Occupy Till I Come

Called to Be Expectant Stewards

Reinder Bruinsma

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2026
• Print ISBN:
  9798385283231
  9798385283248
• eBook ISBN:
  9798385283255
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

Since its beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has proclaimed the soon return of Christ. But how soon is "soon"? Can a movement retain credibility while continuing to speak of imminence across generations? In this thought-provoking book, Reinder Bruinsma addresses these enduring questions. What if "soon" stretches far beyond our expectation--another fifty or a hundred years, or even longer? Bruinsma reminds us that divine timing is not bound by human clocks. The promise remains, even when fulfillment seems delayed. The question is not whether God will act--and determining when that will be is God's prerogative. Rather than anxiety, Bruinsma calls for trust. Rather than doubt, he emphasizes hope. Waiting is not passive; it is active, purposeful, and transformative. As the book's title suggests, people are called to "occupy" until he comes--to live meaningfully in the present while anticipating the future. In the meantime, Adventists are invited to embrace their calling as a "peculiar remnant": serving the world, pursuing peace and justice, and modeling a faithful stewardship of the earth. Hope is the heartbeat of this journey--a hope that endures, sustains, and inspires.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Preface
• 1. “Soon and Very Soon”
• 2. Soon—but How Soon Is “Soon”?
• 3. Twenty Centuries of “Soon” (or not so “Soon”)
• 4. Special Signs of the Times
• 5. Discerning the Signs
• 6. Disappointment and Delay
• 7. Dealing with the “Delay”
• 8. A Society in Need of Reform
• 9. “Occupy Till I Come”
• 10. “To Act Justly”
• 11. “Blessed Are the Peacemakers”
• 12. Care Versus Dominion
• Epilogue
• Bibliography