“If there is a God, He will have to beg my forgiveness.”
Originally written in German, this anonymous yet commonly quoted inscription was found in the Nazi-controlled Mauthausen concentration camp. Historians often use it to frame the faith crisis experienced by victims of the Holocaust.
Another anonymous inscription born from this dark period of Earth’s history offers a different but equally poignant perspective on faith amid horror:
“I believe in the sun, though it be dark; I believe in God, though He be silent; I believe in neighborly love, though it be unable to reveal itself.”
This quote, etched into the wall of an underground shelter in Cologne, can be traced to a 1945 Swiss newspaper. The translation above was published on “The Humanist Seminarian” blog.
Can you blame the feelings of either writer, the first an abused internee and the latter a fugitive forced to live in darkness? Both inscriptions are products of unimaginable pain and fear. Both echo the ancient throes of biblical figures like Job, David, and the martyrs of Revelation 6 who cry: “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (verse 10). Both reflect questions plaguing minds today:
- When will suffering end?
- Where is justice?
- Where is God?
Christians who believe in the Bible can combine these musings into one fervent question: Why hasn’t Jesus come back yet?
Jesus promised to return. Nearly 2,000 years ago, He said He was coming quickly to take His people home and remove pain permanently (Revelation 21–22). Since then, we’ve only continued to wage wars, suffer natural disasters, and grieve the deaths of loved ones. So where is He?
Is Jesus coming back soon?
Why Hasn’t Jesus Come Back?
This question burned in the hearts of thousands as the sun set on October 22, 1844. William Miller and his followers had studied Bible prophecy intensely. The math said that the 2,300-year period foretold in Daniel would end on that autumn day, meaning Jesus would “cleanse the sanctuary” (Daniel 8:14). He would return to Earth—that had to be what that meant . . . right?
Obviously not. Despite the Millerites’ commitment to closely following the Bible, they ignored Jesus’ plain words about the timing of His promised return:
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24:26)
The mistaken practice of setting a time for the Second Coming didn’t end in 1844. Religious leaders like Hal Lindsey, Harold Camping, and Joshua Mhlakela (whose recent predictions ignited “RaptureTok”) have continued to sow bitter disappointment among believers. World tragedies only add fuel to the fire of doubt: how much worse do things have to get for God to finally say, “STOP”?
Just as the Bible tells us that we cannot know the exact time of Jesus’ return, it provides the following answers as to why Jesus has not come back yet:
1. God is giving people time to repent and come back to Him.
God gave humanity 120 years to listen to Noah’s warnings of the flood. In the same way, He is patient today because He wants more people to be saved.
“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8–9)
2. The Gospel must reach the whole world.
Just as Noah preached loudly of the flood, God’s people are to preach loudly of Jesus’ promised return.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)
3. Jesus is still ministering for us in the heavenly sanctuary.
Jesus is not idle in heaven while His people work on Earth. He is personally ensuring that His death on the cross covers our sins.
“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us . . . ” (Hebrews 7:25–26)
As our perfect High Priest, Jesus is enacting God’s perfect justice and mercy in the heavenly sanctuary, a process often called the “Investigative Judgment.” This is a distinctly Seventh-day Adventist belief that adds immense biblical depth to the story of salvation and discussions about when Jesus will return.
The Adventist Perspective: When Will Jesus Return and Why Dates Are Not Given
Formed in the mid-1800s, the Seventh-day Adventist church is still waiting for the Advent (Second Coming). Yet this eschatological movement remains committed to its mission: “Make disciples of Jesus Christ who live as His loving witnesses and proclaim to all people the everlasting gospel of the Three Angels’ Messages in preparation for His soon return.”
Is the Adventist Church, nearly 200 years old now, working for a hopeless cause?
Quite the opposite! Through the study of Bible prophecy, the Adventist Church has identified evidence in world events that help answer the question, “When will Jesus return?” (more on this later). But more importantly, this church preaches a latter-day message centered on the saving, refining relationship with Jesus available to all humans. It upholds the biblical teaching that God does not provide a date for the Second Coming, offering the following reasons why:
- To cultivate watchfulness and discourage spiritual slumber.
If we knew the exact time, we might neglect the work of character preparation until the very end. God calls us to: “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).
- To encourage personal communion with Christ.
Rather than focusing on figures and symbols to find a date, we are encouraged to remain in Christ’s loving presence, wait for His personal counsel, and become more like Him (John 15:4–7).
God desires our authentic adoration, not our fear. He doesn’t want to see us pushed into preparation by a ticking clock or activated by feelings that are strong in the moment but fade over time. He wants to be in a healthy relationship with us. He wants to change our hearts quietly and permanently.
As one Adventist writer puts it, “The Lord is not coming at a time when people are looking for a fire escape. Rather, Jesus is going to come at a time when His people are serving Him because of their love for Him.”
Is Jesus Coming Back Soon According to the Bible?
Although God has withheld the exact date of the Second Coming in order to encourage our watchfulness and love, He has not left us in total darkness. The Bible gives us several signs of Jesus’ promised return, including:
- Widespread moral and social decay (Matthew 24:27).
- “Wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6).
- Signs in the sun, moon, and stars (Luke 21:25).
For specifics, check out “What Are the Signs of the Second Coming?”
