Second Coming

“Life in a prison cell may well be compared to Advent: one waits, hopes, and does this, that, or the other – things that are really of no consequence – the door is shut, and can only be opened from the outside.” ~Dietrich Bonheoffer

This quote was written by Dietrich Bonheoffer to his fiancé during Advent in 1944 while in prison for speaking out against Hitler. He was later hanged for his treason. His letters to his fiancé and family were inspiring and always hopeful; you can read some in the book I took this inspiration from called “God in a Manger”. Jesus; helpless babe, and sovereign Lord, in a manger, come to take away the sins of the world and open the prison cell door.

In Luke 4-18 we see Jesus quoting Isaiah 61
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,

for the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted

and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,…”
Jesus then proclaims, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”

 Notice where Jesus stops in the scripture, he does not read the rest of Isaiah 61, because he has not come to seek vengeance and to restore Israel fully. Rather this, the first advent, He came to take the vengeance that we, because we are sinners, deserve… so that someday, he could come and destroy evil and suffering completely, without destroying us. Now we are in the Second Advent, waiting the second coming of the Lord, when he will come with vengeance on all evil, and will bring peace on earth. We wait like prisoners until “Kings will come to the brightness of your rising" (Isaiah 60:3).

And just like Isaiah prays in chapter 62 for the returning of His glory we too shall wait upon the Lord and pray.
“Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,
I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her
until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
 The nations will see your righteousness.
World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name
by the Lord’s own mouth.”

 When we pray, we should be praying like prisoners waiting for the door to be open, realizing all else is just “this and that- things that are of no consequence” other than waiting upon the return of Lord. Ultimately in the biggest sense of the word, this is all that matters. We pray as if we will live forever; for in Him we shall, and we pray as if we will die tomorrow, ever hopeful ever waiting. We pray all men shall come to know the peace of the Lord, how long O Lord shall we wait?

“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (Rev 22:20, 21)