� 2015 Andy Woods
We began scrutinizing New Testament texts that
"kingdom now" theologians employ in an attempt to argue that the
kingdom is a present reality in order to show that none of these passages teach
a present form of the kingdom. We have examined the typical texts from the
Gospels, Acts, Paul's letters, and the general epistles used by "kingdom
now" theologians. In this installment, we will take a similar look at common
"kingdom now" proof texts allegedly found in the Book of Revelation.
A text commonly used by "kingdom now"
theologians is Revelation 1:5-6, which says that Christ has made believers into
a kingdom of priests. These verses say, "And from Jesus
Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the
kings of the earth. 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."
The logic of the argument from the "kingdom now" theologian here is
that if we indeed are a kingdom of priests then we must now be in the present
spiritual Messianic kingdom. However, such an interpretive approach is to
reveal impatience with interpreting the Apocalypse. This is especially true since
the Book of Revelation typically interprets itself either in the very same or in
a subsequent context. One example is how the dragon (Rev. 12:3) is later
interpreted as the serpent or the devil in both in the immediate (Rev. 12:9)
and the extended (Rev. 20:2) contexts of the same book. In fact, Walvoord, in
his Revelation commentary, identifies twenty-six instances where an
interpretation is conspicuously provided in the immediate context.[1]
Thus, the explanation of Revelation 1:6 is found later in
Revelation 5:10, which says, �And thou hast made them to be a kingdom and
priests to our God; and they will reign
upon the earth� (italics added).
Notice that Revelation 5:10 explains when and where the Church will exercise
its authority as a kingdom of priests. We know that this reign will take place
in the future given the future tense of the verb basileuō, which is translated "they will reign." In
other words, the reign is not now but future. We also know from the final
clause in Revelation 5:10 that this reign will take place upon the earth. Thus,
the explanation of Revelation 1:6 is found in Revelation 5:10, which
anticipates a future, earthly reign rather than the present reign of believers.
In other words, putting both Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 together reveals that
although believers are a present kingdom of priests, they will not actually
reign in this capacity until the future earthly Messianic kingdom is
established. Toussaint summarizes, "The explanation of this verse is found
in 5:10 (NASB), which anticipates the future reign of believers with
Christ."[2]
Another text used by "kingdom now" theologians
is Revelation 1:9, "I, John, your brother and fellow
partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in
Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the
testimony of Jesus." "Kingdom now" theologians believe that this
text indicates that because John describes himself to his audience as a fellow
partaker in the kingdom, then the kingdom must be a present spiritual reality.
Yet, this represents another case where it would be better to allow the Book of
Revelation to interpret itself. Other sections of the Apocalypse describe the
kingdom as both future and earthly (Rev. 5:10; 11:15; 20:1-10). Thus,
Revelation 1:9 is speaking of the future millennial reign of Christ. In fact,
commentators seem nearly unanimous in interpreting the Greek word basileia, translated "kingdom"
in Revelation 1:9, as the future Millennium. Thomas observes, "Little
difference of opinion exists over the meaning of basileia in 1:9. It is the millennial kingdom described more fully
in Revelation 20."[3]
Other "kingdom now" theologians
appeal to Revelation 5:5 in order to contend for a present, spiritual kingdom.
This verse says, "and one of the elders said to me, 'Stop weeping; behold,
the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as
to open the book and its seven seals.'" Because the verb translated
"has overcome" is in the aorist tense, Bock observes:
The victory, or at least the decisive act, has already
occurred. He is qualified to open the scrolls and the seals because of what he
has already done as a Davidite...The timing of Revelation 5:5 is critical,
since it precedes the seal judgments and the second coming, so the text shows
Jesus has his regal victorious status before he returns in Revelation 19. The portrait of these Revelation texts is consistent. Jesus now
rules in spiritual-salvific terms, in a new community that is part of the
kingdom program, and in a way that inaugurates Davidic promises. That kingdom
exists alongside the kingdoms of earth...[4]�
Yet, neither the word
"kingdom" (basileia) nor
its verbal form "to reign" (basileuō)
are used in Revelation 5:5. Surely, this word group would be employed by John
here had it been his intention to communicate that the kingdom is a present,
spiritual reality. Rather, all this verse really communicates is that Jesus
Christ, the Lamb of God, has already broken into history through His First
Advent and laid the ground work for the eventual establishment of His kingdom
through His redemptive death. Regarding Bock's use of
Revelation 5:5, Toussaint observes, "But this does not prove a present
spiritual form of the kingdom. Christ's death and resurrection have defeated
Satan but the kingdom is clearly future; this is especially seen in the
Apocalypse"[5] (Rev. 5:10; 11:15; 20:1-10).
