Is Jesus Christ Coming Again? | Ask the Expert: Pastor Slayden with Friendship Baptist Church

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Question: “Is Jesus Christ coming again?”

“On April 23, the sun, moon, and Jupiter will align in the constellation Virgo to bring on the start of the biblical Rapture, according to the latest claims.” So the UK’s Daily Mail, was reporting that Planet X, sometimes called Nibiru, would bring about the end of the world.

We’ve been here before. In my Christian journey as early as 1998 it was promised Jesus Christ would return to earth. When that didn’t happen it was changed to 1999. Last September, we were faced with a discussion of a similar prediction that “the world as we know it is ending.” We had a another of those conversations back in 2012, when we survived the purported Mayan prediction that the world would end.

Let’s begin with a fact: this day could actually be the last day of history.

Jesus was blunt: “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Our Lord could come back to our planet today. Or any of us could go to him. Tomorrow is promised to no one.

We need not fear the fictitious Planet X. But we need to admit the reality that we are one day closer to eternity than ever before. And we have only today to be ready.

When the prophesied end of the world passes yet again, such fakery dulls our cultural consciousness to the real urgency of death and eternity. It seems to me that our spiritual enemy is pleased with this state of affairs.

Jesus said His coming was soon.

Soon is a relative term. If you are microwaving popcorn, soon means within the next three minutes. If you are awaiting the birth of a child, soon can mean anything up to nine months. So when we ask, “Is Jesus coming soon?” we have to qualify the meaning of soon.

Jesus Himself said that He is coming soon: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon’” (Revelation 22:20). And then John adds these words: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” John’s book was penned nearly two thousand years ago, which leads many people to wonder what Jesus meant by “soon.”

The Greek word tachu, which is translated “soon” or “quickly,” means “without unnecessary delay.” It does not mean “immediately.” The same word is used in other places in the New Testament, but, interestingly, it is used most often by Jesus in the book of Revelation (Revelation 2:16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:7, 12, and 20). The meaning seems to be that events have been set in motion that will usher in His arrival without any unnecessary delay. Everything is moving along according to God’s timetable.

Peter reassures us that God is not dragging His feet concerning prophetic events. God’s timing is perfect: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). In this light we may understand that Jesus is coming “soon” in that God’s plan is advancing and is only delayed to allow for all the elect to be saved (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:5)—a necessary postponement.

The Bible teaches that Jesus’ return for His church is imminent, which means the rapture could happen at any moment. The apostles seem to have believed that Jesus would come back in their lifetimes. They referred often to the “last days” (1 Peter 1:20; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 1:2) and urged believers to be ready. It appears that Jesus also intended for us to believe in His imminent return, because He often urged His followers to “be ready” (Luke 12:40; 21:43–46; Mark 13:33). Because no one has known or can predict exactly when He is coming again (see Matthew 24:36), we should live in the expectancy that He may come any moment. That seems to be Jesus’ point in not being more specific. He wants every generation to live with the conscious awareness that the Lord may suddenly appear and we will have to give an accounting of the way He finds us (Luke 12:38). To answer the question, “Is Jesus coming soon?” we say, “Yes, He will come without unnecessary delay.”