Who really wants Christ to return and inaugurate His Kingdom? If you say you do, you may be accused of being desperate to escape your present difficulties, or of being someone who wants to avoid what is happening to America. Maybe you’re just too lazy, afraid, or unequipped to witness to others.
You may also be:
Ÿ Someone too comfortable with life here and now.
Ÿ Someone not entirely convinced that the Bible is true.
Ÿ Someone who’s not quite finished exploring sin.
Ÿ Someone who puts down Dominion Theology but secretly believes we can still pull this off, (yes, we’ll do what God commanded and get the gospel out, cause no one can do it like the Americans).
Ÿ Someone who is equally concerned that 1950s America be recovered (baseball, apple pie) because that is just as important to some as evangelizing and discipling the nations.
I struggle with these things from time to time, too. But then I read Isaiah 35 and see how wonderful the Millennial Kingdom and heaven will be. I recommit to praying for Christ’s return. We cannot and will not create heaven on earth ourselves. Hopelessly deluded people in the 19th century were convinced that humankind could. History answered with the 20th century.
Man progresses technologically; God continues to carry out His purposes regardless. Cupidity intensifies and marks out most people as those who will bewail Babylon’s fall. We cleverly remake in our image—on celluloid, with robotics, by cloning. God’s image is lost. Satan’s lie has appeal, but we are not gods and never will be.
I also realize from Isaiah 35 why the helpless, hurting ones of Christ’s day responded to Him.
“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence, he will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4).
Disabled people hurt. They also experience more than their share of injustice. Disabled people rarely get a fair shake. Not now. They don’t expect it.
When Jesus appeared on the scene, these same people SAW, HEARD and PERCEIVED. They SHOUTED and LEAPED for joy. This was the One they had waited for. Suffering usually brings humility in its wake. It should. Only then can you recognize the Savior. They could receive what He offered and could offer what He demanded.
Jews in His time wanted to see the Father, just like Moses did. They were so stuck on Moses. But Jesus said to Philip:
“Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me” (John 14:9).
He went on to explain what they had to look forward to, and later that evening, they saw more clearly (John 16:29-30). (His own know His voice.) Not so their leaders. Their father was the devil. They bore his image. For all their knowledge and heritage, there wasn’t an ounce of truth, righteousness, or virtue within them. Nor could you find a readiness for and joyful anticipation of Messiah’s kingdom.
What is truth to people like that? Irrelevant at best. Beside the point. Inauspicious. Merely cause for engaging the dialectic within us all. But Paul warned:
“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith…” (1 Timothy 6:20-21).
What’s wrong with wanting Christ to call us home NOW? Nothing.
We redeem the time until He does. We make ready to meet Him face to face. We do what we can to understand the times and provide for those left behind. But we’d rather be with Him now.
“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better; nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you” (Philippians 1:23-24) .
We should long for the redemption of His Church Body, of His chosen people and land, of the earth. These are things only He can only bring about when He returns.
Maranatha!