The Return of Jesus Christ and When it Occurs

By COGwriter

Jesus walked on the Earth two thousand years ago. He was eventually killed, resurrected, and ascended into heaven.

Is Jesus the Christ going to return?

If so, when?

Many who profess Christianity have a vague notion that Jesus will come again. To some, called preterists, He already returned 1900 years ago, and is not coming again (see The Dangerous Rise of Preterists). To many Greco-Roman Catholics and Protestants, the idea that Jesus will return is an event so far into the future that it is not something of personal importance.

Certain Protestants who believe in what is called the pretribulation rapture, however, believe that the return of Jesus is iminent, and can happen at any time (see Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected?).

Is that the case?

What does Bible prophecy teach about the return of Jesus? Are there non-biblical prophecies that indicate that the world will fight Jesus at His return? Do the biblical Holy Days give any clues as to when Jesus will return?

The Second Coming: How Do We Know that Jesus Will Return?

Jesus will come again.

How can we know for sure? Because the Bible says so.

Let's start by looking at somethine that was recorded in the Book of Acts:

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. (Acts 1:1-13 NKJV, throughout unless otherwise indicated)

So we see that Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives and scirpture states He will return to the same place.

The Hebrew scriptures also record that He will return to the Mount of Olives:

4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south. (Zechariah 14:4)

Did Jesus state that He would come again?

Yes.

Notice what Jesus said:

1"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know." (John 14:1-4)

28 You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I. (John 14:28)

So, Jesus clearly taught that He was going to come again.

There is a second coming:

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:27-28)

The above was written AFTER Jesus was resurrected and AFTER He ascended into heaven in Acts 1.

The Apostle Paul taught:

4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

The Apostle Peter taught that Jesus would return but that many would dismiss that promise:

1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation — as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:1-18)

The Bible is clear that Jesus will return.

The Return Was Not Over 1900 Years Ago

The disciples apparently thought Jesus was going to establish His kingdom during their lifetime. So, Jesus told a parable:

8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."

9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'

15 "And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' 18 And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' 19 Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'

20 "Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'

24 "And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' 25 (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.') 26 'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'" (Luke 19:8-27)

People who believe in 'full preterism" (mainly a subset of Protestants) believe that Jesus has already returned.

There is a professionally produced DVD titled You've Gotta be Kidding . . . Right? by Brian L. Martin (Fulfilled Communication Group, 2009) that claims that there are basically two types of preterists those who believe in partial preterism and those that believe in full preterism. That DVD had the following two charts about the beliefs of the main types of preterists:

Partial Preterism

1. Most of Matthew 24 and Revelation fulfilled in AD 70

2. Jesus came in judgment in AD 70

3. Still future physical return of Christ to the earth

Full Preterism

1. ALL of Matthew 24 and Revelation fulfilled in AD 70

2. Jesus' judgment coming in AD 70 was the Second Coming

3. No future, physical, return of Christ to the earth

This is not a joke. Preterists while professing to believe the Bible (which they really do not) believe that Jesus has returned. Full preterists, like Brian Martin, believe that all of the Book of Revelation has been fulfilled. Brian Martin claims that Jesus came to gather His saints into a spiritual kingdom and there is no literal physical kingdom to come. This, of course, is in opposition to various passages in the Bible, including several in the Book of Revelation. (Various Catholics and ones in Church of God, Seventh day hold partial preterist views; see also The Dangerous Rise of Preterists.)

What are the Last Days?

Those who profess Christ generally believe that Jesus will come again in the last days. Yet, some have been confused about the 'last days' that the Bible tells of. This is mainly because there are two types of 'last days' mentioned in the Bible as well as at least three lengths of days mentioned in the Bible.

Genesis 1 teaches about the normal, approximately 24 hour day:

5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. (Genesis 1:5-8)

Isaiah 34:8 indicates that the 'Day of the Lord' is one year (some other prophetic passages also seem to equate a day for a year, such as Numbers 14:34).

The Bible also teaches that a thousand years seems to be as one day to God. This is a concept from both the Old and New Testaments:

4 For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past (Psalm 90:4).

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8).

