The question of whether Jesus Christ was supposed to return in 2017 has been a topic of much debate and speculation among some Christians in recent years. This view stems primarily from an interpretation of Revelation 12 and the woman clothed in the sun. Let’s take a closer look at what the Bible really says about Christ’s return.
Revelation 12
Revelation 12 contains a symbolic vision of a pregnant woman, representing Israel, who gives birth to a male child who is caught up to God’s throne. Later in the chapter, after a war in heaven, the devil is cast down to earth. Some have interpreted the male child as representing Christ and His ascension to heaven. They connect the casting down of Satan to 2017 through an astronomical alignment involving the constellations Leo, Virgo, and Serpens on September 23, 2017.
However, the Bible does not specify that Revelation 12:1-5 is referring to Christ’s first coming. The passage could just as likely relate to Israel bringing forth the Messiah at Christ’s second coming. Revelation 12 is highly symbolic, so we should be cautious about building doctrine or making predictions based on speculative interpretations of an astronomical event.
Date Setting
Attempting to set dates for Christ’s return goes against Jesus’ own words:
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32)
Jesus made it clear that no one can know the day or hour when He will return. Any teaching that claims to have uncovered the timing of the Second Coming should be viewed with skepticism.
Signs of the Times
While we cannot predict the date of Christ’s return, Jesus did provide signs to watch for that would indicate the general timeframe of His coming:
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” (Matthew 24:6-8)
There have always been wars, famines, earthquakes, and the like. But Jesus indicates there will be signs of increasing frequency and intensity prior to His return. While we see these signs today, we cannot use them to pinpoint an exact date.
The Unknown Day and Hour
Not only did Jesus say no one can know the day or hour of His return, but He also exhorted His followers to be ready at all times:
“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect…Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes…But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards…the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know.” (Matthew 24:44-50)
Rather than speculate about dates, Jesus calls us to be alert, ready, and faithful until He comes, whenever that may be. Attempting to pinpoint a year like 2017 as the time of His return can actually undermine the watchful readiness Jesus expects of His followers.
The Delay Before Christ’s Coming
Some have claimed that Jesus was supposed to return in 2017 based on the verse:
“And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.” (Mark 13:20)
However, this verse is not setting a timetable for Christ’s return, but rather expressing that the distress at the end times will be so severe that if God does not intervene quickly, no one would survive. The exact day and hour remain unknown.
Preterism vs. Futurist Views
Differing interpretations of Revelation fuel the debate over whether Christ was to return in 2017. Preterists see Revelation as largely fulfilled in the early centuries of the church. Futurists view most of Revelation as yet to be fulfilled.
If Revelation 12 was fulfilled before the birth of the church, then it cannot predict a 2017 return of Christ. But even futurist scholars debate whether Revelation 12:1-6 portrays the first or second coming of Jesus. There is no scholarly consensus on 2017 as a biblically significant date.
Other Failed Date Predictions
Attempts to predict the precise time of Jesus’ return have failed repeatedly. Here are a few examples:
- Hippolytus calculated that Christ would return in 500 AD.
- Pope Innocent III predicted 1284 as the year of Christ’s return.
- The Millerites declared William Miller’s calculations pointed to 1844.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted Jesus’return in 1914, then again in 1975.
These failed predictions should make us wary of any other attempts to pinpoint a date for Christ’s return.
Christ’s Unknown Return is Imminent
While we cannot know the day or hour of Jesus’ return, the Bible emphasizes we must be ready at any time:
“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap…But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34, 36)
Rather than speculate about dates, we must repent, believe the gospel, be ready for Christ’s return, and occupy ourselves with the work He has given us until He comes.
Conclusions
In summary, here are some key conclusions about the claim Christ was to return in 2017:
- Revelation 12 does not predict Jesus’ Second Coming in 2017.
- Date setting goes against Jesus’ words that no one knows the day or hour.
- While there are general signs, the exact time cannot be predicted.
- Jesus could return at any time; we must be ready.
- Attempts to set dates have failed repeatedly.
- Rather than speculate, we should live in readiness for Christ’s return.
As Martin Luther wrote, “Our Lord has written the promise of the return into our hearts, but not the time of the return onto the calendar.” While Christ could return at any moment, the claim He was definitely to return in 2017 has no solid biblical basis.