The day is soon to come when scoffers will arise by the multitude and taunt all who are waiting patiently for the return of Lord Jesus Christ, otherwise known as the Second Coming of Christ or the Second Advent.
The number of different theories that have been produced by people attempting to predict the coming of Lord Jesus Christ are too numerous to mention. What is true: Lord Jesus Christ will be returning soon and people are expected to be raised from the dead, while some of those who are alive will be caught up to meet the Savior in the clouds. This we can establish is very much the essence of the Bible’s teaching.
The following are some verses from the New Testament that verify the return of Lord Jesus Christ is truly biblical teaching.
Matthew
16:27
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.
Matthew
23:37-39
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Matthew
24:1-51
Jesus went out from the temple, and was
going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the
temple. But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most
certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that
will not be thrown down.”
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the
disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be?
What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Jesus answered them, “Be
careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I
am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. You will hear of wars and rumors of
wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is
not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and
there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. But all
these things are the beginning of birth pains.
Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will
be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. Then many will stumble, and
will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. Many false prophets
will arise, and will lead many astray. Because iniquity will be multiplied, the
love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end, the same will be
saved. This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a
testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
“When, therefore, you see
the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are
in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to
take out things that are in his house.
Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. But woe
to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! Pray that
your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, for then there will be
great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until
now, no, nor ever will be. Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would
have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be
shortened.
“Then if any man tells
you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it. For there
will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs
and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
“Behold, I have told you
beforehand. If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’
don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it. For as the
lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the
coming of the Son of Man. For wherever the carcass is, there is where the
vultures gather together. But immediately after the oppression of those days,
the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall
from the sky, and the
powers of the heavens will be
shaken; and then the sign of the Son of
Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and
they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and
great glory. He will send out his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones
from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
“Now from the fig tree
learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and produces its
leaves, you know that the summer is near. Even so you also, when you see all
these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Most certainly I tell
you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are
accomplished. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my
Father only.
“As the days of Noah were, so will be the
coming of the Son of Man. For as in
those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and they
didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming
of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one
will be left; two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be
left. Watch therefore, for you don’t
know in what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if the master of the
house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have
watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore also
be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has. But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in an hour when he doesn’t know it, and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.”
Matthew
25:1-13
Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Matthew
26:64
Jesus said to him, “You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky.”
Mark
12:18-27
There came to him Sadducees, who say
that there is no resurrection. They asked him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote to
us, ‘If a man’s brother dies, and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no
children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring for his
brother.’ There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no
offspring. The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The
third likewise; and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the
woman also died. In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of
them? For the seven had her as a wife.”
Jesus answered them, “Isn’t this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God? For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But about the dead, that they are raised; haven’t you read in the book of Moses, about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken.”
Mark
14:62
Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.”
Luke
21:34-36
So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly. For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth. Therefore be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.
Luke
9:26
For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.
Luke
17:20
Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation.”
Luke
17:33-35
Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it. I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. The one will be taken, and the other will be left. There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken, and the other will be left.
Luke
21:27
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Luke
24:44-45
He said to them, “This is what I told
you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law
of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.
Luke
21:28
But when these things begin to happen,
look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.
John
5:28-29
Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
John
14:1-3
Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.
Acts
1:11
Who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
Acts
3:19-21
Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.
Acts
17:31
Because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
1
Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.
1
Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1
Corinthians 15:23-24
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s, at his coming. Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power.
Philippians
1:10
So that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ.
Philippians
3:20
For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians
3:4
When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.
1
Thessalonians 1:9-10
For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
1
Thessalonians 2:19-20
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming? For you are our glory and our joy.
1
Thessalonians 3:13
To the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
1
Thessalonians 4:15-5:4
For this we tell you by the word of the
Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no
way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s
trumpet. 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. So we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore comfort one an-other
with these words.
But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape. But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief.
1
Thessalonians 5:23
May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2
Thessalonians 1:6-7
Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire.
