His Throne Established Forever
David said that Christ would be put to death. He also foresaw that if Christ were not resurrected, he could not sit upon his throne forever. Therefore it was necessary that he be resurrected in order to continue upon that throne. The prophet “seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell neither did his flesh see corruption.” Had his flesh seen corruption, then the prophecy that Christ would sit upon David’s throne henceforth, even forever, would have been nullified; but as his body did not see corruption, he continued to reign upon the throne of David. You see, the apostle here quotes the language of David in Psa. 132:11, and he presents the same to us as being fulfilled at that time, which gives us positive proof that this dispensation is the one in which Christ would reign upon David’s throne.
We now turn to Acts 15:13–17: “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.”
The visiting the Gentiles and the seeking a people out of them for his name, you will observe, was building the tabernacle of David; and the throne of David was in the tabernacle of David. We then have Christ sitting upon David’s throne in this dispensation, because it is in this dispensation that the Gentiles are chosen as the people for his name. “That the residue of men might seek the Lord, and the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord.” Thus we find in the Old Testament declarations of this prophecy and also in the explicit language in which the New Testament citation of its fulfillment is expressed, the clearest evidence that could be desired by anyone, that Christ now sits upon David’s throne.
I will call the reader’s attention to another fact. A careful reading of many of the prophecies of the Old Testament shows that “David” is frequently a title for Christ. This being true, it follows that if Christ sits upon his own throne, it must be David’s throne. Since throne means sovereign power and dignity, Christ being by the right hand of God exalted, “when he raised him from the dead” clothed with “all power in heaven and in earth,” and his sitting down at God’s own right hand in the heavens, “crowned with glory and honor,” “far above all principality and power, and every name that is named, both in heaven and on earth,” he surely exercises greater and more universal sovereign power than David ever exercised during his earthly reign over literal Israel.
He Now Reigns over All Nations
The distinctions between nations disappeared at the cross. Since that time, literal Israel is no more the chosen people of God. While the law and its blessings were to one nation, the gospel is good tidings of great joy to all nations in all the world. Paul positively declares, in speaking with direct reference to Jews and Gentiles, that “there is no difference.” God is no respecter of persons, “but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” The Jews as a nation are no longer more favored than the Gentiles. They have the same privileges of the gospel. Salvation is not a national affair, but an individual matter. Every man and woman on earth must be responsible themselves for their eternal destiny. So if the Jews will believe on Christ and accept him, individually, the veil will be taken from their hearts, and they will be “grafted in again” just the same as the Gentiles. Thousands of them in the beginning of the Christian era did accept Christ, and the rest were blinded because of their unbelief. The Gentiles, as fast as they accepted Christ and believed on his name, have been saved as well as the Jews.
It will continue thus until the end of time. Both Jews and Gentiles are placed on the same plane; both must come into Christ’s kingdom by the door of repentance and faith; both must accept Christ individually, and all those who will not do this, either Jew or Gentile, will be lost. Now, all who do accept Christ, both among the Jews and Gentiles, constitute the New Testament church, or kingdom. Paul says that these children of Christ are the seed of Abraham, and heirs according to promise; “for if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed.” This is the “true Israel of God.” Let me emphasize this fact: the true Israel of God in the Christian dispensation, the real and only seed of Abraham, is the spiritual seed, the children of promise, those who are saved out of all nations through the blood of Jesus. This is the New Testament church.
And since Christ is “head over all things to the church,” its governor, lawmaker, and the “king of saints,” we see clearly how the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled during the Christian era, in that Christ now sits on the throne of David, and reigns “the Prince of Peace.”
His Universal Reign
Thus far we have considered the subject of Christ’s reign chiefly from the standpoint of his spiritual work on earth, either in the hearts of his people or in his church as a visible organic movement. But there is another distinct phase of Christ’s reign that it will be well to here consider. This is the universal phase. As before observed, Christ is now universal king, Lord of heaven and earth, “King of kings and Lord of lords,” “authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” Daniel informs us that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” In the present dispensation this authority and rule among the nations of earth is committed to Christ. He is “the Prince of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5). In this sense the universe is recognized as his kingdom.
