abstract: Attempts to deal with the issue of political dissent in a way that is clearly tied to the text of Scripture.

National Reform Association ==>Christian Statesman ==>March - April 1999 ==>The Throne of Iniquity

The Christian Statesman POBox 8741-WP
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The Throne of Iniquity

by William Einwechter

Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood (Ps. 94:20-21).

This text contains a striking description of corrupt, tyrannical civil government. By studying it, we can learn the features of a corrupt government and of God's connection to it. Furthermore, there are important principles in this passage for God's people to apply when they are confronted with a "throne of iniquity."

Context of Psalm 94:20-21

Psalm 94 is joined closely to Psalms 93 and 95. Each of these Psalms emphasize the sovereign rule of God over all the earth. Psalm 93 declares that "the Lord reigneth," that He is clothed in majesty and strength, and that His "throne is established of old." Psalm 95 celebrates God as the savior of His people. It calls the righteous to praise Him as a "great King above all gods." Coming between these two, is Psalm 94 that lays stress on God as the "judge of the earth" who will render vengeance on the workers of iniquity. These workers of iniquity are the proud, wicked, and tyrannical civil magistrates of a thoroughly corrupt civil government. In Psalm 94 the psalmist is pleading with God to rise up in judgment against the wicked rulers and establish righteousness in the seats of civil power.

Psalm 94 begins with an appeal for "God, to whom vengeance belongeth," to judge the proud (vv. 1-2). Next, a description of the wickedness of the proud is given (vv. 3-7). After this, the psalmist instructs the wicked in their folly, expressing to them that God sees their sin and He shall act in judgment (vv. 8-11). Then, he gives encouragement to the godly by recounting God's past faithfulness (vv. 12-19). Finally, the psalmist indicates that the proud men that he has been speaking of in the psalm are actually evil rulers who corrupt the office of civil magistrate, and he declares the certain judgment of God against them (vv. 20-23).

Interpretation of Psalm 94:20-21

Verse 20 begins with a question addressed to God: "Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?" To ask a question such as this is to answer it--of course not! The Holy One of Israel who rules over the earth in righteousness could never have fellowship with a "throne of iniquity."

The word, "throne" (kesh'ea), refers to a "seat of honour," and is specifically used in reference to the throne of a king (Job 36:7). It is also employed in a more general sense to designate the tribunal (seat of judgment, court of justice) of a judge and magistrate (Ps. 122:5; Neh. 3:7). The word "iniquity" (hav'fbv'f4th) is an interesting term. It means calamity, destruction, ruin, or disaster. It can refer to the trouble itself (Prov. 19:13), or to the cause of the calamity, i.e., wickedness (Ps. 5:9). 1 Thus, the "throne of iniquity" refers to civil authority that brings ruin on a people because of the wickedness of the rulers. It is "a government whose administration was like a yawning gulf, swallowing up its subjects in irretrievable ruin."2

What is the relationship of God to such an evil throne? The psalmist, by means of a rhetorical question, answers emphatically that God can have no "fellowship" with the throne of iniquity. The verb "have fellowship" (ch'e2bar), expresses the action of being joined to, allied with, or in league with. It is used numerous times in the Old Testament to refer to political and military alliances (Gen. 14:3; 2 Chron. 20:35-37; Dan. 11:6). God is not allied in any way with a corrupt civil government and its wicked rulers; this indicates, as Briggs explains, that such an evil civil administration does not "have the divine sanction and support."3 Calvin states: " The meaning of the Psalmist is apparent then; and it is this, that honourable as a throne may be, so far as the name goes, it ceases to have any worth or estimation with God when abused by wicked men; for iniquity can never meet with his approbation."4

What distinguishes a civil government as a throne of destruction and wickedness that has no divine sanction or support? Three marks are given by the psalmist.

  1. First, it "frameth mischief by a law." The verb "frameth" (y'e2tsar), denotes the action of devising, forming, fashioning, or planning. It is an active participle in this text, and thus indicates that the activity of devising is continuous.5 These wicked rulers are continually devising "mischief by a statute." It is their habitual practice.

    "Mischief" ("'e2m'e2l), designates 'the dark side of labor, the grievous and unfulfilling aspect of work.'6 It refers, to labor, toil, trouble, pain, and sorrow. It was used, for example, in regard to the labor, trouble and sorrow associated with slavery (Deut. 26:6-7). The term 'mischief' was also employed in a more general sense to indicate any grievance, misery, perverseness, or sorrow. All in all, the word has very negative overtones.

