“Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” 1 Corinthians 15:24
This is Christ fulfilling his Adamic role, his human role as the captain of Israel, to whom God promised that he would subdue the nations. When this is accomplished and completed, then Christ in his human role as commander in chief hands over the kingdom to God. That is, throughout the current period of Christ’s role as redeemer of humanity and of creation, Christ is made subject to the Father, fulfilling mankind’s part of obedience and faith in the covenant. Christ does this until "the end,” when the redemption of Adam and Eve’s realm (the earth) is completed. At this point “God is all in all,” meaning all enemies in his creation are subdued, and his glory fills the earth as the waters cover the sea. We know that this human captain, Jesus, is the incarnation of God in human form, to fulfil humanity's role, completing what Adam failed to do. What happens to the incarnated person after “the end,” the text in Corinthians doesn’t seem to say.
In Revelation 21 the sun and the moon aren’t needed, and God’s glory is our light, and the Lamb is its lamp. In the Old Testament, the sun and moon referred to rulers of nations (Genesis 37, Isaiah 34, Joel 3, for example), and this could mean that due to the glory of God seen in Christ, his self-giving in the cross, that this is our light and governance through our new hearts. Being rid of the global rulers we have today, and instead walking in neighbourly self-giving love, would be welcome. In Revelation 22, there appears to be one throne for “God and the Lamb,” and God and the Lamb seem to be one person, whom we will see face to face. I don’t pontificate on these things. We are speaking here of apocalyptic things which we have not yet fully experienced. “We know in part, but then we shall know him face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
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