Product Description

There is an impressive agreement among New Testament scholars that the Kingdom of God was the principal theme of all that Jesus taught. What Jesus meant by the Kingdom, however, remains a puzzle both to commentators and Bible readers. Since the Kingdom of God is the heart of the Christian Gospel, any uncertainty about Jesus’ core concept will mean that the whole issue of salvation is obscured.

Readers of the Bible are often unsympathetic to Jesus’ Jewish Messianic outlook. His claim was to be the Messiah, a highly charged political title meaning that he believed his destiny was to rule the world from Jerusalem, bringing peace and order to the whole of mankind in a renewed earth. New Testament Christianity thus presents the only realistic hope for the resolution of the world’s chaotic condition.

Anthony Buzzard contends that contemporary preaching reflects a longstanding and confusing tradition of ignoring the saving Gospel of the Kingdom as preached first by Jesus and then by the Apostles. In church circles Jesus’ death and resurrection have been wrongly presented, with an appeal to isolated verses in Paul, as the entire Gospel. But this is to overlook the obvious fact that there are thirty chapters of Gospel preaching in Matthew, Mark and Luke in which the death and resurrection of Jesus are not even mentioned. Something is seriously awry with a "Gospel" which fails to include the Kingdom of God as its central element. The results of a "gutted" Gospel are apparent in the currently fragmented and weakened church.

Jesus shared with the prophets of Israel the vision of a coming new era of peace for all mankind. As Messiah appointed by the One God of Israel he confidently expected to return to the earth, overthrow his enemies and govern the world. The biblical Jesus is far removed from the ethereal figure presented in much Christian literature and art. He was a genuine human being, and a career preacher, as was Paul, of the Kingdom of God Gospel, the message of salvation by which men and women are invited to prepare now for entrance into the Kingdom of God which will be inaugurated on earth at the Second Coming of Jesus. The Messiah’s Gospel challenges us all to embark on the journey which leads to immortality and an administrative, servant position in the coming Messianic rule.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1198577 in Books
• Published on: 1997-01-30
• Released on: 2002-01-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 94 pages

About the Author
Anthony Buzzard was born in Surrey, England and educated at Charterhouse School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he obtained his master's degree in Modern Languages. He came to the United States in 1981. Anthony has a master's degree in Theology from Bethany Seminary and currently teaches at Atlanta Bible College. He is coeditor of A Journal from the Radical Reformation and founder of Restoration Fellowship (1981) and was a nominee for the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1997. He is the author of two major books and many articles on Christology and eschatology. Anthony's series of radio programs, "Focus on the Kingdom," are found at his website, www.restorationfellowship.org. He is married and has three daughters.

Customer Reviews

The Kingdom of God coming to Earth
This concise booklet essentially has the same research as Buzzard's Amazing Aims & Claims of Jesus. Buzzard sets forth a viable argument for a literal return of the Messiah to Jerusalem, ruling with his saints on a cleansed earth. We are Abraham's Seed through Christ, having a similar hope, albeit a better covenant as purchased by his blood.
That having been said, I would recommend a Berean approach to all Biblical "teachings", carefully considering their source. Buzzard had a high ranking position in Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God which abused and bilked members of triple tithes among other atrocities. Despotic leadership ruined many lives within that organization. Do a search on Herbert W. Armstrong and see if his record qualifies him as "God's Apostle" or a false prophet. Jesus said: "A good tree can not bear bad fruit..."(Matthew 7:18) If former members haven't repented of following Armstrong and the evil he did, they are still under his spirit which will dominate any new fellowships / offshoot groups they form. The leader's need to control his members is easily shown through mind control & fear tactics:
"If you don't agree with my teachings....you will be _________, (fill in the blank: deceived, serving Satan, out of our elite group!)" There is no grounds for reasonable Biblical discussion or exploration with people like this. Proof positive that "knowledge puffs up".(1 Corn 8:1) Often contradicting clear scripture, they expect people to passively fall in line anyway. The solution? Make the Lord Messiah Yeshua, (Jesus), your only teacher as he so instructed, "Nor are you to be called 'teacher', for you have ONE Teacher, the Christ." (Matthew 23:10).

more confusion for the masses
There will be no rapture. All texts have to do with the bringing in of the saints into the spiritual kingdom of God.

This all happened in 70a.d. with the destruction of Jerusalem.
The world will never end.
The resurrection already took place which was promised to Israel specific.
We are already in the New Heavens and Earth.
All those that believe in a "future-to-us" second coming of Christ will die without ever seeing it take place.
I'm truly sorry for being so blunt and I'm not trying to be rude.
I'm just trying to be honest with my Christian brothers and sisters.

Read on:

The book of Revelation was a letter written to specific people at a specific time in History (first century churches - 7 Churches). It was not written TO US, but FOR US to understand God's historical -redemptive plan for Israel.

The Church is the New Jerusalem which came down out of heaven, with the destruction of Babylon (Old Jerusalem) in 70a.d. Israel(the mother of harlots) was the only nation that was in covenant with God (Revelation is a covenant book), she killed the prophets and those sent to her. This is why God destroyed her, but kept His promise to remain true to the Old Covenant faithful (Abe, Isaac, Jacob,....etc.)These faithful inherited the land (kingdom of heaven)along with those in the first century when Christ returned in 70a.d.

