Do Seventh-day Adventists under stand and preach the Second Coming clearly? Are we giving the trumpet a certain sound as we seek to warn souls of the imminent end of history? Or do we spend more time preaching Satan's triumphs than Christ's?
A few weeks ago I heard a rather typical Adventist sermon on why we believe in a soon-coming Saviour. The speaker's main focus was Matthew 24- He told us of wars and rumors of wars (verse 6). He spoke about earthquakes, false prophets, famines, and wickedness (verses 7, 11, 12), and then declared to us that because of these things the second coming of Christ must be near.
Advent believers of various persua sions have been preaching fights and famines as signs of imminence for cen turies. Important as such signs may be, Jesus called them " 'but the beginning of the birth-pangs' " (verse 8, R.S.V.). Later pangs, He said, would include tribulation, hatred of Christians by all nations, betrayals, and the falling away of many Christians whose love did not endure to the end (verses 9-13). But even these things were not what Jesus said would be the ultimate sign of His soon return.
The preacher went on to speak about the falling stars and the Dark Day, and I could not dispute the importance of these signs that have already occurred at the proper place in prophetic progress. But when the sermon was over I felt like a helpless commuter careening through time in a capsule without controls. I knew that at some time I would arrive at my destination the end but I had no control over when. Worse yet, there seemed to be nothing in particular for me to do along the way. An increase in the external influences of evil seemed to be the only thing Jesus was waiting to see before He would return to take me to heaven.
The implication was clear that if I wanted to hurry things up, I probably should go start a war, become a false prophet, or at the very least stop giving offerings for famine relief!
But Jesus never intended that I would get that impression from Matthew 24. He pictured the increase of the forces of evil only as a backdrop to keep Chris tians from being discouraged when they encountered multiplied opposition. The real drama He would be watching to see played out is identified in verse 14: " 'And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come'" (R.S.V.).
Why do we focus on the triumphs of evil instead of the progress of good when we preach about the Second Coming? Why does the backdrop against which Christ's victory is to be displayed get so much attention?
Are we so taken with the gaudiness of the scenery and so discouraged with what seems to be drab progress at center stage that we've lost sight of what is most important? Are we guilty of giving more glory to Satan than to Christ in our preaching on end-times? What should we focus on? Is there anything at center stage worth our attention? We will continue this editorial next month.--K.R.W.