MV Spring 2024 Page 2

06 Mar

DISTILLED ADVENTISM

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Sometimes I do things I know I shouldn’t do.

It usually feels pretty good. At first. Later, I feel really bad about it.

That’s my worldview.

Well, part of it. From there it goes in some rather bizarre directions. Extraterrestrials battle over the character, government, methods, and motives of the Ruler of the Universe. Unanswerable questions are raised. Questionable answers are offered.

I call what I believe, the distilled Adventist worldview. It’s not a finished view. It’s not the final truth. There is room for growth. It continues to mature. Newfound truths may advance our understanding. It’s not uniquely Adventist. Glimpses of it can be found in the writings of John Milton and Henry Melvill, in Manicheanism, and in stories like The Mandalorian.

Distillation is a process through which impurities are removed. Simple nuisance particles may also be detached. The process is often intense. It calls for heat and transparency. It must be closely monitored. Combustion or even explosions may occur.

I find a clear distinction between the distilled Adventist worldview and both the historic and current Adventist worldviews, which seem more and more undifferentiated to me. Instead of going through this tedious and potentially dangerous distillation process, I see our church “retreating” to a safer, evangelical, fundamentalistic, Reformation-based form of theology. I don’t believe that was the intention of our founders. I believe they are two radically different worldviews.

I see one based in love; the other, based in fear.

I don’t think I was afraid of God when I was six-years old.

That year, my friend, Gayle, and I, saw a dark cloud about half the size of a man’s hand in what she thought might be the eastern sky. She excitedly told me that Jesus was coming! Her father was a pastor. I figured she knew. We ran home and told our mothers. They gave us Graham crackers and milk and told us to calm down.

That’s the last time I can remember being excited about Jesus coming back. Mostly it scares me. Still.

By the time I was eight, my worldview was saturated in fear.

I don’t blame my parents for my fears. They always shared a loving view of God with me. Largely unwittingly, and I think for the most part unintentionally, my pastors, teachers, and Sabbath School leaders somehow instilled in me a fear of God, a fear of my neighbors, a fear of our government, a fear of the Devil, a fear of the Ten Commandments, a fear of The Last Days, a fear of the Judgment, a fear of the Second Coming, a fear of persecution, a fear of Hell, a fear of the General Conference president, a fear of hidden sins, a fear of death, a fear of my body, and a fear of Roman Catholic Sisters of Charity. I feared everything outside of the safe and comfortable confines of the church. Although inside the church it wasn’t always so comfortable, either.

When fear is overwhelming, there are at least three possible responses. You may have a mental health crisis, you may deny the fear and its causes, or you can “whistle past the graveyard.” I chose the latter. I pretended I was not afraid. I was terrified.

I’ve been asked how I can seem to be so critical of our church and yet continue to be a loyal member. My loyalty to Adventism is directly tied to the classes and tape ministries of several Adventist pastors, theologians, and educators that I encountered in the 1970s and 1980s. Through them I finally saw the light of the good news about God and His character. It shines brilliantly in the First Testament in the writings of men like Moses, David, Isaiah,

Jeremiah, Micah, and Hosea. It explodes into vibrant colors through the prism of Christ’s life and death in the Second Testament—most clearly in the works of John, the disciple who so gratefully reveled in the love of Jesus.

Based on the intended audience for this article, I will presume most of you are well acquainted with the current Adventist worldview. As I mentioned above, I do not see it as being significantly different from an evangelical, fundamentalistic, Reformation-informed Christian worldview. Not having the space to expand and contrast the differences between the current and distilled worldviews, I will focus on describing the distilled Adventist worldview. Hopefully, you will be able to see some of the important lines of divergence between the two views.

In distilled Adventist theology, sin is rebelliousness. It is an attitude of self-centeredness, not a collection of behaviors and acts—a vicious inborn character flaw that leads us to fight God and His government. It is less “what we do,” and more “who we are.” Living with this attitude, everything we do, good or bad, is sin. God’s response to our sin is less anger than sorrow. Each time we act out in sin, we hurt both ourselves and others whom He has created. We form scars, and accumulated scar tissue will eventually destroy both our capacity and our desire to be healed.

