Leaven and the Kingdom of Christ

As Anthony Hoekema begins to unravel some of the nuances of "inaugurated eschatology" in his book The Bible and the Future, one of the facets he tries to emphasize is the fact that the kingdom of God is already present in the person of Jesus Christ - in his incarnation, his casting out of demons, his binding of Satan, his performance of miracles, his preaching of the gospel, and his forgiveness of sins. These were all signs that the kingdom was in our midst, standing right before us as the fulfillment of all the long-expected prophecies of the Old Testament. Jesus spoke often on this topic - of his fulfillment of prophetic promises and of his kingdom coming into this world.

Although the kingdom had been inaugurated, it had not been fully realized - much like when the U.S. troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in WWII and decisively defeated the European Axis Powers (known as D-day), and yet, the total victory would not be felt until some time later (i.e. V-day). One day marked the decisive turning point in the war, whereas the other day marked the complete surrender of the enemy and celebrated victory of the Allied forces. Today, we live in the middle of D-day (Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection) and V-day (Christ's second coming), where the influence of Christ's kingdom continues to grow. Hoekema explains how Jesus describes the ever-increasing nature with which the kingdom is revealed in the world in the Parable of the Leaven (Luke 13:20-21):

When leaven (or yeast) is put into flour, nothing seems to happen for awhile, but eventually the entire batch is leavened. In similar fashion, the kingdom of God is now hidden, quietly but pervasively making its influence felt, until one day it will come out into the open, to be seen by all. The kingdom in its present state, therefore, is an object of faith, not of sight. But when the final phase of the kingdom is ushered in by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, every knee shall bow "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:11).(1)

Quietly yet pervasively, the kingdom of Christ is making its presence known and its influence felt in our world, until one day, when the time has fully come, it will be revealed to all. That which was inaugurated with Christ's incarnation will be consummated with his return.

(1) Hoekema, The Bible and the Future, pg. 52.