George Eldon Ladd’s The Pressence of the Future is not a book that I would recommend to the average layman, but to the serious teacher of God’s Word, and all teachers should be serious, it is a very helpful work. Jesus’ gospel was the gospel of the kingdom therefore in order to understand the gospel it is necessary to understand what the kingdom is. Ladd summarizes the thesis of the book thus:
Our central thesis is that the Kingdom of God is the redemptive reign of God dynamically active to establish his rule among human beings, and that this Kingdom, which will appear as an apocalyptic act at
the end of the age, has already come into human history in the person and mission of Jesus to overcome evil, to deliver men from its power, and to bring them into the blessings of God’s reign. The Kingdom of God involves two great moments: fulfillment within history, and consummation at the end of history.
This is not an easy read, but it is an extremely helpful read. The benefits will be well worth the work to the serious student of God’s word.
No Other Boast 