When will Jesus return? That’s a question that men have been asking since the days when Jesus walked with His disciples. No one knows for sure when that day will be.
Jesus said, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” (Mt 24:36) Both Paul and Peter compare Christ’s return to a ‘thief in the night.’ (1 Thess 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10)
Though no one knows the exact day or hour, scripture does give us a great amount of detail concerning many of the events that will take place right before the return of Jesus. However, what makes many of these prophecies difficult to interpret is that some of them pertain to the time when Jesus will return for the church, otherwise known as the Rapture; and others when Jesus will return at the end of the Tribulation Period, often known as the Second Coming or Second Advent. A Bible professor once told me that interpreting prophecy is like standing on a tall mountain and looking out at the horizon. As you look out you see a number of mountain ranges before you; some close and some a great distance away. Often when we read a portion of prophecy, certain details are given concerning events that may be very close and others that are very far away.
Yet all of this is not to say that we have no clue concerning the nearness of Christ’s return. Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 24 –
“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 24:32-39)
Jesus said that there are signs that can help us know when we are living in the last days. Many Bible scholars who have studied these signs believe very definitely that we are indeed in that time period. I believe that there are three major signs that indicate that we in the last days.
- Signs in the world
- Signs in the church
- Signs in the nation Israel
For a outline of other End Times Events covered in this study, click on END TIME EVENTS.
"Seeds of Faith" 