    The throne of iniquity devises trouble and grief by means of a 'statute,' i.e., by means of a legal decree. These magistrates use their authority to frame laws that bring misery and sorrow to the people they govern; they reduce the state of the citizens to a condition that is akin to slavery. 'Under the cloak of legal enactments they work their mischievous plans.'7

    An important parallel verse to Psalm 94:20 is Isaiah 10:1, which, speaking of the civil rulers of Israel, says, 'Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed.' In Isaiah 1:10, the word translated 'grievousness' is the very same Hebrew word translated as 'mischief' in Psalm 94:10. In both texts, the civil magistrates use their authority from God (an authority that was to be employed for the good of the people) to enact laws that are unrighteous (i.e., contrary to the laws of God), and bring grief and misery to the citizens. This abuse of authority and evil conduct puts the perpetrators under God's curse--His declaration of 'Woe.'

  2. Second, the civil rulers whose administration is a throne of iniquity 'gather themselves against the soul of the righteous.' This indicates that they persecute the people of God. The 'righteous' are those who worship God and walk in obedience to His law; who seek to 'lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty' (1 Tim. 2:2). However, evil rulers will not leave them in peace, but 'gather themselves together against' them. The verb translated 'gather together,' means to gather in troops or go as a band of soldiers. It suggests that the throne of iniquity sends its troops, its 'agents,' to harass the souls of the righteous and to plunder their goods. The persecution of God's people by these wicked magistrates is spoken of in verse 5 of this psalm: 'They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage.'

  3. Third, the throne of iniquity 'condemn[s] the innocent blood.' To condemn innocent blood is to declare the guiltless guilty, and then punish them for a crime they did not commit. Proverbs declares that such injustice is an abomination: 'He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even both are an abomination to the Lord' (Prov. 17:15). It is instructive to note that the magistrates who condemn the innocent are at the same time justifying the wicked and shielding them from punishment.

    To condemn innocent blood also includes the oppression of the weak and helpless (even to the point of taking their lives). That this is the case is confirmed in verse 6 of Psalm 94 where the conduct of the throne of iniquity against the weak is described as follows: 'They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.'

A civil government that continuously fashions unrighteous civil legislation that brings trouble, grief, and misery to the people; that persecutes God's people by harassing their souls and plundering their goods; and that punishes the innocent, justifies the wicked, and preys on the weak and helpless, is a 'throne of iniquity.' Such a civil administration does not have divine sanction and is under His curse. It is the psalmist's prayer, therefore, that God will not tarry, but arise in judgment and exercise His holy vengeance against such proud usurpers to office of magistrate (Ps. 94:1-3).

Application of Psalm 94:20-21

This text on the throne of iniquity is very important, and needs to be applied by God's people today. The following applications are suggestive as to how this can be done.

  1. A civil government, or ruler, can become so corrupt that it, or he, ceases to have divine sanction and support. God can have no fellowship, i.e., cannot be joined to or allied in any way with a throne of iniquity. Civil power is established by God and the ruler is His servant (Rom. 13:1-6). Therefore, He gives His sanction to the 'powers that be.' However, a civil power or magistrate can become so corrupt that God withdraws His support. He declares, in effect, 'This particular government is not my ordinance, nor is this magistrate my servant.'

  2. A civil government, or ruler, that does not have God's sanction cannot have the sanction of God's people. If God cannot have fellowship with a throne of iniquity, how can His people? Therefore, Christians must not be allied with a wicked government or rulers. The church must raise its voice in public testimony against a throne of iniquity, declaring that it is not God's ordinance nor are the evil rulers His servants. The covenant people must witness to the fact that wicked rulers are proud usurpers who have turned a throne that is to be marked by righteousness (Prov. 16:12; 20:8) into a throne marked by manifest unrighteousness.

    Does this, therefore, imply that Christians must assume a position of absolute political dissent when they find themselves in a nation ruled by a throne of iniquity? Not necessarily. The word 'fellowship' means to be in alliance or league with someone; it implies support. If a Christian is in a nation where he has the right of choosing his rulers, of serving in the office of magistrate, or of influencing the course of legislation, and he exercises those powers to oppose a corrupt government, it cannot be said that he is in 'fellowship' with the rulers and their civil administration. His action is better understood as a form of resistance, not as a form of support. It is true that a Christian will probably be persecuted by the iniquitous rulers he is opposing; and if so, that only confirms that he is not in fellowship with them for one does not persecute his supporters.

