Chapter 22

Kingdom Delivered Up

As presented in the last chapter, the Abrahamic Covenant is a major tenet of God's plan for the ages. Through His promise to Abraham, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, and this blessing comes through the seed of Abraham, the Anointed Seed of the Son of God.

Parallel to the Abrahamic Covenant is another major tenet of God's plan for the ages, which truly is the major tenet of Scripture, and that is, the Kingdom of God. Just as the blessing of the nations is progressively unfolded in Scripture, so is the Kingdom of God. As the foundation of the Abrahamic Covenant is the Son of God, so also is the foundation of the Kingdom of God, for it is the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ that will be delivered up to the Father at the consummation of the eons.

And the seventh messenger did sound, and there came great voices in the heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of the world did become those of our Lord and of His Christ, and he shall reign to the ages of the ages!' (Revelation 11:15 YLT)

Then cometh the end [consummation], when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians 15:24-25 KJV [CV])

God's plan to achieve His purpose is a progressive plan. This principle is seen in ancient Israel when they were called to enter the land. The Lord declared that He would drive out the enemies little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land (Exodus 23:30). The ages or eons speak of God working little by little to bring about His ultimate purpose of all in all new.

God's plan has progressed through the eons and will continue to progress through the oncoming eons until all things in the heavens and on the earth are subjected to the Son of God, so that He alone is the King and the Sovereign of the entire creation of God.

The Son's mission is to see that God's will is not only done on earth but that it is done throughout all God's creation. Everything is working toward this one goal when Christ will head up all in the heavens and on the earth that will lead to the abolishment of death and the restoration and reconciliation of all to God, whether in the heavens or on the earth.

It is only when all has been subjected to Christ and all sovereignty and all authority and power have been nullified that the Son will subject Himself to His Father, so that God may be All in all.

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This is when the Son will give up the Kingdom to His God and Father, and His will will reign supreme. This is the Kingdom of God the Father, for He will be in relationship with all creation as a father is to his family.

Beyond the eons, in what is called eternity, the Kingdom of the Father will be a United Kingdom of Love unlike any kingdom that mankind has ever seen or experienced. It will be a kingdom of familial relationship. It will be a paternal kingdom, for God will be the paterfamilias, the Father of a glorious family.

Paul must have had this in mind when he wrote: For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole [every] family in heaven and earth is named (Ephesians 3:14-15 KJV [ALT, ASV, DNT, LITV, NASB]). This speaks of familial relationship.

Men will never again rule over men, for all creation will be subjected to God and will be in the perfect will of God. Sin and death will reign no more. The weight of sin will be cast off for the weight of glory. The laws of God will be written on the hearts and minds of all mankind. Everyone will know exactly what to do; how to live righteously and to love fully. Can any of us imagine what it will be like to be bathed in the love of God and to be doing the will of God naturally and joyously, never living in fear and doubt again?

Keep in mind that most of Scripture pertains to God's purpose and plan in relation to mankind and the earth worked out in the eons that He makes through His Son (Hebrews 1:2 CV).

Today, so many Christians stress "going to heaven," as if this is God's purpose for them; however, God, through His Son, our Lord Jesus, is working to bring heaven to earth and to establish His rule in the heart of all mankind, so that ultimately, He (God the Father) may be all in all throughout His entire creation. "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

To do this, today, the Father is calling out a special company of people, a body, which is the ecclesia that is joined to Christ the Head (Ephesians 5:23), and it is through this body that He will sum up or head up all things in the heavens and on the earth (Ephesians 1:10). The Body of Christ is the Complement or fullness of the One who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:23) so that the Father may be all in all. The Body of Christ is destined to be a spiritual and celestial body that transcends both the physical and the spiritual or celestial realms.

So, "going to heaven" is not our goal if we belong to Christ; our goal is "out of heaven" (2 Corinthians 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:10) and that is to be like Christ in glory (Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2), conformed to His image (Romans 8:29) as His complement, so that we can be that vessel through which He will sum up, gather up, or head up all things in the heavens and on the earth to the glory of God.

It is hard to imagine what this will be like, but we know that it will be glory, the grandest dream come true. All will be as it was always meant to be.

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