2
Thessalonians 2:1-2
Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of Christ had come.
2
Thessalonians 2:8
Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifest-tation of his coming.
1
Timothy 6:13-16
I command you before God, who gives life
to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the
good confession, that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until
the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; which in its own times he will show,
who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who
alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen,
nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.
2
Timothy 4:1-2
I command you therefore before God and Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.
2
Timothy 4:8
From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.
Titus
2:12-14
Instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.
Hebrews
9:28
So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.
Hebrews
10:25
Not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day [Second Coming] approaching.
James
5:7-9
Be patient therefore, brothers, until
the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the
earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain. You
also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door.
1
Peter 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy became our father again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1
Peter 1:13
Therefore prepare your minds for action, be sober, and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
1
Peter 2:12
Having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1
Peter 4:13
But because you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding joy.
1
Peter 5:4
When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.
2
Peter 1:16
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2
Peter 3:3
Knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts [The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it.—Isaiah 3:9].
2
Peter 3:8-10
But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
1
John 2:28
Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
1
John 3:2-3
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
Jude
1:14-15
About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Revelation
1:7
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
Revelation
16:15
Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn’t walk naked, and they see his shame.
Revelation
22:12-13
Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
What is often used as a caution when it comes to predicting the return of Lord Jesus is the fact He said that no one knows the hour or the day of His return.
But of that day or that hour no one
knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mark
13:32)
In respect to the above statement made by Jesus about the date of the Second Coming, we could ask certain questions. Was Jesus speaking in particular about that point in time? Was Jesus speaking as the Son of God who had divested Himself of His divinity and, therefore, as a human? Does this preclude knowing the seasons and the times—or the year?
Knowing
the Times and Seasons
If we take the view that Jesus was speaking as a human and did tell us that we would know the seasons and the times but not the day or the hour, this fits with Scripture, because we are told that we will know the time is near when we see certain things happen. Jesus said :
“Now from the fig tree learn this
parable. When its branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you
know that the summer is near. Even so you also, when you see all these things,
know that it is near, even at the doors. Most certainly, I tell you, this
generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished. Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But no one knows of
that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days which were before the
flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the
day that Noah entered into the ship, and they didn’t know until the flood came,
and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men
will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left; two women
grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left. Watch therefore,
for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if the
master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming,
he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man
will come.”
(Matthew 24:32-44)
Even though we are given an account of what to expect when the time is near, we are told by some that we cannot know the time because, when Lord Jesus Christ returns, He will catch us up to meet Him in the air like a thief in the night. Therefore, this rapture could happen at any time. Such has been the belief of people since the beginning of the last century.
Clarence Larkin, who was an influential proponent of the rapture, indicated that he expected the Second Coming to happen in the year 2000 AD because this fit with his view that the next millennium would mark the start of the seventh thousand-year period since the fall of Adam.
In regard to the fig tree and Noah’s Ark, we have some very important clues provided to us. We have been given references such as “this generation will not pass away” and “as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” These references tell us that in the day we see things happening as they did in Noah’s day, this will be the last generation before the return of Lord Jesus. Taking this into account, the tendency has been to say that a generation is forty years, seventy years, or even one hundred years, using May 14, 1948, when Israel became a nation, as the starting date. Consequently, the years 1988, 2018, and 2048 have been mentioned as possible years for the return of Lord Jesus. In fact, 1988 was heavily promoted as the year Jesus would return, with the predicted alignment of the planets that year touted as confirmation that this would be the case.
In the mid-1980s, one woman paid for a full-page advertisement in a national newspaper notifying readers that when the planets aligned in 1988, the rapture would happen. She provided a mailing address, so I immediately notified her by mail that she was ill-informed and that, rather than spending thousands of dollars on full-page advertisements in newspapers, she would be better off using the money to assist the poor. I also pointed her to what the Bible actually states regarding the return of Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible's message needs to be fully understood when making predictions. Taking verses out of context leads people astray; so does taking passages out of context without understanding the full revelation that is available. Jesus taught that to know the truth, we need to have the log removed from our inner eyes and be taught by the Holy Spirit (Luke 6:41-42; John 14:26).
