Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light..
Amos 5:18
I was remarking the other day the profundity of this passage. Amos is saying to those who desire the day of the Lord: woe to them.
This passage reminded me that our normally joyful attitudes about anticipating the return of Jesus may need to be reassessed when we understand the implications of his return. While we really do rejoice in the coming of Jesus because he will make all things right and new, we should also understand that prior to his coming there will be such a great shaking on the earth on every level that will be unprecedented in human history.
I believe that the testimony of the scripture is that prior to the return of Jesus, the earth will experience the greatest drama it will ever face in regards to politics, wars, military, deception, revolts, persecution, genocide, etc.. and more than we could ever imagine. It is an incredibly scary reality.
And it is even more scary for the Christians who will live in that generation. I personally am unsure of how ready I will be when that time comes. How will I preach a gospel of love when the earth is wasting away from famine, earthquakes, and storms? How can I get ready my church for the ushering of God’s kingdom when great deceptions about who Jesus is is infiltrating the church? What shall we do when the church will persecuted globally? There are many more questions to ask pertaining this time, but I shall leave with one more question, as it is directed to a particular audience.
I ask those who are perhaps naively anticipating the return of Jesus happily: are you ready for the darkness before the light?
