The Return of Christ
We don’t know the day or the hour, but we do know that the Lord is coming again. Jesus gives us the signs of the end of the age in the Olivet discourse (Matthew 24). He warns us not to be deceived, because there will be false Christs and false prophets and there will be a coming apostasy before He returns. Peter said there would be scoffers (2 Peter 2:1f) who make fun of the Second Advent. With wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and famine, and increasing lawlessness, why doesn’t the Lord come back now? Because He looks into the kingdom of darkness and sees millions who have never heard the Gospel. If He shut the door now, how many of your friends, relatives, neighbors, and co-workers would be shut out of His kingdom for all eternity. He is waiting for, “the gospel of the kingdom to be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3: 9). Listen to some of Paul’s final words 2 Timothy 4:1-5, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
The only way to hasten the day of the Lord is to do the work of an evangelist, which we should do out of love for God and others anyway. “The day of the Lord will come like a thief” (vs. 10) when we least expect it. Jesus could come tomorrow or next year or next century. The real question is “What kind of person ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (vss. 11-12). May the good Lord bless you and encourage you as you seek to be all that God created you to be. “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forever! Amen: (Jude 24).
Dr. Neil
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