When Jesus announced that the kingdom of God was at hand, he wasn’t talking about life after death. He was talking about God’s purpose being realized “on earth as it is in heaven.” My understanding is that he was outlining a way of living by a new kind of community in which God’s intentions for human life would replace standard human practices. Justice would be done for the vulnerable, and love would be extended even to enemies. If we think that he was primarily focused on preparing us for what happens after death, we miss the central focus of New Testament teachings anticipating a transformation of earthly existence in which God’s intentions for human life are fulfilled.