When Will The Lord Return?

Knowing that the Lord is going to judge this world and set up his earthly kingdom, it is natural to want to know when, and hundreds of prophetic teachers have tried to answer the question.  Jesus’ disciples asked that very question in Acts 1:6-7.  “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?  And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” 

God has deliberately withheld times and seasons of Christ’s return.  Paul re-emphasizes that point, in I Thessalonians 5:1-3.  “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”  God intends to come at a time when nobody is expecting him so that he can catch people in their sin, with no chance to try to cover it up.   

Those who are Christians have been warned of his coming, and should not be taken by surprise.  They should be prepared, ready to meet the Lord whenever he comes, as I Thessalonians 5:4-11 states, knowing they are saved and have nothing to fear when it happens.  “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

For those who do not believe, the Lord’s coming and judgment are something to be feared.  For those who are saved and their sins have been forgiven, the Lord’s return should be something to look forward to as confirmation and justification for their faith over the years.  Unfortunately, many of those prophetic teachers have used the Lord’s return as a threat to frighten believers in an effort to get them to do more religious activities such as soul winning, missions, or giving more to the church. 

Paul warned us not to fall for such manipulative teactics, in II Thessalonians 2:1-2.  “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.”   It doesn’t matter whether the person claims to have gotten his time from some angel or from some miraculous revelation from God, or a special study of the scriptures, those who set dates are false teachers.  It is not for us to know. 

Paul says certain things will happen before the Lord comes back, and we are not let anyone fool us, in II Thessalonians 2:3-5  “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?  The Lord’s return will not happen until after a time when many who claim to be Christians turn away from the truth, and the one we know as the Antichrist is revealed, setting himself up as God.    

The Satanic power behind the Antichrist has been active throughout history, but has been and will continue to restrained by the power of God until he is set free to impose his will on the earth.  Some have believed that it is the Holy Spirit who restrains the Satanic power, but Daniel 10:13, Daniel 12:1, and Revelation 12:7 seem to imply that it is Michael the Archangel instead.  When he stand back, the Antichrist will be free to take control of the world for a little while, as II Thessalonians 2:6-12 tells us.  “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Whether we go through the Tribulation period or not, Christians are assured of their salvation.  Their only concern is to stay faithful to what they have been taught regardless what is happening around them, as II Thessalonians 2:13-15 tells us.  “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”

If we stay faithful to God, we can depend on god to care for us regardless what is happening around us.  We don’t have to worry about when Christ will return, but can simply trust him when the time comes, as II Thessalonians 2:16-17 reminds us.  “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.”