Does Jesus Reign as King and High Priest?

Will He Become King and Rule over an Earthly Kingdom during the Millennium after He Comes Again?

What are the consequences of premillennialism regarding Jesus' reign as king? Is Jesus Christ now reigning as King over His kingdom, or will the Messiah rule 1000 years on the throne of David over an earthly, civil kingdom beginning at His second coming? What are the implications for His priesthood? Does Jesus reign now as King and High Priest, or will He establish an earthly kingdom and reign for a thousand years on earth (the millennium)?

This is part of a series of articles about premillennial teaching. To see a list of all the articles, please click here. 

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Premillennialism and Jesus' Second Coming

(Note: This study is part of a series of studies relating to the premillennial view of the kingdom. Frequently this study will refer to other of the studies in the series. To understand the whole picture, and especially to see the other articles that we refer to from time to time, please go to www.gospelway.com/instruct and see the section about Man and His Future.)

Introduction:

Premillennialism is dangerous for many reasons. My main objections are that it (perhaps unintentionally) belittles the authority of Christ, the death of Christ, and the significance of the church and the gospel, while at the same time exalting materialistic goals, Jewish nationalism (respect of persons), and Mosaic practices. These problems affect our present service to God. [For details about these points, see the link above for our other articles on premillennialism.]

Yet premillennialism also contradicts clear gospel teachings about the second coming of Jesus. The purpose of this lesson is to examine these contradictions.

Does Jesus' Kingdom Now Exist?

Premillennialism claims that the kingdom of Jesus Christ does not yet exist. The premillennial view is that Jesus came to earth to establish His kingdom but could not because the Jews rejected Him. So they say, when He comes again, the Messiah must establish and rule 1000 years on the throne of David over an earthly, civil kingdom. Does the kingdom now exist or will Jesus reign for a thousand years on earth (the millennium) when He returns?