What Scripture says
Jesus was clear that the timing is unknown:
- “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36, ESV).
- “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7), said just before his ascension.
- “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
- “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).
The response he asked for was readiness, not calculation: “Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). His parables of the faithful servant, the ten virgins and the talents (Matthew 24:45–25:30) all teach faithful living while waiting.
Jesus did speak of signs: wars, famines, earthquakes, false messiahs and persecution (Matthew 24:4–14). But he called these “the beginning of the birth pains” and said “the end is not yet” (24:6, 8). They have occurred in every generation.
What the evidence says
History
A record of failed predictions
| Predictor | Predicted date | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Hippolytus of Rome | c. AD 500 | Nothing |
| Various medieval writers | AD 1000 | Nothing |
| William Miller (Millerites) | 1843, then October 22, 1844 | The “Great Disappointment” |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses (Watch Tower) | 1914, 1925, 1975 and others | Dates reinterpreted |
| Edgar Whisenant | 1988 (88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988) | Nothing; he then predicted 1989 |
| Harold Camping | May 21, 1994; May 21 and October 21, 2011 | Nothing; he admitted his mistake in 2012 |
Every date-setter so far has been wrong. Some followers of these predictions sold homes, quit jobs or gave away savings. When Harold Camping’s 2011 date passed, many of his followers were left with nothing.
Common methods
Date-setters typically combine numbers in Daniel and Revelation (such as 1,260 days, 2,300 evenings and mornings), interpret “a day as a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8), or link prophecy to current events. Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36 rule out all of these as ways to know the date.
“This generation”
Jesus said, “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). Interpretations include:
- He was speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, which happened within a generation (see 10.6).
- “Generation” means the generation alive when the final signs begin.
- “Generation” means the Jewish people, or a kind of people.
Some skeptics argue Jesus expected the end within his followers’ lifetimes and was mistaken.
Scripture
Why the delay?
Peter addresses scoffers who asked, “Where is the promise of his coming?” He answers that God isn’t slow, but “patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:4, 9).
Where they meet
We can’t know when Jesus will return: “No one knows the day or hour” (Matthew 24:36). Every date-setter so far has been wrong. Scripture calls for readiness instead.
What’s still open
How to understand the signs Jesus gave, and “this generation” in Matthew 24:34.
Bottom line
No. “No one knows the day or hour” (Matthew 24:36). Every date-setter so far has been wrong. This is rated Settled.