.

1. CMV—101 • Topic 7c
How Is God Restoring the World?

2. Christian Worldview Metanarrative
ACT 1 — Creation
ACT 2 — The Fall
ACT 3 — Redemption
ACT 4 — Restoration

3. Restoration
God is healing the scars of sin and brokenness of men &
women and He is
fi
xing brokenness in the world. This
process will continue until the eventual restoration of all
things when everything is made new—new heavens, new
Earth, and new bodies for people.
(Hiles, 2021, “Glossary of Terms”)

4. Where is restoration happening?

5. Where ever God reigns

6. The Kingdom of God
The reign and rule of God over his creation…redeeming people
and restoring creation to his original order and design
(Hiles, 2021, “Glossary of Terms”)

7. Where is the Kingdom of God?
When is the Kingdom of God coming?

8. Where is the Kingdom of God?
1. Jesus brought the Kingdom of God

9. If by the Spirit of God I cast out demons, then the kingdom
of God has come upon you.
(Matt 12:28 ESV)
He proclaims: “The time is ful
fi
lled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
(Mark 1:15 ESV)
Jesus went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and
bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.
(Luke 8:1 ESV)

10. Jesus sent [his disciples] out to proclaim the kingdom of God
and to heal.
(Luke 9:2 ESV)
[Jesus command them] Heal the sick in each town and say to
them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.
(Luke 10:9 ESV)

11. Jesus brought KOG

12. Where is the Kingdom of God?
1. Jesus brought the Kingdom of God
2. The Kingdom of God is not here yet

13. So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this
time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to
know times or seasons that the Father has
fi
xed by his own authority.
(Acts 1:6–8 ESV)

14. Sco
ff
ers will come in the last day…saying, “Where is the promise of his
coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as
they were from the beginning of creation.”…But the day of the Lord will
come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the
heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved
(2 Pet 3:3–10 ESV)

15. Jesus has not
brought the KOG yet

16. Where is the Kingdom of God?
1. Jesus brought the Kingdom of God
2. The Kingdom of God is not here yet
3. The Kingdom of God is Conditional
(i.e. for some but not others)

17. I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matt 19:24 ESV)
[To the leaders He said] I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away
from you and given to a people producing its fruits (Matt 21:43 ESV)

18. KOG is Conditional

19. Why does this matter?

20. Why does this matter?
1. Jesus healed some people, but we still have sicknesses

21. Why does this matter?
1. Jesus healed some people, but we still have sicknesses
2. Jesus cast out demons, but demons still run around

22. Why does this matter?
1. Jesus healed some people, but we still have sicknesses
2. Jesus cast out demons, but demons still run around
3. God is restoring earth, but earth still su
ff
ers
4. Jesus changes some hearts, but there are still rotten people!

23. Why does this matter?
1. Jesus healed some people, but we still have sicknesses
2. Jesus cast out demons, but demons still run around
3. Our world su
ff
ers
4. Jesus changes some hearts but evil people still get away with stu
ff
5. Jesus is not totally reigning yet.

24. How do Scholars answer the question?

25. Where/When is the Kingdom of God?
1. Christendom Model of the Kingdom of God

26. Christendom
The Church is the visible Kingdom of
God on earth
Everywhere the church reigns, Christ
visibly reigns.

27. Christendom
Medieval Church
• Pope is vicar of Christ
• Pope rules over Kings
• Kings rules over kingdoms
• Kingdoms spread over the earth
• Therefore Christ rules the earth

28. Implication:
The Church is agent of restoration

29. Problem (Reformation)
Pope does not rule over Eastern Orthodox
Pope does not rule over Protestant Church

30. Problem (Reformation)
• Christians exist outside of the Church
• Churches exist in many traditions
• KOG is not visibly reigning everywhere
Russian Orthodox Church

31. 1. Christendom Model of the Kingdom of God
2. Amillennial Model of the Kingdom of God
Where/When is the Kingdom of God?

