Tag: clues

Mystery of the kingdom and eschatology

Dancing in the Kingdom- Table of Contents

Dancing In the Kingdom – Part 2 – The Kingdom Revealed – Chapter 13 – Distinctives within the body of Christ

Mystery of the kingdom and eschatology

[Bible references: Isaiah 2; 60; Joel 2; Micah 4; Daniel 7; Matthew 24; Luke 17; Revelations 20]

What is the kingdom of God/Heaven?

The kingdom of Heaven refers to where Jesus reigns. Heaven has always been under his rule and when he returns and our current earth is transformed into the new earth, Jesus’ kingdom will include that as well. In the meanwhile, His kingdom includes all those who have accepted Jesus as their king. Some only apply the Kingdom of God to only the reign of God in heaven or the reign of God after earthly governments are done away with.

How and when will Jesus return?

Discussion about the end times[1] has always been problematic because of the nature of prophetic language. This has led to much contention in the church about how events will occur or have occurred. Even though Jesus has cautioned us that only the Father knows when that will happen, people have not stopped trying to “read the signs.”

The clues about the Messiah in the Old Testament were confusing to interpret. Even after the incarnation of Jesus, we know that the disciples were confused about how the events of the end times such that Jesus’ death was incomprehensible. Even after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension there was still confusion, and it took some time to sink in that Jesus’ return was not going to happen for a while.

There are a wide variety of thoughts about the Biblical prophecies concerning the end times. The questions deal with such things as: is the book of Revelation about events now past us (e.g., the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70) or about future events or both, does the 1000 years talked about in Revelation 20:1-15 occur now or in the future and is the 1000 years literal or metaphorical, will there be a “rapture” of believers before a coming time of great tribulation, since there was no nation of Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem do the promises that applied to Israel now apply to the church – and other questions.

There are various historical factors and hermeneutical questions that led to some of the variations in the way that these questions were answered: whether the prophecies should be interpreted literally or metaphorically, whether the Old Testament laws should be kept in effect by the church, the importance of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the consequent re-creation of the nation of Israel in AD 1948. Regardless of the way those questions are answered, the more important issue is our behavior in the present.

The role of the prophecies in the past had been to either warn people of behaviors they needed to change or to provide encouragement and hope in the times of difficulty. Wherever we stand on these prophecies, those intentions should be our focus; our behaviors in the present life and our hope to sustain us.

[1] Herrick, Greg. “9. Eschatology: End Times” Bible.org bible.org/seriespage/9-eschatology-end-times

The plan to restore creation

Dancing in the Kingdom- Table of Contents

Dancing In the Kingdom – Part 1 – Shadows of the Kingdom – Chapter 4– Retreating to chaos

[Bible references: Genesis 3:13-15; 50:20; Isaiah 53; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 7:9; Matthew 10:28-31; Luke 19:11-27; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 3:13-14,23-29; Ephesians 1:11-12; Hebrews 1:1-3]

The apparent penalty for sin, physical death, was actually a blessing. Unlike the angels who rebelled against God, death provided the rebellious image-bearers a means of avoiding an eternity separated from the source of goodness and grace. But for the image-bearers, death provided a means where not only they but all of creation could be rescued from decay and death.

The plan of restoration slowly unfolded in ways that would sometimes be baffling and confusing and on a timetable that is beyond our comprehension. Over time though, God gradually revealed how he intended to restore our relation to him, to end our pain and suffering, and to overcome the evil that seems to pervade everything.

God started the process of revealing hints of how he would restore creation right at the beginning. God gave the initial clue in the curse given to the serpent, although the hint must have been a cryptic comment to His newly broken image-bearers. But since we have the privilege of looking back, we can see that God’s then cryptic reference was to the death and suffering of the character revealed in the Old Testament as the Messiah. As time went on, the Creator gradually revealed more and more clues about the plans He had to restore His creation. This gradual revelation was, and still is, a painfully slow time of waiting as we suffer the consequences of broken relations and a broken creation.

Fortunately, as we have waited in our broken universe, God’s grace has continued to intervene throughout history so that things are not as bad as they could possibly be. Our rebellion has not deterred God from providing for our everyday needs nor has he ceased to work on his plan to rejoin heaven and earth.

Meanwhile, God invites us to take part with him in the continued creation of the universe, bringing healing, health and hope directly into the midst of our now broken world, a task that he and we will continue until God fully restores his kingdom. Towards that end, he has provided spiritual gifts, gifts that we can share with one another, to build up one another and to bless the world as his ambassadors.

There are many things about the plans of God that we do not understand. God’s plans for us seem to be drawn out over a long time in which there is much suffering and pain. But even the suffering and pain we endure can be redeemed to help us become more like the Desire of our Hearts, the One who gave all Himself so that we all may become more like Him.

Reflect

What would the world look like if there was no goodness?

Observe

Read Isaiah 53. What did God need to do to restore our relation with Him?

Conflicts are Clues

The Impossible Dance – Table of Contents

The Impossible Dance – Chapter 1 – Mystery and Confusion

The purpose of this book is to not only show the unity of both Testaments and how they help make one cohesive story, but also a story into which the Church has tried, and we can try, to fit. Because the Bible is a complex collection of literature, using many literary styles and techniques and it can be difficult to understand some parts, particularly when one part seems to contradict another part. I have found a useful principal in studying the Bible which I call “Conflicts are Clues” which says that any apparent conflict or confusion in Scripture should be handled as clues to look further instead of thinking that the conflicts create contradictions which reduce the integrity of the Bible.