God has given us at least five “tools” to help us fight against our sinful natures. The first is the enmity he has put between us and our great enemy. This is what makes us want to change for the better. It’s what eventually makes us feel bad about doing those things we know we shouldn’t. God has also given us His Spirit, to help us respond to that enmity against sin and to give us the power to take the steps needed to accomplish a change in our characters.

And He has given us forgiveness.

We often worry about forgiveness, but forgiveness is not a problem for God. We’ve been forgiven. It’s guaranteed. He forgives freely—even before we ask. The father of the Prodigal Son was not waiting for his son to come back with a speech of confession and repentance. The love and goodness of the father drew the son home to himself. He cut his son off with a hug and a family robe when he began his speech of contrition.

The Roman soldiers at the Cross didn’t ask for forgiveness. Christ gave it to them anyway. But being forgiven doesn’t mean being saved. And presuming on God’s forgiveness may callous us to such a degree that we eventually no longer respond to His entreaties.

What we need is a new character. A rebirth. A change of heart. A healing.

To be healed, we must trust God enough to allow Him to heal us. If we do, He can and will heal us completely. While we must confess (admit guilt) and repent of (turn away from) our sin, that doesn’t induce forgiveness. Confession and repentance are but the first steps in the healing process. They make forgiveness efficacious in our lives. They are not down payments to help cover our sins.

The last two gifts, the greatest ones from God, are found in His Son.

Christ’s primary mission to earth was to show us the Father. He, being of the same nature and character of God, could not fail to do this. He was the greatest gift the Trinity could possibly give. Through Him, we receive the fifth gift, a clear representation and revelation of the goodness and righteousness of God.

This Gift was not meant for humanity alone. In that peculiar, “Star Warsian,” extraterrestrial conflict we Adventists have recognized in our reading of Scripture, we find that a defense of the righteousness of God, His goodness, and His trustworthiness, was necessary for the eternal peace and safety of all creation. That defense was most brilliantly displayed on the Cross.

At the Cross, the impure accretions that had formed on the world’s view of God were distilled off in the clearest revelation of the character of God that the universe could ever receive! Lesser nuisances that had accumulated were also removed. Confusing terms such as propitiation, expiation, payment, cost, penalty, and appeasement were clarified and should no longer befog our view. God doesn’t demand sacrifices, nor does He destroy sinners! The death of Christ ultimately and irrefutably verified that God told the truth regarding the natural results of sin and demonstrated His role in the destruction of the wicked.

Calvary was Hell. On it, Christ experienced the full wrath of God. No eternal fire. No brimstone. No smoke of torment. No destruction at the Father’s hand. Nothing like the anger we humans possess. Just the overwhelming, fatal pain of separation from the Creator—of being given up (forsaken). “God’s wrath is simply His turning away in loving disappointment from those who do not want Him, anyway, thus leaving them to the inevitable and awful consequences of their own rebellious choice” (A. Graham Maxwell).

We can’t overstate the goodness of God. Everything He does and allows is a manifestation of loving righteousness. This is the distilled Adventist worldview. This should be our message to the world.

Mark Johnson, MD, is a retired public health physician and the chairman of the Boulder Vision Board. Email him at: [email protected]

06 Mar

WHAT DID AND WHAT SHOULD MAKE US DIFFERENT TODAY?

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We are often told: “You, Seventh-day Adventists, are different from other Christians! You are rather peculiar!” Indeed, many Adventist church members like to cite 1 Peter 5:9 in the King James Version and pride themselves that they are a “peculiar” people. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world many have never heard of Seventh-day Adventists or, if they know of their existence, have a rather negative view of them. In fact, Adventists are often better known for what they don’t do—smoking, drinking alcohol, eating pork—than for what they do!

I must admit that, growing up, I was often quite uneasy about my Adventist background. It was unpleasant to be “different.” This negative feeling did gradually fade away, but I must admit that I still find some of my fellow-believers rather “peculiar” and in the not so positive sense of the word. In this short article I want to highlight a few important aspects of Adventism that in the past have made us different. I will suggest how these features, in fact, have the potential to make us more “peculiar” in a positive way.