The Great Redemptive Reign
“As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even to the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him, that God may be all and in all” (1 Cor. 15:22–28).
In the above scripture, the following truths are clearly expressed: First, there will be a universal resurrection of the dead; “for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Second, This resurrection will take place at the time of Christ’s coming. “They that are Christ’s at his coming.” It would appear from this text that the righteous dead will be raised possibly a few moments before the wicked. It is thought this idea relative to the resurrection of the just is expressed in another text which states that they shall be resurrected “from among the dead” (Greek). Whether this be correct or not is not definitely stated. One thing, from Jesus’ own language in John 5:28, 29, we are sure that the final resurrection will be universal, including both “they that have done good” and “they that have done evil,” and both will “come forth in the same hour” “at the last trump.”
Third, With the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead, comes the end. “Then the end;” that is, the end of time, the end of probation, the end of opportunity to obtain salvation, the end of this world.
Fourth, With the resurrection of the dead, the last enemy—death—shall be destroyed.
Fifth, Christ must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. From this we learn that Christ reigns while his enemies are being subjected, and not after their subjection. The last one to be destroyed is death, and the destruction of this last enemy will be accomplished by the general resurrection on the last day; for with the resurrection of the dead, death itself will be destroyed. This unmistakably proves that Christ’s reign is this side of the resurrection, and not following it, as millennial teachers assert. This establishes the time of the great redemptive reign.
Next, our minds naturally seek to know what is the nature of Christ’s reign, spoken of in I Corinthians. A careful study of the subject shows that there are many interesting truths connected with this reign, and one of them is brought out in the language of this head; namely, Christ’s redemptive reign.
Christ Triumphed over Satan
For four thousand years, sin and death held sway over the entire human family. Satan robbed man of the “first dominion”; robbed him of his God-given privilege and right to have dominion over himself, the earth, and all it contains—the right to live upon the plane of God’s own holiness and to enjoy felicity with him. As a result of the fall, sin, death, misery, darkness, and woe, yea, all the suffering, sorrow, heartaches, and wickedness that have prevailed in all nations among all people down through the ages, were entailed upon the human family. Satan, as a usurper, became the “prince of this world,” “the prince of the power of the air.” He held all mankind under his iron hand; hence death reigned from Adam to Christ—spiritual death, which is the result of sin. Sin held dominion, and the law was too weak to deliver. At that time all were slaves under bondage; but in fulfillment of the many prophecies which pointed forward to a better day, a day of salvation and deliverance, when the power of sin and hell would be broken and a “King” would “reign in righteousness”—and the “Lord shall be King over all the earth”—Christ came “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled; the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14, 15). Being born a king, he set up his everlasting kingdom of righteousness, grace, and truth, in direct opposition to the kingdom of darkness, and the result was that hundreds and thousands of souls were delivered through the exercise of his almighty power.
God “anointed Jesus of Nazareth, who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the devil.” Christ loosed the woman whom Satan had bound eighteen years from the bond of her infirmity. Not only did he minister deliverance to thousands of those upon whom bodily or physical infirmities had been imposed by Satan, but many who were possessed of demons, who were actually under the control of the devil, were gloriously delivered. Devils crying with loud voices came out of many that were possessed of them. To the penitent sinner Christ ministered salvation, saying, “Thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee.” He ordained and sent forth twelve apostles, and again seventy others also, with instruction to preach, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” “And he gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases.” The seventy returned saying, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” And he said unto them, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:17, 18). While Satan is enthroned in the human heart, he holds the reins, and rules the man. This accounts for all the unrest, discord, anarchy, jealousy, envy, murder, and, in fact, all the wickedness that abounds in the individual life, the home life, the community, the state, the nation, and the world. The law was given to restrain wickedness until Christ should come. Satan must be cast out; not out of heaven nor out of the world, as some assert, but out of the human heart.
