1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. ]
John 11:17-27; First Thessalonians 4:15-17; 5:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; Titus 2:11-13; Hebrews 10;24-25; James 5:7-9; First Peter 4:7; First John 2:18 and Revelation 1:1
The contemporary church as I am told and read urgently needs spiritual revival, and that will only occur when believers get beyond personal desires and long to think, speak, and live in the ways Scriptures outlines..
As I understand this, when believers do, the church, the true believers, will be more than a crowd, on Sunday, but it will become spiritually powerful before this hostile world that we live in.
So what then is the incentive for Believers to be about their duty as Chrisitans believers?
Peter says "The end of all things is near. First Peter 4:7a.
Now I will admit that I struggled with this word "End", and what it meant, until I began to study the meaning of the word. The word rendered END is the Greek word "telos" (5056 Strong's)
(Eccl 7:2; Jer 5:31; Eze 7:2,3,6; Mt 24:13,14; Ro 13:12; 1Co 7:29; 1Co 15:24; Phil 4:5; Heb 10:25; Jas 5:8,9; 2Pet 3:9, 10, 11; 1Jn 2:18,19)
Telos refers to a consummation, a goal achieved, a result attained, or a realization. Can refer to that which is final as well as that which is completed. This term does not refer to annihilation (although indeed this present earth and heavens will be burned with intense heat . Peter 3:12) but is used in Scripture to refer to the end of the age. Jesus Himself used the term in this way (e.g., Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7, Luke 21:9 The sense of "end" as a point in time appears also. The kingdom of Messiah has no "end" Luke 1:33). Telos as the "outcome" of something is the idea in Luke 18:5 and Luke 22:37 it denotes the "fulfillment" of prophecy about Jesus
The Greek word group (teleō [verb], telos [noun]) has two basic emphases. The primary concept of "end" is that of achievement of an intended goal. Particularly in eschatological passages the NT picks up the thought of process implicit in the OT. But the NT draws our attention to the conclusion of the process. That end is an extremity, but it is an extremity infused by purpose. Nothing is random; nothing is purposeless. When the end comes, it will bring the achievement of all of God’s purposes. The end will be marked by the consummation of God’s plans. The other concept implicit in the Greek words indicating "end" draws our attention to persons or to things that have reached an intended goal. In a limited but real sense, achieving a goal means that a thing or person is completed, or perfect. Thus "perfect" in the NT does not suggest sinlessness or flawlessness; rather, it is a mature stage of development in which one’s potentials are achieved.
The word Telos, does not necessarily indicate termination or chronological conclusion
Rather has a learn means "fulfillment", or "a purpose attainted," or a goal achieved." Here in the text of First Peter, Peter is speaking of the fulfillment of all things, that is the Lord's returned.
Acts 3:21, Colossians 3:4, 2 Thessalonians 1:10, 2 Timothy 4:1, and 8; Hebrews 9:28 and Revelation 20:11-13.
The term " is at hand" or "is near" means "approaching. Its a perfect tense which indicates a consummated in this text it means to complete make perfect, . process with a resulting nearness that -the event (Christ's return) is imminent: i.e. about to happen, near, coming forthcoming. Could occur at any moment as in Matthew 24:37-39; Romans 13:12, First Thessalonians 5:2, Revelation 16:15 and 22:20.
Here is the incentive: ie.e. a thing that motivates or encourages one to do something, which is well needed among Christian Believers today, would you say?
We thus need to live with this ongoing attitude of anticipation or expectancy, as a mark of faithfulness.
Dad preached this all my life, I believe every single day that Jesus Christ could return and take us all to heaven.
Mark 13:35-37; Luke12:40; 21:36; 1 Corinthians 1:7, as well as 1 Timothy 6:14, Titus 2:13 and James 5:7-9