32. The Amillennialists
John Calvin
Presbyterians
Reform Churches
Episcopal Church

33. Amillennialism
The belief that [a literal] reign of Christ and the saints described [is not
a political reign on earth], but a symbolic designation for the present
period of the Church established at Pentecost and ending with
Christ’s return and the Last Judgement.
Mcfarland, I. A., & McFarland, I. A. (2011). Amillennialism. In I. A. McFarland, D. A. S. Fergusson, K. Kilby, & et. al. (Eds.), Cambridge dictionary
of Christian theology. Cambridge University Press. Credo Reference: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/
content/entry/cupdct/amillennialism/0?institutionId=5865

34. Amillennialism
Christ spiritually reigns only in the hearts of men and women
Mcfarland, I. A., & McFarland, I. A. (2011). Amillennialism. In I. A. McFarland, D. A. S. Fergusson, K. Kilby, & et. al. (Eds.), Cambridge dictionary
of Christian theology. Cambridge University Press. Credo Reference: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/
content/entry/cupdct/amillennialism/0?institutionId=5865

35. Implication:
Restoration happens in hearts of men & women
leading to restoration the eventual of Creation

36. Problem:
What about all the other promises, like God restoring the
Jews to the Land of Israel? And Kingdom of God on
earth?

37. How do scholars answer this?
1. Christendom Model of the Kingdom of God
2. Amillennial Model of the Kingdom of God
3. Postmillennial Model of the Kingdom of God

38. Postmillennialism
Christ will return AFTER a Millennial period of the Church’s steady
and triumphant growth.
Mcfarland, I. A., & McFarland, I. A. (2011). Amillennialism. In I. A. McFarland, D. A. S. Fergusson, K. Kilby, & et. al. (Eds.), Cambridge dictionary
of Christian theology. Cambridge University Press. Credo Reference: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/
content/entry/cupdct/amillennialism/0?institutionId=5865

39. Postmillennialism
1. Church will triump over all evil.
2. The Church will usher in a utopian era of peace
3. Then Jesus will return
Mcfarland, I. A., & McFarland, I. A. (2011). Postmillennialism. In I. A. McFarland, D. A. S. Fergusson, K. Kilby, & et. al. (Eds.), Cambridge
dictionary of Christian theology. Cambridge University Press. Credo Reference: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://
search.credoreference.com/content/entry/cupdct/postmillennialism/0?institutionId=5865

40. Missions in 1800s
Missionaries believed they were
bringing western civilization to the
primitives

41. Implication:
Church is triumphantly conquering other cultures

42. Problem
1. Christian Nationalism
2. Western Colonialism
3. Associating the Church with Western countries
4. Not working! World is not getting better
5. Christianity is not triumphant

43. How do scholars answer this?
1. Christendom Model of the Kingdom of God
2. Amillennial Model of the Kingdom of God
3. Postmillennial Model of the Kingdom of God
4. Premillennial Model of the Kingdom of God

44. Premillennialism
Christ will return after a period of declining morality and increased evil.
He will establish a literal 1,000 year political reign on earth and literally
ful
fi
ll the Biblical promises, like returning the Jews to Israel.
Mcfarland, I. A., & McFarland, I. A. (2011). Amillennialism. In I. A. McFarland, D. A. S. Fergusson, K. Kilby, & et. al. (Eds.), Cambridge dictionary
of Christian theology. Cambridge University Press. Credo Reference: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/
content/entry/cupdct/amillennialism/0?institutionId=5865

45. Armagedon
A great battle when all the nations
meet in war and Jesus returns.

46. Implication:
World is going to get worse and worse
Then Jesus will return and reign

47. Implication:
But then should we try to fix the world if its only going
to get worse, and worse?

48. Which model or models make sense?
1. Christendom Model of the Kingdom of God
2. Amillennial Model of the Kingdom of God
3. Postmillennial Model of the Kingdom of God
4. Premillennial Model of the Kingdom of God