Where Is This Coming He Promised?

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing  without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7,NIV 1984). 

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.  (Revelation 1:1–3, NIV 1984). 

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?  (Numbers 23:19, NIV 1984). 

In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3–4, NIV 1984).

My Musings – “The time is near?” John wrote that in the 1st century and we are now in the 21st century. So, “where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” “Everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” One might be tempted to conclude that the scoffers have a valid point.

But “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.” He spoke through His disciple John, for He “does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants.” He does not “speak and then not act.” He does not “promise and not fulfill.”

But one still might question its accuracy (inerrancy) about it being near when John wrote it down. The answer comes, perhaps a few verses later. “Write, therefore, what you have seen [past], what is now [present or near] and what will take place later [future].” (Revelation 1:19, NIV 1984). Commentators have suggested that the word translated as near has connotations of both things happening soon and things not necessarily soon but could happen at any time, and when they do, they will unfold in rapid succession. And we must “not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 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 Peter 3:8–9, NIV 1984).

My Advice – Rejoice in the “slowness.” You are either now in the Kingdom because of the delay, or still have the opportunity to enter the Kingdom before it is too late. But His “patience” will not last forever. We are already seeing many of the signs occurring that Jesus Himself predicted in His Olivet Discourse (see Matthew 24) would precede His return.

So, you must not delay because that day “will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?” (2 Peter 3:10–11, NIV 1984). You ought to be (no, you must be) “born again” if you are to avoid the terrible judgment that follows. Won’t you act and not delay?