Three
Key Facts
In the book of First Thessalonians, what Paul writes concerning the day of the Lord being like a thief, agrees with what we read in Matthew concerning the days of Noah. There need not be any contention as to whether the day of the Lord will come suddenly. But does the suddenness of the day constitute a secret rapture? Here is what Paul wrote:
But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape. But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4)
Something seems to be amiss if people are claiming that there will be a secret rapture. For here we have the Apostle Paul saying that the brethren at Thessalonica were not going to be caught out because they were in the dark concerning the Second Coming, should it overtake them like a thief. On the contrary, the Thessalonians had specific knowledge concerning the day. Actually, Jesus provided specific knowledge when He said:
This Good News of the Kingdom will be
preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the
end will come. When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which
was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the
reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
(Matthew 24:14-16)
We have three facts presented to us in this passage of Scripture from the book of Matthew. One, the gospel has to be preached to every nation. Two, there will be an abomination of desolation in the holy place. Three, the nation of Judea (present day Israel) will exist. Surely, the Apostle Paul would have known about these three facts. More specifically, we find that the Apostle Paul had told the Thessalonians this:
Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the Man of Sin is revealed, the son of destruction, he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)
The
day of the Lord will not be revealed, until the departure (the falling away of
believers) occurs and the Man of Sin himself is revealed—who sets himself up to
be God. If anybody were to tell the Thessalonians that the rapture had occurred
beforehand, they were not to be deceived, for there would be no rapture until
after the Antichrist is revealed.
This appears to have come out of Daniel and concerns the abomination of
desolation that Jesus told His disciples needed to be understood. The book of
Daniel reads:
From the time that the continual burnt offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred thirty-five days. (Daniel 12:11-12)
The Apostle Paul was writing about what Lord Jesus had stated regarding Daniel: the resurrection would not occur until after the abomination of desolation was set up; when the Man of Sin takes his place in the Holy Place and declares himself to be GOD Almighty. A period of three-and-half years will transpire from the time a continual burnt offering (that is yet to be set up in the Holy Place) is taken away before the Man of Sin takes his place in the Temple. Forty-five days later, the resurrection of the saints and the rapture of those who are alive occurs. Because of this Scripture that is written in Daniel, the Apostle Paul understood that if anyone said the rapture had occurred and the Man of Sin had not been revealed to the world, then those making the claim were trying to deceive people.
Missing
the Obvious
Individuals who make these claims are not just those who are purposely trying to deceive people, because most people seem to miss the obvious truth here for some reason. By way of example, the following comment is what I retrieved from the internet. This had been written by a person who had been alerted to what was written in Daniel 12:11-12:
So back to the premise. If you haven’t
already figured it out, the Bible tells us exactly when Jesus is coming back
and it’s three and a half years from the invasion of Jerusalem. But it even
gets more specific, to the very day of Christ’s return and we’ll find it in
Daniel 12:11-12.
So from the time the abomination of desolations (Antichrist) is ‘set up’ in the temple, meaning to be bestowed or to be worshipped, and the daily sacrifice is stopped, there will be 1290 days. In other words, when we see the Antichrist standing in the temple as Jesus warned in Matthew 24, it’s going to be 1290 days until Christ’s return. And if you haven’t done the math yet, 1290 days equals 3.5 years.
This person’s interpretation correctly states that the Bible pin-points the exact day for the return of Lord Jesus Christ is three-and-a-half years (1290 days) from when the Antichrist is standing in the Temple, yet he overlooks the blessing occurring on the 1335th day. The blessing is for those who wait the extra forty-five days after the Antichrist appears. Those who are deceived will begin to fall away and look to the beast, thinking that he is really God. This is the departure that must take place, along with the revealing of the Man of Sin, before Lord Jesus Christ appears in the clouds.
