Join us on FacebookAre we there yet?
How many times have you heard the classic question “Are we there yet” while traveling with young children? My wife and I developed a system, though not always 100 percent effective, for minimizing the redundancy of this question that was so often posed by our son.
Prior to travels we encouraged him to watch for certain landmarks, attractions, and cities en route to the final destination.
Special emphasis was placed on the mileage signs that probably represented the most reliable indicator of the proximity of our destination.
Jesus’ disciples asked a similar question regarding His second coming: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3). Earlier Jesus
shared with them that the Temple they admired so much would be destroyed. It happened in A.D. 70, precisely according to His prediction. Not one massive stone was left standing after Titus, a Roman general, completely demolished Jerusalem’s glorious icon in response to the rebellion and disobedience of Israel. That was the first major sign of the end, with a series to follow. When the disciples reached the Mount of Olives that same day, Jesus explained to them that people living prior to His second coming would witness an escalation of last-day events: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matthew 24:7).
Although Jesus presented the end-time signs with assurance and certainty, no actual date or time was revealed; only the Father knows when the end will come (see Matthew 24:36). He further warned them that conditions would worsen over time, and would become as they were in the days of Noah, before the Flood—an acute state of irreligion and godlessness (see Matthew 24:36-39). The signs around us reveal that these horrific times are, indeed, upon us. But the good news is that the signs also mean that Jesus is soon to come to take us to our heavenly home. No, we are not there yet, but our best preparations
should be under way, and should not cease until the appearing of that grand and glorious day. I encourage you to stay alert, and prepare with passion for Jesus’ second coming by searching the Scriptures daily; develop a consistent prayer life; and tell others, with the strongest sense of urgency, about the love and salvation of the almighty King of the universe. The earthly journey is nearing its end, and the next exit is heaven. WJ2
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