It’s been said that the sun is always shining; it’s just that sometimes clouds keep us from seeing it. In the same way, there are splendid realities that God describes in his Word that are often clouded by the current conditions of life in this world. As we near the end of the church year, God gives us a “peek behind the curtain” to see the reality that is already ours in Christ—a reality we one day will be able to see with our own eyes. Today the nearness of Christ’s return is hidden by the appearance that life will go on forever. Our eyes tell us that this life is all there is. Everything in this life, however, passes away. Christ’s promise to return is the only thing that lasts. Therefore, we listen to his call to watch and be ready.