When the sense of urgency diminishes from the message of the church, the zeal of the people fades accordingly.
by Donald Ward
We are very excited to provide the ministry,
membership and interested persons, with commentary and analysis of
selected world news topics. Our purpose is to help readers discern
the times and increase their awareness and understanding of the answers
Christ gave to his disciples' questions: "Tell us, when will these
things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end
of the age?" (Luke 12:54-56; Matthew 24:3).
Christ's first response to the disciples
was: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My
name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5).
Since Christ spoke those words, thousands of books and articles have
been written on Bible prophecy and especially about the end times.
Some of these proclaim that Christ has already returned and is hiding
in a secret place ready to be revealed at a certain time or at the
juncture of certain events.
The words of the New Testament are presented
with a great sense of urgency. Such expressions as: "The time is at
hand; the end of the world; behold I come quickly" made a deep impression
on Christians of the first century. To a large degree, first century
Christians viewed the Bible in eschatological terms. In other words,
they thought that they were living in the end times and that the return
of Jesus Christ was imminent.
The Apostle Paul wrote his second epistle
to the Thessalonians to clarify misunderstandings that some of them
were promoting concerning the second coming of Christ. Paul wrote: "Now,
brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering
together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled,
either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though
the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for
that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the
man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).
