One of the most clearly-revealed truths of Scripture is that Christ is the highest-ranking being under God in the hierarchy of the universe. Consider, for example, the following words that Christ declared to his disciples shortly before he ascended to heaven:
“Given to Me was all authority in heaven and on the earth” (Matthew 28:18).
Although Jesus had relatively great authority during his earthly ministry (having been anointed by God “with holy spirit and power” when he was baptized [Acts 10:38]), he didn’t have “all authority in heaven and on the earth” until after his death and resurrection. As will be demonstrated below, it was by dying in obedience to God that Christ became worthy of this universal authority. This being the case, it’s impossible for God to have given Christ this authority at any time prior to his death and resurrection.
In accord with the declaration of Christ recorded in Matt. 28:18 are the words of Peter in Acts 2:29-36:
“This Jesus God raises, of Whom we all are witnesses. Being, then, to the right hand of God exalted, besides obtaining the promise of the holy spirit from the Father, He pours out this which you are observing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he is saying, ‘Said the Lord to my Lord, “Sit at My right Till I should be placing Thine enemies for a footstool for Thy feet.”’ Let all the house of Israel know certainly, then, that God makes Him Lord as well as Christ -- this Jesus Whom you crucify!”
In these verses, Peter was quoting Psalm 110:1 (“Yahweh said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”). In this Messianic prophecy of David, we find Yahweh telling someone distinct from himself – i.e., Christ – to sit at his right hand. Besides literally referring to a physical location in the heavens, sitting at God’s right hand also implies a position of authority and preeminence that is second only to God’s. It implies that one has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
It’s often claimed by Christians that David was ascribing divine status to Christ when he referred to him as “my Lord” in Psalm 110:1. However, while David would’ve understood the person being addressed by Yahweh in this prophecy as someone who would be superior in rank/status to himself (hence the words “my Lord”), it’s equally clear that David understood him to be distinct from, and subordinate to, Yahweh himself. For it is, of course, Yahweh who is said to be speaking to the one referred to by David as “my Lord,” and who is telling this individual to sit at his right hand. Yahweh can’t be told by Yahweh to sit at his own right until he should be subjecting his enemies to him. That’s absurd, and incoherent. Clearly, David was prophesying that Yahweh would be speaking to someone distinct from himself. And since Yahweh is the only being who is uncreated and has always existed (and is the creator of every individual other than himself), it follows that the person being addressed by Yahweh in this prophecy is a created being.[i]
In accord with the fact that the person being addressed by Yahweh in Psalm 110 isn’t Yahweh (and is thus a created being), the term that David used to refer to him – i.e., adoni (“my lord,” which is from adon, “lord”) – is consistently used in the Hebrew Scriptures for those who were understood to be distinct from Yahweh. It was used most often in reference to humans who were considered to be of a superior status/rank (e.g., Gen. 24:12; 2 Sam. 15:15). On a few occasions it was used in reference to celestial messengers (e.g., Dan. 12:8; Zech. 1:9; cf. Rev. 7:14, where an angel is addressed by John as “my Lord”). To see all the occurrences of this term, click the following link: hebrew/strongs113. This is in accord with the fact that the Messiah was prophesied to be a human, and distinct from Yahweh, the one God of Israel (see, for example, Genesis 3:15; 22:18; 28:14; Numbers 24:17-19; Deuteronomy 18:15; 2Sa 7:12-13; 1 Chronicles 17:13; Psalm 45:2-7; 72:1; 89:3-4; 132:11; Isaiah 7:14; 11:1-5; 52-53; Jeremiah 23:5; 30:21; Daniel 7:13; Zech. 6:12-13; Micah 5:2).
In contrast with the terms used for humans (adon/adoni), the Hebrew title for “Lord” that is reserved for Yahweh is Adonai (which is an emphatic form of adon). For all occurrences of this term, see the following: hebrew/strongs136. Although the terms are similar in spelling, the differences in use and application have significant implications regarding the identity of the one God of Israel and the nature of Christ.
