A Biblical Theology of God’s Reign
STEPHEN G. DEMPSTER
An imprint of InterVarsity Press
Downers Grove, Illinois
InterVarsity Press
P.O. Box 1400 | Downers Grove, IL 60515‑1426
ivpress.com | email@ivpress.com
©2024 by Stephen G. Dempster
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press.
InterVarsity Press® is the publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®. For more information, visit intervarsity.org.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are translated by the author.
While any stories in this book are true, some names and identifying information may have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
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Cover design: Brad Joiner
Cover image credit: © lasagnaforone / Getty Images
ISBN 978‑0‑8308‑4291‑9 (print) | ISBN 978‑0‑8308‑4293‑3 (digital)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Dempster, Stephen G., author.
Title: The return of the kingdom : a biblical theology of God’s reign / Stephen G. Dempster.
Description: Downers Grove, IL : IVP Academic, [2024] | Series: Essential studies in biblical theology | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2023039511 (print) | LCCN 2023039512 (ebook) | ISBN 9780830842919 (print) | ISBN 9780830842933 (digital)
Subjects: LCSH: Kingdom of God—Biblical teaching. | Bible. Genesis—Criticism, interpretation, etc. | Bible. Revelation—Criticism, interpretation, etc. | Jesus Christ—Royal office.
Classification: LCC BT94 .D455 2024 (print) | LCC BT94 (ebook) | DDC 231.7/2—dc23/eng/20231026
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023039511
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023039512
I would like to dedicate this book to my daughter, Joanna Ruth,
whose name represents the coming of the kingdom in both testaments.
The birth of this book coincides with the far more amazing birth of
Armaan, the son of Joanna Ruth and her husband, Anwaz.
The meaning of Armaan—hope—constitutes
an essential feature of kingdom life in the present.
Reading the Bible as Scripture is never a matter of handling texts
and the relationships between texts. It is above all a matter of being
in the presence and open to the handling of the One who, in some sense,
is the final “author” of its message, because he is the one whose story it tells,
and it is as we know him, as we dwell in his presence, and as he dwells in us
that we see and hear what he is saying and showing to us through it.
TREVOR HART
Introduction: The Return of the Kingdom: The Biblical Theology of God’s Reign
1 The Big Picture: The Bible’s Bookends
2 The Kingdom Begun: Genesis and Kingship
4 The Loss of the Kingdom: Enemy in the Garden
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About The Return of the Kingdom: A Biblical Theology of God’s ReignThe biblical story begins and ends with God as king. Human beings rebel, however, rather than fulfilling their royal calling to rule creation on behalf of their Sovereign—and the world became enslaved to the rule of a dark, serpentine lord. In this volume of IVP Academic’s Essential Studies in Biblical Theology, Stephen Dempster traces the themes of kingship and kingdom throughout Scripture, illuminating the challenges, pain, and ultimate hope that the Bible offers. The story of God’s kingship is ultimately the fulfillment of a promise, a promise to restore the rightful rule of humanity over creation by defeating sin and death and to establish a world of peace and justice. Essential Studies in Biblical Theology (ESBT), edited by Benjamin L. Gladd, explore the central or essential themes of the Bible’s grand storyline. Taking cues from Genesis 1–3, authors trace the presence of these themes throughout the entire sweep of redemptive history. Written for students, church leaders, and laypeople, the series offers an introduction to biblical theology. |
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