Jesus the Messiah--Chapter 9: "The Message of Jesus: The Kingdom of God has Come to You"
"During the first eighteen centuries of the church, parables were interpreted as allegories in which the individual details of the parable were to be searched for meaning. Today they are more correctly recognized as extended metaphors which tend to teach a basic point. At times, however, the details of the parable may bear allegorical significance (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43; 22:2-10; Mark 12:1-12). The key for detecting valid allegorical details is to ask whether Jesus' original audience would have interpreted these details in such a manner. Asking this question makes it evident that the ring and the fatted calf in the parable of the prodigal son could not be references the Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper, although the vineyard mentioned in Mark 12:1-12 would have been interpreted as a reference to Israel (Isa. 5:1-2)."
"In these passages [Luke 11:20, 16:16, 17:20-21; Mark 2:21-22] Jesus claimed that kingdom of God had in some way arrived. It was not just near but already here. It was realized...On the other hand, there are passages in which Jesus taught that the kingdom of God involved some future event, something that had not yet occurred [Luke 11:2, 13:22-30; Matt. 5:19-20, 7:21-23, 8:11-12, 25:31-46; Mar 14:25; and so on]. In these passages Jesus taught that the kingdom of God was in some way still future--it was 'not yet.' In some instances the kingdom of God is even a synonym for eternal life (Mark 10:17, 23; John 3:3-5, 15-16]...According to Jesus, the kingdom/reign of God has now come in the a unique way in his ministry. Already the promised Spirit was at work, and after the resurrection he would baptize all of Jesus' followers, beginning at Pentecost. Old Testament prophecies were being fulfilled. A new covenant was inaugurated (Mark 14:24); the resurrection of the dead was about to begin (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Yet the final consummation of all things still lay in the future...Maintaining a balance between the 'already' and the 'not yet' of the kingdom of God is critical. When the tension between them is lost and one aspect is emphasized at the expense of the other, two major errors arise. To lose sight of the 'not yet' leads to a triumphal enthusiasm that is ultimately doomed to disappointment and disillusionment. The fallen character of the this world and our sinful nature will see to that. On the other hand, to lose sight of the 'already' leads to a defeatism and a defensive mentality that thwarts the spreading of the gospel throughout the world. Kept in proper perspective, Jesus' teaching leads to an optimistic and aggressive evangelism as well as an awareness that in this life we are still 'strangers and foreigners on the earth' (Heb. 11:13)."
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