Certainties of the Second Coming (2 Peter 3.3-10, Matthew 24.3-14)

Introduction

Don’t you just love it when God suddenly does something unexpected and amazing?

The vicar at St Michael Le Belfrey Church in York was saying this week that last Sunday evening at a guy came to talk to the speaker after the service. He said, “I've never been to this church before. I don't know why I'm here. I was walking past, and heard the music, and something drew me in. And then I heard your talk on broken dreams. It was just what I needed to hear, because... I was going to take my life this evening. But I won't now. I've become a child of God!”

This is what God does. This is what Jesus is like. Of course, if anyone here is feeling particularly depressed this morning my sermon might just send you over the edge so I’ll be careful, but listen - God is here. He wants to meet with you and he can turn your life upside down if you’ll let him.

Today and next week, we’re going to be thinking about certainties of the second coming. Honestly, how often do you think about that?

The earliest Christians thought about it all the time. The first eyewitnesses of Jesus’ empty tomb, reported that the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head was found neatly folded. If you fold your napkin when you leave the table in the Middle East, it shows those waiting on you that you haven’t finished yet and will be back. The point about the head cloth being folded is included in the gospels because the people who wrote them wanted to say he’s coming back!

And there are, in fact, eight times more predictions of Jesus’ second coming in the New Testament than there are prophecies about his first coming in the Old. Someone with a shocking amount of time on his hands has counted 318 times in the New Testament, that’s every 30 verses, a reference to this event - to the return of the King.

There are many diverse things that Christians believe about the end times, Jesus Christ’s return and the end of the world.

There are for example key differences of opinion on matters like the role of Israel, the Millennium, whether or not there’s going to be a secret rapture, and what sort of figure the antichrist will be. You can find a wide range of interpretations of some of the symbolism in the Book of Revelation.

But Romans 14 says “accept each other without quarrelling over disputable matters.” These are disputable matters. They are not primary, core Christian beliefs. Don’t leave a church over a disagreement about something like whether the Millennium in Revelation 20 is symbolic or literal. We can disagree without being disagreeable on issues like that.

But there are other things to do with the Lord’s second coming that are pretty clear and practically all Christians who take the Bible seriously hold them to be true. Some things are all but undisputed. Those are the uncontroversial things we are going to look at in the next couple of weeks.

The Bible’s record for future predictions is not just impressive; it is flawless.

Every prediction about the rise and fall of nations in the Bible came true in every detail. Every Old Testament prediction about the Messiah, and there are many, was perfectly fulfilled in Jesus.

There is only really one major prediction in the Bible that’s still future, and it’s this: Jesus is coming back! Everything else forecast in this book has already happened.

Arrival and Unveiling

There are several Greek words used in the New Testament that tell you what the Lord's return will be like.

The most commonly used word is parousia. This word parousia is found twice in our reading from 2 Peter. Verse 4 “where is this ‘parousia’ he promised?” and v12 “as you look forward to the day of the Lord and speed its parousia.” It’s in the Matthew reading too. Verse 3: “What will be the sign of your parousia and at the end of the age?”

It’s translated “coming” or “arrival” here but it was originally used specifically for an official royal visit.

Another word used in the New Testament that describes the Lord’s return is apocalypsis which means to uncover, to unveil something hidden so it can now be seen. We see dignitaries drawing a little curtain to reveal a plaque. This is what it means.

There have only been so far in history two recorded unveilings of Jesus’ stunning glory and radiance - and only a few have ever had a glimpse of it.

The first was when Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John. It says it was like direct sunlight coming through his clothes and those who saw it had to hide their faces, such was the intensity of its brightness.

The second was when Saul was converted on the road to Damascus. Again, the brightness of the light was so dazzling, so overpowering that Saul was temporarily blinded in both eyes.

I was driving towards the sun that was low in the sky last week and I had to fold down the visor in order to be able to drive at all. It was completely blinding. This is what the revealing of the Lord’s glory is going to be like.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the brilliance of his appearance was concealed. Nobody saw it. The king of kings, majestic and glorious, appeared in a shed, as a new born baby in cheap clothes, sleeping in a dirty old manger out of which an ox had just lately been eating its lunch. What a shock!

