Signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

The Second Coming is a Christian concept regarding the return of Jesus to Earth after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. This event is the endpoint of God’s redemptive plan and the beginning of His everlasting kingdom. This article will look at the biblical signs of the end times from a biblical perspective — the signs of the end times bible prophecy in the Old Testament and the New Testament. It examines how different Christian sects view these signs and examines the match between current world events and the omens described in the Bible. The article also discusses the moral and spiritual issues described to exist at Christ’s return, in relation to the issues of faith, apostasy, catastrophic events, and social fabric.

What are the Scripture References to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?

The signs of the Second Coming are the events and conditions that will lead up to the return of Jesus Christ to the earth as described in the Bible. They’re not just random events, but they make a pattern; they tell a story, signs that point to the end of time for believers. The New Testament, especially the Gospels, several Epistles, and Revelation, gives indication of a number of prophetic signs, including global wars, natural disasters, spiritual apostasies, and social movements. These signs act as a body of evidence, and testify to the sureness of the return of Christ and of the necessity to be spiritually ready for His return.

What are the Signs of the Second Coming According to the Gospels?

The Gospels, and in particular Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, offer essential teachings from Jesus Himself on signs of His Second Coming. These lines, also known as the Olivet Discourse, describe seven notable signs. There are 5 major signs that Jesus lists:

1. Wars and Rumors of Wars (Matthew 24:6): Jesus mentions “including wars and rumors of wars.” Such conflicts are called “the beginning of birth pains,” suggesting a substantial one, no longer something else, but one that still marks the beginning of the end.
2. Famines, Pestilences, and Earthquakes (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11): These are termed great natural calamities. These are not isolated events but more frequent and repetitive such that the hardship and chaos are widespread. Historically, the Bible records that earthquakes and famines and plagues have occurred many times throughout history, but that in end times these would be more frequent as well as be reported a lot more, as evident of the phenomenon of technology speeding up the news of natural disasters and world-wide health occurrences.
3. Persecution of God’s Children (Matthew 24:9): Jesus says His disciples will be “delivered up to tribulation and put to death,” and they will be “hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” This means bodily injury, incarceration, or martyrdom, very often at the behest of governments or adversarial religious brethren.
4. False Christs and False Prophets (Matthew 24:24): There will come a whole set of false Christs and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they should deceive even the very elect. These persons assert some divine commission, or pose as Messiah, misleading multitudes by these means, and by their sham-teaching and miraculous performances. There are numbers of these Messiah pretenders in history, and even today we have a plethora of spiritual movements and spiritual leaders that are spreading false doctrines other than what is available in the Bible.
5. Global Evangelization (Matthew 24:14): The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations. This end-time global evangelization is conditional; it is an end-time prerequisite and it is to signal that the gospel of salvation must obviously traverse every part of the earth before the return of Christ. The proliferation of missionary activity and religious literature and media in the midst of all the nations provides a continual realization of this sign.

What Do the Epistles Teach About the Signs of the Second Coming?

The Epistles, which were written by apostles, including Paul, Peter, and John, elaborate on the above signs of the Son of Man. They provide additional theological and practical information concerning the circumstances before the second advent of Christ. There are four common themes taught in the Epistles:

