Expert: Rev. Robert Woods - 3/8/2009

Question
I read your profile, and apparently you can answer these two questions : When will Jesus return and when the end of days is coming??? Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you claim to have these answers. I'm very curious to how you obtained those answers, and what they are, especially your answer to the end of days - will it happen in our lifetime??? And with the re-resurrection of Jesus, will he come back in flesh and blood or is he here on earth now, in spiritual form??? Please answer as much as you can. Many Thanks.

Answer
Blessings and thank you for your questions.

Short Answer:  No one knows the exact time Jesus will return.  Jesus said,  Mt 24:36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  

However, Jesus did tell us to watch the signs.  There are certain things that must happen before he returns (see long answer below).  Most of those things, have already happened.  So there are many indicators that Christ will return in our lifetime.   

When Jesus was resurrected from the dead, He was in flesh and blood yet his body was also different.  He could appear out of thin air, could walk through walls, yet he ate with his disciples and they could see the holes in his hands and side.  So when Jesus returns to earth, he will be in His resurrected body.   Today the Holy Spirit of God is on the earth and working through Christians.

Long Answer:
Prophecies Concerning the Last Days

Increase of wars and rumors of war  Joel 3:9-10; Matt. 24:6-7
Extreme Materialism 2 Tim 3:1-2; Rev 3:14-19
Lawlessness   Ps 78:8; Proverbs 30:11-14; 2 Tim 3:2-
Population Explosion   Genesis 6:1
Increase in speed and knowledge   Dan 12:4
Departure from Christian Faith   2 Thess 2:3; 1 Tim 4:1-4; 2 Tim 3:5, 4:3-4; 2 Peter 3:3-4
Intense Demonic Activity   Gen 6:1-4; 1 Tim 4:1-3
Unification of the world's religious, political, and economic systems Rev 13:4-8, 16-17; 17:1-18, 18:1-24
Universal Drug Usage (the word    sorceries can refer to drugs)Rev 9:21
Immoral & Abnormal Sexual Activity   Rom 1:17-32; 2 Pet. 2:10, 14, 3:3; Jude 18
Widespread Violence   Gen 6:11-13; Rev 9:21
Rejection of God's word   2 Tim 4:3-4, 2 Pet. 3:3-4, 16
Rejection of God   Ps 2:1-3
Blasphemy   2 Tim 3:2, 2 Pet. 3:3; Jude 18
Self-seeking and pleasure seeking   2 Tim 3:2-4
People minus a Conscience   1 Tim 4:2
Religious Hucksters   2 Pet. 2:3
Devil Worshipers   Rev 9:20, 13:11-14
Rise of false prophets and Antichrists   Matt 24:5, 11; 2 Pet. 2:1-2
False claims of Peace   1 Thess. 5:1-3
Great political and religious upheavals   in the promise land Matt 24:32-34

The Nature of the Tribulation
Unbelievably bloody wars Matt. 24:6 7; Rev. 6:2 4;14:20
Drunkenness Matt. 24:38; Luke     17:27                                                                Illicit sex Matt. 24:38; Luke 17:27;
Rev. 9:21                                        
Gross Materialism Luke 17:28; Rev. 18:12 14
                                                           
Rise of false messiahs and prophets                                 Matt. 24:5,11 24
Horrible persecution of believers Matt. 24:10; Rev. 16:6; 17:6
People hiding in the caves of the rocks in fear of God       
Isa. 2:19 21; Rev. 6:15 17

The pangs and sorrows of death similar to those of women in labor, to seize people   Isa. 13:8; Jer. 30:6
Terrible worldwide famines Rev. 6:5 6, 8
Humans to be slaughtered by predatory wild beasts           Rev. 6:8
Disastrous earthquakes
Rev. 6:12; 11:13; 16:18                                                      

Fearful heavenly signs and disturbances                             Luke 21:25; Rev. 6:12 13; 8:12

Universal tidal waves and ocean disasters                          Luke 21 :25; Rev. 8:8 9; 16:3

The stars, moon, and sun to be darkened                           Isa. 13:10; Joel 2:10, 30 31; 3:15

The moon to be turned into blood
Joel 2:31; Rev. 6:12

The heavens to be rolled together like a scroll                    Isa. 34:4; Rev. 6:14

Massive hailstones composed of fire and blood to fall upon the earth  Rev. 8:7; 16:21

Huge meteorites to fall upon the earth
Rev. 8:8 11

Stars to fall upon the earth
Rev. 6:13

Salt waters and fresh waters to become totally polluted      
Rev. 8:8 11; 11 :6; 16:3 4

Universal disaster of land ecology
Rev. 8:7

Events to steadily go from bad to worse
Amos 5:19

A time of thick darkness and utter depression                     Joel 2:2

No period in history to compare to it
Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21  22

A time of famine of the word of God
Amos 8:11 12

A time of absolutely no escape from God's fierce
Judgment Amos 9:2-3

Worldwide drug usage
Rev. 9:21

Universal idolatry and devil worship
Rev. 9:20; 13:11 17

Murderous demonic invasions
Rev. 9:3 20

Subterranean eruptions
Rev. 9:1 2

Scorching solar heat
Rev. 16:8 9

Terrifying periods of total darkness
Rev. 16:10

Unchecked citywide fires
Rev.18:8 9,18

A plague of cancerous sores
Rev. 16:2

The total destruction of the earth's religious,
political, and economic systems    Rev.17—18
                                           

A universal dictatorial rule by the Antichrist Rev.13

An all out, no holds barred attempt to destroy Israel             Rev.12

Survivors of this period to be more rare than gold                  Isa. 13:12

Human blood to be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung Zeph. 1:17
                                                          

The slain to remain unburied and the mountains to be covered with their blood  Isa. 34:3; 66:24

The earth to be removed out of its orbit
Isa. 13:13

The earth to be turned upside down
Isa. 24:1, 19

The earth to reel to and fro like a drunkard
Isa. 24:20

The most frightful physical plague in all history
Zech. 14:12

A 200 mile river of human blood to flow
Rev. 14:20

Scavenger birds to eat the rotted flesh of entire armies          Matt. 24:28, Rev. 19:17-19