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DIE VERHOUDING âEKKLESIAâ TOT DIE âKONINKRYK VAN GODâ: âN HERMENEUTIESE STUDIE IN DIE LIG VAN OPENBARING 1-3Wahl, Willem Petrus 10 December 2007 (has links)
The purpose of this study is to do research on the relation between the terms Kingdom of
God and Ecclesia, within the problem field of Biblical hermeneutics. The focus is on
Revelation 1-3 as it encompasses the main idea of this study, namely that the Kingdom of
God is the axel around which the existence of the Ecclesia (church) revolves. A study on
the historical background indicates that the Church in Revelations has gone through an
era of prosecution and that it will happen again. Victory is encompassed in the reality of
a religious experience of the Kingdom that has to function in and through the Church.
Revelations is an apocalyptic writing (document) with prophetic-eschatological
alignment (direction). A text-critical study of Revelation 1:6 reveals that the correct use
of the word basilei,a (basileia: kingdom) symbolizes selective seclusion and sovereignty
with God. The Greek word basilei,a (basileia: kingdom) has a functional/abstract
meaning (the fact that God reigns) but also a geographical meaning. The study of the
different eschatological interpretation models contributes to consequent-eschatological
dialectics; the Church experiences the reality of a religious experience now already, but
also realizes that the eschatological Kingdom of God has not come yet. The coming of
the Kingdom of God has two principal moments, namely the first and the second coming
of Christ. The Ecclesia is essentially the communion of the faithful. A Bipolar unit
model, the invisible unity of the Church, as symbolized metaphorically in the people of
God and the body of Christ, is combined with the visibility of the institutional Church
through the emergence of the mystical unity character of the Church through the
institutional Church. Aspects concerning the mystical unity of the Church are the
togetherness, the predestination, the unity in diversity and the principalship of Christ. In
Revelations is, and replace the Church, the people of Israel. The relationship between the
Ecclesia and the Kingdom of God will be studied alongside two symbolic images, namely
the Biblical chandelier symbol and the rotation symbol. The rotation symbol refers to
two powers acting between the Kingdom of God and the Ecclesia. In view of the fact
that the Church is being challenged by the devil to become secular, the Church exercises
a centrifugal power on the Kingdom. The Kingdom however, exercises a centrifugal
power on the Church through God being actively involved in His Church. The seven chandeliers (Revelations 1:20) of the chandelier symbol refer to the seven congregations
in Revelations 2-3. Two characteristics, namely the septet and the seclusion, as well as
the chandelier function (providing light) link the chandelier symbol of Revelations to the
sacredness of the Old Testament. The septet in the chandelier symbol point to the
perfection of God, the active involvement of God and the complete representation of the
universal Church of all times. The second characteristic of the chandelier symbol,
namely the seclusion, not only points to the religious circle of unity where in the
congregations exist (with Christ as the binding factor), but also to the various milieus the
Church can find herself in. The function of the Church is to be the light for the world.
The Church does not have light in herself, but carries the light of God by being an earthly
representative of the eschatological Kingdom of God. In the world, the Church is
exposed to an opposing evil power that attempts to move the Church away from God,
externally (by means of affliction and prosecution) and internally (by means of religious
slumber and deceitful doctrine). The Church may not become of this world, but must
embody the Kingdom of God by means of pure doctrine that influences the life of the
Church, and leads to an inner reality and passion for the Kingdom of God through the
Holy Ghost. In the Kingdom of God the Church triumphs with Christ over the darkness.
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