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In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John quotes Jesus, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon’” (Revelation 22:20, NIV).
John responds, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).
The Bible takes seriously the second coming of Jesus.
There is a first coming and a second coming of Christ. Jesus brought salvation from the first coming and will enable total restoration of our relationship with God after the second coming.
We should respond to the first coming message by accepting Christ as our Lord while living now in faithful anticipation of His second coming.
There are about 300 prophecies about the first coming and 600 for the second coming. I believe the Bible includes twice the number of prophecies for the second coming because God wants us ready.
However, I’ve noticed an apathy about the return of Jesus today.
When I first became a believer in the early 1970s, the top-selling Christian book was The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsay.
The New York Times described the book as the number-one bestselling nonfiction book of the decade. The bestselling Christian books of 2023 include Five Love Languages, The Awe of God, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes, and Total Money Makeover.
I’m not blasting these recent best sellers and intend to read many of them myself. But of the 50 top-selling books of the last year, I couldn’t find one on the topic of the second coming.
Let’s consider: Do we really need a Total Money Makeover if Jesus is coming back soon?
Why do we have “Second Coming Apathy” today? Probably extreme narcissism.
Narcissism impacts our entire culture, including the church. Narcissism, defined briefly, is extreme selfishness leading to an over-indulgent focus on “me.”
In the New Testament, one out of every 30 verses is about the second coming. The Bible doesn’t neglect “me” but teaches that the final solution to all humanity’s difficulties is the soon return of Jesus.
That’s our hope, and knowing Jesus will return, gives us reason for faithfulness.
In recent books, sermons, podcasts, and blogs – only a fraction of the content is about the second coming of Jesus. Our teaching is about “me” without the context of seeing Jesus face to face.
HHHHMMMHHM.
I wonder if the book entitled Good Boundaries and Goodbyes anticipates the broken boundaries that will occur when Jesus returns in the clouds.
I remember living as a Jesus Freak in the 1970s, and every Christian I knew had read The Late Great Planet Earth. Today there has been a shift from the soon coming of Jesus as “pie-in-the-sky” theology to a “serve someone and be relevant” gospel.
Both are needed.
I’m concerned that apathy of the second coming produces a feel-good gospel of “good works” focusing on “me” that lacks the requisite holiness to meet Jesus in the clouds.
The Apostle John says, “Amen, Come, Lord Jesus!” Will we say “amen” when we see Him?