In our task of ruling over the earth, God has given us three main weapons to
accomplish that task—the family, the church and the civil government. We discussed last week that John Calvin and Abraham Kuyper proposed the concept of sphere sovereignty to explain how these three weapons function together as God’s original ruling purpose for man is fulfilled.
Today I’m posting the “Ship of the Kingdom” diagram that I have shared several times, as it is a summary of their ideas. I present it again because it is crucial to keep the “big-picture” of the very reason for our existence front and center as we live out that calling, for “Without prophetic vision (a big picture), people abandon restraint” (Proverbs 29:18). It is essential to give meaning to the inevitable tragedies, as well as the hum-drum details of daily life we are sure to face. The diagram pictures Calvin’s and Kuyper’s “big-picture” ideas in a nutshell, beautifully and succinctly.
Notice at the very top of the ship’s mast is God Himself, who “in the beginning created the Heavens and the Earth” (Genesis 1:1), over which He created Adam and Eve, to rule .They promptly lost that rule to Satan at the Tree in the Garden of Eden. but God ultimately retook that Kingdom that Adam had surrendered as a result of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The diagram shows that, 40 days after Jesus’ resurrection, at the Ascension God delegated His recently-recovered rule over the earth again to a man. this time to the perfect man, His Son Jesus Christ!
This Kingdom-transfer occurred at the Ascension of Jesus to Heaven, and is pictured in the diagram by the line from God to Jesus. This is foretold and then attested to, not only in the designated Scriptures in the diagram, but other numerous times in the Bible in both Old and New Testaments (i.e., Hebrews 2:6-8; Psalm 2, Psalm 8:6, Ephesians 1:21, etc. and again and again in the gospels).
The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, is legally in the Court of Divine Justice, RIGHT NOW, crowned and ruling as King of all other kings and Lord of all other lords on the earth, while seated at His Father’s right hand in Heaven!
He has been ruling there as a man, the Son of Man, the title Jesus calls Himself over 80 times in the Gospels. This was God’s original intent at creation He has accomplished His Eternal Purpose of man ruling over His creation!
However, God’s original commission also included all of Adam’s and Eve’s descendants, called to take up rule over the earth as well. “God blessed these humans by saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it!’“ (Genesis 1:28). SINCE THE CROSS, mankind has become the redeemed “children of God,,” called to join the family business of ruling over the world, and AT PENTECOST God equipped us to do just that! “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (by His Holy Spirit)” (Galatians 2:20)!
So, rule in the Kingdom of God has passed from The Creator God, to Adam at creation, to Satan at the Tree, back to God at the Cross, who delegates it to Jesus at the Ascension, and then back to us at Pentecost (Daniel 7:18; Acts 2). Amazingly, Jesus now remains seated at His Father’s right hand as He currently has delegated the rule of the whole earth through us, by His Holy Spirit!:
“The LORD (God the Father) said to my Lord (Jesus),’Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion (the church). Rule in the midst of Your enemies (through Your people)” (Psalm 110:1,2)!
This is the BIG PICTURE! Our task lies before us, and the deck is cleared for action! In the diagram, the three lines streaming down from the enthroned-and-ruling King Jesus show us how the weapons He has given us are perfect for the job! Next week we will begin to see how that job of ruling actually goes from theoretical, “big-picture” vision to real experience!
