Article 9: Christ's Return

We believe in the glorious and personal return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will come in power and great glory to gather his people, raise the dead, judge the nations, and bring his kingdom to fulfillment. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and motivates the believer to godly living, growing faith, sacrificial service, and energetic mission.

God will bring his gospel to fulfillment at the end of the age.

Commentary

(This commentary is based on a book, entitled Evangelical Convictions: A Theological Exposition of the Statement of Faith of the Evangelical Free Church of America. The exposition I have adapted from that book is shorter and re-drafted to fit the Statement of Faith we are proposing at LAC. I am thankful to my theologian friends—Mike Andrus, Bill Jones, Bill Kynes, David Martin, Ruben Martinez, and Greg Strand—both for the work together and for the opportunity to post this material. Though many contributed to the commentary, the writing was done mainly by Dr. Greg Strand and Dr. Bill Kynes. Your pastor accepts responsibility both for the abridging and for the re-focusing of the commentary now being made available to us.)

            Human beings ordinarily experience the world in three dimensions. With two eyes operating simultaneously and through the subtle effects of light and shadow and our knowledge of the relative sizes of objects, we can distinguish between near and far. Our sense of depth perception enriches our experience of life, much as a hologram enhances a two-dimensional photograph. Our lives are impoverished without this fullness of perception.

            The three dimensions we experience in space remind us of the three dimensions we experience in time. We live, of course, only in the immediacy of the present, but we also remember the past and anticipate the future. The failure to learn from the past and the inability to prepare for the future are decided deficiencies that hinder healthy living. This temporal depth perception is an essential quality that must be developed if we are to live as God intended in this world, for a holistic understanding of the gospel requires an appreciation of its three temporal dimensions.

            God’s gospel has been accomplished in the past. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God acted to save us. We have been justified by God’s grace, we have been saved, and we are no longer subject to the penalty of sin.

            Now, in the present, that gospel that was accomplished in history is applied to our lives by the work of the Holy Spirit. We are being sanctified by God’s Spirit; we are being saved, as we are progressively set free from the power of sin.

            But God’s gospel also has a future dimension, for God’s saving purpose is not yet complete. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, but his resurrection is but the first fruits of what is to come. Christ has been seated at the right hand of the Father, but his authority is not yet recognized by all. We still live in a fallen world, and sin and evil abound. We are still plagued by the weakness of our mortal bodies, and we have not yet been glorified with Christ in the new heaven and the new earth. But the gospel declares that in the future we will be saved by God’s power when we are delivered from even the presence of sin.

            The Bible promises us that God’s gospel—his gracious purpose to redeem a people for himself in Jesus Christ—will we brought to fulfillment by the Lord himself at the end of the age when Jesus Christ returns to this earth in glory.

I. The Return of Jesus Christ

            In Acts 1, Luke told us that after Jesus’ resurrection, the Lord showed himself to his disciples “and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Then at the end of that period, the disciples were together on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem, and Jesus “was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (v. 9).

            In this reserved and unadorned account, free from the wild extravagance of legend or tradition, we cannot be sure exactly what the disciples saw, for though Jesus was lifted up before their eyes, a cloud hid him from their sight. Here the disciples received a visible representation of a spiritual reality, i.e., this Jesus whom they had known and loved was taken up into the very presence of God to be seated at his right hand.

            The immediate effect of this event on the disciples was confusion, as they were left wondering whether they would ever see Jesus again. This response elicited a mild rebuke from the angelic figures beside them: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go” (Acts 1:11). Jesus would come back to them gloriously riding on the clouds.

The disciples ought to have known this, for Jesus himself had spoken of it. In his Olivet Discourse,[1] Jesus taught that in the last days, there would be a time of great distress. “At that time… [all the nations] will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matt. 24:30–31; cf. Matt. 25:31). Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead and ascended to his Father, would come again in glory.

            This conviction became a critical element of apostolic instruction. The Apostle Paul assured the Thessalonians who were suffering for their faith that God is just and that justice would be done. “This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels” (2 Thess. 1:7). And he assured them also that they need not worry about those believers who have already died, for they will not miss out on this glorious event.

According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thess. 4:15–17).

