Angelic Conflict part 356: Future work of Christ; Judgment and Reigning – Luk 1:26-33; Act 2:25-31; 1Co 15:20-28.

Title: Angelic Conflict part 356: Future work of Christ; Judgment and Reigning - LUK 1:26-33; ACT 2:25-31; 1CO 15:20-28.

 

 

So far, under the topic of the future work of Christ we have seen the resurrection of all men, the marriage of the Bridegroom and bride, and we now complete the judgment of all classes of moral creatures, both angels and men. We have completed the judgment or Bema for the Church and now we conclude the rest.

 

3. The judgment of all classes of moral creatures (angels and men).

 

b. Israel nationally and individually, MAT 25:1-30; EZE 20:34-38; ZEC 13:8-9; MAL 3:2-3,5.

 

The time of this judgment is at the Second Coming of Christ. It takes place on the earth outside of the city of Jerusalem. The ones judged are all living Israel who are regathered and not resurrected Israel. The basis of the judgment is to separate the saved from the unsaved in Israel. The unsaved will be cut off from the land and the Millennial reign and in death will be sent to Hades to await final judgment. The saved of living Israel will be taken into the Millennium with Christ in which He will fulfill their covenants.

 

This is the judgment of all living Israel who have survived the Tribulation and the Armageddon Campaign. This judgment is to separate the saved from the unsaved.

 

c. The Gentiles at the time of His second coming to the earth, MAT 25:31-46; JOE 3:1-2.

 

This judgment will follow Israel's judgment at the Second Advent of Christ and before He enters His Millennial Kingdom. Again the judgment is for the living who have survived the Tribulation and it is to separate believer from unbeliever. The believing Gentiles will enter into the Millennium with Christ and the unbelieving will die and temporarily go to Hades in waiting for their final judgment. It also takes place on the earth and each will be judged individually.  

 

d. Angels, probably at the end of the millennium, 1CO 6:3; 2PE 2:4; Jud 6, REV 20:10.

 

It is likely that this will take place in the heavens at the end of the Millennium and just before the GWTJ. Only fallen angels are judged. The basis for this judgment is the fallen angels whose sin was to follow Satan in his rebellion against God.  

 

e. The wicked dead [all unbelieving mankind] at the Great White Throne Judgment, REV 20:11-15.

 

These judgments are climactic in that every living enemy of God's program is judged and sentenced forever. All opposition has been removed forever and all the elect of angels and men enter into eternity with the Lord. The Lord is the Victor!!

 

4. Reigning on David’s throne, 2SA 7:16; LUK 1:32-33.

 

2SA 7:16 And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.

 

In ordinary succession of kings who ultimately would die, it is unlikely that the throne would be actually estab­lished forever as stated in 2SA 7:16.

 

In the original prediction to David that his throne and seed would continue forever, it is im­plied that ultimately One would reign who would be a resur­rected Person.

 

The prophecy given to David has its confirmation in the announcement of the angel to Mary, where it was stated of Christ:

 

LUK 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth,

 

LUK 1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

 

LUK 1:28 And coming in, he said to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."

 

LUK 1:29 But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be.

 

LUK 1:30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

 

LUK 1:31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

 

LUK 1:32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;

 

LUK 1:33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."

 

The specific promise given to David, therefore, is to be fulfilled in Christ and could not have been fulfilled if Christ had not been raised from the dead.

 

This is confirmed in Peter’s Pentecostal sermon in ACT 2:25-31 where the resurrection of Christ is tied in with the promise to David that God would set One of David’s descendants upon His throne.

 

ACT 2:25 "For David says of Him [PSA 16:8-11], 'I was always beholding the Lord in my presence; For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.

 

ACT 2:26 'Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; Moreover my flesh also will abide in hope;

 

ACT 2:27 Because Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, Nor allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.

 

ACT 2:28 'Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou wilt make me full of gladness with Thy presence.'

 

ACT 2:29 "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

 

ACT 2:30 "And so, because he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants upon his throne,

 

ACT 2:31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.

 

5. The final deliverance of the conquered world to the Father.

 

As a climax to the drama of history, Christ delivers a conquered world to the Father.

 

1CO 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

 

1CO 15:21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

 

1CO 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

 

1CO 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,

 

1CO 15:24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

 

1CO 15:25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

 

1CO 15:26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

 

The ultimate victory and the establishment of the sovereignty of Christ over all of His enemies could not have been accomplished apart from His resur­rection.

 

1CO 15:27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.

 

1CO 15:28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.

 

The ultimate resur­rection of all men as well as the ultimate subjugation of the entire world to the sovereignty of Christ depends upon His resurrection.

 

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a link in the total chain of God’s sovereign program without which the whole scheme would collapse.

 

Lewis S. Chafer has summarized the importance of the resur­rection in these words:

 

Fulfillment of the eternal purposes related to all of these was dependent upon the coming forth of the Son of God from that tomb. He arose from the dead, and the greatness of that event is indicated by the importance of its place in Christian doctrine.

 

Had not Christ arisen—He by whom all things were created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, He for whom things were created, who is before all things, and by whom all things consist (hold together) —every divine pur­pose and blessing would have failed. The very universe and the throne of God would have dissolved and would have been dismissed forever. All life, light, and hope would have ceased. Death, darkness, and despair would have reigned.

 

His resurrection is vitally related to the ages past, to the fulfillment of all prophecy, to the values of His death, to the Church, to Israel, to creation, to the purposes of God in grace which reach beyond to the ages to come, and to the eternal glory of God.

 

At the resurrection the last hope for an eternally dark world was banished eternally.

 

It is impossible for the mind to grasp the mighty issues which were at stake at the moment when Christ came forth from the tomb. At no moment of time, however, were these great issues in jeopardy. The consummation of His resurrection was sure, for omnipotent power was engaged to bring it to pass.

 

Every feature of the Christian’s salvation, position, and hope was dependent on the resurrection of his Lord.

 

He is the Victor of the Angelic Conflict and in Him we have victory, an eternal kingdom, and a blessed hope of deliverance from all things, even death.

 

REV 1:5-6 To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.