Dr. Couch, is Christ presently seated on His throne, and, what about "His authority" as mentioned in Matthew 28:18?
ANSWER: No. He is on His Father's throne as mentioned in Psalm 110:1-2. Christ said in Revelation 3:21: "I have sat down with My Father on His throne." Christ's throne is the earthly, Davidic throne, on which He will sit when His second coming takes place. He told His disciples: "When the Son of Man (the Messiah) comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will SIT ON HIS GLORIOUS THRONE. And the Nations will be gathered before Him, … Then the King will say to those on His right ... Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:31-34).
Notice also, that Christ will receive from His Father "the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever; and His kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1:32-33).
All of this is future and yet to take place.
In Matthew 28:18, "Authority" is a bad translation. The Greek word "exousia" is better translated as "power" with "authority" a lesser meaning. Verse 19 better reads: "Having gone then, you disciple all the nations ..." By Christ's power they will be going, and then, they will create disciples 'from' all the nations."
Christ is exercising His power as the sovereign Son of the Father but this is not about His reigning on the throne of His earthly father David. His present power will be activated to do a specific job, and that is, to create disciples.
Christ presently is not using His power to make all things perfect and right. He has not totally subdued sin, or the work of Satan. Satan is still "the god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4) and he is the ruler of this world (John 12:31) as well as, the "whole world lies with the evil one" (1 John 5:19).
For Jesus to have such power does not mean He is exercising it, though He will someday. The demons are still active, and so is Satan, and so are the forces of evil in the nations. Nicoll seems to have it right when he says about Matthew 28:18-19: "But so far as earth is concerned, the dominion is only a matter of right or theory, but it is to be worked out in time. The commission to the Apostles arises out of the power claimed, that is, all power has been given to "Me on earth, go you disciples therefore and make the power a reality, make disciples of all the nations."
In any form or fashion Christ is not on His throne in part or in whole! He is carrying history forward but He is not subduing everything, though the power has been given, it is not being exercised! That will happen later. The power that Christ has is about the creation of disciples throughout the world in this dispensation.
Thanks for asking,
Dr. Mal Couch (1/11)
