The BLB Blog

The official blog of Blue Letter Bible

How We Should Think About the Second Coming of Jesus

Posted on Posted by

Guest post by Justin Alfred

Previous posts in this series:

Last week, we discussed what happens to those who die without Christ.

When it comes to the return of Christ—including the Rapture, the Great Tribulation, His Millennial Reign, the Great White Throne Judgment—what is it that we as believers should be focused on?

If you remember last week when we went through Acts 1:6, the question the disciples were asking Jesus just before His ascension is still being asked today as a primary focus for many believers: “And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’” This is the very same question that I hear persistently being asked all over the United States—as well as outside of the States—by Christians who are anxiously looking at what is happening in the world. And today, just as with the disciples who were speaking to Jesus before His ascension, the answer is the same:

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
(Acts 1:7-8)

What Jesus said above, as recorded in the Greek, is the exact same thing in the English: “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.”

Modern day “prophets”

Over just my lifetime as a believer in Jesus (47 1/2 years), I have witnessed people who have laboriously attempted to determine when Jesus is coming back through their interpretive analysis of biblical prophecy. They conduct and attend conference upon conference those which support and encourage such a pursuit.

Here’s a question:

How does that fit in with Acts 1:7-8?

Or does it?

From a biblical, theological, historical, and practical perspective, it doesn’t fit at all! Sure enough, as we follow through with Jesus’ exhortation in Acts 1:8 to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world, part of that proclamation will unequivocally include telling people about the imminent return of Jesus and all that will follow. However, nowhere in Scripture are we exhorted to be guessing and “hyping people up” at every major event we witness as though each is a sign of His soon return! Instead, what we ought to do is present the Gospel in its entirety and be committed to “stand to the death,” if necessary, for the truth of the Gospel in all venues of our lives where we are today. This includes the political, educational, social, family, national, and constitutional issues facing us, and among those are the First and Second Amendments, without which, you would not be reading this Blog, and I would not be writing on it because there would be no freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and religious freedom, and we would very likely be ruled by dictatorial entity, denying everything we believe biblically, and we would have no way to resist and ultimately defeat such a dictator.

Therefore, what I want to do now is present a perspective on eschatology that is both important and timely for us right now as believers in Jesus Christ in the United States of America, as well as for all other people in the world who desperately want the freedom that is found in Jesus Christ in every area of their lives! Therefore, as we surrender and obey Jesus’ call in Acts 1:6-8, as well as Matthew 28:19-20, God will unhesitatingly take care of the precise millisecond when Jesus will return: “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

“the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”

The book of Revelation states that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev 19:10). Therefore, as we begin this series, the place to begin is “prophecy” because that is the “testimony of Jesus.” From prophecy, we will go into what is termed as “eschatology,” which is made up of two Greek words: ἔσχατος (eschatos), which means “last or end,” and λόγιον (logion), which means “saying, revelation, or teaching.” Thus, when these two words are put together in “eschatology,” the meaning is “teaching, or revelation, of the end.” So before we begin to study about the “end,” we want to first of all study about the beginning with Jesus, through Whom all of existence came into being according to Scripture (Colossians 1:15-17).

What is different about this study

It is very interesting to note, however, that oftentimes those who focus on “end times” teaching as a major emphasis of their ministry, do so with a de-emphasis of Jesus and a primary emphasis of events happening around them. Indeed, Jesus gave us some rather graphic word pictures of the events that would happen leading to the “eschaton” (i.e., end of time on this earth) both in the Gospels and the Book of Revelation; however, there are two things that Jesus said with reference to “end times” that seem to be consistently forgotten and dismissed by such preachers and teachers, and they are found in the following scripture passages:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
(Matthew 24:36)

And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
(Acts 1:6-8)

Now, in the next few blog posts, we will take a much deeper look at these two passages, as well as the verses and contexts surrounding each of them, but let it suffice to say for the moment that Jesus made it extremely clear that no one knows when He is coming back! He did not equivocate by saying that “no one knows, except some learned and insightful preachers and teachers in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.” No! He said, without any exceptions of time, men, etc., that no one knows when He is coming back!

Comments

  1. If we will not know the day or hour how is it that the tribulation is broken perfectly in two for Jesus coming following the rapture? That would suggest that once the rapture occurs there is an ability to count down…

    • After the seven-year tribulation period is over, the whole world will sit in darkness. Jesus will come “as a thief in the night.” The exact day and hour are not given, but, if you know about the Jewish Fall Feasts recorded in Leviticus 23, you can get pretty close. Even if you did know the day and hour, after the world has been sitting in darkness for, say, 30 days, you would not really know 30 days had passed to be able to figure out when Jesus would be coming.

