KINGDOM - OLOGY 32

The Mediatorial Kingdom is Not to Identified with the Eternal State

            As a necessary background for the understanding of this statement, there are a number of features in the program of progressive revelation that must be presented at this point.

            It must be recognized that the kingdom of God, in relation to the nation of Israel, is clearly set forth in the prophecies of the Old Testament as being eternal, everlasting, one that will never end. The references are replete. Almost every aspect of this kingdom is named and declared to be eternal: the covenant (Gen. 17:7), the patriarchs (Ex. 2:24), the seed Psa. 89:4, 36), the people (2 Sam. 7:14), the nation (1 Kings 9:5), the government (Isa. 9:7), the King (Isa. 6:5; John 12:41), the house (2 Sam. 7:16), the kingdom (2 Sam. 7:13), the throne (1 Chron. 17:12, 14), the dominion (Dan. 7:14), the reign (Mic. 4:7), and the land (Gen. 7:8; 13:15; 48:4). And the New Testament confirms this long line of prophecy (Luke 1:32-33; 2 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 11:15).

            Because the eternity of this kingdom is so clearly set forth in the Scriptures, Amillennialists vigorously contend that there is no place for a millennial kingdom. Reference to the thousand years in Revelation 20 must be harmonized with the abundant and clear testimony elsewhere in the Scriptures. They have, therefore, chosen to place the thousand years within the period of the Church, at the end of which the eternal state will be ushered in at the second coming of Christ. This means that even though the program of revelation continues in the eternal state, the program of redemption is completed at the second coming of Christ. There will be no salvation of people following the second coming of Christ, and there will be no intermediate and partial lifting of the curse prior to the eternal state. To accomplish this harmonization of Scripture, they employ spiritualization and rearrangement of the Scriptures.

            The problem emerges immediately as to why the great burden of prophecy depicts just one future kingdom of God, and that kingdom is eternal. The answer is very simple. As originally projected, the primary and fundamental reason for establishing a kingdom of God in the earth is to make an everlasting revelation of the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ and in and through that society over which He will reign. But a contingent factor was introduced into the scene at the very beginning. Man sinned, and in order to rescue the race, it was necessary to make a provisional arrangement for redemption. This necessitated the introduction of two phases into the one kingdom of God. The first phase would not only include revelation, but it must also include redemption. In the final phase there will be no longer any need for redemption, but the program of revelation will go on forever.

            During the first phase of the kingdom, redemption and revelation will be operating side by side. In order that redemption may reach its highest point of efficiency, and the widest range of effectiveness, the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in regal and divine splendor must be in the earth. During this period the devil will be removed from circulation. It will be impossible for him to bring his dire, deceptive influence to bear on men (Rev. 20:1-3). The confusing systems of false religion will no longer lure men away from the truth (Rev. 17:1). And the vast and corrupt political systems will no longer control the actions of men (Rev. 18:1-8). And more importantly than that, the message essential to the salvation of men will fill the hearts and minds of men as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9). Billions of men will be saved, by which God will populate the eternal state.

            In the Old Testament Scriptures there is no mention of the eternal state, that is, a period beyond the completion of redemption, unless such passages as Isa. 65:17-18 and 66:22 are intended to be a slight lifting of the veil so that hope may be projected into the still more distant future. Why the Lord did not give a wider treatment to the final phase of the kingdom is one of the mysteries known only to Deity. But it is altogether possible that the reason lies in the fact that God reveals only that which is necessary at the time and that which can be assimilated by men. Christ did say upon one occasion, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). All that ire needed to provide hope and give stimulus to the people of God in Old Testament days was the prophetic truth of a coming Messiah and an age of righteousness.

            Once the Messiah had come, and because the human factor had introduced the period of the Church, new needs developed. Eschatology enlarges to encompass two groups of the elect: an elect nation, Israel; and an elect people out of all nations, the Church. The Church was a mystery nowhere revealed in the Old Testament (Eph. 3:1-6). It stood in an altogether different relation to the Messiah King of Israel. It was His mystical body and His bride (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 19:7-8). She was to share with the King things that could never be true for the subjects of the King. Therefore, an entirely new set of circumstances was to characterize the actions of the Bridegroom in relation to His Bride. All of these eschatological arrangements would be completed before the King made glorious entrance into His kingdom and took His seat along with the Bride on the throne (Rev. 3:21). In describing the progressive developments of these events in relation to the Church, the apostle Paul went on to integrate them with the final events in the completion of redemption in the Messianic kingdom and the ushering in of the eternal state (1 Cor. 15:23-28).

            Many years go by and Paul unveiled the significance of the Messianic Kingdom as intermediate between the Second Advent and the eternal state. By this time the saints had been progressively digesting the meaning, and were then ready for a further unveiling of end-time events. It was therefore left to the apostle John to reveal the time sequence of events, namely, an intermission of a thousand years between the first and final resurrections and to make it clear that during the thousand years only the wicked would die, for the resurrection of the righteous was already finished. Since those saved during the Messianic kingdom would continue to live, only two things would happen to them. The curse would be entirely lifted and the old nature would cease to operate. They were then prepared to enter the eternal state as saved nations (Rev. 20:5-6; 21:24-26).