The kingdom of the Messiah is one of conquest. It exists to subdue and subjugate the forces of rebellion. The words of God to the Son were, "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool." This regime would never have been inaugurated if all the forces of the universe had remained faithful unto the Creator. It was made necessary by revolt in heaven and transgression on earth. When Satan was cast out of heaven and Adam was cast out of the garden of Eden, a state of rebellion against the authority of God was in evidence. Thus the duration of the Christocracy is marked by the time essential, in the divine wisdom, to bring the enemies into submission.
It is in view of these considerations that it was written, "The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes!" (Psalm 110:2). "Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet" (1 Cor. 15:28). So long as there is one alien force in the universe actively opposed to God, the design and order of creation for the glorification of God is not yet perfected. Before creation God was everything. During creation he was everything. But with the advent of rebellion upon the part of rational beings the picture was changed. It became necessary to inaugurate a Reign which would restore the primal purpose, and make God everything to everyone. "When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one" (1 Cor. 15:28).
There are three regions in which responsible created beings exist. These are the celestial, the terrestrial, and the infernal. They are referred to as heaven, earth, and under the earth. The first is inhabited by the orders of angels, the second by men, and the third by the orders of demons. In all of these regions there must come a recognition of the authority of God. Accordingly God has bestowed all authority upon Jesus that he might accomplish the eternal purpose. "God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11). Those who refused to acknowledge the God of glory must now acknowledge the authority of his heir to the glory of God.
The Reign of the Messiah, like every other creation of God, is perfectly adapted to conditions as they are and to the achievement of heaven's design. It is for this reason that it is an absolute monarchy, and not a democracy or republic. The God of the universe was not limited to the simile of a kingdom because the people of that day were not familiar with republics. Four centuries before Jesus was born of the virgin, the philosopher Plato had written his classic "The Republic." There are those citizens of democracies who feel that their form of government is the highest attainable, and they are troubled at the thought of God's choice of a type of government which is deemed inferior. But the conclusions are based upon false premises.
A democracy is the best form of rule in the present state of mankind, when the constituents are filled with avarice, greed and false ambition. In such a government, unjust rulers can be more easily dispossessed and shorn of authority. The public conscience, being driven to the point of revolt, will rise up and cast out of power those who would exercise despotic inclinations. In human monarchies there may often be a perpetuation of error and misery. The ruling family passes on to its successors the same evil tendencies, and these are often defended because of tradition and ancestral worship. It is difficult to overthrow a long established and well rooted dynasty.
But a democracy is best adapted to a state of peace and tranquility. It is not suited to a state of war. As proof of this we need only to cite how republics in times of great national danger from without, seek out a leader and delegate to him special powers, exalting him as a central figure, and surrendering their rights and privileges unto him. A monarchy is best fitted to prosecute war, for if the king be judicious and skilful, and his subjects be loyal, he can direct his forces to gain the maximum benefit. The Reign of heaven was created to make war incessantly against an implacable foe. In this great conflict there can be no cessation of hostilities and no flag of truce. It would not be feasible to allow the decisions to rest with a majority of the citizens, for even a majority may be mistaken.
Republics are always the outgrowth and by-products of abuses in government. It has ever been thus. The American colonies were first ruled by a monarch, and it was never considered by the early emigrants that they would establish a commonwealth which would revolt against the king of England. But when intolerable restraints were imposed and taxation was levied without representation being granted, this was branded as tyranny, and a revolution ensued. The Declaration of Independence was a statement of protest against violations of human rights, and our present form of government is an experiment in preservation and protection of those rights. Yet, in time of national fear, special powers are bestowed upon the chief executive, which really make the fate of the nation hang upon the decisions of one man.
If the crown could repose upon the wisest head and the scepter be wielded by the most benevolent hand in the realm, a monarchical government would be the most efficient, least cumbersome, and safest. But among fallen men, the wisest in jurisprudence are not always kind and considerate; and the philanthropist does not always possess wisdom and discretion. Therefore, a government which will permit dismissal of the inefficient and unworthy is highly esteemed. But in the Reign of heaven this is not so, and the salvation of the subjects is contingent upon the continuance of one in office. "Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
Because the Reign of heaven was instituted to put down revolt against God, and to subjugate those forces which oppose the will of the ruler of the universe, the language used by the Holy Spirit to describe the present state and activities of that Reign is that which describes war and conflict. Thus Jesus is reported as saying, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34). The recorder of the final book describes him as a general at the head of his armies, going forth to smite the nations. "I saw heaven opened and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses. From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed. King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev. 19:11-16).
