There is much debate about Jesus handing over the Kingdom to the father. Why would He do that? Does the Bible really say that? Many people don't even believe that the Kingdom of God is present today. Their looking for a physical kingdom on earth. They just don't get it. Jesus refused to be King when the multitudes attempted to take him by force and make him a king. (John 6:15) And there was the time when Satan offered Him all the kingdoms of the world if he would only bow down and worship him. (Matthew 4:10) If Jesus wanted to be a King of a physical Kingdom, you would have seen it. Do you see it? No.
Not only did Jesus reject the idea of being King, Jesus knew that the desire to be an earthly king was a rejection of the rule of God.
1 Samuel 8:7-8 (NKJV)
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they
say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I
should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done
since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day-with which
they have forsaken Me and served other gods-so they are doing to you also.
They rejected God and wanted Samuel to be King
and reign over them. Jesus knew how they were trying to work around their
own belief system. Kind of like religion and man made doctrine of
today. This was not something new to Him after all, This same
rejection continued in the spirit of Adam who rejected God's heavenly rule in
the garden.
Again, Zechariah prophesied that Jesus would build the temple of the Lord and
that he would be a priest on his throne. Jesus' kingdom is a priestly temple.
Because of that he could not reign on earth. Not only that, He would have
violated the authority of the Levitical priesthood. Therefore, as a Judahite, he could not be king.
This is confirmed in Hebrews 7 and 8.
"For he of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no
man has officiated at the altar, For it is evident that our Lord arose from
Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood." (Heb.
7:11-14)
"For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law." (Heb. 8:4).
It is quite clear that Jesus could not be a
Priest or King on earth.
Most Christians believe delivering the kingdom to God means to hand it
over and give up His throne. Does delivering the reign of God mean hand
over and give up the throne? I don't think so. So why do some say
Jesus has not handed the kingdom over to the Father yet? This is mostly Amillennial
teaching, (Church of Christ etc.) tying to prove the end has not come.
They use the word end (telos) in 1 Corinthians 15 for the end of time. And
as we know the bible never speaks about the end of time. And the Kingdom has no
end. It doesn't make any sense to hand over the kingdom and give up.
And of coarse the bible teaches that the "time of the end" is the end of the
age, the old covenant. From our previous studies we know, When Jesus spoke
of the end, it always referred to the fall of the temple.
Matthew 24:3 (NKJV)
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately,
saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your
coming, and of the end of the age?"
Most just cannot except the fact that the end has come. Again from our previous studies Daniel 12 has proven to show the end came when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered. Daniel 12:7
Let's ask ourselves, what does Jesus actually delivers to the Father? What's in the Kingdom? Wouldn't it make more sense that Jesus delivered His people to heaven (The Father) rather than handing over the kingdom to the father?
Daniel 12 (NKJV)
"At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
So, let me ask you, What is there to hand over or deliver to the father? Keep in mind Jesus is the kingdom! Is He saying "I surrender myself to you I give up?" or "I'm home and I'm delivering the Christian saints to heaven just as Daniel described?"
Some people argue the fact that Jesus has not handed over the kingdom to the father. They use this phrase hoping to close off all discussion that the end has not come. The whole purpose is to place Christians in heaven. What is there to argue about? You either believe that The Christians that have died are in heaven or you don't. That's delivering the kingdom to the Father.
Now lets look at some translations of this verse and show why there is so much confusion.
1 Corinthians 15:24 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father,
when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
1 Corinthians 15:24 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He
puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
1 Corinthians 15:24 King James Version (KJV)
24 Then cometh the end, 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.
1 Corinthians 15:24 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
24 then -- the end, when he may deliver up the reign to God, even the Father,
when he may have made useless all rule, and all authority and power --
First the age, (the old covenant) must come to and end. Second the reign to God both Jesus and the father make way for Christians to go to heaven instead of the grave when they die. This all happens when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. Has this happened yet. Yes! the old covenant age no longer exists.