Jesus illustrated his own mission thus: “But if I, with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed, keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.” Luke 11:20–22. The strong man who keeps the palace refers to the devil, who rules in the human heart. The stronger than he, who casts him out, is Christ.
From this we see that Christ came to earth on a special mission and that during his incarnation, or at the time of his earthly ministry, he set up his kingdom, and began his reign of righteousness in direct opposition to the kingdom of Satan, sin, and darkness. The result was that Satan’s kingdom began to tremble and fall. Jesus compared it to lightning falling from heaven; that is, as a flash of lightning falls from heaven, so he saw Satan fall and his kingdom vanish. Then to his disciples, with all authority, he says: “Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). This was the beginning of Christ’s great redemptive reign.
Its object was to restore to man the very thing that Satan and sin had robbed him of in the beginning. But in order to complete this great work and make possible the salvation of a ruined world, it was necessary for Christ to go down into death and the grave, and then be resurrected triumphantly, breaking the bars of death asunder, which was really the great work of the atonement. Since then Christ has been vested or clothed with all power in heaven and in earth: power to fully save, sanctify, and redeem mankind from the last effects of the fall. By going into death himself, Christ “destroyed him who had the power of death, that is the devil” (Heb. 2:14). Thus man’s redemption was sealed, and a multitude of captives were led forth to victory. The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in that the prison doors were opened to them that were bound. Thus, as expressed in Christ’s own language, was “the prince of this world cast out.” Satan’s power was broken and Christ was raised up “a Prince and a Savior.” In other words, Satan was dethroned from the high plane that he had usurped and held for so many thousands of years, and the everlasting kingdom of God in Jesus Christ triumphed.
It would appear from the record of the temptation in the wilderness, that Satan foresaw this, and therefore made a desperate attempt to thwart and hinder the real work and mission of Christ. He took Jesus up into a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and said, “All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Some have said that there was nothing to this; that Satan was only pretending; but I believe a careful investigation of the facts will reveal a depth of meaning here that it is well to consider. This was a temptation to Christ, and a strong temptation at that. If Satan had been merely pretending, there certainly would not have been any temptation connected with this offer. My understanding of it is this: Satan being the prince of this world, and holding that position so long, well knew that the time was approaching when his power, authority, and kingdom would be broken to pieces by the power and authority and kingdom of Christ. He also knew that in order for Christ to accomplish his great work, he must suffer the ignominy of his own nation, be rejected by the rulers, and die the tragic death of the lowest criminal, the death of the cross. Now comes his tempting offer. It was virtually this: “I will simply give, or hand over to you, all that you came to accomplish, and will save you the suffering and death through which you must pass; but I require one thing, fall down and worship me.” This was a temptation, and had Christ yielded, Satan would have conquered, the whole plan of redemption would have been spoiled and the world forever lost. Thank God, Christ conquered. He says, “I have overcome that wicked one,” therefore the salvation of the world was secured.
After his glorious resurrection from the dead, Christ ascended into heaven, “crowned with glory and honor,” and took his seat at the right hand of God, upon a mediatorial throne, there to intercede for the salvation of men, and through the Holy Spirit, to execute the great salvation-work for which he had died upon the cross. Having ascended into heaven, he shed forth the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, when the Christian church as a separate, distinct institution, the visible organic form of the kingdom of Christ on earth, was established and became a mighty working-force in the world. Thus, the first great enemies destroyed—subdued—in the redemptive reign of Christ, which began even during his earthly ministry, were sin, spiritual death, and Satan himself, the prince of darkness.
Christ, having been thus vested with all power in heaven and in earth, made his church on earth “a royal priesthood”—a priesthood of kings (1 Pet. 2:9). By washing “us from our sins in his own blood,” he “hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Rev. 1:5, 6). The entire host of the primitive church raised up to the high plane of holiness, through the abundant grace of God and the gift of righteousness, were enabled to “reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17).