The King is Coming!

The King is Coming! John R. Petrilli We’ve all seen end times movies. Each depicts a producer’s conception of what the world will look like and be like when the time for the final curtain call sounds for planet earth. The apostle Peter goes to great lengths to give us a sneak preview of the REAL end-times scenario. The plot is absorbing, the action intense, the characters colorful and the finale fantastic. SCENE 1: THE KING IS COMING TO A FAITHLESS GENERATION! “You need to know that in the last days mockers are going to have a heyday … they’ll mock, ‘So what’s happened to the promise of His coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything’s going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing’s changed.’ ” 1 Peter 3:3-7, Message TV Commentator Bill Maher’s movie Religulous openly mocks and ridicules Christians and Christianity, stating that, "religion must die for mankind to live". Media mogul Ted Turner once had a reputation for belittling people and things pertaining to Christian faith, stating that “Christianity is a religion for losers”. Some of the world’s most highly respected intellectuals openly mock and viciously attack Christianity. The late best-selling author Christopher Hitchens called Christianity false and absurd. Atheist author Richard Dawkins says that Christianity is dying and bids it good riddance. Such skeptics and atheists are making millions of dollars writing books that shamelessly confess their absolute disdain and disgust for Christianity, mocking the very fundamental tenets of the faith. If you’re waiting to see this trend ease up, holding your breath will result in death by asphyxiation. Irreverence is in, piety is out – an irrelevant relic of the past. What was sacred a mere three decades ago has become the butt of sitcom jokes. A society that once showed token respect for the things of God has degenerated into a culture of mockers, skeptics and blasphemers. But such a development should not surprise the Christian believer. Writers in both Testaments point to such a moral landslide taking place on a global scale just prior to the return of the Messiah. God-mockers have never been in short supply (recall Goliath?). As the return of the King draws nearer than ever, such attitudes are becoming the norm, not the exception. Jesus Himself depicted the days surrounding His return as a time when true faith may well become a rare commodity (Luke 18:8). Indeed, Paul portents an end-times scenario with a world gone amuck in unbelief, the result of a wholesale departure from the things of God (2 Thess. 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1). Like their irreverent forefathers, present day mockers point to the relative status quo as proof that belief in Jesus’ promise to return is foolishly and seriously misplaced. That there’s nothing to such a promise, and therefore, nothing at all to worry about. But their short-sighted, narrow-minded view of history reveals a spiritual myopia that will cost them their souls for all eternity (2 Thess. 1:7b-9). By the time King Jesus comes back to earth, its unrepentant masses will be unreceptive to His arrival and ripe for judgment (Rev. 9:20-21; 16:9,11). SCENE 2: THE KING IS COMING WITH TIMING NOTHING SHORT OF PERFECTION! “Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with His promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining Himself on account of you, holding back the End because He doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. Interpret our Master’s patient restraint for what it is: salvation.” 1 Peter 3: 8-9, 15, Message We often forget that we live in a space-time continuum. God doesn’t. His perspective, therefore, is quite different than ours. What seems like a “forever” to us is a few ticks of the clock for God. Our entire lifespan is relatively short when viewed in light of eternity (James 4:14). Mockers use what seems to be long period of silence and divine inactivity as proof that the King never was coming and never will come. They interpret God’s delay of His return as a denial of His promise to do so. Such was the presumptuous attitude of the unfaithful and unwise manager who used his CEO’s delayed return as an opportunity to throw off all constraints and live for the pleasures of the moment (Luke 12:45). The fact that there is a delay cannot and should not ever be interpreted as a cancellation of a plan. Especially when the one promising their return has a position of authority and a track record of reliability. God’s track record on reliability is a perfect 100%. The perfect timing and detailed fulfillment of Jesus’ first coming should educate and stimulate us concerning the certainty of His second appearance on earth. Don’t miss the incredible expanse of God’s grace and mercy! While puny little self-proclaimed tyrants on earth shake their impotent fists at God, He patiently holds back judgment to give every one of them enough time to come to Him for salvation. Let’s not make the miscalculation those in Peter’s day made. The lack of visible evidence doesn’t imply God’s changed His mind or plan to return. Jesus will return at just the right time, not a moment too early or too late! SCENE 3: THE KING IS COMING IN SURPRISING FASHION! “But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief.” 1 Peter 3:10a, Message In a post-911 world, security has boomed as an industry. Billions of dollars are spent each year to secure our borders, our oil interests, and most important of all, our citizenry. The whole purpose of a security system is predicated on the fact that thieves and attackers strike without notice. They hit their targets at an hour they least expect it. We even have elaborate systems guarding our individual homes and businesses from break-ins and robberies. Why? Because we simply are clueless as to the date and timing of an attempted break-in. If we make adequate preparations, criminals may still attempt an entry, but will be doing so at a high risk of detection. Jesus says that His return will resemble the stealth of a household thief. It is coming at a time when the residents of earth least expect it. They will be caught completely off-guard! Like the degenerates of Noah’s day, the planetary population will be caught up in divine judgment