In other words, the Apostles maintained that the Ascension of our Lord was the act whereby He ascended the Throne of "The Kingdom of Heaven," the Mediatorial Kingdom of Messiah. And this is the testimony which they have given under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. God "raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church" (Ephes. i. 20-22). And we are assured that the Ascension of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, implied that He has won the right of sovereignty over all the world; and that all mankind are summoned to bow before Him, and accept Him as their King. For, because "He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross," therefore "God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil. ii. 8-11). But for the successful setting up of "The Kingdom of Heaven" two things were still needed. First, the overthrow of the enemies of Messiah's Kingdom; and secondly, the gift of the Holy Ghost, to induce men to be willing to submit themselves to the spiritual rule of our Lord Jesus Christ. Consequently when the King had ascended the Throne, and all mankind had been given Him as His subjects, He was "from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool" (Ps. cx. 1; Heb. x. 13). All who are set against "The Kingdom of Heaven" must in the end be subdued before Him. And no doubt the wicked amongst men who oppose His rule will, if they turn not, be included amongst these enemies. And yet we must never forget that these belong really to the number of those who were given to Him as His subjects. This is one of the mysteries of the Gospel, that "whilst we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Rom. v. 8), and "when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son" (Rom. v. 10); so that we are assured that the King in His loving mercy would have the wicked not "under His footstool," but amongst the sharers of His glory. But there are other enemies which will certainly be subdued in God's own time; and they are the spiritual powers of evil which are hindering men from being His subjects. He will "put down all rule and all authority and power" (1 Cor. xv. 24) arrayed against Him; even "the principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephes. vi. 12), by which His subjects are assailed. "For He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet" (1 Cor. xv. 25).