The Five Elements and Epochs of The Kingdom Of God

June 6, 2024
Reformed Libertarians Podcast

Summary – The Five Elements and Epochs of The Kingdom Of God

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

View transcript: https://reformedlibertarians.com/transcript-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”
30:25	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

The Majesty On High, by Steven M. Baugh
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544985584/
– Books At A Glance summary
https://www.booksataglance.com/book-reviews/the-majesty-on-high-introduction-to-the-kingdom-of-god-in-the-new-testament-by-s-m-baugh/
Audio from Baugh on the Kingdom of God
– Reformed Forum, Christ The Center Podcast ep.635 w/Baugh on The Majesty On High
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUnRUG-eGHI
– WSCal Office Hours Podcast w/Baugh on The Majesty On High
https://www.wscal.edu/devotion/kingdom-of-god/
– Lecture by Baugh on Kingdom as Consummation
https://www.wscal.edu/devotion/thy-kingdom-come/
– Conference Presentation by Baugh on Kingdom in New Testament
https://www.wscal.edu/devotion/the-kingdom-in-the-new-testament/
– Devotional by Baugh on Kingdom in John’s writings
https://www.wscal.edu/devotion/a-survey-of-the-kingdom-of-god-in-johns-writings/
“The New Creation, the Kingdom of God, and the Church,” by Steven M. Baugh
https://opc.org/nh.html?article_id=1128
Spring 2024 Friday Night Academy on Covenant Theology in systematic, biblical, and practical perspectives by Pastor Charles Lee Irons of Santa Clarita URC
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwrDNUO5MDu9WPd6FaReLxZkaK7VO8plE
Sacred Bond: Covenant Theology Explored (2nd ed), by Brown and Keele
https://reformedfellowship.net/products/sacred-bond-covenant-theology-explored-second-edition
Reformed Covenant Theology: A Systematic Introduction, by Harrison Perkins
https://www.heritagebooks.org/products/reformed-covenant-theology-a-systematic-introduction-perkins.html
video explaining The Biblical-Theological “Grid” graphic of the Kingdom Of God in 5 Epochs, by Lee Irons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu7rbuOseZ8
[ PDF of The Grid : https://upper-register.com/papers/kline_grid.pdf ]
video explaining Adam’s Probation and the Priority of Eschatology, by Lee Irons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NJwB_f1P4
“The Deeper (Reformed) Protestant Conception,” by Lane Tipton
https://reformedforum.org/what-is-the-deeper-protestant-conception/
The Reformed View of Christian Cultural Activity and Mistaken Views
https://reformedlibertarians.com/004
Reformed Biblical-Theological Foundations for Christian Cultural Activity, by Gregory Baus
https://honest2blog.blogspot.com/2022/01/reformed-biblical-theological.html
About Theocracy in New Covenant Era
https://reformedlibertarians.com/015
The Conquest of Canaan, episode 14 of the Biblical Anarchy Podcast by Jacob Winograd w/Gregory Baus
https://reformedlibertarians.com/episode/conquest-of-canaan-conflict-anarchism/
video explaining the relations between the Abrahamic, Old Mosaic, and New Covenants, by Lee Irons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_ScAhK-s2s
5 videos explaining the typological works principle in the Old Mosaic Covenant, by Lee Irons
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwrDNUO5MDu-vEf9AeUSZt8UY53E7OYnF

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