Can we pray for shortening the days of the Second Coming?

[Garion]

I've been praying for the end for many years because only after can God create His new world.

I've even been called a satanist because of that but truly the sooner He ends this world the less time souls have to be tempted by satan.

 

[Swans]

As Christians, at least some of us are looking forward to the return of Jesus (call it Rapture, Second Coming or any other way and regardless the different interpretations of the intermediate events)

Now usually, we pray the Lord for good things that we would like in our lives because Jesus has taught us to ASK for good things we want in many passages (Luke 18:1-8, John 14:13-14, Matthew 21:22, John 16:24, and many others)

It is reasonable to think that asking is an important step in the relationship between men and God.
And what to ask? In the Lord prayer, there are are many (if not all) passages that will be fulfilled completely only on the Second Coming:

"your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven."

- The kingdom of the Lord has not completely come, and His will is not completely done on earth, and it will not until His return, and the separation of sheeps and goats.

"And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’"

- Same here: the only way in which we will be COMPLETELY freed and delivered from temptation and the evil one, will be on the Last day, by entering his Kingdom, separated from the goats.

Then curiously, in Matthew 24:22 we find "for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened".

Now I have 2 QUESTIONS:

1) As Christian, would you really be happy if the Second Coming would happen in a month? Or in a week? Or today? Or would you prefer to first do some mundane things and you'd rather prefer Him to come later? (Matthew 22: 1-14, Luke 19:14)

2) Provided that we usually ask for many things never mentioned in the Gospel, and we hope them to be fulfilled, wouldn't it be useful to ask for such thing as the Return of the Lord? At least there is some probability that is a correct prayer. If it's not, it wouldn't have hurt to try, but if it is right, it will means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and be delivered from evil immediately, not only for us but for everyone living now.

3) What if the Lord is waiting for people, at least His elects, really wanting and asking for His return, to shorten the days?

4) Are you aware of some Christians who in their hearts hope that Jesus returns as late as possible because they first want to realize their project, or for fear or other reasons?
----------------------------------------------------------
NOTE
To a possible objection like "if the day will be shortened, some people will not have time to repent" there are at least 2 answers:
- Every day new people born in this world full of temptations (Luke 4:6), and there are more people at risk of losing the way, than people who repent.
- If someone has the seed of repentance in his earth, it's not to exclude that he will be saved in the last day even if he didn't publicly confessed to be Christian because they haven't met Christ yet.
If it wouldn't be like this, then every population who did not hear of Christ in the past and now would be condemned, and this is not the case, because those who pursued good and searched for the Truth would have listened to the Lord and convert if had the occasion (Romans 2:15) (think about people like Socrates), so they will likely be saved anyway.

Why would you want to do that? Pray for the second coming.
God will make it happen in his own time.

 

[Jim Parker]

3) What if the Lord is waiting for people, at least His elects, really wanting and asking for His return, to shorten the days?

He'll come when He's ready.
When He comes is none of our business.
Our business is to be found faithful when he arrives.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Well that is a very tough question. However, I voted no because even though I'm really looking forward to being with Jesus in Heaven, I'm also enjoying the life that God has blessed with me down here. After all, the very air in our lungs is a gift from God, and there is still so many things that I want to see and do in my lifetime. However Jim Parker was also right. Whenever Christ comes is completely up to Him and we have to be ready.

 

[Tessa]

God's time will be the right time. Perhaps He is waiting for all His elect to be ready.

I've been thinking we often talk about the end time. We don't know when our own personal time will end. I think it's important we are ready for that, and age is no guarantee.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

I've been thinking we often talk about the end time. We don't know when our own personal time will end. I think it's important we are ready for that, and age is no guarantee.[/QUOTE]


Agreed since there is no like button to hit on here.

 

[Tessa]

Perhaps also if it was 7 days later than we wanted perhaps more people would have given their hearts and souls to God. Perhaps even our sister, brother, mother, father etc...

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Here this is the way I look at this.

