Question
Timothy : says that we are to keep this commandment without spot until the appearing of Christ, verse then states: Timothy : “Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;…” Does verse apply to the Lord reigning on the earth?
Response
e “appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” in verse is directly referring to the appearing/ coming of the Lord that we look forward to at the conclusion of this present dispensation. For it is when God concludes this dispensation of His longsuffering and grace, and the Lord comes for us to ‘rapture’ His “new creature” unto Himself, that He will then begin to have “his times,” which verse describes, in which the Lord will “shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
During the first of the Lord’s “times” following His appearing/coming for us He will show Himself to be “the blessed and only Potentate.” This is what He will do when He ‘rounds up’ and removes Satan and his co-horts from their positions in the heavenly places and then has them physically cast down to the earth during the first part of the final installment in His program with Israel. e Lord’s title of being “the blessed and only Potentate” is His title in connection with the revelation of “the mystery of Christ” and His position as the head of all the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. And this is what He shows Himself to be first when “his times” for ruling and reigning in accordance with His inherited titles arrives following the conclusion of this present dispensation.
After showing Himself to be “the blessed and only Potentate” by removing Satan and his co-horts from the heavenly places, the Lord will then show Himself to be “the King of kings, and Lord of lords” during the remainder of “his times,” or during the remainder of the final installment of Israel’s program. His title “the King of kings, and Lord of lords” is His title in connection with His inherited right to rule over all the earth in fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.
So in verse Paul uses the Lord’s two titles of inherited rulership: () “the blessed and only Potentate” being His title in accordance with the revelation of “the mystery of Christ” and this dispensation of grace, by which He is now revealed to be “the head of all principality and power” in the heavenly places; and () “the King of kings, and Lord of lords,” which is His title in connection with the establishment of His kingdom on this earth in fulfillment of His program with Israel and this earth.
Wherefore “the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” in verse is the Lord’s appearing/coming for us at the end of this present dispensation and before resuming His program with Israel. For it is not until God concludes this present dispensation of His longsuffering and grace, that He will have His Son begin to show Himself to be what His two titles of inheritance declare Him to be.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
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