The whole point is, Jesus applied Daniel's prophecy to the Jewish Last Days delivering Christians to heaven during the destruction of the temple in 70 AD
Now let's look at the Greek meaning for "deliver" It's "paradidomi". It means not to abdicate but to deliver over to another. It means not to give up. Paul uses "paradidomi" several times. Paul told the Corinthians to keep the traditions just as I delivered (paradidomi) them to you. (1 Cor. 11:2) Paul certainly did not mean to give up or abdicated the gospel once he taught them
Paul taught never to give up practicing the Lord Supper. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered (paradidomi) to you; that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread." Paul was passing the tradition on to the saints in Corinth.
Therefore, the word, paradidomi, as used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 does not
mean to "give up" or "abdicate". It is used in the sense of delivering the
kingdom or reign of God from which it had fallen under the reign of Satan back
to it's rightful place before God.
Many are confused over "Putting down all rule authority and power". Does it mean to put down or give up
authority to rule in the kingdom? Again, this is not taught in 1 Corinthians.
The word "put down" is kartegeo in the Greek. It means to render powerless, to
make empty and unmeaning, to bring to an end.
It does not mean to abdicate one's own power in the context, but to defeat that
of another. It means to put down, defeat or destroy the power and of rendering
an enemy helpless. "For he must reign till he has put all enemies under His feet." It is not
the power of Christ which is being squelched, but that of his enemies. Compare, Psa. 110:1; Acts 2:35; Eph. 1:21-22; 6:11; Phil. 3:21; Col. 2:15, Heb. 2:8
.
When Christ defeated all his enemies and the last which was death (sin-death) at
that time would be and unending reign in the Kingdom. In other words, when
Jesus abolished death (spiritual death) He and the Father will always be
with us in the kingdom on earth and when we die physically we will be in the
kingdom of Heaven.
Many people contradict themselves when they say
Christ gives up his rule the admits He puts down the rule, authority and power
of the enemies delivering the kingdom.
We are clearly told that in Matthew 25:31, when Christ comes in judgment in his kingdom, he would sit upon the
throne of his glory, not give up his throne. How can Jesus come and
sit on His throne of glory and give it up at the same time. Jesus' coming
in glory is the time he would greet and marry his bride.
The wedding would be consummated at his coming.
That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or
wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Eph.
5:27
So if Christ is to be married at his wedding, why do some teach he is getting a
divorce, in giving the kingdom to God? Christ and his bride remain together. How long will the two be married?
Delivering the Kingdom of God has no end. It would last forever. See
2 Sam. 7:12-16, Isa. 9:6-7, Dan. 2:44-45
Each of those texts say Christ would reign forever upon
the throne. We have shown above that the only end above was the termination of
Old the Covenant.
According to Isaiah 9:6-7 the text
says of the increase of his government there would be no end. Christ's
government is the kingdom. If there is no end, his kingdom cannot come to an
end? In addition, God gave some very specific time markers for us to know
exactly how long Christ's kingdom would continue. These are found in the Psalms.
The kingdom would continue as long as the sun. "His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; all
nations shall call Him blessed." (Psa. 72:17) Some think the sun is just going
to burn out and then the end of the world comes to an end. Regardless of
what they think, delivering the kingdom does not mean to cease to reign.
"My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David; His seed shall endure
forever, and his throne as the sun before me; It shall be established forever
like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky." (Psa. 89:34-37) The kingdom has no end which means there
is likewise no end of the sun and moon. This right here shows that
the sun and moon would last for ever. Therefore, there is no end of the
material world for Christ to relinquish his kingdom.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have
grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Heb.
12:28 God's kingdom cannot be
shaken. It cannot be moved. Christ will never cease to reign. He will never give
up his name. He has a name which is above every name not only in the Jewish age,
but also in the Christian age which has no end.
In Revelation 11:15-18, the time comes when
the nations are judged and the dead raised. This is the time referred to in 1 Cor. 15:26-28 when all the enemies
have been defeated. However, the text says "Then the seventh angel sounded: And
there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have
become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever
and ever!"
What we have here is a clear example and Bible text showing that Christ's reign
continues after the defeat of death. Has he given up the throne? Remember, he
would be a priest upon his throne. He along with the Father are the temple of
God. (Rev. 21:22)
"And there shall be no more curse but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be
in it, and His servants shall serve Him...And they shall reign forever and ever,
(Rev. 22:3-5). There is no end to the
reign of Christ. Delivering the kingdom means to defeat all enemies, returning
the reign to God, not to abdicate or give up the throne.