A famous and beloved person had been gone for a long time. He sent the same letter to all his friends and family, telling them a bit about himself and that he was planning to return. Of those who received the letter, responses varied. There were even those who were convinced that he had already returned in 1914. Then there came ones who tried to make a doctrine out of his coming back. They all read this same letter, but came to quite different conclusions:
Several said the letter said he was coming next week. Some,
using the same letter, said next month, and some were convinced his coming
would be next year. A few thought it would be in five years, and others not at
all. Who was right? They all read the same letter. What was the point of the
letter? All these people were fighting over and trying to create a doctrine
over their interpretation of the letter. Is that what the letter writer wanted?
Suddenly, the focus had become on when he was coming and less and less about
who was coming. They had turned a glorious meeting with the long-gone person
they professed to love into something about themselves, for all they could see was
him taking them out of an uncomfortable situation, avoiding extreme judgment,
or possibly looking for some kind of reward. In other words, what did they get
out of it? They were not even excited about seeing the person. If a bride,
hearing that her bridegroom was coming, instead of watching for him, gets
caught up with other things, how does that show others and him how much she
loves him? Oh, wait, that's right, the church is the bride of Christ. Getting
caught up in various rapture theories misses the point.
The Point is: Jesus is coming back!!