1. Great Apostasy or Falling Away from the Faith: In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul describes a period when people who claim to be believers will forsake the fundamentals of Christian faith and instead follow various heresies and secular speculations. This includes a departure from the pure Gospel doctrine, an outbreak of atheism, and the lack of respect for the Word of grace, which occurs primarily within Christendom. For example, certain denominations of theology exalt personal experience or modern culture above the truths of sacred Scripture, resulting in a loss of faith.
2. Rise of the “Man of Sin,” or Antichrist: The man of sin is destined to take his place in the temple of God and proclaim himself as if he is God. This notable one is the secular prince who defies Yahweh and his dominion.
3. Iniquity and Abounding Lawlessness: In the last days, difficult times will come. For nearly twenty acts of sinfulness, the morality of the terminally ill period is defined here. Society will witness such a decline as a result of the outright refusal of God’s criteria and the replacement of it with hedonism and self-interest. Such a state of affairs is, unfortunately, contemporary. People are self-loving, greedy, proud, vain, abusive, disrespectful to parents, ungrateful, impure, disloyal, unloving, quarrelsome, treacherous, demonic, deceitful, careless, cowardly, conceited, selfish, and avaricious and prioritize pleasure got from abusing the love or pleasure of God.
4. Scoffers and Nihilists Denying the Lord’s Promise to Return: “Knowing first of all that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their wicked desires.” The Last days’ mockery comes from men scoffing at Scripture and seeking to belittle both the Prophets, Apostles, and Christ. This type of blasphemy is when they ridicule and mock the prophecy of the Holy Scriptures. Noxious individuals convince themselves that the Traditional Scriptures speak of the Patriarchs, Prophets, and the coming Son of Man. Hence, the number of the scoffers will multiply, shedding a fascinating look upon them and yoking themselves in their habitual and ingrained manner.

What Does the Bible Say About Signs of the Second Coming?

The book of Revelation provides a vivid, highly symbolic description of the end of days with a panorama of visions of Christ’s final victory and of the coming of His kingdom. It presents a series of complicated acts and judgments that are signs of the nearing the Second Advent. There are seven main types of signs found in Revelation:

1. Opening of the Seven Seals (Revelation 6:1-17): This opens a series of judgments, viz, conquest, war, famine, death, martyrdom, signified by the constellated displacements, and silence in heaven. The first four seals open up to four horsemen who symbolize widespread anguish and misery on Earth. For instance, the use of the pale horse indicates a condition of widespread mortality here (death and Hades).
2. Sounding of the Seven Trumpets (Revelation 8:6-9:21; 11:15-19): These introduce a series of devastating events that repentant individuals are to escape, such as a third of the trees and grass being burned, a third of the sea becoming blood, a third of the ships being destroyed, a third of the fresh water becoming bitter, and a third of celestial lights being obscured. These are ranging from hailstones and fire, a burning mountain that is thrown into the sea, a star falling into rivers, and locust plagues.
3. Rise of the Beast and the False Prophet (Revelation 13:1-18): This development reflects the coming of two men who will have colossal world political and religious power, and will require to be worshipped, while imposing a world economic system that can in no way be avoided without the “mark of the Beast.” The Beast, also known as the Antichrist, derives his power from the dragon (Satan) and uses it to make miraculous signs, including bring down fire from Heaven to be witnessed by people of the Earth. The Beast is worshipped, thanks to the False Prophet.
4. Worship of the Beast and His Image (Revelation 14:9-11): This becomes a sign of the end that if denied, will lead to everything from persecution to economic marginalization. This worldwide control system demands worship to the tune of a mark that no man can buy or sell without.
5. Pouring of the Seven Bowls of Wrath (Revelation 16:1-21): These release the last and most severe judgments against those who have remained unrepentant before God and who have worshiped the beast. These range from painful ulcers; the sea turning to blood; rivers turning to blood; searing sun; darkness; drying up of the Euphrates; and massive earthquakes. The sixth bowl, for example, achieves the assembling of the armies for Armageddon.
6. Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16; 19:11–21): The armies of the world come together to fight against Christ and His forces. This final confrontation ends in the crushing defeat of the Beast, the False Prophet, and their minions.
7. Disturbances in the Heavens (Revelation 6:12-14; 8:12): This includes the sun blackening, the moon turning to blood, the stars falling from the sky, and the heavens being shaken. Such heavenly signs, both natural and poetic, mark a disruption of cosmic proportions and the end of the age.

How are the Signs of the Second Coming Interpreted in Different Christian Churches?

