How Our Love of This Age Guides Our Feelings Toward the End
Think back to your final semester of high school. Do you remember the emotions?
Excitement.
Relief.
Longing for that last day.
But also fear and anxiety.
You knew an entire stage of life was ending, and you looked toward what lay ahead—but those feelings were mixed because there were aspects of high school you loved. You could not be certain the next stage would be better; you could only hope.
This is a helpful analogy for the believer’s connection to this life and our anticipation of Christ’s return—though there are important differences.
A Tension We All Feel
Scripture assures us that when this life ends, a far better reality awaits: eternal glory with Christ. And yet, we often feel torn.
We have touched and enjoyed the good things of this world, and our hearts are attached to them. That attachment creates tension when we contemplate the end of our earthly life. At the same time, there are things we long to leave behind—the consequences of sin: pain, sorrow, tears, cancer, and death.
For the follower of Christ, we know these will vanish once we draw our final breath or when Christ returns—whichever comes first.
Where the Analogy Breaks Down
Here is where the high school analogy falls apart.
As graduation approached, we only hoped the next stage of life would be better. In Christ, however, we have certainty. What lies beyond this life is immeasurably greater.
We will behold the glory of God.
We will worship Him forever.
We will experience glorified bodies and souls.
There will be no more sin, and therefore no more shame.
No sorrow.
No death.
No sickness or disease.
No hunger.
No tears.
Why Do So Many Fear Christ’s Return?
Even the most treasured blessings of this life are only dim reflections of what is to come. And yet, many read Revelation or think about Christ’s return with fear rather than anticipation.
Why?
Here lies the tension: the more our affections are tied to the ways of this world, the more we will view the end with dread. Conversely, the more our hearts are shaped by the ways of God and His Kingdom, the more we will long for His return.
This is not a call to hate the present life God has given us. Scripture never asks us to despise God’s good gifts. We rightly recognize that we have been given many truly wonderful blessings in this temporal life that come straight from God.
But just as surely as those good blessings come from God, we also know that far greater things lie ahead for those who are in Christ.
From Dread to Anticipation
So how do we move from dread to anticipation?
By deepening our knowledge of God’s character and His ways.
That growth comes only through His Word and His people—the Church. Our affections for God will not grow apart from knowing Him, and our knowledge of Him will not grow apart from reading the Word He has given.
Many fear the day of His return because they have not yet come to know His goodness. They cling more tightly to this world than to His Kingdom.
A Choice Revelation Forces Upon Us
Revelation confronts us with a choice:
Will we meet Christ’s return with fear—or with anticipation?
The answer depends on where our love rests.
If our affections are fixed on the fleeting ways of this world, the end will seem threatening. But if our hearts are shaped by the goodness of God and the hope of His Kingdom, then His return is not something to dread—it is the day we long for most.
“…lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God…”
2 Peter 3:11–12a (ESV)
Come, Lord Jesus.