 

[Willie T]

Knowing that the longer He tarries, the more people may be saved from Hell, why on earth would you ever pray for their opportunities to be shortened?

 

[jasonc]

Knowing that the longer He tarries, the more people may be saved from Hell, why on earth would you ever pray for their opportunities to be shortened?

Yup,mercy,not sacrifice I desire.

 

[ezra]

would i be happy? yes and no yes for me and my family not happy for those left behind one thing for sure he will return on his timeline.. one can pray but ut still happens when HE is ready

 

[Douglas Summers]

Knowing that the longer He tarries, the more people may be saved from Hell, why on earth would you ever pray for their opportunities to be shortened?

Hi Willie, God is not trying to save the world at this time...He is calling out His Church (His Body), and once that body is complete, He will gather us to Himself. (Ephesians Chapters 2 and 3) It is during The Tribulation that the majority of mankind will be saved by the preaching of the anointed 12 tribes (Revelation Chapter 7:9-13) Nobody seems to get it.....The Church is not Israel. The Church are son's of God (Romans Chapter 8), heirs to the throne, The administration or government that will dwell in Jerusalem with Christ....They will be called out first (rapture) The epistles are about the Church...not specifically about Israel. Many will be left behind and God will judge them accordingly. When the Church body is complete we will be with Christ 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 5:1-11.
In Christ
Douglas Summers

 

[Shilohsfoal]

Hi Willie, God is not trying to save the world at this time...He is calling out His Church (His Body), and once that body is complete, He will gather us to Himself. (Ephesians Chapters 2 and 3) It is during The Tribulation that the majority of mankind will be saved by the preaching of the anointed 12 tribes (Revelation Chapter 7:9-13) Nobody seems to get it.....The Church is not Israel. The Church are son's of God (Romans Chapter 8), heirs to the throne, The administration or government that will dwell in Jerusalem with Christ....They will be called out first (rapture) The epistles are about the Church...not specifically about Israel. Many will be left behind and God will judge them accordingly. When the Church body is complete we will be with Christ 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 5:1-11.
In Christ
Douglas Summers

Israel shall reign with Christ at Jerusalem.
http://biblehub.com/kjv/isaiah/14-2.htm

Also,Israel is the son of God.
http://biblehub.com/kjv/exodus/4-22.htm


I could tell you how all these who do not worship the beast are Israelis but i dont think you wouldbe able to understand.
http://biblehub.com/revelation/20-4.htm
These are the same people as in isaiah 4:2 above.

 

[Tatilina]

I was always saying in my old facebook groups how I looked forward to the second coming of Christ and the day of the Lord because I was genuinely excited until I came across this passage. I will post it in its proper context and bold and underline some key parts that made me reconsider what I was wanting the Lord to hasten his 2nd coming too.

Amos 5 NIV

1Hear this word, Israel, this lament I take up concerning you:

2“Fallen is Virgin Israel,
never to rise again,
deserted in her own land,
with no one to lift her up.”
3This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:

“Your city that marches out a thousand strong
will have only a hundred left;
your town that marches out a hundred strong
will have only ten left.”
4This is what the Lord says to Israel:

“Seek me and live;
5do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,
do not journey to Beersheba.
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.a ”
6Seek the Lord and live,
or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;
it will devour them,
and Bethel will have no one to quench it.
7There are those who turn justice into bitterness
and cast righteousness to the ground.
8He who made the Pleiades and Orion,
who turns midnight into dawn
and darkens day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land—
the Lord is his name.
9With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold
and brings the fortified city to ruin.
10There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court
and detest the one who tells the truth.
11You levy a straw tax on the poor
and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,
you will not live in them;
though you have planted lush vineyards,
you will not drink their wine.
12For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
13Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times,
for the times are evil.
14Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
on the remnant of Joseph.
16Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says:

“There will be wailing in all the streets
and cries of anguish in every public square.
The farmers will be summoned to weep
and the mourners to wail.
17There will be wailing in all the vineyards,
for I will pass through your midst,”
says the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

18Woe to you who long
for the day of the Lord!
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?
That day will be darkness, not light.
19It will be as though a man fled from a lion
only to meet a bear,
as though he entered his house
and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.
20Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light—
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
21“I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
your assemblies are a stench to me.
22Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
23Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
25“Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
26You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
the pedestal of your idols,
the star of your godb —
which you made for yourselves.
27Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.

