Vaughan Roberts DB “God’s Big Picture”
- What is the New Testament perspective on the "last days"? Are they a future reality, a present reality, or both?
- What is the reason for this delay of the consummation of God’s kingdom?
- How does this perspective affect the Christian’s experience in the last days?
1. The New Testament perspective on the "last days" are both the present reality and future reality. It takes in the now and the not yet. Roberts’ claims that the kingdom will only be fully introduced once Jesus says to his people, "Come, you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
2. The kingdom is something that we must wait for in the future. The reason for the delay is because God wants everyone to be able to return to Heaven and repent for their sins. He does not want anyone to perish but be able to be with him.
3. This perspective affects the Christian’s experience in the last days by being bittersweet. We are eternally grateful and joyful to live in God’s glory but also frustrated because we live in an "inbetween" period. God blessed us with so many great blessings and still granted us forgiveness when we did not deserve it. God has also taken it upon himself to take the sin we committed. This is because Jesus Christ did not descend to the world but we are awaiting his arrival. We are eagerly waiting to enter back into Heaven and receive his blessings that he has given us. We live in an "in-between" time where we cannot see Jesus Christ come back yet but we know of his glory and everything he has done for us.
Response #2:
The New Testament Perspective on the Last Days
The last days are both a present reality and a future reality. Although the kingdom of God was introduced to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we must wait for his second coming as this is when the kingdom will be fully revealed to us so that we all may be given its blessings.
The Reason for the Delay of the Consummation of God’s Kingdom
The consummation of God’s Kingdom is delayed to give his Disciples ample time to spread the gospel to all people of the earth. Jesus left the Holy Spirit with his disciples to have a helper guiding them as they teach the world about what Jesus has done.
How the Delay Affects Christians in the Last Days
The last days are filled with both suffering and joy for Christians. We suffer because we still live in a world full of sin with sinful people. On the other hand, God’s people suffer from worldly problems such as aging, diseases, and death. More suffering is a result of the opposition that Christians receive as they spread the gospel. We feel Joy because we have experienced part of the kingdom through the holy spirit, who gives us a taste of heaven (Roberts 2008). We must continue to be righteous Christians as we anticipate for the perfected kingdom.