Read these Time Statements and then tell me that Jesus was gonna come back in 2000 years:
Rev. 1:1,2; (things which must shortly take place)
Rev.2:5 - "Keep holding fast til I come" (letter to specific people)
Rev. 3:10 - "Hour of testing which is about to come on the whole inhabited land"
Rev. 18:24 - "And in Her (Babylon/Jerusalem) was found the blood of the prophets and
saints." (compare w/ Matt.23:31-39 & Luke 11:47-51)
Rev.22:6,7,12,& 20
These time statements show imminence to the first-century church (specific churches in Asia) to whom the letter/book was written.

Also notice Rev.22:10. This was the same book/message that Daniel was told to seal up until the TIME OF THE END,(not end of time), when the power of the Holy people/ Israel would be completely shattered (Dan.12:7) in 70a.d. with the destruction of the Old Covenant system (the power of Israel to communicate and covenant with their God). Daniel was told that this would be far off / many days away. John was told "NOT" to seal it up, for the time of the end was "NEAR".
Dan.9:20-24 - 70 weeks determined for "YOUR" people & city (Israel & Jerusalem)
Dan.12:1- "Time of Trouble" - (Compare with Matt. 24:21(destruction of Jerusalem) & Mark 13:19

Dan.12:2 - Compare w/ John 5:25-29 - (vs.25 - "now is" = first-fruits harvest / then comes verse 29 - Harvest / General Resurrection promised to Israel specific.) The first-fruits signifies an immediate Harvest. 30a.d. - 70a.d. was the 40 year wilderness / transition period being brought out of Egypt (bondage to sin) into the Land of promise (Full relationship with God - Out of Sin-Death).

Dan.12:4,9,13 - "seal up to the end" when he would receive his inheritance, which was promised to his people Israel, the Kingdom of God.
In other words, New Covenant relationship, as Abraham had been looking for (heavenly country - saw it afar off but did not receive it (Heb.11:10, 13-16, 39-40) til 70a.d. when Old passed away and New was consummated (Old Heaven & Earth / New Heaven & Earth).
Specifically look at Heb.11:39-40. "They (Old Covenant Saints) should not be made perfect apart from "Us" ( firstfruit - first century / New Covenant saints). In other words, they would all be made perfect together. When would this happen??
Heb.10:36-37 - They were told to endure to the end, which was going to be in a "very, very little while" "for He who is in the process of coming, will not tarry". Isn't 2000 years tarrying?? Either the writer of Hebrews was lying, or he was giving encouragement to those who were going through persecution, waiting for the promise of Christ to return in "This Generation" (Matt.24:33-35) - 40 years / specific people.

Also, if Rev. 21 & 22 point to the eternal state after the Old Heavens and Earth are destroyed, then why is there a need for the nations to have to have healing????( Rev.22:2).
This is a picture that the gospel still goes forth after the Old Covenant has been done away with. Those outside the eternal kingdom need healing to be brought into the presence of God ( where I presently reside as I write this e-mail). I don't ever have to worry about judgement or condemnation ever again. This is what Jesus meant when he said, "You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free".

Pertaining to the Resurrection, read this:
1 Cor.15:25 says in the greek, "For He must PRESENTLY reign til all enemies are put under His feet; the last enemy PRESENTLY BEING destroyed is THE DEATH (specific death=spiritual death in Adam).
Christ was PRESENTLY reigning in the first century til His enemies (Israel=those who rejected Christ - read Matt.23:29-36) were put under His feet in 70a.d.
If physical death was PRESENTLY BEING destroyed, don't you think we would see some kind of evolutionary process going on with our bodies, being half physical and half spiritual???
Also, read verses 29-49 and see how often the PRESENT Tense is used in the Greek.
Vs.29 "what will they do who are being baptized for the dead if the dead are not presently rising??" (first century resurrection!!)
Vs. 32,"If the dead are not presently rising, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
Vs. 35, "But someone will say, How are the dead Being presently raised up? And with what body are they presently coming into? (first century resurrection).
Vs. 36, "Foolish one, what you are presently sowing is not made alive unless it dies (first century sowing).
Vs.37, "And what you are presently sowing, you are not presently sowing that body that shall be.....(first century sowing of the body - were they burying their bodies before they died???-think about it!!!)
Vs. 38 "But God is presently giving it a body (first century transformation = out of the body of Adam(old covenant,sin-death, into the new covenant body of Christ = righteousness, eternal life)
Vs. 42-44, "So also is the present resurrection of the dead. The body is presently being sown in corruption, it is presently being raised in incorruption. It is presently being sown in dishonor, it is presently being raised in glory. It is presently being sown in weakness, it is presently being raised in power. It is presently being sown a natural body(man in Adam = out of covenant), it is presently being raised a spiritual body (first century transformation period = taken out of Adam (dead to God) and being transformed into the image of Christ (alive to God). There is presently a natural body and there is presently a spiritual body (one was being sown, the other rising unto newness of life.).

All the land promises were fulfilled to the Jews in the first century A.D. They were spiritual land promises - being brought into the Kingdom of God - Into His presence. Remember, Abraham was looking for a spiritual country to rest in, not a literal country .

Any person or religion that bases their beliefs on a futuristic (to us) rapture or second coming of Christ, will always fall short of Biblical Truth, and are essentially calling Christ a liar (unawares). This is why you will essentially die without ever seeing the "BIBLICAL" second -coming that took place in the first century.

If you want things even more clarified for you, then read Max King's book, "The Cross and the Parousia" to see how all Biblical prophesy has been fulfilled, and how we are now living in the Eternal State (New Heaven and Earth).