  2. Thanks for your article brother, and I totally agree, “But of that day and hour knoweth no [man],” I sure don’t. Yet it is equally clear from the same passage that, “when ye shall see all these things, KNOW that it is near, [even] at the doors. Many stress the first teaching and ignore the second. Jesus taught that one generation could KNOW when His coming would be near, even at the doors. That’s the purpose of the parable of the fig tree. Both statements are true. The last generation will KNOW, if they have obeyed His command to watch, that His coming is near. That generation will be the generation that lives to see the fulfillment of the signs Jesus gave to indicate the nearness of His coming, yet even that generation will not know the day and hour. Please do not take the teaching about not knowing the day and hour out of the context. Jesus is referring to the coming He just finished outlining. There is only one coming being taught in the chapter. Thanks!

  3. Thank you for directing our focus to the main thing; one day He will return and we need to try and take as many persons with us as possible, for His glory.

  4. Justin~

    I know I said that I would have my reply done for you by yesterday, but I wasn’t able to finish it. I should have it done by tomorrow.

    Have a blessed day~
    Barbara

  5. Before even considering these scriptures, we need to keep in mind that Jesus will first come back in the clouds to catch up the church, the body of Christ, an event commonly called “the rapture.”

    Then, the prophecy clock in Daniel 9:24-27 will begin again. After a couple of events mentioned there, the seven-year tribulation period begins when the Antichrist makes a covenant with Israel. It is shortly after the end of the tribulation period that the verses mentioned in this blog will be fulfilled.

    Thus, there is nothing for us to watch out for. By the time prophecy begins again, we’ll be long gone, enjoying eternity in heaven!

    • Actually, we will not spend eternity in the heavens. There is 1,000 years where we will reign with Christ on earth.

      Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

      Note, that you have to attain to the first resurrection though.

      Then there is a NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH! Note: earth.

      • The 1,000 year reign is for Israel, not for us. Israel will rule and reign with Christ forever on the earth, beginning with the 1,000 year reign. We, as members of the body of Christ, will rule and reign forever with Christ in heaven.

        • Eric~

          Could you please cite the Scripture that supports what you have said?

          Thanks~
          Barbara

  6. “The Rapture” – I encourage any student/teacher of the Bible to grab a Strongs Concordance and find this in their Bible. When you find it please let me know!

    Something to keep in mind – in the book of Revelation there is an order of when things take place.

    1. There is a book with seals – 7 seals – the last seal are the trumpets.
    2. There are 7 trumpets – 6th trumpet the bowls are given
    3. There are 7 bowls – then the 7th trumpet…

    When does Jesus return? We do not know the day or hour but what we do know that it is the LAST TRUMPET – the 7th TRUMPET!

    1Cr 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

    1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

    Mat 24:13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

    Mar 13:13 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

    Note the fifth seal (before Jesus Returns)

    Rev 6:9-10 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

    Lots of Christians today think Jesus is going to come and take them away before lots of bad things happen. Please read your Bibles and know that Jesus’ Word trumps any mans words. There are repercussions for adding and taking away from the Word.

    Again, let me know when you find Rapture in the Bible.
    Thanks,
    Steve

    • > Please read your Bibles and know that Jesus’ Word trumps any mans words. There are repercussions for adding and taking away from the Word. <

      Agreed Steve.

      Saint Paul takes great pains in 2 Thessalonians to correct the Christians in Thessalonia regarding their misinterpretation of his words in 1 Thessalonians.

      I take what Jesus says in Matthew 24 and Revelation with great weight.

      People of great faith perhaps split on this secret rapture theory more than any other subject.

      One must study the Bible on their own and develop their own understanding.

      Keeping in mind always to prove Scripture with Scripture carefully. Having said that…

      Henry, Chambers, and Spurgeon make no reference to the secret rapture.

      Only those such as Darby and Scofield put forward this theory. They advance their own traditions of men in the 1800s.

      My Pastor has been of great help confirming the veracity of the position I have taken and believes Scripture does not support the secret rapture.

      But to each his own on this most controversial
      point. To try to convince others of our personal position is rather pointless and can easily create discord amongst the faithful.

      I look forward to the Second Coming with great anticipation!

  7. Hallelujah.

    Noah’s ark stood as a ‘bold witness’ before a sinful and wicked generation. While scripture does not implicitly tell us that Noah was mocked and insulted by the disobedient, the fact that only 8 people entered into the ark (and this being only Noah’s family to whom Noah would have spoken and taught of His relationship to the Lord with) points clearly to a rejection of God’s gospel by many. And scripture tells us the gospel is ‘all’ pertaining to both the New & Old Testaments [Hebrews 4:1-2].

    By the apostles Peter & Paul we know that the Lord Jesus, upon His death descending into the earth went and preached to the spirits in prison, who are these but those who had disobeyed God when they would not heed the ‘bold witness’ of Noah, the ‘testimony’ of his ark! [1 Peter 3:19-20, Ephesians 4:9-10]

    Noah’s ark was a type for the Lord Jesus Christ. As God (not man) sealed the door of the ark by shutting and enclosing Noah and his family within it to save them from certain destruction, so the Holy Spirit seals all who upon hearing the word of God believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, His name and receive Him into their hearts. Thus, those in Christ alone are saved from certain destruction. This can only happen by the gospel being preached, by God’s children opening their mouths and speaking the Lord Jesus’ words. Our Lord tells us “my words are life and they are Spirit” [John 6:63], not mans words nor his thoughts but the gospel, the word of God, all that written within both the New and Old Testaments.