    It is wrong to say that the mere act of participation in a political system puts a Christian in league with a corrupt civil regime. It is not the act itself, but the nature of the act that is at issue. For example, if a Christian uses the franchise to vote against evil rulers and their administration, and to put righteous men into authority, it can hardly be claimed that this vote put him in league with evil because his vote was intended as a strike against evil.

  3. Only those rulers and civil governments that habitually frame mischief through law, persecute God's people, and condemn innocent blood qualify for the title, 'throne of iniquity.' That which constitutes an evil civil government, or ruler, that God cannot have fellowship with is explicitly defined in Psalm 94:20-21. The throne of iniquity is thoroughly corrupt, exhibiting on a continual basis the evils portrayed in this text.

    All civil administrations fail to carry out fully their divine commission; all may frame unrighteous laws, persecute God's people, or condemn innocent blood at one time or another; but this does not necessarily mean that all who fail to some degree should be labeled a 'throne of iniquity.' No, only those that are marked by these kinds of evil should be classed as thrones of iniquity.

    Christians should not be too quick to designate a civil government as being a throne of iniquity; but neither should they be too slow. If a civil ruler or a civil administration has the characteristics of a throne of iniquity, then the church should openly declare it so, and lead the resistance against it.

  4. Since a throne of iniquity is under God's curse it is proper and necessary that Christians pray imprecations upon it. As man cannot curse those whom God has blessed (Num. 23:8, 20), so man cannot bless those whom God has cursed. The curse of God is upon the throne of iniquity (cf. Isa. 10:1; Prov. 3:33). The psalmist understood that; so he prayed for God to arise in judgment, rendering vengeance to wicked rulers. Christians should follow his inspired example.

    Prayers of imprecation are one of the chief means of resistance to evil civil government. There is tremendous power in prayer (Matt. 21:21-22), and the church must employ it in seeking the overthrow of wicked rulers and their evil governments. For this work of prayer, God has given His people guidance in the imprecatory psalms (cf. Pss. 7; 35; 58; 59; 83). Let the people of God use them in seeking the destruction of every throne of iniquity! All other means of resistance are futile without prayer. Other forms of resistance may not even be necessary if we would earnestly pray for God to arise in vengeance.

    Christians should not pray for God's blessing on an evil8 ruler or government. To do so would entail 'fellowship' with them; and that is forbidden.

  5. In identifying a throne of iniquity it may be necessary to make a distinction between a government's constitution and the men who hold office. It is possible for a government to have a sound constitution that provides for a good measure of justice and liberty, and yet have evil men occupying the seats of authority.9 These wicked magistrates either ignore or reinterpret the provisions of the constitution to suit their perverse agenda. In such a situation, the Christian is faced with a constitutional government that does not meet the criteria of a 'throne of iniquity,' but has evil rulers who do.10 What needs to be overthrown in this case is not the form of government, but the wicked, tyrannical men who have taken power who by their actions are overthrowing the constitutional government of the nation (or state).

    If a Christian enters the political sphere to resist the wicked usurpers in office and to restore the constitutional government of the nation, then his action is acceptable, and not a violation of the instruction to have no 'fellowship with' corrupt rulers and their administration. By his resistance he is not making an alliance with depraved rulers, but is declaring war on them.

    This raises an interesting question in regard to the United States and its Constitution. Does the U.S. Constitution establish a republic that meets the criteria of a 'throne of iniquity' with which Christians can have no alliance? One would be hard-pressed to make the argument that it does. Where does the Constitution make explicit (or even imply) a provision for the framing of 'mischief' through law, the persecution of God's people, or for the condemning of innocent blood? Under the U.S. Constitution, America has achieved greater liberty and justice than any other nation in history (outside of Old Testament Israel). Under the U.S. Constitution, generally, the church has prospered and has not been the object of government persecution.

    On the other hand, the U.S. Constitution has a very serious defect: it does not recognize the authority of Jesus Christ, the King of Nations, nor does it acknowledge the rule of God's law as the standard for civil law. Does this make the United States a throne of iniquity? Not if the marks of Psalm 94:20-21 that define such a throne are considered. The U.S. Constitution reflects a Christian understanding of civil government, and incorporates numerous biblical principles. However, its Christian base is a compromised one. It was founded essentially on a natural law basis rather than a biblical law basis.11 Most of the Founding Fathers were members of orthodox churches, but their understanding of civil government was not explicitly Christian; it was Christian only to the degree to which the Christian theology of government had survived the attempted synthesis of Greek natural law with God's revealed law.

