CHRIST'S REIGN

To start with, there are many references in the OT to the fact that God's reign over creation is a present one that lasts forever (Psalm 22:28; 145:11-13, for example). But there are others that talk about it being a future reign (perhaps Psalm 146:10). One commentator reconciled these two aspects by stating that God will truly be king of all creation only when the creation acknowledges Him as such.

When God came to earth as Jesus, the Kingdom of God came at that time according to Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20. This was not in an overtly physical form as explained in Luke 17:20-21 and Romans 14:17, but it represented the start of a process which would grow with time (see the kingdom parables of Matthew 13).

Daniel 7:13-14 predicted a time when one like the son of man (Jesus' favorite term for himself) would be presented by God with an everlasting dominion and kingship over all peoples, nations and languages. The resurrected Jesus used this same terminology to refer to his own present reign over all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). Ephesians 1:20-23 is a parallel passage stating that God exalted Jesus and put him above all rules and authority and power and dominion now and in the age to come with all things put under his feet. Hebrews 3:22 specifically says that now Jesus is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities and powers made subject to him.

This present situation of Christ's delegated reign over all creation will continue until all the enemies of God are completely conquered (Hebrews 10:12-13). When all of these enemies, including death itself, are conquered, then Christ will hand the reign back to the Father (I Corinthians 15:24-28).

At that time, God will in turn then share the reign with Christ from their joint throne, and this kingdom will last forever (Revelation 11:15; 22:3-5).

This is, at least, my present understanding of a subject that will have to remain somewhat veiled to our eyes since it includes the difficult concept of the three persons of the Trinity and their relationship to one another.