CHRIST IS REIGNING NOW
by Dan Goddard
God promised David that He would
set one of his descendants upon his throne (2 Samuel 7:12-14). God said that He would “establish the throne of his kingdom forever”
(verse 13). Thus, when the descendant of David was on his
throne, he would be on the throne of his kingdom, reigning over his
kingdom. The same promise was repeated
by Isaiah (Isaiah 9:6-7) and he
likewise made it clear that when this one would be “upon the throne of David,” he would also be “over His kingdom.” The one who would be
reigning upon the throne of David would be at the same time reigning over his
kingdom.
Jesus Christ was promised the
throne of David (Luke 1:31-33) and was raised to sit on it (Acts 2:29-31). Jesus sat down on the throne after He ascended into heaven (Hebrews 8:1; Revelation 3:21). We must conclude, therefore, that when Christ
ascended, He sat down on the throne and began reigning over the kingdom.
Christ would be a priest at the
same time He sat and ruled upon His throne (Zechariah 6:12-13). He became the high priest when He down on the
right hand of God (Hebrews 8:1; 10:11-12). Furthermore, Christ was to
receive the kingdom when He received dominion and glory (Daniel 7:13-14). He received dominion and glory when He went
into heaven and was placed on the right hand of God (I Peter 3:22; Luke 24:26;
I Timothy 3:16; I Peter 1:21). Christ, therefore,
began His reign over His kingdom when He ascended back to the Father and sat
down on the throne.
Daniel saw a vision of Christ coming
in the clouds to the Ancient of days and there was given to Him dominion,
glory, and a kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14).
In one of His parables, Jesus said, “A
certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and
to return” (Luke 19:12). Thus, Jesus went in the clouds of heaven (his
ascension) to a far country (heaven) and came to the Ancient of days (the
Father) and received the dominion, kingdom, and glory and will return (the
second coming) to render to everyone according to their works.
Some think that Christ could not
have begun His reign after His ascension because He did not put down the wicked
kingdoms. However, Christ hasn’t yet
conquered His enemies because the day of His wrath hasn’t yet come (Psalm 110:1-5; see also Psalm 2:7-12).
Paul confirms that Psalm 2 refers to
the reign of Christ— Acts 13:31-33.
All those who do not willingly serve Christ are considered His enemies
and He will pour out His wrath on them at His second coming (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Now is the accepted time to take
refuge in Christ for there is a great day of wrath coming (Romans 2:5). Christ will
continue to reign until His enemies are subdued. “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet”
(I Corinthians 15:25) But this Man,
after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand
of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool” (Hebrews10:12-13).