Come, Lord Jesus
Life in this world fills us with great concern. There are problems everywhere, be it with drugs, alien immigration or political disputes. Add to that poverty, incurable diseases and global warming. There is child pornography, human trafficking and indiscriminate violence. The proliferation of nuclear weapons, wars and terrorist attacks are causing concern. There seems to be no solution to this unless Jesus comes again, and very soon. No wonder, then, that Christians are longing for Jesus' second coming and praying, "Come, Jesus, come!"
Christians trust in Jesus' promised return and await the fulfillment of this prophecy. Interpreting biblical prophecies proves to be quite a complicated matter because they have been fulfilled in ways that were not expected. Even the prophets themselves could not fully grasp it. For example, they had no idea how the Messiah would be born as a baby and be both human and divine. (1. Petr 1,10-12)How could Jesus, as our Lord and Savior, suffer and die for our sins and still be God? Only when it actually happened could it be understood. But even then, the educated priests, scribes, and Pharisees didn't grasp it. Instead of welcoming Jesus with open arms, they sought to kill him.
It may be fascinating to speculate about how prophecies will be fulfilled in the future. But basing our salvation on these interpretations is neither prudent nor wise, especially regarding the end times. Year after year, self-proclaimed prophets predict a specific date for Christ's return, yet so far, they have all been wrong. Why is that? Because the Bible has always told us that we cannot know the time, hour, or day of these events. (Apg 1,7; Mt 24,36; Mk. 13,32)Among Christians, you often hear: “The situation in the world is getting worse and worse! Surely we are now living in the last days.” These thoughts have accompanied Christians throughout the centuries. They all had the feeling of living in the last days—and strangely enough, they were right. “The last days” began with the birth of Jesus. Therefore, since Jesus’ first coming, Christians have been living in the end times. When Paul told Timothy that “difficult times will come in the last days,” (2. Tim 3,1)He did not speak of a specific time or day in the future. Paul added that in the last days people would think highly of themselves and would be greedy, brutal, blasphemers, ungrateful, unforgiving, and so on. Then he warned: “Avoid such people.” (2. Tim 3,2-5)Obviously, such people must have existed even back then. Why else would Paul have instructed the church to keep away from them? Matthäus 24,6-7We are told that nations will rise up against each other and that there will be many wars. This is nothing new. When has there ever been a time without war in the world? Times have always been bad, and they are only getting worse, not better. We wonder how much worse things have to get before Christ returns. I don't know.
Paul wrote: “But the evil people and imposters will become worse and worse.” (2. Tim 3,13)However bad things get, Paul continues: “But as for you, stay in what you have learned and what has been entrusted to you.” (2. Tim 3,14).
In other words, no matter how bad things get, we should continue to hold fast to our faith in Christ. We should do what we have learned and experienced through the Holy Spirit from the Holy Scriptures. In the midst of biblical prophecies, God always tells people not to be afraid. “Do not be afraid!”Dan 10,1219) Bad things will happen, but God rules over everything. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Joh 16,33).
There are two ways to interpret the words "Come, Jesus, come." One expresses the longing for the Second Coming of Christ. The second, our prayer in the Book of Revelation, is "Amen, yes, come, Lord Jesus!" (Offb 22,20).
“I entrust my heart to you and take up residence within me. help me to know you better Give me your peace in this chaotic world".
Let's take more time to live in a personal relationship with Christ! Then we need not worry about the end of the world.
by Barbara Dahlgren
