THE CURRENT REIGN OF JESUS Christ will reign "until" His enemies become His footstool, or until all opposition has been openly and unquestionably demonstrated to be inferior to His power. In fact, it will shown that they have been ruled by Him all along. As it is written, "For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death" (1 Cor 15:25,26). -- Tomorrow:
(1 Corinthians 15:25)
The immediate intent of His reign, however, is not to subdue His enemies, but to "give eternal life" to those entrusted to Him by the Father. From one perspective, He has already decidedly defeated His enemies. He has "destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb 2:14), and has plundered "principalities and powers," triumphing over them in His cross (Col 2:15). These are the ones who govern the powers of darkness, and they are already defeated.
Note the "last enemy" -- it is death. Death has succeeded in taking every member of the human race but two: Enoch and Elijah. It has ruled ruthlessly, running roughshod over humanity. Paul speaks of death as "reigning," even over those that were not disobedient to a specific commandment, as was Adam. "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam . . . " (Rom 5:14). But death will be finally conquered by the Lord Jesus! He defeated it initially in His own return from the region of the dead. Its final overthrow will come at the resurrection, when the earth shall "cast out her dead."
As it is written, "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out her dead" (Isa 26:19).
While He walked among men, Jesus Himself spoke of this occasion. "Truly, truly, I say unto you, and hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and those that hear shall live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, so has He gave to the Son, to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this: for an hour is coming, in which all which are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth: those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:25-29, NASB).
Here are two areas in which His authority is being exercised. First, in awakening men from death in trespasses and sins. Last, in calling for an evacuation of all graves, thereby breaking the power of death once and for all. Death will interrupt no longer, but its unbroken reign will be finally interrupted! Death will not recover from this triumph.
In His current reign, Jesus is bringing "many sons to glory" in spite of the opposition of wicked powers, and those who serve them. The "saved of the earth" are being brought on their way right through enemy territory. Satan's objectives for believers are being thwarted. He is, according to Divine purpose, ruling "in the midst" of His enemies.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the prospect of beholding the open subjugation of Christ's enemies. They are my enemies also, and I anticipate seeing them bow the knee to Jesus, and confess that He is Lord.