Many a scholar and lay-reader alike has noted the palpable eschatological imminency of the New Testament. If Crystal Lewis had lived at the time, the most popular lyrics might have been, “People get ready. Jesus is coming. Soon we’ll be going home.”

The early disciples were not mistaken to feel that way. The Bible itself exhorts followers of Jesus to live with a disposition that “the remaining time is short” (Romans 13:11-12, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-8, Hebrews 10:36-37, James 5:7-8, 1 Peter 4:7, Revelation 22:20).

Indeed, it is not enough for believers to passively know that Christ could return at any time, nor is it even enough to live responsively to that fact as we would to a pre-determined or pre-scheduled appointment. Rather, there is a call to God’s people to actively speed up the day of His coming: “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:11-13).

In other words, the measure of urgency emanating from the church is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. As long as she eagerly and zealously looks with anticipation for the Bridegroom to come, she will act in such a way which puts the required pieces in place for Him to come that much sooner. On the other hand, to the extent that she feels no rush and dozes off His coming will be commensurately delayed, for it is not the Father’s plan for His Son to be united with a slumbering bride.