the Promised Land (Exod. 23:29–30; Deut. 7:22), in God’s unfolding of His revelation in history (Isa. 28:10; Heb. 1:1–2), in the progress of redemption in time (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4), and in the expansion of Christ’s kingdom to the end (Isa. 9:6–7; Mark 4:26–32). This principle of gradualism gives rise to the “now but not yet” principle in eschatology. For instance, our Lord established His kingdom in the first century. Not only did He declare “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark