Question:

"Is it possible to know when Jesus is coming back?"


Answer:

Matthew 24:36-44 declares,
“No one knows about that day or hour,
not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father…

Therefore keep watch,
because you do not know on what day
your Lord will come…
So you also must be ready,
because the Son of Man will
come at an hour when you do not expect Him.”
***(see AV below)***



At first glance,
these verses would seem to provide a clear and explicit answer to the question. No, no one can know when Jesus is coming back. However, those verses do not say that no one will ever be able to know when Jesus will return. Most Bible scholars would say that Jesus, now glorified in heaven, knows the timing of His return, indicating that the phrase “nor the Son” does not mean Jesus will never know when He will return. Similarly, it is possible that, while Matthew 24:36-44 indicates that no one at that time could know the timing of Jesus’ return, God could reveal the timing of Jesus’ return to someone in the future.


In addition, there is Acts 1:7, which states, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority." This was said by Jesus after the disciples asked Him if He was at that time going to restore the kingdom to Israel. This would seem to confirm the message of Matthew 24. It is not for us to know the timing of Jesus coming back. But there is also the question of which return these passages are referring to. Are they speaking of the Rapture or the Second Coming? Which return is unknowable—the Rapture, the Second Coming, or both? While the Rapture is presented as being imminent and mysterious, the timing of the Second Coming could potentially be known based on end-times prophecy.


With that said, let us be abundantly clear: we do not believe that God has revealed to anyone when Jesus is coming back, and we see nothing in Scripture which indicates that God will ever reveal to anyone when Jesus is coming back. Matthew 24:36-44, while spoken directly to the people in Jesus’ time, also contains a general principle. The timing of Jesus’ return and the end of the age is not for us to know. Scripture nowhere encourages us to try to determine the date. Rather, we are to “keep watch, because we do not know on which day our Lord will come” (v. 42). We are to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when we do not expect Him” (v. 44). The force of Jesus’ words diminishes if at some point in the future someone will be able to determine when He is coming back. If the date is discovered, we no longer need to “keep watch” or “be ready.” So, with the principle of Matthew 24:36-44 is mind, no, it is not possible for anyone to know the date that Jesus is coming back.


Despite this clear biblical principle, many throughout Christian history have attempted to prophesy the date that Jesus is coming back. Many such dates have been proposed, and all of them have been wrong. There have been two recent, popularly proposed dates: May 21, 2011, and December 21, 2012. The December 21, 2012, date is related to the Mayan calendar, with no biblical data used as evidence. The May 21, 2011, "Judgment Day" date was proposed by Harold Camping of Family Radio. It should be noted that Harold Camping previously predicted that Jesus would come back in 1994. Obviously, Camping was wrong. Camping claimed to have evidence for the May 21, 2011, date in Scripture. By using a speculative date of 4990 B.C. for the Flood, and then applying the “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years” of 2 Peter 3:8 to the seven days of Genesis 7:4, and then counting down the 7,000 years from 4990, the year 2011 resulted. Then, based on “the seventeenth day of the second month” from Genesis 7:11 and using the Hebrew calendar, the date of May 21 was determined. So, was there any validity to Camping’s methodology?


First, Camping conveniently ignored the second half of 2 Peter 3:8, “and a thousand years as one day.” Further, 2 Peter 3:8 is not providing a method for dating the end times. Rather, 2 Peter 3:8 is simply saying that God is above and beyond time. God is timeless, infinite, and eternal. Second, nothing in the context of Genesis 7:4-11 indicates that the “seven days” and “seventeenth day of the second month” are to be interpreted as applying to anything other than what God was specifically saying to Noah. Third, the Flood being dated to 4990 B.C. is speculative at best, with no explicit biblical evidence. Camping’s calculation of May 21, 2011, fell apart under even the most basic biblical scrutiny. Now, was it possible for Jesus to come back on May 21, 2011? Yes, but it is just as possible that He will come back on any other date. Did Harold Camping’s particular dating methodology have any biblical validity? No, it did not. Sadly, Camping and others will surely calculate new future dates and will attempt to explain away mistakes by “errors in the formula” or something to that effect.


The key points are

(1) the Bible nowhere encourages us to attempt to discover the timing of Jesus’ return and

(2) the Bible gives no explicit data by which the timing of Jesus’ return can be determined. Rather than developing wild and speculative calculations to determine when Jesus is coming back, the Bible encourages us to “keep watch” and “be ready” (Matthew 24:42-44).

The fact that the day of Jesus’ return is unknown should motivate us to live every day in light of the imminence of Christ’s return.


http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-coming-back.html





***Matthew 24:36-44*** AV(Authorized King James Version)


36, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37, But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38, For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40, Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41, Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42, Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43, But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44, Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

That is why I pray for forgiveness all the time, because I know somehow I have sinned and I want to be clean when the time comes. No one knows but I think it will be with a rush.

We also have end time signs, like Christian persecution and the mark of the beast that should give us forewarning. I think we are approaching end of times now, when right is wrong and wrong is right.

Setting dates is impossible on our part.

But yes, there are signs.



All have sinned.

But the Bible says there is now,

NO CONDEMNATION to those who are IN Christ Jesus,

who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

See Romans 8

He's already here...

John 14:19-21
New International Version (NIV)

19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Start with John14: 1-6

This link is a video from "
The King Is Coming" ministry.
It describes the rapture.


http://www.tribulation.com/rapture.htm

May you all find comfort in this message.

John 14:
Jesus Comforts His Disciples


1, Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4, And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5, Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7, If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8, Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9, Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10, Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11, Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13, And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14, If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15, If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16, And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17, Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18, I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19, Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20, At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21, He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22, Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23, Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24, He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25, These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26, But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28, Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
29, And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30, Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
31, But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Just can't wait for His return!:)

No one save God knows when Hes coming back. In His love,He gave us signs of the end times (which are here already) to know that the end is near.its vital for everyone to keep him or herself pure 1John 3:3,and to live holy,loving and forgiving oneanother not to be found wanting or caught dead.Its fearful cos no one knows the day or time. Another fearful thing is that any man/woman/boy/girl tha dies,as far as that soul is concerned,Christ has come already! And hell is most fearful. PLEASE READ REV 22:11-12 and be warned.God bless.

Ours here is not when shall he come back!.Christ is daily 'coming back' for us in nigeria 'cos,hardly a day passes without 20 or more brethren going to meet the Lord.No thanks to the antichrist terrorist here