Jesus triumphed over his enemies through his Death and Resurrection, therefore, he now reigns from the Messianic Throne.
Jesus of Nazareth conquered Satan, Sin, and Death on the Cross of Calvary, and
he began his reign as the Messianic King following his Death and Resurrection. He
is not waiting for some future event before he receives his sovereignty over
the Earth, he reigns already!
Unlike the political
powers of this present age, the Nazarene conquered his enemies through his
sacrificial death rather than tyranny, lies, political manipulation, or
violence. It is the Crucified One who now reigns
on Mount Zion, and his kingdom is of an entirely different kind than the
regimes of this fallen world.
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| [Cross bearer - Photo by Lison Zhao on Unsplash] |
The New Testament does not teach that Christ’s reign has been delayed. Paul, for example, wrote that after nailing the “ordinances that were against us” to the Cross, Jesus “exposed the principalities and the powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them.” The description echoes the Roman practice of honoring conquering heroes with a triumphal parade through the streets of the Imperial City – (Colossians 2:14-15).
The
Apostle expressed a similar thought to the church of Ephesus. Jesus “ascended
on high, having led captivity captive.” This triumphal victory occurred
following his resurrection. Having
raised him from the dead, God seated him “at his right hand in the heavens far
above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is
named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come” –
(Ephesians 1:20-22, 4:8).
God also subjected all things to His Son,
including the nations of the Earth, as promised by the Psalmist:
- “Yahweh said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Yahweh will send forth the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies” – (Psalm 110:1-2).
- “Yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will tell of the decree: Yahweh said to me, You are my son; This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession” – (Psalm 2:6-8).
Certainly, Jesus will reign over all things on the day he “arrives
on the clouds.” However, he reigns from the Davidic throne even now. He
will not return so he may beat his remaining enemies into
submission after his second coming. He will accomplish that before the Great
Day of the Lord.
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, at his “arrival” or ‘Parousia’, “Then comes the
end, when he will deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will
have abolished all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign
until he has
put all his enemies under his feet,” and that will include the “last enemy, death.”
Jesus Christ is coming
again to consummate his reign, not to start it – (1 Corinthians 15:24).
Unfortunately, we conform our concepts to the
existing political order. We hear terms such as “king,” “reign,” and “conquer”
and imagine a ruler who uses his “iron scepter” to crush his opponents.
Like the rulers of this present age, we remain incapable of imagining a
political entity that does not conquer its enemies through political might,
economic coercion, or military violence.
Satan has the same problem. His inability to understand the mind of God caused him to do the very thing that defeated him. If he and the “rulers of this age” had understood the “mystery” of God, they would not have “crucified the Lord of glory.”
After all, the mystery of the “word of
the Cross” is the “power and the wisdom of God.” However, it is
something that only the “mind of the Spirit” can understand, and therefore,
only the “spiritually minded man” understands the true power of God – (1
Corinthian 1:18-23, 2:6-8).
DEATH AND EXALTATION
Jesus humbled himself by submitting to the shameful death of crucifixion, and this is precisely
why God “highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, and every tongue confess,
that Jesus is Lord.” Note well that the verb translated as “exalted”
in the passage from the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Philippians is in
the past tense. Christ’s exaltation to reign supreme is an accomplished fact and
present reality– (Philippians 2:6-11).
In the Book of Revelation,
Jesus is called the “Ruler of the Kings of the Earth” in the present
tense. It was the “slain Lamb” who “conquered” through his death and
thereby became “worthy” to open the “Sealed Scroll” and receive
all “power, and riches, and wisdom,
and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing” - (Revelation 1:4-6, 5:6-14).
For the remainder of Revelation after the
vision of Chapter 5, Jesus reigns as the “Slain Lamb.” He is the Messianic
“Son” destined to “rule the nations with his rod of iron” as
described in the Second Psalm, but he uses it to “shepherd” the
nations, not to smash and annihilate them.
The Lamb “conquered” through his
sacrificial death, and he now summons believers to “conquer” in the same
manner. That is how we qualify to reign with him on his Father’s throne. We “conquer”
Satan by the “blood of the Lamb, the Word of our Testimony, and because we
love not our lives unto death” – (Psalm 2:6-9, Revelation 3:21, 12:1-11).
The “slain Lamb” does not become the “King
of kings” in the future. He is the “King of kings” in the present
who is conquering all those who “war” against him - (Revelation 17:14,
19:11-21).
His kingdom will be consummated
upon his return, but it also is a present reality. For now, Satan is “bound
from deceiving the nations,” and if his powers had not been curtailed, he
would have destroyed the Church long ago. The Kingdom of God advances on Earth
wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, and men and women repent, believe the Gospel,
and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Finally, we reign with him in
this life, but we do so as a “kingdom of priests,” not as gun-toting warriors.
Like the ancient priests of Israel, our task is to mediate his light in a
sin-darkened world. This manner of political rule is contrary to the wisdom of
this age, and it can only be comprehended and implemented through the Spirit of
God as it operates in his Church under the rule of His Son.
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SEE ALSO:
- Son of David - (Jesus is the son of David and heir to the Messianic Throne, the beloved Son of God, and the Suffering Servant of Yahweh)
- The Son of Man - (The one like a Son of Man in Daniel is the source of Christ’s self-designation as the Son of Man and his authority)
- Perfected Disciples - (Mercy and love are the defining characteristics of the disciples of Jesus, and they reflect the essential nature of his Father – Matthew 5:43-48)