You might say that Abraham was an impatient saint. God had told him that he was to be the father of many people and the progenitor of the promised Messiah. But as time went on and he had no son, Abraham became impatient, and on the advice of his wife, Sarah, he preempted God's plan and produced a son, Ishmael, by the slave girl, Hagar. The result of that union has caused an age-old conflict which continues today between the Jews and Arabs.
Moses was an impatient saint on two occasions. He had been told that he was to deliver his people from Egyptian bondage, but instead of waiting for God to lead, he slew the Egyptian taskmaster. As a result, he spent forty years learning to be a patient sheepherder. Then, after deliverance from Egypt, when the Israelites were on the border of the promised land, Moses became impatient with the complaints of the people, and he struck the rock twice to produce water. In doing so he destroyed the symbolism of the type of Christ, the rock, who was to be struck only once. Because of his impatience Moses was denied entrance into the promised land, and he died alone on Mt. Nebo.
Even Daniel had a bout with impatience. He had hoped to live to see the promised Messiah; He no doubt was influenced in his thinking by Jeremiah's prophecy of the return of the Jews to Jerusalem in seventy years. But then he received the twenty-three hundred day (2300 years) prophecy of chapter eight. In that prophecy he was told that it would be seven weeks, three score and two weeks (totalling 484 days or years) until Messiah the prince. This was a great disappointment to Daniel, and he was so shocked that he became very ill, and he ate no food nor took a bath for three weeks. I'd say that was being pretty impatient.
Similarly, we today, as students of Bible prophecy, become impatient with the unfolding of last-day events; the signs in the sun and moon and stars, the Lisbon earthquake, wars and rumors of wars, famine, pestilence, and the increase in knowledge all indicate an imminent second advent of Jesus. Just as did the impatient disciples, we want to know when these things shall be, and we complain, how long, O Lord? But we are advised to be patient until the coming of the Lord (2 Thess. 3:5). Some of the saints have not heeded this advice and have become discouraged, disillusioned, and some have departed from the faith. The impatience of Abraham, Moses, and Daniel all produced bad results, so it behooves us to guard against these feelings. In these last days we should be concentrating on the finishing of the work, of completing the gospel commission to take the message of salvation to every kindred , tongue, and people. If we do this , we can avoid the temptation of becoming "impatient saints."