Unless you missed it, you will have noticed that the person making the above claims not only overlooked the forty-five days, but is saying that the resurrection of the just will not occur until they have gone through the three-and-a-half-year tribulation (and presumably be caught up to meet the Lord in the clouds, forty-five days later). Now if a person is believing that he has to endure three-and-a-half-years’ tribulation before Lord Jesus comes back, it is quite possible that such a person may not be ready to be caught up into the clouds, forty-five days after the Antichrist appears.
In the following pages, we are going to look at the events that lead up to this particular day and whether those who miss the day can be saved once the tribulation begins. If the Bible is truly inspired by God and bears witness to Lord Jesus Christ, then we have quite a number of evidences that pinpoint (not the very day or the very hour, but) the probable year, unless there is something we have missed.
In Wales (1903-1904 AD), there were reports of a revival that left the police with nothing to do, because virtually everyone in the whole nation had been baptized in the Holy Spirit, and they were more content enjoying the presence of God, rather than committing wrongdoing. Could this signify anything more than a local move of God? Following this revival, another broke out at the Azusa Street (Los Angeles). Evidently, at Azusa Street there was a prophecy sometime between 1906-1915 that there would be a world-wide revival in a hundred years time, or thereabouts, which would be the last move of God before Lord Jesus Christ returns. Many people have thought that around 2000-2015 would be when Lord Jesus would return and, consequently, they have mistakenly made rash predictions; some have based this on their knowledge of the Azusa Street prophecy.
If there was a worldwide revival that began to break out before 2020 AD, then the Azusa Street meeting prophecy would have come to pass. For there are reports the prophecy said “about a hundred years from now” and not specifically one hundred years to the day. However, we are not concerned with prophecies that were spoken outside of what is written in the Bible, other than to highlight their inaccuracies or that of their interpretations. Nevertheless, what God did at the beginning of the last century is also mentioned to encourage readers that Lord Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit is still moving within the hearts of men and women around the world.
Many thinkers cannot see a One World Government as being remotely possible before 2048. They believe that the world’s economies, and the political situation that currently exists, do not allow for this. Besides the people are not conditioned sufficiently to usher in a New World Order that culminates in a One World Government. I have to confess that I tend towards such a view. However, when we consider that the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference was a concerted effort to get all nations to sign up to the carbon tax being pushed by Rothschild family members, and Jacob Rothschild saying that, in 2007, he knew that the 2008 Global Financial Crisis was coming, the year 2048 could be a little too far out.
Global Warming has not obtained the desired traction as a propaganda meme due to the cooling that has occurred. However, climate engineering is taking place, though global, more so in the Northern Hemisphere, where 90% of the global population live—needless to say, the rest live below the equator. Under the rationale that action is required to counteract the effects of climate change, a deliberate large scale attempt to modify the Earth’s weather is taking place in the upper hemisphere.[i] This manmade interference is evidenced by the increasing lack of blueness in the day sky and the chemtrails[ii][iii][iv][v] that have been observed, as aircraft crisscross the skies for no apparent reason.
Standing at six foot four inches tall, David de Rothschild (born 1978) presents as a Jesus-of-Nazareth look-a-like—if we were to believe the many existing portraits that commonly depict the Son of God as the Son of Man. One of David de Rothschild’s uncles, Edmund de Rothschild, in 1987 created the World Conservation Bank (which receives land from Third World Countries in lieu of debt to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, then declares it a national reserve).[vi] It is not by accident that this same Rothschild claimed carbon dioxide (CO2) was destroying the world. Surely, it has to be more than coincidence then that David de Rothschild wrote The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook: 77 Essential Skills To Stop Climate Change and toured with Al Gore (author of An Inconvenient Truth) to promote the dangers of climate change. David’s cousin, financier Nathan Rothschild (born 1971), after being garroted in a business deal by Indonesians, has obtained a M.Sc. degree in Addiction Studies at the Institute of Psychiatry (Kings College, London). David’s father, Evelyn, relinquished control of the family’s main banking fortune to the French branch of the family, David RenĂ© James de Rothschild (born, 1942). Evelyn Rothschild heavily invested in India (agriculture) and China (where he controlled the weather forecasts). The Rothschilds also just happen to be the financial consultants for the British Crown and the Vatican.