Based upon certain calculations that I am aware of, it seems that Adam and Eve were created and/or apparently left the garden of Eden between roughly 3969-3983 B.C. This would mean that when Jesus began to preach (roughly 27 A.D., over four thousand years later) He was preaching in 'day' five, as four of the seven "one thousand year days" would have been over before then.

Thus, days five (thousand) and six (thousand) would have been considered as part of the "last days" by the early disciples.

That being so, this helps explain why some New Testament figures indicated that they were in the last days:

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:14-17).

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things (Hebrews 1:1-2).

The Bible also teaches about a millennial reign of Jesus and the saints (Revelation 20:4-6; see also ).

If there is no 6,000 year plan of human rule followed by a 1,000 year millennial reign, then the New Testament statement above about then being in the last days would make little sense. But, since God does have a 7,000 year plan, these statements do make sense. And that also explains how come the end has not come yet--there is still a little more time in "the last days."

Expressions used such as "shortly" and "at hand" should be understood in the context of the last days of a 7000 year plan.

Interestingly, although preterists like to point out they do not believe that the thousand years and the plan is taught in the Old Testament, here are specific traditions related to the millennium and six thousand years from the Jewish Talmud which they have tied to scriptures:

R. Kattina said: Six thousand years shall the world exist, and one [thousand, the seventh], it shall be desolate, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day {Isaiah 2:11}.

Abaye said: it will be desolate two [thousand], as it is said, After two days will he revive us: in the third day, he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight {Hosea 6:2}.

It has been taught in accordance with R. Kattina: Just as the seventh year is one year of release in seven, so is the world: one thousand years out of seven shall be fallow, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day,' and it is further said, A Psalm and song for the Sabbath day {Psalm 92:1},  meaning the day that is altogether Sabbath — and it is also said, For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past {Psalm 90:4}.

The Tanna debe Eliyyahu teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years. In the first two thousand there was desolation;  two thousand years the Torah flourished;  and the next two thousand years is the Messianic era (Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin Folio 97a).

So, Jewish tradition, purportedly based upon scriptures, pointed to the 6000 years, followed by a 1000 years, six days, followed by one, for a total of seven.

It also needs to be understood that there are two types of last days referred to in the New Testament.

When some were stating that they were in the last days, this indicates the latter days of the 7,000 year week (see also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

However in other places, New Testament writers sometimes are referring to the time of the final generation before Jesus returns as being the last days, as they indicate that this was not for the same time as they were writing (cf. 2 Peter 3:3).

Will People Recognize Jesus When He Returns?

Notice the following:

When the Jewish people finally received their Messiah, the vast majority did not recognize Him.

When He returns, will Christians make the same mistake?

That’s the fear WND founder Joseph Farah expressed in an interview with Paul McGuire on “Apocalypse and the End Times” on GodTV. It was part of a wide-ranging conversation about how the last days will be far different than what many believers expect.

“Who is Jesus and how is he going to come back?” Farah asked. “You know, a lot of people missed Jesus the first time He came. Most of the Jews did not recognize Him as their Messiah. They had a misunderstanding of how the Messiah was going to come. And they were going a lot by man’s teaching rather than going back to the Scriptures. And I wonder, when Jesus does come back, if many people in the church are going to miss Him too.” ...

“This Jewish guy is going to come back, on the Mount of Olives as prophesied, and He’s going to become King of Israel,” Farah said wryly. “And the whole world is going to center around Israel at this point. Are they going to recognize him? Or are they going to be fooled by an imposter that we call the Antichrist who is going to do all kinds of signs and miracles, et cetera?”

Truly becoming knowledgeable about the Bible and the roots of the Christian faith is a passionate concern of Farah’s, who urges all believers to examine their beliefs.

“More than a billion people in the world call themselves Christians – how many of them are authentic Christians?” he asked. ...

“Did Jesus come to start a new religion? No – he preached only to the House of Israel during his earthly ministry. The Apostles did initially also and only later, decades later perhaps, did they recognize that perhaps Gentiles could be part of this, and it’s such a blessing that we are. The notion of replacement theology is why Israel still is the most controversial country in the world today.” ...

He mourned the average Christian’s lack of knowledge about the Millennial Kingdom and the earthly rule of Jesus.