In this great conflict of the ages all the powers of heaven, earth and hell are engaged. It is not an exaggeration to state that the revelation of God conceives of every responsible being in the whole universe as actively associated in the fight. It is a titanic struggle between all of the forces marshaled under the banner of right and those dedicated to the cause of error. The generalship is invested in supernatural beings, on one hand the Messiah of God, on the other the great opposer and slanderer, Diabolos. Angels and archangels of the celestial realm are opposed by demons of the infernal regions. The souls of men are the stakes for which the incessant conflict is waged.
The Messiah employs two means to overcome the enemies of God, reconciliation and destruction. That which cannot be reconciled unto God must be destroyed. In the end there must remain no weapon fashioned against the Eternal One; no alien voice which can dispute the absolute sovereignty of God over his universe. It would not be incorrect to say that the Reign of the Messiah is one of total destruction. He must either destroy the evil in our lives, or we must suffer destruction.
The arrangement of God is perfectly adapted to this end. It preserves inviolate the will of God and the will of his creatures. Any plan which compelled man against his will to obey God, would destroy the sovereignty of man; any plan which compelled God to accept man without willing obedience would destroy the sovereignty of God. But, in the ultimate, the will of God, which is absolute in right and truth, must prevail. Accordingly, he has revealed that will to man, and life on earth constitutes a period of probation during which man examines that will, and accepts or rejects it, with full knowledge of the consequences of either act. "For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth" (Eph. 1:9, 10).
Since man is so constituted that he can learn more readily by being shown, than by merely being told, God graciously arranged for one to come as an example, so that if there was any question as to the application to life of the principles of the revealed will, we might see them worked out practically, in his personal words and deeds. "For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fulness of life in him who is the head of all rule and authority" (Col. 2:9,10). By his perfect submission to God he has shown men how to overcome feelings of hostility. Evil deeds are acts of rebellion against divine authority and estrange us from heaven. "For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in the body of his flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, provided that you continue in the faith" (Col. 1:19-23).
It should be noted that in the passage quoted above it is affirmed that as the fulness of the Deity dwells bodily in the Messiah, so we come to fulness of life in him. This proves there is more to life than mere existence. Men exist before they are in the Christ. It is fulness of life which cannot be obtained out of him. Since the fulness of Deity dwells in him, then those who dwell in him, are again in contact with Deity. God and man find a common meeting place in the Messiah. Please observe that the whole quotation is "You have come to fullness of life in him who is the head of all rule and authority."
Man was alienated from God by sin, which is the direct result of disrespect for God's authority. Sin separated man from God. "Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you" (Isa. 59:2). Being cut off from God, he was cut off from the source of life. Now, by the exaltation of the Messiah to complete authority in the universe, it is possible for man to regain in him what was lost in Adam. "The first Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a lifegiving spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45). But the fulness of life cannot be enjoyed by one who does not recognize the supreme rule and authority of the Messiah. Life in its fulness begins with full surrender of life to the Lord of life.
As the Reign of heaven is adapted to the subjugation and restoration of mankind and the final triumph of truth, the message of the King is also adapted to the needs of mankind and to the present condition of the human family. As an alien, man needs first to be reconciled unto God; then, having been reconciled he needs to be trained in the course of conduct which will provide him the greatest happiness here and in the world to come. Since the Reign of the Messiah is a constitutional monarchy, man requires first to be informed as to the requirements essential to becoming a citizen; and after having been instructed into citizenship, he needs to be schooled in the duties and responsibilities of his new relationship. Thus, it can readily be seen that two diverse messages must be given by the King, one addressed to aliens for the purpose of induction; the other to citizens for the purpose of instruction.
Those who are aliens and hostile tend to look askance at any overtures of reconciliation. It was, therefore, necessary for the Messiah to perform an act of such stupendous importance, when he took his throne, that the suspicions of men would be allayed and they would become convinced of his grace. Accordingly, when his chosen envoys, empowered by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, announced his sovereign rule and the terms of amnesty, he immediately pardoned his own murderers who accepted the terms, and made them adopted members of the heavenly family with full rights of citizenship. Thus he demonstrated to all men the possibility of salvation from past errors and the complete forgiveness of heaven.
The message proclaimed by the heralds to aliens was designated "the Good News." Since God in all of his dealings with men never required them to do any thing except upon the basis of what he had done for them, the Good News is primarily an announcement of facts with reference to what had been done for sinful men. The facts announced are obviously such as will command the attention of men in need of salvation, and likewise furnish the power and motivation to take the necessary steps to secure such salvation.