“Our citizenship is in heaven,” Paul wrote. “And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). “We wait for this blessed hope: the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).[2]

            Peter also spoke of that day when “Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet. 1:7, 13; 4:13) and when “the Chief Shepherd appears” (5:4), and how on that day God’s people will receive a crown of glory.[3] James urged patience “until the Lord’s coming” (James 5:7–8). In his first epistle, John instructed, “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28), with the encouragement that “when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (3:2). The Revelation of John is centered on this glorious reality, as Jesus declared, “Behold, I am coming soon!” (Rev. 22:7, 12).[4] And in Hebrews we read, “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Heb. 9:28). The return of Jesus Christ was a central conviction of the apostles. Jesus Christ is coming again!

II. The Nature of Christ’s Return 

A. A Personal Return

            How should we conceive of this coming of Christ? First, we affirm that it will be personal. Paul affirms that “the Lord himself will come down from heaven” (1 Thess. 4:16). This is not the coming of a spiritual force, an idea, a new form of government, or a new way of life. The Bible affirms the coming of Jesus Christ himself—”this same Jesus . . . will come back” (Acts 1:11).

B. A Glorious Return

            Second, we affirm that Jesus will come gloriously: “We wait for this blessed hope: the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Where once Jesus came in the humility of a baby in a manger, he will return in majesty and glory as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). As the risen Lord, Jesus already entered into the glory of his heavenly Father (Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 1:21; Rev. 5:12). When he returns, this exalted status will be made known to all (cf. 2 Thess. 1:6–10).

            Herein lies the great mystery of the gospel. God’s Messiah did not first come into this world as a powerful, conquering hero—at least, not as we conceive of such things. Even in his earthly life he was a king, but he chose to reign not from a royal throne but from a cross.[5] He assumed the role of a suffering servant, described by the prophet Isaiah as one who “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (53:2–3).

            Now, we proclaim Christ as Lord. But he is a Lord whose glory is known only by faith. We are in the awkward position of being called to be ambassadors of a disputed king, whose sovereignty is itself in question, leaving us vulnerable and without worldly legitimization.[6] But Christ’s promise is that he will return to vindicate himself and his people before the watching world: “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matt. 24:30–31). Until then, we are to be faithful, fearlessly confessing his name, for Jesus warned, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26).

            In this world, we may suffer (indeed, we should expect no less [cf., e.g., Phil 1:29]), but we can be assured that, as Paul wrote, “we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Rom. 8:17). Thus, such suffering ought not to be a cause for sorrow but for joy, as Peter urged: “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Pet. 4:13). “When Christ, who is your life, appears,” Paul declared, “then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4; cf. Rom. 8:18; Phil. 3:20–21; 1 John 3:2).

            This glorious return is emphasized in our SOF by two further depictions.

1. Christ Will Come as King

            A crucified Messiah seemed a scandalous contradiction in terms to the Jews of Jesus’ day. To the Romans it was foolishness. But the first Christians boldly declared that this one who had been nailed to a Roman cross was indeed Lord and King. Jesus was King David’s greater Son who would assume his royal throne (cf. Matt. 1:1; 22:41–46; Luke 1:31–33; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 5:5). Opinions vary on the extent (if at all) Jesus assumed that role during his earthly lifetime, but all are agreed that when he returns in glory, he will establish his kingdom fully and be recognized by all as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Phil. 2:11; Rev. 19:16). “When the Son of Man comes in his glory,” Jesus said, “and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory” (Matt. 25:31). This Jesus, who ascended to the right hand of the Father and is even now sharing his rule (cf., e.g., Matt. 28:18), will come in glory and vanquish all his enemies, including even death itself (Heb. 10:13; 1 Cor. 15:25). Then, God’s saving purpose in the gospel will be brought to fulfillment, and God’s will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. Indeed, heaven and earth will become one, and God’s righteous kingdom will be fully realized when the one who was crucified as “King of the Jews” will be crowned with glory as Lord of all.

a. The Nature of Christ’s Kingdom                                 

            Though all are agreed that Christ’s kingdom will be brought to fulfillment, opinions differ regarding the road that leads there. Rather than being a single great event which ushers in the new heaven and the new earth, many believe, principally on the basis of the teaching of Revelation 20:1–10, that Christ’s return first inaugurates an “intermediate kingdom” between the present age and the eternal state, a kingdom in which Christ’s identity as Lord and King will be publicly vindicated on earth.[7] This period of great earthly blessedness under the rule of Christ is known as the “millennium,”[8] and since, in this view, Christ will return before this kingdom is realized, his return is referred to as pre-millennial.