“If you ask the average Christian about that, they have no understanding,” he explained. “We’ve got to perfect and redeem this world. To bring it back to the Garden of Eden – that’s the goal, that’s what Jesus is coming back to do, and to rule and reign from Jerusalem with a rod of iron.

“Are people prepared for this sweet Jesus that they read about in the New Testament to rule and reign from Jerusalem with a rod of iron? These are questions I think it’s important for Christians to challenge themselves with.” 01/28/17 http://www.wnd.com/2017/01/how-christians-will-recognize-jesus-again/#Tv3LCrfs88QtYzZc.99

Joseph Farah is correct that relatively few who profess Christ believe in the millennial reign of Jesus, even though the Bible teaches it (Revelation 20:4-6; see also Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?). Few understand that Jesus will rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 12:5, 19:15). And even less understand the good news of the Kingdom of God.

What about Catholics?

Well, officially they do not believe in the millennial reign, in spite of the fact that it admits that many of their claimed early saints taught the millennium. Now they strongly condemns this belief as a doctrine of Antichrist:

676 The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism. (Catechism of the Catholic Church. Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, p. 194).

It should be noted that the millennial teaching appears to be the only doctrine associated with Antichrist that is condemned in the current official Catechism of the Catholic Church (which is the first new one in hundreds of years). The one that has the imprimatur of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger who is now called Pope Emeritus and was Pope Benedict XVI.

While some Catholic writings are correct, certain contradictory Roman Catholic writings/prophecies teach that Antichrist:

1. Will cite scriptures as proof of His Messiahship
2. Will keep and promote the seventh-day Sabbath
3. Will teach against idols and an idol-related Mass
4. Will teach that the Catholic religion is false
5. Will renumber the Ten Commandments
6. Will be Jewish
7. Will “observe the Jewish rites”
8. Will have supporters who teach against the trinity
9. Will preach the millennial gospel of the kingdom
10. Will preach that there is a coming future opportunity for salvation
11. Will come after thunders, lightning, earthquakes, mountains being level, and great hail
12. Will win the "battle of Armageddon"
13. Will come after the destruction of the Roman Empire
14. Will claim to be the Messiah
15. Will have those that appear to be resurrected saints with him.

Jesus: said scriptures testified who He was (John 5:39), kept the seventh-day Sabbath, taught against idols, never advocated the wearing of crosses on the hand or forehead (cf. Revelation 13:16;20:4), taught that those who held to a religion based upon tradition over the Bible is false, taught all the ten commandments as the Continuing Church of God teaches them, was Jewish (John 4:9-10; Matthew 1:1-3; Luke 3:23-33), kept "Jewish practices" like Passover (Matthew 26:18) and the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2,10), has always had non-Trinitarian supporters, taught the millennial gospel of the kingdom, taught that there would be a future opportunity for salvation, shows that thunders/lightning/earthquakes/hail preceded His coming (Revelation 16:17-21), shows that the forces of evil gathered at Megiddo lose (Revelation 16:13-16; 19:17-21), that He will reign after the destruction of the Roman Empire (Revelation 19:2-8), and He will teach He is the Messiah (John 4:25-26). And His Apostles Paul and John were inspired to write that resurrected saints will come with Jesus and reign at His second coming.

Thus, it appears that certain private Catholic prophecies have been given to warn the world that when Jesus comes He will be the Antichrist.  This may be part of the reason that the Bible warns that people will be angry and will actually make war against with Jesus when He returns:

18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth (Revelation 11:18).

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army (Revelation 19:19).

Thus, I believe that Satan-inspired a lot of false prophecies and improper theology so that those who are not the very elect will be deceived (Matthew 24:24) and will actually fight against Jesus (Revelation 19:19). This is part of Satan's Plan.

This is part of why all who profess Christ need to understand who the true Church has been from the beginning, who the true Church was in the intervening years, and who the true Church actually will be in the end (for more details, please go to the History of Early Christianity page, and/or the free online booklets Continuing History of the Church of God and Where is the True Christian Church Today?).

