经文:再后,是末期,那时基督要将国交与神,就是父,那时祂已将一切执政的、掌权的、有能的都废除了。因为基督必要作王,直到神把一切仇敌都放在祂的脚下。(林前十五24-25,另译)
基督把国交与父神,乃是在千年国之后
二十四节的“那时”,所指的时间即基督废除撒但的权柄,征服祂一切的仇敌,废除死,并把国交与父神之时,亦即一切消极的事物全都除去,神全部的定旨都得成就之时,那时旧造就结束了。
主耶稣甚么时候把国交与神?不是在祂回来的时候,因为那时祂要把神的国带回到地上。接下来的一千年,祂要执行国度。因此,主把国交与神,必定是在一千年结束的时候。基督是在甚么时候将所有执政的、掌权的、有能的都废除?只有在千年国结束的时候。我们从启示录二十章得知,千年国结束以前,撒但不会完全被废除,他乃是被监禁。到千年国末了的时候,他要从监牢里释放出来。到那时,他才会被扔在火湖里(启二十7-10)。因此,基督把国交与神,乃是在千年国之后。到那时,撒但已经被废掉了。
基督完成救赎以后,就去从父得了国(路十九12,15)。在千年国之前,祂这人子,要从神那亘古常在者得着国,辖管列国一千年(启二十4,6)。在千年国末了,祂击败了撒但魔鬼和他邪恶的使者(即一切执政的、掌权的和有能的),甚至死和阴间,将一切仇敌都放在祂的脚下(林前十五25-26),并将他们,包括死和阴间,都扔在火湖里(启二十7-10,14),此后,祂就把国交还父神。
基督必要作王,直到神把一切仇敌都放在祂的脚下
在二十五节保罗说到基督必要作王。基督要作王,就必须在复活里。如果没有复活,基督就仍留在坟墓里,祂就不可能作王。基督是从复活以后开始作王的。在马太二十八章十八节,主耶稣对门徒说,“天上地上所有的权柄,都赐给我了。”然后主嘱咐他们要去,使万民作祂的门徒。祂有作王的权柄。如今在祂的王权之下,我们必须使万民作祂的门徒,将万民带进祂的国,使他们成为祂的子民。今天真正的君王,真正的执政者,乃是主耶稣。根据启示录一章,祂乃是地上君王的元首。
基督必要作王,直到神把一切仇敌都放在祂的脚下。基督作王越久,放在祂脚下的仇敌就越多。至终,在千年国,就是在旧造末了的一个世代结束的时候,一切仇敌都要放在基督的脚下。“直到”一辞说明了这点,所指的就是千年国的末了,那就是一切仇敌都放在基督脚下的时候。
请享受生命诗歌70首 (点击诗歌名)
Christ’s Delivering Kingdom to God the Father at the End — 1 Cor. 15:24-25
In verse 24 the word “whenever” is significant. It points to the time when Christ annuls satanic authority, subdues all His enemies, abolishes death, and delivers up the kingdom to God the Father; that is, when all the negative things are done away and the entire purpose of God is fulfilled, the old creation will come to its end.
When will the Lord Jesus deliver up the kingdom to God? This will not be at His coming back, for then He will bring the kingdom of God to earth. Then for a thousand years He will execute the kingdom. Hence, the delivering up of the kingdom to God must be at the end of the thousand years. When will Christ have annulled all rule, authority and power? This can only be at the end of the millennium. We know from Revelation 20 that Satan will not be absolutely annulled before the millennium. Instead, he will be imprisoned. Then at the end of the thousand years he will be released from prison. Only then will he be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:7-10). Therefore, it will be after the millennium that Christ will deliver up the kingdom to God. By that time Satan will have been annulled.
After accomplishing redemption, Christ went to receive the kingdom from the Father (Luke 19:12-13, 15). Before the millennium He as the Son of Man will have received the kingdom from God, the Ancient of days, to rule all the nations for one thousand years (Rev. 20:4, 6). At the end of the millennium, after He has defeated Satan, the Devil and his evil angels (as all rule, authority and power), and even death and Hades, putting all His enemies under His feet (1 Cor. 15:25-26) and casting all of them, including death and Hades, into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:7-10, 14), He will deliver the kingdom back to God the Father.
In verse 25 Paul says of Christ, “For He must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet.” In order for Christ to reign He must be in resurrection. If there were no resurrection, Christ would still be in the tomb, and it would not be possible for Him to reign. Christ began to reign from the time of His resurrection. In Matthew 28:18 the Lord Jesus said to the disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Then He charged them to go and disciple all nations. Today the real king, the real ruler, is the Lord Jesus. According to Revelation 1, He is the ruler of the kings of the earth.
Christ must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet. The longer Christ reigns, the more enemies are put under His feet. Eventually, at the end of the millennium, the last age of the old creation, every enemy will have been put under the feet of Christ. The word “until” indicates this and points to the end of the thousand years. That will be the time when every enemy has been put under Christ’s feet.