If every christian is made Kings and Priests, who would we be ruling over if everyone is a "King" in the new heavens and earth.

[Moses PsalmCII]

Who are the subjects in the new heavens and earths if according to Rev 1:6, 5:10, 1 Peter 2:9, everyone is made a king. Thanks

 

[RamistThomist]

Who are the subjects in the new heavens and earths if according to Rev 1:6, 5:10, 1 Peter 2:9, everyone is made a king. Thanks

For starters, we judge angels. I think the language ties in with the suzerainty language of Genesis 1:28ff. We aren't necessarily ruling over, but imaging God as his vice-regents.

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

Hello @Moses PsalmCII ,

I think it would better to look at Revelation 22:5, rather than the passages about reigning as "kings" – "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever", as the passages mentioning "kings" instead of "kingdom" involve a textual variant (I do hold with the AV reading, "kings" – but wish to avoid that discussion here); so the 22:5 passage better suits your question.

This may be helpful in partially answering your question: Greg Beale (in his larger commentary on Revelation) says,

John speaks of the saints’ reigning, even though there are no explicit statements about subjects to be ruled in the eternal state. The point is that they have such intimate fellowship with God that they not only take on his name (v 4) but also become associated with his throne (v 3) to such a degree that they are said to “reign forever and ever.” Perhaps, their reign is best understood according to a corporate exegesis of Zech. 14:9: “the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be one, and his name one.” This reign is eternal and therefore cannot be equated with the reign in Rev. 20:4-6, which is limited to a “thousand years” and is followed by a final rebellion. 219 But the reign here is a climactic fulfillment of Dan. 7:18, 27, together with Jesus’ promise in Rev. 3:21, which was inaugurated for saints during the church age (e.g., see on 1:5-6, 9; 5:10) and in the intermediate, heavenly state (20:4-6).

At the risk of extracting overliteral precision from the picture here, it may nevertheless be profitable to consider that there is a sense in which there are subjects over whom the saints rule. They participate in the judgment of unholy people and angels at the last day (e.g., 1 Cor. 6:2-3; Rev. 2:26-27; 17:14; 19:14). The saints will exercise this aspect of their rule forever in that the punishment involved in this last judgment will last for eternity (see on 14:10-11; 20:10). There is still a sense in which the saints rule forever, even if the last judgment is construed as only a one-time event and not an ongoing activity into eternity. That is, they exercise sovereignty over the new creation in a way similar to how Adam was to rule “over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28; Psalm 8). The original Adamic commission did not assume that Adam’s rule entailed dominion over other righteous humans. It is probably presupposed here that the new creation will take some kind of material form and contain creatures to rule over. And even if there are no animals to rule over, it is probable that God’s people will rule over holy angels, since angels were included in the creation over which Adam was to reign (Neh. 9:6; Heb. 2:5-7) and since they will exist alongside the redeemed in the eternal state. Christ fulfills the role of the last Adam in order, partly, to rule over, in corporate solidarity with his people, the eternal new creation, which includes the holy angels (Heb. 2:5-16), who exist merely to be servants of the redeemed (Heb. 1:14; cf. Rev. 21:12). But exalted believers are different from the first Adam in that, whereas God only commissioned him to rule, now God promises that his people certainly will reign without end.

Beale, G. K., The Book of Revelation (The New International Greek Testament Commentary) (pp. 1916-1917). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.​

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Moses (what's your real first name?), are you a native of Nigeria or a foreigner? And is there a Reformed Baptist Church in Lagos? What's its name?

I'm currently in Limassol, Cyprus, planting / pastoring a church – and it is comprised mostly of Nigerian men!

 

[Moses PsalmCII]

Hello @Moses PsalmCII ,

I think it would better to look at Revelation 22:5, rather than the passages about reigning as "kings" – "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever", as the passages mentioning "kings" instead of "kingdom" involve a textual variant (I do hold with the AV reading, "kings" – but wish to avoid that discussion here); so the 22:5 passage better suits your question.

This may be helpful ....

