How "soon" is soon?

If I told you, I am coming soon--what would that mean to you?  One hour?  Two days?  One month? If I promised something like this:  "Soon, I will come over, and help you paint your rec room."--what would you be thinking?  I suppose, you would at least be thinking--well, he is coming over during the next few days!
     I've just finished reading the book of Revelation and have come face to face again with a Jesus who says:  "Behold I am coming soon!" (Revelation 22:7,12).  Now apparently--and no disrespect--Jesus' "soon" is not my "soon."  
     The early Pentecostals cut their teeth on this Jesus is coming soon.  They were so absorbed in the soon return of Jesus that it affected their life style choices and how they went about their evangelism.  They were so sure of the imminent return of Jesus--they focused on evangelism and mission to the disregard of pastoral care.  Our churches tend to do the exact opposite.  To be honest, the early Pentecostals did some pretty dumb things--they had zeal without knowledge (which is what Paul accused the Jews of in Romans 10:1).   They threw caution to the wind because Jesus was coming soon.
     How did they know this?
     1.  First, they were the products of the John Darby eschatological system called Dispensationalism.  They were zoned in on the pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture theory presented by Darby's system.  Darby was an eschatological predecessor of the popular Scofield reference Bible.  This was a very popular Bible to the early Pentecostals.
     2.  If you follow the early prophetic utterances, you will find prophetic announcements of Jesus' soon return.  
     3.  They simply read their Bibles.
     All this brings me to ask some pretty poignant questions of the modern day Pentecostal.
     1.  I'm okay with dropping Darby's system.  He was, after all a dispensationalist.  I'm not.  A true Pentecostal is not.  Dispensationalism believes two things which I have an issue with.  Dispensationalists are cessationists.They believe that the gifts of the Spirit ceased with the death of the Apostles.  Dispensationalists also believe that the world is getter worse and worse.   
     2.  I'm okay with fresh revelations that are--just that--fresh.
     3.  Now, here is the real issue.  Are we reading our Bibles?  Are we devouring them?  Are we reading them over and over again?  It is the BIBLE that speaks of the soon return of Jesus.   Just because I  struggle over the term 'soon' does not mean Jesus is NOT coming again.  I don't know why He hasn't come--but the Revelation I just read said He is!  
     If we really believe, Jesus is coming soon how should we be living?  How should we be spending our money?  What should we be focused on?
"Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done (Revelation 22:12)."  Yikes!   Maybe we better read our Bibles a little more!

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