Can Jesus return at any time? Even this second?

[Pergamum]

Many folks state that any solid system of eschatology must affirm that Jesus can return at any time. If one's eschatological beliefs do not allow the any-second return of Jesus, then that system must be wrong.

However, many systems of eschatology affirm the rise of a personal Antichrist, which Jesus will destroy at His Return (2 Thess......).

Are they being inconsistent? Or must one affirm the Pope as an Antichrist to affirm both things as once (the any-second return of Jesus AND Jesus' destruction of the Man of Sin at His return).

Next, how about the Puritans who anticipated a revival of the Jews (Romans 11) prior to the end? Can we wait upon such things and still affirm the possibility of an Any-second return of Christ?

 

[JohnGill]

The idea that Jesus can come at any moment doesn't seem Biblical to me. Jesus can only come at the appointed time. To us this may seem any moment, but I don't hold to that view. Christ's kingdom has yet to fill up the whole world.

But then I'm post-mil. So I don't hold to the any moment rapture idea.

 

[Herald]

Jesus will return at the appointed time; which could be any time. The problem with a personal Antichrist is that Jesus' second coming is dependent on the Antichrist's coming on the scene. Dispensationalists would say that does not negate their belief in imminency because no one knows when the Antichrist will come to power, but that is not the same thing as Jesus coming at a time when no one knows the day or the hour.

 

[KMK]

Dispensationalists would say that does not negate their belief in imminency because no one knows when the Antichrist will come to power

Don't Dispensationalists also contend that the Pre Trib Rapture is a 'second coming'?

 

[arapahoepark]

Dispensationalists would say that does not negate their belief in imminency because no one knows when the Antichrist will come to power

Don't Dispensationalists also contend that the Pre Trib Rapture is a 'second coming'?

They say that it is the "first part" of the "second coming." Wrap your head around that!

 

[Pilgrim]

Others will cite Matt. 24:14 as being something that must occur before the return of Christ. This is often used as a motivator for mission work to unreached people groups.

I think most dispensationalists would argue that the rapture is the first stage of the Second Coming.

 

[jwithnell]

John Murray among other commentators see a future inflow of Jews into the faith. It took me a while to wrap my head around that one, but could conclude that Romans 11 teaches no other.

Interestingly, some of the Puritans saw the pope as the antichrist (affirmed in WCF 1.0) and tried to figure out which bishop at Rome first went over to the dark side; 1000 years from then, right in the Puritan era, the golden age of Christianity was dawning to be followed by the return of Christ. They may have had the best notion of "at any moment" by emphasizing from a child's youngest day that we will die and face God and that none of us knows the number of our days.

 

[Unoriginalname]

Given the diversity of eschatology beliefs within Christianity and even the diversity within each belief, I think it is safe to say it will be unexpected by most people. Unexpected in the sense that people will not necessarily see the signs, not unexpected in the sense that people do not think Christ will return.

 

[Peairtach]

No. But He could return any second for one of us.

Here are a couple of threads on why we should always be ready, but don't have to believe that this could be the last day of the world in order to be ready, or in order to be faithful to Scripture:

http://www.puritanboard.com/f46/postmil-steady-growth-but-thief-night-70797/

http://www.puritanboard.com/f44/you-know-not-hour-70546/

 

[Pilgrim]

No. But He could return any second for one of us.

Indeed. A sobering thought for all. "Personal eschatology" is the most important aspect.