Creation and Consummation: The Church as the Goal of History
by S.E. Wang
The first and last chapters of the Bible tell us God’s will and plan for humanity, and the consummation of this plan in the new Jerusalem. What was started in the garden will be perfected in the church. These chapters also give us hope in the eschatological tension of this age.
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Within the structure revealed by the first two chapters and the last two chapters of God’s holy Word, creation and redemption do not exist merely as two stages of redemptive history. Rather, they both share the same purpose and goal. They are the same work of God throughout all of history—they are inseparable. Salvation includes re-creation, and creation is accomplished through salvation. Similarly, biblical anthropology and ecclesiology become two inseparable realms of theology, two aspects of the same subject. Anthropology focuses on creation and the Fall, while ecclesiology focuses on the process of salvation and the formation of God’s people. In the realm of anthropology, God’s ideal expression of humanity is the church—men and women in community, and the final, perfected church is a community of men and women created by God.
The church is the new Jerusalem, the eternal, holy city of humanity. Every local church we see today is the eschatological presence of that heavenly human community. The work of the Holy Spirit is to create a community in the church that reflects that final, perfect human community and that displays the glory of God. The church works together with God the Spirit, not only in the work of redemption but in the work of creation, and creates together with God the everlasting humanity of God’s design.
The church is not only the goal of redemptive history but the goal of history. The visible churches spread throughout the world today are the new Jerusalem in a historical context. They are the scaffolding of the heavenly city of man. In their essence they are cities of men redeemed to display the glory of that holy city. And through the work of the Holy Spirit, they are continually sanctified as they approach that eternal city, until salvation is finally and completely accomplished.
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S.E. Wang is the Cofounder and Director of Theological Content for the Center for House Church Theology. A sixth generation Christian from Beijing, China, he received a Master of Arts in Religion from Westminster Theological Seminary.
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Category: Academic
Date created: 2018
Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31, Revelation 21:1-5
Key terms: ecclesiology, eschatology, redemptive-historical framework
This article was first published in 2018. This English edition and introduction are copyright © 2023 by the Center for House Church Theology. All rights reserved. Cover design and Illustration by PC Ng.
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