Furthermore, it needs to be understood that some Catholics also seem to teach the ones that those of us in the COG consider to be the two witnesses will be announcing Antichrist (e.g. Birch, p. 556) and that during the time we in the COG call the Great Tribulation that there will be supernaturally fed people opposed to the Catholic church dwelling in caves that will be “the advance guard of the son of perdition” (Hildegard of Bingen. Scivias. Paulist Press, Mahwah (NJ), p. 301).

Sadly, many Catholic prophecies and writings apparently are directed against those in the protected Philadelphia remnant of the Church of God and against Jesus Christ. Many pronouncements by supporters of Martin Luther did as well. Those that do not understand the truth about Jesus, church history, and prophecy will be deceived. But YOU do not have to be.

For more on incorrect Roman Catholic prophetic teachings about Antichrist, see also Do Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Againt Jesus?

Some of the Protestant misunderstandings of prophecy can be found in the article Dangerous Protestant Prophetic Errors.

When is the Return of Jesus Christ?

Followers of Jesus have long wanted to know WHEN He would return.

1 hen Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

23 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.

26 "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near — at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:1-44)

Jesus said that deceivers would come and th He would come when most do not expect it. Jesus listed many signs that still are to preceed His coming. Notice that Jesus said He was coming AFTER the tribulation. Therefore, those who hold to a pretribulation rapture of the church are in error (while the pretribulation rapturists like to cite other verses, the majority of those are addressed in the article Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected?).

How can a Christians best expect it? Well, Jesus said to watch and pray:

13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:13)

28 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near — at the doors! 30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. (Mark 13:28-31)

34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34-36).

In Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, Jesus listed a series of events that would happen within one generation. Those events have began, so His retrun must happen within this century.

The Apostle Paul taught the return of Jesus and gave information about how and when:

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Notice that Christians are NOT to be ignorant about the return of Jesus and that knowing about His return should be a comfort to Christians.

Now WHEN does Jesus return? By tying 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 with the following, the Apostle Paul answers that:

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:50-54)

The LAST TRUMPET, the seventh one, is WHEN Jesus returns.

The idea that Jesus will return at the last trumpet, during the time known as the Day of the Lord, and that the dead will be raised then, seems to have been understood by early second century leaders such as Polycarp and Polycrates who, respectively, wrote:

Wherefore, girding up your loins," "serve the Lord in fear" and truth, as those who have forsaken the vain, empty talk and error of the multitude, and "believed in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory," and a throne at His right hand. To Him all things" in heaven and on earth are subject. Him every spirit serves. He comes as the Judge of the living and the dead. His blood will God require of those who do not believe in Him. But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise up us also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved (Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians, chapter II. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1 as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885.)

For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord's coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints. (Polycrates Letter to Victor as reported by Eusebius. Church History. Book V, Chapter 24).

The "Day of the Lord" includes the time of the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints.

Furthermore, notice:

13 So it shall be in that day:
The great trumpet will be blown;
They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria,
And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt,
And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. (Isaiah 27:13)

Jesus comes with the great sound of a trumpet (Matthew 24:31).

There is a spurious document, probably from the third century, that mentions when Jesus allegedly claimed He would return:

17 ... We said to him, "Lord, the things which you revealed to us at the beginning are great things. In what sort of great power will you come ? Or what sort of perceptible state ?" He answered and said to us, "Amen, I say to you that I will come like the sun shining, I being light of seven times greater than it (sun) in my glory. The wings of clouds carrying me in glory and the sign of the cross before me, I will come upon the earth and give justice to the living and the dead." We said to him, "Lord, after how many years will these things happen." He said to us," if the part of a hundred and the part of twenty are complete in the middle of the Pentecost and the feast of the unleavened bread, the presence of the Father will take place. (The Epistula Apostolorum. English translation of the Coptic text Anthony Alcock. https://archive.org/stream/EpistulaApostolorum/EpistulaApostolrum_djvu.txt accessed 11/18/15)

The above suggests that the return may be between Pentecost and the Days of Unleavened Bread, which it may be.

