When the stab of pain in Chris Scott’s chest was intense, his wife called the emergency number. At age 71, Chris believed he was having a heart attack. The responder told them to have someone wait outside to meet the paramedics. The couple waited and waited, then made another call and were told the ambulance was on its way. Again, they waited and waited—for seven hours! Finally the ambulance showed up and transported Chris to the hospital. His pain turned out to be a gall bladder issue, and Chris could only thank God his heart was all right.

The Scotts didn’t blame anyone for the long delay. The whole medical system in their area was under pressure with crowded hospitals and slow response times. But for 420 long minutes, they thought of nothing but the approach of blue lights. “Because of the confidence building up in us that the ambulance was close, we just waited and waited,” Scott said.¹

The whole world appears to be having a collective heart attack right now. We keep waiting for the flashing lights of our Lord’s imminent return. But it’s taking longer than we’d like. We’ve been told repeatedly that our Lord is on His way—but He hasn’t appeared yet.

Is Bible prophecy real? Have we misunderstood the Scripture or is something delaying His return? These aren’t new questions. Even the New Testament saints expected Jesus soon, which is as it should be. The Lord wants every generation to anticipate the return of Christ, but He alone knows the moment for the consummation of the ages.

Biblical prophecy can seem complex. Discerning the times and the seasons can confuse us. But let’s back up and look at the big picture. Let me try to put the complex subject of biblical prophecy into a simple threefold formula—what it was, what it will be, and what is now happening.

What It Was: Prophecies Fulfilled

In the days of the Old Testament, the prophets, seers, and people of Israel kept waiting for the first coming of the Messiah. Peter said, “The prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come…searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances” regarding the first coming of Christ (1 Peter 1:10-11, NIV).

Come He did! In the fullness of time, He fulfilled everything predicted about the event. He was a descendant of Abraham and of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 12:3, 49:10). He came from David’s family line (Isaiah 9:7), was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). His name was Immanuel, and He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). He based His ministry in Galilee, spoke in parables, and did wonders among the people (Isaiah 9:1-2, 6:9-10, 61:1-2). He was betrayed and slain, crucified with criminals and pierced (Zechariah 11:12-13; Isaiah 53:12). After His burial in a wealthy tomb, He rose again (Isaiah 53:9-11).

All these predictions and many more came true exactly as stated hundreds of years in advance. The whole subject of Messianic prophecy is a remarkable journey into ironclad evidence for the integrity of Scripture.

But it’s not just Messianic prophecy. Many other events have occurred just as the Bible predicted them—the destruction of the city of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:1-21); the rise of Alexander the Great and his sudden death (Daniel 11:1-4); and the emergence of the Roman Empire (Daniel 7:7). God’s people didn’t have an exact calendar for some of these events, yet these predictions and others all came to pass in God’s perfect timing.

What It Will Be: Prophecies to Be Fulfilled

It’s important to remember God’s timing as we contemplate other prophecies yet to be fulfilled. This includes the sudden Rapture and resurrection of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and the flood of troubles coming upon the earth—nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, increased wickedness, and the worldwide spread of the Gospel (Matthew 24:6-14).

The Bible predicts a sinister man of lawlessness who will seize control of the earth (2 Thessalonians 2:3, NASB). A time of great tribulation will overtake our planet (Matthew 24:21). The nations of the world will surround Israel and attack Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:3). And when it seems all is lost, the Lord Jesus Himself will return in the fullness of time (Revelation 19:11).

The prophecies that have already been fulfilled were accomplished with the precision of a Master Watchmaker, whose timing is geared to the split second. That’s the way future predictions will occur—every one of them perfectly synchronized with the will of the Heavenly Father who holds under His control the times and the seasons.

Don’t speculate about dates; just anticipate the Day. The apostle Peter told the people of his day: “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief” (2 Peter 3:9-10, NLT).

What Is Now: How We Live Today

That’s not all Peter said. He asked us, in light of the Lord’s coming, what sort of people we should be. He told us to “make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight” (2 Peter 3:14, NLT).

We don’t know when the Lord Himself will appear in the sky, but don’t worry. If you know Christ as your Savior, you’ll not miss the event. You and I will be there to welcome Him back, to reign with Him, and to serve Him forever and ever. Because of that, we must welcome Him into our lives each new day, let Him reign over our hearts, and serve Him now.

It’s not that complex. It’s actually as simple as this. If He might come tomorrow, we should be ready today! Give Him your life and be about His business!

Eli Foster is a fourteen-year-old fisherman on Lake Erie. He learned to fish, not from his parents, but from his grandfather, a seasoned fisherman on the Great Lakes. Eli’s grandfather told him long-ago stories about a very elusive fish called the muskellunge, which are very hard to find and are known for their strong teeth. Even when hooked, they often break the line and get away. When Eli was in the second grade, he said one of his ultimate goals in life was to catch a muskellunge. “It’s a challenge catching them,” Eli said. “It’s almost unheard of, especially in Lake Erie.”

Tutored by his grandfather, Eli has become an expert fisherman, spending many hours on the water. “He’ll call my mom and dad every morning and ask them to take a picture of the lake and send it to him,” said Eli’s mother. “So he’ll know if the water is good for fishing. If it looks too rough, he won’t go. He knows all about wind direction and wind speed and all that.”

Eli wanted to be well prepared for the day he hooked a muskellunge. He worked hard to buy new tackles, rods, and other gear. He researched and watched online videos to learn all the tricks of the trade. On the evening of October 8, 2020, he rode his bicycle to his grandfather’s house and cast off the shore. Something jerked at his line. Looking up, Eli saw a muskellunge thrashing back and forth.

Eli shouted for his grandfather, and soon a crowd of neighbors gathered to watch the contest. “It felt really super heavy,” Eli recalled. “The head shakes were insane. I’ve never felt a fish bite that hard or pull back that hard.… At one point, I thought it was going to get off, but it turned and came right at me.”

To the delight of everyone, Eli reeled in his fish, posed for a picture, and then released it back into the water—his long wait, hard work, daily patience, and deep hope fulfilled.²

Let’s learn from Eli the importance of being prepared, working hard each day, studying the weather, observing world conditions, keeping our aspirations alive, and fishing for men.

What are we waiting for? This could be the day of the Lord’s return. No other prophetic event must happen before the Rapture. Prophecy doesn’t have to be confusing if you know what it means for your life here and now. Don’t live in the past or in the future: Live in the complex and clear mission of God for your life today.

Sources:

¹Dominic Robertson, “Man Waiting In Pain for Seven Hours…,” Shropshire Star, November 3, 2021, https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/2021/11/03/patient-says-delayed-ambulances-should-advise-people-to-get-to-hospital-themselves/.

²Ryan Loren, “Frenchtown Teen Catches Bucket-List Fish,” The Monroe News, October 31, 2020, https://www.monroenews.com/story/sports/2020/10/31/bucket-list-lake-erie-muskie/114592664/.