Some believe that, because of the use of the present-tense verb “said” in Psalm 110:1, the words that follow (“Sit at My right…”) were declared by Yahweh prior to when David wrote this Psalm. According to this view, the person being addressed by God – i.e., his Son, Jesus Christ – existed at the time when David wrote. However, this is contrary to what Scripture reveals concerning when Christ came to be and how Christ came to be. For according to Scripture, Christ is a human with human ancestors, and thus wouldn’t exist if these other humans – such as David – had not existed before him. Consider the following:
1. Not only is it clear that Jesus had a mother (Matt. 1:18; 2:11, 13, 14, etc.), but we also know that Miriam conceived – and not just birthed – her son (Luke 1:31), thereby making Jesus the “the fruit of her womb” (Luke 1:42). This wouldn’t be true if Christ existed before the “fruit” of Miriam’s womb came to be.
2. Christ is said to have “risen out of Judah” (Heb. 7:14). The words “risen out of Judah” express the idea that Jesus belongs to the tribe of Judah (see Heb. 7:5-6, 13), and imply that Judah – both the individual and the tribe – existed before Christ. However, it wouldn’t be true that Christ is “risen out of Judah” if Christ existed before Judah (or if Christ existed at any point before his body came into being).
3. In Luke 1:32 we read that Gabriel referred to David as Jesus’ “father” (and by “father” he meant male ancestor). In accord with this fact, Jesus is also said to be “the Son of David” (Matt. 1:1), “of the seed of David” (Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8) and “out of the fruit of David’s loin” (Acts 2:30; cf. 2 Sam. 7:12-16). None of these related descriptions of Christ would be true if Christ existed before David (or if Christ existed at any point before his body came into being).
4. Christ himself declared that he is “the root and the race of David” (Rev. 5:5; 22:16). This means that Jesus is the prophesied descendant of David who will establish the Davidic kingdom on the earth so that it will remain “unto the eon” (2 Sam. 7:12-16). With regard to Christ’s “root of David” imagery, the implied seed from which “the root” grows is David (or the “seed of David” that Christ is elsewhere said to be “of” and to “come of” [Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8]). However, Christ wouldn’t be the root of David if he existed before David (for the root doesn’t exist before the seed of which it’s the root).
These facts concerning Christ’s origin and lineage are incompatible with the view that Christ already existed at God’s right hand when David wrote Psalm 110. If Christ existed in heaven when David wrote, then it wouldn’t be true to say that Christ himself is “of the seed of David.” That is, it wouldn’t be true to say that Christ himself is a descendant of this man. Rather, just as Christians erroneously believe that it was only Christ’s body that died and was roused from among the dead (and not Christ himself), so the view that Christ was sitting at God’s right hand when David wrote entails that it was only Christ’s body – and not Christ himself – that is “of the seed of David” or “out of the fruit of David’s loin.” But that’s contrary to what we read in Scripture.
It is not merely Christ’s body of which the above genealogical facts are true. Rather, these facts concern Christ himself. And this can only be the case if, as I’ve argued elsewhere (here, for example), Christ’s existence as God’s Son began when he was supernaturally generated/begotten by God. That is, only if Christ (i.e., the “Holy One” who we’re told would be “called the Son of God” by virtue of the fact that he would be generated by God) came into being when we’re actually told he came into being (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:35) can it be true to say that Christ himself – and not merely his body – is “the seed of Abraham,” “risen out of Judah,” “of the seed of David” (etc.).
The fact is that the declaration of Yahweh to Christ of which we read in Psalm 110:1 (“Sit at My right…”) is, itself, part of what’s being prophesied by David (and was, therefore, still future in David’s day). Not only is it evident that Peter understood David’s prophecy to have been fulfilled after Jesus’ death and resurrection (Acts 2:33-35), but – as will be demonstrated later in this article – it was by dying in obedience to God that Christ became worthy of the exalted position at God’s right hand that’s being prophetically promised to him in Psalm 110:1. Thus, it’s impossible for God to have told Jesus to sit at his right hand at any time prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection. For before his death, Christ was not yet worthy of this exalted position (and before his resurrection, he was not able to enjoy it). This is not to say that God wasn’t already delighted in his Son prior to his obedience unto death (for we know that this was the case; see, for example, Matt. 3:17). Rather, it’s simply to say that, prior to his death, Christ had not yet done that which qualified him for the universal authority that he received from God when he was roused from among the dead.
Moreover, the declaration of Psalm 110:1 isn’t the only example in this psalm of a declaration of Yahweh to Christ that was, in David’s day, still future. The same can be said regarding what we read in verse 4: “You are a priest for the eon according to the order of Melchizedek.” Although this statement is just as much in the present tense as the declaration found in v. 1, we know from the letter to the Hebrews that Christ didn’t become “a priest for the eon according to the order of Melchizedek” until after his death and resurrection. Indeed, as is made abundantly clear elsewhere in the letter to the Hebrews, Christ’s sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection to immortality was absolutely necessary to his qualifying for this unique priestly office (see Heb. 2:17-18; 5:4-10; 6:20; 7:11-28; 8:3-6; 10:11-14; etc.).
