The Society for the Advancement of Ecclesiological Theology

August 15, 2011 by Jason Hood

The Kingdom of God and the Humanity of Jesus

Jesus’ exaltation and kingship is about his divinity and the fact that he is David’s Son. But the NT also insists that his royalty and exaltation are tied to his humanity. Consider:

(1) The NT applies Son of Man language to Jesus (Dan 7:13-14):

…before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

In my last post (the Meaning of Kingdom Come), I quoted from Daniel 7 to describe the role of the saints in the kingdom of God. When the saints inherit the kingdom, they do so because the Son of Man has been glorified and enthroned, and they share in what is his. Their rule is the result of God’s original design for humanity, not Davidic sonship or divinity.

(2) NT writers regularly use the Psalms to teach that Jesus was the Messiah, Son of David. But one of the Psalms most frequently tied to Jesus’ exaltation is Psalm 8, which speaks of the enthronement of humanity, not just David.

(3) The gospel summary in 1 Cor 15:1ff is one of the few that does not include a reference to Jesus as Son of David (contrast Rom 1:3-4, 2 Tim 2:8). But the summary leads into a discussion of the resurrection that focuses squarely on Jesus’ as a royal Second Adam.

He is the vanguard or “firstfruits” of exalted, victorious humanity (15:24-28). Our resurrection will provide us with an “imperishable”  body like his for “image”-bearing, “immortality,” “glory,” and “honor” (15:42-43, 49). In other words, that resurrection body will enable our participation in his victory and enthronement. Then, like him, we will inherit the kingdom of God (15:50).

Dan McCartney nails the implications for the Kingdom of God:

This exaltation of Jesus as man suggests some explanation for our first question, as to the way in which the ‘reign of God’ has now come where it was not here before. The coming of the kingdom, the arrival of God’s sovereign reign, is not a reinstatement of God’s sovereign exercise of power to accomplish his purposes (which was always true). The arrival of the reign of God is the reinstatement of the originally intended divine order for earth, with man properly situated as God’s vicegerent.

Dan G. McCartney, “Ecce Homo: The Coming of the Kingdom as the Restoration of Human Vicegerency,” WTJ 56 (1994), 2.

In other words, one can find Jesus’ royal humanity elsewhere in the NT.

Categories: Biblical Theology | General | Jason Hood | biblical studies | kingdom