Jesus in the Divine Providence (Paperback or Softback)

When looked at from the perspective of the Divine Providence, the person and life of Jesus come into fresh focus. On the one hand, his immense suffering culminating in torture and crucifixion by Israel’s establishment underscores the difficulty of his mission as the savior of Israel and the world. On the other, it demonstrates the greatness of his character and faith in the face of persecution by the very people who had been specially chosen to receive him as their Messiah.

Tracing the path of preparation for Christ brings the stories of the Old Testament to life, infusing them with new meaning. Despite the tribes of Israel being chosen as God’s people, their repeated faithlessness and disobedience resulted in frequent setbacks and delays in the providence, culminating in the destruction of the Temple and 70-year exile in Babylon. The Temple was rebuilt some four centuries before Christ, but it was destroyed once more by the Romans after Jesus was killed, marking the end of Israel’s special position in the providence.

The followers of Jesus have had no scriptural road map to guide them through the two millennia since the crucifixion, and Christianity has struggled to deal with major new movements such as Islam, Marxism and modern science. Nevertheless, Christians need to meet and overcome these challenges if they are to prepare the world for a second advent of Christ.

Thomas Cromwell was born on a Christian communal farm in Shropshire, England, and moved to America at age 14. He spent 25 years in the Middle East as a journalist, publisher and peace-builder, studying the monotheistic religions in their homelands and working to promote understanding among the diverse communities in the region. He traveled throughout the Communist world before the fall of the Soviet Union, learning first-hand about life under Marxist regimes. His work and curiosity about civilization have taken him to 130 countries.