KINGDOM MANIFESTO THE PB

The Sermon on the Mount, like the rest of the New Testament, speaks of the kingdom with a present and a future sense.

The Beatitudes refer to the kingdom primarily in its present aspect (5:3, 10) - Jesus is saying, this is what kingdom people are like now. In 7:21, however, Jesus is speaking of the Day of Judgment, and the kingdom referred to is the completed, perfected eternal kingdom. In theological language, the kingdom of heaven is therefore eschatological, but it is already present in some measure now.

At the outset of his ministry Jesus proclaims that 'the kingdom of heaven is near'. The sense of the Greek is that the kingdom is now present in the vicinity, waiting to be populated by the members Jesus will call into it. In that context, 11:12 ('the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing') is like a progress report. The kingdom is here and now, and the Sermon on the Mount calls us to make it visible, both individually and corporately.

Commendations
'It might seem that another book on the Sermon on the Mount was not needed, but Steve Wilmshurst has produced something that is fresh and relevant. This book will be of value to preachers and individual Christians, and also will help and challenge an enquiring unbeliever. The author excels in making applications which speak to today's world in a totally accessible style. A book to be recommended.'
– Robert Hitchings

Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 13.8 x 2.2 cm

Paperback 240 pages