Premillennialism

            According to premillennialists, events surrounding the millennial kingdom finalize the defeat of the dragon, “that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan” (Rev. 20:2), a battle that began in the Garden of Eden. One can understand this millennial kingdom as a restoration of God’s good creation. Jesus, as the second Adam, fulfils the priestly and regal dimensions of the first Adam’s God-given role in creation (found in Gen. 1:26–27; 2:16–17), and his people will share with him in this role as kings and priests (cf. Rev. 20:6). Thus, the millennial kingdom is the penultimate fulfillment of God’s promise of blessing to his people in the context of this fallen world, while the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven (Rev. 21:2) is the ultimate realization of that promise in the context of the fully transformed cosmos when the distinction between heaven and earth will be no more and God will fully dwell with his people.

            Some premillennialists understand this millennial reign of Christ not so much in terms of a restoration of Eden but as a restoration of Israel. This view, associated particularly with a theological system known as dispensationalism,[9] insists on a strict distinction between Israel in the Old Testament and the church in the New. Consequently, dispensationalists believe that the promises to the nation of Israel are still in effect and will be fulfilled on earth in some visible and tangible way. The millennial kingdom, in this view, is the sphere in which national Israel is reconstituted and God’s promises of blessing to Israel are realized.

            This dispensational view also entails that before the institution of this Jewish kingdom, the Lord will take his (largely) Gentile church out of this world before a period of great tribulation lasting seven years in which God’s wrath will be poured out. This exodus will occur when Christ comes from heaven to “rapture”[10] his church into heaven (see 1 Thess. 4:13–18), before returning in glory with them at the end of this tribulational period to inaugurate his millennial kingdom. This view is referred to as “pre-tribulational premillennialism.” The last few decades have seen the development of progressive dispensationalism, a variation of dispensationalism that has gained in popularity. It maintains a less-strict separation of the church and Israel and a broader understanding of how the prophesies of the Old Testament may be fulfilled.

            The more traditional form of premillennialism, known as “historic premillennialism,” holds that the promises to Israel may be fulfilled in Christ, the church, the millennium, or the new heaven and new earth. In this view, the millennium will be focused on the church, not on Israel. Consequently, historic premillennialists see the coming of Christ not in two stages but as one great event. The “rapture” referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 in which believers will “meet the Lord in the air” describes a royal welcome in which those visited by a king go out to meet him as a form of honorific greeting.[11] There will be a time of tribulation on earth, but Christ will not come until after this has been completed.[12]

            The premillennial position, in its various forms, has often been associated with a heightened sense of eschatological expectation, and this has been seen as one of its strengths. An urgency regarding the coming of Christ has been a driving force for missions. Further, this position gives strong emphasis to the “earthly” dimensions of God’s saving purpose, in that Christ’s rule will be manifest, in some sense, in the present world order. In addition, it deals with John’s statements about a “thousand-year reign of Christ” in Revelation 20 in the most straightforward manner. But this view is not without its weaknesses, for some believe, because of its pessimism regarding the future times of trial and tribulations before Christ’s coming, it leads to a diminishment of social concern. Some think that it leads to a world view in which things will continue to worsen, so there is little hope for social improvement—with the result that our only goal ought to be rescuing souls from future judgment. This, of course, would conflict with the thoroughgoing biblical teaching found in the commentary on Article 8 of our SOF.

Postmillennialism

            Postmillennialism is distinguished from two other views regarding this messianic kingdom. Some contend that through the preaching of the gospel around the world and the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in conversion, a large proportion of the world’s population will become believers in Christ. Moral conditions in the world will dramatically improve as the gospel transforms individuals, families, churches, communities, and cultures.[13] This hope gripped many during times of great revival, including the renowned Evangelical pastor-theologian Jonathan Edwards in the Great Awakening of the eighteenth century. Because Christ will return only after this time of earthly blessing, this view is called post-millennialism.

            Postmillennialism emphasizes the power of the gospel in the world to change lives and even societies. Since Jesus has been given “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18), we should expect to see his kingdom advance in this world. This, too, has been seen as a great motivation for evangelistic ministry, fueling hope for missionary success. At the same time, this position has been criticized for fostering a naïve triumphalism, believing that the church can somehow conquer the world while ignoring the strong biblical warnings about the times of tribulation (the “birth pains of the Messiah” [Matt. 24:8]) that will surely come before Christ returns.

