The Kingdom of God: What Was He Building?
30 min read
The return of Jesus is not an escape narrative. It is the consummation of the Kingdom — the moment when what is "not yet" becomes fully "already," and all things are made new.
"Behold, I am making all things new." — Revelation 21:5
1. Eschatology shapes ethics.
What you believe about the future determines how you live in the present. If you believe Jesus is returning to burn the earth and evacuate the righteous, there is little reason to care for creation, work for justice, or invest in anything beyond personal salvation. If you believe Jesus is returning to renew all things — the resurrection and new creation vision of the New Testament — then every act of faithfulness now has permanent significance.
2. The New Testament's vision is renewal, not evacuation.
Revelation 21:1-5 does not describe souls finally escaping earth. It describes a new heaven and a new earth — and God himself coming to dwell among his people on the renewed earth. The Greek word for "new" in verse 5 is kainos — not a replacement of the old, but a renewal and transformation of it. The same material world, purged of evil and corruption, transformed by the presence of God. Creation is the stage on which God's purposes will be eternally fulfilled, not discarded once those purposes are achieved.
3. The return of Jesus will accomplish what the Kingdom has been moving toward.
At Jesus' return: the dead will be raised 1 Thessalonians 4:16, the living will be transformed 1 Corinthians 15:52, the final judgment will render permanent verdicts Matthew 25:31-46, Satan will be destroyed Revelation 20:10, death will be abolished 1 Corinthians 15:26, and God will be "all in all" 1 Corinthians 15:28. These are not events to fear. They are the completion of the story that began at creation, was disrupted by the fall, was decisively repaired at the cross, and awaits its consummation at Christ's return.
4. The timing is unknown; the posture is readiness.
Matthew 24:36 — "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." Jesus explicitly refuses to give a date. What he commands instead is readiness — the kind of readiness that is not passive waiting but active, fruitful engagement. The parable of the ten virgins Matthew 25:1-13 and the parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-30 both describe the proper posture as active, prepared, invested engagement with the present world.
5. Eschatological hope energizes present faithfulness.
Romans 8:18 — "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." The hope of the coming Kingdom is not escapism — it is the fuel that sustains faithfulness under pressure. It is what allows Paul to "abound in the work of the Lord" knowing that his labor is "not in vain" 1 Corinthians 15:58. The return of Jesus is the promise that the story ends well — and that promise makes the present chapter worth writing faithfully.
Write a paragraph: how does the expectation of Jesus' return change how you engage your work, your relationships, or your engagement with injustice today?
Submit your paragraph and your journal answer about how eschatology has shaped your life.
A: A new heaven and new earth — God coming to dwell among his people on a renewed creation, not souls escaping the physical world.
A: The resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, the destruction of evil and death, and the completion of God's purpose to be all in all.
A: Active readiness — not passive waiting but fruitful, invested engagement with the present world, knowing that faithful labor is not in vain.
Lord Jesus, come. And while I wait, let me live as though the renewal of all things is already underway — because it is. Amen.