    The predominantly natural law basis of the Constitution led the founders to believe that 'We the people' is a sufficient foundation for just government--how wrong they were! Their omission of Christ from the Constitution and the forbidding of any religious test for office paved the way for evil men to hijack an otherwise fairly sound instrument of government and to turn the United States onto the path of becoming a throne of iniquity.12

    Therefore, if the Constitution does not in itself establish a throne of iniquity, then the instruction to have no fellowship with it does not apply, and a Christian may participate in civil government in the United States. But his participation is with a very significant qualification: the Constitution is defective and needs to be amended to recognize the lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of His Word. The Christian should use his political rights to deny evil men a place in civil government, and do all that he can to bring the country and its laws into submission to the King of kings. There must be the clear realization that the omission of Christ from the Constitution is a grave error, and if it is not remedied, it will prove fatal--America will become a full-fledged 'throne of iniquity' that God will destroy.

  6. The current state of civil government in America is perilously close to being a throne of iniquity. Evil men have to a large degree come into power in the national, state, and local governments of America. They have trashed the constitutions to which they are bound, and frame misery by their laws. The people of America groan under the burden of their oppressive laws, and trouble is on every side. American citizens are being reduced, step by step, regulation by regulation, to a form of slavery.

    Increasingly, the true church has been the target of government harassment. Persecution of believers is on the rise. The righteous who seek to obey God's law are called troublemakers and hailed before the courts as criminals.

    Far too often the courts and legislatures justify the wicked and condemn the just. The criminal is protected, and the law-abiding citizen is punished. Justice is rapidly departing from our criminal justice system. The blood of guilty murderers is not shed, but the blood of the innocents flows in the modern holocaust of abortion.

If Americans do not rise to cast out the wicked rulers who have come to power and this course continues, certain judgment awaits America. God will arise in vengeance against any nation whose civil government becomes a 'throne of iniquity' and whose people love it to be so.

William Einwechter is the vice president of the National Reform Association and editor of The Christian Statesman. He is an ordained minister, and the teaching elder at Immanuel Free Reformed Church in Ephrata, Pennsylvania.

Endnotes

1. J. Barton Payne, 'haw'e2', Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, eds., R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., Bruce K. Waltke (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), 210.

2. Charles A. Briggs, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 2 vols (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, reprint, 1986), 2:291.

3. Ibid.

4. John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, trans. James Anderson (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, reprint, 1989), 29.

5. Gesenius states that the Hebrew active participle 'indicates a person or thing conceived as being in the continual exercise of an activity.' Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, ed. E. Kautzsch (Oxford: Claredon Press, 1910), 356.

6. Ronald B. Allen, 'amal', Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 675.

7. A. Cohen, The Psalms (London: The Soncino Press, 1945), 311.

8. 'Evil' as defined by Psalm 94:20-21.

9. The premier example of this is the civil government of Israel. It had a perfect 'constitution,' but often had evil kings and rulers who ignored it and were a 'throne of iniquity.' Many believe that the rulers in view in Psalm 94 were Israelite rulers; this is certainly the case in Isaiah 10:1.

10. Perhaps this perspective can help in the interpretation of Paul's statements in Romans 13 concerning submission to civil government as God's ordinance. It is argued that Paul could not be teaching the Christians at Rome to submit to the Roman government as God's ordinance because of the wicked rule of Nero; surely Nero is not God's minister! However, if we make a distinction between the form of Roman government and the particular evil administration of Nero, then perhaps Paul's statements can be seen in a new light. The Roman government, corrupt as it was, was not thoroughly corrupt, deserving the label, 'throne of iniquity.' The Roman government itself provided for a fair measure of justice, and even, as Paul found, provided protection against those who sought to persecute the church. So without endorsing Nero, Paul called on the church to recognize Rome as a power ordained of God to which they should obey in all things lawful. The day did come, however, when Rome became a 'throne of iniquity,' and God destroyed it.

11. For a discussion on the natural law basis of the U.S. Constitution see, The Christian Statesman, vol. 142, no. 1 (January-February 1999).

12. The same could be said of the individual state constitutions.


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National Reform Association ==>Christian Statesman ==>March - April 1999 ==>The Throne of Iniquity


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