Perhaps an analogy from the modern legal
world can help to elucidate the true meaning of Revelation 5:5. When someone is
charged with a crime, there are typically two phases of the trial. In the first
phase, the accused is tried by a jury of his peers. If found guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt, at this point the accused becomes a convict. In the second
phase of the trial, the convict later appears before the judge for sentencing.
In the same way, Satan has already been convicted at the cross (John 12:31; 16:11; Col. 2:15; Heb.
2:14; 1 John 3:8). In this sense, he is a defeated foe. If
true, then what are we to make of the numerous passages indicating that he is
still the ruler of this present world (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 1 Pet. 5:8; 1 John
4:4; 5:19)? The reason for these descriptors is that his sentence has not yet
been imposed. Such an imposition of his punishment will not take place until
the events surrounding the establishment of the kingdom (Rev. 12:9-10; 20:2-3,
10). Thus, while Revelation 5:5 describes Christ's victory at the trial's guilt
phase, it is not speaking of the penalty phase of the trial, which will be
accomplished in the events surrounding the establishment of the future
millennial kingdom. In other words, while Christ's victory at the conviction
stage has already transpired (Rev. 5:5), His victory at the sentencing stage
awaits the future arrival of the kingdom (Rev. 12:9-10; 20:2-3, 10).
Moreover, the notion of
interpreting any of these above texts from the Apocalypse (Rev. 1:6, 9; 5:5) as
conveying a reigning church in the present hardly fits the immediate context of
the Book of Revelation. As mentioned earlier in this series,[6] if we are now in a spiritual form of the Davidic Kingdom,
then the deplorable spiritual condition of the churches in Revelation 2‒3
is inexplicable. Five of these seven churches in Asia Minor are in an apostate
condition. In fact, it appears as if most of these churches had so
departed from Christ that they are no longer governed by Him. This very
scenario had certainly transpired in the Laodicean church (Rev. 3:14-22) where Christ is depicted as
standing outside the door of the church, knocking on the door, and seeking
re-entry (Rev. 3:20). Laodicea represents a church
that has so apostatized from the truth that Christ has been dethroned as the
church's governing authority.
Evangelists often explain this verse in terms of Christ as standing outside the heart of the unbeliever, knocking on the heart, and inviting the unbeliever to become a Christian. This is not a correct representation of the verse's context. Rather, it represents Christ seeking fellowship with His own Church and people.[7] �Consequently, Christ is portrayed as standing outside the door of His own church seeking re-admittance as ruler of His own people. In fact, "Laodicea" means "ruled by the people." Newell observes, "The name comes from laos, people, and dikao, to rule: the rule of the people: 'democracy,' in other words."[8] This sad spiritual reality hardly epitomizes a spiritual form of the kingdom where the church is depicted as presently reigning as a kingdom of priests or fellow partakers in the present kingdom or, where Christ has already gained the final victory by establishing His kingdom in the present.
�(To Be Continued...)
[1] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of
Jesus Christ: A Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1966), 29-30. See also J. B. Smith, A Revelation of Jesus
Christ: A Commentary on the Book of Revelation, trans., J. Otis Yoder
(Scottsdale, PA: Herald, 1961), 18-19.
[2] Stanley D. Toussaint, "Israel and the Church of a Traditional
Dispensationalist," in Three Central
Issues in Contemporary Dispensationalism, ed. Herbert W. Bateman(Grand
Rapids: Kregel, 1999), 248.
[3] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1�7: An
Exegetical Commentary, ed. Kenneth Barker (Chicago: Moody, 1992), 87.
[4] Darrell Bock, "The Reign of the Lord Christ," in Dispensationalism, Israel, and the Church,
ed. Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 64.
[5] Toussaint,� 248.
[6] See part 25.
[7] Dennis M. Rokser, Seven Reasons Not to Ask Jesus into Your Heart: Answering the Question: "What Must I Do to Be Saved?" (Duluth, MN: Grace Gospel Press, 2012).
[8] William R. Newell, The Book of the Revelation (Chicago: Moody, 1935), 75. See also Thomas, 296.
(Source: SpiritAndTruth.org)