The brief mention of these Rothschilds has to do with the family’s involve-ment in the creation of the state of Israel. The French Baron Edmond James de Rothschild (1845–1934) is responsible for present-day Israel and paid for the Knesset (seat of government) buildings. The Rothschilds donated the money to build the Supreme Court of Israel, which is a Masonic Temple full of Freemason imagery and symbolism, with tours of the building being conducted in accordance to the lodge’s principles.[vii] British Baron Lionel Walter Rothschild (1868–1937) was responsible for securing the Balfour Agreement in 1917, which proclaimed Palestine as the national home for Jews and a protectorate of Great Brita
The influence of the Rothschild family dynasty upon world affairs cannot be underestimated, even if they are only one of the many Jewish banking families that exist. While some of the family members find themselves in the public spotlight, the Rothschilds like to be heard but not seen—something they are able to achieve through their many agents. For example, the famous J.P. Morgan, who founded what is now the JPMorgan Chase Bank, died possessing only twenty per cent of the wealth he was estimated to have. After his death, the realization dawned on those who were interested in matters to do with the great J.P. Morgan, that he was only an agent for those whom he represented. Investigators ascertained from information they were able to gather, the other eighty per cent of the wealth attributed to Morgan belonged to the Rothschilds, who bankrolled much of the infrastructure for the industrial world’s railroads, oil enterprises and automobiles, not to mention the Rockefeller empire. Today, members of the five branches of the family, through their many trusts, companies, positions on boards that they own and control, and through political appointments, influence key decisions concerning world affairs. They are guiding the world towards a New World Order. In the 1988, the Rothschild-owned publication The Economist predicted that by 2018 there would be a one world currency.[viii]
What the following pages will reveal is “Jacob’s Trouble” is not a seven-year period nor a three-and-a-half-year period, as many interpreters of the Bible incorrectly state. Jacob’s trouble began with Esau and continued through-out the years he stayed with his uncle, Laban. This period was significantly longer than seven years.
The length of Jacob’s trouble during his sojourn with Laban is not the only thing that is overlooked. People overlook the feasts of Israel when they talk of the end times. The feasts of Israel consisted of seven feasts and each served a specific purpose and was a type of things to come. The Passover, the Feast of the First Fruits, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks (otherwise known as Pentecost) have all been accounted for on the Christian calendar. The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Booths have not. The first four feasts have significance for the Church. Therefore, to be consistent, it is only right that we can expect that these latter feasts to have similar significance. In which case, we can expect that these feasts are very important types that have a significant bearing upon the church regarding the purpose of God; but they appear to be given little consideration, along with many other prophetic truths that are seemingly overlooked.
The cleansing of the sanctuary that is represented by the killing of the bull on the Day of Atonement has been fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, who has reconciled us to our Heavenly Father through His atoning sacrifice. However, this is only part fulfillment of what was represented by that day. The book of Revelation informs us Satan still has access to Heaven. While it is true our sins have been taken away, as represented by the goat that was taken into the wilderness, we have not all ceased sinning. Yet we are informed that Jesus is coming back for a perfect bride: one without spot, wrinkle or blemish—which means without sin.
The book of Revelation gives us a time line of events that include the breaking of the seven seals, the seven trumpets, the three woes and the seven plagues. Of course, on the seventh trumpet, which is the last trump, the resurrection of the dead saints will occur, and along with the saints who are alive, they will meet Lord Jesus in the clouds.