1. Adventists have almost everywhere constituted a small minority.

We were the only Adventist family in the village where we lived, some 25 miles north of Amsterdam. The less than 3,000 Dutch Adventists were seen as a small American sect among the different Calvinistic denominations. Undoubtedly, many fellow-Adventists of my generation have similar memories of what being an Adventist was like “when we were young.” Today, Adventists are still a small minority in most places. Worldwide, there is only one Adventist for every 358 persons. In the USA we find one Adventist for every 305 people, and in Europe the ratio is as low as 1:2,049.

But there is another side to the coin. Today, in 2024, we are a minority of over 22 million people. This means that there are now almost as many Adventists as, for instance, there are Sikhs in the world, and the Sikh religion is regarded as the fifth largest world religion! There are more Adventists than Jewish believers, who worldwide number just under 16 million.

We may be a minority, but we are far more numerous than many other religious groups! We have every reason to no longer emphasize our minority position but to claim our rightful role on the ecclesiastical scene. In the past we were “different”—largely because of our minority status. Now the time may have come to tell the world: “Look, we are here! Yes, we are still small when compared with the Catholic Church or the Methodists or the Southern Baptists, but we are not as small as you may have thought.” Moreover, you find Adventists in almost every country of the world. And listen: We have a contribution to make. We have resources and expertise. We deserve a place at the table when important social and environmental issues are discussed.

Our “remnant theology” suggests that we will remain a minority, but we are a minority to be reckoned with. We have something important to say and may have to be much more daring than we have often been in speaking up.

2. Can our enemies become our allies?

In its early history, the Adventist Church often found itself in a hostile environment. Our forms of outreach were not appreciated by other religious communities. Also, the Adventist end-time scenario, in which Sabbath keepers would have to face the fury of a Sunday keeping coalition, did not endear them to other Christians.

Today, Adventists are living in a totally different world. Tragically, quite a few church members seem not to be not aware of this, and, as a result, continue to treat other Christians as their enemies. In reality, institutionalized Christianity has suffered a dramatic decline in the Western world. All churches—Seventh-day Adventists included—are facing the challenge of preaching the gospel in an ever more secular and materialistic society.

The differences between Seventh-day Adventists and other Christians have not been obliterated and Adventists still have a “peculiar” message, but these other Christians are now, in fact, our allies. Together we must stand firm for the gospel of Christ in a world that has largely forgotten its Christian values. Let us not waste energy on fighting other Christians but recognize what other faith communities have done and are doing, while ensuring that our “peculiar” message gets heard.

3. The Sabbath—from being a burden to being a blessing.

Millions of believers have experienced that keeping the
Sabbath holy has been a great blessing. But all too often it was also a burden for many of us. It made us “different.” My place in the classroom of my secondary school remained empty on Saturdays, leaving my classmates wondering about my strange religion. Many church members lost their jobs and missed opportunities for promotion because they refused to work on Saturdays. Even today, in our 24-hour economy, insistence on having Saturdays off can cause serious problems. When sharing the Sabbath doctrines with others, their first reaction tends to be negative. It would upset their life and would mean a significant burden if they were to decide to keep the Sabbath!

But now, with the twenty-first century well under way, the Western World is suffering from an epidemic of stress and burnout. Medication can help people relax and can suppress the symptoms of their mental exhaustion. There is, however, no better antidote for a burnout, and no remedy for the relentless pressure of our society, than the divine prescription of one full day of rest, on the seventh day, after every six days of work. The Sabbath is a day of physical rest—of radically interrupting our daily activities—and a day of spiritual refocus. It is a day of connecting in a special way—with God, our family, and significant others. Far from being a burden it can become a blessing for millions around us. When will Adventists become more cognizant of having this unique selling point?

4. Are we living in the time of the end or in a time of new beginnings?

Adventist preaching about the nearness of the Second Coming was a major factor in the growth of our movement. But, after about 180 years, this theme has lost much of its momentum. As war is tearing its destructive path through Ukraine and the Gaza strip, there is every reason to place the current military and political developments once again in the world in the prophetic timeframe that once was a steady diet in Adventist preaching.

Preaching about the time of the end must, however, be combined with actions that show how the gospel can improve life, even in this final phase of earth’s history. “If I knew that Jesus would come tomorrow, I would plant an apple tree today.” This statement, which is often attributed to Martin Luther, has greatly increased in relevancy. Adventist should do more than they have done so far in showing the world what a healthy, balanced, lifestyle looks like. The link between Adventists and “Blue Zones” should not only be a Loma Linda phenomenon but can be duplicated in many places.

