Far from a “complex background” of expectations concerning the kingdom of God, the New Testament shows almost no signs of confusion concerning its basic nature. No one questioned what kingdom John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness, nor did they question Jesus when he was “teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23). None of the disciples asked Jesus what the kingdom entailed when he sent them out preaching, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 10:7), because it was commonly assumed to coincide with “the day of judgment” (v. 15), salvation (v. 22), the coming of the Messiah (v. 23), Gehenna (v. 28), and eternal life (v. 39). -John P. Harrigan, The Gospel of Christ Crucified, pp.145-146