The Kingdom of God: Is King Jesus Really Reigning Now?

Introduction

This title may seem like a stupid question but I believe the Kingship of Jesus is not clearly defined or taught with conviction by orthodox Christianity today.

For example, even although Dispensationalism is probably the most popular 'End Times' doctrine, and widely accepted in Christendom, there are mixed messages from its proponents regarding the question of whether Jesus is King at this present time. A familiar phrase from my own days in Dispensationalism was ‘Jesus is my Prophet, Priest, and coming King’. It would not be practical to quote them all, so I have selected a prominent author on the subject of Dispensationalism.

Quotes from Hal Lindsey

"Had the people received Him, He would have fulfilled the kingly prophecies in their day in addition to the ones regarding the suffering Messiah. But when the Jewish nation as a whole rejected Christ, the fulfilment of His kingship was postponed until the final culmination of world history" - Hal Lindsey. There's a New World Coming, p. 30."...even though Christ has the right to rule the earth, He isn't exercising this authority over kings and kingdoms at this time" - Hal Lindsey. There's a New World Coming, p. 206.

Jesus is King Now!

• Jdg 8:23 KJV And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

• 1Sa 8:5-7 KJV And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

• Hos 13:11 KJV I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

God had been Israel’s King spiritually ruling from heaven by means of His revealed Law, but Israel wanted an earthly king like the other nations. When they insisted on having an earthly king, God allowed it, but said they were rejecting Him as their King.

Dispensationalism would have us believe that God’s plan all along was to have a great earthly king, however God never wanted it before why would He want it now?

• Jer 22:30 KJV Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

When the Kingdom of Judah descended into apostasy, God finally removed the kings by sending Coniah, also called ‘Jeconiah’, into captivity in Babylon. God decreed ‘…for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah...'

Jesus is a descendant of Jeconiah…Matthew 1:11-16 and the rightful heir to David’s throne, but He cannot reign on that throne in Judah according to Jeremiah 22:30. Yet that is exactly what Dispensationalism teaches!

• Act 2:30-33 YLT a prophet, therefore, being, and knowing that with an oath God did swear to him, out of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, to raise up the Christ, to sit upon his throne, 31 having foreseen, he did speak concerning the rising again of the Christ, that his soul was not left to hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 `This Jesus did God raise up, of which we are all witnesses; 33 at the right hand then of God having been exalted--also the promise of the Holy Spirit having received from the Father--he was shedding forth this, which now ye see and hear;

Peter proclaimed the fulfilment of God's promise to raise up Christ upon David's throne ...Psalm 89 3-4, therefore Jesus was reigning over Israel during the lifetime of His generation.

• Joh 18:36-37 KJV Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

When Jesus answered ‘…My kingdom is not of this world…’, it was in keeping with His parable of ‘...A certain nobleman…’…Luke 19:12-27.

• Luk 19:12-15 KJV He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

In this parable we see a clear reference to Christ going by way of His Death, Resurrection and Ascension to receive His Kingdom from the Father, and to return in His Kingdom with Judgement upon His enemies.

A Quote from Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Luke 19:12-15 ‘A certain nobleman - The Lord Jesus, who was shortly to be crucified by the Jews. Went into a far country - Ascended to the right hand of the Divine Majesty. To receive a kingdom - To take possession of the mediatorial kingdom, the right to which, as Messiah, he had acquired by his sufferings: see Phi_2:8, Phi_2:9; Heb_1:3, Heb_1:8, Heb_1:9. In these words there is an allusion to the custom of those days, when they who had kingdoms or governments given unto them went to Rome to receive that dignity from the emperors. Bishop Pearce. In proof of this, see Josephus, Ant. l. xiv. c. xiv., where we find Herod went to Rome to receive the sanction and authority of the Roman emperor. And, from lib. xvii. c. 3, we learn that his successors acted in the same way. And to return - To judge and punish the rebellious Jews.’

• Joh 6:15 KJV When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

If Jesus’ commission was to be an earthly king why did He intentionally reject the opportunity?

• Act 1:6 KJV When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

A Quote from the People's New Testament

Acts 1:6 ‘Wilt thou at this time, etc.? They still held to their old ideas of a worldly restoration of the kingdom of Israel. Their only question was, "Wilt thou restore it now?" After the Holy Spirit was given, this delusion was dismissed, and they understood that Christ's kingdom is not of this world.’

Dispensationalism teaches that National Israel and the Church are two separate 'peoples', the Jews remain special heirs of Abraham and are said to rule over the Gentiles in a Millennium kingdom. This is contrary to the Scriptures and reveals why it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the Kingdom of God to comprehend the Kingship of Jesus.

• Mat 16:18-19 KJV And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Jesus referred to the ‘Church’ and the ‘Kingdom’ in this portion of Scripture and His statement can only make sense if the titles are synonymous.

• Heb 12:23 KJV To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

• Heb 12:28 KJV Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

In the Epistle to the Hebrews we see the ‘Church’ and the ‘Kingdom’ as interchangeable terms, to receive one is to receive the other.

• Eph 2:12-15 KJV That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

• Eph 2:19 KJV Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

To be in Christ is to be in the Church and in the Kingdom.

• Luk 1:33 KJV And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

God used the visible things of this world to teach the invisible things of the spiritual world; these are known as the ‘types and shadows’ of the Old Testament. Since Christ the anti-type has fulfilled all that was written of Him, we have a spiritual Kingdom that is without end and a spiritual King on the throne.

Why would God go to such lengths only to reverse the whole process in a Millennium as described by Dispensationalism?

• Rev 19:16 KJV And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

That's my King!

What do you think?

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