When Christ Hands Over the Kingdom to God the Father

QUESTION:
Daniel 7:14 prophesies that the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ will last forever. But in 1 Corinthians 15:24, Paul says that at the end, Christ will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father. Does this mean that Jesus will give up His rule? What exactly does this mean?

Daniel 7:13–14 (NIV)

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

This passage is a prophetic vision given to Daniel of the Messiah, “one like a son of man”  a title Jesus frequently used for Himself (cf. Matthew 26:64). He is brought before the “Ancient of Days” (a title for God the Father) and is given everlasting dominion and an indestructible kingdom. The emphasis here is on the permanence and sovereignty of Christ’s rule over all nations.

1 Corinthians 15:24–26 (NIV)

“Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

Paul is describing the final stage of redemptive history. After Christ has subdued every enemy including death itself  He will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father. This does not mean Christ ceases to reign. Instead, it signifies the completion of His mediatorial role as the Messiah the one who rules on behalf of humanity to reconcile all things to God (cf. Colossians 1:19–20).

Within the doctrine of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons, yet one in essence (cf. Matthew 28:19). The Son’s mission is not independent of the Father, but in perfect unity with Him

(John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”).

The “handing over” in 1 Corinthians 15:24 is not about surrendering power but about the consummation of the redemptive work. Christ, as the God Man, mediates the Kingdom. Once all things are subject to Him, He delivers it to the Father not as abdication, but as a final act of glorification of the Triune God.

This aligns with Philippians 2:9–11 (NIV):

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Even in exaltation, the Son’s lordship glorifies the Father. The Kingdom is unified not divided because the will of the Father and the Son are one.

THE NATURE OF THE KINGDOM

At present, Christ reigns spiritually in the hearts of believers (Luke 17:21), and through His Church (Colossians 1:13). However, there is a future, literal manifestation of His rule  often referred to as the Millennial Reign (Revelation 20:4–6), during which Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years. This period will culminate in the final defeat of evil, including death itself.

After that, the New Heavens and New Earth will be revealed (Revelation 21:1–5), and God will dwell with His people forever. This is when the fullness of the Kingdom is realized  not just spiritually or temporarily, but eternally.

SO, DOES JESUS GIVE UP HIS KINGDOM?

No. Jesus does not relinquish His Kingdom in the sense of stepping away from His divine rule. Instead, the “handing over” signifies the perfect fulfillment of His redemptive mission. It marks the transition from Christ’s mediatorial kingship to the eternal reign of God, where Christ still reigns, but in the eternal unity of the Godhead.

As theologian Anthony Hoekema puts it:“Christ’s kingly rule does not end; rather, the form of His rule changes.”

The Kingdom of Christ is eternal because Christ is God (John 1:1–3). What Daniel saw is fulfilled through Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension, and ultimate return. When Christ hands the Kingdom to the Father, He is not stepping down but bringing all things to their proper end, so that “God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).

His Kingdom will never be destroyed, never be overthrown, and will never be given to another (Daniel 7:14). Glory, power, and dominion belong to Him forever and ever.

Amen.

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