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The Reign of the Servant Kings By Joseph C. Dillow A Review-Summary-Outline
Chapter 24—The Final Significance of Man
What is the final significance of human life? What are we living for? Or, better, what should we be living for? This chapter will discuss the biblical answer to this dilemma.
According to the Bible the universe is not hostile to man but was created to be ruled by him. The original Edenic commission, “rule and have dominion,” has yet to be fulfilled. Man’s purpose in life is not found by making the best of a bad situation but by striving mightily to obtain the high honor of ruling with Christ in the final destiny of man. That destiny is called “the inheritance.” This is the future reward the writers of Scripture everywhere exhort man to pursue:
Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:24)
Many writers have attempted to discern various rewards that the believer can obtain: crowns, co-rulership, participation in the heavenly priesthood, special honor, etc. But the truth is that they are various facets of the single reward, the inheritance.
The idea of the believer’s future inheritance is a central theme of the Bible. As demonstrated elsewhere, all Christians are heirs of God but not all are co-heirs with Christ. All will have God as their inheritance but not all will “receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” It is this latter inheritance that is the subject of this chapter.
While the Old Testament prefigured this inheritance, the New Testament writers enriched the concept immeasurably. At least six separate facets of this great reward are described:
From Matthew to Revelation the prospect of an inheritance in the kingdom is set before the believer’s eye. We are to strive mightily to obtain these heavenly benefits. The way in which we live our lives now will apparently determine our degree of enjoyment of eternity [millennial kingdom]. Our closeness to Christ now will exactly parallel our closeness to Him then. As we are now, so we will be then.
Reviewer’s comment: This reviewer often injects in brackets the words “millennial kingdom” in the author’s text in order to convey the reviewer’s belief that the “inheritance” (co-heir with Christ) the author speaks of applies only to the 1000 year reign of Christ upon the earth; and, that subsequent to this dispensation, all tears will be extinguished and all things will be made new (Revelation 21:4, 5).
Participation at the Wedding Banquet
The first aspect of the inheritance is the joy of the final gathering, the wedding feast of the lamb. This event occurs at the onset of the millennial kingdom. The wedding feast and its joys and opportunities have been discussed elsewhere. It will be a time of honor or dishonor. Some will be excluded from the feast, but they will still be in the kingdom.
The Prize to the Overcomer
To those who are victorious the Lord promises special prizes. Each of these prizes could properly be categorized under one of the six aspects of the inheritance. However, due to the uniqueness of the theme it may be best to assemble all the passages regarding the overcomer under one heading.
The overcomer:
Reviewer’s comment: It is suggested that the reader examine the arguments for each of the above from the book, pages 554-559. In every case the author presents the position that the “overcomer” is one who perseveres; whereas other authors such as Tim LaHaye make the argument that the “overcomer” is one who takes the water of life which is offered freely, i.e., believes in Christ (Revelation 21:6,7; 1 John 2:13, 14; 4:4; 5:4, 5). This reviewer sees merit in both positions.
In every reference to the overcomer in the Revelation, he is one who is a victor in battle (see Revelation 12:11; 13:7; 15:2; 17:14). The central theme of the entire book is to exhort the saints to persevere and to be victorious. If all saints persevere and are victorious, the exhortations and promises of rewards are pointless. An exhortation to do something everyone does anyway to obtain a reward that all will receive anyway is absurd.
A Special Class of Resurrection
In one of the most personal and motivating passages in the New Testament, the great apostle to the Gentiles lays bare his heart:
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10, 11)
Paul’s supreme goal in life is to know Christ more intimately, to know the power of Christ in his life, and to share in Christ’s suffering that he might “attain” to the “resurrection.” Here he uses the Greek word exanastasis, the only time this word for “resurrection” is used in the New Testament. The normal word is anastasis. Rather than being translated “resurrection,” this word could be literally rendered “out-resurrection.” This might suggest a “resurrection out from among the resurrected ones” in contrast to a mere “resurrection from among the dead.” In other words, a special category or class of resurrected saints is referred to in this verse.
Reviewer’s comment: This reviewer finds the author’s observation regarding this special use of the Greek word conveying an “out-resurrection” especially cogent. The normal word for resurrection (“anastasis”) connects to the appropriation of eternal life by faith alone in Christ alone described in verse 9, while the one-time use of “exanastasis” connects to the “fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” of verse 10.
It appears, that the phrase alludes to the words previously used by Christ, “But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead” (Luke 20:35). The Lord contrasts two extremes, the sons of this age and the worthy. This worthiness is consistently based upon works (cf. Luke 21:36; 2 Thessalonians 1:5), so legal worth or justification is not in view. There was no point in mentioning the unfaithful in between; it would not serve His purpose.
