No.6. The goal of the Mediatorial kingdom.
“All in all.” What is the extent of this second word “all”? Is it the entire universe both of men, angel and spirit? Is it all men without exception? Is it all men without distinction? How can we discover the meaning of such a word? We know that it has one exception “It is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him”, so that we can safely say that the word “all” is never used in its widest and fullest sense, but that where we have the entire universe in view, there is nevertheless an exception to be made. This is important, for if ‘all’ in such a context does not and cannot be used in its full universal sense, that may be true in other passages where the circumference is smaller. The word ‘all’ is universal, but the word cannot be used alone, the context supplying the things that are comprehended within its embrace. The idea of the word ‘all’ can be likened to a circle, but the size of the circle will vary according to the things spoken of; but however large or small the number of things there may be, the shape of the circle never changes; all, means, universality, but a universality of specified things. It is therefore of the utmost importance that ‘the things’ should be correctly stated, otherwise wild, fanatical and evil doctrine will arise. Let us consider the following pronouncement, “All men are sinners.” If we know what we mean by “all men”, the statement can stand; but strictly speaking it does not discriminate enough. Let us see,
“All men are sinners
Christ was a man
Therefore . . . . .”
We cannot, we dare not, take this statement to its logical conclusion. This is no criticism of logic, but it shows that a logical statement forces us to re-examine our premises, whenever the conclusion arrived at is untrue. We must therefore recast the opening term.
“All men descended by natural generation from Adam are sinners” and we can then go on to prove that Christ was not such a man because He was holy and did not sin. One circle can enclose another, the ‘all’ of redemption, being much larger in scope than the ‘all’ of the membership of the church of the Mystery. One circle may intersect another, because the things spoken of may be considered from more than one point of view. Let us now consider the usage of the word ‘all’ in I Cor. xv. 24-28, “All rule and all authority and power” are to be put down (I Cor. xv. 24), but it is manifest that the rule, authority and power of God Himself is not in view, else it would defeat the very object of this subjugation. If we read on to verse 25, we shall come to the inspired comment ‘For’; this is a logical connective, and is prefaced to what follows and links it with what has already been said, “For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet”. The rule, authority and power therefore of verse 24 are not universal, they refer to enemies, and when thus limited, the ‘all’ again assumes its universality, not some enemies, but all enemies are comprehended in this subjection. As a further explanation, the nature of these enemies is revealed by the statement “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death”. The enmity envisaged is spiritual, even as the rule, authority and power. Moreover, where verses 24, 25 use the words ‘put down’ or ‘put under His feet’, verse 26 says plainly ‘destroyed’, even as the corresponding passage in verse 54 declares that death shall be swallowed up in victory at the resurrection.
Having taken us so far, the Apostle returns to the subject, and this time makes a quotation from Psa. viii., “For He hath put all things under His feet”. The placing of an enemy under the feet is an O.T. figure of conquest, and never means deliverance, liberation or blessing. Throughout I Cor. xv. 24-27, and in every passage where Psa. viii. 6 is quoted the redeemed are excepted. The first occurrence of this figure is in Josh. x. The kings of the Amorites and others, banded themselves together against Gibeon, and upon the triumphant expedition of Joshua against them, these kings hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. They were brought out from their hiding place, and Joshua called to the captains of the men of war “Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings . . . . . and afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees” (Josh. x. 22-27). Makkedah was treated as was Jericho (x. 28), and it is utterly impossible to read into Josh. x ., the remotest hint that these enemies had the slightest hope of deliverance. This is the figure employed in I Cor. xv. 24-28 when all enemies are put under His feet of Christ the true Joshua.
“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Col. iii. 11).
This is presenting the truth of Eph. i. 22, 23 from another view-point. It will be seen moreover, that Col. iii. 11 teaches that the church of the Mystery foreshadows and anticipates the day when God shall be all in all, Christ occupying that position here and now, even as the final subjugation of all rule, authority and power is anticipated in Eph. i. 21-23. When that great day comes, we read that, when all things are subdued unto Him, then shall the Son Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, and this calls for careful consideration, lest by hasty conclusions and inconsiderate speech we dishonour the Lord. Of itself the Greek word translated ‘subdue’ and ‘subject’ is colourless; it does not of itself mean anything derogatory. Hupotasso, the verb in question is composed of hupo “under” and tasso “set” which gives us tagma “order” (I Cor. xv. 23). All in Christ are to be made alive, but even so, there will be differences of position for these, even as one star differs from another star, even though both are “in glory”. This is indicated by the words “But every one in his own order”. The Saviour as a member of a human family on earth, meekly and rightly took his own ‘rank’ and ‘order’, and so we read:
“And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them” (Luke ii. 51).
This was all part of His voluntary self-emptying, when He humbled Himself to take the form of a servant and to be found in fashion as a man. It was of the very essence of that condescension that He should thus act as the perfect servant and the perfect Son should act, and instead of looking upon this subjecting as something of which we are somewhat ashamed, we look with worshipping wonder at this voluntary submission to Him that sent Him. The Apostle saw no incongruity in placing together the two exhortations:
“Quit you like men, BE STRONG”
“SUBMIT yourselves unto such” (I Cor. xvi. 13-16).
The only subjection that is ominous or an act of subjugation, is that which is said to be ‘under His feet’, and as surely as the church is not placed in subjection beneath the feet of Christ, but is to be raised and seated together in Christ Jesus in the heavenly places, so surely the subjection of the Son of God to the Father is not inconsistent with His ascension to the throne of Deity, that the glory which He had laid aside “for us men and for our salvation” shall at length be resumed; that God, not the Father nor the Son, but GOD, a title belonging equally to both Father and Son, that GOD may be all in all. The office of the Son, together with His Mediatorialkingdom may pass, because the purpose of their being has been so gloriously achieved; but this means added glory to the Saviour. The Mediatorial kingdom is not the only thing to pass, creation itself is to be folded up as a vesture and put aside, but even so, the Apostle says of Christ:
“But Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail” (Heb. i. 12).
If we could but see things in their true light, we should rejoice that at long last the Son will thus be subject to Him that put all things under Him, for it speaks of work perfectly accomplished, nothing more calling for the self-emptying and humiliation of the Son of God. To wish that the Scripture did not teach that the kingdom of the Son would at length be delivered up to the Father, is to wish that the work of Redemption should never be achieved. Just as it will be the highest glory that the New Jerusalem has no temple therein, so it will be to the highest glory of the Lord, that kingship as well as priesthood, throne as well as altar, sceptre as well as sacrifice shall cease to function and be necessary. All that King and Priest ever mean will be more than included in the words “that God may be all in all”, and much that could never come within this scope, because of sin and death, rebellion and uncleanness, will at length be the blessed experience of those who by grace enter that new world, where God indeed shall be all in all in a sense never yet realized either by the creature or by the Creator. Here is the goal of the ages, a goal achieved by sacrifice, and the steps that lead to its attainment marked by the slow fulfillment and passing of much, which to our limited understandings may seem worthy of retention. These things must decrease, as He must increase, and when that increase is at length reached, the former things will have for ever passed away.
(From The Berean Expositor, vol. 44, page 65).
http://charleswelch.net/BE%20Vol%2044%20Final.pdf
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