Different Christian denominations read the signs of the Second Coming in their own eschatological interpretations of the Bible, which also vary in meaning and account of what the events entail and when they will occur. These interpretations generally fall into three main camps: Pre-millennialism, Post-millennialism, and A-millennialism. These different structures have different angles of the relationship between the return of Christ, the Millennium (the 1,000 years described in Rev. 20), and the fulfillment of the prophetic signs.

What are the Diverse Eschatological Beliefs Regarding the Second Coming?

Three eschatological “lenses” to view biblical prophecy, just as the scattering light of an original light source has numerous specific shades of color (each a distinct spectrum of light) so do the prophecies of eschatology.

Pre-millennialism

Pre-millennialism teaches that Christ will return before a literal one thousand-year reign upon the earth. This perspective is then further divided into two main sub-categories: Dispensational Pre-millennialism and Historic Pre-millennialism.

• Dispensational Pre-millennialists adhere to pre-tribulation rapture, a belief in a pre-tribulation rapture that places the rapture of the church before the “great tribulation.” They take numerous biblical prophecies – including the re-establishment of Israel and the Antichrist – as literal predictions of what has yet to come.
• Historic Pre-millennialists also believe in a literal millennium after Christ’s return, and they usually hold to a post-tribulation rapture theology; that is, believers will experience the tribulation.

In both pre-millennial views, current world events (e.g., wars, famine, powerful political leaders) are direct fulfillments or foreshadowing of specific signs listed in the Bible. Among these prophecies, propounders frequently expect the fulfillment (although sometimes massive and metaphorical) to Israel, a restored as edifice of national temple, and a world government.

Post-millennialism

Post-millennialists believe that Christ will return after a literal/figurative millennium, the terms should be referenced to the belief, in which the nations will be converted or Christianized and the earth experience both a time of great tribulation as well as a time of universal peace and righteousness. Believers in this prophecy say that through the preaching of the gospel and the display of the Holy Spirit’s power, the church will be so effective and worldwide conditions so improved that a “golden age” will be created before Christ’s bodily return. They interpreted the “thousand years” as figurative—a term of indeterminate duration signifying the duration of the Church’s power on earth. From this point of view, the second-coming signs (immorality; widespread apostasy) are viewed as hurdles that the church will surmount, not impending destructive end-time events. They tend to have an optimistic view of the church’s ability to remake society and to understand advances in realms like social justice and global evangelization as evidence of the kingdom’s advancing.

A-millennialism

A-millennialism denies the literal thousand years reign of Christ on Earth. Rather, the “thousand years” of Revelation 20 is taken as symbolic of the age of the church between the 2 advents of Christ, or of the spiritual reign of Christ who reigns in heaven and in the hearts of believers. A-millennialists consider the church as the spiritual Israel and see many of the Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled in Christ and the church. They understand the signs of the Second Coming, including wars, famines, and the decay of righteousness, as circumstances that have existed since the beginning of time and will continue until the advent of Christ. These signs are viewed as general demonstrations of the fallen state of the world and the continuing spiritual war, but not as closer fulfillment of a specific end. They don’t look for a rapture separated by time from their own tribulation, which is the same as that of all Christians in history. All three positions accept that the Second Coming is a certainty, while differing on the specifics of what will take place before and during the Second Coming.

What is Happening in the World Today to Fulfill Prophecies About the Return of Jesus Christ?

Many modern world events are interpreted by a large portion of Christians as containing fulfillment of Second Coming prophecies as outlined particularly in a pre-millennial understanding. There are 5 classes of world occasions often referred to:

1. Global Chaos and Geopolitical Rumblings: As global chaos and geopolitical rumblings increase, they are fulfilling predicted prophecies of “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6). Regional wars, proxy wars, and the advancement of sophisticated weapons technology also make many feel the world is becoming more turbulent – something some believe is reflected in biblical warnings about increasing world chaos. Intercity wars such as those occurring today in the Middle East and in Eastern Europe, as well as growing international rivalries, are commonly assumed to be examples of global warfare.
2. Rising Tide of Natural Disasters: With the rising tide of natural disasters – such as earthquakes, tsunamis, extreme weather patterns, and devastating famines – many of which are directly related to “earthquakes in divers places, and famines and pestilences” (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11). The evidence by scientists that natural disasters have increased over the past few decades is what some believe are the “birth pains” told of by Jesus. For example, we view as fulfilling those signs severe drought, record flooding, and major earthquakes throughout the continents.
3. Development of Global Forms of Governance and Economy: This is sometimes linked with end-times prophecies of a world system and the mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:16-17). Some believe that discussions about global teamwork, digital money, and worldwide ID systems are signposts leading to the centralized authority of Revelation. These are just two examples of what some believe is a prelude to a system where a specified permission is required in order to buy or sell.
4. Advance of the Gospel into Every Place: This is a fulfillment of the prediction that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). This would be seen in the availability of the Bible in hundreds of languages, the spread of Christian broadcasting, and the expansion of missionary work into places previously unevangelized.
5. Spiritual Deterioration and Apostasy: This is perceived as consistent with the warnings concerning a “falling away” and “false Christs and false prophets” (2 Thessalonians 2:3; Matthew 24:24). Evidences of this spiritual rottenness are to be found in the disparagement of traditional ideals and moral standards, the undermining of biblical authority, and the proliferation of spiritual movements which have departed from the historic Christian faith. For instance, secularization in the Western world and the rise of syncretic spirituality are considered to have fulfilled these prophetic warnings.

What are the Moral and Religious Conditions of the Age to Which the Second Advent Pertains?

The predicted moral and spiritual atmosphere at the end of this age indicates a serious counterfeit of moral righteousness and growing spiritual deception along with a committed remnant of believers. These are not coincidental circumstances but are signs of necessity which accompany the return of Christ, as a world which is more and more opposed to God. The Bible describes this kind of moral degeneration as selfishness, hedonism, and rebellion against God. At the same time, we are in for an even greater spiritual warfare of apostasy and heresy to deceive the world.

What Does the Bible Say Will Be the Condition of Faith and Apostasy Before the Second Coming?

The Bible predicts that the condition of faith and apostasy before the Lord returns will grow increasingly calamitous as the emergence of the man of sin nears, causing the majority of humanity to abandon the Bible’s truth. There are 4 unique traits of this era:

1. General “Falling Away” from the Bible, or Apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1): This credits a conscious repudiation, denied the Christians of his day a right to even claim faith in Christ, but a falling away from the true faith. It contains a repudiation of objective reality; of certain articles of the faith — who Jesus Christ is, what the Scripture is, what sin is. For instance, certain theological undercurrents in Christianity reframe central teachings to suit current cultural fashions, watering down the message.
2. Outbreak of False Teachers and Prophets (Matthew 24:11, 24; 2 Peter 2:1): These, perverting the scriptures, will introduce destructive heresies, deny the Lord who bought them and bring swift destruction upon themselves; and many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. They will constantly appeal to peoples’ lust for money, power of self-gratification, turning them from a true belief. History and current events offer ample evidence of cult leaders and spiritual movements that have taken people off course with teachings that go against traditional Christian belief.
3. Diminished Real Faith: This is reflected in the words of Jesus’ question, “When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8). This question implies that genuine, saving faith is not going to be widespread in the latter days, an indication of widespread spiritual indifference and a lack of full devotion to God. A lot of people will go on “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5), that is, it’s possible to keep up the external acts of religion and yet have no internal conversion or loyalty to it.
4. Lawlessness and Cooling of Love: “And because of increased wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12), revealing a reduction of soft-heartedness, empathy, and morality. It is this spiritual coolness that adds to the disunion of society and of feeling for others and leaves people further from the command of God. Increased rates of criminal activity, social discontent, and “general lawlessness” are cited as evidence of this accelerating decline of ethics in many regions of the world.

What is the Role of Natural Disasters and Social Chaos as Signs of the Second Coming?