Adventists can do much more in reducing their carbon footprint and can be much more on the forefront in campaigns to reduce the consequences of climate change. They can become much more outspoken (and active) in the fight against poverty, racial discrimination, and gender inequality. They could have a much bigger role in peace projects. While reminding the world that time is short, we must be determined to plant as many apple trees as we possibly can!

5. Turning past “present truth” into today’s “present truth.”

From the beginning, Adventists have referred to their message as “present truth.” They were convinced that some aspects of the biblical prophecies had a special application for the very times in which they lived.

‘Present truth’ is a biblical term, inspired by 2 Peter 1:12 (KJV). Unfortunately, more recently this concept has mostly been restricted to the body of doctrinal truth that we inherited from our Adventist forebears. In other words: This present truth refers to a past understanding of truth, i.e. to aspects of the truth that were considered particularly relevant for the days of the “pioneers” of Adventism. A better interpretation of the text in 2 Peter would be: “truth” that is “made present”—that is actualized in what we (individually and collectively) say and do today.1

We do well to study the historical development of our doctrines. But being an Adventist in 2024 entails more than knowing about our Adventist heritage and preserving the “present truth” of earlier generations. The truth we have inherited can easily become just “past truth,” if we do not succeed in making it present, so that it can continue to speak to us, and to those we seek to reach, in ways that are meaningful in today’s context.

In summary: As we seek to be faithful to our mission, let us critically look at what made us what we are today, and how these characteristics might be re-shaped so that they can help us to share our message in our day and age with greater effectiveness.

Reinder Bruinsma, PhD, has served the Seventh-day Adventist Church in publishing, education, teaching, and church administration in West-Africa, the USA, and Europe. He now lives in his native country, the Netherlands, together with his wife Aafje. Although retired, he is still very active in preaching, lecturing, and writing. Among his latest books is He Comes: Why, When and How Jesus Will Return. Email him at: [email protected]

 

1   For a very informative essay about the concept of “present truth,” see: Roberto Badenas, “Dealing with ‘Present Truth’: 2 Peter 1:12 Revisited,” in: Reinder Bruinsma and Børge Schantz, eds., Exploring the Frontiers of Faith: Festschrift in Honour of Dr. Jan Paulsen (Lüneburg, Germany: Advent-Verlag, 2009), pp. 207-217.

28 Feb

MY WORLDVIEW, GOD’S GRACE, AND THE GREAT CONTROVERSY THEME

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The space designated for this short discussion does not allow for an in-depth analysis of the variety of worldview formations. Suffice it to say, worldview incorporates a mental construct or lens through which one views and makes sense of the reality of life, the world, and God.

David S. Dockery maintains, “A Christian worldview is not just one’s personal faith expression, not just a theory. It is an all-consuming way of life, applicable to all spheres of life.” 1 Consequently, such perspicacity converts to an inspirational component of faith, sculpting personal identity, life’s purpose, and a coherent grasp of hope. In this sense, “Christian worldview is not escapism, but an energizing motivation for godly and faithful thinking and living in the here and now … serving as an anchor to link us to God’s faithfulness and steadfastness.” 2 It locks in God’s self-revelation and the primary fulcrum of His mission: Christ’s death and resurrection (John 3:16).

Lesslie Newbigin defines the centrality of God’s mission in terms of lenses that offer the “possibility of understanding that the meaning and goal of history … is to be found in a person.” 3 Unsurprisingly, He refers to God’s purposes revealed in Christ as an “opening of a new horizon.” 4 Fernando L. Canale argues that “such concentration plays a significant function in the life and mission of the church … beyond a simple growth explosion.” 5 In light of these affirmations, I intend to reconnoiter the heart of the eschatologically oriented worldview embraced by the Seventh-day Adventist movement encoded in Revelation 14:6-12, as well as its impact on my worldview and mission.

