“Jesus is coming soon!”

How many times have you heard that? I’m sure it’s too many to count. People have been saying it for hundreds of years, and without a doubt will be saying it until He returns. But the truth is, His coming is closer today than ever before. That’s not just a trite saying. Many people realize there are obvious things going on in the world today that may be pointing to His soon return. Only time will tell just how soon. But one thing is certain. God has told us He is coming again. And He has given us a fair warning, if we are listening to Him.

The following is simply an attempt to point out some of the things He has told us. I am not a prophet. I’m only sharing what the Lord has shown me in His Word to maybe help give some understanding to what He has told us. If there are some mistakes in my thinking, that’s because I’m just a person prone to error like any of us. But God is not, and His Word IS perfect. We can trust Him, and everything He has told us. I pray His Word will speak to the hearts of all who read this, and help us all to understand just how soon His coming may be. And don’t forget, He just may want to use YOU to tell others, “Jesus is coming soon!”

DANIEL’S PERFECT TIMING

When you think of Daniel in the Bible, what comes to your mind? Perhaps it’s the familiar story of Daniel being saved from the hungry lions; or maybe his three friends being saved out of the fiery furnace. Or how about the Hand of God writing on the wall? Without question, there are many great stories in the twelve chapters of Daniel. But also within those chapters you will find some of the most important prophecies in the Bible for us today, concerning the coming of the Lord.

The story of Daniel starts with him and his three friends being taken to Babylon when the Jews were removed from the land of Israel during the Babylonian captivity. He was there for seventy years, and all the events in Daniel occurred during that time. It was near the end of his time in Babylon that God gave him a prophecy that concerned a very special event in history. It was a prophecy which foretold the coming of the Messiah over 480 years before it would happen.

SEVENTY “WEEKS” ARE DETERMINED!

This prophecy is known as Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, just as they were revealed by an angel from God, to Daniel, in chapter nine. “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city” (Daniel 9:24). In this prophecy, it was foretold to Daniel the EXACT time the Messiah would be revealed to Israel. “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven ‘sevens’ and sixty-two ‘sevens'” (Daniel 9:25).

The cryptic use of the word “sevens” in this prophecy is better understood as meaning weeks of years. So these sixty-nine “weeks of years” (7 weeks and 62 weeks), would total 483 years (69 X 7). Daniel was told that it would be 483 years from the day the decree was issued, which would allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild and restore it, until the Messiah would come! That’s pretty specific! [IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These years consist of 360 days, according to the Jewish calendar year, not 365.]

In his book The Coming Prince, Sir Robert Anderson gives all the details of how Jesus rode into Jerusalem, during the week of Passover, fulfilling the 483 years EXACTLY! This prophecy alone, should have made it unmistakably clear that Jesus was the Messiah promised by God all throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. And when He entered Jerusalem that day, the people believed He was the Messiah, and cheered Him as their Savior. There should have been no reason for ANYBODY to doubt it, especially the ones who claimed to know the Scriptures!

THE REJECTION OF THE MESSIAH

Sadly, we know that less than one week after Jesus rode into Jerusalem, to the shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9), the people would be calling for His crucifixion. The leaders of the Pharisees, the chief priests and teachers of the law, would turn the crowd against Jesus. They felt threatened by Him and wanted to get Him out of the way. But they had no idea this was all in the plan of God. They were faithfully representing the stiff-necked, hardhearted, prophet-killers God had been dealing with since the time of the Exodus. They had become the barren fig tree that would “wither away”, no longer able to bear fruit for God. And the rest, as they say, is HIS-story!

But wait! What about the 70th Week? Wasn’t that only 69 of the 70 weeks? There’s still one week of 7 years, of 360 days each, to be accounted for, right? That’s right, and we’ll get to that in just a moment.

After Jesus entered Jerusalem to the praise of the people, the Jewish leaders had made it very clear they would not have any part in accepting Him. The Lord knew it, and He now spells it out in no uncertain terms. In the days following His Triumphal Entry, Jesus not only cleared the temple again, but He spoke against the teachers of the law and the Pharisees in unmistakable parables about them, and in His responses to their questions to trap Him (Matthew 21-22). On top of that, He also pronounced curses on them for their hypocrisy and hard hearts (Matthew 23). Their rejection of Jesus would cause Daniel’s 70th Week to be DELAYED.

THE STORY IS NOT OVER

The last “week” of seven years, would be put on hold, separated, just as it was foretold! These last seven years would be reserved for a future time of judgement that is described as “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), and will ultimately pick up exactly as God planned. His plan will NOT be derailed. And His plan will ultimately, as the angel told Daniel, “finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place” (Daniel 9:24). So now the question is, “When will that happen?”

After His entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21), and before His death on the cross, to pay the penalty for our sins (Matthew 27), we have a very interesting prophecy of Jesus recorded for us at the end of Matthew 23. In this passage, Jesus grieves over the fact of being rejected by those who should have received Him. And He knew what was going to ultimately happen as a result of their turning away from God. He laments, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37-38). What Jesus is saying here, is that due to their rejection of Him, God would bring judgment to the city of Jerusalem. In 70 AD the Romans would come and destroy the city and the temple, and “not leave one stone upon another”, just as Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24:2. This is a recorded fact of history which Jesus foretold some 40 years in advance. The desolation came.

