Is Jesus Back Yet?

No. See my post, My 'End Times' Story, for why I don't believe he is.

From Catholic Stand

By John Kunasak

Things like the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world cut across lines drawn by creeds. It captures our curiosity, our anxiety, and inspires movies and television shows. In conversations with believers and non-believers alike, I have come across many who think that the return of Jesus has to be around the corner. The signs are lining up all around us: a global pandemic, social unrest, riots, unemployment, economic downturns, and closed churches. Putting the pieces together, it all adds up to the question: how could this not be the End Times? Aren’t things bad enough for Jesus to return?

Wondering about the End Times is not a modern phenomenon, however. The first generation of Christians were convinced that Jesus’ second coming would occur in their lifetime. Jesus promised a return, but followed that by telling us we know neither the day nor the hour (Matthew 24:36). Although we do not have exact details, the New Testament gives us signs that announce the immanent return of Jesus. Our Lord does this for a particular reason: “I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace” (John 16:33). A quick read of the Book of Revelation paints a picture of the End Times as full of suffering, uncertainty, and natural disasters. Even though we lack exact dates and durations, we have at least some peace in having advance notice.

Private revelations in the form of apparitions have a lot to say about the events leading up to the End Times and the Second Coming of Christ. While some have been approved by the Church or their local bishop, others await final approval. For more information on private revelations, Countdown to the Kingdom is a helpful resource. For our purposes here, this article only covers biblical details of the signs that precede the Second Coming of Jesus.

With faith in our conquering Lord, here are the biblical signs that signal the Second Coming.

The Seven Seals of Revelation

The first four seals are the famous four horsemen, who bring conquest, strife, famine, and death (Revelation 6:1-8). The fifth seal reveals the martyrs asking for justice (6:9-11). Things get worse with the sixth seal: earthquakes, the sun turning to blood, and other natural disasters (6:12-17). In between the sixth and seventh seals, St. John sees a vision of heaven and the white-robed army of martyrs (7:9-17). Finally, the opening of the seventh seal brings six trumpets of terrible woe which last a full three chapters (ch. 8-11).

St. John lists the seals in a particular order, but we do not know how long each will last or the exact effects. In this era of COVID, it seems like the world at large is in the midst of a couple of the seals. It is not consoling, but the present times have yet to reach the severity described in the seven seals.

In Matthew 24 and Luke 21, calamities and natural disasters are foretold. Some of them had a partial fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but could very well have future fulfillments.

The Sign in the Sky

Also before the Second Coming of Christ is the appearance of His sign in the sky. Many speculate that this could be the cross. Whatever it is, “then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

The Conversion of the Jews

Part of the events preceding the Second Coming is the conversion of the Jews; that is, they will recognize and believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. St. Paul says that “a hardening has come upon part of Israel until the full number of the Gentiles come in, and so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25-26).

The Preaching of the Gospel to the Whole World

During Jesus’ teaching on the End Times at the end of Matthew’s gospel, He promises that the gospel will be preached to the whole world, “and then the end will come” (24:14).

The Great Apostasy

This is admittedly a moving target. Every age thinks theirs is worse than the one before. Tremendous blows to the unity of Christianity occurred with the Great Schism in the 11th century and the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

The United States exemplifies a secularizing trend that has been sweeping the western world. In August 2019, the Pew Research Center surveyed American Catholics on their belief in the Eucharist. Only 31% of American Catholics believed the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist. Those who do not profess any religion (the “nones”) are the fastest-growing “religious” demographic in the country. These trends in the United States match the decline of Christianity in other western countries.

The Great Apostasy lays the groundwork for the coming of the Antichrist (1 Thessalonians 2:3). Jesus foretold that false prophets would lead many astray and that when “wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12).

The Person of the Antichrist

Early Christians living in the Roman Empire could have pointed to any number of emperors that could have been the antichrist; more recently, Hitler and Stalin fit many of the qualifications. These figures are evidence of what St. John called the “spirit of the antichrist”, which was present in the world even when the apostle lived (1 John 4:3). Yet not one of them has been who St. Paul describes as a “man of lawlessness… the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

One troubling matter is how the antichrist rises to power. Could the human race really fall for it? St. John Henry Newman had a helpful insight on that within his series of lectures on “The Patristical Idea of Antichrist”. He has a great insight into the machinations of Satan, that help explain the assent of the human race to the Antichrist. “Do you think he is so unskilful [sic] in his raft, as to ask you openly and plainly to join him in his warfare against the Truth? No; he offers to baits to tempt you… he laughs and jokes with you, and gets intimate with you; he takes your hand, and gets his fingers between yours, and grasps them, and then you are his” (Lecture 1).

The Era of Peace, or the “Millennium”

In Revelation 20, Satan is bound for one thousand years (v. 1-3). During that time, the dead will come back to life and reign with Christ (20:4-6). Once the thousand years are over, Satan will return once again in an attempt to deceive the world. His failed effort will end in Jesus coming to earth at the end of time.

Scripture leaves the subject without any other specifics and the hot debate among Christians about the meaning. The Catholic Church has not definitively approved a particular interpretation other than by negation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church rejects a literal, physical reign of Jesus on earth for a millennium (#675). The Protestant idea of the rapture falls under this category. The Catholic Church is firmly against this theological opinion, as the concept is a misreading of Scripture.

What to Do?

Here again, let us turn to Our Lord Jesus. At the end of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus teaches about the coming tribulations and the judgment of humanity. Right in the middle are two parables: the wise and foolish virgins (25:1-13) and the talents (25:14-30). Both parables concern being ready and getting judged. Out of everything Jesus could have taught in a parable, He chose to hammer on preparing for His coming.

In the midst of a world in turmoil, our first duty is to ready our souls. No matter the anxiety of the times we live in, it is vital to stay grounded in Jesus, the sacraments, and a life of prayer. We cannot know the day or the hour of the prophecies of the New Testament–nor are they a secret code to be cracked. Jesus wanted us to have peace, not a preoccupation with the End Times that leads to excessive fear.

There is no better time than now to turn our hearts to God, for there will come a time when it is too late. He will give us the grace we need to get us through the difficulties ahead. “Therefore, beloved, since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace” (2 Peter 3:14).