When Will Jesus Return

(2 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

When will Jesus return? When is the second coming of Jesus Christ going to happen?

These are a couple of the most perplexing and talked about questions that Christendom would love to have answered. And it is evident from the verses I am looking at today that these were questions on the minds of the early church as well.

I have recently made a study of the timeline prophecies in the book of Daniel that point to when Jesus will return, and the signs that will indicate He is coming. I may be right or I may be wrong, but it is a different perspective than I have seen from most commentators on this matter.

So, let me present my perspectives on when will Jesus return and you can make up your own mind.

When will Jesus return – the day and hour

The first thing we must understand is that we do not and will not know the day and hour of His return. That is what the Bible says in relation to when will Jesus return.

33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. (Matthew 24:33-36)

So, if you are expecting me to tell you the exact date of when will Jesus return, forget it. That isn’t going to happen because no-one knows.

However, the scripture doesn’t say that we will not know the year or maybe even the month of His return. We will certainly have a good indication of when He returns because there are many prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments giving us clues to when will Jesus return.

And I believe the Lord has opened up one of the prophecies of Daniel to me to identify the year of His return as the facts and evidence of history supports the information.

The Seventy Weeks of Years in Daniel

Most of the prophecies in the book of Daniel are time lines. And most of them all end at the same point, which is the return of Jesus Christ.

One of the most interesting and pertinent prophecies to answer the question of when will Jesus return is the prophecy of the seventy weeks of years in Daniel 9

24 “Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Daniel 9:24-27)

When will Jesus Return – The Overview

Verse 24 gives us the overview of the timeline, and we see that it ends with finishing the transgression, putting an end to sin, atoning for iniquity, and the bringing in of “everlasting righteousness,” all of which can only refer to the second coming of the Lord.

Seventy weeks of years calculate out as 70 x 7 years or 490 years from the start to the conclusion of the prophecy.

The failure of most commentaries

Verse 25 then begins to identify the key markers that we need to watch for as the signposts of the timeline. The first one, which begins the timeline, is the going out of the word to rebuild and restore Jerusalem.

Most commentators on this scripture believe that this refers to Cyrus the King who decreed the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile of the Jews into Babylon in 537/538 BC. But the subsequent parts of the time lines don’t fit with that as the starting date of the prophecy.

Others use the renewing of Cyrus’ decree by Darius in 518 BC, or the renewal decree by Artaxerxes in 458 BC, but again the timeline events don’t fit.

Some use lunar years (I.e., 360 days) rather than calendar years to try to match up the dates, but it is not a convincing argument. And other commentators suggest a supposed fourth decree in 449 BC which gets them close to the death of Jesus, but not quite.

They have all kinds of difficulties reconciling this timeline, as they consider the point when Christ died and issued in the New Covenant had to be halfway through the 70th week. And the problem here is that if Cyrus is the correct king, as he was the one who issued the decree, then the timelines don’t match up. The 490 years would end some 80-odd years before Christ was born.

Other commentators then create convoluted timelines that include the death of Christ at the end of the 69th week (483 years), but then the timeline completely stops until the time of the end when it starts up once again. The prophetic scriptures say nothing about a gap in the timeline, (of about 2,000 years), so again that cannot be true.

Why these commentators have failed

The big failure of most of these commentaries is that they are looking in the wrong place. They seem to think it refers to the coming of Christ the FIRST time, and so they try to fit the prophecy around those events.

But when we look at verse 24 again we see that the prophecy ends with the words,

“…put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.”

Do we see the end of sin? Has all iniquity ceased and been atoned for? Does everlasting righteousness exist in the world today? Have the visions been completed and sealed? Has a most holy place (or a most holy one as some Bibles read) been anointed?

I’m pretty sure the answer to most of these questions is, “No!” Although the building blocks for many of these things are in place but they are far from complete.

When Will Jesus Return – A Different Starting Point

The only way this can be correctly interpreted is by a continuous 490-year timeline that begins with a decree to rebuild Jerusalem and that will end with the return of Christ and the destruction of the man of sin.

So, was there another decree to rebuild Jerusalem at another time?