Herbert W. Armstrong and the Feast of Trumpets

While it was commonly believed that the old Worldwide Church of God under the leadership of the late Herbert W. Armstrong taught that Jesus would return on the Feast of Trumpets, that is not what he personally taught. Here is what he wrote in his booklet Pagan Holidays--or God's Holy Days--Which?:

Christ shall COME again, in clouds, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (I Thes. 4:14-17). It shall be "at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall [all] be changed" (I Cor. 15:52). Unless Christ returns to resurrect the dead, we would never gain eternal life--if there is no resurrection "then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished" (I Cor. 15:18).

Christ directly intervenes in world affairs at the seventh or the last trump (Rev. 11:15-19). A trumpet is a symbol of war. He comes in a time of worldwide war--when the nations are angry! As soon as the work of gathering in the firstfruits (pictured by Pentecost) is completed at the end of this present age, then Christ will begin to set up again the tabernacle of David (Acts 15:16) — to set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people (Isa. 11:11) — to search out and to find His lost sheep that the ministers of the churches have failed to search out and save during this period (Ezek. 34:1-14). ...

And perhaps the glorious Second Coming shall occur, in whatever year it may be, on this very day of the Feast of Trumpets- -who knows? While we cannot say for certain, yet cannot we see this possibility? The crucifixion was upon the Passover day -- the very day! The Holy Spirit came, beginning the selecting of the firstfruits of salvation, on the very day of Pentecost. Had not those 120 disciples been observing this annual Sabbath — had they not been assembled there in holy convocation — could they have received that blessing of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit? Repeatedly Jesus warned us to watch, regarding His Second Coming! Could it be possible that, unless we are observing the Feast of Trumpets, as the first-century Church of God was observing Pentecost, that we shall not be ready, or caught up to meet Him? We do not--we cannot, of course say; but we do ask the question. Is it not possible? Let us humbly and willingly yield to walk obediently in all the light. (Armstrong HW. Pagan Holidays--or God's Holy Days--Which? 1976, pp. 33-34)

Although Jesus will come with the last trumpet, Herbert W. Armstrong, was not certain that trumpet would be on the actual Feast of Trumpets. This uncertainty was based upon statements Jesus said about His own return.

What About the Day and Hour?

Did Jesus know that day and hour of His return before He was resurrected?

No.

Nor did His disciples:

32 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning — 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" (Mark 13:32-37)

Jesus taught that His followers should watch (and He was referring to prophetically related world events, cf. Mark 13:29) )as they DID NOT know the day and hour Jesus was returning.

Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote:

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6)

Notice that Paul said that Christians should not be in darkness. He said that Christians should watch and therefore then they would know.

Can the General Time of Year be Determined?

Although Paul wrote that Christians did not need to know the precise season when Jesus would return, after he wrote this, Jesus inspired the Apostle John to pen the Book of Revelation. There are passage in it that seem to give clues as to approximately what time of year Jesus would return.

Since Jesus was killed on Passover and the New Testament church began on Pentecost, it seems reasonable to consider that one or more of the trumpet blasts in the Book of Revelation will coincide with the Feast of Trumpets.

The Book of Revelation tells of seven coming trumpets being sounded:

1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 The first angel sounded ... (Revelation 8:1-6)

The Apostle Paul wrote that the resurrection to life happens at the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52. This would have to be the seventh trumpet of Revelation:

15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15)

So, what might any of this have to do with WHEN Jesus would return?

Well, by tying information about the 'Day of the Lord' together with the Feast of Trumpets, there seem to indications.

Now, the 'Day of the Lord' itself appears to start when the seventh seal is open (for more details, check out When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?).

How long is 'the Day of the Lord'?

Biblically, it appears to be a year:

8 For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion. (Isaiah 34:8)

IF this is a literal year, some calculations may be possible, as well as some potential conclusions.

What about the basic season, can that be known?

It seems so.

How?

Well, the Feast of Trumpets comes on the first day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:24), known as Tishri or Ethanim (1 Kings 8:2). This Holy Day always occurs in the late Summer or the Early Fall (basically within a couple of weeks either side of the first day of the Fall equinox).

The Feast of Trumpets seems to have historically began with a trumpet blast (cf. Psalm 81:3; cf. New Year in Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906).

Presuming that the first of the seven prophesied trumpet blasts begins on the Feast of Trumpets, we can determine the approximate time of the year.

