It would seem, we have all the recipes for such a prophetic event to occur. Since 2020, the world has been in a constant tailspin. We’ve had health woes, war among nations, moral rot has taken root, we’re spiritually busted, not to mention financially as well.
Yet, if we look back at history, none of these events are new.
In the past, there were horrendous plagues, world wars, and financial depressions.
So why is today any different?
Some of the things that stand out to me is the lack of spiritual direction in people’s lives. Let me be more specific, the lack of Jesus Christ in people’s hearts. It seems society long ago booted Christ to the sidewalk, and embraced every form of sin they could find.
That hasn’t always been the case throughout history.
We are a morally deprived people, not just here at home, but around the world.
To a very large degree, society has forgotten about God.
So when you put that all together, it does make for an interesting discussion. However, Christians have been waiting for the return of Jesus for 2,000 years. In fact, even the Thessalonians believed the return of Jesus would happen on their watch.
Paul had to correct them on that.
So if we’re not careful, we can get whisked away with this notion that Jesus’ return is imminent.
A Pastor’s Sermon
This is something I’ve noticed lately, more so than in the past. In fact, I read a couple of articles about it, and one of them stemmed from the sermon of a pretty famous pastor.
Speaking on the return of Jesus, the pastor said,
“…the next event on the prophetic calendar” is the rapture.
He went on to say,
“The rapture is that moment when Christ descends from Heaven and we’re caught up to meet Him,” he said. “It is at this moment that we receive our new resurrection bodies, and that’s also at this moment that we are reunited with loved ones who have preceded us. The rapture is the first phase of the return of Christ.”
Now, this is where we all need to pause for just a second.
This is a classic example why Christians have assumed the return of Jesus is imminent for 2,000 years. We have made errors with respect to our understanding of prophetic events of the End Times.
The rapture is a relatively newer doctrine, coming to light in the early 1800s.
Ye Know Neither The Day Nor The Hour
However, and regardless of your belief on this, let’s analyze what the pastor said.
First, he explained, “the next event on the prophetic calendar” is the rapture.
Yet, there is not, and cannot be a “prophetic calendar.”
How can I be so certain?
For what Jesus Himself said of His own return.
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25:13
Since we don’t know the day or hour, then there’s certainly no “prophetic calendar.”
Therefore, terms like that were created to cause a little excitement in the ears of the listener. It sounds exciting that Jesus is near, and He will take us with Him. However, that’s not reality. Further, it’s up to you, the Christian, the lover of God to listen and understand what you’re told.
Then, you’re to fact check it against the Scriptures, just like the Berean’s, (Acts 17:11).
Next, Jesus Himself said to watch for His return, to be aware of the signs around us that He revealed in chapters like Matthew 24. However, the rapture doctrine tells us, Jesus will appear to take His Saints before Tribulation strikes, but that’s not what the Bible tells us.
Moreover, if that were true, there would be no purpose in “watching,” as Christ would simply come rescue His Beloved before the fateful days of the Tribulation.
So as you can see, with a little observation, we can quickly discover which doctrines are Biblical, and which ones are not. This is important to answer the question, is the return of Jesus imminent?
Phases Of Christ’s Return?
Now, I want you to notice something else the pastor said,
“The rapture is that moment when Christ descends from Heaven.”
“The rapture is the first phase of the return of Christ.”
Is that true?
No.
First, once Jesus descends from Heaven, that’s the end of this age. That’s the moment when Christ begins to reign for 1,000 years, known as the Millennium. Therefore, the quote above cannot be true, as the pastor said, “the rapture is the first phase of the return of Christ.”
Friends, there is no first, second, or third phase.
When Jesus returns, He is coming here, to be with us, forever.
Let me show you.
The Seventh Trumpet
Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
You see that?
Jesus will come to earth after defeating the armies of Satan to bring order to the world, (Revelation 16:16, 17:14, 19:17-21). This is signified with the “great sound of a trumpet.” If you’re familiar with End Times prophecy, then you know there are only Seven Trumpets in the Bible.
So which Trumpet do you think is being discussed?
The Seventh, the very last one.
Look what happens brothers and sisters.
1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
You see that?
At “the last trump.”
That’s the Seventh Trumpet, and those who are alive on earth at the return of Jesus are changed into their true body, their spiritual body. That’s the moment when we rejoin our loved ones who have passed away.
