Amen Pastor Sean. The crisis is stealing upon us, but not without warning. The end is near. Why does Christ delay His coming? Why do so many deny His soon coming? It is not a popular truth to express, and many will deny this, but it is because we have not done that which was entrusted to us. All of the wars and suffering over the last 100 years can be understood to lay at the feet of God's professing church.
Before the fall of Jerusalem, Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, declared that the gospel was preached to "every creature which is under heaven." Colossians 1:23. So now, before the coming of the Son of man, the everlasting gospel is to be preached "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." Revelation 14:6, 14. God "hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world." Acts 17:31. Christ tells us when that day shall be ushered in. He does not say that all the world will be converted, but that "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." By giving the gospel to the world it is in our power to hasten our Lord's return. We are not only to look for but to hasten the coming of the day of God. 2 Peter 3:12, margin. Had the church of Christ done her appointed work as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned, and the Lord Jesus would have come to our earth in power and great glory.
And, God does not bring judgment until sinners are warned. An example of this is the judgments brought upon Rome over the last 2,000 years did not come without warnings. The destruction of Eastern Rome, Constantinople, came after she was warned by John. We may read of this in the seven trumpets which were all warnings to Rome, pagan, papal, and today Babylon which includes America. Islam will be allowed to carry out these judgments. But, she too has been warned, and will be destroyed if she does not cease persecuting Christians and Jews, as was prophesied in the Book of Daniel.
After He had given the signs of His coming, Christ said, "When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." "Take ye heed, watch and pray." God has always given men warning of coming judgments. Those who had faith in His message for their time, and who acted out their faith, in obedience to His commandments, escaped the judgments that fell upon the disobedient and unbelieving. The word came to Noah, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me." Noah obeyed and was saved. The message came to Lot, "Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city." Genesis 7:1; 19:14. Lot placed himself under the guardianship of the heavenly messengers, and was saved. So Christ's disciples were given warning of the destruction of Jerusalem. Those who watched for the sign of the coming ruin, and fled from the city, escaped the destruction. So now we are given warning of Christ's second coming and of the destruction to fall upon the world. Those who heed the warning will be saved.