True believers in the Lord Jesus Christ long for His coming, His return to take His bride home to Himself. While the idea of Him coming back to take His people home is truly awesome, no one truly knows when He will come to do so. When will Christ come back?
Let's take a look at the clues found in the Word of God.
A promise to return
Before He went back to the Father, the Lord Jesus said He will return.
"Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also." (John 14:1-3)
A future event confirmed
Christ's promised return will truly happen. Angels confirmed this shortly after He ascended into heaven:
"While they looked intently toward heaven as [Jesus] ascended, suddenly two men stood by them in white garments. They said, "Men of Galilee, why stand looking toward heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you to heaven, will come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."" (Acts 1:10-11)
Paul, who was not there when the angels told the disciples that Christ will return, also confirmed the fact that the Lord will surely come back:
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God..." (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
These, along with other confirmations, assure and comfort us that Christ is alive and interceding for us, and will soon take us home to Him. The question is, when will He do that?
A specific timeframe
The Bible doesn't give us an exact time of Christ's return, but it does give us a very important clue: The preaching of the Gospel is key.
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14)
Jesus said His return will happen only after the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is preached. Because of this we know that we can hasten His return. How? By preaching the Gospel in obedience to Him:
"[Jesus] said to [His disciples], "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (see Mark 16:15)
Wait for His return
Friends, while we don't know the exact time of His arrival, we are assured that He will indeed come again. And for this, we rejoice and wait in eager expectation.
""Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me to give to each one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" ... He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:12-13, 20)
This article was first published in The Christian Post.
