When will Jesus return?
Jesus has given us His undeniable promise that He is coming back soon.
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 14:3
As believers in Christ we are not to be in the dark concerning God’s plan for the last days (1 Thessalonians 5:4). This plan will commence with the Rapture of the church, the catching up of all living believers to meet Christ in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). This instantaneous event (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) will deliver the church from seven years of God’s wrath poured out upon our fallen world (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11).
During this seven year period known as the Tribulation, God will again use the Jewish people to reach out with His message of salvation (Daniel 9:24-27). The impact of this outreach will be felt by every nation and people, even down to the smallest language group on earth (Revelation 7:1-17).
The Tribulation will also see the rise to power of the last world-dominating dictator, a satanically empowered individual known as the Antichrist (Revelation 13:1-8). Claiming to be God, he will deceive those who reject the truth as revealed in the Scriptures (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12), and will eventually lead humanity to the brink of destruction at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).
Following an unprecedented succession of catastrophic judgements (Revelation 6:1-17, 8:1-9:21, 16:1-21), Jesus will return physically to the earth to defeat the Antichrist, his armies and even Satan himself (Revelation 19:11-20:3). He will then rule upon a restored Earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4).
At the conclusion of the 1,000 year reign of Christ, Satan will be allowed to lead a final rebellion against God which will be completely defeated with the evil one being cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:7-10).
All who have rejected God’s offer of salvation will then be judged according to their deeds at the Great White Throne of God (Revelation 20:11-15). Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:10-13). Those who belong to God will enter into the fullness of eternal life (John 17:3), where we will be personally, tenderly, and unendingly loved by God Himself (Revelation 21:1-5).