"How Soon Will The Conflict Be Over?" The question this time
is not When? but How soon? The conflict will be over when God's children
on this planet have fully responded to His last pleading (conversation 16), are so settled
into the truth that they can resist Satan's final effort to deceive (number 17) and as
grown-up believers can not only survive the time of trouble but, like Job, speak well and
truly of our Heavenly Father (number 18).
"How soon?" the disciples asked Jesus. "Tell us, when will this happen?
What will be the signal for your coming and the end of the world." (Matthew 24:3)
Jesus spoke of alarming disturbances in earth and sky, of growing distrust between the
nations, the rise of false religious leaders—and the Good News going to all the
world. He said the end was near—more than 1900 years ago! But how near is
"near?" Not long before he died John wrote, "Children, it is the last
hour...we know that it is the last hour." (1 John 2:18) Was he wrong? When John
arises at the Second Coming he will be surprised to find how long he has been asleep. He
may have some questions but surely no complaints! And there will be earth-shaking events
for him yet to see.
About a century and a half ago there arose in various parts of the world the growing
conviction that the time had come for Jesus to return. Thousands of Christians the world
around still agree that those early adventist believers had indeed seen God's signal that
Christ was coming soon. But this was not a signal to withdraw from the world and pack for
the trip up to Heaven. It was a call from God to finish the work of preparing the world
for His coming.
It is true that time has continued much longer than early adventists expected. The
signs that so stirred them are now well over a hundred years old. But are we surprised,
even ashamed, that our God has been willing to wait? Are we concerned about our
reputation or His? If by our failure to complete our task we may have
contributed to the delay, then we deserve to be ashamed. But the longer God waits, the
more gracious He looks. His delay only confirms the Good News!
How much longer do you think God will have to wait? We can trust Him to wait as long as
there is hope for anyone. But the One who reads our every thought will know when all final
decisions are made. "So then," Jesus advised, "you must always be ready,
because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him." (Matthew
24:44) To which Paul added, "But you, brothers, are not in darkness, and the Day
should not take you by surprise." (1 Thessalonians 5:4) What should we be looking
for?
Bible passages included:
Matthew 24:3. "Tell us, when will this be and how can we tell
when You're coming back and the world will come to an end?" (Beck)
Matthew 24:36. "But about that day and hour no one knows, not
even the angels in heaven, not even the Son; only the Father." (NEB)
John 14:1, 3. "Set your troubled hearts at rest. Trust in God
always; trust also in me... I shall come again and receive you to myself, so that where I
am you may be also." (NEB)
Matthew 24:26, 27, 30, 31. "Don't believe it. For the Son of Man
will come like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the
west... And all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The great trumpet will sound, and he will
send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen
people from one end of the world to the other." (GNB)
Revelation 1:7. "Every eye will see him." (RSV)
Isaiah 25:9. "In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice
and be glad in his salvation." (NIV)
Revelation 6:16. "They called to the mountains and the rocks,
'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of
the Lamb!'" (NIV)
2 Chronicles 36:15, 16. "The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent
persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people;... but
they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words, and scoffing at his
prophets, till the wrath of the Lord rose against the people, till there was no
remedy." (RSV)
Romans 2:4. "Are you, perhaps, misinterpreting God's generosity
and patient mercy toward you as weakness on his part? Don't you realize that God's
kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (Phillips)
Habakkuk 2:3. "It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it
will certainly take place." (GNB)
2 Peter 3:3, 4. "In the last days there will come men who scoff
at religion and live self-indulgent lives, and they will say. 'Where now is the promise of
his coming? Our fathers have been laid to their rest, but still everything continues
exactly as it has always been since the world began."' (NEB)
2 Peter 3:9. "It is not that the Lord is slow in fulfilling his
promise, as some suppose, but that he is very patient with you, because it is not his will
for any to be lost, but for all to come to repentance." (NEB)
Jonah 4:2, 3. "Lord, didn't I say before I left home that this is
just what you would do? That's why I did my best to run away to Spain! I knew that you are
a loving and merciful God, always patient, always kind, and always ready to change your
mind and not punish. Now then, Lord, let me die. I am better off dead than alive." (GNB)
Matthew 24:29. "The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not
give its light; the stars will fall from the sky." (NIV)
2 Peter 3:12. "Look eagerly for the coming of the Day of God and
work to hasten it on." (NEB)
Matthew 24:44. "So then, you also must always be ready, because
the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him." (GNB)
1 Thessalonians 5:4. "But you, brothers are not living in
darkness, and so the day will not like a thief take you by surprise." (Kleist and Lilly)
©1984 Graham Maxwell
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