Does the Bible indicate an approximate time for the Lord's return?

on Dec 24, 2022

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: When the end of the year comes, I always wonder if the Lord might return before a new year begins. The worse the world gets — from Ukraine to the United States — I wonder how much longer the Lord will tarry. I know it isn’t possible to know the exact time, but does the Bible indicate an approximate time? If some kind of peace doesn’t emerge soon, I cannot see us surviving the wickedness of our time. – L.R.

A: Jesus did not tell us when He is coming back. He said we were not to speculate. Jesus said that there would be certain signs to watch for. These “signs of the times” are described throughout Scripture, and taken together we see a striking portrait of the end times.

Jesus spoke of the coming of a godless, secular society, and He spoke of the dangers of heresies of those who try to pervert the message of the truth Christ came to deliver. This is a realistic portrait of our times. We sometimes wonder where God is during the storms of life and if we will ever experience world peace. This has been a question through the ages.

Why doesn’t God stop the evil? The Bible assures us that God will abolish evil when Christ returns. No wonder Scripture tells us that, at that time, “every knee should bow… and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10–11). There is coming a time when the human race will be humbled before Him.

And there is a wonderful assurance for those who are in the Person of Jesus Christ. The question to ask is, “Where will we be when the end of time comes?” In Christ through His salvation is the safest place to be in all of the world, past, present, and future.

========

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)