CHRIST TO SIT ON THE THRONE OF HIS GLORY

As the Supreme Sovereign, "the most High rules in the Kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He wills" (Dan. 4:32a). Not realizing this fact, King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, lifted himself up far above his own limitations. Then, the God of heaven interfered into his affairs and punished him within the time frame and made him to eat grass like oxen. After he was healed of his madness, Nebuchadrezzar said these words:

"At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadrezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done" (Dan. 4: 34-35).

God indeed is the Sovereign of the Universe. However, while He gives the Kingdom of men whomsoever He wills, and sets up over it the best of men (v. 17); but He chose to rule Israel Himself. He did not really want to part with it. Nonetheless, He made a provision in their constitution, viz the Law of Moses, that when they wanted earthly kings to rule over Israel, God held the prorogation to appoint a man of His choice (Deut. 17:14-15). Thus there came a time, when Israel wanted to have a king like other nations of the world around them (I Sam. 8:5). God chose Saul to rule over Israel (10:1). In course of time, King Saul, however, disqualified himself to sit on God's throne and to rule the people of God (I Sam. 15:26). Therefore, God set David upon His throne, and made an everlasting covenant with him (II Sam. 7:12-14).

According to that covenant, at least two things were positively stated. (1) After the death of David, the throne would be given to his seed, who inturn, God would accept as His son (v. 14). Thus, the one that sat upon the throne of David would be the son of God and of David; for after all, the throne truly belongs to God! Therefore, God, promised saying, "...my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee" (v. 15). The covenant also includes the throne to last forever (Psa. 89:29). God used some of the strongest words He ever did; and He had even sworn by His Holiness. Let us see the passage in this context:

"My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon and as a faithful witness in heaven ..." (Psa. 89:34–37)

The promise of God and His Covenant with the seed of David really appeared to show high regard for David and his seed. However, in the course of time, they proved unworthy time and again for such promise and covenant of God. In the case of Ahaz, the son of Jotham of the lineage of David wearied God with his faithlessness in God's word of exhortation as well as consolation. He broke the covenant of sonship with those that sat on the throne of David; and sought such a covenant relationship with the King of Assyria instead. Ultimately the physical seed of Ahaz for David's throne was ruled out (II King 16: 7-12). Therefore, God rejected the seed of Ahaz to continue on David's throne forever and promised saying, "A virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a son" (Isa. 7:7-14). A virgin's seed replaces the physical seed of Ahaz.

Days had gone by, Conaiah or Jechoniah; the son of Jehoiakim came to the throne of David in the days of Nebuchadrezzar, King of Babylon. This man cultivated a strange attitude towards God's word from his youth; for God said:

"I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth that thou obeyedst not my voice" (Jer. 22:21–23). As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;... Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not? O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah" (jer. 22:24; 28-30).

Do you think that God would like to keep such a man on His throne? I surely, think not. God removed His throne from Judah. He addressed the earth thrice saying, "Hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, write this man childless"- For what? 'A man that shall not prosper in his days;" What about his seed? "For no man of his seed shall prosper (How?) Sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah" (Jer. 22:29-30).

It is not that Conaiah or Jeconiah or Jechoachin (II Kings 24:6; I Cor. 3:16; Matt. 1:12) had no seed. The prophecy of Jeremiah stated three things very clearly concerning the seed of Conaiah:

1.None of his seed would prosper to sit on His throne. Christ happened to be the ultimate descendent of Jeconaiah (Matt 1:11). The rule was taken away from Jeconiah by Nebuchadrezzar and was handed over to his uncle Zedekiah (Jer. 37:1).

2.None of the seed of Conaiah would rule any more in Judah. With this decision that God made, earthly kingdom to continue under the natural seed of David was discontinued; and God commanded the earth to record it (Jer. 22:29-30).

3.Thus the kingdom of David was to continue no more as an earthly Kingdom.

Then the Jews were handed over to Nebuchadrezzar. Early in his reign, when Nebuchadrezzar was pondering as to what future holds for his Kingdom, the Sovereign God in heaven revealed to him the future in a dream being interpreted by Daniel, to avoid any kind of distortion. According to the dream, after his rule, the Medo-Persian, followed by Greek and then Roman empires in succession come and go. However, in the Days of Roman rule, the God of heaven planned to establish His Kingdom again (Dan. 2:21, 28-43), for Daniel said:

"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (Dan. 2:44).

