The theme of the kingdom of God runs all through the Bible. It is the one unifying theme found in every book of scripture Old or New Testament. Although the kingdom of God is present in every part of scripture it is not always the same, rather it grows and develops through stages. Every stage of the kingdom of God is recognizable by the characteristics of being “God’s people, in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing” (Roberts 22). Scripture supports this description as God commands his people in what is known as the Creation Mandate to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (ESV, Genesis 1.28).
Roberts eight stages of the kingdom of God are the pattern of the kingdom, the perished kingdom, the promised kingdom, …show more content…
The present kingdom brings an eternal fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation in Christ. After Christ’s resurrection and assentation begins the stage of the kingdom which we live in now, the proclaimed kingdom. This may be one of the most exciting stages of the kingdom. In this age, we have assurance in Christ’s work on the cross in a way unlike people of the Old Testament. They had faith in the salvation they knew was coming we have faith in the salvation we know has already come and we have the privilege to “make disciples of all nations” (ESV. Matthew 28.19). This privilege to share the hope of God’s kingdom is not to be taken lightly as something to do only when we feel like it but we must be diligent as “the Spirit’s great concern is to lead people to Christ” (Roberts 136). The final stage of the kingdom is the culmination of all of God’s promises throughout human history and the ultimate fulfillment of his prophesies. In the perfected kingdom, there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth where God’s people will live and rule with …show more content…
What God begins in the Old Testament He completes in the New Testament. Without the New Testament, the Old Testament is “promise without fulfillment” (Roberts 20). The two halves of scripture work together to interpret, explain, and fulfill each other. When Jesus teaches his disciples in the New Testament He constantly quotes Old Testament scriptures to explain and give context to His teachings. The New Testament fulfills the Old Testament and an understanding of the Old Testament brings about the fullest understanding of the New Testament.
The Old and New Testaments are connected not only by the overarching theme of the kingdom of God but also by the common subject of Salvation in Christ. Salvation in Christ is by grace through faith (Ephesians 1:8) and is the saving power in the Old and New testaments. It is “salvation by substitution” (Roberts 121) because as sinful people cannot meet God’s perfect standard. Only Christ could accomplish this and by God’s grace it was always his plan. Christ was not plan B but from the beginning was God’s perfect plan, in His perfect timing, in the perfect place to redeem His people for His
Roberts eight stages of the kingdom of God are the pattern of the kingdom, the perished kingdom, the promised kingdom, …show more content…
The present kingdom brings an eternal fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation in Christ. After Christ’s resurrection and assentation begins the stage of the kingdom which we live in now, the proclaimed kingdom. This may be one of the most exciting stages of the kingdom. In this age, we have assurance in Christ’s work on the cross in a way unlike people of the Old Testament. They had faith in the salvation they knew was coming we have faith in the salvation we know has already come and we have the privilege to “make disciples of all nations” (ESV. Matthew 28.19). This privilege to share the hope of God’s kingdom is not to be taken lightly as something to do only when we feel like it but we must be diligent as “the Spirit’s great concern is to lead people to Christ” (Roberts 136). The final stage of the kingdom is the culmination of all of God’s promises throughout human history and the ultimate fulfillment of his prophesies. In the perfected kingdom, there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth where God’s people will live and rule with …show more content…
What God begins in the Old Testament He completes in the New Testament. Without the New Testament, the Old Testament is “promise without fulfillment” (Roberts 20). The two halves of scripture work together to interpret, explain, and fulfill each other. When Jesus teaches his disciples in the New Testament He constantly quotes Old Testament scriptures to explain and give context to His teachings. The New Testament fulfills the Old Testament and an understanding of the Old Testament brings about the fullest understanding of the New Testament.
The Old and New Testaments are connected not only by the overarching theme of the kingdom of God but also by the common subject of Salvation in Christ. Salvation in Christ is by grace through faith (Ephesians 1:8) and is the saving power in the Old and New testaments. It is “salvation by substitution” (Roberts 121) because as sinful people cannot meet God’s perfect standard. Only Christ could accomplish this and by God’s grace it was always his plan. Christ was not plan B but from the beginning was God’s perfect plan, in His perfect timing, in the perfect place to redeem His people for His