Will Jesus Really Come at Any Time?

Common Belief

For at least 150 years, with the development Pretribulation Rapturism, proponents have taught that Jesus can come quite literally at any time to rapture His Church. This teaching insists that no signs or warnings are necessary – that His Second Coming can happen at "any moment" from this day forward. We can be going about our daily routine and suddenly, in the blink of an eye, we can be out of here.

Is this what the Bible teaches?

Pretribulation Fallacy

This is indeed what the Bible teaches – IF you hold to Pretrib Rapturism, the belief that Christians will be raptured before the final 7 years of this era of human history (wrongly called the Tribulation period; but more accurately, called the 70th Week of the Book of Daniel.)

However, this is not what the Bible actually teaches. Rather, the Bible teaches that the Church, though not sentenced to suffer God's wrath, will be here for about the first 4 to 5 years of that 7-year period, and that many believers will be persecuted and martyred by the Antichrist (Daniel 7:21; Revelation 13:7).

Also, Pretrib Rapturism teaches two comings of the Lord – one to rapture His Church at the beginning of the 70th week, and one at the end of it to pour His wrath out on the earth. The Bible, however, teaches just one coming, when Jesus will first rapture His Church, and then immediately begin to pour out His wrath. The Bible speaks of no time divisions between these two momentous events.

No One Knows the Hour

Yet, Jesus himself said of His coming, But of that day and hour knoweth no man (Matthew 24:36). This seems very cut-and-dried, and is often taken to mean that Jesus can come at any moment. However, this is NOT what Jesus is saying. The phrase day and hour speaks of exactness, which means we cannot know the exact day on which Jesus will return. Of course, this doesn't stop prophecy prognosticators from proclaiming exact days on which Jesus will return. This verse clearly warns against this ill-conceived notion.

Be Ready

Furthermore, Jesus says in verse 42: Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. The therefore refers to verses 36-41 where Jesus talks about what will actually occur when He arrives. The curious thing, however, is His call for those believers living in the 70th week to Watch therefore. Now, if no one knows the hour or the day of His coming, why would the Lord tell us to Watch therefore. If His Second Coming is to occur without signs or warnings, and no one knows the exact moment of His coming, what sense does it make to watch for something which will occur in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52) if there is no lead-up to it?

There WILL Be Indicators

Here's yet another curious quote by Jesus: Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors (Matthew 24:32-33). What does the word it refer to? The it is the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven (v. 30), i.e., the Second Coming.

And what are these things to which Jesus refers? These are the INDICATORS that Jesus' return is very near. No, believers living at that time will not know the exact moment, or even the day, of His return, but they will definitely know the time frame in which it will happen and that it is getting ever nearer. Yes, there WILL be signs and indicators that Jesus is about to return. Here are a few of them:

The abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15), most likely the Antichrist placing a statue of himself in the temple Israel will build at the beginning of the 70th Week.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (Matthew 24:24). As the return of Christ gets extremely close, we will see supernatural acts being performed which will challenge the faith of believers. And just to punctuate the fact that Jesus is giving this to believers as a precursor to His coming, he says in verse 25: Behold, I have told you [ahead of time].

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matthew 24:29). This quote, which Jesus borrows from Isaiah 13:10, indicates there will be very visible, unmistakable cosmic disturbances just before His arrival (see also Joel 2:31).

When these indicators occur, then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).

So, will Jesus come at any time with absolutely no warnings or indicators as so many Bible teachers claim? No. Believers living during the 70th Week of Daniel are to be vigilant and watching for the obvious signs of His very, very soon return.

The Desired Result

In Mark 13, a parallel chapter to Matthew 24, Jesus ends His teaching by telling the Church: And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch (v. 37).

The call here is for Christians of all ages to live with the expectation of His coming. We are to live as though Jesus could well come during our lifetimes. We are to ask ourselves: What if I know for sure that Jesus will return next month? How would I conduct my life?

No, we are not to jump on every prophecy bandwagon which claims Jesus is returning on a specific date. Jesus has given clear indications as to the time of His return, and we are to live in the expectation of that glorious event. By doing this, we will be His good and faithful servants ready, willing, and able to do His bidding until His return!

David Ettinger is a writer/editor at Zion's Hope, Inc., and has written for Zion's Fire magazine since its inception in 1990.