But the shock will be greater when Jesus returns. Because this time he will be arrayed in majesty so awesome, the Bible says, we won’t be able to look at him without falling to the ground or covering our eyes!

When he comes back, his true, magnified, stunning glory will be revealed and the radiance of it will be utterly overwhelming.

The Timetable

What everyone wants to know of course is when it’s going to happen. Despite Jesus saying “nobody knows, not even me,” people have tried to be cleverer than Jesus and work it out.

Jesus does know now by the way. His omniscience was laid aside only temporarily for the 33 years he walked the earth, which is why he was surprised by people’s great faith or lack of faith as we saw a few weeks ago. But now he has been highly exalted and has been given all authority. Now he knows exactly when it’s going to be.

But people (who don’t know any better) have tried to work out the date.

·         A mystic in medieval times called Joachim of Fiore said it would be in 1260.

·         The Anabaptists in Munster said it would be in 1534.

·         The Quaker James Milner (who went on to play midfield for Liverpool and England) said it would be in 1652.

·         The Methodist George Bell said “No it won’t. It will be in 1790.”

·         The Baptist preacher William Miller said “You’re all wrong, it’ll be in 1844.”

·         The Jehovah’s Witnesses said it would be in 1914. When it didn’t happen they said “Yes it did. It happened secretly.”

·         And the Fundamentalist Jerry Falwell said in 1999 that it would definitely happen within ten years. Do the maths…

Can I give you some friendly advice? Don’t be stupid and waste your life working out when the end of the world is going to happen.

But this is what was happening in Peter’s time as well. It says in v3: “In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing (that’s what scoffers do best) and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this 'coming' he promised?’”

It’s a good question. Where is it? When’s it going to happen? Will we know when it has happened?

Fixed or Flexible?

Acts 17.31 says that the Lord has fixed the day. He knows when it is. From God’s perspective, the engagement is written in his diary. There will be no last-minute change of plan. The alarm is set. The clock is ticking.

But our perspective is different. This is one of those areas in which God’s absolute sovereignty touches human real free will in a mysterious way. Because 2 Peter 3.12 says “you look forward to the Day of God and speed its coming.”

There’s something you can do to hurry it up. So is the day fixed in God’s mind? Or is it flexible and dependent to some extent on us? Which is it? And the answer is… yes.

It’s like this: you respond to a call to turn from sin and believe in the Lord Jesus for salvation - and you come to faith. O happy day! But then you open your Bible and discover that actually you were chosen from the creation of the world. Was becoming a Christian your choice? Yes. Was it already decided, predestined, by God? Yes. Both are true and it’s too grand a thing to fully understand.

The day of the Lord’s return is fixed for God, but flexible for us.

Why the Delay?

But “where is this coming he promised?” says 2 Peter 3.3. Have you ever asked that question? Peter says four things in reply.

Firstly, he says in v5 that mockers deliberately ignore the fact that God warned about a great disaster before, Noah’s flood, and he did exactly what he said he would do then.

We now have unmistakable geological evidence of an extensive natural disaster in the Middle East; deep layers of flood sediment that date to ancient times. Furthermore, not just in the Bible, but in other ancient writings in other cultures, there are references to a widespread and overwhelming deluge.

In other words, the evidence is there if you want to look it up in a library or on the Internet but, Peter says, people deliberately ignore it. They shut their minds to it. They did then. They still do. People just don’t want to know. But the point is that God warned, then did it then, and he’s warned again and he’ll do it again.

Secondly, he says in v6-7, that God used elements that were already on the earth to bring disaster before as promised, and he will do so again – the next time though it will be fire, and not water.

Everything we attach ourselves to on this earth; our houses, our cars, our stuff, our savings, our pursuits… reality TV, politics, business empires; all of it will just vanish in a vapour. And in the case of reality TV good riddance…

Thirdly, in v8, Peter says that God experiences time differently to the way we do.

One day for us is like a thousand years to him and a thousand years is like a day. So the time when the Flintstones lived in caves and hunted mammoths is like last Tuesday afternoon to God. But the Battle of Hastings in 1066 is just like yesterday.

