We now begin a series of four lectures on the eternal destiny of the righteous and the wicked, including the kingdom and the judgement. For today we are going to focus on what God promises for his own people in the age to come. We’ll cruise through the entire bible (right from Genesis to Revelation), making key stops along the way to understand the golden thread, woven throughout scripture of the kingdom.
—— Notes ——
eschatology
- understanding of the last things or end times
- destiny of the righteous: kingdom
- destiny of the wicked: hell
3 dimensions to kingdom
- hope
- gospel
- way
we are just talking about hope right now
creation theology
- the first book of the bible begins with a poem, detailing God’s creation of universe
- Genesis 1
- what repeats?
- And God said
- let there be
- and God saw that it was good
- and there was evening and there was morning—the ?? day
- every stanza begins with, “And God said” and “let there be”
- every stanza ends with, “and God saw that it was good” and “it was evening and morning”
- more patterns
- God creates heavens on day 1
- God populates heavens on day 4
- God creates the waters on day 2
- God populates waters on day 5
- God creates the land on day 3
- God populates the land on day 6
- Gen 1.26: The poem climaxes at the creation of humanity
- first time God brings others into creation
- the first thing he says about humans is for them to have dominion over everything else on earth
- Gen 1.27: God made us in his own image
- we are similar to him in some way
- also similar to the angels (cf. v26)
- he does not say the animals are in his image
- Gen 1.28: first commands God gives
- Gen 1.29: God gives his people food (vegetables, grains, & fruits)
- robust creation theology is the foundation for eschatology
- example of Gnostics who believed the physical universe was an accident
- people generally believe God will get in the end what he wanted in the beginning
- Isaiah 45.18
- God’s plan is not to evacuate but to have his world inhabited
- last book reflects the first book
- Genesis records the beginning Revelation records the end
- river flowing out of Eden river flowing from God’s throne
- tree of life in the garden tree of life on either side of the river
- gold, bdellium, and onyx a ton of different precious stones
- God walking in the garden God dwelling with his people (see his face)
- garden city
- probationary permanent
- satan deceives satan done away with
- God curses ground no more curse
- first marriage last marriage
- what God originally wanted in the beginning he will get in the end!
- typically people conceive of the end based on what they believe God originally wanted in the beginning
Promise to Abraham
- Gen 17.4-8
- father of a multitude of nations (not just Israel!)
- to be God to you and your offspring
- give you land Canaan as an everlasting possession
Promise to David
- 1 Chronicles 17.11-14
- raise up one of your sins
- he will build me a house
- I will establish his throne forever
Psalms
- Psalm 2.6-9
- Psalm 37.9-11, 22, 29, 34
- Psalm 110
