Is Christ presently sitting on “the throne of his glory”? (Part one)

In Matthew 19:28 we read that Christ declared the following to his disciples:

“Verily, I am saying to you, that you who follow Me, in the renascence whenever the Son of Mankind should be seated on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

In this study I’m going to be arguing that Christ is not, at this present time, sitting on “the throne of his glory,” and that he will not do so until after he has returned to earth and restored the kingdom to Israel (in accord with what we read in Acts 1:6-11). I will also be responding to arguments made by a proponent of the view that Christ has been sitting on the throne of his glory since the time of his ascension to heaven (if not earlier).

Before I begin my defense of the more specific point that Christ is not yet sitting on the throne of his glory, I think it would be helpful to first defend the more general position that the coming of the kingdom of God and its establishment on the earth (in fulfillment of prophecies such as Daniel 2:44) is a future event.

The futurity of the kingdom of God

After being provided with a description of a great metallic image seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar (and which we’re later told represents four successive and preeminent kingdoms on the earth), we read the following in Dan. 2:34-35 concerning a certain stone that was ”severed from a mountain, not by hands”:

“…and [the stone] collided with the image at its feet of iron and clay and pulverized them. Then, all at once, the iron, the clay, the copper, the silver and the gold were pulverized and became as chaff from summer threshing sites; and the wind lifted them up, and not trace at all was found of them. And the stone that collided with the image became a vast mountain range and filled the whole earth….”

We’re then provided with the following explanation of this symbolic imagery in Dan. 2:44:

“In their days, that is, of these kings, the God of the heavens will set up a kingdom that for the eons shall not come to harm. His kingdom shall not be left to another people. It will pulverize and terminate all these kingdoms, and it shall be confirmed for the eons.”

We go on to read the following concerning this kingdom in the seventh chapter of Daniel:

Daniel 7:13-14

“Perceiving am I in the visions of the night, and behold, on the clouds of the heavens, One as a son of a mortal is arriving: Unto the Transferrer of Days He reaches, and they bring Him near before Him; to Him is granted jurisdiction and esteem and a kingdom, and all the peoples and leagues and language-groups shall serve Him; His jurisdiction, as an eonian jurisdiction, will not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed.”

Daniel 7:26-27

“Yet adjudication sits; and they will cause his authority to pass away, even to exterminate and to destroy till the terminus. And the kingdom and the jurisdiction and the majesty of the kingdom under the entire heavens will be granted to the people of the saints of the Most High. Their kingdom is an eonian kingdom, and all other authorities shall serve and hearken to them.”

In these passages from Daniel it’s evident that the kingdom of God – i.e., the kingdom that “the God of the heavens will set up” – will be an earthly kingdom that will succeed (and permanently replace) the Gentile kingdoms that had previously ruled over the earth (notice the words “under the entire heavens” in the above passage).

Although this kingdom is frequently referred to in Matthew’s Account as “the kingdom of the heavens” (or “the kingdom of heaven”), this particular expression is simply another way of referring to the kingdom prophesied in the above passages (which is the kingdom that we’re told “the God of the heavens” shall set up). This expression does not, therefore, inform us of the location of the kingdom about which Christ taught during his earthly ministry (for this kingdom is going to be set up on the earth, and will be “under the entire heavens”); rather, it emphasizes the heavenly source and character of this future kingdom.

