NOTE: This article appeared as the first Sabbath reading of the Annual Week of Prayer in the September 2025 edition of Adventist World.
Unprecedented events across the globe remind us that the world is changing rapidly. Natural and human-made disasters are becoming more forceful and frequent. Political situations in many countries are becoming nearly impossible to solve. Societal and cultural morals are breaking down. The global economy is walking on a paper-thin edge ready to fall into economic chaos. Ecumenical movements are creating compromising situations. We must always be friendly and encouraging to other Christians and faiths, but we need to be very careful not to align ourselves with ecumenical or other groups that will endeavor to neutralize the distinctive biblical beliefs that Seventh-day Adventists hold dear.
As we see landmark occurrences happening rapidly all around us, we know they point to the most incredible, life-changing event ever—the second coming of Jesus Christ! This is the culmination of all the hopes of believers down through millennia.
In describing that glorious event, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “And it will be said in that day, Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isa. 25:9). And in Psalm 50:3 we read, “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.”
While on earth, Jesus assured His disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). He repeats this promise with urgency in Revelation 22: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (verse 7); “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according to his work” (verse 12); and “Surely I am coming quickly” (verse 20).
How Quick is “Quick”?
And yet, how quick is “quick”? From our human point of view—especially in today’s Instagram world—anything less than instant is slow.
Adventists have been preaching the second coming of Christ for more than 160 years—which can seem like an eternity to some. Disheartened, some have lost their sense of urgency in the second coming of Christ, which should permeate every aspect of Seventh-day Adventist life.
This should not surprise us, however. We read in Second Peter 3:3-4: “Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’”
Peter points out that these scoffers “willfully forget” that God created the heavens and the earth, and that there was a worldwide flood. He then warns that one day all will be destroyed by fire.
The passage goes on, giving important instruction and encouragement to those who believe. “Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (verses 8-9).
The passage urges us, since the earth and all things in it will be destroyed, to consider what kind of people we ought to be “in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. . . . Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (verses 11-14).
An Important Calling
What a calling we have, staying close to the Lord and allowing Him to guide us as we eagerly look forward to His coming.
The book of Hebrews encourages us, “Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe in the saving of the soul” (Heb. 10:35-39).
God’s Word is speaking to us today. Do not let anyone take away your hope in the soon coming of Jesus Christ. He is coming soon!
Proclaiming the Message
Current deteriorating world conditions should awaken us to the urgent need to be ready, and to proclaim the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 in anticipation of Christ’s soon return.
Some may say these messages are politically incorrect and not advisable to preach; however, the three angels’ messages are the most important messages we have been given to share. They are our theology and mission and the reason for God’s wonderful remnant church.
In volume 9 of Testimonies for the Church we read, “In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. . . . They have been given a work of the most solemn import—the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention” [1].
These powerful end-time messages, outlined in Revelation 14:6-12, are divided into three parts. The Spirit of Prophecy tells us that messages one and two were given by the early Advent believers. The third message would be added to the first two and would be given just before Jesus returns. The combination of these three messages will be the final appeal of God to this world to prepare to meet Jesus.
This is the exciting future for which we are being empowered and equipped—to finish God’s great work as we proclaim these mighty messages! Only by relying completely on Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit will we be able to accomplish anything! God is preparing each of us for something very unusual that will soon happen—the outpouring of the latter train of the Holy Spirit. And when we receive this special gift, God will work through us in a mighty way to reach the entire world with His last-day message. And then the end will come.
Leaning on the Lord
Jesus is coming soon! We need to lean completely on His grace and righteousness. We need to be faithful to the mission call He has for us. We read in Second Peter 3:10-13: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. . . . Since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
As a Seventh-day Adventist, are you faithfully looking for new heavens and a new earth? Are you standing firm for the Lord’s biblical truth and for God’s great proclamation of the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14? Is your faithfulness to God known to all who come in contact with you? Are you convinced that God has a special plan for His remnant church? We do not say that we are more special than anyone else. We are all in need of the saving grace and mercy of our Lord. But, as Seventh-day Adventists, we are called by God to deliver His end-time message and to stand for truth though the heavens fall. He calls us to be faithful witnesses for Him today in a secular, materialistic, postmodern world.
Looking Forward
One day soon we will see, in the eastern sky, a small, dark cloud about half the size of a man’s fist. It will get larger and larger and brighter and brighter—all of heaven poured out for the climax of earth’s history. Everyone will see Him at the same time through a miracle of heaven. And there, seated in the middle of millions of angels, will be the One we have been waiting for. Not the humble broken Lamb, not the High Priest, but the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ our Redeemer! We will look up and say, “This is the God we have waited for.” Christ will look down and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord,” and we will rise to meet the Lord in the air and go home to be with Him forever!
God has promised to give you His power to finish His work. He will pour out the latter rain on His people to proclaim the three angels’ messages and finish His work as a united church. Let’s dedicate our lives, energies, talents, resources, and time to finishing God’s work so we can win as many as possible, all through His power, and go home.
REFERENCES
Ellen G. White, Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 19.
Ted N. C. Wilson served as president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church from 2010-2025.