With everything going on in the world and with every day bringing some new development, usually in a negative way, we have to wonder how long this madness is going to go on.
With the event of Donald Trump vacating the White House, for some of us who held the belief that it all was going to end in 1975, it brings back memories of the goalpost being moved.
It appeared like there was going to be a second term for Mr. Trump beginning in 2021 and that he would during that term be somehow involved with the building of the temple in Jerusalem which would usher in events leading up to the great tribulation and the return of Christ after the tribulation. All of that appears now to be pushed sometime into the future, and can lead some of us to be somewhat rattled at the prospect of things going on for several more years.
I recall that in 1971, during a ministerial visit, we told the minister we were planning to buy a house. His response was, “Why bother, we are fleeing next year,” to which I responded, “We will just have to sell it when the time comes.” Well, that never happened and some brethren left the church over it. Some had delayed pursuing further education or having dental work done and as a result lost their zeal.
The Truth is, we don’t know when all the end-time events are going to be fulfilled; in fact, it might not be in my lifetime as I am getting close to eighty. There are quite a few of us in our late seventies and early eighties. Does that mean we throw in the towel and give up? No, we push on till the end. We endeavor to persevere till the task we have been given individually is complete, since whether we see Christ return or we die before His return, if we remain faithful to the end, our reward of eternal life is sealed.
Paul, more than most, went through trials that would really discourage the average person, and he did it all for the hope of the resurrection which is our hope. When he realized that Christ would not return in his lifetime, this was his summary: “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
This promise stands true for all who endure to the end, so let’s ensure we focus on that and not be discouraged because it appears the return of Christ is a little further off than what we may have anticipated.
