"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).

As we approach the end of the age, it is predictable that many will abandon the hope of Christ's any-moment return. But the truth is still there whether men hold it or not.

The fact is that the Lord Jesus may come at any time. We do not know the day or hour of the Bridegroom's return for His bride; this means that He could come today. There is no prophecy that needs to be fulfilled before we hear His shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17). True, the church expects to experience tribulation throughout its time on earth, but the horrors of The Tribulation Period are not part of its destiny. If the church has to go through the Tribulation, that would mean that the Lord couldn't come for at least seven years, because we certainly are not in the Tribulation now, and when it does come, it will last for seven years.

There is a large body of Scripture texts that teach us to be ready at all times for the Saviour to come. "For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (Hebrews 10:37). See also Romans 13:11,12; Philippians 4:5; James 5:8; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 4:7; Revelation 22:7,12). "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 25:13).

—William MacDonald