Matthew 24:22
“And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”
The whole idea of the end times and the second coming of Christ is something that, unfortunately, has slowly been relegated to the zone of make-believe. Fewer and fewer Christians are actually persuaded that one day, this world, as we know it, will come to an end. Yet that is not the witness of Scripture or even the experience of the early church. The disciples of old longingly looked forward to the return of Christ and would constantly cry out, ‘Maranatha’ – Come Lord. This is why this week we will be examining the return of Christ in light of what the Bible says. Today, we begin by looking at the passage cited above.
Matthew 24 is what theologians call an eschatological passage (eschatology speaks of the end times). In this chapter, Jesus gives a lengthy description of the way things will be before the end finally comes. One of the things that will happen will be the tribulation that the world will be subjected to. It is this that will have to be cut short because of God’s elect people. The coming of Christ will put an end to the tribulation, and not only that but also an end to all human suffering. To be sure, although we might not be living in the great tribulation right now, yet we are still living through immense human suffering. That is why the Christian must longingly look forward to the return of our Lord. And as Hebrew 9:28 tells us:
…so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Reflections
1. Are you eagerly waiting for Christ’s return?
