Episode Details

Here’s a topic we have been postponing for quite a while, and it’s summarized by a simple question: If we as Christians believe Jesus will come back to judge all people and rule the planet in person, what about any space travelers or colonies at that time? In other words, if our Lord returns to Earth, what happens to people who aren’t on Earth? Today we will explore these possible prophetic conundrums and speculate on some solutions.

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Episode sponsors

1. The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella from Enclave Publishing
2. Realm Makers 2022 conference (July 21–23, live and online)
3. P. S. Patton’s The Withering (releasing July 26)

Concession stand, full of space-age snacks

• We’ll talk about Christ’s return, but less about events preceding this.
• That means that, for today only, we’ll stay agnostic about the rapture.
• We focus on the promise in which all Christians share: his physical return.
• As Christians, we believe in a physical return to Earth before Christ will rule.
• We also assume that Jesus already reigns today, though not yet in Person.
• This time we’ll not talk about those aliens (we recently did this). Just people.
• We’ll refer to Scripture verses and try to cite them, including the following.

Key verse: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

—1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (ESV)

Stephen’s 2017 article summarized the problem:

If people colonize the moon, Mars, or [other] planets, what happens when Jesus returns? . . .

Whatever your end-times view, all Christians believe Jesus will physically return to Earth. The problem is, these biblical texts are entirely Earth-focused. For example, John writes:

“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” [Revelation 1:7]

This concept already causes some difficulties when you consider time zones. The final Left Behind novel, Glorious Appearing, tried to solve this by hinting that believers on the other side of the world (opposite Israel, naturally) somehow saw a vision of Jesus returning over there.