When Jesus Returns, Precisely — And When Jesus Returns, Vaguely. The Three Principles Clear This Up.

The End Times Made Simple

Photo by Paul Zoetemeijer on Unsplash

When will Jesus return?

It’s the perennial question. We want to know. Will He return in my lifetime? Will it be soon? Or will it be a long way off, decades or centuries?

Jesus addresses this question directly. But Jesus doesn’t give one answer only. Jesus gives two answers — one precise, one vague.

To make sure we aren’t deceived, we need to understand both answers. Many deceptions mix the two, or assume things about them that aren’t true, but get taught as settled doctrine.

Remember: it’s all about Jesus. Let’s listen as Jesus tells us what to think about His return. Jesus continues in Matthew 24, saying:

“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 the sky,

and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Matthew 24:29-31 BSB).

This passage seems straight-forward enough, but pay attention to a few key details.

First, note how precise Jesus is being. He’ll return in power “immediately” after the tribulation of those days — after the seven years of tribulation the entire world endures.

To know when Jesus will return in this way, all you need to do is establish when the tribulation began. As we’ll explore later, the tribulation begins when the Antichrist establishes a treaty or covenant with Israel. Count seven years from that and you’ll know exactly when Jesus will appear.

Jesus won’t delay. He’ll appear “immediately” after the seven years conclude.

We can know precisely when this will be, as soon as we know when the tribulation starts.

Yet deception runs rampant over this passage, because the following verses talk about Jesus’ arrival being vague — you can know it’s near, but not precisely when:

Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:32-35 BSB).

Before, Jesus said “immediately,” giving precision.

Now He says the far more vague “near,” within “this generation.”

What’s going on?

The solution is simple: Jesus returns twice.

Despite the vast amount of debate on this topic, the evidence is clear. Read the following passage and ask yourself whether it describes Jesus returning precisely, immediately after a known seven-year period of great tribulation, or something else:

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. And they were oblivious until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come. But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:36-44 BSB).

This time, Jesus emphasizes that no one will know the day or the hour.

Jesus goes deeper, clarifying that the world will act as it did in the days of Noah. Many will be oblivious, eating and drinking, marrying and working, living their lives without any knowledge of God doing anything marvelous.

Which doesn’t sound a lot like a seven-tribulation that devastates the whole world.

The only logical solution is that Jesus is describing another time, a different return. One time Jesus returns will be after the seven-year tribulation, immediately upon its conclusion.

Another time, Jesus will return when no one knows, when most of the world is oblivious, going about their business, living normal lives.

This must be before the tribulation — before the world goes through years of undeniable, unavoidable judgments, before everything is changed forever, before the world stops living normal lives because nothing will ever be normal again.

I confess that before I began studying Jesus’ return in depth, I didn’t know what to think about Jesus returning before the tribulation began. We often refer to this event as the Rapture, a time when Jesus returns to fetch His bride, the Church, and take her to be with Him in Heaven before the tribulation begins.

Many brilliant Christians argue against Jesus returning before the Tribulation. Some argue that Jesus only returns at the end of it, and some claim that Jesus will return in the middle. Some go so far as to say that the pre-tribulation Rapture was invented recently, in the past two centuries, and prior Christians knew nothing about it.

Yet I can’t see any other way to read Jesus’ words.

One time, His return will be precise, calculable, immediately upon the completion of a known seven-year period.

Another time, He will return when no one expects, when the world is unaware, life continuing as normal.

I don’t know how else to read these except as separate events. If the precise return is after the Tribulation, then the vague return must be before it.

Which means: Jesus is coming back soon.

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