Untitled Sermon (8)

The early believers were not looking for something to happen, they were looking for Someone to come. Looking for the train to arrive is one thing, but looking for someone we love to come on that train is another matter.

Havner, Vance

A shoeshine man named Sam worked in a building that put him in contact with many students of theology. Sam loved the Lord and listened intently as the young men would discuss and debate their positions. Two men especially interested Sam. These men had different opinions on the book of Revelation. Day after day, Sam listened to eloquent and often passionate discussions in defense of the various views. One day, in the middle of a debate between the two men, one jokingly looked at Sam and said, “Sam, what do you think all these things in the book of Revelation mean?” With a smile on his face, Sam looked up and said simply, “Jesus is gonna win.”

Anonymous

(Also see Future)

A little-known fact from the life of Christopher Columbus is that he predicted the end of the world. He wrote a volume called The Book of Prophecies, in which he prophesied that the world would end in the year 1656. He even stated very definitely that “there is no doubt that the world must end in one hundred fifty-five years.”

—Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations

Paul Lee Tan

The sailors on a Scottish fishing vessel were returning home after many days at sea. As they neared the shore, they gazed eagerly toward the dock where a group of their loved ones had gathered. The skipper looked through his binoculars and identified some of them: “I see Bill’s Mary, and there is Tom’s Margaret, and David’s Anne.” One man became concerned because his wife was not there. Later, he left the boat with a heavy heart and hurried up the hill to his cottage. As he opened the door, she ran to meet him saying, “I have been waiting for you!” He replied with a gentle rebuke, “Yes, but the other men’s wives were watching for them.”

Anonymous

The plenary inspiration of the sacred writers rendered them infallible in all they taught; but it did not render them omniscient. They could not err in what they communicated, but they might err, and doubtless did err, as to things not included in the communications of the Spirit. The time of the second advent was not revealed to them. They profess their ignorance on that point. They were, therefore, as to that matter, on a level with other men, and may have differed in regard to their private conjectures on the subject just as others differ.

Charles Hodge

1157In many cases sheer fanaticism has been the result of exclusively dwelling on prophecy, and probably more men have gone mad on that subject than on any other religious question.—21.644

Charles Spurgeon

1155Nothing shall induce me to attempt to interpret the prophecies. By God’s grace I will be content to expound the gospel. I believe it to be one of the most fatal devices of Satan to turn aside useful gospel ministers from their proper work into idle speculations on the number of the beast and the meaning of the little horn. The prophecies will interpret themselves by their fulfillment, but no expositor has yet arisen who has been able to do it.—12.601

Charles Spurgeon

1156Our business is to save souls. You will hear me expounding the Revelation one day, that is, when there is not another of the elect to save. When all the chosen are saved, we will preach on the deep mysteries of Daniel and Ezekiel, but so long as souls are unsaved, we mean to keep to the plain gospel—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.—13.504

Charles Spurgeon

O Lord Jesus Christ, who by your holy angels promised that you would come again in like manner as you were taken from us,

even so come, we ask you, and fulfill the desire of your Church.

Lord, we wait for you day by day.

Give us the graces of your Holy Spirit, that we will not be unready when you appear;

watchfulness, that our loins may be girded and our lights burning;

zeal, that we will not be slothful, but followers of those who inherit your promises;

singleness of heart, that we will not be unfaithful stewards of your manifold gifts.

And thus, O Lord, may we wait for you,

not unwise, but understanding what is your will,

walking circumspectly, because the days are evil.

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Henry Alford

A short time ago, I took occasion to go through the New Testament to mark each reference to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and to observe the use made of that teaching about His coming. I was struck anew with the fact that almost without exception, when the coming of Christ is mentioned in the New Testament, it is followed by an exhortation to godliness and holy living. While the study of prophecy will give us proof of the authority of the Word of God, it will also reveal the purpose of God and the power of God, and will give us the peace and assurance of God. We have missed the whole purpose of the study of prophecy if it does not conform us to the Lord Jesus Christ in our daily living.

—J. Dwight Pentecost, Prophecy for Today

J. Dwight Pentecost

1158I deeply regret when I see persons so taken up with prophecy that they forget evangelism. Trumpets and vials must not displace the gospel and its invitations.—27.391

Charles Spurgeon