{"id":3775,"date":"2019-06-01T15:38:36","date_gmt":"2019-06-01T15:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takingeverythoughtcaptivetoobeychrist.wordpress.com\/?p=3775"},"modified":"2019-06-01T15:38:36","modified_gmt":"2019-06-01T15:38:36","slug":"of-the-increase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/of-the-increase\/","title":{"rendered":"Of the Increase"},"content":{"rendered":"

In\u00a0my previous post<\/a>\u00a0I discussed the key text of 1 Corinthians 15 that pushed me over the edge into embracing Postmillennialism. Once I understood that text, and once I understood partial Preterism, the beauty and the extent of the growth of the Kingdom of God began to make sense and be plain to me.<\/p>\n

Throughout the Scripture the Kingdom of God is described as something that grows, and grows into something big. Take for example two of Jesus’ parables in Matthew 13:<\/p>\n

31\u00a0<\/sup>He put another parable before them, saying,\u00a0\u201cThe kingdom of heaven is like\u00a0a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.<\/span><\/span>32\u00a0<\/sup>It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

33\u00a0<\/sup>He told them another parable.\u00a0\u201cThe kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in\u00a0three measures of flour, till it was\u00a0all leavened.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The Kingdom of Heaven is not one that will be small and diminished by the forces of the anti-christ in the last days. It is one, that since that time of Jesus, has continued to grow and will be massive. It started small, but has been given continual slow and steady growth throughout history. The descendants of Abraham will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore and the stars in the sky (and we understand the offspring of Abraham to be those who by sharing his faith are sons and daughters, not of the flesh).<\/p>\n

One of my favorite texts on the subject is found in the beloved Christmas text of Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 7,<\/p>\n

“Of the increase of his government and of peace<\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>there will be no end,<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\non the throne of David and over his kingdom,<\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>to establish it and to uphold it<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\nwith justice and with righteousness<\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>from this time forth and forevermore.<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\nThe zeal of the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0of hosts will do this.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Of the\u00a0increase\u00a0<\/em>of his [Jesus Christ’s] government and of peace there will be\u00a0no end.\u00a0<\/em>The rule and reign of Jesus Christ will, without end, continue to increase throughout the earth turning the nations unto Him so that they will flow to the mountain of God (Isaiah 2:2). Furthermore, with the increase of the rule of Christ comes the increase of peace, for Jesus is the Prince of Peace. I do not spiritualize this passage and the many like it, but take it to be something that actually happens in time and in history.<\/p>\n

A common objection to this is that the world isn’t getting better – things are getting worse. I did not invent this response, but the answer is that you’re looking to closely at your present situation. Consider world history in 500 year increments and you will see how indeed the Kingdom of God has advanced and grown and is so doing. We must believe the many promises of victory in scripture such as Habakkuk 2:14,<\/p>\n

“For the earth will be filled<\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>with the knowledge of\u00a0the glory of the\u00a0Lord<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>as the waters cover the sea.”<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Consider also Daniel 2:34-35 where the Kingdom of God is compared to a stone that becomes a great mountain that fills the whole earth. We must believe these promises over what seems possible to man. If God has promised it, it will happen, no matter how unlikely it is to the flesh. Do we believe God is big enough, that His gospel is powerful enough, and that His Word is faithful enough to carry out what has been promised? I hope we do.<\/p>\n

