Just Be Ready

I’m a student of Bible prophecy, and I believe the Lord could come back at any time. I believe we’ve seen signs of the times and prophecies fulfilled before our very eyes, not the least of which is the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.

At the same time, I have seen people who claim to have discovered special Bible codes and to have determined the day of Jesus’ return. Yet Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32).

As the book of Acts opens, Jesus is alive, and the disciples return to an old idea: “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). They still didn’t quite get it. They were excited that the Lord was alive again, but they were saying, in effect, “Okay, we are back to business as usual. It’s really weird the way You got crucified, but You’re alive, and it’s wonderful. Now, let’s get the kingdom established.” They still thought Jesus was coming to establish an earthly kingdom and overthrow the power of Rome.

But Jesus responded, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (verse 7). He was saying, “This is not the thing for you to be concerned with right now.”

Jesus was saying to them (and to us), “Don’t be so worried about when I am coming. Rather, focus on what you are to be doing while you await My coming. Don’t worry about the when. Just be ready, because it could happen at any moment.”

As we look at history, we see that the Roman Empire eventually crumbled . . . but the gospel prevailed.