The Chronology of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

 

Ephesians 1:19-23

1 Παλος πόστολος Χριστο ησο δι θελήματος θεο τος γίοις τος οσιν ν φέσ ] κα πιστος ν Χριστ ησο · 2 χάρις μν κα ερήνη π θεο πατρς μν κα κυρίου ησο Χριστο. 3 Ελογητς θες κα πατρ το κυρίου μν ησο Χριστο, ελογήσας μς ν πάσ ελογί πνευματικ ν τος πουρανίοις ν Χριστ,….

Grace is equally from the Father and Christ. They are in proximity as many NT texts confirm and Stephen saw that in 34 CE according to Acts. Blessed is God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… Plus the Holy Spirit to complete the Trinity in this chapter in verse 13. Despite sitting with His Father on the throne, Paul honors the Father primarily and then Jesus not because Christ is subordinate in essence but in function, I would explain. Writing Ephesians around 56 CE, Paul is using this subordinate carpet of description rather than the supreme Lordship of Christ language. We need to take note of his addressing format.

13 ν κα μες κούσαντες τν λόγον τς ληθείας, τ εαγγέλιον τς σωτηρίας μν, ν κα πιστεύσαντες σφραγίσθητε τ πνεύματι τς παγγελίας τ γί, 14 στιν ρραβν τς κληρονομίας μν, ες πολύτρωσιν τς περιποιήσεως, ες παινον τς δόξης ατο.

Notice that the Spirit is our inheritance of a “not yet redemption” for it is “unto” or “until” or “to” with the use of the preposition eis.

17 να θες το κυρίου μν ησο Χριστο, πατρ τς δόξης, δώ μν πνεμα σοφίας κα ποκαλύψεως ν πιγνώσει ατο,

The Trinity engine at work addressing the Father in primacy, then Christ referentially and Holy Spirit processionally/instrumentally. The Father has to give them the Spirit. This is very important when we come to verses 19-23.

19 κα τί τ περβάλλον μέγεθος τς δυνάμεως ατο ες μς τος πιστεύοντας κατ τν νέργειαν το κράτους τς σχύος ατο 20 ν νήργηκεν ν τ Χριστ γείρας ατν κ νεκρν, κα καθίσας ν δεξι ατο ν τος πουρανίοις 21 περάνω πάσης ρχς κα ξουσίας κα δυνάμεως κα κυριότητος κα παντς νόματος νομαζομένου ο μόνον ν τ αἰῶνι τούτ λλ κα ν τ μέλλοντι · 22 κα πάντα πέταξεν π τος πόδας ατο, κα ατν δωκεν κεφαλν πρ πάντα τ κκλησί, 23 τις στν τ σμα ατο, τ πλήρωμα το τ πάντα ν πσιν πληρουμένου.

In verse 19 it is still the Father at work. From an ergativistic point of view, it is the Father utilizing Christ referentially and instrumentally as part of this salvation process.

Secondly, notice that all powers are subjugated to Christ, powers that are subjugated also to the Father and for that matter, also the Spirit. The human-divine Christ back in a heavenly zone, needs exaltation and that is taking place here.

It is the message of a de jure exaltation that will eventually become the de facto one in the eschaton. His function is a Trinity self-limitation to let historic earthly prophetic periods take their course until…..the Father points to the clock. But not before then comes the power of Christ to the fore. The certainty of Christ’s power is emphasized here and the potential of having all enemies at His feet is sure. The when is a process in history on earth planned by the Trinity and when Christ the Lamb becomes Christ the Lion of Judah, then de fact of this verse will kick in. Then God the Shepherd will become God the Soldier in Christ.

Paul has Psalm 110 in mind here it seems to me especially in verses 20-23.

An excursus on the original of Psalm 110 indicate a number of points relevant here: 1. To sit on the righthand of God at the ascension is very important 110:1 “until I place your enemies to your feet” which is the “not yet” aspect here. The Warrior Messiah or “Lord’s Day” of Final eradication battle is reserved according to Revelation 20 to the Hell event. According to the word hdm used in the verse, the enemies will first be subjugated before they will be eradicated. Verse 2 speaks of the rod of Your [Christ’s] strength the Lord [Father] shall send out of Zion”. Not earthly Zion but heavenly new Jerusalem. The fifth time Joel mentioned Zion is when Christ the Warrior Messiah or God as Soldier in the eschaton in future will move out of Zion “the Lord shall roar out of Zion and utter a voice out of Jerusalem….” It is the Final Battle [Hell] of God that is in mind here.

Therefore, the rod of His strength will appear when He is King of Glory as Psalm 24 is portraying. That is after the Battle returning for Zion gates or New Jerusalem gates or portals to lift their heads which is at the Hell event of Revelation 20.

Then “You will rule in the midst of Your enemies”. Christ rules in the midst of His enemies since Adam not only since the Ascension. It is an ongoing activity of Christ. But it is not all-comprehensive. It is partially. It is not permitted by the Father [because He has the sovereign decision on the Day of Christ’s Coming] to be all-comprehensive yet. The waves which listened to His voice on Galilee etc. Exodus etc. are all workings of Christ subduing enemies. But, not finally destroyed. When the stigma of the holy ones are removed from the heavenly sanctuary by Christ the Advocate, and the Investigative Judgment is ended, then shall He receive His glorious Lordship changing from a Lord of Grace to a Lord of Glory.

Question: Is Grace Glorious?

The answer is from my perspective Yes. It is the difference in Law between de jure and de facto.

Christ is Lord de iure or de jure in Ephesians 1:19-22. But He is not Lord de facto according to Revelation 11:15 where it will be de facto:

15 Κα βδομος γγελος σάλπισεν κα γένοντο φωνα μεγάλαι ν τ οραν λέγοντες γένετο βασιλεία το κόσμου το κυρίου μν κα το χριστο ατο, κα βασιλεύσει ες τος αἰῶνας τν αώνων.

Historicism does not have any room, only preterism does, for a seventh angel to blow at ascension. The spread out eschatology in periods hermeneutics of Revelation does not have room for a seventh angel until the very last. Then egeneto the Kingdom of Christ de facto.

 

This is my solution to the Chronology of the Lordship or Kingship of Christ:

DE JURE = King of Grace = already (Psalm 110, Ephesians 1:19-22)

DE FACTO = King of Glory = not yet (Revelation 11:15).

 

This is why Reformed Theology and their seminaries and books and commentaries are not correct on the Lordship and Kingship of Christ. In reality Christ was always Lord. In reality He was always King. But there is a biblical divine eternal covenant agreed “salvivic program” engine in which each of the Divinity plays a “subordinate” part, not essentially, but functionally in order to get the “job” done.