HE IS COMING AGAIN!

But perhaps the most important part of the prophecy Jesus gives us, is found in the last verse of Matthew 23. Here we have Jesus declaring, “For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'” (Matthew 23:39). Jesus says that there will come a time when, ONCE AGAIN, the inhabitants of Jerusalem will proclaim, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”, just as they did when He rode into the city on His first entry during PASSOVER!

Don’t miss the importance of this! This is an event that is still to come! Jesus is telling us He will return to the same place, a SECOND time, to fulfill what didn’t happen, the FIRST time. And I’m thinking, if He is going to fulfill Daniel’s 70th Week, doesn’t it make sense that when He returns to Jerusalem, He will pick it up where it left off, also during PASSOVER? It does to me. But whenever it happens, one thing we can know for sure, is Jesus WILL return to Jerusalem to complete and fulfill the 70th Week of Daniel. However, when He comes this time, He will be received and acknowledged as the rightful heir to the throne as King! And not just as King over Israel, but over the whole world!

SEVEN YEARS OF TERROR!

Now, although many people are looking forward to the day when Jesus will return to earth to restore our fallen world, I must remind everyone, this day will only come following a time of terrifying events and God’s ultimate judgement upon the world. Jesus will come again to Jerusalem at the END of Daniel’s last seven year “week”. It is only then, that the Lord will return to the earth.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29-30).

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-16).

“Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south” (Zechariah 14:3-4).

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

Jesus rode into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago alone on a donkey. The next time He rides into Jerusalem He will be on a white horse followed by the armies of heaven. The first time He came as the Passover Lamb of God, who would provide the sacrifice for the sins of the world. The next time He will come as the Lion of Judah, the eternal King who conquered sin and death. The first time He came as a lowly child in a manger. The next time He will come as the Lord God Almighty, to judge the world.

CAN WE KNOW WHEN?

Many people are at least somewhat familiar with the basics of this story of Christ’s return. But the question is always asked, “Can we know when all this will happen?” Well, if we believe Jesus returns to pick up the story where it left off, when He came into Jerusalem during Passover, then isn’t the celebration of Passover (as already noted) the likely time to restart the plan and begin His reign as the KING OF KINGS? Now I know I’m speculating here, but IF that is the case, the soonest that could happen would be during Passover Week of 2029, which is from March 30th to April 7th. If we take the Jewish calendar into consideration, that is a little over seven Jewish years, of 360 days, away.

You might be wondering, why is Passover of 2029 so important?  Well, this possible time frame, for His return, also fits within the generation that Jesus said wouldn’t pass until it sees all these things fulfilled. “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:32-35).

WHAT GENERATION IS THIS TALKING ABOUT?

So can we know what a generation actually is? In Psalm 90:10 God may be telling us: “Our days may come to SEVENTY YEARS, or EIGHTY, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” And WHO might this “generation” apply to? I believe it’s specifically the generation of Jews that are alive at the time God brings fulfillment to all the things Jesus foretold, culminating in His glorious return. Remember, He is returning to Jerusalem, and the people of Israel! And did the Lord make sure that we could clearly recognize this specific generation of Jews? I believe He did.

On May 14, 1948, the nation of Israel was reborn, fulfilling Isaiah 66:8, “Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?” The answer is YES! Israel will celebrate its 80th birthday in the year 2028, and will remain 80 until it turns 81, in May of 2029. This also fits the time frame mentioned earlier for His possible return during Passover week of March 30th to April 7th of 2029! Just weeks before Israel’s 81st birthday!

Many may quote Jesus as saying, “No one knows the day or the hour, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). But in that passage He connects that statement with a coming time of sudden destruction that no one can know when it hits, just like when the flood came “in the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37-39), NOT His return at the Second Coming. We just saw that Jesus coming back to earth FOLLOWS the time known as the Tribulation, which covers an exact period of seven years! Clearly, there is something Jesus was referring to that He wanted us to be aware of that would come BEFORE the start of the time of Tribulation. Why else would He tell us to be looking up “when these things begin to take place” (Luke 21:28)? And indeed there is something, and it’s could be the most exciting news you’ve ever heard!

But before we dig into that, I want to make sure it is clear what the “Return of Jesus Christ” refers to, because it is crucial. What I’ve described so far is the time when Jesus comes back to the earth to physically rule over the earth from Jerusalem. Like I’ve pointed out, this comes at the conclusion of what is known as the Tribulation, which is an exact seven year period of time when God will bring judgement on the earth. We can read the specific details about this in Revelation, chapters 6-19, along with many other passages in both the Old and the New Testaments. The question that must be answered, is “Why must this time of judgement happen?”

WHY MUST THE TRIBULATION HAPPEN?

