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The Heidelberg Catechism also speaks of Christ as “our eternal king.” Similarly the Belgic
Confession in article XXVII. Moreover, the kingship and the headship of Christ are inextricably
bound up together. The latter is subservient to the former, and is sometimes clearly
represented as including the former, Eph. 1:21,22; 5:22-24. But, surely, Christ will never cease
to be the Head of His Church, leaving the Church as a body without a Head. Finally, the fact that
Christ is a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek, would also seem to argue in favor of
the eternal duration of the spiritual kingship of Christ, since His mediatorial office is after all a
unit. Dick and Kuyper, however, argue that this kingship of Christ will cease when He has
accomplished the salvation of His people. The only passage of Scripture to which they appeal is
I Cor. 15:24-28, but this passage evidently does not refer to Christ’s spiritual kingship, but to His
kingship over the universe.
B. THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST OVER THE UNIVERSE.
1. THE NATURE OF THIS KINGSHIP.
By the regnum potentiae we mean the dominion of the
God-man, Jesus Christ, over the universe, His providential and judicial administration of all
things in the interest of the Church. As King of the universe the Mediator so guides the destinies
of individuals, of social groups, and of nations, as to promote the growth, the gradual
purification, and the final perfection of the people which He has redeemed by His blood. In that
capacity He also protects His own against the dangers to which they are exposed in the world,
and vindicates His righteousness by the subjection and destruction of all His enemies. In this
kingship of Christ we find the initial restoration of the original kingship of man. The idea that
Christ now rules the destinies of individuals and nations in the interest of His blood-bought
Church, is a far more comforting thought than the notion that He is now “a refugee on the
throne of heaven.”
2. THE RELATION OF THE REGNUM POTENTIAE TO THE REGNUM GRATIAE.
The Kingship of
Christ over the universe is subservient to His spiritual kingship. It is incumbent on Christ, as the
anointed King, to establish the spiritual kingdom of God, to govern it, and to protect it against
all hostile forces. He must do this in a world which is under the power of sin and is bent on
thwarting all spiritual endeavors. If that world were beyond His control, it might easily frustrate
all His efforts. Therefore God invested Him with authority over it, so that He is able to control
all powers and forces and movements in the world, and can thus secure a safe footing for His
people in the world, and protect His own against all the powers of darkness. These cannot
defeat His purposes, but are even constrained to serve them. Under the beneficent rule of
Christ even the wrath of man is made to praise God.
3. THE DURATION OF THIS KINGSHIP.
Christ was formally invested with this kingship over the
universe when He was exalted at the right hand of God. It was a promised reward of His labors,