Christ Triumphant: Biblical Perspectives on His Church and Kingdom

Christ Triumphant is an important exposition of the biblical teaching on the kingdom of God and its relationship to the church. With the care of the scholar and the devotion of the pastor, Raymond Zorn deals with important issues: What is the connection between the New Testament church and ancient Israel? Is there a difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Christ? What about the millennium? Should Christians be theonomists? In addition he draws out the implications of his exposition of the nature of the kingdom for the life of the individual, the family, the state, and society as a whole.

The most thrilling aspect of this book, however, is its constant emphasis on the absolute supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ at present on his Father’s glorious throne throughout eternity.

The earlier version of this study, Church and Kingdom, was first published in 1962 and has been unobtainable for a new generation of Christians. The republication of the material in this new and revised version will be widely welcomed. It is a significant work for all who think seriously about the message of the New Testament and its implications.

INTRODUCTION               

                PART I  

                THE CHURCH IN RELATION TO THE KINGDOM     

1. The Kingdom of God Defined 1
2. Its etymological definition     1
3. Is it only future?          2
4. Its present aspect       4
5. May the kingdom be identified with the church?        6
6. The demand of the kingdom of God   7
7. Old Testament Israel 10
8. Israel’s place in the world       10
9. Its king             12
10. Its role as the people of God 13
11. Its promises and expectations              15
12. True Israel      17
13. As alone the people of God   17
14. As a church    20

III.           The New Testament Church (successor and embodiment of true Israel)               22

1. Because the Lord’s Messiah is her king             22
2. The New Testament interpretation of Psalm 110:1     22
3. Christ’s present reign               23

                (1) Over the cosmos       26

                (2) Over the powers of darkness              28

                (3) Over God’s people   29

2. Because the church has become possessor of Israel’s promises and   status    30
3. Jesus’ own teaching  31
4. Jesus’ choice of twelve apostles         33
5. The establishment of the new covenant          36
6. Because the church is her Lord’s redemptive instrument (gospel   preaching and kingdom membership)        38
7. Christ as the personification of the kingdom 39
8. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Christ            41
9. Christ as head of his church    43
10. The church as the body of Christ          47

                Exegetical Excursus on Texts which Relate the Kingdom of Christ and   of God   50

1. The Church as Distinguished from the Kingdom 66
2. In what way allied?    68
3. In what way different?             71

                PART II.               

                CHURCH AND KINGDOM IN ESCHATOLOGICAL FULFILMENT         

1. The Merging of Church and Kingdom (the removal of antithesis) 77
2. The realization of eschatological principles already present  77
3. The completion of the body of Christ                80
4. Cosmic renovation     82
5. A Millennial Rule? 86
6. Preliminary considerations    86
7. The teaching of the Old Testament    90
8. The teaching of the New Testament  98
9. The teaching of Revelation 20               102
10. When does death’s final defeat occur?            106
11. Do the battles of Revelation 19 and 20 signify the same event?           106
12. When is Satan bound?              108
13. When do the martyred saints live and reign?                110

VII.         Victory of Christ               113

1. The totality of Christ’s mediatorial rule            120
2. Over the world            113
3. Over the devil              114
4. Over the flesh              116
5. Over death    118
6. The termination of Christ’s mediatorial rule  120
7. The second advent of Christ  120
8. The handing over of the kingdom to the Father           122
9. God is all in all              123
10. The eschatological goal (to make the revealed and secret will   of God coincide with each other)        123
11. The settled, permanent state of the eternal order     126

                PART III.              

                THE TASK OF THE CHURCH IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD      

VIII.        The Church Versus the Kingdom of Darkness      133

1. The battle against invisible foes          135
2. The battle against visible embodiments of enmity against the   kingdom of God          137
3. In connection with the church              137
4. As opposed to the church       137
5. The Church and the Individual 141
6. Reconciliation with God          141
7. Continuance in the apostolic doctrine              146
8. Discipline in the community of God’s people                147
9. The Church and the Family 151
10. The distinction of the family from the church                151
11. The dependence of the family on the church                153
12. The Church and the State 160
13. The separation of the church from the state  161
14. The rule of the state by Christ               167
15. The state as a world-power    167
16. The state as subservient to Christ       168
17. The relationship of church and state  170
18. The duties of the church to the state 171
19. The duties of the state to its subjects (including the church) 174

                Excursus: Another Look at Theonomy    180

1. Are Old Testament case laws to be enforced today?  181
2. What does “fulfil” in Matthew 5:17-20 mean?               186
3. Theonomy’s attempt to make Moses still binding after all      192
4. The relevance of the already/not yet aspect of the present era            193
5. Divine law in relation to the present era         195

XII.         The Church and Society                202

1. Preserving and propagating redemptive truth              202
2. Preserving redemptive truth 203
3. Propagating redemptive truth              204
4. Nurturing the diversity of gifts             205
5. Gifts of common grace             208
6. Maximizing the gifts of common grace             211
7. Cultivating special gifts of grace           212
8. Transforming society                215
9. Bearing witness to and directing toward the true utopian goal             221

                BIBLIOGRAPHY  225

                INDEX OF AUTHORS        231

                INDEX OF SELECTED SUBJECTS    233

                INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES           235