Jesus' Second Coming - Always Perceived to be Soon

The Second Coming is Coming Soon

Jesus' Second Coming is often spoken of as soon by believers and this is sometimes scoffed at by non-believers. While it is getting towards 2000 years since the Bible was written, Christians today are in good company when they proclaim their belief in an imminent Second Coming. Many Bible writers even in the Old Testament seemed to look for events to happen very soon.

This attitude can be traced as far back as the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 4:1 Eve said "I have gotten a man from the LORD." The literal Hebrew for this is "I have begotten a man, the LORD." Eve had heard the promise:

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Gen 3:15)

Eve looked for a speedy fulfillment of the promise not knowing that it would come more like 4000 years in the future before it would be fulfilled.

Here are other verses showing that various Bible writers thought Jesus' Second Coming was soon; that they were living in the last days or that time was very short:

"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; " (Joel 2:1)

"For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head." (Obad 15)

"The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly." (Zeph 1:14)

"And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt 3:2)

"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:" (Acts 2:16-17)

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.." (Rom 13:11)

"And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." (Rom 16:20)

"But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;" (1 Cor 7:29)

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (1 Cor 10:11)

"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." (Phil 4:5)

Paul seemed to understand that he and those he was writing to could yet be alive at Jesus' Second Coming.

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep." (1 Thess 4:15)

"Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;" (Heb 1:2)

"For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Heb 9:26)

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Heb 10:25)

"For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." (Heb 10:37)

"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." (Jam 5:8)

"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." (1 Pet 4:7)

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." (1 John 2:18)

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:" (Rev 1:1)

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." (Rev 1:3)

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Rev 3:11)

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Rev 22:12)

Even Martin Luther, hundreds of years ago, felt the same conviction; that he would soon see Jesus' Second Coming:

"I will not permit anyone to rob me of my opinion that the day of the Lord in not far hence. This conviction is forced upon me by the signs that I see." (Martin Luther)

Many Bible writers, as we see from this, thought that these things would shortly come to pass. Is it possible that what they wrote was even more so written for us?

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (1 Cor 10:11)

So, if you believe and are looking for Jesus' Second Coming to happen soon, you are in good company. This goes along with what we are told in Revelation:

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:" (Rev 1:1)