It’s hard to believe that, this month, it’s been 175 years since the Great Disappointment in 1844. The anniversary of this significant event inevitably brings bittersweet feelings to those of us waiting for Jesus to come. We praise God for the way that He has led us and His teachings in our past history, but at the same time we can’t help but wonder why it has taken so long. After all, it’s been nearly two centuries!

At such moments, I remember this passage:

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. – 2 Peter 3:8

It is crucial for us to remember that God does not perceive time as we do. While 175 years is a long time from our perspective as short-lived mortals, that length of time is a mere blink of an eye in God’s cosmic scale. Even within the scope of Biblical history, 175 years is not a long time. Israel was in Egypt 400 years before the Exodus. There was 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments. God’s faithful church was in the wilderness for 1260 years. We must put down our meager yardstick when it comes to measuring the timing of God’s divine providence.

But Why?

More important than that, however, is the very next verse that explains why there sometimes appear to be a delay:

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

While God has every right to conclude the Great Controversy whenever He chooses, His heart yearns for as many souls to be saved as possible. May we recognize that each moment of probation that lingers is preciously loaned to us to prepare more souls to meet Jesus in the clouds. There is no time to waste!

Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain. - COL 69

The first half of this passage is well-known and quoted frequently, but the internal character transformation of the saints is only part of the equation in hastening the return of Jesus. The work of sowing the seed of the gospel and of offering the precious message of salvation to a dying world is just as vital in accomplishing that goal.

This is precisely the mission of AudioVerse—to hasten the Second Coming of Jesus by providing resources that will reach lost souls with the gospel and transform them into the likeness of our Savior. We believe that Jesus IS coming soon, and we want to do all we can so we won’t still be on Earth commemorating another anniversary of the Great Disappointment 10, 20, or 30 years from now.

Join Us in Hastening that Day!

We invite you to join us in this mission by becoming a financial partner. This work is funded through the generous support of listeners just like you, and we need your help to press forward in proclaiming the gospel message to the world. It is during these final months of the year that we receive the amounts needed to meet our annual budget each year and we won’t be able to achieve our mission without it. So please prayerfully consider what the Lord would have you give in support of this work of hastening His return through the ministry of AudioVerse. Consider becoming a recurring donor to support AudioVerse throughout the year!

You may give by check to our address listed below, or you may give through a variety of means (such as debit/credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and ACH transfer) on our new donate page.

Thank you in advance for your support, and may we remain faithful until He comes!

Yours in the Blessed Hope,

Alistair Huong
Executive Director

AudioVerse | PO Box 2288 | Collegedale | TN | 37315