The foundation of the Good News, and that which is called "of first importance" consists of three prime facts, viz., Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, he was buried, and he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3,4). To confirm the testimony relative to these facts, credible witnesses who saw him after his resurrection, are introduced (1 Cor. 15:5-8). Related to these fundamental principles are certain additional facts which grew out of them. The Christ who was raised the third day ascended to heaven, is now seated at the right hand of the Father in regal splendor, and will come again as he went into heaven, and those who await his coming may be in his realm and be joint heirs of his glory. The Good News is really nothing more nor less than tidings of victory over sin, death and hell. It is a proclamation of "victory in Jesus!"
The Good News was designed for those who were alienated from God. It was not a course of instruction for citizens, but a proclamation to those not in the kingdom. Thus the Good News was as fully proclaimed on Pentecost as it ever was. That which is designated by the Holy Spirit as "the Good News of the Christ" was declared in its fulness on that day. It was heard, accepted and embraced in its fulness by those who joyfully received the word. Nothing was ever added to the gospel of the Messiah after that date, nor was that gospel ever proclaimed to citizens of the kingdom. It was not intended for them, and while they might be reminded of it as the basis for their hope, the proclamation of it to them was without warrant, seeing they could not have become citizens without having embraced it.
Before his ascension, the Messiah commissioned his envoys to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." The gospel was to be proclaimed to make believers. Belief and baptism were not necessarily a part of the proclamation. They constituted the reaction to the proclamation of those who had good and honest hearts. They were responsibilities devolving upon the sincere hearers of the Good News. One might have heard the Good News in its fulness and yet have refused to believe it or be immersed. The proclamation of the Good News was one thing, the immersion of those who believed it was a wholly different thing, which prompted Paul to write, "For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel" (1 Cor. 1:17).
It is a common error of surface students and casual thinkers to assume that the term "gospel" or Good News, used for the proclamation of the envoys, embraces the scope of the entire new covenant scriptures, and covers the message to sinner and saint alike. The absurdity of this can easily be seen upon a little reflection. If the historical account of Acts, the epistolary writings, and the apocalyptic descriptions and symbols, are all part of the gospel of the Messiah, not one of the apostles ever fully proclaimed that gospel, for each had only a part of the revelation. Further, no congregation of saints during the lifetime of the apostles had ever obeyed the gospel, for not one had a complete compilation of the new covenant scriptures. Yet Paul wrote to the Romans that he had fully preached the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem and as far round as unto Illyricum. Certainly the book of Romans was not part of the gospel he had already preached, for he was just then writing it. In the same book he declares, "They have not all obeyed the gospel," but if the gospel includes the whole of the new covenant revelation none of them had obeyed it, for they did not yet have it.
The truth of the matter is that the Good News was the proclamation of the king to aliens providing the basis upon which they could enlist as citizens. In the capacity of citizens they were furnished with the apostles' doctrine which formed a course of instruction for the perfection of the saints. This was revealed as circumstances demanded and the need arose. In its completeness it represents the constitution of the divine monarchy. This law is applicable only to the citizens of the kingdom. Every nation which receives unto itself those who come from abroad has a law of naturalization. Once that law has been obeyed it never needs repetition, nor do those who have become citizens need again to hear a proclamation of it. But the law of the land may contain many statutes which have to be repeatedly obeyed.
Since the citizens must continue to dwell in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom they are to shine as lights in the world, provision has been made for their mutual strengthening of each other, so that they may build one another up in the most holy faith. To effect this, a memorial feast to show the Lord's death has been prescribed, and to this feast all are required to come regularly until the Lord returns. The Lord's Supper is to be eaten at his table in his kingdom (Luke 22:30). It belongs only to those who are citizens. Being a matter of joint participation, the Supper is a part of the fellowship of believers in the Messiah.
In order to achieve the divine purpose on earth, the envoys of the king gathered into communities or congregations, those in each locality who were inducted into citizenship. These citizens, with qualified seniors selected from their number and ordained as bishops, and with other qualified men ordained as deacons or servants, constituted the church of God, or body of the Christ, in each area. The Lord's table was the rallying point for such congregations of saints, and was the flag which, planted upon new territory, indicated that such territory had been taken into possession for the absent King. So long as the table remained, and loyal subjects gathered about it, that long the territory was in the name of the King.
Each community of saints throughout the universe is a golden lampstand holding up the truth as the light of the world, and in the midst of these the Son of man is depicted as standing, shedding forth the blessing of his presence. These communities in the aggregate compose the kingdom of God on earth, with each of the citizens as a steward who is entrusted with the goods of the Master "to occupy until his return."