Thus, just as it wouldn’t be true to say that Christ was “a priest for the eon according to the order of Melchizedek” at the time when David wrote Psalm 110, so it wouldn’t be true to say that Christ was exalted and enthroned at God’s right hand as the highest-ranked being (under Yahweh) when this Psalm was written. Both Christ’s status as Melchizedekian priest and his status as the exalted Lord of Psalm 110:1 was based on, and the result of, Christ’s obedience unto death and subsequent resurrection by God (which, again, qualified him for his eonian priestly office, and made him worthy of his exalted position at God’s right hand). The exalted, heavenly position of Christ that’s prophesied by David in Psalm 110:1 (as well as by Daniel in Daniel 7:13-14) is the sequel – and not the prequel – to the earthly chapter of Christ’s life (the chapter that began with Christ’s supernatural conception and ended with his death on the cross).
Now, just as we know that God was already well-pleased with his Son prior to his death, there is a sense in which Jesus was already “Lord” – and could thus be addressed as “Lord” – before his death and resurrection. However, it must be kept in mind that anyone who was considered to have a superior rank or status in relation to others could be addressed as “lord” or “Lord” (the capitalization of the term depends entirely on one’s translational preference). In addition to the numerous examples of humans being addressed as “lord” in the Hebrew Scriptures, we also find examples in the Greek Scriptures of people other than Jesus being addressed as “lord,” as well (e.g., Philip in John 12:21 and a celestial messenger in Acts 10:3-4 and Rev. 7:14). Prior to his death and resurrection, Jesus was addressed as Lord in the sense that every king of Israel was considered “Lord.” And we also know that, from the time of his baptism – when God anointed him “with holy spirit and power” (Acts 10:38) – Christ had more authority from God than any other human has ever had. The authority that Christ received when he was resurrected, however, made him “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). And it is this highly exalted status that Peter had in mind when he exclaimed that God had made the risen Jesus “Lord.”
But what does it mean for Jesus to be “Lord?” According to the New American Standard Greek Lexicon, the title “lord” refers to someone “to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding,” and “the possessor and disposer of a thing.” Such is the case with Christ. Jesus’ status as “Lord” means that he has power and authority over others, and can make decisions concerning those over whom he has authority. It also implies that he is responsible for the welfare of those of whom he is Lord.
It should be noted that, although God made Jesus “Lord as well as Christ,” he didn’t make Jesus Lord of all and Christ at the same time. Jesus – who has been the Son of God ever since God generated (or “begot”) him and thereby became his Father – received his status as “Christ” several years before he was made Lord of all. The title “Christ” (i.e., “Messiah” or “Anointed One” [cf. John 1:41]) is a royal title that Jesus received when he was anointed (or “christened”) by his God and Father with holy spirit after being baptized by John (Luke 3:21-23; cf. Luke 4:18; Acts 4:26-27; 10:37-38).[ii] Concerning the distinction between Christ’s Sonship and his “Christhood,” A.E. Knoch wrote the following:
“His generation by God’s spirit made Him God's Son, but it did not fully prepare and equip Him for His office. For that He waited until He was about thirty years of age, and until the spirit which had generated Him came upon Him and thus anointed Him for His marvelous ministry…As His was the real, the genuine anointing, no literal oil was used. It was replaced by the empowering spirit. His Christhood was not due to His divine conception but to His spiritual anointing.”[iii]
Now, in accord with the passages already considered, we’re further told in Hebrews 1:2 that God appointed Jesus “enjoyer of the allotment of all.” We go on to read in verses 3-4 that Jesus – in fulfillment of Psalm 110:1 – is now “seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the heights,” having become “so much better than the messengers as He enjoys the allotment of a more excellent name than they.”
The “allotment of a more excellent name” refers to a superior and preeminent position and rank. The implication is that, although Christ is superior to all created celestial beings now, this wasn’t always the case. As is made clear in Psalm 8, human beings – beginning with Adam, the first human – were “made some bit inferior to messengers.” And Christ – being a human – was no exception in this regard (Heb. 2:6-7, 9). His becoming greater than/superior to the messengers is something that took place later. But when did this take place? When did Christ begin enjoying “the allotment of a more excellent name than” the messengers? Was it before Christ’s death and resurrection, or after?