The earthly location of the kingdom of God is in accord with many other prophecies concerning it found in the Hebrew Scriptures (see, for example, Jer. 31:1-40; Isa. 61:1-62: 12; Isa. 65:17-24; Ezek. 36-38; Mic. 2:12-13; Zech. 14:8-20; cf. Matt. 5:5; Rev. 5:9-10). We further read that the reign of the Messiah and of the faithful within Israel will be characterized by peace and harmony on the earth (Isa. 2:1-4; 11:6-9; 14:3-7; Isa. 35:6-7, 32:15, 35:1; Isa. 51:3; Isa. 65:25; Amos 9:13). Moreover, although Christ will have dominion over the entire earth (with all other nations and kingdoms being under his authority), the geographical territory of the kingdom of God over which he will reign will be the land that God promised to Israel (the boundaries of which are specified in Gen. 15:18-20, Num. 34:1-15 and elsewhere); for a defense of this view, click here: the-judgment-of-sheep-and-goats-study. In accord with what’s revealed concerning the future geographical location of the kingdom of God, it’s also revealed that the city of Jerusalem on Mount Zion will be the capital of this future kingdom (see, for example, Isaiah 2:1-4; 30:19; 33:20; 52:1-2; Jer. 3:17; 30:18-20; Zech. 8:22; 14:4-21; cf. Rev. 20:9, where this future city is referred to as “the beloved city”).

In accord with the fact that the kingdom of God on earth will be a geopolitical kingdom with geographical boundaries, we know that it will be recognized and acknowledged as such by every authority on the earth after it has been established. This is evident from what’s revealed in Dan. 7:27:

“The kingship and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.”[i]

Of course, “all dominions” do not, at the present time, serve and obey “the people of the holy ones of the Most High.” However, in the future, they will. And this means that, at this future time, there will be worldwide recognition of the geopolitical nature of the kingdom of God. The clear implication of what’s revealed in this verse is that, once the kingdom of God has been established on the earth, it will be the dominant kingdom on the earth. All other nations and people-groups will be subordinate to this kingdom and to the people to whom it’s going to be granted (and the saints of the Most High will never again suffer persecution and affliction at the hands of a more powerful nation or people-group).

In accord with what we read in these and other verses concerning the geopolitical nature of the kingdom that shall be given to the saints of the Most High, there are a number of prophetic passages from the Hebrew Scripture that affirm that the nations during this time will be subordinate to Israel, and that many of the blessings they will enjoy during this time will come to them through the mediation of Israel (Isaiah 45:14-17; 49:22-23; 60:1-16 [cf. 66:10-12]; Jeremiah 33:7-9; Zechariah 8:14-15, 20-23; 14:16-18).

The kingdom of God according to Christ and his apostles

In Luke 22:14-18 we read that Christ declared the following to his disciples:

“With yearning I yearn to be eating this Passover with you before My suffering. For I am saying to you that under no circumstances may I be eating of it till it may be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And, receiving the cup, giving thanks, He said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves. For I am saying to you that under no circumstances may I be drinking, from now on, of the product of the grapevine till the kingdom of God may be coming.”

It’s evident from these verses that the coming of the kingdom of God was, at the time Christ spoke, a future event. This is further evident from what Christ went on to say to his disciples concerning this kingdom. In verses 28-30 we read the following:

“Now you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I am covenanting a covenant with you, according as My Father covenanted a kingdom to Me, that you may be eating and drinking at My table in My kingdom. And you will be seated on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

In his Greek-English Keyword Concordance, A.E. Knoch helpfully defines “kingdom” as follows: “a realm rule by a king, or the territory, people, or sovereign power pertaining to it.” Jesus’ kingdom will be “of God” because, as we read in verses 28-30, God “covenanted” this kingdom to him. We also know that, in accord with what’s prophesied in Dan. 2:44, God will “set up” this kingdom on the earth through Christ (by directly and supernaturally empowering him), and that Christ’s reign over his kingdom will be a manifestation of God’s will being done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

What Christ referred to as “the kingdom of God” and “My kingdom” in the above verses refers to the same kingdom of which Gabriel spoke before Jesus was born. In Luke 1:31-33 we read the following:

“And lo! you shall be conceiving and be pregnant and be bringing forth a Son, and you shall be calling His name Jesus. He shall be great, and Son of the Most High shall He be called. And the Lord God shall be giving Him the throne of David, His father, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for the eons. And of His kingdom there shall be no consummation.”

