Imagine a revolt taking place in a certain city of a kingdom. The king has left the country on other important business for a long period of time, and in his absence, some have rebelled against his rule. Those who remained loyal are fighting against those who revolted. The fighting is intense.
Just when it appears that the rebels are going to be victorious and the king's servants defeated, the king's trumpet sounds. Instantly the fighting stops. Everyone stares in astonishment at the sight. The king with his thousands of soldiers has unexpectedly arrived. He is here!

What opposite feelings of joy or terror would be experienced by the citizens when seeing the same King! Why? What parallels can you trace from this story to Jesus' second coming on the clouds of heaven? What differences would there be? While this illustration provides an example of the different feelings generated by a king's appearance, why would it fall short when comparing the depth of feelings produced?

We know that the end of time and Jesus' return will not come before the last of God's elect has been regenerated. However, Scripture informs us that no one, neither man or angel, knows the day nor hour in which Jesus shall return: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew 24:36).

While the exact time of Jesus' second advent is not known, the Bible does provide several signs which serve as general prophecies and indicators of when the end is near. The chart on the following page lists ten of these scriptural signs.