Jesus taught his followers to pray, “Let your [the Father’s] kingdom come.” (Matt. 6:9, 10) So the kingdom is God’s, but Jehovah, the “King of eternity,” has given rulership responsibilities to his only-begotten Son for a limited time and for a specific purpose. During this designated period Jesus serves as a deputy ruler sent forth from his Father’s right hand.​—1 Tim. 1:17; Ps. 110:1, 2; Dan. 4:17.

On being resurrected, the glorified Jesus Christ waited at the right hand of his Father until the time for him to begin ruling from the heavens over mankind in general. (Acts 2:32-36; Heb. 10:12, 13) This corresponds to the time when a loud voice from heaven proclaims: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ.” (Rev. 12:10; compare 11:17,18.) With Jesus, 144,000 chosen from among mankind rule as joint heirs, it being said of them that they “will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.”​—Rev. 20:6; 14:1, 3.

By the end of his millennial reign, all humans on earth who have availed themselves of Kingdom benefits will stand perfected before God. They will be comparable to Adam before he sinned. Having accomplished what his Father assigned him to do, Jesus then “hands over the kingdom to his God and Father.” (1 Cor. 15:24-28) No subsidiary kingdom remains between Jehovah and obedient mankind thereafter. Messianic aspects end, but Jehovah’s kingdom continues eternally. The rulership of Christ and his kingdom heirs is “never . . . brought to ruin” and is “not . . . passed on to any other people.” (Dan. 2:44) The special authority delegated will be merely absorbed again by Jehovah. “Then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.”​—1 Cor. 15:28.

Besides that, Jesus will still be an honorary king, for his position of kingship does not end simply because he turns the Messianic kingdom back to his Father. He will always have an interest in mankind, for as Jehovah’s Master Worker he is represented as saying: “The things I was fond of were with the sons of men.” (Prov. 8:31) And he will always have a special warm spot in the hearts of humans because of all that he did for them. This accords with what Hebrews 7:17 says about Jesus’ being “a priest forever.”