Now let's go back to Revelation 11:

15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:

"We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth."

19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. (Revelation 11:15-19)

Notice that Revelation shows that Jesus' return with the seventh trumpet includes God's wrath. Wrath that includes destroying those that destroy the earth as well as weather events. Since these are all part of the final 'Day of Lord' that happen after Jesus returns, Jesus would almost absolutely have to come back sometime BEFORE the start of the Feast of Trumpets for the 'Day of the Lord' to only last a year. Precisely how long before is unclear (perhaps minutes or hours, perhaps days or week). Based on that, it can be reasonably calculated that Jesus would then come in the late Summer or perhaps the early Fall-- and this could be as late as the last day of the sixth month on the Hebrew calendar or perhaps several days or weeks sooner.

Notice also that the old WCG taught:

The seventh and last of these trumpets will announce the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to establish his rule on earth (Rev. 11:15; I Cor. 15:52; I Thess. 4:16).

This trumpet will also initiate on a rebellious world a series of divine punishments known as the "seven last plagues" (Rev. 15 and 16). These seven plagues, designed to bring humanity to repentance, are pictured symbolically as seven vials, or small vessels holding liquids. These vials are "poured out" upon a corrupted earth by seven angels. Tragically, mankind as a whole will still refuse to repent of sin! The sixth of these vials or plagues is described in Revelation 16: 12 and introduces us to Armageddon: "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." The Euphrates River rises in Turkey and flows southeastward for some 1,700 miles through Syria and Iraq, ultimately emptying into the Arabian or Persian Gulf. Across this riverbed will come the "kings of the east" and their armies — a prophesied communist — dominated Eurasian confederacy. This confederacy will have certain geopolitical goals motivating their military offensive. But an unperceived, behind-the-scenes influence will be the ultimate motivation underlying their actions. Notice: Revelation 16:14 reveals that it will be demonic spirits that will influence "the kings of the earth and of the whole world" to gather for battle. These spirits are fallen angels who followed Lucifer (Satan) in his rebellion against God (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:12-17; Rev. 12:4). They will stir up this world's leaders to prepare for war. The world's armies will unknowingly become their pawns. The God of heaven will allow these seducing demons to marshal the armies of the kings of the east and the whole world (the United Nations, too!) at Armageddon, (Stump K. Just What Do You Mean - ARMAGEDDON? Plain Truth, 1985)

Revelation 15 and 16 teach the following:

15:1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:

"Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested."

5 After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6 And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. 8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth."

2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.

4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying:
"You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due."

7 And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."

8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame."
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.

As far as the sea of glass goes, the Bible teaches:

6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. (Revelation 4:6)

2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. (Revelation 15:2)

So, this particular sea of glass that Christians will go to is before the throne of God. That is in heaven as the old Worldwide Church of G od realized:

John, in vision, sees the actual throne area and records some important details. Four great spirit beings hover about this throne. John describes these beings as "living creatures." In front of the throne stands a massive foundation. Revelation calls it a "sea of glass, like crystal" (Rev. 4:6). (Inside the Book of Revelation. Worldwide Church of God, 1989, p. 9)

God who sits at the controls of this universe. He is an active, LIVING God. He controls all power, energies and forces! He sits on a magnificent throne overlooking a dazzlingly beautiful court-like crystal-clear sea of glass. (Meredith RC. Vital "Keys" to Success in PRAYER. Plain Truth, November 1964)

If we grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we endeavor unto the end, then we shall sit with him in his throne, even as he now sits with God, the Father on the throne of the whole universe in God's throne in heaven. (Armstrong HW. Are You Led by God's Spirit? Sermon, October 20, 1981)

But Christians will not stay there for long. The marriage supper (sometimes called wedding supper), which could be as short as less than a day, according to the old WCG could last a week:

1. Will the marriage of the Lamb occur after Jesus Christ's return? Rev. 19:6-7. Will it be an occasion of great rejoicing? Same verses. COMMENT: Notice how Christ's marriage is a time for great rejoicing after the war, darkness and trouble that will occur before Christ's return, pictured by the Feast of Trumpets!

