Day 22

“No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

—MARK 13:32

After Jesus ascended to heaven two men appeared and said, “This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11). This indeed is a glorious certainty. Jesus Christ is coming back! The Father has set the time and the date for that event, and He has clearly told us we will not know when that will be. Yet despite this statement, there is incredible curiosity amongst many Christians about times and dates. We had people giving us dates in 2011, one well known ‘prophetic preacher’ declared December 21st 2012 as the last day of history (when you read this, you will know he was wrong).

Some have made it their life’s work to become “experts” on the “signs of the times”. Go to any Christian Book Store and see the speculative books, the novels, the movies and videos – it is a very big business, and gullible people buy into it. Jesus explicitly said, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). In other words, “it is none of your business to know”.

What we DO know is this: “You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night,” (1 Thessalonians 5:2), totally unexpected and without warning. He will not come when we do expect Him, but when we don’t expect Him: “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:44). One thing we know about any speculation as to the return of Christ – it will be wrong.

When Jesus told His disciples, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father set by His own authority” [Acts 1:7], He then told them what was their business, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” [verse 8]. He was saying, ‘stop all this time-wasting speculation, and get on with the all-important task of being my witness’. And that, essentially, was the last thing that Jesus said before He ascended into heaven! Now that is our business. Let’s get on with it, expecting at any moment the skies will be torn open, and Christ will return!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, The world is in such desperate need, and whether or not I’m here to see it, I anxiously await your return, eager for every eye to see You, every ear to hear You and know that You are Lord. Grant me opportunities of being a witness for You, and helping others to be prepared for your return.

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I living my life with the expectation Jesus could return at any moment?