Christ's Return - The Facts

HE IS COMING —BUT NOT WHEN YOU THINK: 

The Truth About Christ’s Return

---

> “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

— Matthew 24:44

One question burns through every generation of believers: 

"How soon will Jesus be back?"

Our human hearts long for justice, renewal, and the final vindication of all things we perceive as, "wrongs." But in our zeal to see things made right, we miss the deeper truth of what Christ’s return really demands of us?

Let us walk through what Christ's one and only church - the Catholic Church - teaches about it — not only what to know, but how to live as we await the glorious return of our King.

--

⛔ THE QUESTION THAT TESTS EVERY AGE

> “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

— Mark 13:32

✦ THE MYSTERY OF TIME

🔹 God does not measure time as we do. He is eternal.

🔹 Christ’s return is not delayed by our reckoning; it is perfectly timed in God’s providence.

🔹 Attempts to predict the date of His coming insult both the mystery and the mercy of God.

📖 2 Peter 3:8 — “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

---

⚖️ WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES — AND WHAT IT CORRECTS

> “Christ ascended into heaven and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” — Nicene Creed

✦ DOGMATIC TEACHINGS ON THE PAROUSIA (Christ's Second Coming)

🔹 Christ will return bodily and gloriously.

🔹 The world will not end before the Gospel is preached to all nations. (Matthew 24:14). 

As long as there are people to hear His plan for salvation,  we wait for His coming.

🔹 A final trial will precede His return, involving great deception and persecution (CCC §675).

🟡 Do NOT believe the following errors, should you hear them:

Jesus is already back secretly ➜ ✖️ (Matthew 24:26–27)

We can calculate the year or season by interpreting scripture ➜ ✖️ (Acts 1:7)

Earthly peace will increase gradually until Christ returns ➜ ✖️ (2 Timothy 3:1–5)

---

🌎 CATEGORIES OF SIGNS - AND MISUNDERSTOOD PROPHECIES

> “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars… nation will rise against nation… there will be famines and earthquakes…” — Matthew 24:6–7

✦ NATURAL SIGNS

🟢 Earthquakes, climate disturbances, plagues

🟢 Cosmic events (darkened sun, falling stars)

🟢 These intensify—but don’t set a timeline

✦ MORAL DECAY AND PERSECUTION

🔺 A culture of selfishness, impurity, and mockery of God’s law

🔺 Growing hostility toward the faithful

📖 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 — “Let no one deceive you… for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first.”

---

👑 WHAT HIS RETURN WILL BRING

✦ FOUR MAJOR EVENTS

🌟 1. The Resurrection of the Dead

📖 John 5:28–29 — “All who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out…”

🌟 2. The Final Judgment

📖 Matthew 25:31–46 — “He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats…”

🌟 3. The New Heaven and New Earth

📖 Revelation 21:1 — “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…”

🌟 4. The Full Manifestation of God’s Kingdom

📖 1 Corinthians 15:24 — “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father…”

---

💡 HOW SHOULD WE LIVE UNTIL THEN?

> “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find doing so when he comes.” — Luke 12:43

✦ THE CATHOLIC RESPONSE IS NOT FEARFUL PASSIVITY, BUT ACTION

🔹 Be Watchful

🟢 Stay awake spiritually. Refuse mediocrity.

🟢 Stay close to the Sacraments—Confession and the Eucharist keep you ready.

🔹 Be Mission-Oriented

🟢 Evangelize as if Christ could come tomorrow.

🟢 Witness by your life, even in a hostile world.

🔹 Be Holy in Ordinary Life

🟢 Mother raising her children with love

🟢 A just employer who treats workers with dignity

🟢 A priest faithfully shepherding a parish

All await Christ not by retreating but by being fully present in faith and love.

---

🔍 BLINDSPOTS THAT NEED EXPOSURE

🚫 Blindspot #1: 

Obsession with Signs, Portents, and Interpretation of Scripture 

📖 Luke 17:20 — “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed…”

🚫 Blindspot #2: 

Fatalism or Fear

Some say, “The world is so evil; what’s the point?” But God never calls us to despair. His plan calls for our trust in Him.

📖 Romans 5:20 — “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”

🚫 Blindspot #3: 

False Security in Prosperity

Comfort dulls our spiritual senses. Jesus warned:

📖 Luke 21:34 — “Beware lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness…”

🚫 Blindspot #4: Forgetting Mary and the Saints

Mary is the image of the Church in glory. Her Assumption is our preview. She prays for our readiness.

📖 Revelation 12:1 — “A woman clothed with the sun…” (a Marian image tied to the End Times)

---

🛡️ CLOSING CALL: LIVE AS IF HE COULD RETURN TODAY—BECAUSE HE CAN

> “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake.”

— Revelation 16:15

💠 Final Example:

St. Francis of Assisi was asked: “What would you do if Christ were to return today?”

He answered: “I would finish hoeing my garden.”

🌱 Holiness isn’t only found in the extraordinary or miraculous — rhats the exception. Rather holiness comes through us living an ordinary life with extraordinary faith

Jose Maria Escrivá

---

📘 SUMMARY BULLET POINTS

🔴 You don’t know the hour—but you do know your mission. Stick to it.

🟠 Christ’s return isn’t something to fear, but to long for.

🟡 Do not waste your time calculating dates, or listening to those who claim special or 'secret' knowledge —use your time preparing your soul.

🟢 Live Eucharistically: with gratitude, vigilance, and readiness.

🔵 Your everyday faithfulness IS your preparation.

🟣 Stay close to the Virgin Mary, the Saints, and the Sacraments.

---

Reflection

Let us not get caught up wondering ask , "How soon?" "When?" "Why doesnt he hurry, whats he waiting for, etc.?" 

Rather, ask only one question: "How ready am I to meet Him today?"

All you do thereafter should be part of the answer. He will return. Will He find faith—and you—ready?