I don’t think I need to remind you about all the crazy things going on in the world today. If you haven’t given any thought today to the rioting happening throughout the nation, then you’ve probably been worrying about the coronavirus.
In my area, we’ve just begun to get over worrying about earthquakes. With all the craziness set on high, you’ve probably wondered when the Savior Jesus Christ is coming and how far off that might be.
When Is the Savior Coming?
I’m not going to be pretending that by an intensive study of 30 different ancient languages and texts of the Bible, and by the divining of Nosferatu’s writings I’ve managed to nail down the date of the Second Coming.
I have done the math and can tell you for certainty that there is a 1 in 7 chance that the Second Coming will happen on a Wednesday. A benevolent God would have it happen on a Monday morning before work, while a vengeful God would wait until Friday evening around 5:00 just as the work week ends.
All joking aside, making predictions about the exact date is a very slim branch to be climbing out on, especially when the scriptures tell us the exact opposite of knowing when the Second Coming will be.
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” – Matthew 24:36
“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. – Mark 13:32
So, if you run across anyone who claims to know the date of the second coming, you can listen politely and then walk away with a surety that you know something they don’t know…
In 1996 M. Russell Ballard spoke to the student body at Brigham Young University:
Now, with the Lord’s help, I would like to speak to you about a subject that is on a lot of people’s minds. My intention is not to alarm or to frighten but to discuss the significant and interesting times in which we are now living, to consider some of the events and circumstances we can anticipate in the future, and to suggest a few things we can all do to fortify ourselves and our families for the challenges and trials that will surely come into all of our lives at one time or another.
Toward the end of the Savior’s ministry, His disciples came to Him with several questions all centered around one key prophetic event: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).
Two thousand years ago, Christ’s followers were concerned about that. Every generation of believers since then, I think, has been concerned about the last days to one degree or another. So the Lord’s response to His disciples is meaningful to all of us. To the first question—“When shall these things be?”—He said, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (see Matthew 24:3–4). That is very significant.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. [Matthew 24:5–7]
I want to pause here for a moment and suggest to you, if you haven’t been aware, that some of these things seem to be occurring with ever-increasing regularity. If you measured the natural disasters that have occurred in the world during the last ten years and plotted that year by year, you would see an acceleration.
The earth is rumbling, and earthquakes are occurring in “divers places.” Human nature being what it is, we don’t normally pay much attention to these natural phenomena until they happen close to where we are living. But when we contemplate what has happened during the past decade, not only with earthquakes but also with regard to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and the like, you would see an accelerating pattern.
So can we use this scientific data to extrapolate that the Second Coming is likely to occur during the next few years, or the next decade, or the next century? Not really. I am called as one of the apostles to be a special witness of Christ in these exciting, trying times, and I do not know when He is going to come again. As far as I know, none of my brethren in the Council of the Twelve or even in the First Presidency know. And I would humbly suggest to you, my young brothers and sisters, that if we do not know, then nobody knows, no matter how compelling their arguments or how reasonable their calculations. The Savior said that “of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36).
I believe when the Lord says “no man” knows, it really means that no man knows. You should be extremely wary of anyone who claims to be an exception to divine decree. But while the exact timing of the Second Coming remains in doubt, there is no question that scriptural prophecy relative to that momentous and sacred event is being fulfilled, sometimes in remarkable ways.
Even though we have established that no man knoweth the day of the Savior’s return, I’m going to go out on that very thin limb and make a prediction. The uncertainty caused by the virus, the failing economy, protests and rioting, and earthquakes can feel like this is the end, but I’m going to make my prediction as “not today”. And in saying this I’m predicting it’s not happening today as I write this, not your today as you read. For all I know by the time you’re reading this, it could be your today.
What’s Next?
Every time a prophet or apostle has spoken about the Second Coming they’ve always been optimistic about the future. Jesus Christ says in Matthew 24:6, “see that ye be not troubled”. We should be practicing our faith every day and trusting in the Lord to bless us as only He can. He knows our needs better than we know them.
Our lives seem to be put on hold as we shelter away from the rest of society to prevent ourselves from getting sick, but imagine the quiet blessings we’ve been given in this period. We are less busy, so we can spend more time studying the scriptures. There’s so much uplifting media available online for your viewing pleasure. Get to know your family who you might have been neglecting because of your busyness.
Above all remember that things will only get better before they get worse, or is it get worse before it gets better. It’s really hard to say… But, ultimately, in the end, things will get a whole lot better for those who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And since the Lord is not coming today, I’m going to try and make the best of it and have faith.
Look up to God and live!