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In fact, that ties right into what we’re told in Thessalonians.
Let me show you.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 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:
There it is.
These Scriptures all discuss the End Times, specifically, the return of Jesus. We can clearly read, the Trumpet is sounded and mentioned in all of these verses, as they are one and the same.
It’s the Seventh Trumpet that ushers in the return of Jesus, and there are no phases to be found in Scripture.
Let me make it even more clear for you.
Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
There we have it.
Once the Seventh Trumpet sounds,
“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
Isn’t that beautiful?
This is how you become like the Bereans.
You stop listening to someone’s theology, and you just read what the Holy Scriptures actually say, and make notes while doing it. That removes all doubt, it removes all uncertainty and ensures you are correct in your understanding of the Bible.
By the way, I’ll be going over all of this when we get to 1 Thessalonians 4 in my verse by verse studies, so don’t miss it!
All right, there’s still a bit I want to cover on this subject.
Foundation Of The Jewish State?
In another article, the author mentioned some of the signs that would precede the appearance of Jesus. Most of them I agreed with and they’re clearly found in Scripture. I thought that was fantastic.
However, there was one perceived sign that is not found in Scripture, though it’s commonly cited. It’s the incorrect notion that the “Foundation of the Jewish state” was a sign of Christ’s imminent return.
That’s simply not true, and it stems from a distorted view of Scripture.
In fact, this notion was actually derived to convince Christians to support the idea of a Jewish state, which led to Israel becoming a nation back in 1948. Unfortunately, this unBiblical concept stuck with the Christian faithful.
You will also hear, the “Jewish temple will be rebuilt.”
However, the “foundation of the Jewish state” and a “rebuilt Jewish temple” are not Biblical signs.
It would shock most Christians to learn, the Jews of today are not the ancestors of ancient Israelites. It would be even more shocking to learn what the Talmud, the Jewish holy book actually teaches.
Once you understand those two statements, you’ll surely understand how unBiblical these two concepts really are.
Moreover, the concept of the “foundation of the Jewish state” revolves around a misconception in Scripture…
In Matthew 24:32 and Mark 13:28 we’re told,
“…learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:”
Christians have been taught, the parable of the fig tree is symbolic of the nation Israel that was founded in 1948. However, proponents of this teaching conveniently left out the account in Luke, which completely erases this false notion.
Let’s see how the Book of Luke records it…
“…he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.”
Luke 21:29-30
You see?
In Luke, it’s not just the fig tree being spoken of, but all trees.
Therefore, Jesus was not offering some secret interpretation about a future state of Israel. He was simply saying, the signs of His return would appear slowly, like buds on a dormant tree. However, the signs would rapidly increase, just as buds on a tree begin to bloom in Spring.
The increase in signs, like the increase in leaves on the tree indicates Summer is near, and harvest is “even at the doors”.
So there we have it.
For years and decades, Christians have been told about numerous signs of Jesus imminent return. Yet, they’ve all fallen flat. I still recall Gorbachev being called the antichrist, even Obama and many others, including the latest and greatest pope.
None of those were imminent signs of Jesus’ return.
Instead, for years and decades we have slowly seen an increase in signs of His return, but this takes time, much time. In fact, the biggest sign of His return is a sign we’re never told about…
Let me share that with you.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Those are the words of Jesus Christ Himself!
God’s Word, the Bible must be preached and shared with the entire world, and then shall the end come. That’s the biggest sign the return of Jesus is near, but not imminent.
There is no imminent return of Jesus, it cannot, and will not happen this moment or the next. There are still prophetic events that must be fulfilled before Jesus can return.
One major sign is the appearance of the Antichrist. 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us about that, and I’ll be covering that Book in a few weeks.
Summary
You’ll notice, I purposely left out the name of the pastor and author mentioned.
The reason is very simple, these individuals shared their personal beliefs about the Bible. I don’t believe they’ve shared their Biblical position to garner an audience, and one of the gentlemen has done much good for many Christians.
Remember, as Christians, our purpose is not to fight and bicker with each other over Scripture. Our purpose is to lift each other up, and share the Gospel with the world. We should always respectfully discus our differences and ensure we have Scripture correct, while walking the narrow path through life.
Each of us must strive to accomplish that.
Nevertheless, we should not delve into, nor entertain the concept of Jesus’ imminent return. His return is not imminent, and it won’t be until all prophetic events have been fulfilled.