 

[Tatilina]

I love how 2 Peter 3 correlates beautifully with Amos 5:18-20

2 Peter 3:7-14


7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.a

11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.b That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

I suppose it depends on what we are looking forward to maybe. I assume some look forward to the DOTL for all the wrong reasons.

 

[Jim Parker]

Can we pray for shortening the days of the Second Coming?

We can pray for anything we like.
But, I think the day of the second coming will be determined by God alone. He knows when the right time will be.
I don't think He would move the date up if there was one more person who would repent in one more week.

 

[Shilohsfoal]

I was always saying in my old facebook groups how I looked forward to the second coming of Christ and the day of the Lord because I was genuinely excited until I came across this passage. I will post it in its proper context and bold and underline some key parts that made me reconsider what I was wanting the Lord to hasten his 2nd coming too.

Amos 5 NIV

1Hear this word, Israel, this lament I take up concerning you:

2“Fallen is Virgin Israel,
never to rise again,
deserted in her own land,
with no one to lift her up.”
3This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:

“Your city that marches out a thousand strong
will have only a hundred left;
your town that marches out a hundred strong
will have only ten left.”
4This is what the Lord says to Israel:

“Seek me and live;
5do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,
do not journey to Beersheba.
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.a ”
6Seek the Lord and live,
or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;
it will devour them,
and Bethel will have no one to quench it.
7There are those who turn justice into bitterness
and cast righteousness to the ground.
8He who made the Pleiades and Orion,
who turns midnight into dawn
and darkens day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land—
the Lord is his name.
9With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold
and brings the fortified city to ruin.
10There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court
and detest the one who tells the truth.
11You levy a straw tax on the poor
and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,
you will not live in them;
though you have planted lush vineyards,
you will not drink their wine.
12For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
13Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times,
for the times are evil.
14Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
on the remnant of Joseph.
16Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says:

“There will be wailing in all the streets
and cries of anguish in every public square.
The farmers will be summoned to weep
and the mourners to wail.
17There will be wailing in all the vineyards,
for I will pass through your midst,”
says the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

18Woe to you who long
for the day of the Lord!
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?
That day will be darkness, not light.
19It will be as though a man fled from a lion
only to meet a bear,
as though he entered his house
and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.
20Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light—
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
21“I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
your assemblies are a stench to me.
22Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
23Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
25“Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
26You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
the pedestal of your idols,
the star of your godb —
which you made for yourselves.
27Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.

http://biblehub.com/amos/5-26.htm

https://goo.gl/images/hN65vN

2000 years ago the chosen annointed king of israel entetd Jerusalem.He was rejected.
Today they have chosen the king ad lift him up,the image of thier god is the six pointed star they made for themsves to worship.

The day of the lord is in the gospel as well.
http://biblehub.com/luke/13-28.htm

 

[Willie T]

Hi Willie, God is not trying to save the world at this time...He is calling out His Church (His Body), and once that body is complete, He will gather us to Himself. (Ephesians Chapters 2 and 3) It is during The Tribulation that the majority of mankind will be saved by the preaching of the anointed 12 tribes (Revelation Chapter 7:9-13) Nobody seems to get it.....The Church is not Israel. The Church are son's of God (Romans Chapter 8), heirs to the throne, The administration or government that will dwell in Jerusalem with Christ....They will be called out first (rapture) The epistles are about the Church...not specifically about Israel. Many will be left behind and God will judge them accordingly. When the Church body is complete we will be with Christ 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 5:1-11.
In Christ
Douglas Summers

There is so much wrong with that "Retreatist & Defeatist" attitude, that I wouldn't know where to begin. But go ahead and wish, it won't change God's intent.