All Christians will obtain the resurrection, but only some will be worthy of it. To be worthy of the resurrection and to “attain to the out-resurrection” appear to be parallel concepts and explain one another. This interpretation fits very well with the following verses and would explain why Paul selected this word instead of his usual word for resurrection, anastasis. The following verse reads:
Not that I have already attained [Gk. “katalambano], or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. (Philippians 3:12)
Interestingly, Paul pictures this goal as a prize to be won. The Greek word katalambano is found in 1 Corinthians 9:24 where it is used for the striving of the athlete to attain the prize in the Isthmian games; and in Philippians 3:14 the apostle Paul uses another word from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, which refers to the prize (Gk. brabeion) won in the games:
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize [Gk. “brabeion”] of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13, 14b)
What is the prize for which God has called him heavenward? The use of the Greek word brabeion is significant. It signifies a prize in an athletic contest, something earned. The similarity of the two contexts suggests that they interpret each other. If so, then the prize in Philippians 3:14 is the reward received by the faithful believer when he finishes his race.
What is the prize? What is the goal? Philippians 3 does not say precisely, but based on the rest of the New Testament, it is entrance into rest and, with that great company of the metochoi, inheritance of the kingdom. This is what he means when he says he hopes to attain to the “out-resurrection.” He hopes to earn a place among that special class of resurrected saints who have been faithful to their Master to the final hour and will hear Him say, “Well done!”
Reigning with Christ
The fourth aspect of the inheritance is the believer’s reign with Christ. One day, the Scriptures everywhere affirm, the struggle of fallen man will finally come to an end. This consummation will not be achieved by social engineering or by the successful implementation of any human ideology. Rather, it will be accomplished by a supernatural intervention of God in history, the second coming of Christ. Finally, history will achieve a worthy outcome—the kingdom of God. Page after page of Scripture speaks of this glorious future and the possibility that those who are Christ’s servants now can achieve positions of honor in that future glory then. These positions of honor are an important aspect of the believer’s future inheritance.
The Extent of the Kingdom
It will be on earth that the final resolution of universal history will occur. However, there are intimations in Scripture that the future reign of the servant kings will embrace the universe as well. For example, it is stated that the saints will one day not only rule the world but will also rule over the angels (1 Corinthians 6:1-3).
Since the domain of the angels extends far beyond terrestrial boundaries, the believer may assume that the kingdom of those who rule over them does so as well. David reflected upon the divine commission in Genesis to “rule and have dominion,”
What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. (Psalms 8:4-6)
While David specifies that the “all things” refers to things on earth, the writer of Hebrews expands that concept when he says:
You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. . . . (Hebrews 2:8)
It is clear that the reign of the Messiah extends to heaven and earth. Since the metochoi are co-heirs with Him (Romans 8:17), their reign by virtue of association with Him will therefore extend to the cosmos itself:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth. (Philippians 2:10)
Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:28)
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things . . . . (Hebrews 1:1, 2)
The Bible declares that the entire creation is waiting the future reign of God’s servant kings:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 16-21)
It is evident that this future kingdom embraces the entire created order. One day mankind will conquer the galaxies! While it is true that one purpose of the heavens was to “declare the glory of God,” it seems that they were also created to be placed in subjection to man. Instead of merely being destined to rule a small planet, mankind has been chosen to subdue something far greater, the vast cosmos itself. No challenge could be greater than to be placed over all the works of God’s hands!
Co-regency with the King
It is the kingdom of the Son of God of which this chapter is addressing. “He is the head over all rule and authority” (Colossians 2:10). The believer’s future is closely linked with His. Those Christians who are faithful to Him now will reign with Him then:
Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:27, 28)
But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22:28-30)
Conditions for Greatness
The notion that the future kingdom is a kind of classless society where all are equal and rewarded equally has contributed in no small way to the laxness witnessed in the lives of many in the twentieth-century church. Many have subconsciously reasoned that, since all are equal, my life has no particular eternal significance. In the final analysis my life will be rewarded as much as those who labored more diligently.
But there will be distinctions in heaven [millennial kingdom] and God does show partiality. He is, however, justly partial. In the kingdom there will be those who are great and those who are least:
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)
But many who are first will be last, and the last first. (Matthew 19:30)
There will be authority granted over varying numbers of cities (Luke 19:17-24). Some will have responsibility for many things, and others will have responsibility for nothing (Matthew 25:20-30). As discussed above, only the overcomers will achieve a share in the reign of Christ and have authority over the nations. Some will even have the high honor of sitting at Christ’s right hand during the kingdom (Mark 10:35-40).
