the last days begin, and they will only end when he comes again. So everything points towards that final coming. The return of Jesus Christ in power and in glory is the focus of God’s plan and purpose in time, as he brings this world’s history to its conclusion, and then on into eternity. So the New Testament encourages us to believe that the countdown has already started. It started on the day of resurrection, and the clock has been ticking ever since, which is why the church always lives in the