“And as he (Jesus) sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately saying, Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
Matthew 24:3
Did you know the Bible explicitly tells us the EXACT day Jesus Christ will Return to this world to establish His 1,000 year earthly Kingdom? Interested? Read on…
One of the greatest and most comforting attributes of the Holy Bible is prophecy. Not only does the Holy Word of God direct us in our every day lives but He also tells His followers what will be coming at “…the end of the world.” If you believe the Bible you probably know approximately one third of it is dedicated to telling the people in ancient times about the Coming Messiah and also the people living in the Last Days the signs to be looking for to validate all prophecies made regarding what horrible things will happen on this earth before Christ Returns. On the Mount of Olives Jesus told His disciples some of the things which would happen in the Last Days. Of course, they wanted to know much more! They wanted to know exactly what would be the signs of His Coming.
All the way back in the Old Testament Book of Daniel we are told the Jews would have 70 weeks of years as compensation for their sins until Jesus was anointed as “…the most Holy”. This equates to a total of 490 years (70 X 7):
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (the Jews) and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up (finish) the vision and prophecy; and to anoint the most Holy (Jesus).”
Daniel 9:24
History has shown us this time of seventy weeks (490 years) has been broken into three distinct time periods. The first 7 weeks (49 years) was when Artaxerxes decreed to Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem in 457 BC after the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity. The next 62 weeks (434 years) were during the time when the Jews lived in Jerusalem after the restoration of the City of Jerusalem and until the Baptism of Jesus. And the last 1 week (7 years), which is yet to come, but will during the Tribulation period. The first two have already happened prior to the birth of Jesus exactly as the Bible prophesied! Now some might argue since the Jews today are back in the land of Israel, the 70th week must have already occurred but they miss one important point. Jesus has not yet been anointed the most Holy and this will not happen until AFTER He returns at His Second Coming at Armageddon. The 490 year Promise God made will NOT be completed until Christ is anointed!
So, how will we know when the final 7 years (1 week) begins?
“And he (the anti-christ) shall confirm the covenant (peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians) with many for ONE WEEK (seven years – capitals mine): and in the midst of the week (3 1/2 years after the signing of the covenant) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it (the rebuilt Jewish Temple) desolate, even until the consummation (Jesus’s Return), and that determined (Tribulation) shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Daniel 9:27
The Bible is very clear! The FINAL seven years of this sinful world will begin when a man (later to be recognized as the anti-christ) CONFIRMS a 7 year Peace Covenant with the Jews and the Palestinians allowing the Jews to rebuild their third Holy Temple and return to animal sacrifices and giving the Palestinians a nation in the area we know of today as the West Bank (Judea). At this time the anti-christ WILL NOT be known as the very evil individual we will later recognize. Please note. The Bible says he will “confirm” the peace treaty. This can be construed to mean he will either write it OR he will simply use his position of power to “confirm” an agreement already written but perhaps not yet in place. Either way, when a peace agreement is signed allowing for the Jews to rebuild their Holy Temple on the Temple Mount AND the Palestinians rights to have their own “nation”, be watching!
What I find amazing is the Bible tells us a man will confirm the peace treaty between the Jews and the Palestinians but the Bible also tells us EXACTLY half way through this 7 year time period (1 week of years) he will enter the then rebuilt third Jewish Temple and cause the sacrifice of animals for remission of the Jews sins to stop. This will desecrate the Temple so it cannot be further used by the Jews. This doesn’t happen after 1, 2 or 3 years. It happens “midway” through the 7 year peace covenant, or 3 1/2 years after the Peace Covenant is “confirmed”. More importantly, if my math is correct, this means by definition it must happen EXACTLY 3 1/2 years BEFORE Christ Returns!
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin (the anti-christ) be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now you know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3-6
Furthermore, we are told there will be a “falling away” in the world first and then the anti-christ will be revealed. How will we finally know who he is? When he enters the Jewish Temple and proclaims that he is God, THEN we will be able to identify him for who he truly is, the anti-christ. Again, Jesus reminds us that He told us who the anti-christ is and how we will be able to identify him long before this event known as the Abomination of Desolation occurs. If you want to read more on this, you may want to read my previous article What is the Abomination of Desolation in Biblical Prophecy? on this matter.
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (the Jewish Temple) (WHOSO READETH, LET HIM UNDERSTAND: (capitals mine)) Then let them (the Jews) which be in Judea (West Bank) flee into the mountains.”
Matthew 24:15-16
Interestingly, Jesus advises those who read this AND UNDERSTAND what He has told us, that when the Jews see/hear about it, they are to flee immediately from Judea (the West Bank or the new Palestinian State) into the mountains. So we are now at a point where we are told there will be a Peace Covenant confirmed for seven years and midway through it (after 3 1/2 years) the anti-christ will sit in the Jewish temple and proclaim himself to be God. At that exact moment the Jews are told to flee into hiding in the mountains. Remember, this occurs midway through the seven year time of the tribulation, or after 3 1/2 years AND therefore, 3 1/2 years before the triumphant Return of Jesus Christ.
“And the woman (Jews) fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND THREESCORE DAYS (1,260 days -capitals mine).”
