Most of us are watching the inauguration ceremony of Donad Trump as I write this article. I am amazed at the bureaucracy of the federal govenment, but also anxious to see what reforms Trump will initiate very soon once he is inaugurated. I am anxious to see if anyone will actually curb government spending and try to balance the budget (fat chance!). Boos and cheers at the ceremony as different ones walk in: sounds more like a sporting event. Oh well, enough of that. First time in 47years that it is indoors (due to the cold). I hope that it not a bad omen! All smiles as the most recent presidents are announced. A stirring rendition of “Glory, glory hallelujah, His truth is marching on”. I pray that God’s truth in morals will truly march on. Will we truly have one of those “grass roots revivals” that America experienced like the 1st and 2nd Great Awakenings and the Lampier Prayer revival? That remains to be scene. The smiles have rescended among some as Trump takes shots at the past administration. Very interesting that he claimed that he was saved by God from the assassination attempt on his life so that he can make America great again. Several standing ovations and applause. He just declared that the government would recognize two genders, male and female. Closing with a moving prayer by Pastor Sewell, quite appropriate on MLK day, reminiscent of a MLK speech.

I want to focus on a far more important inauguration, i.e. the inauguration of the king of kings, Jesus Christ. I read several articles that suggested different moments in the life of Jesus in which he was inaugurated. Was it at His baptism, Last Supper, or maybe His ascension?

We need to look at a couple of key passages in discussing this.

Daniel 7:¹³ “I saw in the night visions,and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. ¹⁴ And 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 one that shall not be destroyed.”

Most say this refers to the ascension of Jesus into heaven, but there’s a passage in Luke that needs to be considered.

Luke 19:¹¹ As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. ¹² He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. ¹³ Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ ¹⁵ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. ¹⁶ The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ ¹⁷ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ ¹⁹ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ ²⁰ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; ²¹ for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ ²² He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ ²⁵ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ²⁶ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ²⁷ But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Several things to notice in this parable. Some supposed that “the kingdom was going to appear immediately”. The kingdom referred to in the kingdom promised in Daniel 2:44-45 that would be established in the days of the 4th kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, i.e. the Roman Empire. Both Jesus and John the Baptist had said “the kingdom is at hand”. The phrase “at hand” means “at hand” in the time frame of those Jesus is speaking to. Jesus made that even clearer in Mt 16:²⁷  “For, the Son of Man is about to come ( mello, which. always means “about to be or about to happen” in the NT) in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work. ²⁸ Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign.” (YLT) Not only does Jesus say that the judgement and 2nd coming was “about to” happen, but He also says that some of those he was speaking to would still be alive to see Him coming (His 2nd coming) in his kingdom. That kingdom that was “at hand” would indeed be established in the first century, but it was not a physical kingdom like that of the Jewish kingdom in the OT. It was a spiritual kingdom, the church. Jesus had said, John 18:³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my officers had struggled that I might not be delivered up to Jews; but now my kingdom is not from hence.” (YLT) Jesus had said to Peter in Matthew 16:¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Peter used the keys to open the door to enter that kingdom when he preached the first “gospel sermon” in Acts 2 and 3,000 were baptized for the remission of sins, becoming the first church, which is the spiritual body of Jesus of which he is the head. The kingdom of Jesus on earth in the NT was the church. Paul said, Colossians 1:¹³ For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” The Colossian Christians were in that kingdom.

So that kingdom of Daniel 2:44,45 was to be established within the lifetime of those Jesus spoke to, but in Luke 19 some supposed it was to appear immediately (i.e. immediately after Jesus’ lifetime which ended in about 30 AD). The establishment of that kingdom, the church, would indeed begin soon in Acts 2, but would involve a transition period of 40 years, from 30 AD to 70 AD. The parable says that “the nobleman would go into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return”. It says that “having received the kingdom” (in the far country) that he would “return” (the 2nd coming) to “reign”. That tells us Jesus did not officially receive his reign over his kingdom until his 2nd coming (his “return” from the farcountry).

Doesn’t that sound just like our inauguration process? We elected a president back in November. There was a transition period until Jan 20 till the official inauguration. The president elect did not take over the powers of the president until Jan 20. Jesus ascended into heaven to receive his kingdom, so technically he became king at this ascension. But he would not officially begin to reign fully until 70 AD, just as in the parable of Luke 19. Jesus’ official inauguration as King of Kings began in 70 AD and continues today since his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

I close with Revelation 11: ¹⁵ Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” ¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying, “We give You thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.” This would be fulfilled after the events of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. God and His Christ would begin to reign in the everlasting church kingdom from then on and He is reigning today over His spiritual kingdom, the church, which is above all the kingdoms of the world.

Gabriel told Mary, Luke 1:³² He (her baby Jesus)will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Isaiah had predicted, Isaiah 9:For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.”

Peter preached Acts 2:²⁹ “Brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ So because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. ³² It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore, since He has been exalted at the right hand of God, and has received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear. ³⁴ For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, ³⁵ Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ Peter is saying that Jesus was raised and exalted at the right hand of God and had begun sitting on the throne of David. Not the physical throne of David as in the OT, but sitting on a spiritual throne of David (figurative fulfillement of 2 Samuel 7). He has been sitting on that throne since Acts 2 in 30 AD.

Zechariah adds another promise, Zechariah 6:¹³ Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the majesty and sit and rule on His throne. So He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”’ Jesus will be king and priest at the same time. That would nto be possible under the Law since Jesus was of the tribe of Judah but the high priest could only come from the tribe of Levi. I think all Christians agree that Jesus is our high priest today. That must be in heaven since the Hebrew writer said, Hebrews 8:⁴ Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law”. A little deductive reasoning here: 1) Jesus is our high priest in heaven now, and He could not be high priest on earth. 2) He is our king at the same time that he is our high priest. 3) Therefore, he must be king in heaven and not of earth.

His kingdom must be a kingdom that was established in the first century. That could only be the spiritual kingdom, the church. This debunks all the theories that Jesus will return some day to establish a physical kingdom on earth and reign a thousand years in that kingdom. Most say that Jesus did plan to establish a physical kingdom in the first century, but that he delayed that b/c of his rejection by the Jews. Hebrews debunks the notion of a delayed kingdom (and 2nd coming): Hebrews 10:For yet in a very little while,
He who is coming will come, and will not delay. That was written in about 62 AD and predicts that Jesus would come in a “very little while” (the 2nd coming) and would not delay. That fits his 2nd coming in 70 AD.

Even if you don’t agree with some of this article, we can all agree that Jesus is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. We can agree that the church is an important part of his kingdom, even if not all agree on the establishment of some future kingdom. Let us offer praise to the King of Kings.

One of my favorite songs is King of Kings by Hillsong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQl4izxPeNU

Listen to that song as you read the lyrics:

In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope, without light
‘Til from Heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfill the law and prophets
To a virgin came the word
From a throne of endless glory
To a cradle in the dirt

Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings

To reveal the kingdom coming
And to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation
You did not despise the cross
For even in your suffering
You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation
Jesus for our sake you died

Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings

And the morning that You rose
All of Heaven held its breath
‘Til that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs
And the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who’d come
To the Father are restored

And the church of Christ was born
Then the Spirit lit the flame
Now this gospel truth of old
Shall not kneel, shall not faint
By His blood and in His name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me

Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings

Praise forever to the King of Kings

Amen and Amen!