Adventists are setting new dates for Jesus’ Second Coming: 2016, 2022, 2030, 2031, and the list goes on. Let’s face it - They cannot all be right. Can we know the date or the year? Also check out this thorough study: http://www.empowermissions.org/jesus-second-coming-in-2031-conspiracy-victor-sanvicens/

<p>Adventists are setting new dates for Jesus’ Second Coming: 2016, 2022, 2030, 2031, and the list goes on. Let’s face it - They cannot all be right. Can we know the date or the year? Also check out this thorough study: http://www.empowermissions.org/jesus-second-coming-in-2031-conspiracy-victor-sanvicens/</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Empower Missions

Christian Hjortland

Can We Know the Year of Jesus’ Second Coming?

Today we're going to take a look at the question can we know the time of Christ coming as some are asking this question I would like to give some biblical principles so we can see if or what the Bible says and what the Bible teaches on this matter so we will briefly today look at some guidelines.

In Matthew 24 Jesus is giving the signs right before he's coming back and in this chapter with a lot of signs in the midst of there Jesus says at least 3 times but the day and hour knoweth no man.

In verse 36, know not the angels of heaven but my father only.

And then it says, watch therefore for you know not what hour your Lord hath come.

And then it says, be also ready for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh and then in chapter 25 verse 13 watch therefore for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh Sadly in spite of all this Christians, Christian after Christian have been setting a time for Christ's coming and it has failed over and over again.

Jesus warned us and not only once or twice but 3 or even more times through this chapter through this passage in the bible because he knew that this was going to take place but the warning is still there.

Now what does the word day and hour mean in Greek?

Obviously it means literally what it says day in the hour but also this word could be taken in a figuratively way and meaning a period or age time and even years so and the word the word that this is the day for the word for day the word for our could also mean season or time so we could apply to the seasons of the year Ellen White she made this statement in the View and Herald November 27 in the year 1900 she says God gives no man a message that it will be 5 years or 10 years or 20 years before this earth's history shall close you know it's pretty clear that here God's prophet is referring to the word of God and she says, she's even using the term year.

This will never be a message from God coming that we would even know the year.

In fact a less known passage in Acts chapter 1 verse 7 it's quite an interesting context here because Jesus had just told the disciples you shall be baptized with a holy ghost not many days hence and the disciples then ask him Lord will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel so Just as the disciples wanted to know when is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they also wanted to know when is it coming.

And Christ's answer in Acts 1, verse 7 is this.

It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the father hath put in his own power the same as I said in Matthew 24 only the father knows this so now it's extending even in the literal language to times and seasons This is not for us to know and in fact Elamitie comments on this and she has a whole sermon about this called it's not for you to know times and the seasons or something similar And so she's talking about this and many interesting points in this sermon.

We don't have the time unfortunately to go through all of them, but she says, The times and seasons God has put in his own power.

And why has not God given us this knowledge?

Because we would not make a right use of it if he did.

A condition of things would result from this knowledge among our people that would greatly retard the work of God in preparing a people to stand in the great day that is to come." So in other words we will not make good use of it if we were to know it.

So this is why God has been withholding this from us and she goes on to say we are not to be engrossed with speculations in regard to the times and the seasons which God has not revealed.

Jesus has told his disciples to watch but not for definite time.

She goes on to say his followers are to be in the position of those who are listening for the orders of their captain.

They are to watch, wait, pray and work as they approach the time for the coming of the Lord.

No 1 will be able to predict just when that time will come and then she quotes for all that day or an hour knoweth no man.

Okay so here she's quoting this very passage that we looked at the day in the hour which figuratively can also mean time in general seasons and even years And then she goes on to apply it in this figurative way and say, you will not be able to say that he will come in 1, 2 or 5 years.

Neither are you to put off his coming by saying that it may not be for 10 or 20 years.

We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ.

Friends, Jesus wants us to have a constant expectation of Christ's coming, an attitude of waiting for his coming and be ready constantly.

Now another important point from scripture is God will cut the last day short.

In Matthew 24 verse 22 he says and except those days should be shortened there should no flesh be saved but for elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Here he refers maybe more specifically to the 1260 days that has been fulfilled but I also think this applies to the very end and and you want to know why?

In Romans chapter 9 it's even clearer that this is talking about the end so Romans chapter 9 verse 27 and 28 says Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea a remnant shall be saved so this is talking about the very end right and then he says in verse 28 for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because the short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

So if God says, I'm gonna cut the work short in the very end, as I'm gonna gather a remnant, I'm gonna cut it short, Can we trust it or not?

Now, also we can learn from scripture from Revelation chapter 10, verse 6, that there is not going to be any more prophetic time after the last period that was fulfilled in 1844, the 2300 days.