    I commend it Justin, your exhortation to go out and carry the gospel to all. We in Christ know that not all will be saved, as God will have mercy on those whom He will have mercy on, only those whom He has predestined He will save. Of those still unsaved, God and our Saviour the Lord Jesus only know who of these He will save. Our duty to all mankind in obedience to the Lord Jesus is to preach (share) His word. His words alone ‘are life and Spirit’.

    When the Lord returns I would ask the question, will the Lord Jesus then go to the disobedient spirits who are deceased and again preach His word? I believe not! Why because in us, Christ’s children of God, the Lord Himself has commissioned each one of us to do this before men pass from this earth. Never again will God flood the world, but by His Son Jesus Christ He will judge it.

    We, God’s children, are each called to be ‘Noah’s’. No longer do we have the ‘ark’ as the ‘bold witness’, a ‘testimony’ to the Creator God, but we now have the fullness of God’s revelation of His Son Jesus Christ in His gospel, in both New and Old Testaments. This is to be our ‘bold witness’, through the Lord Jesus in our hearts, in relationship with Him, who is our ‘testimony’.

    Clearly, as our Teacher and Master the Lord Jesus Christ has taught us, there are signs signalling that His coming is near [Luke 21:25-36]. Let us therefore ‘watch’ and be ‘alert’, diligent in the professing of His name, sharing His gospel and in obeying all that He commands.

    Please pray for my strengthening with the Lord’s might, that God might count me worthy and raise me unashamed before Himself. As to the exact day, God alone knows the day of His coming.

    All praises, glory and honour to God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
    Thank you Justin I am enjoying your writing and teaching.

    Mark Hayes
    NZ

  8. Rapture means to carry a person to another place or sphere of existence. We who are alive and remain will be caught up. No one said “rapture” is in the Bible. Relax Steve.

    • Well a lot of people say or mention rapture in the wrong contexts all the time, so I understand where Steve is coming from.

      God Bless and keep it rightly-divided people,

    • Rapture actually means to be carried away in love for a person, or in this case Jesus.

      It does not mean physically.

      This is a Holy Spirit induced experience instead.

    • Where is the secret rapture (as described by some) in the Koine common Greek? The majority of the New Testament was written in this language and not Latin. A small portion of the New Testament in Aramaic.

      • I Corinthians 15:51 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”

      • 1Cr 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

        Note: the LAST TRUMPET and then the dead will be raised and we shall be changed = the first resurrection.

        Mat 24:27 “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

        This is not going to be secret! All men will see when Jesus returns and when the elect will meet Him in the clouds.

  11. If one has not completely formulated their position on the secret rapture theory you may want to do a web search to find Crossroad.to

    Consult this well drawn Scriptural Chart:
    Outline of End-Time Events

    It makes no personal theories or claims nor restates Scripture and definitely does not alter Revelation.

    Blessings to all!

    Looking forward to the return of Our Lord Jesus Christ with patience and anticipation.

  12. Well you are all so fixated on when and how the rapture will take place. All I know is all of our raptures may come at any moment. Just live for the Lord and bless others. Try to reach everyone we can. The Lord will take care of us whether that be before the tribulation or today or after the trib or whatever. Stop trying to prove the time of the rapture and love and lead people to Christ. Matthew 6:33 “Dont worry.”
    God bless

  13. In Revelation and in Luke where Jesus spoke of the end times, the verses point out “those who dwell on the earth” (Luke 21:35 and five verses in the book of Revelation). These are people who take part in the great day of the Lord. They are people who were never “born of the spirit”, are still born of the flesh, and never been part of the church, which is the body of Christ. So where is the church during the 7 year tribulation? It’s not mentioned in Matthew 24, in Luke 21 nor mentioned after the first seal is broken. Jesus deals and speaks only with Israel and warns them of the tribulation that is to come in Matthew and Luke. That leaves me to believe the mystery of the church will be “caught up” before Christ opens that first seal. And I cannot imagine or see in the scriptures Christ allowing His church, which is His body, going through any part of the great day of the Lord. Having said that, we must warn others to be ready and to seek salvation when we have the opportunity to do so. And we need to keep our minds on things in heaven, not on earth. Those who “dwell on the earth” mind earthly things, whether it’s global warming, politics, etc…nothing spiritual at all. Those who are “born of the spirit” need to be ready to hear our Lord say “Come.”

  14. the very first thing Jesus said to his disciples when they asked him, what will be the signs of your coming, is this : “Let no man decieve you ” and it was repeated several times in Mathew 24. I personally have a big problem with teachers / ministers who have a problem with those of us who ernestly are looking for His return, They want to get us tied up in the affairs of this world….too much. Including politics. big red flag to me.