The “eons” for which Christ “shall reign over the house of Jacob” are future eons. Paul referred to these future eons in Eph. 2:7 when he wrote the following: “…that, in the oncoming eons, He should be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” It should be noted that the future eons of Christ’s reign over the kingdom are not endless; Christ’s reign will end when death is abolished and all have been subjected to him (1 Cor. 15:24-28). However, the kingdom itself will continue beyond the duration of the eons of Christ’s reign (for when Christ abolishes death, the kingdom will be given up to God so that God may be “All in all”). It is for this reason that we’re told in Luke 1:33 that “there shall be no consummation” of Christ’s kingdom. For, although Christ’s reign over the kingdom will end when he gives the kingdom up to his God and Father, the kingdom itself will have no end (or “consummation”) after it has been delivered to God.

That the kingdom of God of which Christ taught was, and is, a future reality is also evident from the fact that, according to Christ, there are some who are now dead who will be among the subjects of the kingdom of God (and who are thus going to be resurrected in order to enter the kingdom). For example, in Matthew 8:11-12 and Luke 13:27-29 we read that Christ declared the following:

“Now I am saying to you that many from the east and the west shall be arriving and reclining with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens, yet the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. There shall be lamentation and gnashing of teeth.”

“He also will be declaring: ‘I am saying to you, I am not acquainted with you! Whence are you? Withdraw from me, all workers of injustice!’ There there will be lamentation and gnashing of teeth, whenever you should be seeing Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, yet you cast outside. And they will be arriving from east and west and from north and south and will be made to recline in the kingdom of God.”

Those who will be arriving “from the east and west” cannot be “reclining with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens” if Abraham, Isaac and Jacob aren’t going to be in this kingdom (and in order for them to be in the kingdom, they must be resurrected). Notice also that, in the second passage, Christ included “all the prophets” among those who will be in the kingdom of God. Those whom Christ said would “be seeing Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God” will not be able to see them if they’re not going to be there.

Moreover, in both of these passages, it’s implied that a judgment of the “workers of injustice” will coincide with the coming of the kingdom (and will result in the unrighteous being excluded from the kingdom). We know that this judgment wasn’t taking place at the time Christ spoke. We also have reason to believe that it didn’t occur before the completion of the writings that comprise the Greek Scriptures or “New Testament.” And in light of who Christ said would be in the kingdom of God – i.e., “Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets” – we have reason to believe that both the judgment and the coming of the kingdom haven’t occurred at any time in the past.

In both of these passages, Jesus spoke as if he believed that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (as well as “all the prophets”) will be in the kingdom of God. If Jesus didn’t believe that this will be the case, we have no good reason to think that he would’ve said what he did on these occasions. And since Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets are now dead, we can conclude that the kingdom in which they’re going to be present and seen by others is still a future reality (for a response to objections to this understanding of what Jesus said in these passages, see part two of this study).

The futurity of the kingdom of God is also evident from what Christ declared to Pilate in John 18:36. Here’s how this verse reads in the CLNT:

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My deputies, also, would have contended, lest I should be given up to the Jews. Yet now is My kingdom not hence.”

Christ’s use of the word “now” in the last statement (which, in the Greek, is the adverb “nun”) implies that the kingdom over which he shall be reigning is a future kingdom that belongs to a future time.

The futurity of the kingdom of God is also affirmed by Christ in Luke 21:27-31:

“And then they shall be seeing the Son of Mankind coming in a cloud with power and much glory. Now at the beginning of these occurrences, unbend and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is drawing near.” And He told them a parable: “Perceive the fig tree and all the trees. Whenever they should be already budding, you, observing for yourselves, know it is because summer is already near. Thus you also, whenever you may be perceiving these things occurring, know that near is the kingdom of God.”