Adventist interpretations of Bible prophecy demonstrate that we are currently living in the final stage of Earth’s history, providing as evidence the ending of the 1,260-year prophecy and the rise of certain religious and political entities. However, we cannot know how long this final stage will last. Jesus’ message in Revelation 22:20, “I am coming quickly” (translated as “soon” in some versions), does not mean “I am coming immediately” but “I am coming without delay.”
So is Jesus coming back soon? In the light of eternity and Bible prophecy—yes! He is at the door, which is why we must stay ready. But we are not to set dates or timelines. In fact, just before Jesus ascended to heaven, when His disciples asked about the timing of His kingdom, He redirected their attention to a more important matter:
“ . . . It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7–8)
God’s Patience and the Mission of Salvation
Jesus’ final words to His disciples made one thing clear: the time between His ascension and return must be filled with the mission of the church. His people should emulate the faithful servant of Matthew 24 by caring for people and feeding them the Word of God while their master is away. It is the evil servant who thinks, “My master is delaying his coming,” and stops watching for his appearing. In turn, that servant misrepresents his master with his hurtful actions and is caught unprepared when his master comes back.
God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). He hates sin and suffering, but His patience reflects His mission to save as many as possible before history reaches its climax. And as we’ve seen, His church—composed of all His faithful people—plays an essential role in that mission.
This fact begs two questions:
- Can the church delay or hasten Jesus’ coming?
and
- Has Jesus not come back yet due to the church’s failure?
Christians, including Adventists, hold varying views on these topics. What we know for sure is this:
- God has commissioned us to spread His Word.
- The Holy Spirit actively helps us fulfill to that commission.
- We should neither obsess over nor pretend to control what God “has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7).
As one Adventist theologian wisely wrote: “Focusing solely on the human efforts could give the impression that God would be surprised by human actions and would therefore not be all-knowing. Putting the stress entirely on God’s foreknowledge and sovereignty, however, could give the impression that Christians have no responsibility in sharing the gospel to the whole world.”
Why Waiting Tests Faith and Refines Hope
Have you ever been stuck in traffic with someone you thought was kind and patient, only to watch them begin screaming at fellow drivers, at their GPS, maybe, even, at you?
Waiting reveals a person’s true character. As you wait for Jesus’ promised return, are you growing stronger or more sluggish in your spiritual life? Are you answering His commission or indulging your own desires? Is your faith genuine, “more precious than gold that perishes” so that it “may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love” (1 Peter 1:7–8)?
The apostle Paul spoke about the relationship between suffering, waiting, and hope:
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:1–5)
When we believe in Jesus’ glorious return, we can rejoice! Yet it is our characters, tested and refined in this waiting season, that produce hope rooted in God’s unfailing love. Even while we suffer under sin, we can become changed. Even while we wait for Jesus to take us home, we can gain heavenly peace. That’s how awesome our God is.
What to Do With Doubt, Disappointment, and Delay
It feels impossible to trust in God’s timing when confronted with tragedies like the Holocaust. Here’s what the Bible says to do when you can’t find hope in the waiting season:
- Present your honest feelings to God.
Take the prophet Habakkuk. He was seriously doubting God’s timing when He asked: “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save” (Habakkuk 1:2). God did not dismiss his anger; He assured the prophet that justice and salvation would be fulfilled at the appointed time (Habakkuk 2:2–3).
- Search the Scriptures.
Study the story of Abraham who waited earnestly for God to give him a son. Study the stories of the Israelites who waited desperately for the Messiah. Study how Jesus responded to His own disciples’ impatience.
- Serve others.
Don’t stand by as your fellow humans suffer, wondering in idleness: “Is Jesus coming back soon? When is God going to do something about this?” You are God’s “fellow worker” (1 Corinthians 3:9), and loving others brings you into harmony with His heart.
“The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” (Proverbs 11:25)
Jesus’ Promise to Return and the Certainty of His Word
If you’re still wondering, “Why hasn’t Jesus come back yet?”, if doubts still creep inside your mind, don’t be alarmed. Even Bible heroes like David questioned the certainty of God’s promises.
This future king of Israel, this man after God’s own heart, once asked:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1)
Sometimes, God seems silent. But He is always working for your salvation. If David’s words sounded familiar to you, it’s probably because you’ve heard them discussed as the words of Jesus as He hung on the cross, crushed by the weight of the world’s sins (Matthew 27:46). One thousand years before the Messiah would be born, David foretold the event of His death—when God made it abundantly clear that He had not forsaken this world.
Later on in the same song, David said:
“Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed.” (verses 4–5)
We, too, can remember the stories of the past—Bible stories, fulfilled Bible prophecies, the testimonies of friends and family, and our own experiences with God—to find faith when we feel lacking. God has never failed, never changed, never lied.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
When Jesus said, “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also,” He spoke an unbreakable promise (John 14:3).
In Psalm 22:24, David proclaimed:
“For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard.”
This verse shows that God heard Jesus’ cry of abandonment on the cross and hears our cries today. He draws near to those who are suffering. He loved us enough to give His Son to die for us.
The greatest evidence of the certainty of Jesus’ promise to return is this: He died for our sins and rose again to guarantee us eternal life. He will not leave His work of love unfinished.
Related Articles:
When Will Jesus Return and How Can We Be Ready?
How Christians Are Called to Live in Light of Jesus’ Return
When Will Jesus Come Back? Understanding Biblical Hope
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Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
