Until The Day Breaks – Looking Forward To The Day Of Christ

Uplook – November 2024 — Grace & Truth Magazine

Until The Day Breaks
Looking Forward To The Day Of Christ

Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come … And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.” And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves. —Acts 27:29,33-36 NKJV

The Storm
Paul’s voyage to Rome, which is recounted to us in Acts 27 with great historical accuracy, did not go as smoothly as the helmsman and the owner of the ship had desired. Everything seemed fine at first, and the conditions were favorable, but soon the ship was tossed about by the waves of a sudden storm. The gentle south wind had given way to a fierce storm, which ravaged the ship to such an extent that the people on board lost all hope.

They drifted about in darkness, for “neither sun nor stars appeared for many days” (v.20). But when the fourteenth night had arrived that they were drifting in the Adriatic Sea, around midnight the sailors began to suspect that they were approaching land. Later they learned it was the island of Malta. In the dark, the sailors were afraid of running aground on rocks, so they decided to drop anchors and wait for the day. How they must have longed for the dawn! They “prayed for day to come” (v.29).

We can apply this prayer to ourselves in two ways: personally and as a fellowship of Christians. On a personal level this Scripture can be meaningful to us when we are in difficult circumstances or in need. There are times in our lives when we long fervently for God to dispel the darkness. We may then say with David, “The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness” (Ps. 18:28). We know that He will answer our prayers according to His perfect will. “God is light” (1 Jn. 1:5), and He alone is able to dispel the darkness (Eph. 3:20; Heb. 7:25).

The Day Of Christ
As a fellowship of Christians, these words have much to say to us. After all, the Church looks forward to the coming of the day of Christ! When He was on earth He declared, “I am the Light of the world” (Jn. 9:5). But He also spoke of going back to the Father, who had sent Him into the world. Even then, the light of God, the truth of God, would still be spread by His followers, for He called them “the light of the world” (Mt. 5:14).

Christ, the great Light, would go back to heaven, but the children of light would testify of Him in this dark world, in which they would shine as light bearers. The True Light would be manifest in their lives (see Jn. 8:12, 9:5, 12:35-36; Eph. 5:8; Phil. 2:15-16; 1 Jn. 2:8). Thus now, while it is night in this world due to the absence of the Great Light, believers are a witness to the Light.

This world is the territory of the rulers of this darkness; therefore, we look forward to the coming of the day of Christ. As it becomes darker in this world, which has preferred darkness to light, we long all the more fervently for the dawning of the new morning, when He comes. Yes, we comfort ourselves with the thought that “the night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Rom. 13:12). More than watchmen do, we eagerly wait for the morning (see Ps. 130:6).

Is it not our desire that the day should come? Do we not have every reason to look forward to the return of the Light, to His coming for His own as the Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16) and His glorious appearing as the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2)? After all, figuratively speaking, it has been the same with the Church as it was with the ship on which Paul sailed to Rome. The figurative ship of the Christian testimony has been badly battered by the storm, and it is in danger of being shipwrecked. The people on board are in distress, and they look forward to the new day.

The Voice Of Paul
Yet, people on the ship were themselves to blame, for they had not listened to the words of Paul. The apostle was viewed by others as just a prisoner, and his voice was not credited with the authority it deserved. The advice of the professionals weighed more heavily; and in this case that really was the cause of the problems.

Paul and his words and letters have traveled with the Church on its journey across the world’s seas, but his message generally has not been listened to in regard to the course to be taken. The prophetic words he had spoken under the direction of the Holy Spirit have been ignored by many. Human traditions and opinions have prevailed in the history of the professing, but largely unbelieving, Church. People, even leaders, have been “more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul” (Acts 27:11), and the consequences have been extremely serious. The course taken by the professing Church is proving fatal and leading to its downfall.

But, finally, when all hope of salvation was taken away from the sailors in the account of Acts 27, Paul’s voice was heard again. This gave a happy twist to the rest of the story. Today, as soon as we come to the recognition that we should have listened more carefully to Paul’s inspired words, hope once again dawns. The ship would be lost, but the people on board, in accordance with the words of the apostle, would all arrive safely to the desired haven. The judgment on the professing Church has become inevitable. She is set aside as God’s testimony here on earth (Rom. 11:22; Rev. 3:16). But true believers need not fear for their lives, and they can even continue to be cheerful (Acts 27:21-25).

What does this have to say to us? We must recognize that in many ways the Church has departed from God’s will and taken a wrong course. For example, when it comes to the organization and administration of the Church, worldly standards have been used and the word spoken by Paul has not been followed. The Church has become worldly and it has listened to the wrong leaders. Only when one starts listening again to the voice of Paul does hope dawn. There is nothing positive about the future for the person who does not turn to God’s Word.

However, the apostle has exhorted us to keep up good spirits. On the one hand he noted that the Church would follow a wrong course (20:29-30; 2 Th. 2:7; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 2:16-17, 4:3-4), but on the other hand he directed our eyes to God’s faithfulness. In this way we find in his letters a prediction of the deviation while pointing to the fulfillment of God’s plans with regard to His own. This gives us new courage and fills us with a firm confidence that all of God’s children will come safely ashore, meaning they will certainly reach heaven safely.

The Meal
Paul urged everyone on the ship to take food (Acts 27:33-34). This is what we need in the end times – in the last days just before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, when the storms rage so fiercely and threaten to wreck the little ship. We need spiritual food – food “in due season” (Mt. 24:45). We must be strengthened by the Word of God so we can survive. In Acts 27, this took place “as day was about to dawn” (v.33).

Just before daybreak a meal was held, during which all onboard the ship were satisfied with food. In the same way, we need spiritual food in these last days before the coming of Christ, when the storms rage so violently and the ship is in danger of sinking. Fortunately, here is a servant of God who is watchful and who distributes the needed food at the right time. Through the ministry of the Word we receive new strength and draw fresh courage. God’s Word is our only anchor when human supports fall away. This meal – which, by the way, can also be seen as a picture of the Lord’s Supper and the true worship according to His will – serves to satisfy all those on board.

It must have been a remarkable sight to see all the people gathered together so calmly in the midst of the storm, and to see them eating this food with thankfulness, spurred on by the word of the apostle! God has also set a table for us, and that in the midst of the storms of the end time. Let us take to heart the teaching that the Lord gives us in these last days, so close to His coming! Let us not miss the meal He has prepared for us. Let us take the food He has given us and thereby look forward with new courage to the dawning of the day, “a morning without clouds” (2 Sam. 23:4).

By Hugo Bouter