A Paradoxical Tension

The catalyst that has spurred the Seventh-day Adventist’s global mission finds its locus in the Three Angels’ Messages (Rev. 14:6-12), which Knight describes as a distinguishing feature of the movement’s missional impetus and identity. He warns, “When that vision is lost, Seventh-day Adventism will have lost its genius. It will have become merely another somewhat harmless denomination with some rather peculiar doctrines instead of being a dynamic movement of prophecy.” 6

As plausible as this assertion sounds, the specific focus on the speedy proclamation of God’s final message to the world––with a concentrated focus on the interpretation of history, judgment (Rev. 14:7), the fall of Babylon (Rev. 14:8), and the mark of the beast (Rev. 14:11-12)––tends to position the view of the “everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6) in the milieu of fear, exclusiveness, and an elevated focus on evangelistic activism, rather than an inspirational and transformational ministry of the church that welcomes people to step willingly into the safety zone of God’s grace.

Notably, the intended focus of the Three Angels’ Messages initiates an all-inclusive invitation to “every nation, tribe, language, and people” to worship God, the Creator of heaven and earth (Rev. 14:7). While the genre of the proclamation converges on the correctness of amassed historical details, defining warnings about the oppressive powers of evil, one wonders whether it fully manifests the captivating attractiveness and spiritual depth of the everlasting gospel and its hero, Jesus.

Jesus’ messianic mission encompassed His unreserved affinity with the trauma of human life. His announcement of the Good News to the poor, the proclamation of freedom for the oppressed, and recovery of sight for the blind (Luke 4:16-19) all entailed human struggles, igniting a new vision of hope and an invitation to a place of safety. Walter Brueggemann defines it as radical beginnings, a mode through which proclamation birthed hope through the ministry of engagement. As he argues, “The birth is only a hope, but the ministry is where the possibilities of hope must seriously engage the world of despair. Jesus is presented and trusted as the one whose very person made a difference.” 7 It is then essential to apply a similar vision and mission methodology in God’s final call to the world, encoded in Revelation 14:6-12.

Jamyadji Samiadji accents the crux of the paradoxical eschatological tension in the Seventh-day Adventist movement. He confirms the centrality of the eschatological end-times focus in Adventist theology, but adds, “Adventist eschatology suffers from its abstractedness. It’s intense focus on an imagined future too often results in detachment from the concrete realities of the present.” 8 Referring to the New Testament authors, he argues, “From their beliefs about the soon coming of Jesus,” they “derived an obligation to work within the social sphere on behalf of the poor and vulnerable.” 9 Waiting for the fulfillment of Christ’s promised return involved a return to wholehearted engagement in ministry––a place where hope in action is witnessed in the world of human despair (Acts 1:8). Given the delineated challenge, is it conceivable to resolve the existing paradox and interpret the meaning of the Three Angels’ Messages through the lenses of the everlasting gospel that attracts people of all nations to the safe haven of God’s Kingdom of Grace?

Prophetic Reorientation

In the history of the progressively growing Seventh-day Adventist movement, 1888 was a time of crucial reorientation both in the theological refocus on righteousness by faith and the visionary outline of the Great Controversy theme published by Ellen G. White in the book The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan. The theme’s main thrust highlights the value of God-given freedom of choice, human value, and potential, encouraging people to view the struggle between good and evil through the lens of an inspirational panorama of God’s final triumph.

Two years after its publication, Ellen G. White re-emphasized the main objective of her adoration: “Christ and Him crucified.” 10 In her mind, the story of God’s redemptive acts shaped one’s understanding of life and its purpose in the flow of human history. “When Christ in His work of redemption is seen as the central truth of the system of truth, a new light is shed upon all the events of the past and the future. They are seen in a new relation and possess a new and deeper significance.” 11 She warned against any divergence from this central theme. “The truths of the third angel’s message have been presented by some as a dry theory, but in this message is to be presented to Christ the Living One.” 12

For this reason, Ellen G. White’s emphasis warrants a re-evaluation of the Three Angels’ Messages from a gospel-centric perspective, including its impact on one’s worldview and the outflowing sense of mission.

My Worldview in the Light of God’s Grace

I do not intend to provide an in-depth exegetical study of the themes encoded in Revelation 14:6-12. Instead, the brief rumination below demarcates the impact of the key focal points of the messages from my gospel-centric worldview and mission.