Answer: The writer of Hebrews clearly believed that it was after Christ’s death and resurrection that he received this elevated, preeminent position. As we go on to read in Hebrews 2:8-10, Christ’s superiority over the celestial beings (with which he’s contrasted in Heb. 1:5-14) is the result of “the suffering of death.” It was through Christ’s sufferings that he was “perfected” (v. 10; cf. Heb. 5:8-9). It was, in other words, because of Christ’s sacrificial death that he became “so much better than the messengers as he enjoys the allotment of a more excellent name than they,” and became worthy of the supreme honor and privilege of being “seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the heights.”
Another passage in which Christ’s exalted position and authority is connected with his sacrificial death is Revelation 5. There we read that God gave Christ a sealed scroll that “no one in heaven, nor yet on earth, nor yet underneath the earth, was able to open” or even “to look at it.” In contrast with every other created being in the universe, Christ alone is said to be worthy to open the scroll and look at it. But by virtue of what, exactly, is Christ so much worthier than every other creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth such that he – and no other created being – is able to open the scroll and loose its seven seals? We find the answer in verses 5-9:
And one of the elders is saying to me, “Do not lament! Lo! He conquers! The Lion out of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, is to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals!” And I perceived, in the center of the throne and of the four animals, and in the center of the elders, a Lambkin standing, as though slain…And when It took the scroll, the four animals and the twenty-four elders fall before the Lambkin, each having a lyre, and golden bowls brimming with incenses, which are the prayers of the saints. And they are singing a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to be taking the scroll and to open its seals, For Thou wast slain and dost buy us for God by Thy blood.”
We go on to read in v. 12 of the hosts of heaven praising Christ with the following words:
“Worthy is the Lambkin slain
To get power and riches and wisdom and strength
And honor and glory and blessing!”
In contrast with what we know to be the basis for Christ’s worthiness, we read in Rev. 4:11 that God is “worthy…to get glory and honor and power” by virtue of the fact that it’s by his will that all things “were, and are created.” In other words, God is worthy of the glory, honor and power that he alone has by virtue of the fact that he alone is the Creator of all. Christ, on other hand, is worthy of the authority to do that which no other created being is able to do by virtue of his sacrificial death. That is, Christ’s death on the cross fully accounts for his supreme worthiness in relation to the rest of creation that we read about in the above passage.
We can thus conclude that Christ’s exalted status and position as Lord of all (and the universal authority that pertains to this status) was given to him by God as a reward for his great obedience to God. This is made clear in Philippians 2:8-11:
“…and, being found in fashion as a human, [Christ Jesus] humbles Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father.”
Just as it’s clear from Heb. 2:8-10 that Christ became worthy of “the allotment of a more excellent name” than the messengers by his sacrificial death, so it’s evident from Phil. 2:8-11 that Christ received “the name that is above every name” by his obedience unto death.
Other passages where we find the truth of Christ’s present exalted position affirmed are the following:
Ephesians 1:20-21
“…rousing [Christ] from among the dead and seating Him at His right hand among the celestials, up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this eon, but also in that which is impending…”
Col. 2:10
And you are complete in Him, Who is the Head of every sovereignty and authority…”
1 Peter 3:22
“Who is at God’s right hand, being gone into heaven, messengers and authorities and powers being subjected to Him.”
As is evident from what we read in these verses, Christ is now the highest-ranking being in the universe, under God. I include and emphasize the word “now” because, as has already been demonstrated (and as is implied by Paul’s words in Eph. 1:20-21), Christ has not always had the exalted position at God's right hand that he presently enjoys. Rather, his present exalted position in the universal hierarchy is the result of his sacrificial death.
Another key passage in which we find the truth of Christ’s universal authority affirmed is Romans 14:7-9. Here’s how these verses read in the CLNT:
For not one of us is living to himself, and not one is dying to himself. For both, if we should be living, to the Lord are we living, and if we should be dying, to the Lord are we dying. Then, both if we should be living and if we should be dying, we are the Lord's. For for this Christ died and lives, that He should be Lord of the dead as well as of the living.
