When will Jesus Christ Return?

Could Jesus Christ really return in my lifetime?

When Jesus Christ told His disciples of His impending death and resurrection, He also promised that He would go to His Father's home and then return to bring in a completely new era.  They naturally asked asked Him how they would know when He would return. His answer was clear - no-one would be in any doubt of His return!  He told us and them of many signs that would happen before He returned ...

How do we read the signs?

Words in blue italic print are recorded in the bible, in the book of Matthew; chapter 24 vs 4-14.  The New Living Translation is used here.  There are similar passages in other bible books.

• Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.  Many false 'messiahs' have already come .. and been quickly forgotten!   There will be others.
  
• And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  Wars are now part of our daily life ... Wikipedia lists 59 current wars in which fatalities occurred in 2017 alone - four of them each involved more than 10000 deaths!
• There will be famines ...  In 2017 OXFAM wrote that: "The world stands on the brink of an unprecedented four famines in 2017..." and claims that 26 million people are either 'in famine' or on the brink.
• ... and earthquakes in many parts of the world.  Earthquakes occur continuously, but there is an average of more than one per month that causes death and major destruction.
• But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Watch out for these signs - they are just the beginning!
• Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.  According to the authoritative "Open Doors" web site,  every month an average of more than 300 Christians worldwide are killed for their faith, 200+ churches and similar buildings destroyed and 700+ acts of violence perpetrated against Christians because they follow Christ.  (www.opendoorsusa.org).
• And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.  Hate seems to pervade our society to new levels - for no apparent reason.  Nearly every day brings news of new atrocities.  Witness the random bombings, mass shootings, motiveless knife attacks and other forms of violence against the public, which have increased throughout the world in recent times. 
• And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.  We don't want to judge others, but many religious groups now boast of 'new revelations' - which Christ warned us in advance not to accept.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God and there is no-one more authoritative who will follow Him.   The bible predicts that soon Jesus will send for His followers (including those who have already passed away), there will be a short period of absolute terror on Earth and then He will return - not as a baby, but as our King! 
  
• Sin will be rampant everywhere ... In the past many nations based their laws on the principles of the bible - God's principles for life - but that's no longer true!  If sin means rejecting God's way in favour of doing it "My Way", then sin already is rampant!
• ... and the love of many will grow cold.  A recent study published in The Observer includes this telling comment:  "(the report)... paints a picture of a Britain in which Christianity has seen a dramatic decline".  However, while the love of many in Europe grows cold, the worldwide population of Christians has never ceased to increase since the church began - as foretold by the bible.
  
• ... but the one who endures to the end will be saved. This is a great source of hope and peace for every Christian!
• And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it ...  Until the last few years, that seemed a long way off, but now the internet has the capability to share the Good News with many who were previously insulated from it.  The availability of low cost travel and international education means that people from almost every tribe and nation now visit other countries to study and live - and hear the Gospel.  As they discover the message of Jesus Christ they return to their own populations carrying good news in their own language!
• ... and then the end will come.
  

(The words in blue italic print are recorded in Matthew 24:4-14 NLT)

(The bible teaches about the coming of Jesus Christ and of His return in many places, written over many centuries by different authors. The amazing agreement in completely differing accounts is one of the major reasons for believing that God Himself inspired the bible).

Be Prepared!

Jesus said that no-one, not even He Himself, knew the date that His Father in Heaven would choose for Him to return - but that we should always be prepared!  

The best way to prepare is to start immediately to follow Jesus Christ, to join an active church, to read the bible (God's Word to us) and to pray.  CHURCH@Claremont will be pleased to guide you on that journey - but don't delay.  The end could be nearer than you thought!

Don't be Fearful - be Expectant!

For the Christian, the return of Jesus Christ is just the beginning of an amazing adventure culminating in the joining in marriage of Christ and His faithful people (the Church) and the revelation of a completely New Heaven and a New Earth, built the way that God always intended, where sin, decay, sickness, famine, fear and death no longer have a place.  That's not a threat - it's an amazing promise!