Already but not yet

“that the fulfillment of the kingdom will occur in the future is an ‘already but not yet’ concept developed by the princeton theologian gerhardus vos early in the 20th century. in the letter to the hebrews it is said, ‘yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. but we see jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of god he might taste death for everyone.’ the kingdom of god has ‘already’ been entered by the giving of the holy spirit to church believers. ‘but not yet’ refers to the kingdom to come described in 1 john 3:2-3, ‘dear friends, now we are children of god, and what we will be has not yet been made known. but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.’ we will be glorified.”

Stan Lennard