I agree with Pretribbers we have Jesus as a king in waiting, yes. I am not, however, a Pretribber.
Rev 12.5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter."
As I said, Jesus is presently King in heaven. So I believe he already has that crown, indicating he is both God and Lord. But in his heavenly rule, he continues to restrain his rule on earth, giving allowance for satanic rule until that time is up. Then he will pull out his scepter and establish his Kingdom on the earth. I will quote it once again:
Rev 11.15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
This passage indicates that even though Jesus is King in heaven, he will not establish his Kingdom *on earth* until the seventh angel has sounded his trumpet. And that takes place at the end of the present age. It can't be more explicit.
Rev 12 tells us that Jesus began His reign after the man-child Jesus was caught up to heaven after every enemy was defeated through and after the cross.
Revelation 12:5 tells us:
“And she (true Israel)
brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
Christ is reigning since the resurrection. Jesus is still reigning in these last days (the intra-Advent period) and putting all enemies under His feet. All the result of the fall and every enemy of righteousness will be finally eliminated at Christ’s coming. Men can still submit to His rule, however, when He returns with a rod of iron that is the end. The Holy Ghost says this is happening now. It relates to the present millennial period. Premil seems to have a totally disregard for the tenses. Obviously, this is because time after time they expose your error. I go with Scripture.
Jesus testifies in Revelation 3:21:
“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down (aorist active indicative)
with my Father in his throne.”
Here you have it! This is a current ongoing reality. There is no getting away from this. From this passage we explicitly see:
(1) The battle was Calvary
(2) The outcome was victory,
(3) His reign is current,
(4) The location is heaven.
(5) The dead in Christ share in Christ current reign over His enemies.
Christ’s current heavenly reign over His enemies is inextricably linked to the decisive victory He secured through His life, death and glorious resurrection. Our Savior had to overcome. He had to defeat every enemy of righteousness. He had to overcome that which had overcome man -namely sin, Satan, hell and the grave. Christ’s present reign is therefore (1) to perfectly fulfil Scripture, and (2) to enforce the complete victory that was wrought.
We find this truth repeated in Revelation 5:1-6, where we learn
, “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain.”
The word “prevailed” here is
nikao meaning to conquer, overcome, prevail, or to get the victory. This is exactly what “the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David” did. This is an existing reality. We are not waiting for some future age for the son of David to prevail; He already victoriously secured a victory over every enemy by His resurrection and has now assumed the throne of David reigning over the Israel of God.
The priest has already experienced His coronation after the ascension. He now sits “on the throne” as the Messianic priest/kingship.
It was through the tribe of Judah that the Israelite royal linage functioned. It was here that the kingship or leadership was given (Genesis 49:9-10). Judah went by the standard of a lion. Jesus Christ was born through the linage of Judah (Matthew 1:1-2, Hebrews 7:14) and it is He that has the strength/power to deal with the enemies of His people. The connotation involved in the wording and symbolism contained in Revelation 5:5 in regard to “the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David” confirms Christ’s present Davidic kingship or rulership.
Rev 20 declares a "first resurrection" takes place, which leaves the rest of the world in its current mortal, sinful state. It doesn't' need to be stated that sin is a rebellion against God and is entrenched in man's spiritual DNA. Even though Christ and his glorified saints rule over the earth during the Millennium, that doesn't mean sin doesn't continue to exist--it is merely restrained.
And in fact, if glorified Christians "rules" over the earth, the indication is that there are rebellious people to be ruled over, or restrained. Such things do not need to be pointed out, since they are already assumed. On the contrary, if something different is to be supposed, then that should be pointed out. And it isn't.
There is one literal first resurrection where Christ defeated the grave. The Bible makes it clear that Christ is "the first resurrection" (Acts 26:23 and Revelation 20:6), "the firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18), "the firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20), "first begotten of the dead" (Revelation 1:5).
Since this, Revelation 20 describes the defeat and binding (or curtailment) of Satan for the expressed purpose of the Gospel invading the nations and removing the deception that blinded the Gentiles before Christ's first resurrection. When Satan was bound through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ then the kingdom of darkness was bound (including the beast and every demon). 2 Peter 2:4, Jude v 6, Revelation 9 and Revelation 20 all prove the whole demonic realm is currently restrained from stopping the free-flow of the Gospel. The bruising of the head of the beast (Revelation 13:3, 13:12 and 13:14) correlates with the bruising of the head of Satan 2,000 years ago through the earthly ministry of Christ (Genesis 3:15). They correspond with the spiritual binding imprisoning of Satan during the millennial period. These are figurative metaphors describing the impairment of the kingdom of darkness 2000 years ago.
If you identify the current age as "the Kingdom of God" and "goat-infested," then why do you view the Premil version of the Millennium "the Kingdom of God" and "goat-infested," as if that is some sort of contradiction? In fact, however, Premills like myself do see a difference between the impact of God's Kingdom in the present age and the realization of God's Kingdom in the coming age.
One is indeed "goat-infested" now, whereas in the Millennial Age, sin will be restrained and ruled over by glorified Christianity. Satan will be bound.
Hello! It is all the imaginary nonsense Premils attribute to Rev 20 that Amils expose. That is what I am hitting. Revelation 20 cuts across your perfect pristine Edenic environment. This is an illusion. Your millennium is saturated with billions of phonies who reveal their hand when Satan appears. The enemy overruns your millennium with his followers - as the sand of the sea.
- Where in the OT does it say "that the rule of the glorified Christ and his saints from heaven prevent the overt rebellion against God that we see in the present age"?
- Where in the OT does it say "newly-converted Christians" are left "in charge of many Christian nations promised to Abraham thousands of years ago" in some future millennium?
- Where in Revelation 20 does it teach Jesus will be "crowned king *on earth* in the promised Kingdom of God."
- Where in Revelation 20 does it teach "human rebellion against God" will be "under better control than we now see it"?
This is all fantasy, and you know it. At Truth says: it is a fairy tale. It will indeed never happen.
