The Kingdom of Christ

Extract

The Kingdom of Christ
A. W. Pink

In our “Covenant” articles in the current issues (Studies in the Scriptures – January and February 1938) it has been pointed out that one of the dominant characteristics of Christ’s throne and kingdom, distinguishing it from all human and earthly ones, is its everlastingness. This particular feature is repeatedly emphasised in the Scriptures, in fact it is found in almost every passage where His kingdom is mentioned: see 2 Samuel 7:16; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Daniel 2:44; Luke 1:32, 33; 2 Peter 1:11; Revelation 11:15. Now this fact that Christ’s throne is “forever and ever” at once refutes the idea of dispensationalists, whose assertions concerning Christ’s kingdom are mainly confined (in most cases entirely so) to what they term His “millennial reign,” which lasts for a thousand years only. In the past the writer has himself been misled by this fantasy and erred in some of his earlier writings thereon: therefore we here humbly make this acknowledgment and renounce what we now believe is an error.

There is, however, one passage which appears to clash with those verses which affirm the eternality of Christ’s kingdom, and which at the same time seems to offer some support to the pre- millennialists; and therefore a separate consideration of its contents is called for. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But everyone in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterwards they that are Christ’s at His coming. Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power. For He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy which shall be destroyed is death. For He (God) hath put all things under His (Christ’s) feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15: 22-28). …