If this sermon feels like it’s been going on for days, maybe you’re just becoming more like God! Two minutes can feel like months when you’re stuck with a boring preacher.

And Peter explains in v9 that the reason why it’s taking so long for Jesus to return is not because he is slacking, it’s because he’s patient. And he’s patient because he’s passionate about more people coming to faith.

If yesterday was an average day, 80,000 people become Christians, that’s 3,300 precious lives every hour. That’s a good reason to delay the return of the Lord Jesus isn't it?

If God just waits 10 more years, nearly 170 million more people will have given their hearts to Christ in Africa alone. He wants heaven to be full. So he waits a bit longer.

Fourthly, in v10, Peter says that when Jesus does return it will be sudden and unexpected. Jesus said the same thing; “You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

And Peter tells us, in v11 and 12, all we need to know about the Lord’s return, and how to be ready for it.

Those who are ready will be looking forward to it, not dreading it, and they will actually be hastening it by living holy and godly lives.

Living holy and godly lives means a clear contrast between the way you live and what society accepts and promotes around you.

It has become unfashionable to speak of living a godly and holy life, even in the church. People feel uncomfortable about it. But you and I will only be ready for the Lord’s return by living in a way that stands out from the crowd.

That’s how you know you’re ready. The trick is to stay ready. I was ready yesterday, but what about today?

But How Will We Know?

But how will we know that the time is drawing near? What sort of things did Jesus say will happen?

In Matthew 24 he gives a list of signals, like warning sirens, that should make us take notice when they happen.

In v8 he talks about the first of pains of childbirth. I’ve been in the delivery suite four times. I kid you not, it’s exhausting! I needed a proper lie down after all that.

I think it must be universally true that contractions begin with more moderate pain. But each contraction grows in intensity and they come closer together and they hurt more and more as the birth draws near.

So there’s a light groan at first, maybe every half an hour, but by the end, when the baby is about to be born, its mother is yelling like Mel Gibson in Braveheart almost constantly!

Jesus said that two things in particular are going to grow in intensity, like a woman in labour, as his return draws nearer. Here they are: we’re going to notice increasing trouble in the world, and intensifying trends in the church.

Trouble in the World 

The trouble in the world (v4-8) includes things like wars, rumours of wars, famines and earthquakes. Natural catastrophes, conflicts and cataclysms are going to increase exponentially. Climate change may well contribute to a sudden growth in all this. But how much worse it will get and how long it will take we cannot speculate.

What we do know is that when this sort of thing kicks off, people feel alarm and insecure and they panic. They look for strong leaders to get a grip and sort things out and Jesus says (v4-5) there will be plenty of them – plenty of false messiahs and personality cults that will spring up and people will follow them.

Trends in the Church 

The trends in the church start with a noticeable increase in opposition; Christians will be hated everywhere says Jesus (v9) and that will lead to a spike in martyrdom. We’re going through one of those now actually – watch that. This may not be “it” but who knows?

The trends will also include growing apostasy (v10-12); people will fall away as their love for the Lord will cool. False teaching will infiltrate the church and lead some astray – that’s why you should know your Bible so you can tell truth from error. Watch carefully for popular fads in the church that make light of sin.

Another trend though as the Lord’s return draws near will be church growth and the advance of the gospel to all nations (v14).

Even though opposition and martyrdom increases, the church will grow. That’s because a church purified by persecution becomes a church empowered for mission. Look at China today, look at Iran.

We’re going to see a growth then in church corruption, like a cancer, and at the same time a growth in church vitality, healthy growth, as the day of Jesus’ return draws nearer.

That’s what Jesus said and that’s what I’m watching for.

Ending

Let me end here. I started by talking about a guy who came in off the streets with thoughts of taking his life and came out at the end with the gift of a new life.

And I said “Don’t you just love it when God suddenly does something unexpected and amazing?”

One day, Jesus will come back – and that will be the most sudden, the most unexpected and the most amazing experience everyone living on earth will ever have.

Will it be in our generation? Will it be in our time? I hope it is. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Let’s stand to pray…

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 27 November 2016