Could the End Come Tomorrow?

Many who believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ regard His return as imminent—in the sense of thinking it could occur at any moment. Others understand that His return must be preceded by a calamitous period of tribulation—as part of a timeline of final events. Yet many among these believe that the tribulation period could start immediately, with Jesus’ coming shortly afterward.

What does Scripture say? Could the end be tomorrow? This is a big subject, and we can only sketch out an overview in this short article. But we’ll also direct you to more in-depth study guides and resources to help fill in more details on what the Bible tells us.

Could Christ return at any moment?

Jesus Himself said that no one would know the exact timing of His coming (see Matthew 24:42-44). We’re further told that Christ’s return and end-time calamity will come on the world as a thief in the night—taking most by complete surprise (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Yet we’re further told that for God’s faithful people who are watching, the day will not overtake us as a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:4).

Jesus gave definite signs of the approach of His coming, including increasing turmoil and calamities (see Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). As we look out over the world scene, there are many indications that we are in what Scripture refers to as the latter days or the time of the end. You can learn more about that in our free study guide Are We Living in the Time of the End?

But are we at the very end—with Jesus about to appear at any time?

Many who think Christ could suddenly arrive without any warning whenever believe in a secret rapture—wherein He will secretly whisk His followers away to heaven prior to the Great Tribulation. Yet Scripture makes it plain that at Christ’s return “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7)—“as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west” (Matthew 24:27).

And Christ’s followers will not be raised up to meet Him at His return until the conclusion of the end-time tribulation period (Matthew 24:29-31). They will remain as human beings on earth through this period of 1,260 days or 3½ years, the last part of which is a year-long period known as the Day of the Lord (see, for example, Revelation 12:14-17 and Isaiah 34:8, and to further understand this period read our free study guides The Book of Revelation Unveiled and The Rapture vs. the Bible).

So, no—Christ cannot return tomorrow. The Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord must occur first.

Of course, for any of us death could be minutes or seconds away—at which point we will be unconscious until resurrected in the future, when we will meet Jesus. So there is always that personal urgency for us to keep in perspective no matter what is happening in the world.

Could the Great Tribulation start tomorrow?

Now, could the Great Tribulation begin tomorrow? Some imagine so, but the answer is again no. A number of things must happen before that. Here are a few of the preceding conditions or events still ahead of us—which we should be on the lookout for.

1. Further decline of the modern nations of Israel.

That includes more than the modern Israeli state and the Jewish people. As explained in our comprehensive study guide The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy, America and the nations of British heritage are the foremost representatives of the Israelites today. And many prophecies and promises about Israel in Scripture concern these modern nations descended from ancient Israel. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 record blessings for national obedience to God and curses for disobedience—which still apply.

These passages describe increasing punishment for sins, with calamities increasing over time until final destruction comes suddenly. That’s what happened to both ancient Israel and Judah. God sent escalating problems the people were supposed to learn from, such as terrible droughts (see Jeremiah 12:4; Jeremiah 14:1-6; compare Haggai 1:9-11). They also were increasingly weakened before foreign enemies, becoming subject to them and eventually invaded by them and deported into captivity and slavery.

Many prophecies warn of these things happening again in the end time on a larger scale. The final Great Tribulation period is actually called the time of Jacob’s (or Israel’s) trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). With the vast power of the United States on the world scene today relative to other nations, this calamity seems yet a ways off.

We are not there yet. Of course, things could change rapidly if we see an increase of natural disasters, internal fragmentation, lawlessness, terrorism, epidemics and collective confusion—all of which are also foretold.

It should be noted that after ancient Israel split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, the height of wealth and power for the northern kingdom came under King Jeroboam II. It was 20 years later that the nation was devastated and taken into captivity—following a period of decline and paying tribute to Assyria. That’s not very long—and things could of course progress even faster.

2. A powerful Europe with an ascendant church dominating the world economic system.

As explained in our free study guide The Final Superpower, a union of 10 political powers rooted in the ancient Roman Empire will come together under a supreme leader as the last revival of what the book of Revelation calls the Beast. In partnership with a great false Christian religion and its leader, called the False Prophet in Revelation, this will be a restoration of the church-state union known to history as the Holy Roman Empire. (Refer also to our recent articles on the mark of the Beast in the in our July-August issue.)

Europe is very secular in its outlook today. It seems that it will take some time to swing back to a church-state partnership. The Bible does foretell signs and wonders from the false church that can speed this up. And an attack on European Christendom could cause a backlash (see point 4).

While Revelation 17 presents the religious side of this wayward system known as Babylon, chapter 18 reveals its commercial side, through which the world’s merchants are enriched. This chapter finds parallels in Ezekiel 27, which presents the ancient trading power of Tyre as a forerunner of the end-time system—and appears to apply in a dual sense to the future (see our online Bible commentary on Ezekiel 27). And here we see Israel and Judah among the many international traders in this system (Ezekiel 27:17).