God only waited for the right time; He did not forget the promise He made to David. After the Greeks, the Roman rule came in to stay. God, who changes times and seasons; and He who removes kings and sets up kings, sent His angel to Mary while she was yet a virgin with this message:

"... Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Lk. 1:30-33).

From the beginning of His ministry, at least, the Lord Jesus knew that He was the king and He was aware of the purpose of His incarnation (John 18: 37-38). He knew fully well that His Kingdom could not be of this world and that it could not be from here (v.36). Therefore, he defied every attempt made to make Him King on the earth (John 6:15); and He discouraged the very idea that His Kingdom could be an earthly one.

From the time that Conaiah was removed from the throne by Nebuchadrezzar, Christ knew that it was not the hand of Nebuchadrezzar that did it. Because, as long as the seed of David faithfully kept the covenant that God made with David, no earthly power could remove or replace the one who sat upon that Throne (Isa. 7:4-7), because it belongs to God. When God declared that Conaiah's seed was not going to sit on the earthly throne of David and would not rule in Judah, from the Divine point of view, the continuation of the physical, natural lineage of David was cut off, and the throne was lifted into heaven!

When Nebuchadrezzar could replace Conaiah, it was not on the throne of David that he placed Zedekiah on; but it was his own, as God gave up the Jews into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar. For according to the Covenant between God and Israel, only one among them must be in authority, and no stranger could be their King (Deut. 17:15). Nebuchadrezzar was a stranger and therefore, it was not the kingdom of Judah any more, rather it became the part and parcel of the Babylonian Empire.

Nothing was secret to Christ when He began to preach the Kingdom of God, which must be established in the days of the Roman rule. Therefore, He termed it as the Kingdom of heaven (Mk. 1:14-15; Matt. 4:17). He made it clear that it would be established, before some of them that listened to Him tasted death (Mk. 9:1). But Christ knew the fact that He would be enthroned only after His death; He also accepted the request of the thief on his right side while on the cross, who appealed to remember him, when He would come into His Kingdom (Lk. 23:43).

Christ appeared to have had realized that, on the throne of David, He must be a priest too! You might remember as to what had happened to Uzziah as he attempted to combine priesthood in his kingship. He was objected, exhorted, when refused, he was smitten of God by instantaneous leprosy. Christ was well aware of it. However, He appears to have had acknowledged of the fact that He must be a priest after the order of Melchisedec because, in as much as He would be a King, He also would be a priest, both combined in one by God Himself.

Melchisedec that met Abraham, when he was returning from the slaughter of the Kings, was a strange character (Gen. 14:15-18). He was said to be the King of Salem and the priest of the most High God. He blessed Abraham and Abraham gave him tenth part of all. He was truly greater than Abraham because the one who is less would be blessed by the one who is greater (Heb. 7:7).

According to the law, sons of Levi who received priesthood had a commandment to take tithes from all Israel. Levi also paid tithes to Melchisedec being in the loins of Abraham (Heb. 7:1-8). That means, that Melchisedec was not only greater than Abraham, but his priesthood also was greater than the Levitical priesthood. As a priest of the Most High God, Christ was greater than Aaron who was the celebrity of the Levitical order (vs. 9-11).

But who was this Melchisedec? Where did he come from? Who were his parents? What was his lineage? When was he born? Where did he die? What further information do we have concerning him? And finally what was the relationship he held with Christ, that He could be a priest after the order of Melchisedec?

Melchisedec appears to have had no address. When he was said to be the king of Salem; the Salem does not appear to be the place that he hailed from. The word Salem, by the interpretation of the Holy Spirit, has two meanings: (1) the King of righteousness (2) the King of peace, which indicates that he was no earthly King. Then the Holy Spirit explains of him in these words: Melchisedec was without father, without mother, without descent, having neither the beginning of days, nor end of life! There is an interesting addition to the above description that says, "like the Son of God he remains a priest forever' (Heb. 7:2-3). Wherever could Melchisedec be a priest, it provides us some clues concerning the Son of God and the offices he was to occupy.

Though Christ was said to be born to Mary when she was a virgin, that was not His beginning, He is beginning-less. "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist". "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities or powers: all things were created by him, and for him" (Col. 1:17, 16). "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not" (John 1:10).

Christ has no end of life. Death of Christ was meant to serve the purposive will of the Most High, who lives and reigns forever; but it was not an end in itself! Therefore, He said, "I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore" (Rev. 1:17b, 18a).