Yes, there was. In 1535 AD Suleiman the Magnificent, who was the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, issued a decree to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem fully. So if we take this as the starting point, we need to look at the other events identified in the prophecy to see if they fit.

The Next Seven Weeks of Years

The next key point in verse 25 was that there would be a period of seven weeks (or 49 years) until the “…coming of an anointed one, a prince.”

This is important for the one who had to appear had to be BOTH an anointed one and a prince. Many commentators have simply ignored this point and this person, which is rather odd as it is one of the key milestones in the prophecy to prove the accuracy of the prophecy. So we need to consider who this person might be as a key point in the prophecy.

So, was there an “anointed one, a prince” who appeared forty-nine years after the decree of Suleiman to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem? Yes, there was.

The next seven weeks of years, or 49 years, brings us up to 1584 AD and in that year Feodor Ivanovich I was crowned Tsar of all Russia, after the death of his father, Ivan the Terrible. Feodor was interesting as he was extremely pious by nature. He would spend hours in prayer and contemplation and in some Russian documents he was sometimes referred to as “Blessed.”

But what is most interesting about him for this prophecy are his titles. He was a prince of Russia as the son of the Tsar and I believe also inherited the title of “Grand Prince of Moscow” on his father’s death.

In addition the title of Tsar means “anointed one.” The Tsar was anointed by the church and held the title of an anointed one in the very meaning of the name. Here is a segment regarding the position and role of the Tsar regarding their coronation.

“Coronation” is a Western word, but in Russian, the process is actually called “chrismation (anointment) to tsardom,” or “being wed to the tsardom”, a very important difference – one that is lost in translation when speaking of Russia. (Ref: Why was the Russian Tsar considered an emissary of God)

So in the raising of Feodor to become Tsar of Russia in 1584 we have an “…anointed one, a prince…” that fits exactly with the prophetic timeline.

The next key marker in the timeline is that Jerusalem would be rebuilt in a “troubled time.” The whole history of Jerusalem is a troubled time, even today. But it is interesting that after the death of Feodor of Russia, there was a period of time referred to as the “Time of Troubles.” So again it may be a pointer into the prophecy.

The next sixty-two weeks of years

The next part of the prophecy says that there will be a period of sixty-two weeks of years (or 434 years) after which, “…an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing…” (NOTE: this one is NOT a prince).

This brings us to the year 2018 AD. Was there an anointed one cut off and have nothing in the year 2018 AD? Yes, there was.

The Conviction of a Cardinal of Rome

In December 2018 Cardinal George Pell, who was one of the few direct reports to the Pope in the Catholic Church, was convicted of child sex offenses. He was subsequently sentenced to prison and served a jail sentence of 404 days before he was released.

To become a bishop or an archbishop of the Catholic Church he had to be anointed (oddly enough it is not a requirement for becoming a cardinal, but it is a requirement to become a bishop and archbishop).

George Pell was both a bishop and an archbishop in the church and so was definitely an “anointed one.” Prior to his conviction he lost his job as the head of finance for the Vatican, lost all credibility and respect, and much more. He certainly lost everything in prison and had nothing, and even though his conviction was later overturned, there are still doubts.

When Will Jesus Return – The Year of His return should be…

So based upon these critical events, the timeline should end after one more week of years, that is seven years, which takes us from 2018 to 2025.

If the prophecy timeline and events are correct as I have indicated, then we should expect to see the return of the Lord in 2025.

As I stated in the beginning of this article, nobody will know the day or hour of the return of Christ. But it is entirely possible that these prophecies of His return will indicate the year, and as we continue on, perhaps even the month or week.

The next key event in this timeline also links into the prophecy of days at the end of the last chapter of Daniel. It speaks about the taking away of the continual burnt offering, and that is the event we need to watch for.

When will Jesus Return – Rebuilding the Third Temple

One of the odd things I see in the church today is that many people are looking for the building of the Third Temple in Jerusalem as an indicator of when will Jesus return. They are saying things like, when the Third Temple is built, the Lord will return. Or they think by building the Third Temple it will somehow speed up His return.

But the prophecies are not concerned so much with the building of the Third Temple, although that will happen before He returns. The real key in prophecy is what happens with the continual burnt offering.

