Signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Disciples of Jesus Christ have long looked forward to the time when Jesus Christ will return to Earth as "Lord of Lords" and "King of Kings" (Rev. 19:16). The faithful have been given precursors or "signs" to look for so that they will know His coming is soon.
The following is my attempt to create a comprehensive list of the signs of the Second Coming and to give my thoughts and comments on each, with a special focus on whether each has come to pass.
Those seeking further knowledge about these signs should prayerfully study Matthew 24, Joseph Smith - Matthew, Doctrine and Covenants 45:16-43, and Luke 21:7-36.
Please note that this page is a work in progress and is currently missing many of the signs of the Second Coming that are found in the scriptures.
Overview of the Signs of the Second Coming
| Sign | Fulfilled | Not yet fulfilled | In progress | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wars and Rumors of Wars | ||||
| The Earth Shall Be In Commotion | ||||
| Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them | ||||
| They Say Christ Delays His Coming | ||||
| Love of Men Waxes Cold/Iniquity Abounds | ||||
| Fulness of the Gospel Restored |
Wars and Rumors of Wars
References: D&C 45:26, 33
We may not fully understand the scope of what is meant by this sign of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, but it is hard to dispute that we have seen as a world "wars and rumors of war" throughout the past century or so or men taking the sword against each other.
It seems to me that the most direct fulfillment of this sign was World War I and World War II, which encompassed the Earth.
However, this sign is also ongoing. It would take a better student of world affairs than I to name all of the ongoing wars throughout the Earth. And even with my limited knowledge of world affairs, rumors of wars are ongoing with Russia, North Korea, and China playing major roles.
Status: Fulfilled, In progress
The Whole Earth Shall Be in Commotion
References: D&C 45:26
Given the context of this sign, it may be intended merely as an extension of "wars and rumors of wars." However, aside from physical violence, we see this commotion in local, national, and global politics. Wars are not only fought with weapons. The current vitriol and contempt in United States politics (which appears to not be limited to this country) is particularly concerning. Even more so, this contention and divisiveness is not just a moment in time, but a trend towards further division and commotion.
Beyond politics, we see fulfillment in this in the rise of terrorist regimes throughout the world, with September 11, 2001 and ISIS dominating news cycles. Such commotion may only break into the public consciousness for larger incidents, but continues as background commotion for our world's story.
Status: Fulfilled, In progress
Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them
References: D&C 45:26
Instinctively, I would probably argue that this has been and/or is being fulfilled. If the heart represents moral courage, the shriveled heart of our nation is barely beating. A focus on our elected representatives seems appropriate and in many ways is representative of the moral failures of us as a people.
It is incredibly rare to see a politician take a moral stand against the majority and push for what is right but unpopular. I recently read about the fierce booing and criticism doled out on Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah for his unpopular votes following then-President Donald Trump's impeachment. Regardless of whether such votes were objectively right or wrong, it is significant that Romney took significant heat, among his own political party, for acting according to his conscience. We see few others on the national stage willing to stand against the opinion of the public and their peers to do what they feel is right.
I currently must admit that I don't fully understand what the Lord means by "men's hearts shall fail them" and must mark this as "Unknown" status pending further prayerful study.
Status: Unknown
They Shall Say that Christ Delays His Coming
References: D&C 45:26
This is a very interesting sign. While many of the other signs attributed to people may be largely attributed to the wicked in society, this sign appears to be one among those professing to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
This appears to refer to a trend among christians to no longer expect the imminence of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In essence, failing to expect the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is sidelining him for other doctrines and beliefs, focusing on immediate social problems instead of preparing for His return to Earth.
I saw the dangers of this in my own life. Christians since the time that Jesus Christ walked on Earth have believed in the imminence of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Those in Joseph Smith's time expected it to happen in their lifetimes, as have many others who have lived since. From a statistical, analytical perspective, I became convinced that it was unlikely that I would be the exception to this trend of being wrong about the imminence of the return of Jesus Christ. To be fair, that statistical, analytical perspective may very well be right. However, to fail to look for and prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is damaging to an individual's spirituality. The inclination to procrastination is inherent in the natural man, but procrastinating one's repentance is far more consequential than waiting to study until the day before an exam. It is important that we always are preparing and are ready for when that day comes "as a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:2).
As to whether this sign has been or is being fulfilled, I expect the answer is that it is being fulfilled currently. However, I haven't yet done the research to determine whether this is the case. Accordingly, I will mark this as "unknown" pending further research about christian attitudes.
Status: Unknown
The Love of Men Shall Wax Cold and Iniquity Shall Abound
References: D&C 45:27
Although these could be treated as two separate signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, they seem so intertwined that it makes sense to address them together.
A person with a warm heart is someone who is caring, compassionate, and concerned with those around them. These people are enjoyable to be around and radiate warmth and goodness. Given this, it is not hard to picture what the Lord meant by those whose love shall wax cold.