We’re getting close, but we’re not there yet.
The danger with such concepts, they erode our faith in God. As one generation arises, and another fades with the sands of time. All the while, we’re told the return of Jesus is imminent.
Thanks for reading, Is The Return Of Jesus Imminent?
Is The Return Of Jesus Imminent?
It’s an intriguing thought…
Could the return of Jesus really be imminent?
It would seem, we have all the recipes for such a prophetic event to occur. Since 2020, the world has been in a constant tailspin. We’ve had health woes, war among nations, moral rot has taken root, we’re spiritually busted, not to mention financially as well.
Yet, if we look back at history, none of these events are new.
In the past, there were horrendous plagues, world wars, and financial depressions.
So why is today any different?
Some of the things that stand out to me is the lack of spiritual direction in people’s lives. Let me be more specific, the lack of Jesus Christ in people’s hearts. It seems society long ago booted Christ to the sidewalk, and embraced every form of sin they could find.
That hasn’t always been the case throughout history.
We are a morally deprived people, not just here at home, but around the world.
To a very large degree, society has forgotten about God.
So when you put that all together, it does make for an interesting discussion. However, Christians have been waiting for the return of Jesus for 2,000 years. In fact, even the Thessalonians believed the return of Jesus would happen on their watch.
Paul had to correct them on that.
So if we’re not careful, we can get whisked away with this notion that Jesus’ return is imminent.
A Pastor’s Sermon
This is something I’ve noticed lately, more so than in the past. In fact, I read a couple of articles about it, and one of them stemmed from the sermon of a pretty famous pastor.
Speaking on the return of Jesus, the pastor said,
He went on to say,
Now, this is where we all need to pause for just a second.
This is a classic example why Christians have assumed the return of Jesus is imminent for 2,000 years. We have made errors with respect to our understanding of prophetic events of the End Times.
The rapture is a relatively newer doctrine, coming to light in the early 1800s.
Ye Know Neither The Day Nor The Hour
However, and regardless of your belief on this, let’s analyze what the pastor said.
First, he explained, “the next event on the prophetic calendar” is the rapture.
Yet, there is not, and cannot be a “prophetic calendar.”
How can I be so certain?
For what Jesus Himself said of His own return.
Since we don’t know the day or hour, then there’s certainly no “prophetic calendar.”
Therefore, terms like that were created to cause a little excitement in the ears of the listener. It sounds exciting that Jesus is near, and He will take us with Him. However, that’s not reality. Further, it’s up to you, the Christian, the lover of God to listen and understand what you’re told.
Then, you’re to fact check it against the Scriptures, just like the Berean’s, (Acts 17:11).
Next, Jesus Himself said to watch for His return, to be aware of the signs around us that He revealed in chapters like Matthew 24. However, the rapture doctrine tells us, Jesus will appear to take His Saints before Tribulation strikes, but that’s not what the Bible tells us.
Moreover, if that were true, there would be no purpose in “watching,” as Christ would simply come rescue His Beloved before the fateful days of the Tribulation.
So as you can see, with a little observation, we can quickly discover which doctrines are Biblical, and which ones are not. This is important to answer the question, is the return of Jesus imminent?
Phases Of Christ’s Return?
Now, I want you to notice something else the pastor said,
Is that true?
No.
First, once Jesus descends from Heaven, that’s the end of this age. That’s the moment when Christ begins to reign for 1,000 years, known as the Millennium. Therefore, the quote above cannot be true, as the pastor said, “the rapture is the first phase of the return of Christ.”
Friends, there is no first, second, or third phase.
When Jesus returns, He is coming here, to be with us, forever.
Let me show you.
The Seventh Trumpet
You see that?
Jesus will come to earth after defeating the armies of Satan to bring order to the world, (Revelation 16:16, 17:14, 19:17-21). This is signified with the “great sound of a trumpet.” If you’re familiar with End Times prophecy, then you know there are only Seven Trumpets in the Bible.
So which Trumpet do you think is being discussed?
The Seventh, the very last one.
Look what happens brothers and sisters.
You see that?
At “the last trump.”
That’s the Seventh Trumpet, and those who are alive on earth at the return of Jesus are changed into their true body, their spiritual body. That’s the moment when we rejoin our loved ones who have passed away.
Study and news with a fresh Christian perspective in your inbox.
