- Jun 8, 2021
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The Kingdom is near. The Bible speaks of the impact of God's heavenly Kingdom today, and even always. But it does not say that the eschatological Kingdom is already realized. By definition it comes in the Eschaton, and not before.
And so, the Kingdom is a process, the steps of which make an impact on our world today, even before it arrives in the eschatological sense.
What did Jesus mean when he said God's Kingdom was "near?" Albert Schweitzer thought Jesus was mistaken. Others have thought the same.
What Jesus actually meant is that he was the King of this coming Kingdom, and his presence was the initial step in preparing for the eschatological Kingdom to come.
If Jesus was near in proximity to his people, being present with them on earth, then in a sense the Kingdom itself, spiritually, was near them. And he made another "hour" click off the clock in preparation for his final Coming, since his earthly work prepared the way for it to come.
The Gospel is an advance warning, providing the warning of an almost imminent event. In fact, Christ's 1st Coming means that we already have a choice to make, once we've heard that message. It in that sense makes the coming of the Kingdom near to every one of us.
The main point here is that since Jesus brought the Kingdom "near" in his 1st Coming, his work of redemption has brought his Spirit near to all of us when the Gospel is preached to us as an advance warning. When he came he brought his Spirit with him. And when he left, he left his Spirit with the Church. Jesus in that sense remains "near" to us. And it renders his judgment "near" to all of us.
We are all "near" the judgment. We have an immediate need to respond to the message and to deliver the message. That's what we should be doing.
And so, the Kingdom is a process, the steps of which make an impact on our world today, even before it arrives in the eschatological sense.
What did Jesus mean when he said God's Kingdom was "near?" Albert Schweitzer thought Jesus was mistaken. Others have thought the same.
What Jesus actually meant is that he was the King of this coming Kingdom, and his presence was the initial step in preparing for the eschatological Kingdom to come.
If Jesus was near in proximity to his people, being present with them on earth, then in a sense the Kingdom itself, spiritually, was near them. And he made another "hour" click off the clock in preparation for his final Coming, since his earthly work prepared the way for it to come.
The Gospel is an advance warning, providing the warning of an almost imminent event. In fact, Christ's 1st Coming means that we already have a choice to make, once we've heard that message. It in that sense makes the coming of the Kingdom near to every one of us.
The main point here is that since Jesus brought the Kingdom "near" in his 1st Coming, his work of redemption has brought his Spirit near to all of us when the Gospel is preached to us as an advance warning. When he came he brought his Spirit with him. And when he left, he left his Spirit with the Church. Jesus in that sense remains "near" to us. And it renders his judgment "near" to all of us.
We are all "near" the judgment. We have an immediate need to respond to the message and to deliver the message. That's what we should be doing.
