Date of Jesus’ Return

Matthew 24:36
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”

Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour of His return, not even Himself. So please keep this in mind as you continue reading this post…

The following is a personal interpretation of the Scriptures so please feel free to disagree. Before proceeding please read the following posts for some background…

“In the Stars” post which explains the Seven Thousand Year Plan of God.

http://jesussays173.blogspot.com/2013/10/in-stars-according-to-hebrew-thought.html

“The Last Days” post which explains the seven Jewish festivals.

http://jesussays173.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-last-days-hosea-910a-i-found-israel.html

“In the Clouds” post which shows how believers (the Elect) are symbolized by clouds at the time of the Rapture and Jesus’ return.

http://jesussays173.blogspot.com/2013/10/in-clouds-in-bible-there-are-two-kinds.html

“The birth of Jesus” link which shows that Jesus was born during the Jewish festival of Sukkot.

http://hatikva.org/the-birth-of-yeshua-during-sukkot.html

So let’s begin…

Luke 3:1-3

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius_Caesar) Tiberius Caesar began his reign on September 18, 14 AD and ruled for 23 years until 37 AD.

The fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign would have gone from September 18, 29 AD to September 18, 30 AD.

Luke 1:5

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

Luke 1:24-27
After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.” Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

John the Baptist was born of the priestly division of Abijah six months before Jesus.

Numbers 4:1-3
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, "Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ households, from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting."

And because John was of this priestly order he would have started his ministry at the age of 30 in order to fulfill the law of the priest.

Also, because Jesus was born during the festival of Sukkot (see “Birth of Jesus” link) John would have been born around the festival of Passover six months earlier.

Luke 3:21-23a

Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age,

As noted above Jesus was born during the festival of Sukkot and began His ministry after being baptized by John when He was 30 years of age. So Jesus would have started His ministry shortly after the festival of Sukkot in the year 30 AD.

3½ years (or 42 months or 1260 days) later on Passover in the year 34 AD Jesus was crucified, resurrected and ascended into heaven.

This day also started the clock ticking for Jesus’ return on the third day 2000 years later (see “In the Stars” post). Add 2000 years to 34 AD and we get the year 2034 AD.

We also know that Jesus will return on Yom Kippur (see “The Last Days” post) with the clouds of heaven (see “In the Clouds” post) to judge the world.

Revelation 19:9

Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

Seven years prior to Jesus’ return, on Rosh Hashanah at the sound of the trumpet (see “The Last Days” post), all those who believe (except the 144,000) will be caught up in a whirlwind to meet the Lord in the air. In heaven we will attend the Marriage supper of the Lamb while the Tribulation takes place on Earth.

As we saw in the post “The Last Days” Jesus fulfilled all four of the spring festivals literally to the day so there is no reason to believe that He will not fulfill the three fall festivals to the day as well.

In conclusion, the timeline summary…

Passover 30 AD

John the Baptist begins his ministry at age 30.

Sukkot 30 AD

Jesus is baptized by John and begins His ministry at age 30.

Passover 34 AD

Jesus is crucified, resurrected and ascends into heaven.

Rosh Hashanah 2027 AD

All believers, both living and dead (except the 144,000), are caught up into heaven to attend the Marriage supper of the Lamb while the seven year Tribulation takes place on Earth.

Yom Kippur 2034 AD

Jesus sets His foot down on the mount of Olives returning to Earth with the clouds of heaven (you and me) to judge the world.

Sukkot 2034 AD

The new Jerusalem comes down out of heaven and all of the nations of the world rejoice (Revelation 21:10-27).

So…

Has your calendar been marked?

Prophesy

Daniel 9: 24-27

“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

Daniel 12: 5-12

Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river. And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!”

According to Hebrew thought a “week” can be a seven day period or a seven year period. And it is thought that this particular week is referring to the seven year Tribulation (also known as “the birth pangs of the Messiah”) which is to take place just prior to the return of Jesus.

Also according to Hebrew thought the expression “time, times and half a time” means 3½ (time = 1, times = 2 and half a time = ½, therefore 1 + 2 + ½ = 3½). And in this case it means the 3½ year period in the middle of the week of the Tribulation.

Also according to Hebrew thought a prophetic “month” = 30 days and so all of the following expressions mean the same thing…

middle of the week = 3½ years = 42 months = 1260 days.

NOTE: These all represent “prophetic” time periods as opposed to “actual” time periods. Because the Hebrew calendar follows the lunar cycle you have to add one month every three years to re-synchronize the calendar. This means that 1260 “prophetic” days are approximately 1290 “actual” days.

Daniel 12:12

“How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!”

Rosh Hashanah 2027 falls on October 2, 2027 and Shavuot (Pentecost) 2031 falls on May 28, 2031. Shavuot falls in the middle of the week of the Tribulation. 

And if you count the number of days between Rosh Hashanah 2027 and Shavuot 2031 you get 1,335 days.

So…

Mark that calendar yet?


For more information on the Rapture(s) please click on the link below…

http://jesussays173.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-raptures-following-is-personal.html