It seems to me that to put the kingdom of God entirely in the hearts of believers is to minimize the ruling Jesus. Our own lives are a consistent testimony to the inconsistency of Christ’s kingship in our lives. The cynical side of us should say, “If’s that all the better he can do, that’s not much of a reign.”
Yet the biblical description of the kingdom is far greater than that. It is a time when all nations submit to the king all the time on this earth and flock to him for teaching and guidance (Isaiah 2:2-4), not just some people some of the time, and not in some eternal state. It is hard to see how any reasonable reading of Isaiah 2:2-4 fits into a “kingdom now” motif.
The rule of Jesus has to be bigger than simply ruling in the believer’s heart because Jesus is a bigger king than that.
I believe Jesus ought to rule supremely in believer’s hearts. I just don’t see that as being the entirety of what the Bible describes as the kingdom. Rogue nations, open display of depravity, persecuted believers, unpunished sin, and short lives are not what Isaiah describes as the rule of the Righteous Branch. Therefore, it should not be what we teach as the rule of the Righteous Branch.
5 comments:
The Kingdom is here already but not yet.
The King has been crowned and he is ruling, but he is not ruling in all his glory yet.
Keith
But Keith, in terms of revelation about the kingdom in the Scriptures, what the Scriptures describe as the kingdom is not being seen anywhere right now. Passages like Isaiah 2:2-4 and a host of others too many to list reveal to us what the kingdom is like. That must serve as our basis for determining whether or not the kingdom is here.
To say that he is ruling but not yet in all his glory doesn't really make any exegetical sense that I can see, at least not if we take the OT as seriously as we should.
The way that he is ruling now is the way that he has always ruled. But that is not what the Bible describes as the kingdom.
Larry,
This discussion/debate is probably too time consuming for me to enter fully at present, but here are a few quick thoughts.
To make any progress, we'd have to abandon any thoughts that taking the OT seriously can somehow be separated from taking the NT seriously. We need to take the BIBLE seriously.
If we don't do that, we'll just get into all kinds of pointless reference dueling. For example, the passage you reference from Isaiah doesn't even mention the word "Kingdom", but in Luke we read, "Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, 'The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, "Here it is," or "There it is," because the kingdom of God is within[b] you.'"
Now, I'm not arguing for ignoring Isaiah. What I'm saying is that somehow both passages must be true and applicable.
Additionally, we'd have to discuss the importance of progress in God's revelation and redemptive plan. By saying the Kingdom is "not yet" here in its fullness, I am acknowledging that every last glorious prophecy is not yet here in all its final glorious perfection. However, by your saying, "The way that he is ruling now is the way that he has always ruled," you seem to minimize to a fault the significance of the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Peace.
Keith
Yes, it is certainly too time-consuming (as you can tell by my delayed response).
As you say, I think we have to take both testaments seriously. That's exactly my point.
As for Isaiah, it's hard to imagine that one could seriously suggest that's not talking about the kingdom, the rule of Christ. I don't know what in the world it would be talking about otherwise. And passages similar to it are abundant.
The Luke 17 passage is another one that's hard to imagine. How can you say that the kingdom was inside of Christ rejecting Pharisees?
I think both passages are absolutely true. I think if we take them seriously, we can't dismiss the OT passages because of any reading of a NT passage, particularly a fault reading of a NT passage.
Your side tends to minimize the OT in favor of the NT. I completely reject that. I also reject minimizing the NT in favor of the OT. We have to take both seriously.
Have a good day.
I'm not sure you understand "my side". I haven't even totally explained my side.
What I have said is that the Kingdom is in the process of coming. While it is not yet fully here -- whatever Isaiah and Christ meant -- it is certainly here more than before Christ's resurection. It certainly is growing -- lots of people from many nations, not just primarily Jews are entering it. You (or your side) seem to want to deny the progress.
Further, even if "my side" were straight up covenant amillenialism or postmillenialism, it's rare to be accused of minimizing the OT. Usually, those positions get all beat up over making too much of a continuity with the OT not too little.
Keith
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