Exiles in a Foreign Land

The Lord Jesus Christ is our King, and our citizenship is in heaven. However, like Old Testament Israel during the Babylonian Captivity, we are living in exile from our true homeland and must live under the rule of Gentile governments.

Our models for dealing with civil government are not drawn from Israel under the judges and kings, when Israel was in the land of promise, but from how the Jews dealt with Gentile governments during their time as pilgrims and strangers in exile from their true home.

Israel in exile is a 'type' of the New Testament Church, and Babylon is a 'type' of civil government between the first and second comings of Christ. Daniel serves as a great pattern to show how believers should live under the yoke of pagan, Gentile government that is often hostile to God and godliness.