There is much more to be said here, but I will leave these verse and thoughts here for you meditation and consideration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In\u00a0my previous post\u00a0I discussed the key text of 1 Corinthians 15 that pushed me over the edge into embracing Postmillennialism. Once I understood that text, and once I understood partial Preterism, the beauty and the extent of the growth of the Kingdom of God began to make sense and be plain to me. Throughout the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":3776,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,27,32],"tags":[205,274,278,446,557,565,598,619,649,678,679,698,699,717,765,841,880,912,928,962,1014,1036,1056,1067,1099,1105,1271,1365],"class_list":{"0":"post-3775","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-faith","8":"category-gospel","9":"category-theology","10":"tag-bible","11":"tag-christ","12":"tag-christianity","13":"tag-eschatology","14":"tag-god","15":"tag-government","16":"tag-heaven","17":"tag-hope","18":"tag-increase","19":"tag-jenkins","20":"tag-jesus","21":"tag-josh","22":"tag-joshua","23":"tag-kingdom","24":"tag-lord","25":"tag-mountain","26":"tag-of","27":"tag-parables","28":"tag-peace","29":"tag-postmillenniliasm","30":"tag-rags","31":"tag-reign","32":"tag-riches","33":"tag-rule","34":"tag-savior","35":"tag-scripture","36":"tag-tree","37":"tag-world","38":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/06\/mountain-06-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3784,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/how-can-these-things-be-john-39-15\/","url_meta":{"origin":3775,"position":0},"title":"How Can These Things Be? John 3:9-15","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"June 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 9\u00a0Nicodemus said to him,\u00a0\u201cHow can these things be?\u201d\u00a010\u00a0Jesus answered him,\u00a0\u201cAre you the teacher of Israel\u00a0and yet you do not understand these things?\u00a011\u00a0Truly, truly, I say to you,\u00a0we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but\u00a0you[a]\u00a0do not receive our testimony.12\u00a0If I have told you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/06\/images.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3826,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/he-must-increase-john-322-30\/","url_meta":{"origin":3775,"position":1},"title":"He Must Increase; John 3:22-30","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"August 6, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 22\u00a0After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and\u00a0was baptizing.\u00a023\u00a0John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized\u00a024\u00a0(for\u00a0John had not yet been put in prison). 25\u00a0Now a discussion arose\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/08\/john_the_baptist.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4646,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/pilate-before-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":3775,"position":2},"title":"Pilate Before Jesus","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"November 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"28\u00a0Then they led Jesus\u00a0from the house of Caiaphas to\u00a0the governor's headquarters.[f]\u00a0It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters,\u00a0so that they would not be defiled,\u00a0but could eat the Passover.\u00a029\u00a0So Pilate went outside to them and said, \u201cWhat accusation do you bring against this man?\u201d\u00a030\u00a0They answered him, \u201cIf\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/pontius-pilate.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/pontius-pilate.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/pontius-pilate.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3960,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/a-hasty-mob-and-a-patient-king-john-61-15\/","url_meta":{"origin":3775,"position":3},"title":"A Hasty Mob and a Patient King; John 6:1-15","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"November 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 After this\u00a0Jesus went away to the other side of\u00a0the Sea of Galilee, which is\u00a0the Sea of Tiberias.\u00a02\u00a0And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.\u00a03\u00a0Jesus went up on\u00a0the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.\u00a04\u00a0Now\u00a0the Passover, the\u00a0feast\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/11\/tissot-miracle-of-the-loaves-and-fishes-450x309x72.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4078,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-offspring-of-david-john-740-52\/","url_meta":{"origin":3775,"position":4},"title":"The Offspring of David; John 7:40-52","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 40\u00a0When they heard these words,\u00a0some of the people said, \u201cThis really is\u00a0the Prophet.\u201d\u00a041\u00a0Others said, \u201cThis is\u00a0the Christ.\u201d But some said,\u00a0\u201cIs the Christ to come from Galilee?\u00a042\u00a0Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes\u00a0from the offspring of David, and comes\u00a0from Bethlehem, the village\u00a0where David was?\u201d\u00a043\u00a0So there was\u00a0a division among\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/king-david.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/king-david.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/04\/king-david.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3747,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/how-jesus-takes-away-the-sin-of-the-world-commentary-on-john-129-34\/","url_meta":{"origin":3775,"position":5},"title":"How Jesus Takes Away the Sin of the World: Commentary on John 1:29-34","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 29\u00a0The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, \u201cBehold,\u00a0the Lamb of God, who\u00a0takes away the sin\u00a0of the world!\u00a030\u00a0This is he of whom I said,\u00a0\u2018After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.\u2019\u00a031\u00a0I myself did not know him, but\u00a0for this purpose I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/04\/jordanriveras_hdv.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/04\/jordanriveras_hdv.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/04\/jordanriveras_hdv.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/04\/jordanriveras_hdv.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3775"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3775\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}