Victory Through the Victor (continued)
The Second Advent - The Sovereign Comes
The Father had promised His Son a throne of His own. Sitting at the right hand of the Father on His throne was the Father's reward to His Son for the blood-bought victory of the Cross. But it was also the earnest of the fulfillment of the Father's promise that one day the Son would sit upon His own throne.
Revelation 3:21: To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his Throne.
As Heir of God, the Son of God has an inherent right to the throne and to reign over the kingdoms of this world. Ex-king Michael of Romania was the rightful heir to the throne of Romania and ruled there as king. But according to his own statement an enemy dethroned him and took over the rule of his country and its people, and he was forced into exile. He expressed his hope of some day returning to Romania as king, to rule over his people. But he frankly stated that that hope would never be realized except there was a war in which the enemy would be defeated and put out of Romania.
Did lucifer, who once abode in the truth and was 'full of wisdom," know the Father's Son was also His heir, and did he covet this position for himself? Could it have been such pride that in self-will he purposed to be on an equality with God, even as the Son was, and to have a throne of his own, even the throne of God Himself?
Anyhow, Scripture clearly reveals that an enemy of God appeared and set up a rival throne and through treachery and intrigue had gained dominion over the earth and mankind. "The kingdom of this world!" were his by cunning usurpation (Matthew 4:8, 9). They must be won back and restored to the rightful Ruler. But how? Only by a way in which the enemy would be defeated, dethroned and exiled forever in the lake of fire.
In Genesis 3:15 there is a crystal clear blending of the Cross with the throne. There is double bruising prophesied. Th Saviour's heel, the serpent's head. Let us note that "the Lord God" is speaking to "the serpent" and that He is speaking in judgment. There is not the slightest trace of grace manifested toward the archapostate and archtraitor. The hatred toward God revealed in his act of rebellion and in his revolt against God's throne was a fixed attitude. By a second deliberate act he had carried his revolt to earth to bring rebellion and anarchy there. His was an unchanged and unchangeable attitude - that of a traitor. God's throne is a throne of "holiness" which must act in grace toward all its subjects. But it is also a "throne of judgment" which must act in wrath toward one who continues in planned rebellion and open treachery.
In heaven and upon earth satan had begun "a cold war" against God. Now God brings it out into the open and declares a war to the finish with the serpent and his seed. God acknowledges "the power of satan" (Acts 26:18), but He proclaims the even greater power of the Cross which will bruise the serpent's head. God's blow will be a staggering one from which there can be no permanent recovery: a blow that will wrest from satan every vestige of right to dominion over the kingdoms of this world; a blow that will ultimately cast him into the lake of fire forever.
The die is cast. There is now no turning back. A warfare between two seed has begun and will continue until there is the utter defeat of the one and the ultimate victory of the Other. One of the most fascinating studies is to trace this warfare down through the centuries as recorded in the Word and observed in human history up to the very present moment as one reads the daily newspaper or listens on the radio. Such a study reveals unceasing warfare without one single armistice. Battles have been sometimes won on both sides. In all warfare, however, there must sometime be decisive battle. Some particular day will be V-day.
~Ruth Paxson~
(continued with # 37)
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