A.W. Tozer on the Hope of Jesus' Coming Again

A.W. Tozer:

"...affluence is only one cause of the decline of the apocalyptic hope (in the western Church). There are other and more important ones. The whole problem is a big one, a theological one, a moral one. An inadequate view of Christ may be the chief trouble. Christ has been explained, humanized, demoted.

Many professed Christians no longer expect Him to usher in a new order; they are not at all sure that He is able to do so; or if He does, it will be with the help of art, education, science and technology; that is, with the help of man. This revised expectation amounts to disillusionment for many. And of course no one can become too radiantly happy over a King of kings who has been stripped of His crown or a Lord of lords who has lost His sovereignty.

It should be noted that there is a vast difference between the doctrine of Christ's coming and the hope of His coming. The first we may hold without feeling a trace of the second. Indeed there are multitudes of Christians today who hold the doctrine of the second coming. What I have talked about here is that overwhelming sense of anticipation that lifts the life onto a new plane and fills the heart with rapturous optimism. This is what we today lack.

Frankly, I do not know whether or not it is possible to recapture the spirit of anticipation that animated the Early Church...Certainly scolding will not bring it back, nor arguing over prophecy, nor condemning those who do not agree with us. We may do all or any of these things without arousing the desired spirit of joyous expectation. That unifying, healing, purifying hope is for the childlike, the innocent-hearted, the unsophisticated.

Possibly nothing short of a world catastrophe that will destroy every false trust and turn our eyes once more upon the Man Christ Jesus will bring back the glorious hope to a generation that has lost it."

Oh Lord, would you come and do whatever You need to do to awaken Your Bride in the West to the reality of Your coming. Thank You that You love us too much to allow us to continue to hope in anything but Your coming as God's appointed Messiah; forgive us for placing our hopes in human governments and leaders and education and science and technology. You ALONE are able to establish Your kingdom on earth, so we place our hope FULLY on Your returning and cry out for Your coming. Strengthen the heart of Your Bride for the difficulties that are coming so that we aren't offended with You when human systems are falling apart. Remove "every false trust and turn our eyes upon the Man Christ Jesus" and help us "recapture the spirit of anticipation that animated the early Church". Give us child-likeness and innocent-heartedness to long for You to return and set up Your kingdom on earth. Come Lord Jesus!