Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll. – Revelation 22:7

Today's Scripture Reading (June 18, 2021): Revelation 22

"How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?" The truth of Dr. Seuss's words becomes more accurate each day that we are allowed to grow older. Sometimes, it seems that it was just yesterday that I was a child in school or a teen dreaming of playing hockey or football. Or that I was busy getting married to my wife (can that really be almost forty years ago)? Or that my children were being born. And, yes, I still call my grandchildren by the names of their parents. Time is a strange and, often, confusing thing.

The concluding words of John's Revelation are also often a little confusing. It is apparent that there is more than one speaker, yet we are not always sure who is speaking which words. This portion of John's vision begins with an angel explaining to John that "these words are trustworthy and true." But then there seems to be a speaker change. Often, we place the words that follow the angels into the mouth of Jesus "Look, I am coming soon!" It seems to fit the message. But what do the words mean? In her book "Mockingbird," Kathryn Erskine sums up how we often feel about these words in Revelation. Erskine writes, "I don't like the word soon because you don't know when it's going to sneak up on you and turn into NOW. Or maybe it'll be the kind of soon that never happens." It is precisely the way that we often feel about the words "Look, I am coming soon."

But the words seem to be better than the "Behold, I come quickly" found in the King James Version of the text. But a better translation of these words might be "behold I will come suddenly." The intent of the words are precisely as Kathryn Erskine describes as the kind of soon that is "going to sneak up on you and turn into NOW."

Jesus is coming, and his arrival will happen without warning. I know we don't really believe that. We puzzle through John's prophecy and other comments made in the Bible, and we argue that all of the signs are present, indicating that Jesus's return is imminent. Please don't believe any of it. What we are missing is that the Bible also suggests that Jesus's return will be sudden and without warning; that this is the meaning of "soon." Even Jesus argued, "but about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36). Peter even suggests that maybe Jesus's return might be delayed.  ^"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

There is no question that Jesus is returning. The job of the Christian Church is not to puzzle out the moment that he will return but to be ready for the suddenness of it. He is coming soon. "How did it get so late so soon?" No one knows, but the only response of the believing church is "Come, Lord Jesus!"

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Genesis 1