Amillennialism

            A third view of this earthly kingdom, and the most common through the history of the church, understands this rule of Christ as operative during the present age, for he is even now at the right hand of the Father and has been given all authority in heaven and earth (cf. Matt. 29:19). When Christ returns, he will immediately usher in the new heaven and the new earth. Because no intermediate millennial kingdom of Christ is posited, this view is commonly referred to as amillennialism,[14] though some adherents prefer the term “inaugurated millennialism,”[15] for they believe that the millennial rule of Christ has already begun.[16]

            Amillennialism has the strength of putting the eschatological emphasis on what seems to be the focus of the New Testament teaching, namely, the triumphant return of Christ (and not an intermediate earthly kingdom) as the climax of the Christian hope. Further, many consider basing a doctrine of an earthly millennium primarily on a single New Testament passage from one of the most difficult of New Testament books (Rev. 20:1–10) a shaky foundation, which points away from premillennialism toward amillennialism. Amillennialism has been criticized, however, for its failure to deal adequately with Rev. 20:1–10 and its lack of concern for the “earthly” aspects of God’s redeeming work, putting the stress on a spiritual heaven entirely divorced from this created order as the climax of salvation.[17]

b. Christ’s Millennial Kingdom in Our SOF

            Our SOF does not take a formal position on the issue of the millennial kingdom, thus allowing for difference of opinion and calling for ongoing Bible study and grace-filled debate. This reticence to include specifics about the millennial kingdom in our SOF reflects the view of Justin Martyr, one of the early Christian apologists writing in the mid-second century. Martyr himself espoused a belief in the millennial reign of Christ on earth, but he did not make this position a criterion for orthodoxy, conceding that “many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and are true Christians, think otherwise.”[18] A contemporary leader in the North American Free Church, Kenneth Kantzer, voiced the same sentiment:

Some doctrines—the Trinity and the Incarnation, for example—are more integrally related to the person of Christ or to the gospel. Yet other doctrines, such as the mode of baptism or the nature of God’s election, may be very important, but do not demand universal allegiance. One can possess an enduring and consistent Christian faith and differ with another believer over this kind of doctrine. Explanations about the second coming of Christ fit this description. It is an important slice of biblical theology, but it does not require a single interpretation among Christians.[19]

            At LAC, we have a desire to “major on the majors and minor on the minors” in delineating our core doctrinal convictions, and our SOF is meant to reflect that. We have set forth those doctrines that are vitally connected to the gospel itself and which have been widely held by Bible-believing Christians through all ages. We deliberately do not take a position on such significant issues as Reformed vs. Arminian soteriology[20] or the time and mode of baptism—issues that have found differing viewpoints held by Christians through the centuries. We recognize that Evangelical believers with strong convictions regarding the authority of the Scriptures have taken different positions on the millennium. In light of our distinctive ethos at LAC of uniting around the central doctrines of the faith, we affirm simply and confidently that Christ will bring his kingdom to fulfillment when he comes in glory.

2. Christ Will Come as Judge[21]

            When Christ returns, he will come in glory but also act as judge. This Messianic judgment was clearly anticipated by John the Baptist who preached a message of repentance to Israel in preparation for the coming of the Lord: “The ax is already at the root of the trees,” he proclaimed, “and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt. 3:10). John proclaimed the imminent fulfillment of God’s promise to bring justice to his people, rescuing them from their enemies through divine judgment. And when Jesus appeared, John declared that he was that One who was to come (Matt. 3:12). But that day of righteous judgment was delayed. John himself was perplexed as he sat in jail, facing execution, having been arrested by the wicked King Herod. Where was the judgment that brings righteousness and peace? Hence, John’s question sent from prison to Jesus: “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matt. 11:3).

            Jesus answered John indirectly but affirmatively: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Matt. 11:4–6). These words, describing what was happening in Jesus’ ministry, reflect the promise of the prophets as they looked forward to the coming of the kingdom of God (Isa. 29:18; 35:5; 61:6).

            Yet each of those Old Testament passages speaks of another aspect of the coming kingdom, which Jesus failed to mention—the act of judgment (cf. Isa. 29:20; 35:4; 61:2). In Jesus’ ministry, we saw the unfolding of “the year of the Lord’s favor” (Isa. 61:2a), but we have not yet seen “the day of vengeance of our God” (Isa. 61:2b). In other words, in Jesus’ ministry the salvation of God’s people came, but the judgment of the wicked has not yet arrived.

