What Is The Seven Mountain Mandate And Can It Help Society?

“Each of us must rededicate ourselves to serving the common good. We are a community. Our individual Fates are linked; our futures intertwined; and if we act in that knowledge and in that spirit together, as the Bible says: “We can move mountains.”

— Jimmy Carter

Recently a concept was brought to my attention by a fellow believer. Before I delve into this topic, I must share that I grew up in the Southern Baptist faith where the hymns were plentiful, the casseroles were at peak deliciousness, and church lasted exactly an hour. After all, we had to get home and fully enjoy our day of rest. Bible drills were plentiful and little blue-haired ladies said, “Bless Your Heart” quite a lot. In adulthood, I have some friends who found our childhood of Bible drills, evangelism, and basically living at the church quite traumatic. I used to have the same belief as well. I do not want to lessen the experience of my friends by any means, but God in His grace helped me to glean the good bits of a childhood rich in scripture, music and fellowship. Back to the concept I mentioned earlier, have you ever heard of the 7 mountains of society? I must confess, I had not ever heard this concept. After doing some research and listening to a sermon recommended by a friend I was intrigued. 

What are the Seven Mountains of Society and where did this concept originate?

The Seven Mountain Mandate is usually associated with the Charismatic church. The concept actually began in the 70’s with the Campus Crusade for Christ movement. The basis of Scripture that was used was Revelation 17. There are seven cities (or hills) that are mentioned in verse 9 which reads: “And now think hard: his seven heads represent a certain city built on seven hills where this woman has her residence.” Also, Isaiah 2:2 is used to further the idea. In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. The mountains are: education, religion, family, business, government/military, arts/entertainment and media. 

What about the separation of church and state?

Here in the US we often hear, “Separation of Church and State! The founding fathers insisted on it in the Constitution!” When that argument is brought forth it is important to note one very interesting detail: the phrase that was mentioned above was written in a private letter by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists in the year 1802. The actual wording of the Constitution of the United States is as follows: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. There is an implied wall of separation for sure, the writers did not want to repeat what they had experienced in their countries of birth. While there was no national religion, it is clear to see that the men who penned the constitution were influenced by the Judeo-Christian values of old. 

The founding fathers had a base  Judeo-Christian values

The founding fathers had differing religious backgrounds, but were focused on one goal; a nation that was founded on liberty, moral integrity and justice. Each of these men realized that a nation cannot rely on institutions that have been around forever, but rather moral integrity and character were tantamount to having a nation that would stand the test of time. John Adams even wrote that the Constitution was written for moral and religious people. They knew without a common set of precepts the nation would fall into ruin and fail. 

The Seven Mountains of Influence

Think about the seven mountains of influence listed above, first let us consider education. In America what is the state of our education system? Now, I am not saying that all teachers are bad. Having raised 6 children we had some absolutely wonderful teachers who really cared for their students. The person who influences the education system, molds the minds of the youth. During one of my recent trips to New York, I had the opportunity to speak with a few public school teachers. They were actually thinking of leaving the profession. When I asked why they were contemplating leaving, they told me that they feel that education has taken a back seat to political causes. We have to fly flags that deal with gender and sexual orientation and talk about those ideas rather than focus on reading and math. The teachers also added, “I am a Christian, can I fly my flag in the classroom? No. Yet I am to focus on an agenda that seems like a religion rather than focusing on actual education.”  This situation presents stirring thoughts indeed. 

The Mountain of Religion

As mentioned above, the founding fathers did not want a national religion for the newly founded country. They had experienced first hand the tyranny of the whims of a King or Queen and their position as head of the church. The head was seen as the representative of God on earth, ordained to be in charge of those of a lower station. It is easy to see why this concept would prove to be challenging to those who were seeking to live a life of service to God Almighty. Hence the creation of the constitution of the United States.

If you take a moment to study Biblical history and leadership, what is the common theme? A king or leader is put in charge, God almighty used His prophets to both install and counsel the leaders to follow the ways and precepts of God. If they did so, they would enjoy blessings and peace. When other gods and morals were chosen, the inevitable outcome would be a population that strayed from the precepts of God. In that disobedience death, destruction and ruin took the place of blessings. It would behoove society to pray for leaders who follow God’s holy order. His ways are higher than ours in every circumstance. Religion does not have to be nationally declared, but a willingness to follow God makes for a better mountain of society. 

The Mountain of Family

When we consider the book of Genesis, we see God’s intention for family. God created Adam and Eve, after that He instructed them to be fruitful and multiply. Family is at the center of God’s heart. He desires for us to experience love and caring that is similar to His love and care for us. It seems as if in the last 50 plus years the family unit has truly been under attack. Some pastors believe that the family unit started to deteriorate in the late 60’s and beyond. The idea of a mother staying home and nurturing the children was a bit taboo. The Biblical idea was tossed into the bin of “that was then, this is now.”

