Many Christians grew up hearing that Jesus will come back any moment. We believed this strongly. I was one of those who felt strongly as a teenager that I would probably see Jesus coming in the clouds. I remember looking up in the sky several times when I was thirteen hoping to see it happen.

I no longer believe that Jesus will physically show up in the clouds any minute, even though I deeply love all of my family and friends who still think that way. What changed my mind?

It was taking seriously what our Lord actually told His First Century followers about His coming. He said it would happen in their lifetime, and I now believe that it truly did. It was a coming just like all of the Old Testament comings had been. They were all judgments upon persons living in specific places where God was about to end their way of life.

First Century Jerusalem confronted the most significant battle in all of human history, and it was a covenantal battle. The Jewish nation found itself during the forty years following the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus having to decide between the claims of the rulers of the nation that Jesus was not Messiah, and the claims of the Apostles of Jesus that He was, in fact, the Promised Son of David, and Savior of the world. The end came to the people of the ancient Hebrew Prophet Daniel, just as God told Daniel centuries before it happened. The coming of the last days of the Jewish national covenant with Yahweh was tragic and painful and changed all of history!

Today, many people are fascinated by novels about 666 and trying to figure out the modern beast and anti-Christ. This might be entertaining, but it lessens our devotion to the King Who has kept His Word, and through Whom we all will eventually give an account. Leaving the last days behind will enable all of us who love God to focus better on the principles of His kingdom, loving our families and neighbors and the larger community of our neighbors better. We will become less enthralled with science fiction if we conclude that the Biblical last days both began AND ENDED more than 1900 years ago. It will help us see our role more clearly in living the kingdom hands on to solve the problems of our times, and to build the brightest goals for future generations of our peeps!