“When you see these things happening…” (Mark 13:29).
By Victor Morris
Something highly unusual happened in New England on the morning of May 19, 1780. The day began as normal, but then the sky grew dark. Soon, there was a night-like gloom across the land. This lasted for a day and a half. Such a pervasive darkness caused many to wonder, is this the end? Is the Lord returning? One historical account records this: “It is related that the Connecticut legislature was in session at this time, and that, so great was the darkness, the members became terrified, and thought that the day of judgment had come; a motion was consequently made to adjourn. At this, Mr. Abraham Davenport arose and said: ‘Mr. Speaker—It is either the day of judgment, or it is not. If it is not, there is no need of adjourning. If it is, I desire to be found doing my duty. I move that candles be brought, and we proceed to business.’”
The church has anticipated the coming of the Lord for two thousand years. It was a hallmark of the early church that they lived with an expectation that Christ could come at any moment. It is said that they would pause on hilltops to gaze at the sky, hoping to catch a first glimpse of his appearing. Of course, now centuries later, we still eagerly wait. We know he will return; we just don’t know when. Like Christians in the past, we must ask ourselves this question: what do we do while we wait?
First of all, we must not panic. This may seem like an odd thing to say. But unfortunately, in our popular culture, we have been fed a steady diet of frightening images of the Last Days. For many people, many Christians included, the “end of the world” is all about global wars, political conspiracies, seven-headed dragons, plagues, earthquakes, oceans of blood, demonic locusts, and meteors crashing into the earth. It is all Anti-Christ and Armageddon! It’s not supposed to be like this. Will there be frightful events near the End? Yes. But for the Christian, these are not our focus. These are secondary matters. Our attention should not be on plagues, disasters, and judgments. Instead, we should be joyfully and excitedly looking for something else. Rather for Someone else. Our attitude should be that of the Bride waiting with bated breath and heart-pounding anticipation for the coming of the Bridegroom.
We must also avoid becoming hyper-focused. Vigilant? Yes. We must always look for his coming. But we should not become obsessed with End Times signs and such. We certainly should be aware of them, even looking for them. Jesus said, “When you see these things happening…” (Mark 13:29). However, some believers are consumed with these things. Their attention is hyper-focused on planetary alignments, lunar phases, and paranormal phenomena. I don’t want to sound harsh, but some people spend more time looking at the clouds than looking for the One who will come in the clouds. Mr. Abraham Davenport of Connecticut was a wise man. If the End is truly near, let us be found doing our duty, not fixating on the environment around us.
What then should we be doing? The biblical answer is clear: wait and watch. Jesus taught us to watch and be ready (Matthew 24:42-44). The word “watch” means to be vigilant, alert, or wakeful. We are not to lazily doze in a worldly slumber but rather to be awake, ever mindful of his coming. This diligent attention is intensified because we do not know when he will return. That means that we watch continually. And in that watching, we dutifully follow him, labor for him, and do the work he has called us to do. It is the faithful servant who is found doing his duty when his master returns (Matthew 24:46). This watchful waiting directly impacts our moral behavior and daily conduct. John tells us that being mindful of his return means that we will keep ourselves pure, perpetually ready for his coming (1 John 3:2). Heaven’s acclaim and our eternal reward depend on it.
Perhaps the most important work we undertake is our outreach to the world. The evangelization of the unreached peoples of the earth is closely related to the Second Coming and the End of all things (note Matthew 24:14; 2 Peter 3:4, 9, 12; Matthew 13:39). Indeed, one of my strongest convictions is that the primary reason Jesus has not returned before now is God’s desire for peoples, nations, and tribes to come to the saving knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:9, Mark 13:10, Revelation 7:9, Matthew 8:11, Romans 11:25, etc.). Indeed, 2 Peter 3:12 actually presents us with an amazing truth. Our work in spreading the Gospel can actually hasten the Lord’s coming. Yes, he will work all this in his time and in his way. But in his sovereignty, the Almighty God is able to incorporate our actions into his providential plan. So, would you like the Lord to return as soon as possible? Then give to missions, witness to your neighbor, pray for the lost—and so hasten his coming!
Finally, watching means we live with a joyful longing for our Savior’s return. It was love for the Savior that compelled the early believers to so earnestly desire his coming. Their hilltop surveillances were the result of the yearning of their souls. It was in obedient love for Christ that Abraham Davenport determined to be found faithfully doing his duty when the Lord returns. The committed child of God recognizes that when Jesus returns, it will be the end of many things. Pain, suffering, illness, injustice, crime, and corruption will all cease. The adversities of this life will be over. Our life of travail will be a thing of the past. But over and above all of this, it will mean the end of our journey here. Our faith will become sight. We will finally enjoy the fullness of his presence, unobstructed and unhindered, freed from all that blinds and binds us here. And forever, we will enjoy the fellowship of the One who loves us the most and knows us the best. And that future reality is worth working, and watching, and waiting for.
