Exile

The Presence of the Future: The New Testament’s Inaugurated Eschatology (with G.K. Beale)

Kirk E. Miller

The Old Testament tells a unifying story of God working to restore his creation and establish his kingdom. This would finally happen permanently and irreversible at the end of history, the “last days.” But the New Testament presents this time as already having dawned in the arrival of Christ. We are living in those “last days,” as Peter said (Acts 2). Premier New Testament scholar, G.K. Beale, visits the Church Theology podcast to talk about the New Testament’s “inaugurated eschatology,” or as George Eldon Ladd put it, “the presence of the future.”

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)

Jesus, the Fulfillment of Israel’s Story (Matthew 1:1-17)

Kirk E. Miller

Jesus, the Fulfillment of Israel’s Story (Matthew 1:1-17)
CrossWay Community Church
November 6th, 2022

Podcast link.

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The ABI’s of God’s Kingdom, Pt. 2 (How to Read the Bible, Ep. 12)

Kirk E. Miller

If we are to read each portion of scripture in view of the broader story of scripture, then what is that bigger story? What is the overarching storyline of the Bible? In this episode, we cover the next three epochs of that overarching story: the initial form of the kingdom in Israel, the exile, and the prophets’ messages of warning and hope.

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)

See all other content in this series.

ABI’s (Dan Allen)Download PDF

Death Swallowed Up! (Isaiah 25:1-12)

Kirk E. Miller

Death Swallowed Up! (Isaiah 25:1-12)
CrossWay Community Church
April 17th, 2022

Podcast link.

Redemptive-Historical Survey: 12 | Return from Exile (LDBC Recap 4/17/16 Pt. 2)

Kirk E. Miller 1 Comment

Explanation

logo-lake-drive-baptist-churchOn Sunday, January 24th, 2016, I began a Core Seminar on Redemptive History & Biblical Theology at my church, Lake Drive Baptist Church. During the course of this series I’ll be sending out emails recapping lessons and directing recipients to resources for further study.

Rather than just share these recaps with my church family, I’ve decided to share them here on the blog for anyone else who might be interested. I will be posting them occasionally over the next couple of months on a weekly basis or so.

See previous posts:

Recap/review

We complete this week’s recap by surveying the role of the return from exile in redemptive history.

Overview of Biblical material

Ezra, Nehemiah

  • Judah returns from exile in three waves:
    • 70 years after Judah’s exile, the Persian (recall that Persia overtook Babylon) King Cyrus sent some exiles, led by Zerubbabel, back to Jerusalem. (538 BC)
    • With Ezra in 458 BC.
    • With Nehemiah in 445 BC.

See Isa 44:28 and Jer 29:10-14.

  • Despite opposition from the non-Jewish inhabitants of Judea, the wall and temple were rebuilt under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

Cf. Esther (the events in Esther occur during this time, but relate to life in exile) as well as the post-exilic prophets—Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Role within redemptive history

We summarized the role of the return from exile in redemptive history as follows: God brings many of his people back from exile. However, this is clearly not the ultimate realization of the new-creational kingdom of which the New Covenant spoke.

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