that crucified Him or the spiritual forces that tempted Him—have been exposed as defeated enemies marching in His triumphal procession.

For Christians living between the inauguration and consummation of Christ’s kingdom, this vision provides both perspective and power. We engage with earthly authorities as those who know their temporal nature and ultimate accountability to divine justice. We resist spiritual powers as those who share in Christ’s victory and look forward to their final defeat. And we pray and work for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, knowing that the One who has all authority in heaven and earth has promised to be with us “to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

The great throne room of eternity will contain no mysterious handwriting, no trembling tyrants, no defeated powers. There, the biblical vocabulary that once seemed ambiguous—archē and exousia, sarim and melekim—will find its perfect clarity as every authority, human and spiritual, earthly and heavenly, bows before the throne of the Lamb. “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). The rulers and authorities, both seen and unseen, will find their proper place in submission to the King of kings and Lord of lords, and His kingdom will have no end.