April 24, 2005

THEN...THE END

1 Corinthians 15:24-34

 

   "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But each man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's, at His coming. Then the end , when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have destroyed all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He has put all enemies under His feet" (1 Cor. 15:22-24).

   Then the end – not a time-end, but a goal is reached! What goal? That of delivering up the kingdom to God, but not until He first destroys all enemies and subdues the rest.

   "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (15:26). For Christ, death was destroyed by His resurrection. Then He began the destruction of all enemies.

   God will subdue all things under Christ's feet in resurrection, that is, all things excepting God Himself, Who did the subduing. Only "when all things shall be subdued into Him (Christ); then shall the Son also Himself be subject ( subdued ) unto Him (God) Who subdued all things under Him (Christ), that God may be all in all" (15:27-28). The goal is reached. The kingdom is delivered up. God is all in all!

   Concerning enemies, He will deal with "the princes of this world, that come to nought (are destroyed )" (1 Cor. 2:6). Christ through death will " destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb. 2:14). When the Anti-Christ comes, "that Wicked shall be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming, e ven him , whose coming is after the working of Satan" (2 Thess. 2:8-9).

   "Our Savior Jesus Christ...has abolished ( destroyed ) death, and has brought life and incorruptibility to light through the gospel" (2:Tim. 1:10). Even the law is an enemy, "Having abolished ( destroyed ) in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances" (Eph. 2:15). This is the goal of His Millennial reign. Notice, "He must reign until..." not forever! Finally, even Christ voluntarily subdues Himself. What a Savior!

 

Ivan L. Burgener