The implication of what we read in this passage is that the kingdom of God was not present at the time Christ spoke, and wouldn’t be present until the events of which he was prophesying occurred. We can further conclude that the event to which he referred as “the Son of Mankind coming in a cloud with power and much glory” is inseparably connected with both the “deliverance” of believers and the coming of “the kingdom of God” (both of which will be “near” when the “occurrences” of which Christ spoke have begun).

There are some who believe that the coming of Christ referred to in Luke 21:27 occurred in the first century (i.e., in 70 AD). In support of this view, an appeal is made to Christ’s words in v. 32 (i.e., “Verily, I am saying to you that by no means may this generation be passing by till all should be occurring”). However, as I’ve argued elsewhere, the generation to which Christ was referring is the future generation that will see the start of everything that will be occurring during the time period of which Christ was prophesying in his “Olivet Discourse” – i.e., the future period of time that will begin with the “beginning of pangs” (Matt. 24:8) and will end with the eon-concluding coming of Christ (Matt. 24:30; Luke 21:27). For a more in-depth defense of this understanding – including a response to some objections made by Andrew P. – see my upcoming article on the subject of the Olivet Discourse. What needs to be emphasized for the purpose of the subject of this study, however, is the following point: At the time when Christ spoke the words recorded in Luke 21:27-31 (and at the time when Luke wrote), the kingdom of God was still a future (rather than a present) reality.

With this point in mind, the kingdom that Christ said his followers could know was “near” when the events of which he prophesied began to occur is undoubtedly the same kingdom that the disciples had in mind when, shortly before Christ ascended to heaven, they asked him the following question:

“Lord, art Thou at this time restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)

We have no good reason to think that the disciples were mistaken for believing that Christ is going to restore the kingdom to Israel. Nor do we have reason to believe that the disciples’ understanding of what, exactly, the kingdom of God is was fundamentally mistaken. As we read in Acts 1:2-3, it was “that which concerns the kingdom of God” that Christ had been teaching them during the forty days preceding his ascension to heaven.

Keeping in mind the fact that Peter was among those to whom Christ had personally taught concerning the kingdom of God, it’s evident that Peter understood it to be a future reality. In 2 Peter 1:10-11 we read the following:

“Wherefore, rather, brethren, endeavor through ideal acts to confirm your calling and choice; for, doing these things you should under no circumstances be tripping at any time. For thus will be richly supplied to you the entrance into the eonian kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

The word translated “eonian” in v. 11 (aiónios) is the adjectival form of the noun “eon” (aión). That which is “eonian” is that which pertains to, and continues throughout the duration of, the eon (or eons) in view. The kingdom of God is referred to as “the eonian kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” because Christ is going to reign over the kingdom during the future eons referred to in Luke 1:31-33 and Eph. 2:7 (after which he will deliver the kingdom up to God, in accord with what’s revealed in 1 Cor. 15:24-28).

It should be emphasized that the kingdom that God is going to set up on the earth through Christ can just as validly be referred to as the kingdom of Christ (through whom God is going to restore the kingdom to Israel) or the future kingdom of Israel (to whom Christ is going to restore the kingdom when he returns). In accord with this last point is the fact that, in Dan. 7:18, 22, 27, we’re told that the kingdom that God shall set up is going to be granted to “the people of the saints of the Most High.” These “people of the saints of the Most High” are Israelites (see Dan. 9:15, 16, 19, 20, 24; 10:14; 12:1, 7), and will constitute the nation of Israel during the eons to come.

Paul affirmed the futurity of the kingdom of God in his letters as well. For example, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 we read the following:

Or are you not aware that the unjust shall not be enjoying the allotment of God’s kingdom? Be not deceived. Neither paramours, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor catamites, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards; no revilers, no extortioners shall be enjoying the allotment of God’s kingdom. 

