“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For 'He has put all things under His feet.' But when He says 'all things are put under Him,' it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 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 15:20-28)
The New Testament often talks about Christ’s reign and how He will overcome all His enemies. This idea comes from Psalm 110:1, which says, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” This verse is seen as a prophecy about Jesus, showing His power and final victory over all who oppose Him. It uses the word "footstool" to describe how His enemies will be defeated, which is similar to saying they will be “under His feet.” This same theme appears in 1 Corinthians 15:25, where Paul writes, “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.” In this passage, Paul talks about Jesus’s rule, the resurrection of believers, and how Jesus will continue to reign until He defeats death and all other powers. After that, He will hand over the kingdom to God.
The book of Hebrews also talks about this idea to show Jesus’s special authority. In Hebrews 1:13, the writer quotes Psalm 110:1, saying, “But to which of the angels has He ever said: ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’?” This shows that Jesus is greater than angels because He is the one God chose to rule until all His enemies are defeated. Hebrews 10:12-13 also says that after Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice, He “sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.” These verses tell us that Jesus is currently ruling in heaven, waiting for the final defeat of all opposition.
Peter, one of Jesus’s closest followers, also speaks about this theme. In his sermon in Acts 2:34-35, Peter quotes Psalm 110:1 to show that it was talking about Jesus: “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’” Peter points out that this prophecy has come true in Jesus, who is now at God’s right hand, ruling until all His enemies are defeated. In 1 Peter 3:22, Peter further emphasizes Jesus’s power, saying that He is “at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.” This means that all spiritual beings are under Jesus’s control.
In the book of Revelation, John also shares a vision of Jesus’s victory. Revelation 19:15 describes Jesus as a powerful warrior, saying, “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” While this passage doesn’t use the exact phrase “put all enemies under His feet,” it shows a similar idea. It pictures Jesus conquering His enemies and ruling over them, just as the other passages describe.
Throughout these writings, the theme that “He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet” is central to how the New Testament talks about Jesus’s authority. It starts in Psalm 110:1 and is echoed by Paul, Peter, and John. This theme shows that Jesus is currently ruling as King at God’s right hand, and He will continue to reign until every enemy is defeated. It assures believers that in the end, Jesus will overcome all opposition, fulfilling God’s plan for the world.
Another interesting point is that when Paul talks about the events leading up to “then the end shall come” in 1 Corinthians 15, he doesn’t mention anything about a great tribulation, the rise of an Antichrist, or a Secret Rapture. Instead, Paul focuses on the resurrection of believers and the final defeat of all enemies, including death. Paul’s vision of the end is one where Christ rules until everything that stands against Him is defeated, and then He hands the kingdom over to God the Father.
This absence of tribulation, an Antichrist, or a Secret Rapture in Paul’s teachings is surprising when we think about how many people today believe in a detailed timeline with a seven-year tribulation, a powerful Antichrist, and a Secret Rapture where believers are taken away before trouble starts. These ideas are central to a way of thinking called dispensationalism, but they don’t appear in Paul’s writings. Even when Paul talks about believers being “caught up” to meet Jesus in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, he is talking about the hope of being reunited with Jesus, not a secret event before a time of tribulation. He sees it as part of the bigger resurrection when Jesus returns.
The difference between Paul’s teachings and the detailed timelines of dispensationalism shows that Paul had a different focus. He doesn’t mention a tribulation or an Antichrist because he sees the resurrection and the defeat of death as the main hope for believers. He teaches that Jesus’s victory has already started, and that when Jesus returns, everything will be made right, and believers will share in this victory over death.
Paul’s teachings encourage believers to have hope in the promise of resurrection and the eternal kingdom, rather than worrying about future troubles. His message is simple and focused on the hope of Jesus’s return and His complete rule, which is very different from the complicated ideas about the end times that many people believe today.
It is important for believers today to consider Paul’s simpler focus on the resurrection and the reign of Christ because it offers a message of hope and assurance rather than fear and speculation about the future. When believers understand that Paul emphasized Jesus’s victory over all spiritual enemies—including death itself—it helps them find comfort in the promise of the resurrection. This assurance can strengthen their faith, knowing that Christ is already reigning and that, at His return, everything will be made right.
Ultimately, considering Paul’s message helps believers keep their eyes on the hope of being united with Christ and the eternal life that awaits them. It encourages them to live with a sense of peace and purpose, knowing that the most important part of God’s plan—Jesus’s victory over death and His promise of resurrection—is already unfolding.
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