Special Report: January 1, 1999

When will Jesus return?

Can we know? Are we close?

by Jim Bramlett

The apostle Paul described it as "the blessed hope" -- the glorious appearing of our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13, NIV).

We will see Him face to face! And, "We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).  Christ's return is a repeated promise in God's holy Word, the Bible.  For example, Jesus said, "I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:2-3).

But just the question -- when? -- causes some Christians to cringe, protest, or even scoff!  They quickly point out that Jesus said, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man" (Matthew 24:36 KJV).  They may also mention Paul's words that the day of the Lord will come like "a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2).  But many believers have so misunderstood these verses that they are oblivious to the times, not watching for the Lord as He commanded, and are often absorbed by the cares of this world and their own agendas.

As to Matthew 24:36, some scholars point out that Jesus' words here are in the present tense, addressed to His hearers at the time, and not to those alive at the end of the age when Daniel's vision would be unsealed (Daniel 12:9).  This would be similar to Matthew 16:20: "Then he warned His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ"(NIV). As evidence, many other Scriptures reveal to us that God will reveal at least the approximately time.  (Even if the "day and hour" restriction is literally valid today, it may be because the Earth is in 24 time zones and always in two different days.)  

GOD'S PROMISES OF REVELATION

1.  It is clear that Jesus will not come as a "thief in the night" for watchful believers, because in the very same passage, verse 4, Paul tells us, "But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief."  If we are trusting in Christ and looking for His coming, Paul said that even the very day does not have to surprise us!  In fact, Jesus exhorted, "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief" (Revelation 3:3, KJV), saying He will come as a thief only to those not watching!

2.  Jesus rebuked those who did not understand the signs of the times in His day: "O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:3).

3.  Of the end of the age, Jesus said, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh"(Luke 21:28).  He said we would know when it is near!

4.  God said, "Surely the sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing it to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7, NIV).  God said "nothing," and He did not exclude Christ's return.  I take Him at His word.

5.  God not only knows the end from the beginning, He tells us that He makes it known!  "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come." (Isaiah 46:10).  He has already made it known!  I personally believe it has been hidden in His Word all along, to be unlocked in His timing.

6.  God said, "I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee" (Isaiah 48:5, KJV).

7.  Jesus said the Holy Spirit "will teach you all things" (John 14:26).  He said "all things."  Did Jesus make a mistake, forgetting to exclude when He will return?  I don't think so.

There are other such passages.  God clearly promised that we would know at least approximately when Christ will return, and even "the day" will not surprise us, as the Holy Spirit reveals through Paul!

In addition, there is ample precedent for God revealing specific times in advance.  (1) He gave Noah notice of when the flood would be (Genesis 6,7). (2) He told Abraham how long the Israelites would be in Egypt (Genesis 15:13).  (3) He revealed to many the very day of Elijah's rapture (2 Kings 2).  (4) He told Jeremiah how long the Babylonian exile would be (Jeremiah 29:10).  (5) He told Daniel exactly when Messiah would come the first time (Daniel 9:25-26).  (6) Some, including the brilliant Sir Isaac Newton, believe this same passage holds the key to the timing of His return (see below).  (7) There is evidence that the Bible reveals the exact number of years of "the times of the Gentiles" and the exact span of time to Israel's rebirth in 1948 and the recapture of Jerusalem in 1967.  Leaving us clueless now would violate God's own established pattern!

POSSIBLE TIME FRAME?

For many reasons, Christ's return seems to be very, very near (see free report below), and there are probably millions of believers of different denominations all over the world who sense the same thing.

Past failures in understanding in no way negate God's Word, any more than Thomas Edison's many failures negated the eventual reality of the light bulb.  For this and the above reasons, we must be sensitive to the probability that God will reveal some specificity to His people, or give different people pieces of the puzzle.  We must listen for the Spirit, as the recipients may or may not be highly esteemed in the world's eyes.  God typically uses the unlikely.  We must be especially alert since we are now at or close to the end of the sixth millennium of biblical history and the beginning of the seventh, or Sabbath millennium, and also with the 50th (Jubilee) anniversary of the rebirth of Israel after over 1,900 years, a most noteworthy convergence.

Different scenarios and time lines are suggested by various, sincere seekers, but three especially stand out to me.  Based on the diligent study of these very knowledgeable people who love Jesus, there are strong reasons to believe that the Second Coming of Christ (as opposed to the rapture) may be from the years 2004 to 2007.

