Reigning with Christ in Context: Not Unique to Christianity

Reigning with Christ in Context: Not Unique to Christianity


When Christians read that believers will “reign with Christ,” it often feels like a uniquely Christian hope. Yet the concept of humanity sharing in divine rule has deep roots in the wider Ancient Near Eastern and Jewish traditions. The New Testament builds on, rather than invents, this imagery.





Biblical Language of Reigning


The New Testament writers use the motif of reigning frequently:


2 Timothy 2:12 – “If we endure, we will also reign with him.”


Romans 5:17 – “…those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”


Revelation 5:10 – “You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”


Revelation 22:5 – “…they will reign forever and ever.”



The roots of this vision lie in Genesis 1:26–28, where humans are made in God’s image to “have dominion” over creation. What the New Testament does is extend that ancient vocation into its eschatological framework.




ANE Parallels: Shared Rule with the Divine


The vision of humans sharing in divine rule was widespread across the ancient world. Here are some representative examples:



Egyptian Texts


Pyramid Texts (Utterance 217, §200): The deceased king is promised, “You shall sit on the throne of Osiris, with your staff in your hand, that you may rule the gods.”


Coffin Texts, Spell 148: The blessed dead are said to “become a god, mighty, commanding, one who judges with Re.”


Book of the Dead, Spell 174: The soul is told, “You shall rule over the living, you shall command the spirits, you shall govern the ones in the realm of the dead.”



Kingship and shared rule were not just for Pharaoh but extended to the righteous in the afterlife.





Mesopotamian Texts


Enuma Elish (Tablet VI, lines 7–8): After Marduk’s victory, humans are created to share in divine kingship: “They shall be charged with the service of the gods, that they might be at ease.” Human order sustains divine order.


Epic of Gilgamesh (Tablet XII): Gilgamesh, after death, is enthroned in the underworld as judge of the dead. His kingship continues beyond earthly rule.


Sumerian King List (Prologue): “After kingship descended from heaven, kingship was in Eridu.” Kingship is depicted as a divine gift shared with mortals.






Ugaritic (Canaanite) Texts


Baal Cycle (KTU 1.4 VII.29–30): El proclaims of Baal, “Your throne, O Baal, may you sit enthroned forever, your kingship may be for all generations.” His allies participate in his enthronement through loyalty and cultic association.


KTU 1.3 V.34–36: Baal’s kingship is tied to the order of creation, and his supporters benefit from his divine status.






Second Temple Jewish Texts


1 Enoch 62:3–5: “The kings and the mighty shall be cast down from their thrones… But the righteous and chosen shall be saved on that day, and they shall sit on the throne of glory.”


4 Ezra 7:88: “This is the order of those who have kept the ways of the Most High… they shall rejoice with confidence and be crowned with glory.”


Qumran, War Scroll (1QM 1:11–12): “The congregation of the holy ones shall possess the kingdom forever, and all the dominions.”


Daniel 7:27: “The kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.”





How the New Testament Reframes It


The New Testament adapts this motif in some significant ways:


1. From Elites to All Believers


In the ANE, kings and select heroes shared divine authority. In the NT, all faithful believers participate (Revelation 1:6).




2. From Political to Spiritual Endurance


ANE kings reigned through conquest and politics. The NT stresses endurance and faithfulness as the pathway to reign (2 Timothy 2:12).




3. From Earthly to Eschatological


Instead of legitimizing current rulers, the NT projects the reign of believers into God’s coming new creation (Revelation 22:5).







Conclusion


Reigning with Christ may sound distinctively Christian, but the imagery was already well established across the Ancient Near East and Second Temple Judaism. Egyptian mortuary texts, Mesopotamian creation epics, Ugaritic myths, and apocalyptic Jewish writings all envisioned humans or the righteous dead sharing in divine kingship. The New Testament does not invent this motif but reshapes it: no longer the privilege of a few kings or heroes, but the calling of all who endure faithfully.

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