CHRIST'S INCREASING KINGDOM -- Tomorrow:
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. OF THE INCREASE OF HIS GOVERNMENT AND PEACE THERE SHALL BE NO END, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this!" (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Devotion 18 of 36
"And there was given Him . . . a kingdom . . . " (Dan 7:14)
Other versions read, "sovereign power" (NIV), "kingship" (NRSV), "THE kingdom" (Septuagint), and "royal power" (NLT).
Once again, I must emphasize that this is related to "the Son of man" being brought to the Father – not with Him coming back to the earth! It has to do with His return to heaven, not His return to earth. Daniel is being given to see the impact of Christ's vicarious death in heaven, not the impact of His glorious coming among men.
The kingdom given to Jesus commenced with His return to the glory -- starting with His glorification and consequent enthronement at the right hand of God as "the Man Christ Jesus."
PETER'S EXPOSITION OF THIS TRUTH
Peter alluded to this when He declared God had "made" Jesus "both Lord and Christ." His reasoning is unusually powerful, shattering misconceptions of the nature of the salvation and Divine rule. Peter spoke these words on the day of Pentecost when He was "filled with the Spirit."
First, He affirmed God had made promises regarded a coming Sovereign – the "Lord." "For David speaketh concerning Him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved . . . For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand" (Acts 2:25,34). Secondly, Peter announced the coming of a Christ, or Messiah, who would be enthroned. "Therefore [David] being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He [God] would raise up Christ to sit on His throne" (Acts 2:30).
Inspired by the Holy Spirit to see the Scriptures with clarity, Peter goes on to relate all of this to the resurrection of Christ. "He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell [hades] (NKJV), neither His flesh did see corruption" (Acts 2:31).
Confirming that the resurrection of Christ did, in fact, include His ascension and enthronement in glory, Peter further declared, "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies Your footstool.' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:33-36). NKJV
Therefore, Jesus is presently sitting at the right hand of God in the capacity of the reigning "Lord." He is presently the "Christ" God promised David He would place upon his throne. This was one of the very first things proclaimed about the Lord Jesus. It ought not be so little known among those who claim identity with Him. The glorified Christ has received a kingdom!
The Apostles refer to THIS kingdom – the one "the Son of man" has received.
1. It is called "the kingdom of Christ and of God" (Eph 5:5).
2. It is "the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet 1:11).
3. When in exile on Patmos, John referred to himself as "your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ" (Rev 1:9).
4. Our own reconciliation to God is described as the work of God, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Col 1:13).
5. The Spirit represents the Father as saying to the glorified Son, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom" (Heb 1:8).
6. In one of His parables, Jesus likened the kingdom of God to "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom, and to return" (Luke 19:12).
7. Jesus will judge the living and the dead when He AND His kingdom appear. "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom" (2 Tim 4:1).
At this present time, the Lord Jesus is ruling and reigning. The government is now upon His shoulder (Isa 9:6), and He is reigning in righteousness (Isa 32:1). From the earthly perspective, however, this does not appear to be true. It seems as though Jesus is not really reigning, for things do not appear to fall out to the apparent advantage of the saints. Thus foolish people become "upset with God," or "angry with God," supposing they have become the victims of happenstance or uncontrollable forces of evil. Notwithstanding, Daniel saw "the Son of man" receiving a kingdom, and Peter and Paul both affirmed that kingdom is now in place. The only thing that remains is for Christ's rule and kingdom to be made known, or revealed. God has said the time for this unveiling has already been appointed (1 Tim 6:15).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for providing such marvelous insights concerning the nature and relevancy of the Kingdom over which Jesus now presides.