2. In biblical pattern, how long does a marriage feast last? Judg. 14:2, 10, 12. Does the Feast of Tabernacles span the same length of time? Lev. 23:34. COMMENT: The seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles are like the seven days of the ancient marriage feast and are a type of the marriage of Christ and His Bride the Church. (Lesson 30 - Feast Of Tabernacles - When the Whole World Will Be Called. Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, 1984)

Something sounding like the sea of glass is also associated with the coming New Jerusalem:

2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ... 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. (Revelation 21:2, 18)

But the descent of New Jersualem does not happen until at least 1100 years after Jesus returns.

Getting back to Jesus' return, notice also the following:

1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her." 3 Again they said, "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!" 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!" 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!"

6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great."

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:1-21)

14 ... "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." (Jude 14-15)

So, after Jesus appears in the clouds and the saints are resurrected, we hear of the marriage supper of the Lamb. That will not be a huge amount of time. We then see that Jesus will be on a white horse in order to make war--and the saints will be with Him and come back to the earth. He and the saints also be followed by the armies of heaven and a sword to strike the nation will come out of His mouth. The kings of the world and others will be gathered and will lose. The Beast of the False Prophet will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Jesus' enemies will be killed and then birds will eat their flesh.

The Bible does not specify how long all of that will take, but since birds take some time to eat, all the events are NOT instantaneous--there is some time element.

Although true Christians look forward to Jesus' second coming, the final trumpet will result in destruction to many in the world.

While various ones would like to believe that Jesus MUST COME ON the Feast of Trumpets, IF JESUS WERE TO COME ON THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS, JESUS PRESUMABLY WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT AS IT WOULD SEEM POTENTIALLY OBVIOUS--but He said that He and His followers did not know. Since the return is close to the Feast of Trumpets, we do not know the exact day nor the hour.

But we seemingly can know the approximate time of the year.

While certain events of the Holy Days happen on the Holy Days, not all do. For example, while Jesus was the Passover lamb (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8) slain on Passover, Jesus was not again killed on the Day of Atonement, which is something that a ceremony in Leviticus 16:8-9 points to. Thus, it is not unexpected that all seven trumpets would not be blown on the Day of Trumpets. Of course, if the first of the seventh trumpets is not blown until towards the end of the Feast of Trumpets, then it may be possible that the seventh one will be blown earlier on that day. But either way, we seem to be looking at the late Summer or early Fall as the most likely time of year that Jesus would return, unless the Day of the Lord is not close to a literal year.

It perhaps should be pointed out that Jesus said:

22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:22)

The fact that those days needed to be shortened could indicate that Jesus did not know the exact date, which would be a reason He would not have thought it needed to be the Feast of Trumpets.

Another way to determine the time of year, which I have heard speculated in sermons in the old Worldwide Church of God, has to do with the exodus/fleeing of the children of Israel from Egypt. We know that the children of Israel left in the middle of the first month of the Hebrew calendar, which occurs in the early Spring. Since the New Testament teaches that some of what happened to the children of Israel was an example for Christians for the end of the age (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:11), and the Philadelphia Christians have to flee for 1260 days (Revelation 12:14-17), if the fleeing takes place in the early Spring, then the return of Jesus would be about 3 1/2 years later, making it near the start of Fall.

Related to Jesus' return, we have uploaded a sermonette-length video:

What About the Year?

Early Christians seemed to believe that Jesus would return 6,000 years after Adam and Eve were created or when they were put out of the Garden of Eden.

Since Jesus knew when Adam and Eve were created and when they were put out of the Garden of Eden, He very well may have known the year that He would return. And that may have been why He said He did not know the day or hour.

Jesus may very well return before the end of the next decade. For details about when the 6000 years may be up and a range of possible years for Jesus' return, check out the article Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?.

Might there be another way to determine the year? Yes, that would be related to the deal in Daniel 9:27--Jesus would be expected to return seven years after a particular deal is confirmed by a 'prince' (Daniel 9:27) who later becomes a king (Daniel 11:40). See also The 'Peace Deal' of Daniel 9:27.

Thiel B. The Return of Jesus Christ and When it Occurs. http://www.cogwriter.com/return-of-jesus-christ.htm COGwriter (c) 2015/2017/2020 /2024 0519