Dr. Jonathan Pennington TVC Forum, Jan 2018 What is the Kingdom of God? A Multiplicity of Maps Some Sections of the Map We Can’t Unlock Yet Stepping on to the Road The Centrality of KOG A few quotes: + concept of the KOG involves, in a real sense, the total message of the Bible.” [John Bright, The “The KOG] + idea of the rule of God over creation, over all creatures, over the kingdoms of the world and, in “The a unique and special way, over his chosen and redeemed people, is the very heart of the message of the Hebrew scriptures” (Graeme Goldsworthy, of God,” in The Dictionary of Biblical “Kingdom Theology). + expectation [the coming manifestation of God’s kingship] of the future has such a prominent “This importance in the of the prophetic divine revelation that it may be called the center of the whole Old Testament promise of salvation” (Ridderbos, 5). + Since all of Yahweh’s activity can be subsumed under the idea of the kingdom of God, one “this image or idea has good credentials for being a comprehensive designation of God’s relationship with … his creatures” (Dale Patrick, Kingdom of God in the Old Testament”) “The Concrete v Abstract Nouns It is best to think of the KOG as a symbol” or picture/stained glass “tensive “transluscent window” Definition Jeremy Treat defines the kingdom with two phases: The Design of the Kingdom in Creation (first phase) From Gen 1-2 the goal of creation is God’s reign over the earth through his The Coming of the Kingdom in Redemption (second phase) From Gen 3 on (after the Fall) God’s reign is now in the form of him redeeming and re-establishing his reign through Christ and his reconciled servant-kings looking toward the New Creation This entails victory over evil and the forgiveness of sins M. Eugene Boring
Dr. Jonathan Pennington TVC Forum, Jan 2018 What is the Kingdom of God? A Multiplicity of Maps Some Sections of the Map We Can’t Unlock Yet Stepping on to the Road The Centrality of KOG A few quotes: + “The concept of the KOG involves, in a real sense, the total message of the Bible.” [John Bright, The KOG] + “The idea of the rule of God over creation, over all creatures, over the kingdoms of the world and, in a unique and special way, over his chosen and redeemed people, is the very heart of the message of the Hebrew scriptures” (Graeme Goldsworthy, “Kingdom of God,” in The Dictionary of Biblical Theology). + “This expectation [the coming manifestation of God’s kingship] of the future has such a prominent importance in the of the prophetic divine revelation that it may be called the center of the whole Old Testament promise of salvation” (Ridderbos, 5). + Since all of Yahweh’s activity can be subsumed under the idea of the kingdom of God, “this one image or idea … has good credentials for being a comprehensive designation of God’s relationship with his creatures” (Dale Patrick, “The Kingdom of God in the Old Testament”) Concrete v Abstract Nouns It is best to think of the KOG as a “tensive symbol” or “transluscent picture/stained glass window” Definition Jeremy Treat defines the kingdom with two phases: The Design of the Kingdom in Creation (first phase) From Gen 1-2 the goal of creation is God’s reign over the earth through his The Coming of the Kingdom in Redemption (second phase) From Gen 3 on (after the Fall) God’s reign is now in the form of him redeeming and re-establishing his reign through Christ and his reconciled servant-kings looking toward the New Creation This entails victory over evil and the forgiveness of sins M. Eugene Boring