First, in his 1996 book, "The Appointed Times," and a 1998 supplement, businessman/Bible student Randy Bullock describes five timetables just in the book of Daniel all of which point to A.D. 2004 for the Second Coming. Second, New Zealand Bible scholar George C. Curle, using totally different rationale in his 1988 book, "The Times of the Signs," provides several different biblical pathways that all converge on 2005.   Curle says he believes he is correct "within one year."  Third, author M. J. (Marilyn) Agee makes a strong biblical case for 2007 in her 1987 book, "Exit 2000: The Secret of Secrets Revealed."  Bullock, Curle and Agee are all long-time, astute students of the Bible whom I greatly respect.  (To obtain these books, see below.)  

WHEN IS THE RAPTURE?

If the Second Coming is 2004-2007, when is the rapture?  Most conservative scholars believe the rapture is a separate, earlier event from Christ's return in power to rule, but there is disagreement on how much earlier.  All three of the above authors see the rapture as an earlier event.  Bullock admits uncertainty but believes it to be soon.  Curle thought it would be before 1999, and based on the Jewish calendar his general time frame might still be valid on into 1999.  Agee is not dogmatic but gives reasons to hope for the spring of 1999.  She makes a strong case for a Pentecost rapture. (Most believe the rapture of the Gentile church will be on a Jewish feast day, such as Feast of Trumpets.  Maybe, but I am not so sure.  It will be "as in the days of Noah," a Gentile era before the feast days were established.)  

RELATED POSSIBLE WINDOW

From the writings of others, I have discovered three different biblical reasons why we may now be in a very small but significant window of possibility for either the rapture or some other significant prophetic event, all based on "God's time clock," the miraculous nation of Israel:

1. JERUSALEM RABBI'S REVELATION.  I have a September, 1997 fax from an Orthodox Hasidic rabbi in Jerusalem.  In 1995 he testified that Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) had shown him from the Torah that Yeshua is the Messiah.  In the fax he said he thought he had a revelation.  He said he saw the timing of Israel entering its end-time priestly role as dictated by God's own pattern for priesthood -- that priests had to be at least 30 years old and not more than 50, according to Numbers, chapter 4.  He saw Jerusalem "at least 30" in June, 1997 (30 years from its capture) and Israel "less than 50" until its 50th year.  It might appear the window would close May 14, 1998 (May 14, 1948 + 50 years).  However, ancient Jews, I am told, did not begin counts until the start of a new count series, which for Israel would have been May 14, 1949, making the "less-than-50" window extend to May 14, 1999, or maybe even until the end of the 50th year, May 14, 2000. Interestingly, the rabbi said that for Israel to enter its end-time priestly role, the church would first have to be removed -- in other words, the rapture (an unusual understanding for an Orthodox Jew in Israel).

{I agree with Marilyn Agee that Israel's miraculous Six-Day War during June 5-10, 1967 was the fulfillment of the fig tree "putting forth leaves" prophecy of Jesus of Matthew 24:32.  Jesus said when we see these "leaves," He is near, at the door, and the generation that sees it will not pass away until all is fulfilled (vs. 33,34).  Israel is the fig tree, born in 1948, but she did not "put forth leaves" until the Six-Day War when the "leaves" of the Sinai, the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem (see Luke 21:24), came forth.  Agee has other reasons, but one way she arrives at 2007 is by adding a Hebrew 40-year generation: 1967 + 40 = 2007.  (But some consider a biblical generation to be slightly less than 40 years.}

2.  THE AMAZING PARALLEL OF EZEKIEL AND ISRAEL.  This is most intriguing. God told Ezekiel he was a sign and model for Israel -- that whatever happened to him would also happen to Israel (24:24).  Here we have another 30-50 situation.  We know that Ezekiel was in his 30th year (at least 30) when he began his ministry (1:1).  Then when he was less than 50, at age 49 (calculated from 40:1), he had an experience when "the glory of the Lord filled the house" (or temple, 43:5).  This may symbolize the glory of the Lord returning to Israel in the last days, or, the glory of the Lord coming to His New Covenant temple, His people, in the rapture.  It may be significant that Ezekiel said, "The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court" (NIV).  This wording could easily refer to the rapture. Paralleling Ezekiel, Israel will be "less than 50" until May 14, 1999, or perhaps 2000, as described above.

