Come, Lord Yeshua: Recovering the Blessed Hope in an Age of Earthly Satisfaction
In a recent pastoral conversation, a colleague confided his frustration over his congregation’s apathy regarding the topic of Heaven. It wasn’t due to his lack of clarity, conviction, or theological depth. Rather, it was a matter of disinterest. This congregation—wealthy, well-resourced, and materially content—saw little need to think about eternity. For them, life was already comfortable. Why long for something more?
This conversation unveils a subtle but dangerous spiritual disease: eternal myopia, a condition where the vision of the believer becomes nearsighted—focused more on the comforts of the present than the promises of the world to come. Yeshua (Jesus) warned of this in His parable of the rich fool: “You have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, ‘You fool! This night your soul will be required of you…’” (Luke 12:19–20, TLV).
The Allure of Present Comfort
This attitude is not limited to the affluent. Whether rich or poor, Western or Eastern, human beings are prone to idolizing the present. Wealth, security, access, comfort, and pleasure can so easily become false gods, eclipsing our longing for the eternal kingdom. As the Apostle Paul warned, “For many live as enemies of the cross of Messiah. Their end is destruction; their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame—they set their minds on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18–19, TLV).
In a 2021 Pew Research survey, only 55% of American adults believe in Heaven as described in the Bible. Among Christians, belief in Heaven remains high (92%), but strikingly, only 40% said they “often” think about it, and even fewer said it influenced their daily decisions.1 This discrepancy reflects a cognitive dissonance between professed belief and practical worldview, especially in societies saturated by materialism.
Apostolic Warning and the Prophetic Urgency
Kepha (Peter), writing to the early believers, recognized this same tendency. In 2 Peter 3:3–4, he warned that in the last days, scoffers would arise, mocking the delay of Messiah’s return and living as though He would never come:
“In the last days, scoffers will come, following their own desires and saying, ‘Where is this promised coming of His? Ever since the fathers died, everything goes on just as it has from the beginning of creation!’” (2 Peter 3:3–4, TLV).
These scoffers were not necessarily atheists. Many were within the covenant community—religious people who chose comfort over conviction, luxury over longing, and pleasure over the prophetic Word.
But Peter counters their denial with a clarion call: the world as we know it will not last. Yeshua will return—not as the humble Lamb, but as the conquering King:
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The One riding on it is called Faithful and True, and He judges and makes war in righteousness” (Revelation 19:11, TLV).
Peter intensifies the warning: “The day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, the elements will melt and disintegrate, and the earth and everything done on it shall be exposed” (2 Peter 3:10, TLV).
Yeshua Himself warned that in the days leading up to His return, people would be eating, drinking, marrying, buying, and selling—in other words, distracted by life (Luke 17:26–30). But judgment, like in the days of Noah and Lot, will come suddenly.
Living with a Kingdom-Oriented Hope
The early believers did not view the return of Messiah as a mere doctrine—they longed for it. This is captured in the ancient Aramaic prayer still used in Messianic circles: Marana Tha (מָרָנָא תָא) – “Come, our Lord!” (1 Corinthians 16:22). They were not ashamed to pray, hope, and suffer for the sake of the world to come.
Yeshua taught His disciples to pray with eternal urgency:
“Our Father in heaven, sanctified be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10, TLV).
This prayer is more than liturgy—it is a petition for the return of the King. Peter exhorts us to live in active anticipation:
“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be—living in holiness and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God?” (2 Peter 3:11–12, TLV).
The Greek term for “hastening” is speudō (σπεύδω), meaning to eagerly desire or actively work toward—a verb that reflects urgency, not passivity.
In Jewish eschatology and Messianic thought, the coming of the Messiah (Yeshua HaMashiach) is the central hope. This aligns with the Prophets, who spoke of a “new heavens and a new earth” where justice, peace, and righteousness will dwell (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13). This new creation is not merely future—it is breaking in even now (2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:1–5).
What Are You Longing For?
Do we long for Yeshua’s return, or are we more attached to the comforts of this world? Are our eyes set on the eternal Kingdom, or are they fixed on temporary gains? The words of Messiah are sobering:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, TLV).
If we desire to live faithfully, we must recover a robust theology of hope—a hope anchored not in this age but in the age to come. The Biblical Feast, God’s Appointed Times, can and does help us in this recovery process. The Kingdom is not only a future reality but an invitation to live now in righteousness, expectation, and holiness.
The book of Revelation ends with a prayer that every follower of Yeshua should echo daily:
“‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua!” (Revelation 22:20, TLV).
May we live each day as if that prayer could be fulfilled before the sun sets.
Footnotes
- Pew Research Center. “Views on the Afterlife,” November 2021. ↩
Suggested Reading and Sources
Stern, David H. Jewish New Testament Commentary. Jewish New Testament Publications, 1992.
Wright, N. T. Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. HarperOne, 2008.
Kaiser, Walter C. The Promise-Plan of God: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments. Zondervan, 2008.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. IVP Academic, 2014.
Pew Research Center. “Views on the Afterlife,” 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/