CHRIST’S KINGSHIP

Rev. John Morrison

This is the second part of an article dealing with the Kingship of Christ. The earlier article dealt with the nature of His Kingship.

Its Duration

There  are numerous views expressed on this point, some of which are unscriptural. Those who hold to the view that it will not commence until His second advent, deny Christ’s present mediatorial Kingship. Others restrict His Kingship to His ascension. But according to the Scriptures His appointment as mediatorial King was received in eternity, and it became effective immediately after the fall. His mediatorial Kingship was  indispensably necessary to believers in both  the Old and the New Testament. In the Old Testament it was carried out through the judges and the typical kings.

Shedd says: The Logos was not actually and historically a mediator until He assumed human nature. In the Old Testament it was discharged by anticipation – it was in view of His future advent. Until there was a miraculous conception was there actually a God-man, and not until then was there an actual mediator. And regarding its duration he says: …..there will be no longer an access to a holy God for sinful men through Christ’s blood.. According to him the mediatorial office is temporary: It begins in time and a time will come when it will cease to be exercised. This is taught in 1 Corinthians 15: 24 – 28. As there was once a time when there was no mediatorial work of salvation going on, so there will be a time when there will be none.( p677 Dogmatic Theology). Turretin supposes that the delegated mediatorial kingdom over the church will undergo a change in the mode of administration at the final consummation, but in other respects that it will continue because the  Theanthropos will be the direct medium for the saints guidance and government forever and ever. Dabney speaks in a similar vein, His people will need protection and guidance, just as they will need teaching and intercession forever. For their glorification will not render them naturally impeccable or infallible…..But it seems far more natural to suppose that these blessings will still be given through Christ their Head to whom they were spiritually united at  conversion. (Lectures in Systematic Theology pp551, 555). Dick did not see the necessity of a mediatorial work in glory, and that God would deal directly with the saints.

Of course a distinction must be drawn between His universal Kingship and His spiritual Kingship. The latter will never end, but the former will be given up according to 1 Cor 15: 24. As King of the universe He promotes the interests of His Church, defending it against its enemies, and directing all things for the good of His people. This kingship was a promised reward according to Ps 2: 8 – 9; and Eph 1: 20 –22, and also part of His exaltation. It did not add anything to the power He already had as God, but as the God-man He was put in possession of it. This reign will continue until all his enemies are destroyed and death abolished. At the consummation of all things the God-man will give up the authority conferred on Him and return the commission to God the Father that He may be all in all.

Turretin states that 1Cor 15: 24 can be understood in two ways: (1) Thus the sense is that Christ (the work of salvation having been consummated) will bring to the Father the Church perfectly consummated and redeemed from all enemies, to be fully blessed according to the oracle of Isaiah: This is claimed for Christ “Behold I and the children whom God has given me” Heb 2: 13; but still in such a way that he will always remain the head. And (2) Or understood formally as to the mode of its administration which is concerned with collecting, governing and defending the Church from her enemies (which will have no place after her enemies are vanquished). Thus he will deliver up the kingdom not by a disposition and abdication of it, but by an exhibition of it as consummated. (Vol 2 p 493 Institutes of Elenctic Theology).

Charles Hodge, in commenting on 1Cor 15: 24  expresses more or less a similar view: It must be remembered, that the Scriptures speak of a threefold kingdom as belonging to Christ. 1. That which necessarily belongs to him as a divine person, extending over all creatures, and of which he can never divest himself. 2. That which belongs to him as the incarnate Son of God extending over all his own people. This also is everlasting. He will for ever remain the head and sovereign of the redeemed. 3. That dominion to which he was exalted after his resurrection, when all power in heaven and earth was committed to his hands. This kingdom which he exercises as the Theanthropos, and which extends over all principalities and powers, he is to deliver up when the work of redemption is accomplished. He was invested with this dominion in his mediatorial character for the purpose of carrying on the work to its consummation. (The First Epistle to the Corinthians p 330).