Help us to be patient and to always look for the return of your Son.
We covered most of this last week, so this one will be a short one.
After the prophesy of Malachi God didn't talk directly to anyone for approximately four hundred years. The people knew (or at least those who wanted to listen to God) that a Saviour was expected. They may have been actively looking for him.
I made a slight mistake in my notes last week, in that I said John was the first prophet after the four hundred years, but the Bible records two others before him; Anna and Simeon. Both where told by God (or the Holy Spirit) that they would see the Messiah with their own eyes before they died. That must have been a huge comfort, and while they lived to a great age in order for this to be fulfilled they knew that God had not abandoned them. They were really lucky. They knew that they lived in the last days before the Messiah came.
In some ways we're in the same position. We've got plenty of prophesies about what it will be like just before the second coming of Christ. “Men will be lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God” certainly springs to mind. So does the one about false messiahs.
Coming from Newcastle, and the events surrounding Newcastle United in the last week has really brought this home. Kevin Kegan was being hailed by the local media as the 'Geordie Messiah'. In these days when multi-faith and softly, softly Christianity seems to be the norm, anyone claiming to be the son of God is not very likely. Much more likely that such idol worship would come from the sports world. When the Bible mentions that false messiahs will arise, that is exactly what has just happened this week.
We really do live in the last day. Jesus can return at any time.