Monday, November 17, 2025

Is the “Soon Second Coming” a Useful Belief?

Share

I believe that Jesus is coming soon. It’s a conviction that shapes how I see the world, giving purpose to everyday choices. But even with that personal certainty, a key question remains: is this belief useful? After all, there’s no empirical way to prove when—or even if—the Second Coming will occur.

On the bright side, the belief can cultivate a healthy urgency. It motivates us to live intentionally, to invest in the world through hospitals, schools, and community projects, and to nurture kindness and connection. In this sense, it resembles Pascal’s wager—but rather than a calculation of self-preservation, it can inspire meaningful action: initiatives that leave the world better than we found it, even if the timing of fulfillment remains unknown.

But usefulness depends entirely on how the belief is held. When “soon” becomes an excuse for anxiety, conspiracy thinking, or manipulation, it ceases to be life-giving. Churches—or communities—where fear dominates over hope risk doing more harm than good. The belief then fuels emergency rather than empathy, obsession rather than service.

So the question isn’t just whether Jesus is coming soon; it’s how that belief shapes your life. Does it make you generous, courageous, and creative? Or does it trap you in fear, suspicion, and unproductive urgency?

A belief in the soon Second Coming can be profoundly useful—but only when it leads to generosity, engagement, and hope. Otherwise, it risks becoming a burden, steering life toward distraction, anxiety, or harm rather than purpose. In the end, its value is measured less by doctrinal correctness and more by the life it produces.

A belief in the soon Second Coming is not a call to fear—it’s a call to live. It asks us to take our gifts, our time, and our courage, and to invest them where they matter most: in lives, in communities, in acts of mercy and justice. If held rightly, it sparks a relentless hope that life can be better now, and that every act of kindness and courage matters in the light of eternity. Live boldly. Love deeply. Serve tirelessly. Build a world that whispers, even now, of heaven.

—————————

If this post made you nod, smile, or think, *“Yes! This is the kind of Adventism I want to live”—*then you’ll love what we do at BarelyAdventist. For as little as $1 a month, you help us keep asking the big questions, poking gentle fun where it’s needed, and celebrating faith with curiosity, courage, and a little bit of mischief.

Your support keeps the essays coming, the laughs flowing, and the conversations alive—reminding all of us that living Adventism boldly can be joyful, inspiring, and yes, sometimes a little hilarious.

Support us on Patreon for as little as $1 per month

Head over to Adventist Today for current events updates, analysis and opinion on all things Adventist.

Read more

Local News