Though Christ was said to have genealogy, it was only a legal one but not a natural one. Though He was said to be the Son of Abraham and the Son of David and so on (Matt. 1:1); He claimed, "Before Abraham was, I am". Genealogy was meant only to trace out the line and to provide evidence for His incarnation. In the absolute sense of the term, it is true that Christ is without father and mother. But to be a priest after the order of Melchisedec He needed to go through every experience of man; therefore He had to have a mother and father.

“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful highpriest in Things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17).

However 'if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law" (Heb. 8:4). Christ would not repeat the same mistake, which was once done by Uzziah or Azariah, the King of Judah (II kings 15:1; III Chro. 26:16-20). So, as we have seen already, Christ, while entering into God's presence, as King, He not only led captives of the Devil as His Captives (Eph. 4:8-10), and as a priest He took His own blood to propitiate sin (Heb. 9:12-13), as it were.

In as much as the kingship of Christ was established by an oath, His priesthood was also established by an oath. For it is said, "The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent. Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Psa. 110:4). This actually means, whenever Christ is made a King, He also is made a priest. In Christ, the Kingship to rule God's people and the priesthood to officiate for their sins is combined. Whenever the appointment starts, He will begin to be a King-cum-Priest or a Priest-cum-King! That is how the wisdom of God has decided and even foretold (Zech. 6:9-13) by a demonstration. This is a two-in- one system of God!

Mind you, both the offices are eternal. There need be no misunderstanding concerning the duration of Christ's reign for it was clearly indicated in the covenant that God made with David concerning, his throne. We have seen it before, but I would like to remind you: "His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon...' (Psa.99:36-37); which means, the ruling, or the reign of Christ should continue as long as this mundane universe lasts! When Christ returns, it would all be burnt up but the kingdom, He ruled until then would be delivered up to God, the Father. But until then, Christ must reign (I Thess. 1:6-10; III Pet. 3:10-12; I Cor. 15:24- 26). It leaves no scope for the so-called misunderstood millennial earthly reign of Christ, of course (Rev. 20:4-6). After Christ's resurrection and ascension, we saw Him at the presence of God the Father. But when should He be ordained as the High priest or when should He be coronated as king? Whenever that could be, that would be when Christ would sit on the throne of his glory!

But when should that to take place? Is there a clue to the time factor? Can we find a passage of scripture that can really help us find the clue? Yes, of course. This we find in connection with the reply of the Lord to the question Peter raised "Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee, what shall we have therefore?" (Matt. 19:27).

"... Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (V. 28).

Here we cannot examine everything that this passage has intended to portray. But we shall focus our attention in the following words: “In the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory'. In other words, whenever the "regeneration" begins to take place; that should be when that Christ had to take the throne of His glory! But what that regeneration is all about?

The Greek word translated as "regeneration" "PALINGENESIA". (PALIN, again, GENESIS, birth) "... new birth, reproduction, renewal, re-creation; hence moral renovation, regeneration, the production of a new life consecrated to God, a radical change of mind for better (effected in baptism...); commonly however, the word denotes the restoration of a thing to its pristine state, its renovation, as the renewal or restoration of life after pristine state, its renovation, as renewal or restoration of life after death" The Greek word 'Palingenesia' meaning new birth, renewal, recreation occurs only one other place in the New Testament in Tit. 3:5 - Vine.

We have seen the meaning of the word "PALINGENESIA" - which is indicative of the time that Christ should sit in the throne of His glory. With all its varied shades of meaning that it is said to be carrying, palingenesia, even without a pinch of doubt, was directly pointing towards the time when the new birth would begin to take place. That new birth had to do with moral renovation; or reproduction of a new life consecrated to God; or to a radical change of mind for the better, effected in baptism. Such a thing would result in the restoration of a thing to its original state; or to the state of man prior to the fall, to that sinless state that man would be restored to, when he would obey from the heart that form of doctrine presented in the gospel, which was ready to be revealed pretty soon!

From the apostles point of view, they were getting ready to receive the promise and to resume their venture with new perspective waiting at Jerusalem (Acts 1). The Jews had been filling the homes, street, as well as the suburbs of Jerusalem in preparation for their second annual festival, which was to fall on the day of Pentecost. In addition, the natives of Jerusalem, if people were to flow into that city, representing about 15 different nations, must have had made the city jam-packed. Most of them must have had been in the city for their first national feast of Passover, during which Christ was crucified with a cruel hate, without fully realizing of what they had been pleading. That scene must have had been in the minds of that throng very clearly.

