Hope… tomorrow.

I’m praying today for some dear family friends. They are spending this day at Emory Hospital having tests done on their seven-week-old baby. After eight years of infertility issues and then a complicated pregnancy, little Regan was born. Just last Friday she was diagnosed with malignant cancer in both eyes. The doctors and parents don’t yet know what the prognosis will be.

Her tomorrow is unsure.

When I was a teenager we were sure about our tomorrow – we were leaving this world soon! It was the 70’s, and on the heels of the turbulent 60s, Church-world was breeding a lot of “end-times” teaching and culture. Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth” was a bestseller, and our favorite youth camp movie was “A Thief In The Night” [“Don’t go to the bridge, Patty! Run away from the UNITE Van!”]. There was much teaching about how close to the end times we were. Some of it was based on sound doctrine; some of it was just crazy. Traveling evangelists told us that Jesus was returning to earth in September 1974… or July 1976.

And then later it was 1988… or 2000. Many Christians were – and are – obsessed with all the details of the end times: dates, meaning of symbols, identity of all the key players, etc. What started as a healthy discipleship appetite for understanding Scripture became an eschatological cult to some. “We’re outta here! We don’t need to worry about this world – Jesus is returning SOON!” And in the meantime wars raged in our cities and children starved in Africa, partly because some in the Church were busy packing their bags for the Rapture.

But pendulums swing.

In reaction to extreme teaching on one side, there has been zealous evangelism on the other side. “The Kingdom of God is NOW, Jesus intends us to live out the Sermon on the Mount TODAY and HERE.” And I would agree. I greatly appreciate the balance to the understanding of Scripture. Don’t be so heavenly-minded that you are no earthly-good.

But pendulums swing… sometimes too far. Care of this physical earth can subtly become earth-worship, feeding the hungry can become social gospel, and end-times study can be abandoned because its been abused, misunderstood, and ridiculed.

And yet my understanding is that Jesus IS still returning to earth. Yes, I am one of those who believe that Revelation is more than 22 chapters of warm and fuzzy encouragement in the form of apocalyptic literature. No, I can’t identify all 10 toes on the Beast, nor can I explain all the imagery. But I do know God gave one-third of His Word over to the recording of prophecies, many of which have been fulfilled, many of which are yet to be seen. We can disagree on our understanding of the details and timelines, but we must base all our beliefs on Scripture.

I believe that Jesus will return suddenly to this earth for His people. I believe there will be a bodily resurrection of the dead. I believe there will be a great tribulation, a great dictator, a great revival, and a great battle. I believe Jesus will return to rule and reign on this earth for 1,000 years. I believe Satan and his terrorists will finally be defeated, and that God will dwell with His people in Paradise Re-found… forever.

Which brings me back to Regan. Because she was born in a family of faith, she is experiencing the Kingdom NOW. Caring physicians will work for a healing in her body. And the Body of Christ will smother her and her parents with love, comfort, care, and prayer. But if God doesn’t heal – and even if He does – Regan’s real hope is still Tomorrow. Her hope is a coming Creator King who will permanently heal, bring permanent peace, and fix all the brokenness we have made.

And THAT is our hope. Hands and feet here on earth today, building the Kingdom, serving those in need – but eyes gazing through the clouds, to our coming Hope.

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, [4] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4