To put it simply, this judgement comes as a result of SIN which entered the world back in the Garden, when Satan caused Adam and Eve to disobey God by his lies and deception. And from the time of Adam’s fall, the curse of sin has been passed on to everyone who has ever lived. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The result of man’s fallen condition has caused gross sin and death for thousands of years, with the pinnacle of man’s sinfulness being the crucifixion of Jesus by the Jews and the Romans. Yet, even though this travesty was ordained by God, the Lord must come to bring judgment for all sin, because He is a just and holy God. But don’t forget, He loves all sinners. And because of God’s great love for all of us, Jesus came, according to God’s plan, to die on the cross and make it possible for us to be forgiven by faith in His sacrifice for us. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7). “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The reason God has done all this, is because He does NOT want anyone to go through the judgement of the Tribulation that is coming against the devil and those who have rejected Him in unbelief. The Good News is that He has provided the way of escape. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18). “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

THE KEY TO BEING RESCUED FROM ALL THIS

Please take note of what God is telling us here. The key to being saved from the coming Tribulation, is to change your mind about what you really believe. It’s called “repentance”! I know people don’t like hearing that word, but please understand what it really means. Repentance is turning from unbelief to believing that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to remove the condemnation for our sin, to save us from the coming judgment, and to give us New Life! It’s changing your mind about who God is and, by faith, believing in what He has done for you. It is only by turning to God by faith in Christ that we become “children of God” (John 1:12), and join with all those who have also received the love of the Father (1 John 3:1), “and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Did you hear that? Jesus rescues us FROM the coming wrath! That’s not just Good News, it is GREAT news!

The apostle Paul describes when that rescue comes. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).

OUR COMING TRIP TO PARIDISE

This incredible event is known as the Rapture, and is the exciting news I mentioned earlier. It is the day Jesus comes to rescue His church from the coming Tribulation! Much like God saving Noah and his family from the flood by lifting them up in the ark, or rescuing His chosen people from their enemies in the Exodus during Passover, the Lord’s plan is to save His Bride, the church, and take us home to be with Him in heaven. This will be the most exciting trip we will ever take!

So when does this “rescue” occur? The answer to that question is really quite simple. If we are promised to be saved “from the coming wrath”, the rescue has to come BEFORE that time comes. In other words, before the seven year time of Tribulation, or “the day of the Lord”, begins.

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (2 Thessalonians 5:2-6).

No matter how you may want to look at it, the signs are telling us that day is very near.  Jesus said, “Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door” (Matthew 24:33). If we take to heart the warning from Jesus that it is important to “discern the signs of the times”, and we can see “the beginning of birth pains” in “wars and rumors of wars”, “nations against nations”, “plagues, and earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:6-8), then we should be well aware that something is coming soon. And we should all take the Lord’s command to heart and BE READY! “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

Now here’s something to think about. And let me start by saying, this is just my own bit of speculation based on what I’ve mentioned. But I think you might find it interesting. Now, if Jesus were to have His second Triumphal Entry on the last day of Passover, on April 7th, 2029, which would be at the end of the seven year (or 2520 days) Tribulation, and you subtract 2520 days from April 7th of 2029, that would place the beginning of the Tribulation, the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble”, on MAY 14th, 2022! That would be Israel’s 74th Birthday, NEXT MONTH! Wow! And if that’s a possible time for when the Tribulation could start, then how close might we be to the Rapture? Could the Lord have something special in store for us soon? Who knows? I’m NOT setting any date! Only the Father knows when Jesus is coming for His Bride. But one thing is for sure, no matter when it is, the Rapture will happen. He IS coming for us! And I say “Amen” to that!

ARE YOU READY?

So, the big question is, “How can you be sure you will be rescued from the coming Tribulation on the earth?” How can YOU be ready? There is only ONE way. By believing in Jesus Christ and putting your faith and trust in what He has done for you. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Those are His words.

Paul writes, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). “For, ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13). Sound too good to be true? It’s not! That’s why it’s called the Good News! It’s God’s gift to us, and we only have to accept it. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved!” (Acts 4:12).

HAVE YOU RECEIVED HIS GIFT?

If you have received God’s gift of forgiveness by believing in Christ’s death on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, you will be included when He comes to receive His Bride, the church, and bring us home before the Tribulation begins. Believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ secures your place with every other believer in His church, and whether you are alive or dead, He will rescue us all from the coming wrath. It’s His gift to show us how much He loves us, and it’s a promise. He is preparing a wedding banquet for us all, and it will be a time of great celebration! I pray everyone who reads this has accepted God’s gift of forgiveness in their hearts. If you have yet to do so, you can do it right now. Trust what He has said, and tell Him you believe He died for you. Send Him your “RSVP”.  Don’t wait any longer. Jesus IS coming soon! “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” – John 14:2-3

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” – Revelation 22:20

I hope you will share this with others, and I hope to see you all—IN THE AIR! Happy Passover and Resurrection Day! He is RISEN!

May God bless you all!

Brother Rick

U.N.C.L.E. HQ

---

We wish to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ without whom this ministry would not be possible.

---

U.N.C.L.E. Ministry is affiliated ONLY with Jesus Christ to build up the body of believers who comprise His church…for His glory!