Peter wrote: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat” (II Peter 3:3-12)?

     The last days began in the first century and we are still in them (Acts 2:16-17 and Hebrews 1:1-2).  Peter promised that there would be those scoffers [mockers] who would attempt to place doubt in the return of Christ and the Judgment Day.  If it is not in word today, there are certainly those living today, that through their actions, testify that they do not believe the Lord will come and judge.  As Peter established, the Lord’s time is not our time.  We may think today or tomorrow, but the Lord may think the next day or a thousand years from now.  The mockers doubt by asking about the promise of His coming.  One cannot truly be a student of the scriptures and miss that Christ has promised and will return.

     One cannot read any one of the four “Gospels” without reading Jesus promised His return.  Matthew records: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:31-33).  Mark wrote: “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.  But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.  Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.  For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.  Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning” (Mark 13:31-35).  Luke quoted Jesus: “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not” (Luke 12:40).  To finish the evidence of our part, we can read what John wrote: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28-29).  More quotes could be given out of the accounts of the Gospel, but the point should be clear.

     We could do the same throughout the remainder of the New Testament.  To my knowledge, most of the books written have promises of the Lord’s return and / or the Judgment (Acts 1:11, Romans 14:11-12, I Corinthians chapter 15, II Corinthians 5:1-10, Galatians 6:7-8, Ephesians 6:8, Philippians 3:20-21, Colossians 3:4, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, II Thessalonians 1:7-9, I Timothy 6:14-16, II Timothy 4:1, Titus 3:7, Hebrews 9:28; 13:14-16, James 2:12-13, I Peter 1:7, II Peter 1:16, I John 2:28, II John v.8, Jude 21; 24, and Revelation 22:11-12).  The question, in light of the evidence shown, should not be: “where is the promise of His coming”?  The questions we ought to be asking ourselves should be more along the lines of: “what have I done to prepare for the coming of the Lord and the Judgment Day”?

     Amos warned Israel saying: “…prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12).  We would be wise to heed that same advice.  Too many people fail to take the Lord seriously.  The fact is, few will be saved (Luke 13:23-24).  The Lord establishes doubt that at His return He will find faith on this earth (Luke 18:8).  Thus, He continues to be longsuffering in giving mankind time to repent (II Peter 3:9).   Jesus said: “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).  Many like to deny the words of Jesus not only in their words, but more significantly through their actions.  It would seem that even Christians at times fail to acknowledge wrong in their lives.  Even worse, sometimes Christians will acknowledge that they have sinned, but they in turn do nothing to change their lives.

     Many suffer from the problem that Judah had.  According to the pen of Jeremiah Judah chose not to change, but to walk according to their ways instead of the Lord’s way (Jeremiah 8:5-6).  So many refuse to change because they like their lives the way they are.  Sometimes people are not even ashamed of their sins.  Again, Judah suffered with this problem also.  Jeremiah said this of Judah: “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 8:12).  For us to change we must learn to have sorrow over our sins, but we must also realize that being sorry and repenting are two different things.  Paul wrote this of sorrow and repentance: “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (II Corinthians 7:9-10).  When we sin we must be sorry and allow that sorrow to work in us to bring about proper change.  If we will not change our lives to be in accordance with the will of the Lord, we will not be ready to stand before Him and be judged.

     The reality of eternal consequences falls significantly upon deaf ears in the world today.  Sadly, such is even the case with many so-called “Christians” who are mere physical bodies portraying themselves as members of the spiritual body of Christ.  Jesus warns us of EVERLASTING punishment (Matthew 25:46).  He warns of the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).  Jesus not only promises life to the obedient in the resurrection, He also promises eternal punishment to the wicked (John 5:28-29).

     No one knows when Jesus will return (Matthew 24:36).  He will come as a thief in the night (I Thessalonians 5:2).  When He does come and judge us according to our works we can know that He will be a righteous judge (II Thessalonians 1:5 and II Timothy 4:8).  The Lord will not acquit anyone because they held a place on this earth either higher or lower than others (I Peter 1:17).

     The promise of the coming of Christ is, as we have seen, all throughout the New Testament.  That day rests in the hearts of the faithful through faith in the word of God.  Those who trust God’s word are not foolish, for God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).  It is those who listen to others who doubt the Judgment that are listening to foolish words (Jeremiah 7:8).

     In conclusion, Jesus said this of His return: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:42-51).