At its core, I would describe this condition as pure selfishness, which manifests itself in the plagues of materialism, indifference towards others, pornographic indulgence, cutthroat business practices, and a host of other cantankerous behaviors. Sadly, our culture has normalized and even celebrates many of these manifestations of cold-hearted selfishness. We encourage the proliferation of flaunting our wealth, of "looking out for number one," of being free from sexual restraint and prudence, and of getting ahead in life through our own cunning. Our love is not only collectively waxing cold, but we are congratulating ourselves on our collective iniquity.
I recently witnessed this in the comment section in an article about the local homeless population. Many of the comments focused on the specific proposal at issue, however, a great many others focused on those who were homeless and did so in such an uncaring way that it was difficult to even realize that these anonymous humans were actually talking about other human beings. Still others took a "what about me" attitude, trying to say that if we were giving out "handouts," they would also want to receive one. I don't write this from an ivory tower, criticizing the thoughts and intents of others. I see these own tendencies in my own heart. We have largely become a hyper-individualistic society and in losing our sense of community with humanity at large, our love is waxing cold.
The above adresses the causes and some of the variety of iniquity that abounds in our world. However, it goes so very far beyond those normalized practices. We live in an era where mass shootings barely make headlines, where parents fear to let their kids roam the neighborhood unsupervised because of the real threat of child abductions, where sexual abuse is so prevalent that it took the whole "Me Too" movement to make any noticeable progress in addressing such abhorent practices. We live in a world so wicked that I don't want my kids to understand it yet because it practically requires throwing out a child's innocent perceptions of the goodness of life.
Status: Fulfilled
A Light Shall Break Forth, Which is the Fulness of My Gospel
References: D&C 45:28
Among all of the scary signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, there is this sign of hope, help and comfort. We have not been left alone. A light has broken forth through "among them that sit in darkness." The fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. It is available today to bring peace, comfort, and preparation to those willing to receive it in their lives.
Status: Fulfilled
They Receive Not the Light of the Gospel
References: D&C 45:29
This sign has been fulfilled and in fulfillment since the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith and his contemporary latter-day saints were persecuted, ridiculed, and driven from their homes because others did not perceive the light and turned their hearts from the truth.
As we see secularism becoming increasingly the norm in the United States, we see an increasing fulfillment of this prophecy as all of the Christian message is being rejected, not just the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Status: Fulfilled
A Desolating Sickness Shall Cover the Land
References: D&C 45:31
I used to think this was one of the signs that either hadn't been fulfilled or was fulfilled through the AIDS epidemic that swept the world and the news cycle in the 1990s. However, in the wake of COVID-19, it is hard to imagine anyone arguing that this sign has not been fulfilled. A desolating sickness covered the land.
As an aside, I wonder how the Bubonic Plague of the Middle Ages and the Spanish Flu fit into this sign of the Second Coming. I'm not sure if great data exists to compare these to COVID-19 (yet), but it may be that our latest pandemic is only a continuation of the fulfillment of this sign.
Status: Fulfilled
Earthquakes in Divers Places and Desolations
References: D&C 45:33
Given that earthquakes have been occurring in "diverse places" through all of recorded history, it is likely that the Savior is referring to something more with this sign.
One potential fulfillment of this sign is the frequency of such earthquakes. The United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has some terrific datasets to objectively analyze natural disasters. As you can see from the below figure, the frequency of significant* earthquakes worldwide has been trending upward for the past 220 years.
Although some of this trend is certainly due to scientific advances in detection and recording, even just looking at the past few decades shows a clear upward trend. The signifant peak between about 2000 and 2019 is particularly interesting and it will also be interesting to see if 2020 was an anomaly or a return to lower levels of earthquake activity. Regardless, it seems safe to conclude that there is a general increasing trend for significant earthquakes worldwide in potential fulfillment of this sign of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
"Desolations" can have several meanings, most of which are related to destruction. When coupled with earthquakes, as it is in this sign, it likely means natural disasters, such as fires, hurricanes, tornados, droughts, volcanic eruptions, etc.
Looking into other natural disaster trends has yielded mixed results. For example, volcanic eruption data shows a slight upward trend over a 220-year period, but is virtually flat for the past 50 years, with 2018 a large outlier.
Looking at deaths from volcanic eruptions reveals no discernible trend. However, given advances in volcanic detection, we might actually expect a declining trend in deaths, which makes this a flawed metric to begin with.
On the other hand, wildfires have become a huge problem in the United States. Even with advances in wildfire prevention and firefighting techniques, the problem is far more serious than at any time in the recent past.
Status: Fulfilled, In progress
Concluding Thoughts
Disciples of Jesus Christ have been watching and eagerly waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, many expecting it to come in their lifetime. As shown in the above analysis, most of the signs of the Second Coming have already come to pass or are in progress. That does not mean the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will happen in the next year, decade, century, or even millennium. The Lord's timing is His own. What is important is that we are always prepared for when the bridegroom returns to Earth to claim His kingdom. The remaining signs can be fulfilled and Jesus Christ can come at any moment now. There is no guarantee that it will be soon, but Jesus Christ will return to Earth and will "come quickly" (Rev. 22:12). "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).