In accord with the passages already considered, the implication of what Paul wrote in v. 9 is that Jesus wasn’t “Lord of the dead as well as of the living” before his death and resurrection. In addition to this fact, Paul’s words here also reveal that being Lord of all is the purpose for which “Christ died and lives” (this is indicated by the words, “For for this”). Notice, also, that Paul included Christ’s death as being just as necessary to his present Lordship as his life. In other words, it’s not just the case that Christ wouldn’t be Lord of all he wasn’t alive; it’s also the case that Christ wouldn’t be Lord of all if he hadn’t died. Thus, based on what we read in Romans 14:9, we can conclude the following: Since Christ died and lives to be Lord of all, it means that Christ died to become Lord of all.
How Christ is going to use his authority as Lord of all
Thus far it’s been shown that, by his obedience unto death, Christ become worthy of the universal authority that he received from God when God roused him from among the dead and made him Lord of all (it is this act of obedience that also qualifies Christ to sit at God's right hand). It was also noted that Jesus’ status as “Lord” means that he has power and authority over others and is responsible for their welfare. And because God made his Son Lord of all – both the dead and the living – it necessarily follows that Jesus has power and authority over all, whether living or dead. And this means that Christ has the power and authority to save anyone whom God wills for him to save. But how is Christ going to use the authority that God gave him?
We know that it was to do the will of his Father that Christ came into the world (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; cf. Heb. 10:7). And since “the desire of Yahweh shall prosper in [Christ’s] hand” (Isaiah 53:10), it follows that Christ will, without fail, accomplish what God desires (and thus wills) for him to do. But what does God will that Christ do?
There is, of course, much that could be said in response to this question. But I’m just going to be focusing on a few statements made by Christ, the author of the letter to the Hebrews and Paul regarding the destiny of believers and unbelievers during the future eons of Christ’s reign. I’ll then consider what Paul has revealed in his letters concerning God’s will for Christ with regard to the ultimate destiny of all mankind.
In John 5:21-30 we read that Christ declared the following:
“For even as the Father is rousing the dead and vivifying, thus the Son also is vivifying whom He will. For neither is the Father judging anyone, but has given all judging to the Son, that all may be honoring the Son, according as they are honoring the Father. He who is not honoring the Son is not honoring the Father Who sends Him.
“Verily, verily, I am saying to you that he who is hearing My word and believing Him Who sends Me, has life eonian and is not coming into judging, but has proceeded out of death into life. Verily, verily, I am saying to you that coming is an hour, and now is, when the dead shall be hearing the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall be living. For even as the Father has life in Himself, thus to the Son also He gives to have life in Himself.
“And He gives Him authority to do judging, seeing that He is a son of mankind. Marvel not at this, for coming is the hour in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and those who do good shall go out into a resurrection of life, yet those who commit bad things, into a resurrection of judging.
“I cannot do anything of Myself. According as I am hearing am I judging; and My judging is just, for I am not seeking My will, but the will of Him Who sends Me.”
Here we find that it’s God will that Christ be the judge of all, and that the dead be restored to life (i.e., “vivified”) through his agency. Note, also, that Christ affirmed that his authority to do this comes from God. As demonstrated earlier in this study, this authority over all was given to Christ after his death and resurrection (for it was by his sacrificial death that Christ became worthy of it).
It’s also implied in the above passage that Christ will use his authority to give eonian life to believers. In accord with this point, we read the following in John 6:37-40 and 10:27-28:
All that which the Father is giving to Me shall be arriving to Me, and he who is coming to Me I should under no circumstances be casting out, for I have descended from heaven, not that I should be doing My will, but the will of Him Who sends Me. Now this is the will of Him Who sends Me, that all which He has given to Me, of it I should be losing nothing, but I shall be raising it in the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who is beholding the Son and believing in Him may have life eonian, and I shall be raising him in the last day.
My sheep are hearing My voice, and I know them, and they are following Me. And I am giving them life eonian, and they should by no means be perishing for the eon, and no one shall be snatching them out of My hand.
Compare these verses with John 17:1-2, where Christ declared that his Father was giving him “authority over all flesh” so that he could give eonian life to “all” who’d been given to him by God. It is those whom God has given to Christ to raise up “on the last day” (and who will thus receive eonian life from Christ) who were being given the faith to believe on Christ, and who comprised the “sheep” that were “hearing [his] voice” and “following [him].”[iv]
Significantly, according to the declaration of Christ that we find recorded in John 12:32, the occurrence of the future event about which we read in the above verses was contingent on the occurrence of Christ’s obedient, prophecy-fulfilling death:
“And I, if I should be exalted out of the earth, shall be drawing all to Myself.”
