The Kingdom Jesus established is not awaiting a future cataclysmic arrival but has been progressively expanding since the first century, evidenced by measurable historical data: declining violence, rising life expectancy, expanding education, eradication of diseases, and advancing human rights. The long-term arc of history bends toward light because the New Jerusalem is always descending.
The Argument
- Daniel's prophecy of a rock 'cut without hands' that grows into a mountain filling the whole earth (Dan 2:31-44) has been unfolding since Christ established the Kingdom; global data across millenni...
- Jesus said some standing with Him would 'not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom' (Matt 16:28), fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, which marked the clos...
- The church taught that everything must be in decline to validate its end-times theology, but the actual data shows improvement over the long haul; a 20-30 year period is a blip on a 1,000-year grap...
Key Scriptures
- Daniel 2:31-44
- Matthew 16:28
- Isaiah 9:7
- Revelation 21:24
Over to You
If the Kingdom is measurably advancing (less war, longer life, more justice over centuries), what does that do to the 'everything's getting worse' narrative?
From Dismantling Religion by Chris Drake — Chapter 9: The New Jerusalem Is Always Coming