Book Review: The Return of the Kingdom by Stephen G. Dempster

The Bible is not about us although it is written for us. The Bible tells us of a King who reigns over the earth despite the rebellion on His subjects. God created us. He gives us His law. We are the ones who have rebelled against Him.

In the latest book in the series, Essential Studies in Biblical Theology (ESBT), Stephen G. Dempster looks at the reign of God throughout the entire Bible and how it will come to an eternal reign in the end. The book is appropriately titled, The Return of the Kingdom. 

Dempster begins by saying when Christians refer to the return of the King, they are normally referring to the return of Christ. We are reminded that the Second Coming is the blessed hope as stated in the book of Titus. This book is not all about the Second Coming, but the coming of eternal reign of God. Now all Christians do believe that God reigns right now even though our world is chaotic right now, but this in reference to fulfilling a promise for the King to reign on the earth for all eternity.

Dempster goes through the entire Bible regarding the Kingdom of God. He goes back to creation, how we rebelled, and the promises made to restore mankind to God. He then touches on the promises of God fulfilled in Christ and His finished work on the cross.

The climax of the book deals with kingdom expansion as we see in the book of Acts along with being part of the Kingdom community written in the epistles. The last chapter addresses the conclusion when the Kingdom comes to fruition when Christ returns to establish the Kingdom on the earth. 

Many have wondered when Christ will return. We know we live in the already and not yet as we wait for Christ to return. I love what Dempster said in the last paragraph of the book:

The goodness and the love of God are the reason for delay. His patience means salvation. The necessary consequence: "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him" (2 Pet. 3:14 NIV). Or as one of my former professors once said about this passage: "In light of the gracious delay, we all have another day to be more holy."

What Dempster's professor said is a good echo of 2 Peter 3:11-12 which says, "Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with intense heat!" (LSB).

This book is a simple one to go through as you study eschatology.

I received this book from InterVarsity Press in exchange for an honest review.