The most unexpected and unprecedented event neither was witnessed in their generation nor was experienced in any other generation burst out into the sight of those that crowded at Jerusalem. And a strange sound also came to be heard, pulling the crowds to the spot where the apostles gathered together! The apostles of Jesus Christ became the

focal point of the whole event, as the Holy Spirit came and overwhelmed them.

They began to speak in the languages of those men that represented every nation under the sun, as it were. Then those that heard the apostle in their native languages, where they hailed from, some marvelled and some ridiculed. However, the end result is PALINGENESIA - a regeneration.

When Peter, along with eleven stood up to preach, the people saw the cloven tongues of fire descend upon them. He expounded how by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, Christ was crucified and was buried and according to the scripture, how he was raised from the dead; and how He was exalted to the very right hand of God.

"Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, "The LORD said unto my Lord, "Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy foot stool." "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ' (Acts 2: 33-36).

Most of them that heard him speak were pricked in their hearts, for they were guilt stricken. They knew they crucified their Messiah by putting Him to an open shame, and despicable torture! If only could they be forgiven of their horrible sin, which was committed out of sheer ignorance; they felt like serving Him for the rest of their lives. So, they asked the apostles saying, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?'

The reply came ringing from the mouth of the apostle Peter who was really prepared for the occasion and said, "Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost..." (Acts 2:38). And with many other words did he testify and exhort saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls' (vs. 40-41).

People acknowledging their folly repented; decided to separate themselves from the untoward generation. Thus they chose to be in the regeneration! For the first time, the world has witnessed a rebirth, a recreation (II Cor. 5:17) on that Day of Pentecost. When their sins were forgiven, those men were restored to the sinless state of man prior to his fall, and so on. This is the time that Christ said that He would sit in the throne of His glory!

From this earthly scene, let us turn our view into the heavenly throne scene, where Christ was being coronated in the presence of the Ancient of days. "And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:14).

From the time it was taken away from the hand of Jechonaiah, God was waiting and preparing the affairs of men for the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:16). People of God no more were counted along with the people of the world. They have a Kingdom of their own. It shall not be left to other people (Dan. 2:44). The throne to rule God's people is symbolically called as the throne of David; and it was restored back to Christ!

I cannot say how thrilling must the event have had been to those in heaven! Perhaps this could be the joy that was before the Lord that made Him endure the cross, despising the shame as described in Heb. 12:2. In heaven, nonetheless, there must have had been joy unspeakable, it was not only for the fact that Christ was coronated on God's throne to rule His people, but also for the fact of sinners' repentance. One sinner's repentance would cause more joy in heaven than the joy it would cause because of ninety-nine righteousness men, who need no repentance (Lk. 15:7). At that rate, if 3000 men repented on that day, how joyous, the heaven could have had been! (Acts 2)

Words truly fail to describe the joy that heaven was made to plunge into on that Pentecost day in which Christ was made to sit on the throne of His glory as King and Priest.

On that day, not only was the key of David was given to Him (Rev.3.7) meaning the absolute power over the destiny of God's people, Christ was also given the keys of Hades or the unseen world of the disembodied Spirits. That means the destiny of all those that tasted physical death was committed to His trust. The key of death was also handed over to Him (Rev. 1:18). And He was made the Supreme Head of all God's people.

Christ, in the throne of His glory, was also made as the Prince of the Kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5). It is the Supreme Sovereign that ordains powers (Rom. 13:1-3), but Christ was ordained as the prince over them all. He also was made the head of all principality and power (Col. 2:10).

At coronation, God also has highly exalted Christ and gave Him a name above every name. "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory to God the Father' (Phil. 2:10-11). No matter where beings exist, if they want to show obeisance or veneration to God, they must confess Jesus as Lord; and must bow their knee in the name of Jesus Christ. If anyone wants to be saved from the wrath of God, it must be in the name of Jesus. No other name or authority shall be acceptable to God (Acts 4:12).

Actually, when God raised His Son from the dead, and set him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. "Far above all principality, and power, might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:21-23). Except the Father, there is none in the Universe, mundane or spiritual who was not made subject to Christ (I Cor. 15:27). It is truly wonderful to see Christ, being on the throne of His glory. He is the only HOPE of earth and the JOY of heaven.

Source: Digging for the Divine Eternal Blue Print by Bro. G. Devadanam