            Jesus’ coming in glory will bring to completion the future promised by the prophets and by John. The Messiah will be revealed as king and judge (2 Tim. 4:1). Jesus himself stated this most clearly: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25:31–32). Jesus has been given this authority by his Father (John 5:22, 27), for, in the words of Paul, “[God] has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31; also 10:42; 2 Cor. 5:10).

            In this present age, Jesus’ divine identity is obscured, his royal sovereignty is denied, and his righteous will is defied. The gospel’s power is shrouded in mystery. But the promise of God’s Word is that one day his glory will be made known. Jesus will establish his authority as King of kings and will bring God’s judgment to bear in this fallen world. Until then, we live in faith and wait in hope for “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13)

II. The Time of Christ’s Return

            Speculation about the time of the return of Christ has been a constant temptation in the life of the church. Thus far, no prediction has proven true.[22] The Bible warns us against such speculation in the clearest terms.

A. The Time of Christ’s Return Is Known Only to God            

            Jesus spoke of signs of the end, including earthquakes, famine, political upheaval, false messiahs, persecution amid world-wide gospel preaching, and even the fall of Jerusalem (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), but none of these can be used to pinpoint a particular moment in history when the end will come. “You do not know on what day your Lord will come,” he told his disciples (Matt. 24:42). In fact, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matt. 24:36; cf. 1 Tim. 6:14–15). Speculation is fruitless, and it can be dangerous. Jesus warned against false prophets who would come and deceive many concerning his coming (Matt. 24:4, 11, 24). He will come “like a thief in the night,” Paul wrote (1 Thess. 5:2).

B. Christ’s Return Demands Constant Expectancy

            This uncertainty regarding its time demands that the proper attitude toward Christ’s coming is one of constant expectancy. “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matt. 24:42). Jesus will come like a thief in the night, so we are not to be sleeping but alert and self-controlled (1 Thess. 5:6; Rom. 13:11–14; 2 Pet. 3:10–12; Rev. 3:3). Jesus urged his followers to be faithful and vigilant in their duty. “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matt. 24:44; Luke 12:40). The question remains: when he comes, will our Lord find us living in faith (Luke 18:8)?

            In our SOF, we echo the biblical language, i.e., we are to be constantly expectant as we wait for the Lord’s return. But does this demand for constant expectancy imply that there can be no “signs” of Christ’s coming? Some contend that if any signs must occur before Christ’s return or if Christ’s coming will take place only after a defined period of intense tribulation, the biblical call to vigilance is undermined. It appears to many, however, that God has not chosen to reveal this as specifically as we might like in Scripture, thus forcing us to wait and watch without knowing the hour of Christ’s return. Despite the call to constant vigilance, when Jesus’ disciples asked him about the time of his coming, he spoke at some length of various things that must happen first, including the gospel being “preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (cf. Matt. 24:14, 33–34). The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, but Paul taught the Thessalonians that “you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief” (1 Thess. 5:4). In his second letter to them, he appeared to go even farther: “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed” (2 Thess. 2:3).

            We should concede that it is possible that some signs must first take place before Christ returns (including a time of great tribulation), but we must also humbly acknowledge that we may not be able to discern those signs clearly enough to determine contemporaneously whether they have, in fact, already taken place.[23] Our best course is to assert what the Bible most clearly affirms: Only the Father knows the time of the Son’s return, and until he comes we must maintain constant expectancy. We are called to live as “sons of the light and sons of the day” (1 Thess. 5:5), with constant moral vigilance and enduring faith and hope.

III. The Effect of Christ’s Return:

A. Our Blessed Hope

            The first Christians were inspired by an eager expectation—the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back! “Our citizenship is in heaven,” Paul wrote, “and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). To Titus he declared, “We wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). John in his first epistle echoed that eager hope: “Dear children, this is the last hour; . . . we know that when he appears, we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is” (2:18; 3:2). In almost the last words of the New Testament, the risen Jesus declared, “I am coming soon!” And this declaration evokes the response “So be it. Come Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).

