Christ’s Second Coming

Robert Meredith

  Does the Bible give a time frame for Jesus’ return?  No!  Jesus could come again very soon, however, He could tarry in His coming for another thousand years or more.

  The Scriptures do not give a time frame for the Lord’s return.  God does tell us that all scripture must be fulfilled before He will return.  In Acts 3:20-21, Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, said, “And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”  Therefore, Jesus will remain in heaven until all prophecies are fulfilled.  At the time Peter made this statement to the Jews, there were many prophecies in the Old Testament and some yet to be written in the New Testament which needed to come to fulfillment (Zech. 14:1-2; Mt. 24:1-35; 2 Thess. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; and others).  Today, these and other prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled, with the exception of the ones dealing with Jesus’ second advent and the events which follow.  Thus, Jesus could return today.

  Some contend that Jesus will return to this earth, set up a kingdom, and rule for one thousand years from the city of Jerusalem.  The Bible does not so teach.  The Bible teaches that Jesus is now reigning on the throne of David in Heaven (Acts 2:30, 33-36; 1 Tim. 6:15; Ps. 89:35-37).  Consider this:  1)  Jesus said, while rebuking Peter for saying that Christ would not suffer and die (Mk. 8:31-9:1), that some of the multitude following Him would not die until they saw the kingdom come with power (Mk. 9:1);  2)  Jesus told the apostles to tarry in Jerusalem till they be endued with power from on high (Lk. 24:49);  3)  This power would be the Holy Spirit coming upon them (Acts 1:8).  Now, if one can find where the power of the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in Jerusalem in the life-time of many that were following Jesus, he will see what the kingdom is.  In Acts 2, all of these things occurred and His kingdom, the church, came with power.  Jesus is ruling over the kingdom (Col. 1:18).  Paul said that the Christians of Colosse were in it (Col. 1:13), and the Apostle John said that he was in it (Rev. 1:9).  Jesus is not coming to set His kingdom on this earth, because His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), but it is a spiritual one.  My friends, Jesus did not fail the first time He came to this world to set up His kingdom.  He established His kingdom, the church (Mt. 16:18-19; Acts 2).

  It is not possible for man to know even an approximate time of the second advent.  Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Mt. 24:36).  Jesus then began to teach a series of lessons on always being ready, for we know not the time (Mt. 24:37-25:46).

  The Bible teaches that Jesus will return (John 14:3; Col. 3:4); that when He returns all will be raised at the same time (the just and unjust; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15); that when He returns it is not to establish His kingdom, but to deliver it to the Father (1 Cor. 15:23-24; notice it says when the righteous are raised then He will deliver the kingdom to the Father.  Some teach that when the righteous are raised, Jesus will later set up His kingdom); that this world will be destroyed when He returns (2 Pet. 3:10-12); and that all will stand before Christ in judgment (2 Cor. 5:10).