Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
History and Religion
The Fathers Of Nicea And Christ’s Kingdom

The Fathers Of Nicea And Christ’s Kingdom

Last updated on: May 17, 2026 at 1:12 am by Henry Karlson

0 Comments

The Fathers Of Nicea And Christ’s Kingdom 2026-05-17T01:12:39-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Txllxt TxllxT: St.Vitus Cathedral — The Last Judgment / Wikimedia Commons

When we recite the Nicene Creed, we proclaim our belief that Christ will “come again to judge the living and the dead,” and that his kingdom will have “no end.” These statements were put into the creed as a response to a popular, but bad, eschatological take, one which said that Christ’s kingdom would exist only for a thousand years (known as chiliasm). This is a notion which is often repeated, in one form or another, throughout Christian history, mostly due to the way readers misunderstand the Apocalypse. They interpret it literally when it was never intended to understood in that manner (as it is a highly symbolic book). The main problem with chiliasm is that if Christ’s kingdom has an end, then those who are a part of it find their time in it will come to an end. Christ’s reign will not be eternal, leading us to question if our reward will only be temporal. However, his kingdom is “not of this world,” that is, it is not of the temporal order (or temporal mode of existence); it connects to and comes into it (as the immanent eschaton), but the kingdom is the “kingdom of heaven,” and as “heaven” transcends “earth,” so his kingdom transcends all earthly kingdoms. When Christ comes back to judge the living and the dead, it is at the end of time; history will come to a close. Christ will not come again to establish an earthly kingdom which will exists for a short period of time before evil arises in the world once again. His victory is eternal, not temporary. The “millennial reign” of the Apocalypse is a symbolic presentation of the immanent eschaton; the eschatological kingdom of God can be experienced by us, even before the end of time, and that experience is of the purity of the kingdom, where evil has no power. What we experience is an anticipation of the kingdom as it will be realized in eternity. It is the same kingdom, but just as heaven transcends the earth, so our experience of it when time comes to an end will transcend our experience of it while we remain in the temporal order. And thus, the Apocalypse reveals that during history, there will be a struggle between the way of God, and those who participate in the kingdom of God, with the fallen powers that be. While the powers of sin and death have been defeated and overcome on the cross, they are like rabid beasts in their death throes; anything which comes near them, they will strike out and attack, trying to spread their diseases in the process.

The Council of Nicea was called to deal with many questions, with the most important ones connected to the Arian crisis. The leaders of the church wanted to make sure that the faithful can come together and have a common way to express their faith in Christ. Arius claimed Christ was but the first (and best) of creation, but the Christian faith has always been a faith in Jesus as Lord, and the Lord alone is God. The first part of the Nicene Creed deals with the persons of God the Father and God the Son, showing their unity in “nature,” while acknowledging their personal distinctions. Fundamental to the Nicene Creed is the belief in one God, that Christianity is not a form of polytheism. Christians have pointed out there are many ways this can be explained, but central to them is the way Jesus indicated that he shared with the Father a glory before the world was made, and he wanted us, and all creation, to have a way to participate in it: “and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made” (Jn. 17:5 RSV). For Jesus to possess that glory, and to have it before the world was made, means he “existed before creation“, that is, “before” time as time itself came into existence with the rest of creation. In saying this prayer, we find one of the many times Jesus implied that he was God, for the only way he could possess that glory, for it to be his, especially “before time” itself, is if he were God. The Father and the Son possesses the same glory, the glory which is not other than the divine glory, a glory which only God can possess. And it is as God that Jesus is Lord, the Lord who will come again to judge the living and the dead. He is the just judge because he is God, and his kingdom is the eternal kingdom of God, the kingdom which has no end.

Thus, while we do not normally consider it, there is an eschatological significance to the Council of Nicea, one which complements its Christological accomplishment. Affirming the divinity of Christ leads to the affirmation that his kingdom will have no end, and affirming his kingdom has no end is a way to affirm the divinity of Christ. Those who would make him a part of creation, even if he is the greatest of creation, would give him a temporal kingdom, a kingdom which would have an end. But Christ is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the one who established all things, and the one who draws all things back to him so that in him, all things can find their place in the eternal kingdom of God. Temporally, thanks to the incarnation, that eschatological glory has been brought into the world, the eschaton is immanent, but our experience of its immanence is temporal: we do not yet experience the fullness of that glory because its fullness transcends time. Nonetheless, we are encouraged to open ourselves up to the kingdom, to experience it in our lives, to live out the glory we can receive from grace, so that we can continue the work of the kingdom of God in history, even as, in history, the powers of sin and destruction will act like rabid beasts striking out as their end draws near; they will especially strike out and try to undermine the faith of Christians, hoping to confuse and hurt them. To resist them, we must listen to prophetic voices and not just anyone, as Paul told the elders at Ephesus:

Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:26-32 RSV).

The Council of Nicea is an example of such prophetic direction; the church used its prophetic spirit to reminded Christians of the divinity of Christ, and what that means. Though there are wolves who seek to wound Christ’s flock, the eschatological grace of God will give the faithful what they need to hold on and remain victorious so that they can be received into the eternal kingdom of God, the kingdom which has no end.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

General Christian

History and Religion

Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

Kingdom of God

Paschaltide

Previous Post

May 14, 2026

Reflections After Paschaltide 2026: The Ascension

Next Post

May 18, 2026 Exploitation Disguised As Opportunity In Modern Work

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Gosh, did that hit the spot. I have been having great anxiety lately. And I ..."

Mark Wilson

Rejecting Doom: Christian Hope And Human ..."

"Justice and peace are two sides of the same coin. Where there is justice, there ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Thank you for your very, very powerful and very, very insightful analysis of the relationship ..."

alwayspuzzled

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Given the amount of lethal malevolence that has prevailed in human history for the past ..."

alwayspuzzled

We Must Value Our Health

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz