The end of all things is near
1 Peter 4:7 - The advice in this verse is eternal: calmly live your life as Jesus would want you to live it, and seek His guidance and blessings in earnest prayer.
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.”
1 Peter 4:7 NIV
At first glance, this verse from the first epistle of Peter to the “chosen people of the diaspora” in Asia Minor (present day Türkiye) appears to be apocalyptic in nature, similar to what we saw in the verse from Revelation dissected on Saturday. And that is indeed what Peter is writing about.
This epistle from Peter was directed to a group of early Christians who were being persecuted for their faith. There were two types of persecution that Christians of this time were subjected to — social persecution of this minority in the form of verbal derision, as well as official persecution by Roman authorities.
It’s thought that 1 Peter was written during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian, who claimed that he was divine. Knowing better, Christians would protest any efforts by the government to force worship of the emperor, which would subject them to much more serious persecution. Biblical scholars are divided on whether or not these Christians — who were scattered over a rather large area in ancient Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia — would constitute a large enough population to attract the attention of the empire, so it’s quite likely that they were “only” being oppressed and harassed by their neighbors.
Still, that level of persecution could result in the newly-hatched Christians questioning their faith. Throughout the epistle, Peter encourages the readers to persevere under persecution, to remain holy and emulate the life of Christ, to be patient with faith in their eternal life, and to remain loyal to both their religion and the Roman empire.
As we saw in Revelation, Christians of the time thoroughly expected the second coming of Christ to happen in their lifetimes. Peter begins this verse with a reminder that “The end of all things is near.”
Two thousand years later, there are still Christians who think that Jesus is coming soon. My opinion? We don’t know and we aren’t suppose to know (take a look at Matthew 4:26 to read what Jesus said about His return). But any Christian — present day or living in the time of the Roman empire — should realize that the most important thing is to be diligent in prayer.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of observing political events or listening to “prophetic” statements from self-proclaimed experts, then believe that Jesus is coming soon. If that’s your belief, then apply it properly — in more persistent prayer.
Peter advises his readers to be both alert and of sober mind, and that’s good advice for all Christians. Eternity will be upon us sooner than we think, so we should be ready for the return of Jesus Christ. Most importantly, that should point us toward self-examination as to how we will measure up on the day of judgement.
Peter’s use of the phrase “of sober mind” does not necessarily suggest abstinence from alcohol; the Greek word used here (νήφω - nēphō) is translated as “to be calm and collected in spirit; to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect”. In other words, don’t panic, but instead be prepared and prayerful.
The advice in this verse is eternal: calmly live your life as Jesus would want you to live it, and seek His guidance and blessings in earnest prayer.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of prayer. Help me to be clear-minded and self-controlled as I approach You. May my prayers reflect my love for others and my desire to serve You faithfully. Guide me to live in a way that honors You, especially as I await the return of Jesus. AMEN.