They also think that the Third Temple needs to be built so that the continual burnt offering can be set up. But this is not the case.

At the time of the building of the Second Temple in the days of Nehemiah and Ezra, it was clear that the first thing they did was set up the continual burnt offerings on the altar. This began up to several years before the Second Temple was rebuilt. Note these words from the book of Ezra.

When the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then arose Jeshua the son of Jo?zadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerub?babel the son of She-al?ti-el with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings upon it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. 3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings upon it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 And they kept the feast of booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the ordinance, as each day required, 5 and after that the continual burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of every one who made a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. 7 So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sido?nians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant which they had from Cyrus king of Persia. (Ezra 3:1-7)

As we see here, the continual burnt offerings began in the seventh month after the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. But the foundation was not yet laid, and as you continue reading beyond this section in Ezra you will find that the foundation was not laid until the second month of the second year of their return.

We should note that they began the rebuilding work in the days when Cyrus was king over Babylon and in accordance with his decree to rebuild Jerusalem. So this makes the use of the decrees of either Darius and Artaxerxes to continue the rebuilding incorrect in relation to the beginning of the time line, and of course the dates of Cyrus do not fit either.

We also note as you continue to read the book of Ezra, that there was opposition to the rebuilding of the Second Temple and so work stopped after the foundation had been laid. This occurred during the reign of Cyrus and it was not until Artaxerxes took reign over Babylon that the rebuilding of the Second Temple recommenced, some eighty or so years later.

When will Jesus Return – The Continual Burnt Offering

In all of this time while waiting for the Second Temple to be rebuilt, the continual burnt offerings were being offered daily on the altar. So there is precedence and no reason why they cannot begin before the Third Temple is built too.

The removal of the continual burnt offering is the next key point we need to look for in the prophecy time line, especially as it relates to the prophecy in Daniel 12.

11 And from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. (Daniel 12:11-12)

When this says that those who wait for the 1,335 days will be blessed, it suggests that at the end of those days, the Lord will return. At least, that is how I take it.

And we see that the indicators of this prophecy are that it begins with the removal of the continual burnt offering.

The continual burnt offering has not been operational since the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 AD. So for this prophecy to take place, the continual burnt offering has to be set up again before it can be taken away.

As I showed in the words of Ezra above, there is nothing to prevent that happening at any time as it is clear that doing the offering is not contingent on the building of the Third Temple.

So, what we need to watch for is the commencement of the continual burnt offering, and for the time line to fit a return of Jesus in the year 2025, the continual burnt offering needs to be set up AND taken away some time between May 7, 2021 and May 6, 2022. This is based upon a return of Jesus some time between Jan 1 and Dec 31 of the year 2025.

Is this possible? Absolutely. We don’t really know how long the continual burnt offering needs to be set up for before it is taken away. It might only be set up for a week or two, or a few months. But if the prophecy time line is to fit an end date sometime in 2025 for the Lord to return, then the continual burnt offering must come and go before May 6, 2025.

So whether I am right or whether I am wrong, the set up and removal of the continual burnt offering is the next key to watch for. And even if I am wrong about the year 2025, even though the evidence presented suggests it could well be that year, we still need to watch for that continual burnt offering being set up, and more importantly, removed.

Once the continual burnt offering is removed, then we will have a very accurate time line as to when Jesus will return because the above prophecy says that it will be 1,290 days after it is removed that the desolating sacrilege, or the abomination that makes desolate, is set up. And then it will be only another forty-five days until the Lord returns.

But we still will not know exactly the day or hour of His return as we don’t know when the timing will commence with the removal of the continual burnt offering. It may be when the decision is made to remove it. It may be when the flame goes out. It may be when the altar is removed. Or it may be some other time.

But whatever it is, we will have a pretty good idea and be able to guess probably to within a week or so, especially after the abomination that makes desolate is set up.

So, that’s it. A different perspective from any that I have seen and one that has some concrete evidence that supports the unraveling of the prophecy time lines.

I am the first to admit I don’t have all of the answers, but perhaps reading this will jog others to look deeper and they may find things that I have overlooked or the Lord may reveal more to them. And if that is the case, please share your thoughts in the comments below for all of us to learn and grow.

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