KINGDOM - OLOGY 16

The Mediatorial Kingdom completes the period of revelation and salvation

A very serious problem confronts the interpreter of Scripture at this point. Confusion in this area leads to the many variations in the field of eschatology. The Jews were groping for the truth as reflected in the Apocryphal and Apocalyptic literature. From the third century of the Christian era to this present hour, confusion has persisted within the professing church. Postmillennialism and Amillennialism suffer from this misunderstanding, and in some respects effects of this are to be detected in Mid-Tribulationism and Post-Tribulationism.

This raises the question concerning the nature and purpose of the Mediatorial Kingdom. Does this period constitute a further advancement in the revelation of God to men in which revelation reaches its crowning fulfillment? During this period is the work of salvation in process among men, ever advancing until it reaches completion for the hosts of humanity? Are men still on probation as they confront the greatest revelation ever made to men on the one hand, and the accessibility of salvation on the other? Is this a period in which Christ is gradually bringing every enemy into subjection to His rule?

The answer to these questions seems to be clearly in the affirmative. Not until this kingdom has run its course can that point be reached when the fixation of eternal destiny is settled. If we are to take the words of Paul seriously, then Christ "must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (1 Cor. 15:25-26). This work is not completed until the end of the Mediatorial Kingdom (1 Cor. 15:24). At this point death will no longer be an experience of the righteous or the wicked, for in the final resurrection, the wicked will have been raised and their eternal destiny will have been evaluated and inflicted by means of confinement in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1-4).

The Bible is abundantly clear that the work of revelation goes on during the Mediatorial Kingdom. Christ will be present and men shall then see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). The earth will shine with His glory (Ezek. 43:2). Just the presence of this person in all His regal splendor will captivate the attention and meditation of men. But His performance as the great King will also reveal His person. The government will be upon His shoulder, and there will be ever expanding dimensions in an atmosphere of peace (Isa. 9:6-7), something never before performed by any ruling genius. There will be poured out upon men, and especially upon the Jewish nation, the Spirit of God, so that they will proclaim far and wide the virtues of the reigning sovereign and the glory of His grace (Joel 2:28-29).

The greatest period of salvation in the history of the ages will be taking place. This will be true because there will be a population explosion under the most favorable circumstances. And this work of salvation will be for the purpose of preparing a population for the eternal state (Rev. 21:24). With joy men will draw water from the wells of salvation (Isa. 12:3). In contrast to the centuries preceding, the children of Israel will call the walls of their city Salvation (Isa. 60:18). At last this people will fulfill that purpose for which God has called them. Each one will say:

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adometh herself with jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations” (Isa. 61:10-11). Then shall the words of the prophet come to pass:

“How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (Isa. 52:7-10).

All of this is to take place in the earth during the Mediatorial Kingdom, And cannot be true of the Church today. To assert that the Church is now reigning with Christ is to ignore some very clear teaching in the Bible on some most important particulars. The Church cannot fulfill the function of ruling until it is finally completed and perfected. One dare not set aside the vast amount of Scripture which sets forth God's purpose in the Jews. It must be acknowledged that Christ is today performing the function of High Priest. Kingship belongs to a period yet future, and is to be performed in the earth. Moreover, it is a gross misunderstanding to place sinful, and mortal, and failing men on the throne with the risen and glorified Christ.

In addition to the above, to make the present Church period the Mediatorial Kingdom is to make this period the last period of redemption. If this be so have the glowing descriptions of things in the earth as set forth in the prophecies of the Old Testament and the writings of the Apostles in the New Testament already taken place? And if they have already taken place, at what period in church history did they take place? This history of the Christian Church from Pentecost to the present reflects no such conditions. All that the Lord ever said to His own while He was in the world was that the Church would experience tribulation (John 16:33). The apostles confirmed His message by warning of the same thing. If these things did not take place in the past, then they must be future. This could only mean that great prosperity lies ahead as Christ progressively brings everything into subjection to Himself. Since He is absent from the earth then the Church will eventually rule the world and the Mediatorial Kingdom will be realized in His absence. When He returns it will be merely to hand the kingdom over to the Father (1 Cor. 15:24-28).

Confusion of the deepest kind results when this sort of interpretation is employed. Far better to take the words of Scripture at face value, and thus enjoy the hope of the coming kingdom when the saints will experience the joy of victory over all enemies and the Lord Jesus Christ will be confessed as Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11).