First, with the destructive forces of evil as the backdrop (Rev. 13:1-18), the scene preceding the swift action of the Three Angels’ Messages draws attention to the triumphant celebration (Rev. 14: 1-5). The joy of the redeemed, who follow the Lamb singing a new song (Rev. 14: 2,4), provides an inspirational motivation for the challenges confronting Christian life in the conflict between good and evil. God’s ordained worldview provides a solution encoded in the essence of the everlasting gospel—They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:10-11; 14:6).

The call to fear God in the context of judgment draws attention to trust and confidence in God’s justice and sensitivity to human cries of pain, suffering, injustice, and unfairness flowing from the vision of an established kingdom of righteousness, a place of protective security. 13

Such a gospel-centric worldview’s positivity engenders a responsive sense of gratitude to worship God, the Creator of heaven and earth. The indirect reference to the Fourth Commandment (Rev. 14:7, the Sabbath) does not focus on worship time, but rather on the worship of God––the Creator of life––and a responsive call to obedience (Rev. 14:12), which includes respect for human freedom of choice, value, and potential. Furthermore, the inspirational panorama places the “everlasting gospel” as God’s designed lens that unfolds the heart of His missional purpose.

Second, the dramatic call announcing Babylon’s fall (Rev. 14:8) opens the scene of utter helplessness. Any other system of worship or alternative power, whether religious or political, that endeavors to resolve the drama of the conflict between good and evil is declared fallen, i.e., it failed and will fail. The only alternative is the response to God’s saving acts in Jesus, who is the hero. More so, just as Jesus’ messianic mission encompassed His unreserved affinity with the trauma of human life, the gospel’s spiritual depth reorients how mission is viewed. As Newbigin noted, “… it makes it possible to act hopefully, where there is no hope and to find a way when everything is dark, and there were no earthly landmarks.” 14

Ranko Stefanović affirms a Christ-focused mission’s effectiveness: “Only the love of Christ as manifested on the cross of Calvary will move people to accept Him, the one who is the only hope and source of life for the human race and commit their lives in obedience to him.” 15 The expressed reflection also applies to the final part of the message calling for the ultimate decision in matters of worship (Rev. 14: 8-11). No wonder Ellen G. White discouraged presenting it as a dry theory and called for making Christ the Living One the message’s main focus.

Conclusion

So, how does the gospel-centric view of the Three Angels’ Messages impact my worldview and mission? It challenges me to immerse my commitment to mission in the spiritual depth of Jesus’ life of service through hope in action. In this context, my mission is to love, care, and respect by listening, understanding, building up, and helping people discover their God-given uniqueness found in the knowledge and presence of God, the Creator of life. Why? Because Jesus came to show us the way and pay the price. He is the source that shapes my worldview.

John Skrzypaszek, DMin, a retired director of the Ellen White/Seventh-day Adventist Research Centre, is an adjunct senior lecturer at Avondale University College, Coranboong, NSW, Australia. Polish by birth, John takes a keen interest in heritage, spirituality, and identity studies. He is married to Brenda and has two sons Raphael and Luke. Email him at: [email protected]

 

1  Dockery, D. S. (2014). Shaping a Christian Worldview: An Introduction (Part I). Center for Faculty Development, Union University. https://www.uu.edu/centers/faculty/teaching/article.cfm?ID=364

2  Ibid.

3  Newbigin, Lesslie. (1989). The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society. Eerdmans (p. 129).

4  Ibid.

5  Canale, Ferndando. (1995, December). “Importance of Our Worldview.” Ministry Magazine. https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1995/12/importance-of-our-worldview

6  Knight, George R. (2000). A Search for Identity: The Development of the Seventh- day Adventist Beliefs. Review and Herald Publishing Association (p. 204).

7  Brueggemann, Walter. (2001). The Prophetic Imagination. Fortress Press (p. 105).

8  Samiadji, Jayden. (2024, January 6). “The Lost Last Day Message” Spectrum. https://spectrummagazine.org/culture/spirituality/the-lost-last-day-message/

9  Ibid.

10  White, Ellen G. (1890). Ms31. https://m.egwwritings.org/pt/book/7172.1#0

11  Ibid.

12  White, Ellen G. (1948). Testimonies for the Church, Vol 6. Pacific Press (p. 20).

13  Daniel 8:9, 10; 13-14, 23, 26-27; Revelation 5:9-14; 11: 17-18.

14  Newbigin, Lesslie. (1989). The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society.  Eerdmans (p. 129).

15  Stefanovic, Ranko (2002). Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation. Andrews University Press (p. 596).