before they even know what hit them (Luke 17:26-27). Things will develop so quickly that the media will have no chance to warn people of impending disaster. In spite of the repeated and sobering warnings of gospel preachers, the entire race will be lost in a devastation that will be as swift as it is unexpected. SCENE 4: THE KING IS COMING TO PERFORM A UNIVERSAL RENOVATION! “The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day – but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness. 1 Peter 3:10b, 12b-13, Message In modern times the word ‘cataclysmic’ is reserved for usage in describing large scale events involving massive damage and loss of life. Those in the media like to use the phraseology, “of Biblical proportions”, to describe an event as horrendous as to defy description or permit a parallel. The Return of King Jesus will trigger, not one, not two, not three, but scores and scores of cataclysmic events. These events will occur in every area of human existence: meteorological, geological, social, political, spiritual, agricultural, economic, financial, celestial and terrestrial (see Matthew 24:4-30). The scope is all-inclusive and the effects devastating beyond the capabilities of any and all human recovery operations. King Jesus will be the only One capable of redeeming the planet. And redeem it He will! Since Jesus is the One Who holds the entire universe together, He’s perfectly capable of putting it back together after its temporary dissolution (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). The Greek term for “elements” in the phrase “the elements will melt with fervent heat” is the equivalent of our English term for the word ‘molecule”. The breakdown of the universe will be akin to the fission involved in a nuclear reaction, where the very building blocks of matter are completely split apart and shattered. The intense thermal release of such a nuclear reaction was seen in the aftermath of Tokyo and Nagasaki, where millions died instantly from the burning heat that swept across the terrain. Only, in this case, the entire universe will be caught up in the nuclear holocaust! The very stars will disintegrate along with every other astronomical body in the heavens! Shortly thereafter Jesus will recreate a brand new world that will be permanently incapable of spiritual or physical decay. John the revelator is at a loss for words as he attempts to describe this place of unprecedented, unparalleled, unimaginable beauty and perfection (John can only use similes to convey what he saw of heaven’s glory). Jesus has been preparing such a place for a long, long time (John 14:2-3). If God could come up with the breathtaking vistas of earth in only one day, what will His Son be able to create over a period of 2,000 plus years? SCENE 5: THE KING IS COMING TO MOVE HIS SUBJECTS TO A NEW LOCATION! “We are looking forward to … a new home [where righteousness will reign supreme].” 2 Peter 3:13 (non-italics mine). Relocation was a constant part of my entire upbringing. My family moved eight times during grades Kindergarten through twelve. Eventually I became used to saying good-bye to my best friends, but it was never easy to leave them without a tear. Then I had to make brand new friends, and some neighborhoods made that a more daunting task than others. My eventual relocation to Heaven is one I won’t have any problems adjusting to whatsoever! The old gospel songs sustained those suffering under the whip of slavery with the hope of a far better place. The hope of heaven permeated their doleful lyrics with a corresponding note of optimism. Where has this hope gone? Are we modern believers so comfortable, satisfied and enamored with life on earth that we’ve lost that deep ache for our heavenly home? Perhaps so! So what’s “new” look like? A good buddy of mine recently moved into a brand new place. The hallway carpeting was spotless. The woodworking, immaculate. The painted walls and ceilings, brilliant. The smell, fresh. Take that experiential description and multiply it about a gazillion times. Now you’re faintly approaching what the newness of heaven will be like. Paul says that as we step into glory land we’ll be inundated with stimuli beyond the scope of our current five senses (1 Cor. 2:9). I can’t wait … how about YOU? SCENE 6: THE KING IS COMING TO CLAIM HIS QUEEN WAITING IN ANTICIPATION! “Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. So, my friends, since that is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace.” 1 Peter 3:11-12a, 14, Message I find the placement of these verses interesting. In the midst of all the judgment and devastation, there is this seemingly out of place reference to believers. As one opting for the position of the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, it’s of considerable interest to note how Peter suggests the possibility that Christ could return for his immediate readers at any moment. But that “moment” is now 2,000 years in the past. Perhaps Peter believed, as many do today, that the rapture immediately precedes the second coming. This could explain the proximity he places between the two end time events. Paul, likewise, may place the two events in a similar rapid succession type of scenario, where some interpret the “Restrainer” as the Spirit-indwelt believers on earth, and their removal at the rapture as the event that immediately triggers the appearance of the antichrist and the onset of the tribulation period (2 Thess. 2:6-8). Let’s not miss the way in which Peter applies these future things to our present day. Instead of becoming the stuff of theological discussion and debate, the Second Coming of our Gracious King is to motivate believers to become a Royal Bride worthy of her King. Growth in godliness is and should be our top priority. Kings marry Queens, and royal weddings require extensive and detailed preparations. While earthly unions are celebrated with much outward pomp and circumstance, King Jesus’ Bride is to be busy getting herself spiritually ready for her union with her Groom. In this wedding ceremony the Bride will possess both inner and outer beauty beyond compare. If we’re confessing the Name of Christ, our lifestyle should befit that of one who’s engaged to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!