Living in the Tension: A Study on the "Now and Not Yet" Kingdom of Godಮಾದರಿ

The "Not Yet" of the Kingdom: A Future Hope

Questions to think through:

1. Read Revelation 21:1-5. What are the key features of the "new heaven and new earth"? What will be absent in the fully realized Kingdom of God?

2. Isaiah 65:17-25 provides a rich Old Testament vision of this future reality. What aspects of this description bring you the most hope?

3. According to 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, what is the ultimate destiny of the Kingdom? What does it mean for God to be "all in all"?

4. How does the promise of the "not yet" Kingdom give us strength and perspective to face the suffering and injustices of the "now"?

As wonderful as it is to experience the "now" of God's Kingdom, we don't have to look far to see that all is not yet right with the world. We still grapple with sin, sickness, sorrow, and death. This is the "not yet" tension. But the Bible gives us a breathtaking vision of what is to come. A day is coming when God will wipe away every tear, when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. A day is coming when all of creation will be renewed, and God's dwelling place will be with His people. This is not a fanciful fairy tale; it is the sure and certain hope for all who are in Christ. This hope is not an escape from the present, but an anchor for our souls in the midst of life's storms. It empowers us to persevere, to work for justice and peace, and to long for the day when our King returns to make all things new.