27 Feb

OH, WE DON’T THINK MUCH ABOUT THAT HERE

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I was wholly unprepared for that statement! It came from a class assignment I had given to the students of my sophomore Bible class when I was teaching. The assignment was for the student to pick out a church, other than an Adventist one, from the yellow pages (some of you might not even know what yellow pages are, but I digress …), call up their pastor, and ask them what their view and understanding of the Second Coming was.

Having grown up in a faithful Seventh-day Adventist home, this was a real shock to one student. I still remember the look of almost confused disbelief she had on her face as she was telling me about it. Surely it was unthinkable to not think about the Second Coming!

My Seventh-day Adventist faith tradition is steeped in thinking about it. After all, it’s part of our very name. How could anyone not think about it?

I guess I was more sheltered myself than I thought I was. Surely everyone thought about it, at least once in a while. I mean, the entire Bible builds toward the Second Coming as the climax of history bringing in its wake the redemption of God’s beloved.

For me, the knowledge that all of history, all of the things that happen, all the machinations of powers seen and unseen, were working toward this ultimate reality has shaped so much of my life and my life’s focus.

And it runs from the childish to the very serious. Here’s what I mean:

Who among us did not pray at some point when we were younger, “Lord, please come quickly. But could you at least wait until I have a chance to get married first?” Maybe I’m the only one who prayed such a prayer, but I have a hunch I’m not alone. Paradoxically, I also told people who asked me when I was an eighth grader what I was going to do with my life when I grew up: “that it doesn’t matter what I want to be. Jesus will be here before I have grown up.”

In some ways, knowing what we know to be the future can inhibit our doing what we should do now. For example, if fire is going to burn this place up at some point, what’s the point in being careful with our environment? And if Jesus is coming soon, why plan for retirement? If His return is just around the corner, why bother getting involved in my community since most of the people in our community don’t seem to care about such things and wouldn’t pay attention anyway? Why bother starting a family or going to school?

I hope we don’t ever lose the Second Coming as a central focus of our life and our church’s life and intentionality in spite of all the ways that it can make us less connected and maybe even less concerned about the world around us.

The preciousness of the knowledge of the Second Coming really comes in knowing that the life we have here is not all there is. It helps remind us that there is an explanation for the truly terrible things that happen to us in this life. They aren’t just some cosmic whim acting out against us, but rather there’s a real, explainable cause for the sin and garbage in this life, and that the Second Coming is the end of all that nastiness. There is an end in sight. A glorious, inescapable, all-consuming end. Evil will not reign supreme forever. All that’s bad will not be allowed to be a ball and chain always holding us captive.

Because every day is a gift until the Day comes, I have freedoms that I didn’t have before. For example, now I’m free to care about my environment, not because I have to worry that if I don’t do my part, it will all collapse. I can do it because I love the beauty of God’s creation, and, by doing what I can to keep it clean and lovely, I get to have a constant reminder of God’s creative genius and relish in the wonderful things He provided for me to enjoy.

I have a way of understanding evil and its intent. I can see that all creation groans under its weight, but I don’t become consumed by it because I know evil’s time is short.

I don’t have to worry about who gets elected president or what party is in power because their power pales in comparison to the weight of glory that will soon be revealed.

So, I am free to invest myself for the betterment of those around me. If God opens a chance to share the Good News, that’s wonderful. Even if not, I can make a friend and make their and my life a little better. While I have time, I have opportunities the live a more abundant life, the very kind Jesus said He came to make possible.

So, our central tenet of the Second Coming can mark us and free us in all kinds of significant ways. Let’s just not use it as an excuse to withdraw or isolate ourselves. As someone has once famously said about church folk: “they are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good.” May that never be truthfully said of us!

Is there more that forms my Adventist worldview? Of course. But the Second Coming is one core part of my very being that has such a profound impact on me and my place in this world. And maybe I should be asking this question more often: “So, what do you think about the Second Coming?”  While I realize that different ones of us might answer that question differently. I just hope and pray that, however, that no one in our conference will ever say, “oh, we don’t think much about that here.”

Mic Thurber is president of the Rocky Mountain Conference. Email him at: [email protected]

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