Now before I receive ire for tackling this concept, there is nothing wrong with a woman working outside of the home. That is a decision for their family, we cannot sit in judgement of what works for others. However, the family as a whole has been negated, neglected and seen as obsolete; so much so that the term “tradwife” is starting to trend upward to some very heavy critisism. I’ve watched many a reel that has young mothers happily staying home with their children and cultivating a life of meaning with nurturing a traditional family. I was blessed to be a traditional wife, it was absolutely wonderful to be able to watch my children grow each and every day. Family is fundamental to a functioning society, that is why it has been attacked for quite some time. A simple google search will show you that not only are people confused about their gender, but they are also confused about traditional marriage. The remnant church must model family in a Biblical way, it will in turn influence society. 

The Mountain of Business 

I have a bone to pick with some “businesses” that operate in the church. Occasionally I take a few moments to check out some of the pastors that some of my elderly clients like to watch a lot. Without fail I hear phrases like, “If you send me $100 I will send you a blessed handkerchief.” “Act now, get my ‘Blessing package’ for $150 and I will throw in 2 additional books that will bless you. I often believe the target audience is little old ladies who are lonely and want to bless others. It is almost as if the hirelings are in charge of the church. “Buy my ministry merch.” Seriously? Why? This is the money changing table that was flipped over in the scripture. I am fully aware that ministries need income to exist, but it has become a business that is much like the world; cold and in need of endless money. I’ve even seen evangelists brag about private jets and how much money they have. That is not the God I serve.

God tells us to not let the right hand know what the left is doing when you help others. There is no proclamation needed when you follow God’s precepts. His blessings will follow. Business in the world is cut throat, cold and baseless. Darkness permeates the very essence of some decisions. We need some Biblical values to influence the area of business with a ferocious verity like never before.

The Mountain of Government/Military

Who had the absolute joy of watching the State of the Union address a few days ago in the US? I caught snippets. I have to say, whether you like the President or not, my mouth dropped open at the absolute lack of decorum that was presented in that room. Common decency is a concept that has clearly left the building. Petulant protests have come to rule the day. It doesn’t matter if something good was accomplished by the president, you can’t clap because you can’t see past your partisanship. I know these feelings and actions have been bubbling up for quite some time but come on, are there any adults in the room? Our government and military needs a good dose of civility and Jesus. I’ve shared in the past that we have 4 sons in the Army, 2 are deployed at the moment, and we also have countless friends in military leadership. I hear stories about leaders who lack any moral compass whatsoever in dealing with their subordinates. Warrior readiness has taken a backseat to political correctness. Moral leaders make good judgements, they realize the weight of others is in their hands. 

The Mountain of Arts and Entertainment

How often do you hear people say, “I scrolled through Netflix and could find nothing to watch.” As a child, my parents were very selective in picking what I watched. My entertainment diet consisted of movies from the golden age of Hollywood and every musical known from the 50’s. At the time I felt cheated that I couldn’t watch what my friends were watching. Now I am quite thankful. Just about any show that you turn on now is absolutely saturated with violence, there is so much nudity it might as well be classified as pornography and there is little to no character development. The same could be said of music. I’m a trained musician, when I contemplate Bach, Beethoven, Dvorak, etc.. I can’t help but think that the musical offerings today cannot compare to the complexities of music of times past.

One of the funniest music stories happened to me with a client that has since passed on from this earth. She wanted me to google what the number one song was when she was 13 years old (1943). It was “Paper Doll” and “Sunday, Monday and Always.” If you listen to the words they are just lovely. Just for fun we googled the number 1 song when I was 13, the notable songs were, “I Wanna Sex You Up” and “I’m Too Sexy.” Wow, what a change. The same can be said for books, as an avid reader I find it very difficult to find a book that doesn’t descend into debauchery in the first chapters. Last week I opined to an author friend, “It is possible to write a story with actual character development, little to no sex and a meaty plot line.” God gave us the gift of music, imagination and storytelling. I am sure He can inspire us to write meaningful works. 

The Mountain of Media

There is a funny conversation that takes place in our house very often. We talk about the news, discuss the topic and immediately move to, “Which source? Oh, they are full of it.” It seems as if the media on the right and the left is just storytelling galore with their political twist on top. Many news sources are reporting that trust in the media is at an all-time low. Do they really blame us? There can be something that is purple, and they will say, “It’s not purple, it’s green.” Gone are the days of Walter Cronkite, where the truth supersedes the political narrative. God is truth, when He guides your conscience you will pursue truth. One of my favorite verses discusses the truth setting us free. The lies and gaslighting cause animosity, anxiety and fear. Letting the light of God into the media could be a much-needed respite from the division that society has been faced with recently. 

How do we move forward?

After reading about the seven mountains there are many pros to this idea. Prayer must be at the top of the list of these mandates, a knowledge of scripture and a desire to walk in holiness will guide the way. There doesn’t have to be a “national religion” but there can be those who are in those positions who desire to follow God. When Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world, He was speaking the truth. Our home will eventually be heaven, that is why He gave us the Lord’s prayer. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus also told us to go and make disciples on the earth and to live according to His ways. How do we do that? By living His standards in all these areas of life as we know it. Yes, there is sin in the world and yes, it will not go away on this side of heaven; so what better way to honor God than to live out His ways in all the varying areas of society. Maybe it is time to consider influencing those 7 Mountains.