Acts Theology 3: Already and Not Yet

"This is what was uttered through the prophet Joel... I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh..." Peter declares that the promise of the Spirit has begun to be fulfilled. However, the complete fulfillment of all promises is still to come.
In the old covenant, election and belief in Yahweh were separable. Israel was elect, but not all Israelites were believers. Under the new covenant, in the era of the New Testament, all believers are considered elect people of God. The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost marks a fulfillment of this new covenant, empowering believers to spread the Gospel and reclaim the nations for God. Despite this fulfillment, certain aspects of Old Testament prophecies, such as the full restoration of the earth and the Day of the Lord, have not yet occurred. For example, Ezekiel 37 details a future where the Davidic king reigns, and the land of Israel is inhabited forever, which does not align with the events of Acts.
This indicates an "already but not yet" paradigm in biblical theology, where aspects of God's plan are already in effect and happening, but others are not yet fully realized. This tension is crucial for understanding God's decision to work through free-will agents, both divine and human, in bringing about His ultimate plan for a planetary, globalized Eden.
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