Lest one think that Paul believed that the just were already “enjoying the allotment of God’s kingdom” (and that it’s only the unjust who aren’t presently in the kingdom of God), Paul’s words in Acts 14:21-22 make it clear that he understood the kingdom of God to be a future realm into which believers had not yet entered. In these verses we read the following:

Evangelizing that city besides, and making a considerable number of disciples, they return into Lystra and into Iconium and into Antioch, establishing the souls of the disciples, besides entreating them to remain in the faith and saying that, “Through many afflictions must we be entering into the kingdom of God.”

Paul would not have spoken as he did if he’d believed that the kingdom of God was a present reality at the time he spoke these words. Another implication of Paul’s words here is that the suffering of “many afflictions” is something that, for believers, precedes the enjoyment of an allotment in the kingdom of God (and that, after entering the kingdom of God, believers will no longer be suffering “many afflictions”). Since believers have continued to suffer “many afflictions” since the time Paul spoke these words, we can conclude that the kingdom of God that believers will be entering is still a future reality.

Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 15:50-52 also make it clear that he had in mind a future reality when he referred to “God’s kingdom.” After teaching on the subject of the resurrection and the change that we’re going to undergo when we’re vivified (1 Cor. 15:35-49), Paul went on to write the following:

Now this I am averring, brethren, that flesh and blood is not able to enjoy an allotment in the kingdom of God, neither is corruption enjoying the allotment of incorruption.

What Paul had in mind here was the kingdom of God into which the saints in the body of Christ will be entering in the future (and which Paul referred to in 2 Tim. 4:18 as the Lord’s “celestial kingdom” for which the Lord would save him). In accord with this fact, Paul wrote the following in 2 Tim. 2:11-13:

Faithful is the saying: “For if we died together, we shall be living together also; if we are enduring, we shall be reigning together also; if we are disowning, He also will be disowning us; if we are disbelieving, He is remaining faithful -- He cannot disown Himself.”

In this passage, “living together” refers to the blessing of “life eonian” that every member of the body of Christ will be enjoying during “the oncoming eons” of Christ’s reign (Eph. 2:7; Titus 1:1-2; 3:5-7; cf. 1 Thess. 5:10), while “reigning together” refers to the additional blessing and privilege of reigning with Christ during these eons (and which is referred to as “Christ’s allotment” in Rom. 8:17). Regardless of whether or not Paul had in mind a blessing in which all in the body of Christ will participate when he referred to “reigning together,” it’s evident that this is a future activity in which the saints will be involved. That is, none of the saints in the body of Christ were “reigning together” with Christ when Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy.

This is in accord with Christ’s promise to the ecclesia in Thyatira. In Rev. 2:26-27 we read the following:

“And to the one who is conquering and keeping My acts until the consummation, to him will I be giving authority over the nations; and he shall be shepherding them with an iron club, as vessels of pottery are being crushed, as I also have obtained from My Father.”

Jesus’ promise to those who conquer (or “overcome”) will be fulfilled when, in the eon to come, he makes the saints of Israel – i.e., the “saints of the Most High” referred to in Daniel 7:26-27 – “a kingdom and a priesthood for our God,” and “they shall be reigning on the earth” (Rev. 1:6, 5:10). This will, of course, include the twelve disciples (who will, during this time, be seated on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel).

The throne of Christ’s glory

Keeping in mind the words of Christ recorded in Luke 22:14-18 and 22:28-30, let’s now consider what Christ declared in Matthew 19:28-29. In these verses we read the following:

Yet Jesus said to them, “Verily, I am saying to you, that you who follow Me, in the renascence whenever the Son of Mankind should be seated on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who leaves houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, on account of My name, a hundred-fold shall be getting, and shall be enjoying the allotment of life eonian.

When we read this verse in light of the verses quoted from Luke 22, we can conclude the following: for Christ to “be seated on the throne of his glory” is for him to be reigning over the kingdom of God. That is, Christ will be seated on the throne of his glory when he begins reigning over the kingdom that he had in mind when he declared the following to his disciples:

“I am covenanting a covenant with you, according as My Father covenanted a kingdom to Me, that you may be eating and drinking at My table in My kingdom. And you will be seated on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

In other words, Christ will not begin sitting on “the throne of his glory” (and his disciples will not be seated on the thrones that Christ promised them) until after his kingdom has come.

What Christ referred to as the “throne of his glory” and his “kingdom” in the above verses refers to the same throne and kingdom referred to by Gabriel in Luke 1:32-33. Here, again, is how these verses read in the CLNT:

“And the Lord God shall be giving Him the throne of David, His father, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for the eons. And of His kingdom there shall be no consummation.”

The expression “house of Jacob” refers to the twelve-tribed descendants of Jacob (i.e., the people of Israel), while the phrase “throne of David” – which occurs throughout the Hebrew Scriptures – refers to the throne, or seat of authority, from which King David and his descendants ruled over the kingdom of Israel (see, for example, 2 Samuel 3:10, 1 Kings 2:12, 24, 45, 1 Kings 8:20, 25, 1 Kings 9:5, 1 Chronicles 29:23, 2 Chronicles 6:10, 16, 2 Chronicles 7:18, Isaiah 16:5, Jeremiah 17:25, Jeremiah 22:2, 4, 30, Jeremiah 29:16, Jeremiah 33:17). The throne of David is simply the throne on which a royal descendent of David sits and reigns over the kingdom of Israel.

In accord with the verses referenced above, we read the following in Isaiah 9:7 concerning the kingdom over which Christ shall rule when he sits on “the throne of his glory”:

On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to brace it with right judgment and with justice, henceforth and in the future eon, the zeal of Yahweh of hosts, it shall achieve this.

And in Psalm 132:11 we read the following:

“Yahweh has sworn to David a truth from which He will not turn back: “Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.”

Note the words “your throne.” Yahweh was not sitting on David’s throne when he promised David that he would sit one of his descendants on his throne. Rather, Yahweh was (and is) sitting on his own throne – i.e., the heavenly throne referred to in (for example) Matthew 5:34-35 and 23:22. In these verses we read the following:

“But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king.”

“And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.”

In accord with what we read in these verses are the following words from Psalm 123:1 and Revelation 4:2-3:

“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!”

“At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” 

Other references to the throne of God are found in Hebrews 8:1 and 12:2. In these verses we read the following:

“We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven…”

“…[Jesus] is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In Acts 7:49, Stephen quoted the words of God as recorded in Isaiah 66:1: “Heaven is my throne.” Then, while being stoned, Stephen saw “Jesus, standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Lo! I am beholding the heavens opened up, and the Son of Mankind standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56). In other words, Stephen saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand at God’s heavenly throne.

Thus, when Yahweh referred to David’s throne (“your throne”), he had in mind a throne that is distinct from his throne in heaven. And just as Yahweh wasn’t sitting on David’s throne when he swore to David (and isn’t sitting on David’s throne today), so Jesus is not, at the present time, sitting on David’s throne (i.e., “the throne of his glory”), either. This understanding is confirmed from the following words of Christ in Revelation 3:21:

“The one who is conquering, to him will I be granting to be seated with Me on My throne as I, also, conquer, and am seated with My Father on His throne.”

When Christ spoke of “His [Father’s] throne,” he was referring to the heavenly throne of Yahweh referred to earlier. It is on this throne (the throne of his God and Father, Yahweh) that Christ is presently seated. In other words, for Jesus to be “seated at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven” is for him to be “seated with [his] Father on his [Father’s] throne.”

Since Jesus is currently “seated with [His] Father on His throne,” it follows that he’s not currently sitting on the throne that he referred to as “My throne.” And since the throne that Christ referred to as “My throne” is “the throne of his glory” and “the throne of David,” we can conclude that Christ is not currently sitting on “the throne of his glory.” However, it is from this promised throne that Christ shall be reigning when he is given “the throne of David, his father” and reigns “over the house of Jacob for the eons.”