3.  THE INTERESTING DAY/YEAR PARALLEL OF CHRIST'S HOLOCAUST AND RESURRECTION AND ISRAEL'S HOLOCAUST AND RESURRECTION.  In his article, "The Gospel of the Holocaust," Bible teacher/writer Jack W. Langford shows a striking parallel and pattern.   The word "holocaust" means "whole burnt sacrifice" a term used in Scripture referring to types of Christ's suffering.  His suffering was, indeed, a holocaust, as was the Jews' suffering in the 1940s, ending in 1945.  Jesus was resurrected after three days.  Israel was resurrected after three years in 1948.  Jesus gave birth to the church on Pentecost, after 50 days.  Will the same pattern hold, and the church removed in Israel's Pentecost year, after 50 years?  Again, depending on method of counting, which is controversial, this could be before either May 14, 1999 or May 14, 2000.  

POSSIBLE RELEVANCE OF SIR ISAAC NEWTON'S UNDERSTANDING

This could relate to either the Second Coming or the rapture.  In chapter 9, verse 25, Daniel speaks of Messiah the Prince (KJV) coming after "seven weeks and 62 weeks," weeks (Hebrew: heptads) meaning seven-year periods. Typically, conservative scholars have added the two numbers to give 69 weeks, or 483 years from which they count Jesus entering Jerusalem for His crucifixion.  However, this is strongly refuted.  Newton, a brilliant scientist and Bible and Hebrew scholar, said that adding those two numbers was not intended and "does violence to the language of Daniel."  He believed that the 62 weeks (434 years) was to Christ's first coming and the seven weeks (49 years) was to His return, both being counted from the "going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem."  This gets complicated. Newton thought these "weeks" were "land sabbaths" or sabbatical years (Leviticus 25:2-4), which according to Bullock would not begin counting until 1954, ending in 2004 and the Second Coming.  If simply 49 years (as I previously thought), the seven weeks could end in May, 1999, which could mean the rapture.  I do not have the answer on this but I greatly respect Newton's and Bullock's understandings.  

SUMMARY

1.  God's Word clearly promises that those believers who are watching will know at least approximately, and probably very, very close as to when end-time events will take place.  2.  There is strong evidence from the Scriptures that the Second Coming of Christ in power to rule may be in 2004 to 2007; plus, there are some fascinating biblical patterns that may reveal a major prophetic event, possibly the rapture, not later than the spring of 1999 or 2000.   3.  The rapture could possibly be any moment before that time -- perhaps today!  

NOTES:

1.  Not mentioned above is the Tribulation, seen by many to be the final seven or 3 1/2 years before Christ's return in power.  Some saw the September 13, 1993 Oslo Accord between Israel and the PLO as the covenant of Daniel 9:27, beginning the final seven years, but I was never comfortable with that view.  Confirming Oslo, others believe the October 23, 1998 Israeli/PLO Wye Agreement was the "confirmed" covenant of Daniel 9:27. Others have different views. Frankly, I am not sure.  However, certain key end-time events may not be immediately obvious, especially to the world, and we must remain watchful and prayerful.

2  A free copy of Randy Bullock's book, "The Appointed Times," and new supplement can be obtained by writing him at P.O. Box 522, Danville, IL 61834; e-mail: moedim97@yahoo.com; or in Europe c/o Tony MacCormack, P.O. Box 29, Wimslow, Cheshire. SK9 1FD, England; e-mail, ahwm@globalnet.co.uk. George C. Curle's book, "The Times of the Signs," may be available through bookstores or at New Wine Press, P.O. Box 17, Chichester, PO20 6YB, England. M.J. Agee's book, "Exit 2000: The Secret of Secrets Revealed," may be obtained from her at 8641 Sugar Gum Road, Riverside, CA, 92508; e-mail address: mjagee@kiwi.net; Web address: http://www.kiwi.net/~mjagee/.  My report, "Christ's Soon Return: The Overwhelming Evidence," is available at http://www.yeshuatheking.org/bramlett_files.html, or a free copy can be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope to 10637 Crystal Springs Ct., Orlando, FL 32825; or in Europe, contact Tony MacCormack above.  

"None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand"
(Daniel 12:10).

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings"
(Proverbs 25:2).