In his book Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching Graeme Goldsworthy traces in broad strokes the God-people-place schema through the unfolding revelation of the kingdom:
In the Garden of Eden
God, his people, and the place all exist in the perfect relationships intended by God.
Outside the Garden of Eden
The relationships established by God at creation are dislocated and confused because of sin. They are not totally disrupted, and the world goes on while under sentence of death.
In redemptive history
God calls one family of people, and their successors, to be the context within which he reveals his plan and purposes for the redemption of people out of every nation. The relationships of the kingdom of God are put in place but never fully realized by sinful people.
In prophetic eschatology
The pattern of redemption, and the promised kingdom of God that failed to eventuate in Israel’s history, constitute the pattern of a future glorious salvation and kingdom promised by the prophets.
In Jesus Christ
Where Adam failed, and where Israel failed, Jesus comes as the last Adam and the true Israel to carry out God’s purposes perfectly. Believers from all periods of history are credited with his perfection and righteousness as a gift.
In the consummation
The perfection that is in Jesus, and that believers possess by faith, is only fully formed in believers and the world when Christ returns in glory.
Here’s another way that Goldsworthy summarizes this:
- The pattern of the kingdom is established in the Garden of Eden.
- This pattern is broken when sin enters in.
- The pattern is reestablished in salvation history in Israel but never fully realized.
- The same pattern shapes the prophetic view of the future kingdom.
- The pattern of the kingdom is perfectly established in Jesus in a representative way.
- The pattern of the kingdom begins to be formed in the people of God through the gospel.
- The pattern of the kingdom is consummated at Christ’s return.
He then explains the “mechanics” of this salvation as follows:
that what is lost with the fall God foreshadows in the history of redemption in Israel. Then the solid reality comes, namely, Jesus, who bears in himself the fullness of the kingdom in that he is God, man, and created order, all existing in perfect relationship. (pp. 87-88)
For more on how Goldsworthy outlines the biblical storyline through this pattern, see:
If you’re a parent, note that The Big Picture Story Bible was written for kids explicitly using the pattern of “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule” to trace the storyline of Scripture.