Jesus specified three basic conditions for positions of high honor in the kingdom:
In the parable of the minas or pounds (Luke 19:11-27), Jesus makes this an illustration of the final judgment on believers. He describes a nobleman who gave his servants each a mina and then departed. When he returned, the first servant had traded his mina and gained 10 minas in return. The nobleman then gave him authority over 10 cities. The second servant gained only five minas by trading his one mina, so the nobleman gave him authority over five cities.
But the last servant gained no additional minas; choosing rather to hide his mina in a handkerchief. In his case the nobleman severely rebukes the servant and takes his one mina away from him and gives it to the servant who produced 10 minas.
The spiritual axiom is that the more opportunities, gifts, money, and training that a Christian receives will result in greater accountability at the judgment seat.
Reviewer’s comment: The author sites the wrong parable for this “spiritual axiom.” He should have used the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:13-40). The parable of the minas illustrates all believers who are issued the same portion of the Holy Spirit (indwelling and sealing) and who do not hide this power in their “self-effort” (handkerchief) but allows the Holy Spirit “through” them to produce “divine good works,” will be awarded in accordance to the results—some more, some less. The reader is invited to examine a commentary on these and other “kingdom” parables at the topical section of www.bibleone.net.
The second condition for high honor is that the believer must strive to be servant to all. Jesus Himself modeled this when He took the form of a servant and became obedient to death. As a result God highly exalted Him (Philippians 2:5-11). Paul says, “Let this mind be in you.”
And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.” (Luke 22:25-27)
Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. (Mark 10:43, 44)
New Testament writers invest human suffering associated with living for Christ with high dignity. It is through suffering with Christ that believers are trained and equipped to join the great company of the metochoi. Consider the following:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:16-18)
So that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. (2 Thessalonians 1:4, 5)
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. (1 Peter 4:12, 13)
A major purpose of the incarnation was, according to Hebrews, the bringing of many sons to the place of honor—the final destiny of man. This was achieved by the suffering of the Son and His many brothers. God’s intention was to place man over the works of His hands. This was called “salvation” by the Old Testament prophets:
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)
That this salvation to be inherited is not deliverance from hell is made clear when he says:
For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. (Hebrews 2:5)
The “salvation” to be inherited is not entrance into heaven but the subjection of the world to come. God has not yet fulfilled His intention.
You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:8, 9)
“We do not yet see all things put under him.” That statement is an apt summary of human history. How visibly true this is. Man attempts to exercise dominion, but he cannot do it. This desire was planted in man’s heart in the Garden, and the vestige of it remains today. That is why men throughout history have dreamed of having dominion over the planet. That is why man cannot keep off the highest mountain. That is why he wants to go to the stars. The history of man is one of continually precipitating a crisis by attempting to exercise dominion.
This applies not only on a universal scale but to individual men as well. Who among men has achieved all his dreams? This is simply part of the human condition and will be until the kingdom. Man has only one hope today. Only one man has forged the path. This man, like all mankind, had His dreams shattered. He suffered, and yet He presently exercises dominion. Furthermore, through His incarnation man has become united with Him so that, if they are faithful to Him, they can share in His ultimate victory. It is God’s purpose to bring many sons to glory:
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)
The “glory” to which the many sons will be brought is evidently subjection of the world to come (Hebrews 2:5). They will be brought to this destiny, this high honor, by the “author” of their salvation. In every respect Jesus is the one out front, the believer’s supreme leader and example in the life of faith. He alone is qualified to achieve this for mankind. His commitment to man is total. He has died for man and He lives for and in believers. His leadership includes suffering. For Christ to become a sympathetic priest, He had to experience the suffering of those He has come to represent:
Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:17, 18)
There are two truths that unite in the exaltation of God’s King-Son:
1. He had been appointed by God to be the heir of all things (Hebrews 1:1).
2. It was necessary that Christ vindicate His appointment by showing Himself worthy of it through victorious suffering.
And it is upon precisely this same double condition that Christ’s people will share with Him His honors.
But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22:28-30)
Authority in the kingdom and the honor of sitting at the table during the final gathering and enjoying the royal feast are plainly promised as superior rewards for superior devotion. His way is to be our way. The goal of obtaining glory (i.e., “honor”) in the future kingdom is a principal intent of the suffering we endure. God purposes to equip the believer for rulership in the great future is by preparing through suffering a race of servant kings. God does not grant this honor to anyone except those who have suffered with Him. The believer must first learn obedience and service:
Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. (Hebrews 5:8, 9)
Treasures in Heaven
The fifth aspect of the inheritance was called “treasure in heaven” by Jesus. Jesus taught about a different kind of wealth, a wealth that could not be seen in this life:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
If a believer’s heart is really focused on the future kingdom, then he will naturally want to make any sacrifice necessary to place as much wealth there as possible. It is proper that God has some system for compensating those followers of His who are willing to make unusual sacrifices. He promises them an enhanced inheritance in the kingdom, i.e., treasure in heaven.
