How and where will Jesus return?

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While Jesus, the two men in white robes (angels), and Paul leave no doubt that Jesus’ return will be a “literal” (physical) event that will take place in time and space, they do not clarify how that “space” should be understood. In our present experience, only a limited number of people can witness a physical event such as the appearance of a person, satellite television notwithstanding. What people see on the television screen is an image of a physical event, but not the physical event itself (apart from the fact that such an interpretation is anachronistic and thus irrelevant for understanding the biblical text written in the first century).

Jesus’ first coming was full of surprises: only shepherds were present, not the powerful chief priests of Jerusalem nor the learned scribes or the pious Pharisees. And when he was crucified even his followers gave up, sad and disillusioned, only to be surprised on Easter morning by Jesus’ resurrection. The Old Testament Scriptures had not prophesied these details about the coming of the Savior. We should thus not be surprised if we find it difficult to understand the details of Jesus’ second coming


Schnabel, E. J. (2011). 40 Questions about the End Times. (B. L. Merkle, Ed.) (p. 254). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional.

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