◆“Preparing for the End Times and the Second Coming” (1 Peter 4:7–12) September 29, 2024

Although it’s not directly related to today’s main theme, before we begin, I’d like to briefly touch on verse 6 of chapter 4, just before today’s passage.

It says, “For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.”

Some interpret this as implying that even those who died without believing in Jesus are given a second chance after death—a chance to repent and be saved. However, when we consider the message of the Bible as a whole, it becomes clear that there is no second chance after death.

In fact, the 2017 edition of the Shinkaiyaku translation clarifies this by adding the word “while alive” (“生前”) to indicate that the gospel was preached to people while they were still living.

It’s a difficult passage, but I believe that “the dead” here refers not to the physically dead, but to those who are spiritually dead. That interpretation seems to best align with the overall message of Scripture.

Spiritually dead people—such as myself in the past—are those who initially show no interest in the gospel. Yet, by God’s grace, they are made alive in spirit. God, in His patience, continues to share the gospel so that they may be saved.

This is just one example, but it reminds us that we must read the Bible within the context of the entire Bible. When we fail to do that, we sometimes see people being swayed by various teachings and their faith becomes unsettled.

Now, let’s move on to the main topic.

The Bible is also a record of God’s history. Someone once said, “History is His story”—meaning God’s story. In other words, God is the Lord of history. History has a goal determined by God, and it unfolds according to His will.

From this perspective, there is a way of reading the Bible that divides it into historical eras. It begins with creation, followed by humanity’s sin and God’s work of salvation. The message of salvation was entrusted to the people of Israel, and then Jesus came, was crucified, and rose again. After that, the church was entrusted with the gospel, and finally, the age known as the “end times” comes, followed by the Second Coming of Jesus. There is more beyond that, but this gives a rough outline of history.

Jesus spoke of the end times and His return as events far beyond the immediate concerns of His disciples, who were focused on liberation from Roman rule.

In Matthew 24:3–31, He describes how false Christs will appear, wars will break out, famines and earthquakes will occur—and yet, the gospel will continue to be proclaimed. Then, Jesus will suddenly return.

The last book of the New Testament, Revelation, ends in 22:20 with, “‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” It’s a message urging us to look to His return with anticipation, prayer, and hope.

But when will this happen? That’s something we all long to know. Yet Jesus said no one knows. It will come suddenly and unexpectedly.

That’s why He said, “Be ready, because I will come when you least expect it.”

In Matthew 25, we read the parable of the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five had enough oil for their lamps, but the other five did not. When the bridegroom arrived, the unprepared five were out buying oil and missed the wedding feast.

Jesus also described what would happen at His return through other parables, such as the parable of the weeds and the net in Matthew 13.

In the parable of the weeds, both wheat and weeds grow together in the field, indistinguishable until the harvest. At that time, the wheat will be gathered into barns, and the weeds burned. In the parable of the net, good fish are kept, while bad ones are thrown away.

Both parables illustrate that those who repent and believe in Jesus will be clearly distinguished from those who do not. Those who are not forgiven will face judgment.

This truth makes the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18–19 even more pressing: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” It’s the mission of evangelism given to the church.

The Second Coming is a great hope for Christians.

Today’s world may be full of injustice. Conflicts rage in many places. Of course, people strive for peace. Regardless of whether one is a Christian or not, everyone desires a world without injustice or war.

But as long as sin remains in us, complete justice cannot be realized. Often, one person’s justice is built on the sacrifice of another.

However, when the Lord returns, true peace will come to the earth. Not only the human world, but nature itself will be restored.

Isaiah 2:4 says:

“He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

Isaiah 11:6–8 describes the peace of the natural world:

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.”

And why will such peace cover the earth? Isaiah 11:9 answers:

“They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

When the end comes and Jesus returns, all people will see Him, and He will reign over the world. Humanity will finally live in true peace.

Next time, let’s explore more deeply from Scripture how we should prepare our hearts for the end and the return of the Lord.

---

Sermon script modified based on proofreading and translation with ChatGPT.