Therefore, throughout the New Testament, Christians are exhorted to do things that will enlarge their eternal storehouse with what they send ahead:
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. (Luke 12:32, 33)
Investing for the future is as old as man himself. It requires faithfulness, self-denial, and patience—all worthy qualities. Furthermore, the man who lays up material treasures in this way is trusting that the money he is denying himself now will one day result in a large profit. But what business man was ever promised an absolutely guaranteed 10,000% return on his investment? Listen:
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)
Reviewer’s comment: It should be noted that the investment that counts in the life of a believer are those works and sacrifices of “divine” and not “human” origin. All persons, both saved and lost, are able through “self-effort” to produce “human good works,” which God will not recognize (Isaiah 64:6). But the believer through “faithfull submission to God’s Spirit” is able to have “divine good works” manifest in his life, which God will always honor.
Christians will not receive their return until they arrive in the kingdom. But the object of their trust is infinitely more reliable than the economy of their temporal existence; it is the promise of Jesus the Christ. The ability to connect present decisions with future consequences is a major component of both secular and spiritual maturity.
The Content of the Treasure
When Jesus promised His followers treasure in heaven, there is no necessary reason for excluding actual material treasure from His words. Indeed, believers are specifically told that they will have the wealth of five or ten cities and that in this age they will receive up to a hundredfold return on their efforts. It is also possible that Jesus’ reference to treasures is to be understood as spiritual treasures such as enhanced relationship to Him.
Reviewer’s comment: Since the author has introduced the possibility of material prosperity as reward for Christian living, this reviewer feels the necessity to state that the Bible does not support what is often proliferated from many pulpits of today and is known as “prosperity salvation,” i.e., that God promises material prosperity for proper living. Ministers often misconstrue various scriptural passages that convey the promise of spiritual blessings to mean secular blessings. In doing this they are simply wrong. Such teaching cannot be supported by Scripture and the lives of early Christians, especially the Apostles.
Conditions for Obtaining Treasure
Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. (Matthew 6:2-4)
In order to be rewarded with wealth in heaven, believers must give to the needy now. Furthermore, this giving should be in secret and not publicly announced. The main point is probably that it should be given with the intent to help, for Christ’s sake, and not for the purpose of obtaining the praise of man.
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21)
Praise and Honor from Christ
The sixth and final aspect of the believer’s inheritance is praise and honor from Christ.
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6, 7)
Here Peter is referring to the believer whose faith is unsullied and who steadfastly trust God in the midst of trials. This honor and praise from God is what Peter refers to when he says:
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10, 11)
The Christian who suffers faithfully and who adds virtues to his faith (Hebrews 1:5-9) will not just barely make it into the kingdom or be saved only as one escaping through the flames (1 Corinthians 3:15). He will be welcomed “richly” (“abundantly”) into the kingdom.
The praise and honor that Christ will bestow upon His metochoi seem to be divided into two categories in the New Testament:
The Scripture everywhere testifies that God will affirm the faithful Christian in this way: Matthew 25:21; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Peter 1:7.
But such praise can be forfeited: Mathew 6:1, 5, and 16— when a Christian seeks the approval or praise of men instead of God he forfeits praise from God.
It should be noted, in conclusion, that there crowns can be lost (Revelation 3:11). The believer must be faithful to the end of life if he is to obtain these tokens of special honor.
In the book of Revelation the twenty-four elders, perhaps signifying the church, are pictured as casting their crowns to the feet of the Lamb (Revelation 4:9, 10). This reveals that a major purpose of the crowns is as tokens of worship. Throughout eternity these tokens of honor will be laid at Christ’s feet in acts of worship. Each time the rewarded believer approaches the throne, he will remove his crown, lay it at the feet of Jesus the Christ, and worship Him. The central motivation for obtaining these crowns is to be found in the desire to worship Jesus the Christ.
Conclusion
Man’s life on this earth does have ultimate significance. There can be no greater purpose than to live one’s life in such a way that the One before whom he will one day give an account will says, “Well done!” History is moving toward the final destiny of man—the inheritance. The faithful to Christ to the end of life will share in that great “salvation.”
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