God holds the timetable
Jesus’ disciples wanted to know when God would restore Israel. Jesus did not give them a schedule. He told them that the Father has authority over the times and seasons, then sent them out to be his witnesses (Acts 1:7-8). That gives Christians a clear centre of gravity: faithfulness, not prediction or control.
Jesus also says no one knows the day or hour of his return (Matthew 24:36). So attempts to manufacture a final crisis, set dates, or interpret every headline as a signal to act go beyond what Scripture gives us. God is neither hurried by human panic nor delayed by human schemes.
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
What does it mean to hasten the day?
Peter tells believers to look for and hasten the coming day of God, in a passage about holy living (2 Peter 3:11-12). Christians have understood the word “hastening” in slightly different ways. Some see it as actively longing and praying for Christ’s return. Others understand it as saying that godly lives and gospel witness belong to God’s purpose as history moves towards its appointed end.
Either way, Peter is not urging people to manipulate world events. His practical point is much more down to earth: because God will renew all things, believers should live with holiness, peace, and steady expectation (2 Peter 3:11; 2 Peter 3:14).
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Pray, witness, and stay awake
It is right to pray for God’s kingdom to come, as Jesus taught his followers (Matthew 6:10). That prayer is not an escape from the world’s pain. It is a request for God’s good rule, justice, mercy, and final renewal to be fully revealed.
Jesus says the gospel will be proclaimed as a witness among all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). This gives mission real urgency. Christians share the good news because people matter to God, not because they can pressure him into acting on a preferred date. The result and timing remain his.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Live ready, not frightened
The New Testament’s answer to end-times questions is rarely speculation. It is readiness. Jesus calls his people to watchfulness because his return will be unexpected (Matthew 24:42). Paul encourages believers to comfort one another with the hope of Christ’s return, not terrify one another with it (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
So don’t try to delay the end by resisting God’s purposes, and don’t try to hasten it through fear or reckless action. Pray with hope, love your neighbour today, speak truthfully about Jesus when the opportunity comes, and leave the calendar in God’s hands.