Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come. Luke 19.11-13.
In the last few centuries, many have confused some signs with the signs of the coming of Christ. Some formed certain cult groups with certain practices that focused on the imminent coming of the Messiah. Some abandoned their families and social responsibilities and went into isolation to wait for the second coming. Some quit their studies, folded up their businesses, and some even left their marriages and families to wait for Christ’s second coming. When this did not happen, many of them got disappointed, while others died of depression or went into bankruptcy.
This is not peculiar to our contemporary age; some immediate followers of Jesus almost made that mistake too. As we read above, Jesus did some miracles while on the move to Jerusalem, including giving sight to a blind man. A great crowd was following him. They were following Him because they thought He was going to Jerusalem to go and take over power. Even Zacchaeus was anxious to do anything to get a glimpse of the new soon-to-be crowned king. In the process, he had an encounter with Jesus. Jesus kept telling them that He had come to save the lost, not to take over the government.
“Therefore when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. Acts 1.6-8.
The disciples of Jesus were so concerned with the political matters of the day. After the resurrection, before Jesus ascended to heaven, they still put this question across to Him: “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus shocked them with the answer that it is not their business to worry about the times and seasons that the Father has set for the end times.
Many predictions and prophetic pronouncements are made every few years about the imminent coming of Christ, and many gullible people make life-altering decisions based on them.
One reason God has not told us “the day or the hour” when Jesus will come again is that He wants us to live our lives by faith, for His glory, before an unbelieving world. He wants us to be involved in our communities (1 Thessalonians 4.11), serve our churches (Ephesians 6.7), and raise our children to know and honour Him (Deuteronomy 6.6).
Another reason date-setting for the end times is wrong is that it tends to disregard Jesus’ final command to us. In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded us to “go into all the world and make disciples” (Matthew 28.19), not to be watching the time and seasons of His return.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Luke 19.13.
Jesus told a parable of a nobleman who was to travel to a far country for a long time and divide his kingdom among his ten servants. The main instruction that he gave them was, “Do business till I come.” “Occupy till I come.” It was not in their place to be looking for signs of when the master would return. Any serious servant among them would be busy doing business for the master, not watching the road all the time, wasting his precious time. It’s good to have expectations, but it’s time-wasting to get occupied watching the time and ticking of the clock. A bored worker will be watching the ticking of the clock, while a busy worker will be hurrying to complete each piece of work before closing time.
We’re in the last days, but we are also in the greatest time to be alive since the beginning of creation. No one knows the exact time of His coming, but we certainly could be a part of the generation that is ever ready to usher in His return.
Instead of being busy watching the moving of the clock, we should get busy with the moving of the Spirit.
May the Lord give us sensitivity to the yearning of the Spirit and obedience.