The Reformed Libertarians Podcast

Ep. 16: 5 Elements & Epochs of the Kingdom of God


Episode Artwork
1.0x
0% played 00:00 00:00
Jun 06 2024 34 mins   21
Other Episodes

An introduction to a Reformed view of the Kingdom of God in its 5 elements and its 5 covenantally-administered epochs, culminating in the Kingdom’s definitive consummation in the New Creation. The relation between Christian cultural activity and the Kingdom of God is also clarified.

https://reformedlibertarians.com/016


Main Points of Discussion

00:00 Introduction

00:32 Episode description

01:03 Kingdom of God as the New Creation and central to Bible and all reality

03:25 5 “Royal” Elements
Ruler, Realm, Reign, those Ruled, Regulation by Covenant

05:31 Covenant in Scripture as oath-commitment
Covenants as administering Kingdom of God

07:20 5 Epochs
1. Probation/Proffered
2. Promised
3. Prefigured
4. Present-Inauguration
5. Parousia-Consummation
& See "The Grid": https://upper-register.com/papers/kline_grid.pdf

10:22 Contrary to postmil, premil, and heresy* [see note below] of popular “Evangelical” Dispensationalism

12:15 1st Epoch: Probation – the Covenant of Works
“Eschatology Precedes Soteriology”

17:10 2nd Epoch: Promised – the Protevangelium (Gen. 3.15) and Abrahamic Covenant
The Seed is Christ, the Land is New Creation, the Blessing is Salvation by grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone

19:24 3rd Epoch: Prefigured – the Old Mosaic Covenant
Temporary and typological theocracy
Suspension of normal operations of “common grace”
Non-free market and coercive punishment of non-aggressive immorality
Typological principle of works (covenant blessings & curses)

24:03 4th Epoch: Present-Inauguration – the New Covenant
The gospel, salvation accomplished in history
Crucial distinction between (a) “subjective recognition of Christ’s reign” involving the implications of Christian beliefs for all of life -vs.- (b) “objective realm” of Christ’s Kingdom as the new heavens&earth, presently and uniquely manifest as the institutional church (not as common culture or society)
The gospel, church, and presently-inaugurated Kingdom are NOT “political”

30:23 5th Epoch: Parousia-Consummation – the everlasting, full realization of the New Covenant
Flesh & blood (pre-glorified human nature) cannot inherit the Kingdom, and so requires eschatological transformation, glorified incorruptibility

*Note
Differing forms of Dispensationalism (heretical or not) have been used by some to justify the worst of the United States government’s murderous, warmongering foreign policy. One of Dispensationalism’s erroneous beliefs (in all its forms) is that after the first advent of Christ, God’s promise to give the physical territory of Canaan to the physical descendants of Israel remains in effect.
A doctrinal “heresy” can be understood as a teaching that denies some point of orthodox creedal teaching. The heretical teaching we had in mind (and should have specified) is the belief that prior to Christ’s first advent, or during the era of the Law (or Old Covenant), salvation was not by grace through faith in Christ, the promised Savior. Not all forms of Dispensationalism teach this, however.
For further discussion of Dispensationalism, see this lecture on The New Covenant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynilaJANdoM

Additional Resources:

Download episode Share
Copy URL



Listen on Podcast Addict
Subscribe on Podcast Addict