            These Christians were waiting for the coming of their Lord Jesus, and they expected him to return soon. Paul seemed to expect it within his own lifetime when he told the Thessalonians that “we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thess. 4:15). He encouraged the Romans that “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here” (Rom. 13:11–12). James joined Paul: “Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:8). Peter, too, stated it clearly: “The end of all things is near” (1 Pet. 4:7).

            Were they mistaken in their belief in the “nearness” of the coming of Christ? Even during the apostolic age, scoffers were asking, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” (2 Pet. 3:4). After two thousand years, can we still have the same expectation, the same hope?

            We can and we must. Theirs was an eager expectation, but they were not misled, nor were they mistaken. As we have already seen, alongside the New Testament statements about the nearness of Jesus’ coming are those that speak of or presuppose a delay or that declare the time of his coming as unknowable to us. The “nearness” of his coming speaks of the possibility of its taking place soon. In that sense, the Lord’s coming was near then, and it is near now, for we do not know when it will be.

             Further, our perception of time is limited. “And do not forget this one thing, dear friends:” Peter reminded us, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day” (2 Pet. 3:8). There is a purpose in the delay (if we may even call it a delay), for through it the Lord is testing our faithfulness and allowing the opportunity for salvation. “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 Pet. 3:9).

            In the meantime, we are sustained by the Lord’s great and precious promises (2 Pet. 1:4). More than that, Paul spoke of the down payment already made, the seal of the Holy Spirit who now lives within our hearts and guarantees that we shall receive what God promised to his people (Eph. 1:14). As we await the “not yet,” we enjoy the “already.”

            The early Christians spoke of Christ’s second coming as if it were just around the corner, and so should we, as we sing

            The strife will not be long;

            This day the noise of battle,

            The next the victor’s song.[24]

B. A Motivation for the Believer

            It is sometimes said that such an emphasis on the coming of Christ has a detrimental effect on the life of Christians. The admonition to “be watchful” is understood as mere star-gazing. People become so busy looking up to the heavens for Jesus to return that they are no earthly good.[25] Life on this side of Christ’s coming becomes almost frivolous and without significance.

            But such an understanding could not be further from the truth. Being watchful does not mean that we should sit out on the porch like a lonely dog, pining away until our master returns. Instead, we are to live with the certainty that Christ is coming, and when he does we will be held accountable for how we lived. Jesus compared our situation to that of stewards responsible for the master’s estate (Matt. 24:45–51) or financial managers entrusted with the master’s money (Matt. 25:14–30). We have a job to do, and when our master returns, he will reward his servants for their faithfulness.

            Living with a sense of expectancy of the coming of Christ ought not to draw us away from earthly responsibilities but make us more faithful to them. Lord Shaftesbury, the nineteenth-century English social reformer who worked tirelessly to improve conditions in the London slums, said near the end of his life, “I do not think that in the last forty years I have lived one conscious hour that was not influenced by the thought of our Lord’s return.”[26] The coming of Christ ought to motivate the believer to godly living, sacrificial service, and energetic mission. “For what comes,” wrote C. S. Lewis, “is judgment.” Lewis continued:

Happy are those whom [the Lord] finds laboring in their vocation, whether we’re merely going out to feed the pigs or laying good plans to deliver humanity a hundred years hence from some great evil. Perhaps the curtain will fall—those pigs will never in fact be fed, the great campaign against slavery or governmental tyranny will never in fact proceed to victory. No matter; you were at your post when the inspection came.[27]

            Regardless of how much time is left before our Lord returns, we must live each day with an eager hope to hear his words of commendation “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21). Blessed will be that servant whose master finds him living faithfully when he returns (Matt. 24:46).

            “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here” (Rom. 13:12). We wait for the day when our Lord will come to fulfill all that has been promised by the prophets (cf. Acts 3:21), when Christ “will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Heb. 9:28). The gospel’s promise of redemption will be fulfilled when Christ comes again in glory. This hope of the final consummation of what was begun in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is essential, for as one writer put it, “Faith in Jesus, faith in his life, and his death, and his resurrection from the grave, without the expectation of his [return] is a cheque that is never cashed, a promise that is not made in earnest. A faith in Christ without the expectation of a [return] is like a flight of stairs that leads nowhere, but ends in the void.”[28]

            Jesus Christ is coming again, and until then we must “continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28). “We wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). So we pray in the words preserved in the Aramaic language of the first Jewish Christians, marana tha, which means “Come, O Lord!” (1 Cor. 16:22).

To God's glory alone,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor