The End of All Things

"The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer" (1 Peter 4:7).

By 1830 William Miller became convinced that 1844 was the year of the return of the Messiah. He based his calculations on study of the Bible and dates assigned to events in various prophetic books (Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation). Many Christians were convinced that Miller was right, abandoned their farms or sold their homes and left their employment to wait for the return of the Messiah. When 1844 passed without a visible return of Christ, that year became known as the Great Disappointment. Those influenced by Miller split into a number of groups but did not give up on his view of the imminent return of Christ. The Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists are descendants of those who followed Miller. The current teaching is that Christ return occurred in heaven and is invisible to those on earth.

I tell this story (briefly) as a reminder that we lack the knowledge to assess matters of faith that are known only to the mind of God. The return of Christ is one of these matters. Yes we are to live expecting the return of Christ but with are to do so with sober minds. We are to live lives of hope, prayer, hospitality and service so that we bear witness to Christ not to madness. The expectation of Christ's return and God's judgment calls us to live in the world but not of the world. We remain in the world as obedient servants of Christ, loving our neighbors not abandoning them so we can greet Christ on the top of a mountain. Read all of 1 Peter 4:7-11.