A Fresh Perspective - July 6, 2007

In the early 70's when I was in high school I was introduced to a book that provoked my interest in Bible study. It was called "The Late Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey. It sold a bunch of copies. Lindsey had the end times all figured out and pretty much knew when Jesus was coming back. Lindsey appealed to the words of Jesus: "This generation will certainly not pass away until all these have happened." In the context of this utterance Jesus is referring to certain "signs" that would precede the coming of the Son of Man. Lindsey interpreted the "signs" to have begun with the reconstitution of then nation of Israel in 1948. If a generation is around 30 to 40 years, then according to Lindsey, it was time for Christ to return. Of course, Christ didn't return - a fact that for some reason does not seem to detour these end-time speculators.

We could learn something by simply considering the diversity of thought on this issue in the New Testament itself. There are passages in Paul's writings that clearly suggest that he thought Christ would return in his lifetime to bring to fulfillment God's new world. Many Jesus scholars believe that Jesus himself expected God's reign to come in its fullness in the near future, as reflected in the words of Jesus above, the very words Lindsey used to develop his end time scheme.

The early Christians had different ideas about this. For example, in the Gospel of Luke there are two different versions of Christ's coming. One view is that no one knows. Life will be going on as usual, and then as suddenly as lightning flashes out of the sky, the Son of Man will appear (Lk. 17:22-37). Another view is that definite "signs" will precede the coming and signal the end (Lk. 21:25-31).

Matthew's Gospel also has a lengthy passage featuring "signs" that precede Christ's coming, but then switches gears and says, "But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matt. 24:36). At the end of the Gospel, Jesus offers this promise to his disciples: "And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Here there is no promise of return, because Jesus is not leaving. Granted, he will not be with them in the same way he was prior to his resurrection, but in a spiritual sense (in Spirit?) he would remain with them (Matt. 28:16-20).

There wasn't simply one biblical view; there were several biblical views, views that stand in tension with each other. Some have the mistaken notion that all our differences developed over time, but that the early Christians were unified in their thought and belief. Not so. They were trying to work these things out too.

I'm content to believe that in God's time God will bring in a new world. I also believe that Christ's followers are called to participate in its coming by being agents of God's justice, instruments of peace, conduits of forgiveness and grace, and channels of God's great compassion and love for all people and all creation.

Chuck Queen is Senior Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Frankfort (www.ibcfrankfort.com); he welcomes your comments at cqueen@fewpb.net. Look for "A Fresh Perspective" every Friday.