There are three “comings” referred to in the lectionary readings for this week; the coming back of God’s people from captivity, the coming of Jesus into the world as Saviour, and the coming again of Jesus as King and Judge. The same sorts of imagery are used for each, and some of the Bible passages are fulfilled in more than one of the “comings”.

When Isaiah wrote of the return of the exiles (40 v 1-11) he used words that were later applied to John the Baptist (Mark 1-8), who heralded the start of Jesus’ ministry. In speaking of God gathering back his people Isaiah makes use of his familiar shepherd imagery (see also Isaiah chapters 44, 53, 65) with wonderfully tender words in verses 1,2 and 11. The writer of Psalm 85 uses similar comforting words in referring to the exiles’ return (v 1-2).

The power Isaiah speaks of in verse 10, though, is certainly more in keeping with the return of Jesus, for its ultimate fulfilment. Then indeed “The Sovereign Lord will come in power”. And Psalm 85 also indicates a far greater fulfilment in verses 6-13, speaking of a time when “love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.”

Because these scriptures have already had a double fulfilment with the return of the Israelites to Zion (Psalm 126 v 1) and the coming of John the Baptist with his announcement of the Messiah, we have no reason to doubt their third and final fulfilment. Isaiah himself reminds us, almost as if he expected his prophecy to be doubted, that while humans may wither and fall “like grass” (v 6-7), “the word of our God stands for ever.” (v 8)

It is this final fulfilment of God’s word - the return of Jesus - that Peter is writing of in his second letter (3 v 8-15a). He speaks of the same doubt to which Isaiah alluded (v3) and we can take warning not to fall into the temptation of thinking, “The world has been going on for ages; nothing is going to change.”. Peter reminds us that the world as humans then knew it had already ended once, at the time of Noah (v 5-6), and the same word of God can again bring “destruction of ungodly men.”

It is frightening imagery that Peter uses; fire, a roar as the heavens disappear, and the whole earth laid bare (v 10, 12)), but his aim is to impress his readers with the importance of living holy and godly lives as they prepare for that day (v 11-12).

As Jesus had already told his disciples (Mark 13 v 32-33), Peter also makes it clear that the end will come “like a thief” (v 10), unexpectedly. And there is yet another warning not to try to predict the end times; “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day.” (v 8) In other words, God operates beyond human time. We are not asked to calculate, but to wait. It may be that our wait is long, but it will be worth it, to witness what was foretold by prophets long ages ago, “a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” (v13)