A Good Place to Start

by Lee Shelton

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.

We’re all familiar with that hymn. It is one many of us have sung all our lives, and it was undoubtedly featured in thousands of churches across America this past Easter Sunday – which is one of the reasons why I believe that, to an extent, all Christians are amillennial.

Think about it. Even the most ardent dispensationalist won’t deny that Christ is currently reigning. Rather, he will stand up in church and belt out praises to “the Lamb upon His throne” with every bit as much joy and enthusiasm as the amillennialist brother standing next to him.

But the most fundamental aspect of amillennialism is the recognition that Christ is (present tense) reigning. To deny that is to deny scripture. Besides, how can one be a king if one has no kingdom? As his royal title implies, Christ is reigning now.

Let’s take a look at just a few passages that deal with the immediacy of Christ’s kingdom. Perhaps the first thing we should note is that Jesus was worshiped as a king from the moment he was born (Matthew 2:2). From the beginning of his ministry – even before he called his first disciples – he preached the message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

Jesus himself spoke of his reign as a present reality. In Matthew 12:28-29, he said, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Jesus spoke about his death and resurrection to a crowd gathered around him, saying, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power” (Mark 9:1).

Even the thief on the cross recognized Christ’s kingdom as a present reality: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

The Apostle Paul was confronted by a group of people in Rome, and “he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets” (Acts 28:23).

Paul referred to his Christian brothers as “fellow workers for the kingdom of God” (Colossians 4:11).

We read in Hebrews 12:2 that Christ “is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Now, to be sure, you will find disagreement all across the theological spectrum as to the extent of Christ’s present reign. But I think the realization that he is reigning is a good starting point on the road to understanding amillennialism, or “inaugurated eschatology.”