Over the past fifty years, modern scholarship has come to recognize a third view of the Kingdom of God. This view takes into account the mindset of the first century Jews as detailed in the writings between the two Testaments. This may sound like a small detail, but, as all meaning is context depended, it has made quite an impact upon the Church.

No longer is the “kingdom of heaven” described purely as a physical, political land or as individual salvation. It is the realized eschatology of the reign and rule of God in our lives.

The age to come that was prophesied by the men of old has come into the world today. Yet at the same time, we are still waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise. Today is the time between the ages; a time when we see glimpses of the Kingdom in between the darkness of war.

In regards to the question of whether the Church should police society, this third view of the kingdom changes everything:

• If the kingdom of God is not a physical, political land, then Christendom must die.
• If the Kingdom of God is not just individual salvation, then the Church must refocus it’s outlook on life.

Continued tomorrow…