The overarching narrative of the Bible, is a story which begins with creation, and ends with new creation.
It begins in a paradise, and ends in Paradise.
In the beginning it was about all mankind, and all of the creature - and it ends up being all about all nations and about creation itself also.
The narrative was never just about Israel, and then post-Israel.
Never just about temple, and then post-temple.
Those narratives are in the Bible - but they only found their place within the overarching narrative of the Bible.
The gospel isn't just the climax of the story of the temple, and of Israel - it is that, but it's more than that. The gospel is the climax of the story of creation and the full restoration of creation. It doesn't stop short of that.
'This present age' began when human-kind began in the world - so 'the age to come' means the new earth, inhabited by redeemed mankind.
From a paradise without death - to Paradise where death has been defeated.
Where God walked with man - to where God dwells with mankind, visibly.
Terms like "This present age', and 'the age to come' encompass a far bigger narrative than just the physical temple/Israel narrative.
'The end of the age' and 'the new earth' means far more than just the end of the Torah and the beginning of the New Covenant.
All of that fits within it - but the full story is a more over-arching narrative.
We haven't seen the 'new world' yet. We are still in 'this present age'.
But the good news is that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the coming new age has already been inaugurated in the present, though we still look forward to its culmination.
So we live in a kind of overlap, where the power of the 'new age' has already begun, in those who believe.
The announcement of this good news began at the cross and resurrection of Jesus - before AD70.
It begins in a paradise, and ends in Paradise.
In the beginning it was about all mankind, and all of the creature - and it ends up being all about all nations and about creation itself also.
The narrative was never just about Israel, and then post-Israel.
Never just about temple, and then post-temple.
Those narratives are in the Bible - but they only found their place within the overarching narrative of the Bible.
The gospel isn't just the climax of the story of the temple, and of Israel - it is that, but it's more than that. The gospel is the climax of the story of creation and the full restoration of creation. It doesn't stop short of that.
'This present age' began when human-kind began in the world - so 'the age to come' means the new earth, inhabited by redeemed mankind.
From a paradise without death - to Paradise where death has been defeated.
Where God walked with man - to where God dwells with mankind, visibly.
Terms like "This present age', and 'the age to come' encompass a far bigger narrative than just the physical temple/Israel narrative.
'The end of the age' and 'the new earth' means far more than just the end of the Torah and the beginning of the New Covenant.
All of that fits within it - but the full story is a more over-arching narrative.
We haven't seen the 'new world' yet. We are still in 'this present age'.
But the good news is that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the coming new age has already been inaugurated in the present, though we still look forward to its culmination.
So we live in a kind of overlap, where the power of the 'new age' has already begun, in those who believe.
The announcement of this good news began at the cross and resurrection of Jesus - before AD70.
No comments:
Post a Comment