The question is simple:
Is Christ reigning now — or not?
That's not the question. The question is, is Christ reigning now and will He still be reigning in the same manner, except bodily, when He returns? The answer to both questions is yes. But Amil only wants Him reigning now in an unseen manner and apparently do not see Him having the ability to reign over the earth in a seen manner, as in literally bodily present. Or maybe Amil thinks He is unworthy of such a task?
Luke 19:12 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.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
Even though this is a parable, no one can claim He is not bodily back on the earth here. Right? Meaning no one who is being intellectually honest.
BTW, verse 27 clearly proves He is already reigning before He returns---But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them
Except there is a difference, IMO, of reigning over someone vs reigning with someone. While Christ is away He reigning over believers. When He returns believers will be rewarded with reigning with Him because they allowed Him to reign over them while He was away. The reason these in verse 27 are His enemis is because they did not allow Him to reign over them while He was away. I tend to think these are likely meaning the unprofitable servants of His within the church while He is away. But others might take these enemies to mean all the lost in general. Yet look what the text stated earlier---But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
Is one to believe His citizens include atheists, satanists, unrepentant witches, murderers, child molestors, so on and so on?
My view requires that some of the lost, but not all of the lost, are resurrected when He comes. Daniel 12:2 supports this. And so does the sheep and goats judgment in Matthew 25.The lost meant in Daniel 12:2 is not meaning the lost in general, it is meaning the lost within the body of Christ. It is meaning the apostates. And the same is true of the goats meant in Matthew 25. They are meaning the lost, the apostates, within the body of Christ and not all the lost in general. Anyone objectively comparing to Revelation 20:11-15 should easily be able to see these are not the same judgment.
In Matthew 25 all those that appear here are gathered and separated into 2 groups. And that all from both groups answer Jesus collectively as a group, in the same manner. No way is anyone seen depicted doing that in Revelation 20:11-15, though.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
First these are judged, except they are not yet including all of the dead that are to be judged here. Then when the judging of these are complete, another group of the dead are judged next, verse 13. None of this even remotely aligns with what the judgment involving the sheep and goats is depicting.
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works---does not equal this---Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?---nor this---Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
As if it makes sense, take Cain, for instance. That if he is among the dead in Revelation 20:11-15, and surely he is, that he too answers in this manner--Lord, when saw I thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Or use an unbelieving Jew as example if you still don't get it, that it is profoundly absurd, thus entirely out of context, that anyone who is not a professed servant of Christ would be answering Jesus in that manner, period.