Pivotal to understanding this are the prophecies in Daniel. There are three prophecies that concern us: the dream of the image that Nebuchadnezzar had; the vision Daniel had of the four beasts; the vision of the goat and the ram. Contrary to popular opinion, the dream and visions in Daniel are not about the same events. These are three separate prophetic visions that have a certain chronological order, which will surprise and possibly astound, for not only do we find Islam represented in these visions but also the Knights Templar Order and modern atheism’s advent, with its incessant emphasis on humanist ideals.
In order to put all these prophecies into perspective and determine some dates, we will begin with Lord Jesus Christ, for as the Bible states:
[Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)
From ascertaining the date of John the Baptist’s appearance in the fifteenth year of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius, in which he preached for about nine months before baptizing the Son of God, we will see how Jesus, after preaching and healing people for some two years and three months, was three days and nights in the Earth, as He predicted, and pinpoint the exact date of the Passover. Having determined this, we will be able to consider some other prophecies. One will begin with the end of the First World War and another will show the hand of God in an incredible way. These will enable us to further corroborate the eschatological timeline and provide us with massive confidence concerning the signs of the times and the fact that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
One of the major obstacles that people have in discovering the truth of the Scriptures is they make assumptions and then begin seeking to find proof texts to fit their assumptions. Before we begin to decipher what the evidence means, so we can uncover the truths of the Bible in regard to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, a chapter is devoted to demonstrating that the approach taken in this exposition is first establishing the scriptural evidence.
Though our aim is to tease out the prophecy in the Scriptures and show how overall events today fit into the plan of God, we will not be going into every detail that exists in respect to the prophecies. What the reader will be presented with is evidence that the Bible has predicted certain events and these have come to pass. Therefore, the reader can have confidence in the events that are yet to happen, as they are close at hand; for even though the writing is not on a wall yet or on a giant billboard, the signs are clearly visible. Most of all, a number of misconceptions will be exposed; such as Jesus preaching three-and-a-half years, and, in particular, the eschatological gap theory that is reliant upon this three-and-a-half-year misconception.
One of the beliefs that does not hold water, which, unfortunately, people seem to overlook (as they did with the extra forty-five days after the revealing of the Man of Sin), concerns the ten toes on the image of a man dreamed by Nebuchadnezzar. Many interpreters claim that the two legs of the image represent the split that formed the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western Roman Catholic Church. Now according to this theory, the ten toes represent ten kingdoms. One of the glaring inconsistencies with this interpretation is how the ten kingdoms represented by the ten toes are on one foot and not distributed evenly over both feet. For instead of five of these kingdoms originating in regions where the Eastern Orthodox Church was established, they were all nominated to be western nations in Europe, which are designated as being only one leg of the image. If truth is consistent, the image should have five toes on each foot, not ten toes on one foot and none on the other, which would be required to validate such an interpretation. The toes on the image figure as significant in many interpretations of the Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Either the image has ten toes on one foot and none on the other, or it has five toes on each foot. However, we will not be going into great detail to solve the toe issue regarding which nations are represented by the number of toes, because there is no mention of how many toes the statue possessed. As should be evident, the toes are not mentioned because they are of no consequence; therefore, there is no need to discuss what they represent, or how many toes each foot should have—nevertheless, this point will be highlighted.
Hopefully, everything that is written within these pages is sufficiently clear that the many difficulties that arise from false claims are avoided and this book shows what God was really revealing through the prophets, as they made their utterances concerning the end times. For while we will be considering various predictions made by the prophets, we will not be considering everything, as the aim of this book is to point out what should be obvious, rather than major on the obscure and the esoteric data.
According to what is written in the Bible, Lord Jesus Christ is coming back and we need to be ready for His return, otherwise, we will find ourselves stranded, as if lost at sea in a small boat without a rudder, sail or paddle.
