The second horizon of the conversion of the nations

Paul’s perspective on the future is summed up well in Romans 15:8-12: Christ became a servant to Israel in order to ensure that the promises made to the patriarchs would not come to nothing with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. But the effect of this act of redemption was that many Gentiles were glorifying the God of Israel for his mercy to his people and, more importantly, were beginning to hope that Israel’s exalted king—the “root of Jesse”—would one day rule over the nations. Most of Paul’s eschatology has this concrete “political” outcome in view.