Jesus: His Return

These are comments on this week's Sabbath School study, Lesson 13, His Return as King and Friend.

The lesson for Sabbath Afternoon has the following:

Though there are unpleasant elements associated with the Second Coming (as we will see), it is not the fear factor that will cause people to turn their eyes toward heaven. Fear is important, and we do not proclaim the whole truth about the Advent without including it.

Is this a tacit acknowledgment that the way some of the Adventist doctrines have been put together and taught by some have indeed resulted in a fear-based gospel? Yet at the same time is it difficult to completely dismiss the idea that God originates fear because the Bible seems to teach that God does? We can't have it both ways. The gospel of love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).

The best way I've found to settle this dilemma is to believe that God acts, and this singular act is interpreted by the recipients, the people, in different ways according to how they view themselves and how they view God. Some turn away in fear; others are drawn to God. The mistake Christians have made through history is that because it appears that God allows fear and God even seems to bring good out of fear, that we should originate and motivate through fear. I cannot believe God does that, and if God doesn't, his disciples shouldn't either.

Half of this week's lesson deals with this issue of fear and the Second Coming. Are we as Adventists that mistaken about what is going to happen? Are that many of us without assurance of acceptance and salvation by God? Have we, perhaps, grossly misunderstood and misapplied what it means "to be ready" and "to be prepared" for Jesus' return? Are we still holding onto a rather distorted portrait of God?

In my rather simple and big-picture way of seeing things, I believe that the only requirement to be ready is to want to be with God forever. It's not my job to struggle to grow my faith or to be a better person. It is the faithfulness of Christ that will accomplish all those things for me. (Many modern theologians and commentators interpret "faith in Christ" as "faithfulness of Christ" as the more correct rendering of the intent of New Testament writers.) The only thing I need to do is to make a choice to be with God.

The second half of the week deals with predictions and timings surrounding the Second Coming. Is God limited to bringing about the close of the world's history exactly in the way we think God has told us it will happen? Or does God have an infinite number of ways to accomplish his ultimate purposes? Could it be that the predictions recorded in the Bible are just a few of the ways in which things could transpire? That if and when they do occur, they are recorded so that we won't be surprised?

As I look at the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah, deliverance, and a new earth, it didn't necessarily have to happen the way it did. I believe it was people's response to God through history that caused God to work in history the way he did. I believe the prophecies were left open for multiple means of fulfillment. The post-exilic Jews latched onto a singular fulfillment which turned out to be wrong.

I believe the same can be said for prophecies and predictions surrounding the Second Coming. We should be very careful about making detailed pronouncements about what is supposedly going to happen, how they might occur, and particularly the when (and the order) of events.

I really resonated with the recorded discussion that took place over at the Good Word. I was particularly taken with the idea that we should wait for the Second Coming, "living life as usual." The idea is to live our lives as Jesus taught his disciples how to live: by selfless, loving service to others; in order to reveal more fully and more accurately the truth of God's character -- his love and mercy for all people.

The first definition of the word advent is defined as "a coming into place, view, or being; arrival." As Seventh-day Advent-ists, perhaps even more important than our doctrine of the Second Coming is how we bring God into view into the world today. As necessary as they are the doctrines of Judgment, Heaven, and others tied to an eschatological end of the world; more important is is simply "living life as usual" to reveal God's glorious love to the world. The advent begins in the here and now. The Second Coming, whenever and however it happens, will simply be a climax and a continuation of the advent of which we are already a part.

Honestly, I don't have the foggiest idea how history is going to be closed. Oh, I know about the different charts and such that supposedly detail the time of trouble, persecution, laws, and all the rest. But I no longer give it much weight, because I believe they are the wrong foci. The focus simply needs to be on Jesus and the mission He's given us -- to be witnesses of His love. All the rest will take care of themselves. God is faithful to bring me through and bring everyone else through who trusts in Him. There is absolutely nothing to fear.