In fact, that ties right into what we’re told in Thessalonians.
Let me show you.
There it is.
These Scriptures all discuss the End Times, specifically, the return of Jesus. We can clearly read, the Trumpet is sounded and mentioned in all of these verses, as they are one and the same.
It’s the Seventh Trumpet that ushers in the return of Jesus, and there are no phases to be found in Scripture.
Let me make it even more clear for you.
There we have it.
Once the Seventh Trumpet sounds,
Isn’t that beautiful?
This is how you become like the Bereans.
You stop listening to someone’s theology, and you just read what the Holy Scriptures actually say, and make notes while doing it. That removes all doubt, it removes all uncertainty and ensures you are correct in your understanding of the Bible.
All right, there’s still a bit I want to cover on this subject.
Foundation Of The Jewish State?
In another article, the author mentioned some of the signs that would precede the appearance of Jesus. Most of them I agreed with and they’re clearly found in Scripture. I thought that was fantastic.
However, there was one perceived sign that is not found in Scripture, though it’s commonly cited. It’s the incorrect notion that the “Foundation of the Jewish state” was a sign of Christ’s imminent return.
That’s simply not true, and it stems from a distorted view of Scripture.
In fact, this notion was actually derived to convince Christians to support the idea of a Jewish state, which led to Israel becoming a nation back in 1948. Unfortunately, this unBiblical concept stuck with the Christian faithful.
You will also hear, the “Jewish temple will be rebuilt.”
However, the “foundation of the Jewish state” and a “rebuilt Jewish temple” are not Biblical signs.
It would shock most Christians to learn, the Jews of today are not the ancestors of ancient Israelites. It would be even more shocking to learn what the Talmud, the Jewish holy book actually teaches.
Once you understand those two statements, you’ll surely understand how unBiblical these two concepts really are.
Moreover, the concept of the “foundation of the Jewish state” revolves around a misconception in Scripture…
In Matthew 24:32 and Mark 13:28 we’re told,
Christians have been taught, the parable of the fig tree is symbolic of the nation Israel that was founded in 1948. However, proponents of this teaching conveniently left out the account in Luke, which completely erases this false notion.
Let’s see how the Book of Luke records it…
You see?
In Luke, it’s not just the fig tree being spoken of, but all trees.
Therefore, Jesus was not offering some secret interpretation about a future state of Israel. He was simply saying, the signs of His return would appear slowly, like buds on a dormant tree. However, the signs would rapidly increase, just as buds on a tree begin to bloom in Spring.
The increase in signs, like the increase in leaves on the tree indicates Summer is near, and harvest is “even at the doors”.
So there we have it.
For years and decades, Christians have been told about numerous signs of Jesus imminent return. Yet, they’ve all fallen flat. I still recall Gorbachev being called the antichrist, even Obama and many others, including the latest and greatest pope.
None of those were imminent signs of Jesus’ return.
Instead, for years and decades we have slowly seen an increase in signs of His return, but this takes time, much time. In fact, the biggest sign of His return is a sign we’re never told about…
Let me share that with you.
Those are the words of Jesus Christ Himself!
God’s Word, the Bible must be preached and shared with the entire world, and then shall the end come. That’s the biggest sign the return of Jesus is near, but not imminent.
There is no imminent return of Jesus, it cannot, and will not happen this moment or the next. There are still prophetic events that must be fulfilled before Jesus can return.
One major sign is the appearance of the Antichrist. 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us about that, and I’ll be covering that Book in a few weeks.
Summary
You’ll notice, I purposely left out the name of the pastor and author mentioned.
The reason is very simple, these individuals shared their personal beliefs about the Bible. I don’t believe they’ve shared their Biblical position to garner an audience, and one of the gentlemen has done much good for many Christians.
Remember, as Christians, our purpose is not to fight and bicker with each other over Scripture. Our purpose is to lift each other up, and share the Gospel with the world. We should always respectfully discus our differences and ensure we have Scripture correct, while walking the narrow path through life.
Each of us must strive to accomplish that.
Nevertheless, we should not delve into, nor entertain the concept of Jesus’ imminent return. His return is not imminent, and it won’t be until all prophetic events have been fulfilled.
We’re getting close, but we’re not there yet.
The danger with such concepts, they erode our faith in God. As one generation arises, and another fades with the sands of time. All the while, we’re told the return of Jesus is imminent.