Fitting Scripture Together
The author begins the book with a personal anecdote of meeting a young man who took him on a ten minute “whistle-stop tour of the whole Bible that left my head reeling.”[1] In those ten minutes, the young man took him on a journey from the original creation (Genesis 1-2) to the new creation (Revelation 21), making all the necessary stops along the way. The young man led him on a journey through the “tabernacle in the wilderness; the temple in Jerusalem; the new-temple prophecies of Ezekiel; the Lord Jesus Christ who ‘tabernacled’ among us (John 1:14, literally); and the church (‘a holy temple in the Lord’, Ephesians 2:21).”[2] Roberts recounted that even though he had completed a theology degree prior to this whistle-stop tour, he had never before been shown how all of the diverse writings of the Bible fit together. He asked his new friend how he was able to navigate the Bible with such ease, and his friend introduced him to Graeme Goldsworthy’s book Gospel and Kingdom.[3] In the Preface, Roberts admits the influence of Goldsworthy’s book upon God’s Big Picture. Roberts explains, “I adopt largely the same approach, but hope to do so in a slightly less technical way.”[4] I have not read Gospel and Kingdom, but I can personally attest that God’s Big Picture is a clear, coherent, and concise presentation of the storyline of the Bible. By my estimation, what Roberts hoped to accomplish he has with the “apparent ease” that characterized the friend he mentioned in the Preface.
Kingdom of God
After some background and introductory matters, Roberts summarizes the storyline of the Bible in eight sections of the redemptive history. Each section corresponds to one of the eight chapters of the book in which Roberts uses the “kingdom of God” as unifying theme.
The various aspects of the storyline of the Bible are presented with alliterative chapter headings: “The pattern of the kingdom” (Genesis 1:1-2:25); “The perished kingdom” (Genesis 3); “The promised kingdom” (Genesis 17:1-8; Galatians 3:6-14); “The partial kingdom” (Genesis 12-Exodus 18; 19:1-13; 20:1-17; 2 Samuel 7:1-17); “The prophesied kingdom” (Hosea 1-3); “The present kingdom” (Luke 1:39-80; 2:25-32); “The proclaimed kingdom” (2 Corinthians 4); “The perfected kingdom” (Revelation 21:1-8; 21:22-22:5).[5] This alliterative unifying theme is pedagogical, but Roberts explains it is not arbitrary—this theme (kingdom of God) does “arise out of Scripture itself.”[6]
In his Introduction, Roberts defines the kingdom of God as “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule and blessing.”[7] Roberts traces the storyline of the Bible through each of the chapters, and he concludes each with a table showing how the kingdom, the principle of God’s people-place-rule, was manifested during each of the respective eras of redemptive history.[8] In every chapter, Roberts demonstrates how each successive age testified about Jesus (cf. John 5:39), e.g., in Chapter 4, “The partial kingdom,” Roberts’ aim is to show “how God’s promise of the kingdom is partially fulfilled in the history of Israel.”[9] Roberts does this by focusing on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and the Israelites. He concisely explains how many of God’s kingdom promises were partially fulfilled in the respective historical events of the Patriarchs and the Nation of Israel, but that this “partial kingdom” was “just a shadow of the perfect kingdom God will establish through Jesus Christ.”[10] Roberts likens “The partial kingdom” to a model, a model which God will never rebuild again because “he will establish the real thing in and through Jesus.”[11] Finally, in Chapter 8, Roberts examines the “real thing,” i.e., “The perfected kingdom” revealed and highlighted in the Book of Revelation, where he shows the principle of God’s place-people-rule is manifested in the “Multi-national family of God” = God’s people, the “New creation, new Jersualem, new temple” = God’s place, and the “Throne of God and the Lamb; perfect blessing” = God’s rule.[12]
With eight chapters Roberts briefly summarizes and traces the storyline of the Bible with his presentation of the respective manifestations of the unifying theme of the “kingdom of God.” Roberts concludes this helpful book with a particularly pastoral Epilogue. Having taken his readers through all the Scriptures, his epilogue “prayer” is that his readers know, teach, and love “Christ through all the Scriptures.”[13]
Conclusion
In the Preface of this beautiful book, Roberts says, “I want to put into the reader’s hands the map that I have found so helpful.”[14] I can personally attest that Roberts has done so. This little book really is a non-technical “map” to aid fellow believers. With this “map” it is possible to find one’s bearings and meaningfully make one’s way around the Bible. In the past I have recommended several books that present a high-level overview or survey of the Bible, but going forward this will be my first recommendation.
[1] Vaughan Roberts, God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2012), 9.
[2] Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 9-10.
[3] Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom (Exeter: Paternoster, 1981).
[4] Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 10.
[5] See chapters and respective headings under “Contents” (Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 7-8).
[6] Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 21.
[7] Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 22.
[8] See Figures 7, 8, 13, 21, 27, 31, 38, 42 (Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 34, 44, 56, 85, 108, 122, 141, 158).
[9] Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 59-60.
[10] Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 89.
[11] Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 90.
[12] See Figure 42 (Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 158).
[13] Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 163.
[14] Roberts, God’s Big Picture, 10.