The End is nigh!

Ezekiel 7:6

The end is coming. The end is coming. It is stirring itself up against you. It is coming! 

Thought for the day – The end is nigh!

According the a Pew report in 2010, 75% of Christians in the US believe that Christ will return. That’s down from 79% in 2006. Of those who believe Jesus will return only about 1 in 10 believe Jesus will return within their lifetime. So for the majority of believers, the end is nigh, but not imminently. What a change from the early church who firmly held that Christ’s return was imminent. Granted that was nearly 2000 years ago, no wonder the idea of Jesus returning seems more like a distant promise than a close reality.

Where do you sit with this? Are you of the belief that Christ’s return is imminent, within your lifetime, Or is it something we just long for and most likely won’t see this side of eternity during our lifetime? And what does Scripture say about Jesus’ return? There are effectively 6 principles:

1. The return will be visible and universal — not hidden or private

2. It will be sudden and unexpected — like a thief in the night, like lightning

3. It will involve judgment — separating the righteous from the unrighteous

4. It will bring resurrection — the dead raised, death defeated

5. It will mean consummation — God's kingdom fully and finally established

6. The timing is unknown — and Jesus is explicit about that

Wherever we stand on the matter, these principles should be our guiding light when it comes to discussions about the end of the age. And maybe we should be a bit the writers of the Nicene Creed who simply said: "he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead" and not worry particularly about the details.