Many people are of the opinion that the current state of Israel has nothing to do with the return of Lord Jesus Christ. They see current events as being the consequence of international bankers attempting to convince Evangelical Christians, who accept the view of the millennial rule of Lord Jesus Christ, that supporting Israel is a virtuous preoccupation. Meanwhile the Zionists are exploiting the military-industrial complex and the global influence of the United States of America for their own ends. However, Steve Lightle’s testimony informs us of another perspective.
Steve Lightle was born a Jew. Steven became a Christian after recognizing Lord Jesus was the Messiah. In 1973, he had a multimillion-dollar business. As a Christian, though, seeking to know the will of the Omniscient One was Steven’s desire. God spoke to him and asked him to give his business to an employee, if he wanted to conform to the perfect will of our Heavenly Father for himself. Upon handing over the business to his employee without fee, Steven and his wife then set out to conform to God’s perfect will for themselves. In August 1974, at Braunschweig, Germany, after spending six and a half days pinned to the floor, Jesus appeared to Steve. After that, he had a vision of hundreds of thousands of Jews coming out of Russia and going to Israel on ships. God spoke to him in the vision and said that he is going to judge the worship of scientific knowledge by the Russians and bring the country to its knees. In the vision, Steve saw nuclear meltdowns like that of Chernobyl. Since then Communism has failed and over one million Jews have migrated to Israel. Lightle says that many more are to leave the USA and other parts of the world and return to Israel as persecution of Jews becomes unbearable.[ix]
The prophet Ezekiel was in Babylon when he prophesied that, not just the Judahites, but the all of Israel (including the Ten Tribes that had been dispersed among the nations by the Assyrians) would return to the land that God had promised to give to Abraham. When this time comes, the nation Israel, once more, would become the land that is blessed by God. Naturally, it needs to be understood that the Israelites, who return to the land, are not the ones who were exiled but their descendants according to the flesh—the blessing is to demonstrate the glory of God, not man. Indeed, today, Israel is like the Garden of Eden compared to its neighbors, and fortified.
For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land….They shall say, This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited. Then the nations that are left around you shall know that I, Yahweh, have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and I will do it. (Ezekiel 36:24; 35-36)
Ezekiel stated that the reason the nation Israel was to be dispersed among the nations and then brought back to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, had nothing to do with them, but so that our Heavenly Father could bring glory to His Name: the name of His Son (cf. Prov. 30:3-4; Phil. 2:10-11). In fact, Ezekiel states:
Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings: their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. Therefore I poured out my wrath on them for the blood which they had poured out on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols; and I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. When they came to the nations, where they went, they profaned my holy name; in that men said of them, These are the people of Yahweh, and are gone out of his land. But I had respect for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations, where they went. Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, where you went. I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am Yahweh, says the Lord Yahweh, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.” (Ezekiel 36:16-23)
Some people reading this may wonder why I do not use the form “the Lord Jesus Christ” when referring to my Lord and Savior. Some individuals feel that “the” ought to be used to signify that Lord Jesus Christ is unique. However, I do not address Lord Jesus in prayer as “The Lord Jesus Christ”. Instead, I ask Lord Jesus Christ to show me the truth, because I am in His presence. The immanency of Lord Jesus Christ means that He is not far off and therefore does not need to be addressed, or referred to, by using the definite article “the”—as in “the president”, “the king”, “the queen”, “the prime minister”. If Lord Jesus is not in the room when we are speaking to Him, then, maybe, when talking about our precious Savior, there may be value in referring to Him using the word “the”. But if we know Lord Jesus, He is with us always (Matthew 28:19-20). In which case, I sincerely hope you have the pleasure of experiencing the immanency of our Savior also, and know Him as your Lord, as I do (Romans 10:8-10).
