Our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing is truly a light shining in a dark place (2 Peter 2:19), and as such, it enables us to escape the delusion that this life matters more than eternity. It’s this anticipation that increasingly draws the longings of our hearts heavenward in the midst of the perilous and confusing times in which we live.
In the introduction to my book, The Triumph of the Redeemed, I wrote this about why our beliefs about the Rapture matter so much in our walk with the Savior:
“It’s the details of our everlasting hope that enable us to put the ups and downs of our lives as well as chaotic world events into a sound biblical prophetic framework that offers assurance of God’s unfailing sovereignty over all that concerns us. These specifics redirect our attention to the joys ahead in paradise during times when life doesn’t make sense, or when all seems lost.
“The divorce of the Rapture from the message of the gospel has resulted in a near blackout of teaching about our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:11–14). This negatively affects new believers as well as seasoned saints, as it leaves them ill-prepared to live in a fear-ridden society. In addition, this neglect, or even denial, of Bible prophecy provides no context into which a follower of Jesus can place the violence and lawlessness of our day or the push for a New World Order or what the World Economic Forum calls the ‘Great Reset.’”
Besides the illumination that our hope sheds on this dark and lawless world, we find these additional benefits in our expectation of meeting Jesus in the air.
Contentment
Please know I am not writing as one who has already learned to be content in all things. I can say, however, that focusing on eternal realities has greatly helped with my contentment amid the ups and downs of this life. The best way to begin describing how our belief in Jesus’ imminent appearing leads to such a mindset is to look at what happens when Christians behave as though this life is all they have: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:1-4).
I recently read these verses in a new light. What’s the best antidote, besides prayer, to the envy described in these verses? It’s recognizing that the hope of glory we possess in Christ is so much greater than anything we could gain in this life. Others will, at times, stand in our way of getting something we greatly desire in this life, but no one can interfere with the receipt of our “inheritance” that Peter describes as “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
One of the reasons that I long for Jesus’ appearing is knowing that when He comes, my life will far exceed anything I could ever obtain in this life or even hope for. Consider the anticipation of a resurrected body that Jesus promises us in texts such as Philippians 3:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-55. It’s difficult to grasp the wonders of our new lives in eternity, but it’s clear they will be far better than even the most favorable circumstances or riches we could enjoy in this short and rapidly fleeting life.
Motivation to Keep Serving
One promise that’s directly related to our expectation of the immortal bodies is found in 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
I realize this promise applies to believers who don’t share our hope in Jesus’ imminent return. However, it seems clear there was a connection in Paul’s mind since he used the word “therefore” to link the promise of resurrection life with the certainty that the Lord will reward our service for Him.
The definiteness of the promise keeps us looking heavenward when the way seems difficult, as it often does, in whatever the Lord calls us to do in this life. It’s far more than one of “Yep, God will reward you,” but rather that of looking up to the glory of the moment when the Lord recognizes our service for Him as we stand before Him in glory with imperishable bodies. That’s motivation!
Many pastors disconnect the promise of 1 Corinthians 15:58 from our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing. I cannot do that because it’s this anticipation that keeps our hearts focused on the glories ahead for us as we serve the Lord amid the many difficulties of this life.
Encouragement
There’s no greater encouragement amid the struggles, setbacks, and sorrows of life than knowing that a glorious future awaits us when the Lord will bless us far beyond all we can imagine. When writing to the Thessalonians about the Rapture, Paul stressed the encouraging nature of our hope, instructing his readers, which includes us, to use our hope in this way as the means of building others up in the faith (1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:12).
During the past several days, I think there’s been more disinformation than facts concerning the supposed agreement between President Trump and Iran. At times, I’ve felt quite discouraged by the ever-changing news concerning the negotiations. But then I remember that my hope doesn’t lie in what happens in this world, but rather with eternal realities. That focus reminds me that the One who “declares the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10) is sovereignly directing all human affairs that will lead to fulfillment of all His word says about Israel’s future kingdom and Jesus’ millennial rule.
Just as nothing can interfere with the glorious promises Jesus makes to me as a believer, so the ever-shifting tide of current events cannot stop the Lord’s resolve to fulfill all His promises to Israel.