Now the the verse is this and swear by him, verse 6, that live forever and ever who created heaven and the things that are that therein are and the earth and the things that therein are and the sea and the things which are therein that there should be time no longer.

Now this is not referring to time in general.

If you study this chapter chapter 10 you will understand that this is talking about when a time of judgment started.

That was in 1844 and in fact Ellen White she comments on this text and she makes this statement over and over again.

She says here for instance in Selected Messages volume 2 page 73, the Lord has been pleased to show me.

So when God's prophet says God is showing me.

She says the Lord has been pleased to show me that there would be no definite time in the message given of God since 1844.

Without a words we cannot trace any definite time in regards to prophecy.

She continues to say in manuscript releases I was shown that we should not have another definite time to proclaim to the people aha okay and then another statement where actually this is the same a few pages later she says this ever since 1844 I have born my testimony that we are that we were now in a period of time in which we are to take heed to ourselves lest our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that they so that they come upon us unawares our position has been 1 of waiting and watching with no time proclamation to intervene what did you say No time proclamation to intervene between the close of the prophetic periods in 1844.

The close of prophetic periods in 1844 and the time our Lord's coming when I was nothing.

We do not know the day nor the hour or when the definite time is and yet the prophetic reckoning shows us that Christ is at the door when sister white talks about definite time it also includes the year we see that if you look if you study what she says about this you will find that.

In fact we read this as the first quote here the longer quote from Review and Herald.

She talked about definite time and then she mentioned also the years.

So knowing the definite time of Christ's coming also include the year.

The bible states so and she quotes you know when Christ says the day and the hour because this is not only a literal meaning it's a figurative way of speaking as the Greek implies also is possible.

Now something that's important to consider when a message is given because you know there are several so-called prophecies and new light out there and now some people say Christ will come back in 2022, Christ will come back in 2030, Christ will come back in 2031 you know.

All of these they are pointing to Sister White, they're pointing to the Bible.

This is what they're based in the belief upon and friends not all of these 3 can be correct we know that I mean that's quite logical now let's face it we have already seen quite clearly that the Bible states we cannot know times and seasons, day and the year.

Now there are no prophecy in the Word of God or perhaps at least we could say this is 1 of the few that has so many signs connected to it, Christ second coming.

So if this is true why would God also give a time?

Now We need to ask some questions when looking at such theories.

1 important thing is to look at the fruits.

The fruits of these people, the fruits of the teachings.

And if you look at the fruits of the teachings of time proclamation in the past, all of them are bad.

People are losing faith people start doubting and leave the church and get so excited about this 1 prophecy that everything is centered around it you know And then a big disappointment and people just leave the faith and lose hope.

So we have to ask, is Christ in the center?

Do they have Christ in the center of the sermons?

Do they teach practical Christianity and so on?

Now friends with my own eyes and also some of my friends out there have been telling me what they have been observing so I've observed this myself and friends have been telling me that people that hold on to these theories and even people that preach them, you know what the fruits are?

They're criticizing the church, leading others to do the same.

They put themselves in the judgment seat, proclaims that the church has fallen or is about to fall.

These are just some examples of the fruits and some people are like, why should I go to church?

If Christ is not coming back in so many years?

If there is already a set date if we could do nothing of this I can just I would rather spend my time doing something else.

So these are some of the fruits and these fruits were even worn by God's prophet would happen when we are doing this.

So it's just, it should just prove that these things are right.

What the Bible says and what the spiritual prophecy says.

Now another important point is in the Word of God is talking about that we can hasten the Lord's coming.

In 2nd Peter for instance chapter 3 is talking there you know in in verse 12 looking for and hastening and he's turning on to the coming of the day of God so here in this context is talking about how the Lord will come as a thief in the night and so on and it says looking for and what Hastening the coming of the day of the Lord and you know what the word in Greek means?

With other words can we speed up Christ's coming?

Yes I believe so because the Word of God says so.

And it's talking about what manner of person, verse 11, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.

You know the mystery of God will be revealed to the world in the very end.

The glory of God's character is going to be revealed to the whole world.

It's going to be filled with his glory and we're going to take part in this important work.

So if we're going to take part in this work, if we're going to finish this work, if God has called us to do this work, then of course the work will depend on how we cooperate with God because he has entrusted us with his work.

That is a great privilege but also a great responsibility.

And as the Spirit of Prophecy says in Christ's Orbit Lessons, chapter 3, in the end there from page 69 it says some very interesting things regarding these verses and listen carefully.

When the fruit is brought forth immediately he puteth in the sickle because the harvest is come.

Christ is waiting for longing desire for the manifestation of himself in his church.

When the character of Christ shall be what?

Then he will come to claim them as his own.

Can We Know the Year of Jesus’ Second Coming?

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