Natural disasters and political turmoil have a large place, as precursors of the Second Coming, tokens of the near end of the age. These events are not only reported as random events but as divinely ordered “birth pains” that escalate as the time of Christ’s return approaches. There are three archetypes that such entities play:

1. Large-scale Catastrophes: Such as earthquakes, famines, and epidemic diseases will occur with alarming regularity and intensity (cf. Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11). These things are directly referenced in Scripture where Jesus says “All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:8) meaning that they have an escalation, will get progressively worse in time. And there will be earthquakes in “divers places”, implying that it will be a world-wide occurrence. Famines will bring mass hunger and death, frequently accompanied by conflict and environmental degradation. Diseases (or pestilence) come riding into populations, with much to kill and disrupt. While several major earthquakes have hit in this century (the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake), along with repeated global pandemics and localized famines in different parts of the world, some see these fulfilling such prophecies.
2. Social Turmoil: We will see this in wars, disputes, and social unrests (Matthew 24:6-7; Luke 21:9-10). Jesus warns of the “wars and rumors of wars” and that “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Not just situations of international armed conflicts, but internal disturbances, ethnic tensions, and atrocities within States. Competition for power, ideological confrontation, and economic inequality combine to create an environment of uncertainty and rivalry. The several wars and revolutions and terrorist activities happening all over the world support such an ongoing existence of social turmoil.
3. Distress of Nations with Perplexity (Luke 21:25): This is simply put, anxiety and confusion among the nations as to what will follow. And that includes the fear and dread of people who see that they are powerless before nature and impotent to tame human folly. The helplessness, insecurity, and fear is also a product of the kinds of political and social systems that are increasingly incapable to deal effectively with the mounting problems that plague the planet, with climate change, economic crises, and mass migrations. This confusion of nations is seen, for example, in the mental health crisis, political polarization, worry about the future in general. These earthquakes and social meteorological destabilizations together paint a picture of a world in turmoil, a world preparing for the endgame, for the divine judgment and vindication of human history and experience.

What Do Christians Believe About the End of the World?

Christian eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology dealing with the “last things.” Eschatology, from two Greek words meaning “last” (ἔσχατος) and “study” (-λογία), is the study of ‘end things’, whether the end of an individual life, the end of the age, the end of the world, and the nature of the Kingdom of God. It examines biblical prophecies and teachings concerning the climax of the present age and the coming of God’s eternal kingdom.

What is the Rapture?

The Rapture is a theological concept most closely associated with the branch of evangelical Christianity called Dispensational Pre-millennialism, which teaches that the true believers will be taken from earth to meet Christ in the air either before or in conjunction with the end time tribulation. It derives from passages such as 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, in which believers “shall be caught up together… in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”

What is the Great Tribulation?

The Great Tribulation is a biblical concept referring to the end times, a time when people will experience worldwide hardship and suffering, during the 7-year period leading up to the return of Jesus Christ. There are devastating world events, persecution of the saints, and the Antichrist.

What is the Antichrist?

The Antichrist is someone whom the Bible predicts will oppose Christ and deceive many towards the end of the age, particularly described in 1 John and the Book of Revelation – having great political and spiritual power. He is also called the “man of lawlessness” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

What is the Millennium?

The Millennium is the thousand years described in Revelation 20, when Christ is supposed to rule earth. Interpretations differ, with some viewing the “thousand years” as symbolic of the time period between the First and Second Coming of Christ, with the saints reigning with Christ for the entire period of time, while others, such as with Pre-millennialism, view the future earthly rule of Christ as during the one-thousand years, and still others believe that the “thousand years” should be understood literally.

What Does the New Heaven and New Earth Mean?

The New Heaven and New Earth is a term used in the Bible to refer to the final state of the universe as described in the Book of Revelation and elsewhere in the Bible. It proclaims a fresh new creation, a creation where sin, suffering, and death will be no more, the very fulfillment of God’s redemptive purpose.