The Hour of His Return
The question everyone is wondering is, “when will Jesus return?” Jesus said, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” So only God the Father know when it will be. In Revelation 22:12 Jesus said he would be coming soon. In 1 Corinthians 15:22 Paul says it will happen, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” Jesus describes the time with images of normal everyday life going on when he returns. He then, in Matthew 24:44 says, “you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 2 Peter 3:10 says, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief.” No one will know the time or expect the exact moment, but there will be signs that we are getting close.
The Signs of the End
While no one will know when Jesus will return, there are many things that will serve as signs that we are close. There are also specific conditions that must be met before he can come back. The first sign will be that of false messiahs who lead people astray (Mt 24:5). There will be wars, famines and earthquakes (Mt 24:6-8). Jesus then says this will be followed by a time where believers will be hated and killed (Mt 24:9). There will be more false prophets and people led astray and many will fall away and betray each other (Mt 24:10-12). He then describes the abomination of desolation, referenced in Daniel, which refers to a leader who destroys the temple (Mt 4:15). Most scholars agree that this refers to the destruction of the temple in 70AD, but this may also be a prophecy which is fulfilled a second time in the end. Many prophecies in scripture have more than one fulfillment. After this, things will get worse as false prophets perform signs and wonders (Mt 24:21-26). John describes these false prophets as antichrists in 1 John 2:18 saying, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” Paul describes the hearts of people at that time in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 saying,
“For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
Everything described thus far could easily describe the world we live in today and therefore set the stage for Jesus’ return at any moment. So what conditions must be met before that can happen? In Romans 11:25 Paul writes that, “a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” The implication here is that Jesus will not return until the last of the elect gentiles finds salvation. We do not know who that will be, but it is all the more reason for the church to stay focused on the mission of reaching the lost. 1 Peter 4:7 says, “The end of all things is at hand.” And Paul also writes, “salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand” (Rom 13:11-12). The day is at hand and we are absolutely in the last days. Jesus can return at any moment.