The Speed of His Return

Speed is relative. When early pioneers crossed the Great American Desert in search of gold, they rode in wagons pulled by oxen. It took about five months to travel from Rhode Island to California. But with the arrival of the transcontinental railroad, a trip from Omaha to Sacramento took under five days. Now you can fly that same distance in less than five hours! In 1850, a trip across the United States in 83 hours would seem unbelievably fast. On the other hand, a five-month trip over that same distance today would seem incredibly slow.

Physicists also tell us that motion is relative to the observer. If you watch a speedboat traveling at 25 miles per hour while you are standing on the shore a quarter mile away, it will appear to be going slower than if it passes ten feet in front of you. As we stand closer to the coming of Christ, the signs of His coming will intensify.

There is a difference between those who await Jesus’ coming and those who are caught unaware. People who pay no attention to the signs of the times may know that someday the world will end, but if their focus is on other things, they will be surprised when that day comes. That’s what Jesus meant when He stated, “If the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into” (Matthew 24:43).

In order to sharpen the prophetic outlook of these early believers, Peter explained, “Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8, 9). For those who search the prophecies of Scripture and look for the promise of His coming, the final events will happen with incredible speed.

Apply It:

What is the fastest speed you have ever traveled?

Dig Deeper:

Isaiah 25:9; 2 Peter 3:1–9; Revelation 22:20, 21

Key Bible Texts

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:12 KJV)