The graphics in these two pages represent data from two thoroughly unrelated sources. One is the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, through its unit of Archives, Statistics and Research [ASTR]; the other is the Pew Research Center. The data may surprise, astonish, amaze, and maybe even unnerve . Hopefully, more than anything else, it help to show where the Church is on some specific issue, where we can help each other to be, and how we may best distribute our resources and offer up our prayers.
—Editors.
Survey by Adventist Archives and Statistics:*
Question statement: I expect the world to end within the next 20 years.
22% Strongly agree
18% Agree more than disagree
45% Strongly disagree
15% Disagree more than agree
Second Coming in my lifetime (56,280 respondents):
4% Strongly disagree
22% Agree
5% Disagree
34% Strongly agree
35% Not sure
Of the Adventist world divisions:
The South Pacific Division has the highest percentage of members who strongly agree with this statement.
The Euro-Asia, Trans-European, and North American Divisions have the highest percentage of members who are unsure about whether Jesus will come in their lifetime.
End-time prophecies (54,572 respondents):
Of the Adventist world divisions:
Except for the Southern Asia Division (38 percent), most respondents in all divisions wholeheartedly accept end-time prophecies and more than 80 percent in all divisions agree on the soon Second Coming.
Second Coming very near (57,247 respondents):
2% I don’t accept it.
1% I have major doubts about it.
4% I have some questions about it.
22% I accept it because the church teaches it.
71% I embrace it wholeheartedly.
Of the Adventist world divisions:
The Inter-American Division has the highest percentage of members who embrace it wholeheartedly.
The Northern Asia-Pacific Division has the highest percentage of members who are unsure.
The Southern Asia-Pacific Division has the highest number of members who don’t accept it.
The Pew Research Center did a similar poll among 2,003 American adults. Of the respondents, 1,670 identified as Christian.*
Do you believe in the second coming of Christ?
79% Yes
17% No
4% Don’t know
Is the time of the Second Coming revealed in biblical prophecies?
33%Yes
40%No
6%Don’t know
21%Don’t believe in Second Coming
Before the Second Coming, the world situation will . . .
Do you believe that Jesus will return to earth in your lifetime?
20%Yes
39% No
14% Unknowable
6% Don’t know
21% Don’t believe in Second Coming