Notice Christ’s use of the conditional word “if.” According to Christ’s own understanding, the accomplishing of God’s will for him concerning the “all which [God] has given to [him]” would occur only if he became “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Since Christ was obedient unto death, the event of which he was speaking here (the drawing of all to himself) is certain to take place.
In accord with what we read in the above verses from John’s Account, we read in Hebrews 5:8-10 that, after having been “perfected,” Christ “became the cause of eonian salvation to all who are obeying Him, being accosted by God ‘Chief Priest according to the order of Melchizedek…” Those to whom Christ became “the cause of eonian salvation” (i.e., “all who are obeying [Christ]”) are believing, faithful Israelites. It’s because Christ is the one through whom they’re going to receive life eonian in the future that Jude exhorted his readers as follows: “…keep yourselves in the love of God, anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for life eonian” (Jude 1:21).
But how is Christ able to give eonian life to these believers (and thus save them ”to the uttermost” [Heb. 7:25])? Answer: According to Heb. 5:8-10, he’s able to do this because he was “perfected.” And according to what we read in Heb. 2:9-10 and 5:-9, Christ was “perfected” – i.e., made worthy of his exalted position as Israel’s Savior (Acts 4:12; 5:30-31; 13:23) – through his death (Heb. 2:9-10; 5:7-9). This is in accord with Christ’s words in John 12:32.
In accord with this fact, we read that it was through “his own blood“ that Christ “entered once for all time into the holy places, finding eonian redemption” (Heb. 9:11-12). The sense in which Christ entered into heaven (“the holy places”) through “his own blood” is this: It was through his death that Christ was “perfected,” and thus became worthy to enter heaven and sit at God’s right hand as Lord of all. And the sense in which Christ found “eonian redemption” by entering heaven is that, having become worthy to enter heaven and sit at God’s right hand as the prophesied Lord of Psalm 110:1, Christ is going to use his authority to give eonian life to everyone for whose sake he’s ministering as “Chief Priest according to the order of Melchizedek” (i.e., “all who are obeying him”).
We also know from elsewhere in the letter to the Hebrews that, through his death, Christ became the Mediator of the new covenant (see, for example, Heb. 7:22; 8:6; 9:15-17; 10:29, 12:24, 13:20; cf. Matt. 26:28). This means that Christ is the one through whom God is going to bestow the promised blessings of the new covenant to Israel. Thus we read in Heb. 9:15 that the reason Christ became the Mediator of the new covenant is “so that…those who are called may be obtaining the promise of the eonian enjoyment of the allotment.” And as is evident from what we read in Heb. 9:28, 10:35-39 and elsewhere, the new covenant-based eonian salvation that’s promised to believing, faithful Israelites (“those who are called”) is going to be bestowed by Christ when he returns to earth.
In accord with the fact that Christ is the one through whom the blessings of the new covenant are going to be bestowed to Israel, we read in Romans 11:25-28 that it is Christ who will be saving all Israel in the future, when the new covenant goes into effect:
“Callousness, in part, on Israel has come, until the complement of the nations may be entering. And thus all Israel shall be saved, according as it is written,
“Arriving out of Zion shall be the Rescuer.
He will be turning away irreverence from Jacob.
And this is my covenant with them
Whenever I should be eliminating their sins.
Now, just as it’s clear that Christ is the one through whom God is going to be saving believing, faithful Israel in the future, so it’s clear that Christ is the one through whom God is going to save everyone in the body of Christ from death, and thus give us eonian life. Consider, for example, the following verses from Paul’s letters:
Romans 5:21
“…that, even as Sin reigns in death, thus Grace also should be reigning through righteousness, for life eonian, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
“For the ration of Sin is death, yet the gracious gift of God is life eonian, in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 57
“Lo! a secret to you am I telling! We all, indeed, shall not be put to repose, yet we all shall be changed, in an instant, in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trump. For He will be trumpeting, and the dead will be roused incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Now thanks be to God, Who is giving us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
For, if we are believing that Jesus died and rose, thus also, those who are put to repose, will God, through Jesus, lead forth together with Him. For this we are saying to you by the word of the Lord, that we, the living, who are surviving to the presence of the Lord, should by no means outstrip those who are put to repose, for the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the Chief Messenger, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall be rising first.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
“…for God did not appoint us to indignation, but to the procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for our sakes, that, whether we may be watching or drowsing, we should be living at the same time together with Him.”
