The Never-Ending Story
It all started when I was nine and became a “Royal Ambassador” (or “Ambassador of the King”) in Brazil, where I grew up. We started learning about Kingdom Values, and I began to hear a lot about “the Kingdom of God” during those days. The seed was planted but would lie dormant for several years. I waited for someone to give me the answers I sought on a silver platter. I expected a preacher to elaborate on the subject or a Bible study leader to break it down for me. All I ever got were catchphrases and vague notions of an ethereal Kingdom.
In 1996 I started collecting verses on the Kingdom. I categorized them under general themes and began to see patterns emerge. I was also on the lookout for books on the subject but found next to nothing in Christian bookstores. I had a breakthrough when listening to John McArthur’s radio program that focused on the Kingdom and highly recommended “The Greatness of the Kingdom” by Alva McClain. I bought the book as soon as possible and eagerly read it from cover to cover. McClain shed light on the bigger picture, and things finally started falling into place.
In my quest for greater Kingdom understanding, I observed that the Bible speaks of God’s sovereignty over all creation, His rule over the world, His coming Millennial reign over planet Earth, and His eternal rule throughout eternity. These four aspects can be called “The Universal Kingdom,” “The Global Kingdom,” “The Millennial Kingdom,” and “The Eternal Kingdom.” Just as there is only one Kingdom, these aspects are like four pieces to a singular puzzle. Finally, the Kingdom began to make sense and what is now volume 1 became a reality.
As I read and re-read Kingdom passages in Scripture, a certain word kept showing up: “Righteousness.” It became clear that is God’s standard for His Kingdom. God wants us to do what is right, just, and fair—to live and behave according to His Kingdom Values. That is the theme of volume 2. Volume 3 is a Kingdom handbook that covers all the main Bible passages on the Kingdom and many on His sovereignty. It provides an overview of all the Scriptures related to the Kingdom. Volume 4 is all about Jesus—the King of the Kingdom of God.
What had begun as a plan to write a one-volume book became a four-volume series instead. In 2015 I thought I was close to finishing this long journey. I had spent many years and written close to 800 pages on the subject! My wife Monica said the book should be titled “The Never-Ending Story.” I had to agree. I felt like giving up on several occasions. But the conviction was strong that I had to press on to the finish line. God wanted this and would hold me accountable for its completion. So I kept writing—until volume 4 was finished and published in early 2022.
I believe the Secret of the Kingdom Series provides an intelligible framework for understanding the basics of the Kingdom of God and that it correctly interprets what the Bible teaches on the subject. Reading these volumes will enable the Bible student to put the pieces of this puzzle together, see the big picture and take in its values, principles, and methods of operation. It will enlighten and inspire followers of Jesus as they gain perspective concerning their Kingdom identity, present calling, and future glory. And we may all rejoice that God has made us participants in His never-ending story.
Here is what a Kingdom partner had to say: “DEPTH! John Hatton has made God’s kingdom a life study. This book is an in-depth revelation of that study. There are aspects of the kingdom that I never considered until I worked through John’s book. I appreciate the broad look at a difficult subject. For me, it will take a couple of readings to get all that is covered. Reading this study is an investment!”
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE SECRET OF THE KINGDOM SERIES
Dr. David Garrison describes this book as “a well-written, beautifully constructed, and clear exposition of God’s Kingdom,” and says it is “a remarkable gift to the body of Christ.”
David Bledsoe, D.Min, Th.D, claims: “The author of this fine book has made a significant contribution to evangelicals by exploring kingdom themes and their application to God’s children and His world.”
Mark Kelly’s review of The Secret of the Kingdom of God found that it “provides a systematic and comprehensive view of the Kingdom by introducing a coherent and unifying model organized around four aspects of the Kingdom found in Scripture. He assembles a decade’s research into a subject more complex than most of us realize. He sticks to the biblical witness and avoids speculation.”
Your review on Amazon is more important than you may think.
If you were blessed by reading "The Secret of the Kingdom of God," please let others know about your experience. Many, when searching for a particular subject, rely on reviews to decide which book to purchase (especially when browsing through titles by unknown authors).
You must have an Amazon account and there is an "eligibility"clause (just found out about this) which states that "to contribute to Customer features (for example, Customer Reviews...) ... you must have spent at least $50 on Amazon.com using a valid credit or debit card in the past 12 months...You do not need to meet this requirement to read content posted by other contributors or post Customer Questions..."
When you click on the "Write a customer review" button (at the bottom of list of reviews) you will see five stars appear and you then click on the number you believe the book deserves. If you want to comment: After or simultaneous with this step, you will see the space where you can add a comment. Once you do and click okay, your comment is quickly reviewed and in a few short minutes, you get a thank-you email from Amazon, with the comment you just wrote, saying it is now live on their site.
Please click here to review “The Secret of the Kingdom of God.”