~ The King of God's Kingdom is an examination of the three vital ministry years of Jesus in an attempt to uncover their coherence and the vision that drove him forward, ultimately to death. A proper understanding of his preaching of the kingdom of God provides the answer.
The thesis that unfolds in this study is that Jesus did indeed announce the breaking in of a concrete new age of restoration for Israel (and the world). Enjoyment of it, however, was always conditional on acceptance of him. From early in his ministry he also warned of a dreadful alternative - a national catastrophe - if his call was ignored. It was this which eventuated - in the way he predicted it. The kingdom retreated, though only its final consummate form. Its authority and power were paradoxically established by Jesus' death, at the very moment of its rejection and apparent defeat. The kingdom lives and grows hidden and often unrecognised in the world. It awaits its ultimate unveiling.