Philippians 3:20-21
For our realm is inherent in the heavens, out of which we are awaiting a Saviour also, the Lord, Jesus Christ, Who will transfigure the body of our humiliation, to conform it to the body of His glory, in accord with the operation which enables Him even to subject all to Himself.
Having demonstrated what God’s will is for Christ with regard to believers (and how, therefore, Christ is going to use his authority on behalf of believers), let’s now consider what Paul revealed concerning what God wills for Christ to do with regard to all mankind. In 1 Timothy 2:3-7 we read the following:
“God…wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (the testimony in its own eras), for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the nations in knowledge and truth.”
Since the will of God with regard to the purpose for which Christ came into the world is that ”all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth,” it follows that Christ will ultimately use his God-given authority to save all mankind. The One who died and was roused for the sake of all (2 Cor. 5:14-15) – and who is presently sitting at the right hand of God as Lord of all (both the dead and the living) – is ultimately going to use his authority to save all mankind from death so that God may be “All in all” (1 Cor. 15:22-28; for a more in-depth defense of the truth that God will become “All in all” when death is abolished and all mankind are made immortal, see the following article: That God May Be All In All).
In accord with this understanding of what God wills for Christ to do are Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 1:15:
“Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, foremost of whom am I.”
If a person can be considered a sinner then we can conclude that Christ came into the world to save them. This, of course, would include all who “die in their sins” (John 8:21, 24; cf. 1 Cor. 15:17). Moreover, since Paul undoubtedly used the expression “Christ died for our sins” whenever he heralded the evangel of the grace of God among the nations during the course of his apostolic ministry, the term “our” should be understood to include unbelievers (for it included everyone to whom Paul and his co-laborers heralded – or could’ve heralded – this evangel, whether they actually ended up believing it or not). And the same could be said if Paul instead used the expression “your sins” (rather than “our sins”). This means that, whenever Paul and his co-laborers heralded the evangel, they understood the sinners for whom Christ died to necessarily include every unbeliever who heard (or who could’ve heard) the message they were heralding (and this, of course, would’ve included unbelievers whom they would’ve had no reason to believe were actually going to believe the evangel they were heralding).
We can thus conclude that Christ is going to use his authority to save all mankind from death. Of course, this conclusion is contrary to the commonly-held Christian belief that God can’t (or won’t) save people “against their will.” But this idea is completely unscriptural. As was so clearly manifested in the calling of the apostle Paul (Acts 9:1-22), God can, through Christ, bring about the salvation of any of the sinners whom he wills to save without the sinner having to do or believe anything beforehand to “qualify” for his or her salvation. As was the case with Paul, no prior willingness on the part of those who are yet to be saved is required in order for Christ to save them and bring them to a realization of the truth. It is completely within Christ’s God-given power to eradicate unbelief from the heart of even the most stubborn of sinners, and to produce within them the unfeigned love and heartfelt obedience by which God is glorified. Not even death is an obstacle to Christ accomplishing what God wills concerning all mankind (for Christ can just as easily resurrect unbelievers and transform them into loyal, obedient servants of God as he was able to save Paul on the road to Damascus).
Since no one who is in need of being saved is their own Lord, their salvation is not up to them. It is, instead, up to the one who is their Lord. And this simple fact completely destroys the position that anyone will spend “eternity separated from God in hell.” Having received all authority in heaven and on earth from God, there is nothing in heaven or on earth that can prevent Christ from accomplishing the salvation of every single sinner for whom he died. As Lord of all, Christ is able to subject all to himself by the same operation that will result in the vivification of believers (Phil. 3:21).
Why Christ had to become Lord of all
In my remarks on Paul’s words in Romans 14:9, I noted that Christ died to become “Lord of the dead as well as of the living.” And the implication of what I went on to demonstrate is that, had Christ not become Lord of all, everything that God wills for him to do wouldn’t be done. That is, Christ had to become Lord of all in order for all mankind to be saved. But this raises an important question: Why couldn’t God just save all mankind himself (i.e., directly, rather than through the agency of Christ)? After all, God certainly has the authority and power to save all mankind himself. Since God has always had the authority to do what we know Christ is going to do, why not just do it himself (especially when Christ had to suffer and die in obedience to God just to become worthy of the authority that’s needed to accomplish the salvation of all)?
