When it comes to the study of the last things or final times (eschatology), hopefully we all appreciate that some truths are universally essential, and others are more difficult to discern. Take for instance the second coming of Christ. Jesus will physically return at a time in the future that is unknown (and unknowable) and that we all need to be ready for it. This fact is something that every Christian claiming biblical orthodoxy should hold tightly. Yet, all of us hold to some belief about the future that is not universally agreed upon. We might say these beliefs are less essential in nature, and some would say less important, but we should all understand that what we believe about the future will always affect our lives today. Our biblical worldview - the way we understand life and existence in the world around us through the bible - does not simply come from knowing our beginnings, it comes from what we also believe about the end of the age.
The Thessalonian church provides us a strong example of people who were living according to their belief about the future. That's obvious in the fact that Paul had to bring correction to their misunderstanding about the return of Christ. 1Thessalonians 4:13-14 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. It seems that some in the church of Thessalonica were losing hope in their expectation for Christ to return. It's very possible they were expecting an imminent, any moment, return of Jesus. They did believe that Jesus would come unexpectedly and at an unknown time and most likely even that it would be "soon." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4).
Why did Paul need to correct that? There is something in their belief about this that was causing them to lose hope for their brothers and sisters in Christ who had already died. Perhaps because they were expecting Jesus to return soon, they expected it to be in their lifetime. Perhaps they wondered if dying before the return of Christ prohibited them from receiving his promised resurrection. We'll never know for sure, but we do know that Jesus had not yet returned, their Christian loved ones had already died, and they were grieving without hope.
Jesus never said that he would come quickly in a way that he was saying "any moment." Jesus did say he would come at an hour we would not expect (Matthew 24:44). In the book of Revelation, Jesus says that he is coming soon (Revelation 22:7). Peter says that the end of all things is near (1 Peter 4:7). The writer of Hebrews says that the day is approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25). At the end of Revelation, John prays, "Amen, come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20).
Along with these statements there are other statements in the bible that give us cause to consider that Jesus' unexpected and 'soon' return will come after certain events. One such is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. However some may interpret what or who the man of lawlessness is, there is an indication that there is some kind of rebellion or apostacy that precedes the coming of Christ. Christians should be ready to withstand anything and everything as we wait for his soon, unknown, return.
For the Thessalonians, they had to be reminded that until Christ returns, death is not the end. They had not missed Christ's return, and even if they died, they would not miss Christ's return. The most important point is that they remain faithful to Christ in life so that they would be with Christ in either death or at his coming.
Perhaps they didn't know this, but there was also a great clue for them that would be written in the gospels to assure them that the return of Christ would not be any moment in their time, but simply soon. Paul's letter to them was written around 50AD. At this stage the Apostle Peter was still alive and wrote his letters around 60AD. They could at least know that Jesus would not return until Peter had died.
John 21:18-23 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me." 20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?
Knowing the truth about the return of Christ would reshape the way the Thessalonians live in expectation, grieve with hope, and be aware of anything that would cause them to stray into apostacy. Eschatology does that for us today. Our ideas around what happens in the last days can have a bigger effect than we might believe. It should always motivate us to ask if we are believing what the bible says and living by biblical truth rather than our own ideas to plug the gaps we find hard to discern.
Jesus is coming soon. Regardless of what happens in the meantime. We can live with hope, expectation, and awareness of anything that might draw our attention away from Him. This simple eschatology will have us living with our eyes always on Christ.