When Kenneth Gentry published his works on post-millennialism in 1989 and 1994 it changed things quite a bit. To my knowledge it wasn't ever so easy to get a theological understanding of the teleological course of history. Developing a synoptic historical perspective from Adam and Eve unto Jesus in the first century and the establishment of the kingdom of God for the balance of human history before his physical return to wrap matters up just isn't something church going Christians are aware of, and they should. It is a great improvement in understanding comparable to having Newton or Einstein's theory principles down...difficult at first as it is first brought out to the general public then simple for people after they 'get it'.
I have written a synopsis myself-an early effort, and hope many more will develop synoptic scriptural works of God accounts describing purpose and process of the history from a human perspective of course. Following is the transcript of my synopsis and a video where its read. I am sure that it isn't challenging to make a better synoptic history presentation....
Increasing Numbers in the Kingdom of God
If Stephen's martyrdom discourse wasn't the first sermon of the Christian era it is a role model for an historical-analytical theological popular evangelium isn't it? Thus one could write…
When God began talking with Abraham explaining his future to him about 2000 B.C. the Jewish time in Egyptian captivity of 400 years was mentioned. Moses was a liberator like Jesus leading the chosen people of a nation of priests ministering the word of God to the world to the Promised Land. The Promised Land was what came to be regarded as national Israel-where a worldly king was desired by the Jews-God wanted the Jews to have Himself as their king, but he gave them what they wanted. The people of Israel were given Saul who met them out searching for his lost ass. Saul was replaced by David soon-a guy that God liked, and a Davidic heir ruler of Israel that was everlasting was promised by God. Jesus Christ appeared about a 1000 years later to be and become the eternal King of a spiritual nation of Israel. Mary was a descendant of David. God found a way to overcome political and social misdirection of the chosen people and everyone else. Several matters were accomplished by that.
The Israeli Jews were chosen to be a nation of priests administering the word of God to the world as good examples following the laws of God given by Moses. Plainly human beings were not capable of following the letter of the law yet it was their spiritual demeanor that was off. Laws of God were only given for the benefit of mankind. It is needful to have a right relationship with God. That’s the reason why mankind was created in the first place. Adam and Eve sinned and strayed from the right relationship with God. They were cast out of a non-thermodynamic Eden into a created Universe with thermodynamics where lived the unsaved. They increased, multiplied yet forever needed a savior to provide the spiritual righteousness for them they lacked and were not capable of developing.
In the Garden of Eden as God read his verdict to the wayward couple a protoevangelium was given-a good news paradigm in a minimal form. Christians take it as a the start of development in history of a salvation teleology of God with a descendant through Eve rising to be an eternal king. That eternal king is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prophecies abound in the Old Testament describing the Shepherd-King-servant from the House of David. Jesus Christ fulfilled those prophecies and fulfilled the purpose of the law too. Those of faith have a right relationship to God given through the mediation of the Son and his atoning sacrifice. His kingdom-the eternal kingdom of David, was established in the life of Christ. It will increase to become a majority of the population one day before the Lord returns physically to wrap things up.
The kingdom of God is a spiritual affair. The Eden of Adam and Eve was different than the mundane world too. Perhaps it was of a nature the resurrected Christ appeared from unto the disciples with a body that was partly yet not completely other than human or completely spirit. When the covenant of the Lord with anyone with faith in Him was established the laws were fulfilled, the material temple of Herod became superfluous, and the veil of the curtain in the temple was torn asunder. Eventually even national Israel was destroyed in tribulation. It was spiritual Israel, that is the Kingdom of God, in which the eternal kingdom of God was a promise fulfilled.
That makes one understand why so many Christians with a pre-tribulation point of view fail to understand the simple historical development of spiritual correction and maturity God provided working with humanity the past 4000 years; it isn’t so simple to understand-it requires a rather large grasp upon human history and theology with the right way of interpreting the Bible. Even so the consequences of failing to comprehend the historical development of God’s plan for the people of the world tend to lead to fatalism with a desire to be on the other side.
Being on the other side in heaven is not a sufficient or adequate Christian response to the challenges of life. Christians should be actively working now to increase the numbers of the kingdom of God and transform being a Christian into being aware of one’s purpose as a minister of God to a troubled world mired in original sin. Transforming the world into one with a Christian majority make require a substantial time. There may be vicissitudes in numbers; there is not prophesy that it is a linear evolution of conversion unto the faith of most people.
Looking toward another world when this one is a place that God created and where the kingdom of God is already present may not be the best response to the word of God. Christians should work where they are and not simply wait until sometime, someplace, some-world else. If humanity were created from fundamental mass elements of the creation-say bosons and quarks, with so many cosmological questions unanswered and unanswerable, they must needs have humility about being in relation to an eternal God who loves them if saved. Otherwise they are a scruffy, sinful lot of egoists that without containment would aspire to the heights of Satan as rivals (foolishly) to God. Humanity made from the star-dust of the Universe with water added were to be able to mature with the good example of the Lord, and with his provided righteousness of salvation, to work together to create a better world and world ecosphere for-themselves so far as possible before the second, physical coming of Christ. Innovating a modern priesthood of believers church structure organization where all actively engage in learning, liturgy and sharing socially is one way to move forward in actualizing the will of God.
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