Additionally, it is important to understand that when seeking the truth, we must be objective and allow the evidence itself to reveal the truth of a matter. Making a claim and then finding information to support that claim is not being truthful. This is true even when seeking to establish reasons why a person might accept the Bible as inspired by God. People who accept the Bible as God’s authoritative written word and then expect others to do so without demonstrating sound reasons are not addressing the speck in that person’s eye. Many readers might be challenged by the following chapter, as the Bible is subjected to scrutiny to establish its authenticity. The reality is that every person must come to a place where the evidence convinces them that the Bible is authoritative and bears the seal of the Lord God Almighty. Even regarding the Bible, making an assumption that something is true and then developing arguments to support that assumption is deceptive. The reason people misinterpret history and prophecy is that they make assumptions rather than allowing the evidence to reveal the truth of a matter, which is what the following treatment of this subject attempts to do. What will become obvious is that while the accuracy of the Bible’s prophecies is highlighted, there are certain matters that cannot be pinpointed with absolute certainty. There may be a sense that some cul-de-sacs have been entered, and disappointingly, they are not declared an impasse. Even so, what will become evident is how the directions that various historical narratives have taken begin to converge at one place, culminating at one point in time (as if these were a system of waterways finally revealing the extent of their contents at one location near the riverhead before disappearing into the sea)—that is, coming to the end of the age.
***
[i]Climate engineering,
also known as geoengineering, can be described as the deliberate large scale
modification of the earth’s climate systems for the purposes of counteracting
and mitigating climate change. As this
subject becomes the focus of more serious consideration and scrutiny within the
scientific and policy communities,
it is important to acknowledge that climate engineering carries with it not
only possible benefits, but also an enormous range of uncertainties, ethical
and political concerns, and the potential for harmful environmental and
economic side effects. I believe that reducing greenhouse gas emissions should
be the first priority of any domestic or international climate initiative.”—
Bart Gordon, Engineering the
Climate: Research Needs and Strategies for International Coordination
(Washington, D.C.: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science and
Technology, 2010), ii.
[ii] Commentary on Chemtrails: Chemtrails, unlike condensation trails, do not
dissipate quickly into the atmosphere. They are a mixture of strontium, barium,
aluminum, and other substances. Dane Wigington has accumulated much scientific
data to substantiate the claims of chemtrails observed in the sky. Known as
geoengineering, this topic is discussed in military contexts and at various
weather modification conferences.
[iii] Dane Wigington, “Chemtrails:
The Truth Behind the Conspiracy,” Geoengineering
Watch, accessed May 31, 2025, https://geoengineeringwatch.org.
[iv] Commentary on Bioengineering: Clifford Carnicom, a Washington
whistleblower, has documented research into bioengineering associated with
geoengineering, where ionized electromagnetic salts are being used in the
process, negatively impacting people around the globe.
[v] Clifford Carnicom,
“Research on Bioengineering and Geoengineering,” Carnicom Institute, accessed May 31, 2025, https://carnicominstitute.org.
[vi] Edmund de Rothschild,
address at the 4th World Wilderness Congress, Denver, CO, 1987, hosted by the
International Wilderness Leadership Foundation (WILD Foundation); referenced in
Dark Journalist
coverage and Global Research
archives. Rothschild stated, “The threat of environmental catastrophe can unite
the nations of the world in a new global order,” audio/video archive referenced
in Dark Journalist coverage and Global Research archives, sourced from
transcripts archived by WILD Foundation and alternative media preservation
projects.
[vii] “Supreme Court Built
to Masonic Guidelines,” Israel
National News, accessed May 31, 2025, https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/171292.
The Masons are connected to the Knights
Templar that once occupied Jerusalem during the Crusades. The connection ought
not be overlooked.
[viii] “Get Ready for the
Phoenix,” The Economist,
January 9, 1988, vol. 306, 9–10.
[ix] Steve Lightle,
interview by Sid Roth, YouTube Video, accessed May 31, 2025,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndd8Vay-AGk
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