When will Jesus Christ return?

Jesus Christ knew that we would like to know when he will return, and he wants us to wait anxiously. But do you also want us to know the exact date of your return? 

Will Christ return in 2018? What about 2034? It seems more likely based on the graphs and statistics I found on the first page of my Google search.

The return of Christ has been announced for the years 1000, 1836, 1844, 1914, 1975, 2011 and many others, and many people have made predictions of this kind throughout history. But what does the Bible say about it?

Will Jesus Christ return?

First, does the Bible say that Christ will return to earth? Yes, he says so, and in many places.

When the disciples of Christ saw him ascend to heaven on the Mount of Olives, some angels said to them: “Galilean men, why are you looking at the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you to heaven, will come as you have seen him go to heaven ”(Acts 1:11).

Weeks before, the disciples had asked Jesus: “When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and the end of the age?” (Matthew 24: 3) —They knew that Christ was born to be King and that He would eventually return to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth, but they didn't know what to expect.  

Christ answers them in detail in Matthew 24 and 25 and the parallel accounts of Mark 13 and Luke 21 In Luke 21:27, Jesus (who often referred to himself as the Son of Man) confirms his return by saying: “Then you will see the Son of Man, who will come in a cloud with power and great glory ”(Luke 21:27). And the place to which he would descend at his second coming was prophesied in the book of Zechariah long before: "And his feet will be affirmed on that day on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem to the east" (14: 4 ).

Christ also revealed that one of the reasons for his return was to prevent mankind from destroying himself (Matthew 24:22).

We can't know the day or the time

Matthew 24 describes the events that will occur before Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth. Many of them have already happened and, in fact, some are developing right now. But the end has not yet come; The Abomination of Desolation is still to be established and the Great Tribulation begins .   

After the tribulation, there will be great signs in heaven followed by a loud trumpet sound (the last or seventh trumpet) that will announce the return of Christ (Matthew 24: 29-31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 11:15) . The Bible does not say anywhere that Christ will come in secret before the tribulation; What's more, it says exactly the opposite.

But as Jesus said to his disciples: "of the day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but only my Father" (Matthew 24:36). We cannot know the exact date of his return and He does not want us to know it. He wants us to yearn for that day, pray for him to arrive, prepare ourselves ... and wait patiently.

The other end

The only thing that false predictions of the end of the world achieve is to entertain and make people more skeptical. No wonder many people no longer even believe that Christ will return.

As Peter prophesied, in recent times there would be mockers who would say: “Where is the promise of his advent? Because from the day the fathers slept, all things remain as well as from the beginning of creation ”(2 Peter 3: 4).

What should we be doing now?

The fact of not knowing exactly when Jesus Christ will return should not demotivate us or make us lose our sense of urgency. Christ warns us that we should not follow the example of the people in the days of Noah: “Because as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man ”(Matthew 24: 38-39).

Christ still warned that if any of his servants: “I said in his heart: My Lord is slow to come; and I will begin to strike his servants, and even to eat and drink with the drunks, the lord of that servant will come on a day he does not expect, and at the time he does not know ”(Matthew 24: 48-50).

Instead, we should be like the one He praised: “the faithful and prudent servant, whom his lord put over his house to give them food in time. Blessed is that servant whom, when his lord comes, he is doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his goods ”(Matthew 24: 45-47).

How can we use time wisely before the return of Christ? These are some things that He tells us to do:

Prevent society's evil from weakening our love for God, his law and others (Matthew 24:12).

Enduring trials and persecutions to the end with the help of the Holy Spirit of God (Matthew 24:13).

Help preach the good news of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14)

Avoid becoming lazy and lazy because of the influence of the world (Matthew 24: 38-39).

Serve and treat others with love instead of taking advantage of them (Matthew 24: 46-48).

Prepare ourselves and have a great reserve of spiritual oil, which is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 25: 1-13).  

Use what God has given us to grow spiritually (Matthew 25: 14-30).

Serve and give even to those we consider smaller ( vv . 31-46).

Observe what happens in the world in the light of biblical prophecy and take care of our spiritual state (Luke 21:36).

"Watch, then, at all times praying that you will be held worthy to escape all these things that will come, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).

Why it takes so long?

Why does Christ take so long to return? Why have so many generations of Christians had to wait patiently without receiving the promise? Because God is a God of love.

"The Lord does not delay his promise, as some have it for delay, but he is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but that everyone proceeds to repentance" (2 Peter 3: 9).

God has an eternal plan in which every human being will receive the opportunity to repent and change, and he wants those who now look forward to the return of Christ to share the good news of the gospel of his Kingdom with others. And of course, he also wants those who listen to respond.  

We do not know the date when Christ will return, but He wants us to know that he will return and bring his wonderful Kingdom with him - and he wants us to know about his Kingdom now.