Q.-  Is Jesus really returning?   If so, when?

A.
   Yes, Jesus is really returning.
The same Bible that gives us the assurance of our salvation through the death burial and resurrection of JC, is the same word that gives us the promise/assurance of his return. If we have the confidence that the word of his salvation is true then we can have no less confidence that the promise of his return is also true.

In biblical standards the testimony of a minimum of two witnesses is considered necessary to establish that something is true. On the issue of Jesus’ return we have many more than two and it is worthwhile to look at some of these
  1. Jesus himself- John 14: 2, 3
    2
      In my Father´s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

    3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

  2. Angels at the ascension - Acts 1: 10, 11
    10
    And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
    11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

  3. The apostle Paul 1Thes 4: 16-18
    16
    For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
    17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
    18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

  4. John
    Rev: 1: 7 Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
    1 John 3:2,3
    2
    Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
    3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

  5. Peter
    1 Peter 5 :4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away.
There are also passages in the OT that refer to the second coming of Christ. But the ones we have looked at are sufficient to establish that the return of JC is a prevalent and important theme in the Bible. The return of JC is the great hope of every true follower of Jesus, The expectation that one day he will return to claim his own


PART 2 – When will he return?

A.
  The short answer is that NOBODY knows and so God calls us to live in anticipation and expectation of that time but he gives us no instructions to try and determine when it is.

While some very well respected Christians have differing views as to when Jesus will return, it is not an issue among us as to the fact that he will return. When I say differing views I mean some say he will return before the onset of the great tribulation, some say midway in the great tribulation and some say after the great tribulation. I am sure some one will raise that question at another time.

I have been hearing that Jesus will return since I was a boy of about 10. Many people who I looked up to held the extreme view that he was coming soon! As a result I never expected to grow up, I never expected to get married and have a family, I never expected that my kids will grow up and retirement was not part of my expectations – For Jesus was coming SOON!

Many well meaning preachers narrowed the time of Jesus coming by using the May 1 1948 date of Israel becoming a nation to say that the final generation preceding his coming begun in May 1948. All these preachers generally agreed that a generation lasted between 35 and 40 years. Some even went so far as to say that Jesus would be back by 1988 0r 1989, but it is 2005 and we are still here.

Even the great alarms that were sounded when we were on the threshold of the year 2000 – the biggest non event of the century, several well meaning, but clearly misinformed, believers thought that that chaos would precipitate the Lords coming. It is 2005, and we are still here.

Jesus said – You know not when your Lord doth come and he does not call us to be preoccupied with the TIME of his coming but to always live our lives with the expectation that he is coming again.
Luke 12:35-37
 35
  Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
 36  And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he comes and knocks, they may open unto him immediately.
 37  Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he comes shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

The other extreme to which Christians have gone today is that he is not coming soon. We have set new ‘milestones’ – I was at a church not too long ago where the pastor said “Unpack your bags – J is not coming soon. Not until Christians have control of the financial power of the world!” just imagine. I could not help but wonder where that doctrine arose from. Jesus said in
Matt 24:42,45-51
 42
  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
 44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man comes.
 45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
 46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he come shall find so doing.
 47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
 48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming;
 49  And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
 50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
 51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

2 Peter 3: 3, 4, 9, 10
3
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. When anyone tells you when Jesus is coming – regardless of how entertaining it sounds, you can know that he or she is wrong – because no one knows. He may come tomorrow, but he may not come for another 500 years – no one has a handle on the time – but I believe that it is the next great event on God’s calendar!

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We remind you to search the scriptures like those noble Berean Christians in Acts 17:11 - "  to see if these things be so. "

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Do you have a question you would like answered?
dean@wisdomforlivingministries.org

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