The Theif and The Kingdom

Question: Elias takes issue with a statement I made to the effect that the dying thief on the cross “entered the kingdom in the throes of death” (Lk. 23:42-43). He points out that Christ did not at that point begin his earthly reign, therefore the thief could not have entered the kingdom.

Answer: This view seems to be based on the false assumption that a word or a symbol is always used in precisely the same way throughout Scripture. Such is not always the case. For example, Paul’s use of the term “justification” is quite different from James’s. The future earthly messianic kingdom is not the only manifestation of the kingdom of God. Paul is able to write to the Colossians and say “the Father….has [i.e. past tense, has already] delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:12-13, NKJV). Believers are already a part of the kingdom, possessing a heavenly citizenship (Phil. 3:20), even though Christ’s earthly rule is yet to come.

Below is a brief overview of some aspects or manifestations of the kingdom concept, and an indication of how the church of Jesus Christ relates–or does not–to each:

1. The universal kingdom of God. This refers to God’s supreme rule over all, for time and eternity (Ps. 103:19; Dan. 4:34-35). There is nothing that exists that is not under His sovereign control. (The church is obviously a part of this.)
2. The spiritual kingdom of God is that which is entered by the new birth (Jn. 3:3; Col. 1:13), and it involves the Lord’s rule over individual believers. (This concept of the kingdom may be considered equivalent to the church, the body of Christ in this age.)
3. The Theocratic or mediatorial kingdom. (The word theocracy comes from the Greek language: theo = God, kratein = to rule.) This has to do with God’s rule being administered over the earth through a human representative or mediator.
   a) A theocratic rule was exercised, however briefly, through Adam, prior to the fall (Gen. 1:26, 28; cf. 2:19, 23). (The church was not a part of this, not being in existence at the time.)
   b) The mediatorial kingdom was instituted at a national level over Israel with the giving of the Mosaic Law. Sometimes it is called the Davidic Kingdom, in that God’s covenant with David promised one of his descendants would occupy the throne forever (II Sam. 7:12-17). As Israel’s Messiah, Christ will be the ultimate fulfilment of this covenant. The nation was to be a showcase of the blessing of being under God’s rule, and other nations were to experience blessing through Israel (Exod. 19:5-6). But Israel turned away from God to worship idols and the theocratic rule was put in abeyance with the Babylonian Captivity which began the Times of the Gentiles (Lk. 21:24). (The church is not a part of this.)
   c) The mystery form of the kingdom (Matt. 13:11) refers to “Christendom,” between Christ’s two advents. It includes both true believers and unbelievers–among whom are those who are Christian only in name (cf. Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43). (The true church is a part of Christendom, but the two are not identical.)
   d) The mediatorial kingdom will flower again as a world-wide entity when the messianic kingdom becomes a reality with Christ’s rule over the earth for a thousand years at His second coming (Mic. 4:1-8). (The Church Age saints will reign with Christ at this time, Matt. 6:10; Rev. 5:10; 20:4.)