I believe the key to answering the question of why Christ had to become Lord of all (and why God is saving all through Christ, rather than directly) is God’s righteousness. But what does it mean for God to be righteous (or “just”)? Answer: As I understand it, to be “righteous” or “just” is to be conformed to, or to act in accord with, truth. Thus, for God to be righteous/just is for him to be conformed to, and to always act in accord with, truth.
Now, we know that sinners are justly deserving of death (Rom. 1:32; 6:22-23; 8:1-2). This being the case, the only way it would be just (in accord with truth) for God to use his own authority to directly save those deserving of death (or even to promise to do this) is if he was obligated to do it. But for God to have an obligation to do anything, there would have to be someone with greater authority than himself whose will obligates him to do it (and whom God thus has an obligation to obey). But of course, there’s no one superior to, and with greater authority than, God (and thus no one whose will God is obligated to obey).
Since sinners are deserving of death - and since God is not obligated to save those deserving of death - it would be unjust for God to do so (that is, do so directly). However, we also know that God loves all mankind, and that his love motivated him to do what needed to be done to bring about the salvation of all. And this is where Christ “enters the equation.” In order to save us justly, God wills that all mankind be saved through Christ. For Christ can justly use his God-given authority to save everyone whom God wills for him to save (for by saving sinners from death, Christ is doing what God wills for him to do, and thus doing what he has an obligation to do).
And when Christ died in obedience to God, he became worthy of being made “Lord of all” and being given “all authority in heaven and on the earth” (and thus worthy of the authority to save all who are deserving of death). It’s in this way that the salvation of all (and, therefore, the justification of all) was secured by Christ’s death. And having secured the salvation of all by his death, it’s now only a matter of time before Christ fully accomplishes what he came into the world to do (and for which he was made Lord of all).
[i] For a more in-depth defense of the truth that Christ isn’t (and can’t be) Yahweh, see the following articles:
The Bible does not identify Jesus as Yahweh (part one)
Refuting an argument for “the deity of Jesus Christ” (part one)
[ii] It may be objected that, in Luke 2:11, we read that a celestial messenger declared the following to certain shepherds after Jesus’ birth: “…today was brought forth to you a Saviour, Who is Christ, the Lord, in the city of David.” In light of these words, some believe that Jesus has been both Christ and Lord since the time of his birth. However, as already noted, “Christ” means “Anointed One.” Although Jesus existed as God’s Son from the time of his supernatural conception, he wasn’t actually anointed by God (and did not assume his “Messianic office”) until after his baptism. We should therefore understand the messenger to have simply been identifying the newborn child as the one who was prophesied to be “Christ” and “Lord” (e.g., in Psalm 2:2 and Psalm 110:1).
Moreover, in Luke 2:26 we read that Simeon was promised by the holy spirit that he would not be acquainted with death before being “acquainted with the Lord’s Christ.” We’re then told of his encounter with the infant Jesus in the temple, shortly after Jesus was circumcised (Luke 2:27-33). When Jesus was referred to as “the Lord’s Christ,” this is likely a reference to Psalm 2:2 (where we read the words, “against Yahweh [“the Lord” in LXX] and against his Anointed [“his Christ” in LXX]”; cf. Acts 4:26). Since it’s by virtue of his prophesied status as “the Lord’s Christ” that the infant Jesus was identified in this way, the same can be said with regard to how he’s identified in Luke 2:11.
[iii] See Unsearchable Riches, Volume 39, p. 106. It apparently didn’t occur to Knoch at the time he wrote the above that, if Christ’s generation by God’s spirit is what “made Him God’s Son” (which is what we find revealed in Scripture), then it means that Christ didn’t pre-exist as God’s Son. In any case, I think Knoch is correct here (both with regard to how Jesus was made God’s Son, and how/when Jesus was anointed by God and thus received his “Christhood”).
[iv] In some versions, Jesus’ words in John 17:2 are translated in such a way that he seems to have been referring to “everything” he’d been given by God (rather than the people God had given him). The word pan can mean “all,” “the whole” or “everything.” In this verse, I believe that Christ was referring to the entire number of those whom God had given him (and who – as we read in John 12:32 – Christ will be “drawing” to himself in the future).
Here’s how Christ’s words in John 17:1-2 are translated in the “Eonian Life Bible”:
“Magnify Your Son that your Son also might magnify You, just as You have given him authority in relation to all flesh, so that he should give eonian life to the whole of what You have given to him.”
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