That Christ was to sit with God on his throne prior to sitting on the promised throne of David was prophesied in Psalm 110 as follows:

Yahweh says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies as a footstool for your feet.” Yahweh will stretch forth your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies.” Your people will offer themselves freely in the day of your power; in the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, the dew of your youthfulness will be yours.”

When David wrote these prophetic words, he knew that there was a distinction between his throne in Jerusalem (Psalm 132:11) and Yahweh’s throne in heaven. Again, Yahweh himself made this distinction when he referred to David’s throne as “your throne.” And as we’ve seen from Rev. 3:21, Jesus also understood and made this distinction.

It’s also evident from both Psalm 110 and Rev. 3:21 that Christ’s position at God’s right hand is not a permanent state of affairs. It will be followed by the reign of Christ “from Zion” (which is in Jerusalem), at which time Christ will “rule in the midst of [his] enemies.” Until this reign from Zion begins (when Christ shall sit on the throne that he referred to as “My throne”), Christ is waiting. In Hebrews 10:12-13 we read the following:

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.”

Again, sitting at the right hand of God means sitting with the Father on his throne. As long as Christ is in heaven, he is still waiting to sit on his throne – i.e., the promised “throne of his glory” and “throne of David.” This, again, is evident from Christ’s words in Rev. 3:21. The enthronement of Jesus on his throne (the throne of his glory/the throne of David) was, at the time Christ spoke the words recorded in this verse, a future event. And, I believe, this remains a future event.

In accord with these considerations, Scripture is clear that Christ will not be seated on the throne of his glory until after he returns to earth. In Matthew 25:31-32 we read the following:

“Now, whenever the Son of Mankind may be coming in His glory, and all the holy messengers with Him, then shall He be seated on the throne of His glory, and in front of Him shall be gathered all the nations. And He shall be severing them from one another even as a shepherd is severing the sheep from the kids.”

It’s evident from what Christ declared in the above passages that his kingdom and the “throne of his glory” will be on the earth. It is to the earth that Christ will be “coming in his glory, and all the holy messengers with him.” The fact that the disciples didn’t understand this at the time is irrelevant, for we know (and the disciples later learned) that this “coming in glory” with “all the holy messengers” would be taking place sometime after Christ’s ascension to heaven (it certainly didn’t take place when Christ ascended to heaven and was seated at the right hand of God). It’s also evident that it’s going to be on the earth that “all the nations” will be gathered “in front of [Christ]” after he comes to be “seated on the throne of his glory.”

Before concluding part one of this study, I want to emphasize the fact that there is a scriptural distinction between Christ’s exalted status/position as “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36; Rom. 14:9) – which is inseparably connected with his having been given “all authority in heaven and on the earth” (Matt. 28:18) – and his Messianic reign from the throne of his glory (i.e., his reign over the kingdom of God) during the coming eons. While the latter activity/function depends on his having been given the authority and preeminent position that he now has (and has had for nearly 2,000 years), Christ can have the universal authority and exalted position that he now has without actually doing what we’re told he’s going to be doing in the future (i.e., sitting on the throne of his glory and reigning over the house of Judah for the eons). It is by failing to understand and make this important scriptural (and logical) distinction that we run the risk of erroneously concluding that Christ is now sitting on the throne of his glory.

For part two, click here: Is Christ presently sitting on “the throne of his glory”? (Part two)

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[i] In his commentary on Daniel, John Collins writes the following in defense of the use of the pronouns “their” and them” (rather than “his” and “him”) in Daniel 7:27: 

“The most natural antecedent is the singular עם rather than עליונין. In θ', which omits the reference to people, the antecedent is the Most High” (p. 322). 

In other words, the pronoun most likely refers back to the word “people” (in the phrase “people of the holy ones of the Most High”). And the word for “people” is masculine singular. It is, therefore, to a collective entity that the kingdom is given. And the plural “their” and “them” conveys this idea better than “his” and “him.”