Thanks a lot Steve! I have Greg's commentary and it skipped my mind to check it. Greg's perspective is really good. I guess the fact that there's no longer any temple as the Lord and the Lamb would be the temple (Rev. 21:22) signifying the reign of God in his saints through Christ everywhere rather than a localized temple, it shows that we being kings and priests would be more of a mediated union of Christ that makes us rulers in the new creation in a sense that is totally different from how we see ruling now. The way see ruling now is definitely influenced by sin. Jesus the LORD tells his disciples - anyone who wants to be a master must serve. I don't know how it would be in the new creation and that's what prompted the question. But this I'm confident of - it wouldn't be anything like we experience now in human kingdoms because of Christ in us in the new creation.

Yes Steve. My name is Moses and I am a native Nigerian although I do travel. Nigeria's churches are majority pentecostal with a lot of false prosperity teachers, deliverance ministries and prophets. We have very few reformed churches. Yes, there's a reformed baptist church in Lagos. We have Sovereign Grace church, crown assembly where the 1689 LBCF is adhered to. There's also another in Port-Harcourt city of which I am not familiar with. I sent you a message on facebook last year appreciating the work you do and how much I learned from your posts here on PB (along with Rev Winzer and Rev Bruce) especially regarding believing in God's true preservation of his word in the KJV/AV ( I believe it is perfect without error unlike the modern versions) and amillennialism.
Interesting that your church planting in Cyprus consists of mostly Nigerian men. I know there are many nigerians in cyprus but the notion most people here at home have of nigerians in cyprus is very negative. So i'm very glad that we have nigerians there that seek and know the truth enough to be found in a reformed church. God be praised.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

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[Josheb]

Who are the subjects in the new heavens and earths if according to Rev 1:6, 5:10, 1 Peter 2:9, everyone is made a king. Thanks

I think it best to understand this language of king and priest in the context of Christ and our being Christ-like, not in a context of hierarchy over others. The hierarchy being applied is couched in the Dominion or Cultural Mandate of Gensis 1:26-28.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

That's the first command/blessing God ever bestowed upon humanity and it's been reasserted and rephrased numerous times in scripture, but never revoked. It was given in the pre-disobedient creation so it should not be understood as solely applying to the post-disobedient sinfully sin-filled world. When God first began speaking a about a "nation" or "kingdom" to the Hebrews He did so saying,

Exodus 19:1-6
In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain. Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself. 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."

And, of course, contrary to Dispensationalist views, Peter tells us this is an already-inaugurated condition.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have received mercy.

It helps to understand, from God's perspective, the proper understanding is NOT to divide the priest from the king. Adam (and Eve) were the sovereigns of the earth; bestowed by God with all the power and authority, and good, unashamed, and sinless disposition, to accomplish the task of ruling multiplying, subduing, and ruling. We first see this unified ontology in Melchizedek, the king AND priest of Salem, the city of peace (jeru = city, salem = peace). We first see the roles divided at the burning bush when Moses balks at God's command to be His representative before Pharaoh AND leader of the soon-to-be-liberated Hebrews. Moses debates (defies) God, God acquiesces, and the result is Moses speaking for God and Aaron speaking for Moses, the two eventually becoming the civil and religious rule divided. Later, in the case of the Judges, God reinstitutes the unified rule but sinful man is imperfect and the Judges failings prompt the Jews to request and earthly king like all the other nations, which is something God explicitly repudiates and openly takes as a rejection of Himself as King.

There has always been only one King.

There has NEVER been a fraction of a moment in all of creation when God is not sovereign over all.

There have been plenty of occasions when humans, including God's own people, have not perceived that truth and settled for second-best.


ALL of scripture testifies to and about Christ and Christ is King and Priest. Not an Aaronic priest, but a Melchizedekian Priest; that of a much higher order than the temporal version for which Moses (and the rest) settled. We, the regenerate believers, have and are being made in the image of that Guy. All humans bear the image of God asserted in Genesis 1:26, but we bear the additional image of that found in the resurrected Son, and it the purpose of the Church to make sure that is manifest.

Ephesians 4:11-16
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.


Lastly part of the answer to this op's inquiry is found in verses like 1 Corinthians 6:3,

1 Corinthians 6:3
Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

No other creature is made in God's image. No other creature is offered salvation from sin and wrath. We're the Judge's judges . Who knows what tasks lay beyond the resurrection for those made in His image to whom alone grace has been showed?