THE COMING DOMINION
The coming Messianic Dominion is reminiscent of the Dominion given to Adam, but it also surpasses the one conferred in the Garden in significance and comprehensiveness. The first is the rule of man; the last is the rule of the Son of Man. The initial Dominion was bestowed in Eden; the culminating Dominion is guaranteed by the event at Calvary. One is temporal and is exercised under the curse of sin; the other is eternal and will be the manifestation of true righteousness. The coming Dominion of the Messiah is the rule of the Messiah. Scripture attests to such a time:
Ask of Me, and I will give You the
nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You
shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a
potter’s vessel (Ps. 2:8-9);
In His days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth (Ps. 72:7-8);
Yahweh said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies (Ps. 110:1-2);
I was watching in the night visions, and behold One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed (Dan. 7:13-14);
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Lu. 1:32-33);
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. . . . Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron (Rev. 19:11, 15).
In His days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth (Ps. 72:7-8);
Yahweh said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies (Ps. 110:1-2);
I was watching in the night visions, and behold One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed (Dan. 7:13-14);
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Lu. 1:32-33);
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. . . . Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron (Rev. 19:11, 15).
Often this time is referred to as the Millennial reign (see: The Millennium), and in some ways it is viewed as a limited age because of its identification with that period. Certainly that is one aspect of the future rule by Christ, but that time is not limited to a fixed time or space—it begins in time, extends into eternity, and is all encompassing. Several points can be made in summary fashion relative to this coming Dominion.
One, it will be a supernatural Dominion. To be supernatural means that it is of God—it is a Theistic Dominion. The above verses attest to this fact. The Lord is told to “Rule in the midst of Your enemies” (Ps. 110:2); Daniel adds: “Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom” (7:13).
Note the words: “rule,” “dominion,” and “kingdom”; these words speak of what God is establishing. It is initiated by Deity and is not contingent upon human accomplishment or ingenuity; in fact, man cannot do this. Only God can bring it to pass. It is futile for “the kings of the earth” to set themselves against Him and for rulers of the earth to “take counsel together against the Lord” (Ps. 2:2). They are doomed to failure; they cannot prevail against the supernatural Dominion of God. Their plotting is “a vain thing” (Ps. 2:1).
In this supernatural rule, the proper response is to “serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling” (Ps. 2:11). Before Him there is to be submission, for He is the Sovereign.
The lofty looks of man shall be
humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and Yahweh alone shall be exalted
in that day (Isa. 2:11);
The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; Yahweh alone will be exalted in that day (2:17).
The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; Yahweh alone will be exalted in that day (2:17).
Two, the Dominion will be the rule of Christ. It will be the authority of one like the “Son of Man” (Dan. 7:13), the One in Revelation who is called the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”; He is coming to “strike the nations” and “to rule them with a rod of iron” (19:15-16).
To Mary regarding the child that would be born to her, Gabriel predicted: “The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Lu. 1:32), and the prophet predicted: “The government will be upon His shoulder” (Isa. 9:6). In both Testaments the Messiah is associated with a supernatural rule. Christ came the first time to die, but He will return in glory to reign (see: Rule of Christ).
Three, the coming Dominion will be glorious. It will be glorious because it will be supernatural—anything of God is glorious. He is glorious and dwells in glory; “glory” describes His majestic nature (Isaiah speaks of “the glory of His majesty” (2:19, 21).
The rule is glorious because the Ruler is full of glory. John wrote of Christ: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jo. 1:14).
The rule is glorious because it is associated with salvation, even salvation for the Gentiles: “For the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious” (Isa. 11:10). And the glorious nature of the salvation is related to the Provider of salvation: “In that day the Branch of Yahweh shall be beautiful and glorious” (Isa. 4:2).
This glorious and supernatural Dominion will include a kingdom and a rule that will not tolerate enemies; they will be dashed to pieces. Part of the glorious nature of the coming Dominion is the fact that the enemies of God and His Christ will be no more; sin and its accompanying suffering will be brought to an end. Only the good will be part of this Dominion.
After describing the coming Dominion, the psalmist entreats: "And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory" (Ps. 72:19).
Four, the coming Dominion will cover the earth. Yahweh will have dominion “from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Ps. 72:8). The nations will be His “inheritance” and “the ends of the earth” His possession (Ps. 2:8). “All kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him” (Ps. 72:11). In connection with the “dominion” that will be given to the “Son of Man” by the “Ancient of Days,” Daniel observed “that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him” (Dan. 7:13-14).
Gabriel declared to Mary: “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Lu. 1:33).
Five, it will be a time of peace. The psalmist affirms that there will be an “abundance of peace” (Ps. 72:7); “the mountains will bring peace to the people” (v.3). There will be “no end” to “the increase of His government and peace” (Isa. 9:7), for He is the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).
It will be a time of peace among men; Isaiah predicts a time when conflict will cease:
They shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (2:4).
It will be a time of peace for creation, and this time of harmony is described by Isaiah:
The wolf also shall dwell with the
lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the
fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the
ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his
hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (11:6-9).
Six, the righteous will prosper. “In His days the righteous shall flourish” (Ps. 72:7), for “the king’s Son” will judge God’s people with “righteousness” and “will break in pieces the oppressor” (vs. 2, 4). “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him” (Ps. 2:12).
Joel also predicts such a time:
So you shall know that I am the Lord
your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no
aliens shall ever pass through her again (3:17).
Seven, the coming Dominion will be forever. Once established, it will not pass away. It is the rule of Deity, therefore, the continuity of the kingdom is dependent upon His nature and His power. His rule will be “even forever” (Isa. 9:7).
Both the Old and New Testaments affirm the eternality of the coming Dominion.
His dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed
(Dan. 7:14).
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Lu. 1:33).
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Lu. 1:33).
John was given the announcement of the commencement of the supernatural reign and of the certainty of it eternal duration: “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). The psalmist affirms: “His name shall endure forever” (Ps. 72:17).
Return to: Dominion Mandate; Next Article:
For overview of THEOLOGY, see: Site Map - Theology