Revelation 12:6
Maybe I should have done a better explanation before now of the differences of these times discussed. The Jews have always used a lunar calendar (we use the Gregorian calendar, a solar calendar). Where our months have 28-31 days, their monthly calendar has 30 days. Our years have 365.25 days with an added day every 4 years. Theirs have 360 days (they add another month every few years or so to equal the seasons of our calendar). Therefore, and this is important and relevant to this discussion, a month is 30 days, 42 months is 3 1/2 years and 3 1/2 years is 1,260 days. Also, when the Bible refers to a “time, times and half a time”, it equates a “time” to a year. “times” as two years and “half a time” as half a year or 6 months. Again, we are talking about a 3 1/2 year period of time.The Bible (as you might expect) uses all three to tell us how much time is left AFTER the Abomination of Desolation occurs and Jesus Returns. The Bible says Jesus will Return 1,260 days EXACTLY after the Abomination of Desolation!!! Not 1,250 or 1,270 days but 1,260 days!
“And to the woman (Jews) were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a TIME, AND TIMES, AND HALF A TIME (3 1/2 years – capitals mine), from the face of the serpent (Satan).”
Revelation 12:14
By now we are aware the anti-christ will rule the world after the Abomination of Desolation for 3 1/2 years. What will it be like here on earth during these final 3 1/2 years?
“For then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION (capitals mine), such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
Matthew 24:21
It will be the absolute worst time in all of human history! While the seven year period after the confirming of the Peace Covenant is referred to as the Tribulation, it is the second half, the last 3 1/2 years time period, which is called the GREAT TRIBULATION. This is when God finally unleashes His Wrath on a sinful and unrepentant world. Besides many other horrible events, there will be severe persecution of His Believers because they will not worship the anti-christ (or, take his mark, the Mark of the Beast) and this persecution will last for 3 1/2 years!
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they (the Believers) shall be given into his hand until a TIME, TIMES AND THE DIVIDING OF TIME (3 1/2 years – capital mine)“.
Daniel 7:25
Still confused about “time, times and dividing of time” (3 1/2 years)? What if we recall the Bible says it will last for 42 months (3 1/2 years)? As part of God’s Wrath, He will allow the anti-christ to wreak havoc on this world for 42 months.
“And there was given unto him (the anti-christ) a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue FORTY AND TWO MONTHS (capitals mine).”
Revelation 13:5
As I mentioned earlier, part of the Peace Covenant confirmed by the anti-christ with Israel and the Palestinians will allow the Jews to rebuild their Holy Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. If you have been to Jerusalem, you know today the Jewish Temple Mount is occupied by two Muslim mosques, the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque. These were built during the Muslim Ottoman Empire to ensure the Jews could never return to their God Promised Holy site. To tear either of these down would obviously eradicate the Peace Covenant but the Book of Revelation tells us the 3rd Holy Jewish Temple will actually be rebuilt there BETWEEN the two where there is enough unoccupied space to build it. Again, we are told the rest of the site is given unto the Gentiles (non-Jews) but after the Abomination of Desolation they (the Gentiles) will tread the holy city (Jerusalem) “under foot for forty and two months” (3 1/2 years)!
“But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles (non-Jews): and the holy city shall they tread under foot FORTY AND TWO MONTHS (capitals mine).”
Revelation 11:2
In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 7 it describes two “men” standing on opposite sides of the water. In the Bible two agreeing on something validates what is said as an agreed upon oath or promise. It appears obvious the anti-christ himself, one of the two “men”, will swear to God in Heaven that he knows he will have 3 1/2 years to accomplish scattering the holy people and at the end of it, all things prophesied will be completed. Of course Satan knows the ultimate result of his rebellion against God but I find it interesting he appears to actually acknowledge it. This alone should reinforce the horrible times of the Great Tribulation. Satan KNOWS his time is short and he will do everything he can to get as many unbelievers as possible to follow him to hell. But, God will send His Wrath along with His Holy Word so those whose hearts are still open to His Word may still be saved.
“And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a TIME, TIMES AND AN HALF (capitals mine); and when HE (capitals mine) shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”
Daniel 12:7
As with all prophecies, the Word of God, the Holy Bible’s intent is to tell us all well ahead of time what to expect so that when it does happen we will be more receptive to the accuracy and Truth of His Word. Prophecy in this way is intended to help us Believe ALL the Bible says. When we are told something will happen and then we see it happen EXACTLY as prophesied, our hearts are opened to God. I have always said, I don’t believe prophecy is designed to scare us. It should simply make us aware of what God says is coming. Of course, on a different subject, hopefully the Believers in Christ WILL NOT be here on earth to see this happen as we will have been Raptured from this world prior to the Tribulation’s beginning because God has previously told us He will not make us go through His Wrath which is yet to come. For more info on that read my previous posts The Rapture – God’s Promise or When will the Rapture Occur – Pre, Mid or Post Tribulation
“And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”
John 14:29
To answer my original question, Jesus will Return EXACTLY 1,260 days after the anti-christ has entered the rebuilt Holy Jewish Temple in Jerusalem at the Abomination of Desolation and proclaimed he is God and demand to be worshipped as God!
If you find God’s Prophetic Word to be comforting, to know ahead of time what is happening, what will happen and then to see those prophecies fulfilled in our lives today exactly as we have been told, you should be comforted in knowing something many people have not heard about. But it doesn’t stop there. We are all told to “…therefore comfort one another with these words.” I trust that if you have gotten anything from this message it is we as Believers are not in the dark of what God has told us. We have been told before what things will happen and it is up to all of us to let others know what is coming, even to tell those who do not yet believe. Pray that if they don’t believe today their eyes will be finally opened when they realize you told them ahead of time what they then will see happening. Please share this message by liking/sharing it or forwarding it to your friends and family. Remember, we have also been told there is a reward for us in Heaven for sharing the Word of God!
May God Bless you!