| I'm on the Welcoming Committee
When is the world going to end? In our day? In our lifetime? Who is the Antichrist? What is the mark of the beast? What will heaven be like? These and countless other questions are on the minds of followers of Christ around the world. The book of Revelation is the source of many of these questions. In fact, it would be fair to say that there is not another book of the Bible that is the subject of more curiosity, confusion, or speculation than the book of Revelation.
When it comes to the book of Revelation, people in the church tend to have two primary responses. Sadly, both of these responses are unhealthy. There are those who become obsessed with the book. They treat it like a prophetic jigsaw puzzle that will give them insider information if only they can put all the pieces together. They write up intricate time lines and diagrams that impressively chart out the last days and appear to offer answers to all of our questions. Unfortunately, people who have this response often get diverted from their faith and become obsessed with speculation. When seekers hear elaborate explanations about Jesus’ second coming being given “in the name of Christ,” and these theories go unfulfilled, we do serious damage to the evangelistic potential of future generations!
Jesus is very clear that none of us can know when He will return: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7, NIV). Jesus also says very clearly that He is coming back: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20, NIV). What we can’t know for sure is when He will return. Those who find themselves consumed with trying to figure out when Jesus will return can get caught up in a web that can damage not only their own faith but the faith of others as well.
A second response people may have to the book of Revelation is to avoid it altogether, either out of frustration or confusion. They say, “I can’t make heads or tails of this book. It has bizarre images of strange creatures, beasts, blood, bowls of sulfur, people eating scrolls, bottomless pits, dragons, the four horses of the Apocalypse, war, pestilence, famine, and death! It just does not seem like a very happy book.” Because they can’t understand what it is saying, they prefer to set it aside for others to grapple with. Sadly, these people are missing out on some powerful life lessons God wants to teach us through the book of Revelation.
Jesus does not want us to be engaged in wild speculation and date-setting for His return. Neither does He wish for us to be ignorant about any portion of the Bible, including Revelation. What Jesus wants is for us to be yielded to the Holy Spirit, to be His witnesses, to be about His work, to spread the gospel, to be spiritually awake, and to be increasingly alive to God’s presence within us. Jesus wants His followers to be on the welcoming committee when He returns; He does not need anyone on the “when and where” committee. As a matter of fact, Jesus is clear that He wants His return to be a surprise!
Ask the Holy Spirit to mold and shape you into a person who is ready to meet Jesus. If it is today or a thousand years from now, you will hear the call to be ready to meet our Lord. |
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