Ancient Israel and Judah entered entangling alliances with foreign powers and ended up reliant on them and paying tribute to them—until they tried to break free and ended up conquered and destroyed. God warned His people, both ancient and modern, not to put their trust in these “lovers” who would ultimately betray them (see Jeremiah 3; 4; 22; Ezekiel 16; 23; Hosea 2). Likewise, the revived European Beast power will in the end bring destruction on the United States and nations of British descent. It will be seen as the leading military power (Revelation 13:4).

Today, the present power dynamic has the United States far and away preeminent above other nations. A lot must change to shift hegemony to Europe.

3. A reinstitution of the sacrificial system in Jerusalem—to later be cut off.

The prophecy of Daniel 11 shows that a foreign northern ruler would come to dominate the Holy Land, persecute the Jewish people and cause a defilement of the temple sanctuary, setting up an “abomination of desolation,” with daily sacrifices stopped (Daniel 11:30-32). As our free study guide The Middle East in Bible Prophecy covers in detail, this came to pass in the second century B.C. under the Greek Syrian ruler Antiochus Epiphanes.

Yet Jesus referred to this abomination as a future event that would usher in the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15-22)—showing Daniel’s prophecy to have dual application to the end time. Daniel 12 also shows the sacrifices being stopped—evidently 1,290 days before Daniel himself is resurrected, which will occur at Jesus’ return ( Daniel 12: 9-13; see also Daniel 8:11-17).

For the sacrifices to be cut off, they will necessarily have to begin anew, and in these contexts we also see mention of a sanctuary or holy place, which will need to be in some phase of development (Daniel 8:11-13, 17; Matthew 24:15). This system is obviously not yet functioning again, but Jewish groups have been preparing, with recreating temple accoutrements and practicing rituals.

We have yet to see what will enable this to happen. Some speculate it will come through a period of Israeli dominance against enemies. Others think it will come in a time of desperation as a last resort against national destruction. Again, something else to be watching for.

4. A southern power bloc that pushes against Europe.

Daniel 11 goes on to show that at the time of the end, a southern political power in the Middle East will ram against the northern power, followed by massive retaliation (Daniel 11:40-43). Historically, the northern power of Syria was subsumed into the Roman Empire—so that the northern power in the end-time will be the Roman revival in Europe. The southern power in ancient times was Egypt. It may well be again at the end, though Egypt has been incorporated into other powers through its history—especially having been made part of the Islamic caliphate.

There has long been conflict between European Christendom and the Muslim Middle East—and we will evidently see this play out again on a significant scale. As our study guide The Middle East in Bible Prophecy further explains, Psalm 83 presents a broad, hostile Middle Eastern confederacy intent on wiping out Israel and seems to be prophetic. This power bloc is joined by Assyria, which was in what is now northern Iraq but today may prophetically represent the end-time northern power in Europe. That working together would come before a divide between these elements in the south’s push against the north.

Perhaps increasing inundation of Europe from the south or even a massive terror attack will lead to the foretold retaliation and occupation of the Middle East—eventually including the Holy Land, leading to the aforementioned abomination of desolation of the last days.

5. An alignment of Asian nations with a vast army.

Revelation 9:13-19 and Revelation 16:12-16 present a powerful eastern alliance with a 200-million-man army that will ultimately launch a devastating attack on Europe and proceed to invade down into the Middle East. See our free study guide Russia and Bible Prophecy to learn more about this. It seems likely that the vast military of this power bloc will need to start coming together before the final events.

6. A period of apparent peace and prosperity.

Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, having signed the Munich Agreement allowing Germany’s Adolf Hitler to annex part of Czechoslovakia, famously declared “peace for our time.” He was of course sorely mistaken. It appears we will see similar declarations before the chaos and war of the last days. “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Participation in the commercial system described in Revelation 18 will bring a measure of prosperity for a while, but events will at length become dire. Ultimately that system will go up in flames.

Stay alert and use the remaining time wisely

What should we do in the meantime? Jesus said to not be weighed down with wayward focus but to watch, to remain alert and to pray to draw near to God so that we may be counted worthy to escape coming destruction and to stand before Christ (Luke 21:34-36). The same thing is reiterated in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-7—that we not fall asleep spiritually but stay watchful and sober. This concerns not only what is happening around us—but in our own lives and thoughts, living as God has called us to and encouraging one another (1 Thessalonians 5:8-11).

We need to use whatever time we have wisely, as it is fleeting (see Ephesians 5:14-16). If the time seems stretched out longer than you’ve anticipated, consider that, in the words of Hebrews 10:36, “you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Galatians 6:9 likewise exhorts us, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

As we consider the signs of the times, remember: While the end cannot come tomorrow, it’s not so far away. Indications are that it will be soon. And for any of us the end can come in a moment if we die. If time goes on for a while, it won’t go on indefinitely. At some point the final events to usher in Christ’s return will happen—with the calamities of that time then thankfully giving way to awesome joy and peace under Christ’s coming reign.

Be encouraged by the closing words of the Bible in Revelation 22:20-21: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”