When will Judgement day happen? A question that everyone has entertained at least once. A few eccentric spiritual leaders believe that they truly know the date. But orthodox believers recognize that the true day of judgement is known only to God. It would be fascinating if there was a countdown clock somewhere in heaven. Perhaps, we limit God by assuming it is a specific date. There are a few bible passages that gives us clues. I don’t have an answer but I may have a half baked theory about what the count down clock could be. Bring out the bible passages and put on your theological conspiracy hats! With reverence, this is all speculation and I do not insist on having the true answer.
We are living thousands of years after the death of Jesus. It is all too easy to imagine more years will go by without the Second coming of Christ. However, the early Christians who knew Jesus and spoked with Him quite easily conceive Jesus returning in their lifetimes. Who knows what is God’s divine Will in this situation, but a quote from the 2nd letter of Peter can help provide an explanation.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9
God is patiently waiting to provide us as many opportunities as He can for us to repent and prepare for His Coming. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. (Revelations 21:1) The Second Coming could spell disaster for those who would reject Jesus at this very moment. Let us make the generous assumption that God wants all people to go to Heaven. A premature second coming would prevent the fruit of the harvest from fully maturing. Imagine if the Second Coming did happen during the time of Jesus after His Resurrection. Perhaps, even Saint Paul would have been excluded before his conversion.
The life on earth is meant for us to be vigilant and prepare our souls for the heavenly lifestyle during the Resurrection. Both Saint and Sinner are living side by side. The wheat is maturing alongside with the weeds. (Matthew 13:24-30) Whose to say if we are a wheat or a weed, but we will be judged by God and sent to our second life according to his divine Justice. (Matthew 13:36-43) While we are on our pilgrim journey, we undergo spiritual warfare with those who wish the downfall of human souls.
“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. – Matthew 24:22-25
Jesus knew that there would be those impatient for the end to come. He has warned us there will be deceivers. These deceivers can be resisted quite easily and almost comically if we are aware of Jesus’s message to us. We are meant to be vigilant and watchful as servants awaiting their master’s return. (Matthew 24:36-51) What must we do while we await the master’s return? We must pray and love our neighbor as ourselves. Will knowing the time and day of the Second Coming change our strategy? NO! Whether if we have knowledge of the End Times or if we do not, regardless, we must act with charity and love towards God and Man.
In theory, the Average Catholic should not need to change their lifestyle drastically to accommodate the Second Coming. In theory, the Average Catholic is already in full preparation mode. So much so that Jesus could arrive in the next hour and the Average Catholic would be ready to enter heaven. In theory at least…
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. – Matthew 24:35-36
The Truth of the matter is that we do not know when the Second Coming will take place. In fact, I don’t even think knowing would be productive to our spiritual well being. We must grow in knowledge of ourselves and God in order to prepare ourselves for the world to come.
It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. – Mark 13:34-36
WE DO KNOW that the Second Coming is indeed on its way. We are in the End Times; the age where all ages lead to. Once the Second Coming takes place, the Resurrection will happen and we will live with the Heavenly Host forever and ever, AMEN.
Our human curiosity finds it difficult to be content with such an answer. Being told “some time in the future” is less than satisfying. Some of us would want to know the time and date, while others would like to pretend the Second Coming will never happen. Personally, I imagine there is a countdown somewhere and that countdown is hinted at in Matthew 22.
But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. – Matthew 22:29-30
Marriage is the clue that leads to a potential countdown (or specifically up). Procreation and Marriage are tied together. Jewish culture believed that the life of the person is carried on by their offspring. It was a tragedy when a family line/name died out or ended. Therefore, children from marriage was a prominent objective for the majority of Jewish culture in the bible. However, we as Christians await the Heavenly Kingdom. We have celibates who live for the sake of the kingdom. These celibates bear witness to the Second Coming and choose to live the life of heaven on Earth in anticipation that Jesus will fulfill His promise of returning. God willing, we will all live like angels (celibate) in the new kingdom.
Let me connect the dots so that we can see the countdown clock that I envision. First, the resurrection does not have marriage. Second, this is a bold assumption, but I want to assume then that there will be no procreation in heaven. Third, no procreation means no new human souls entering creation. Therefore, that means that the number of the human population is a finite number. Thus, there will be at one point no more population growth and a perpetual stagnation at some unknown number. We are counting up to the day where no more humans will be produced. At the end times, the number of humans will remain the same for all eternity (pure speculation).
That is the clock I believe exists. The new heaven and new Earth has a certain population. Potentially, there is a the space allotted for human souls will be used up and no more souls shall be added to the number of heaven.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. – John 14:1-3
This is all speculation and I yield to Rome if I tread where I should not tread. IF there are only supposed to be “x” number people in Heaven, then Judgement Day will not happen until that number is reached. Now, there is so much that we don’t know: We do not know what the number is, we do not know if heaven indeed is finite, we do not know if the number is a permanent fixture of reality or if it is in flux in accordance with humanity’s free will, we do not know if there are specific particular individuals that meant to exist or even if Creation is dependent more so on humanity’s free will than God’s design.
Who knows who will be in heaven? There are people that currently do not exist that could be brought into existence and have a place in Heaven. Truly, God’s willingness to have humans be a part of His creation by being co-creators through conjugal procreation is a marvel. Our Free Will makes the future in flux in a way that ought to put gravity on humanity’s role in Creation. God cannot infringe on humanity’s free will. Yet, Humanity procreates and brings about more humans into the world.
If my theory holds true, then that growth of humanity’s population will halt at the Second Coming. In its place, will be a perpetual communion of trinitarian self-gift for the remainder of eternity. Where there was once material growth in the form of children, there will be spiritual growth in the form of infinite possibilities of community in heaven. Are you ready for the Trinitarian Lifestyle of Heaven? If the answer is “no” then stop worrying about WHEN the master will arrive and GET READY FOR THE MASTER’S ARRIVAL!
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