Open Letter to Christians Overly Concerned with the Second Coming of Jesus

Dear Christians,

Please stop worrying about the end of the world. Look, I get it, what the Bible says about the end times is exciting. Biblical eschatology is one of my favorite topics!

But you have to realize, Jesus has been “coming soon” for nearly two solid millennia.1 I’m not saying that to mock you — plenty of frustratingly antagonist folks have that covered2 — but to remind you that Peter tells you to not be ignorant, remembering that when it comes to God and time, it’s all timey-wimey: God experiences a day with such detail that it’s as a thousand years to him, yet his experience is so great that a thousand years is but a day to him.3

Two thousand years is peanuts to God.

Peter admonishes you, dear Christian, to be patient, respecting the patience of God.4

In the meantime, the New Testament is replete with activities with which you could busy yourself. Take up your cross and get busy. The timing of the second coming is a mystery to all, and there’s no sense in witting around idly waiting for it — or focusing much about it in your life, whether by doomsday prepping, preaching to unbelievers about it rather than about the gospel, or by falling for doomsday preachers who want to convince you that your bank account won’t be valid soon because the world is ending, so you better donate to them or buy their books today!5

There is a great deal to be done in the here and now. Doomsday prophets, Rapture date-setters, and their ilk will always be wrong. Always.

Don’t let them concern you. Your kingdom has work for you to do.6

  1. Luke 21:32. ↩︎
  2. Jude 1:18. ↩︎
  3. 2 Peter 3:8. ↩︎
  4. 2 Peter 3:9. ↩︎
  5. Matthew 24:26. ↩︎
  6. Matthew 6:33. ↩︎

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