A Solemn Warning to Believers

Does Bible Prophecy Tell Us When  Jesus Christ Will Return?

“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” With these words, Jesus’ disciples urged Him to tell them what events or conditions would mark the time of His return (Matthew 24:3).

Jesus explained that some signs that His return was imminent would be unmistakable. He noted that just as a fig tree leafing out is a sure sign of the coming summer, “so you also, when you see all these things, know that it [His return] is near—at the doors!” (verses 32-33).

God in His Word gives us a broad outline and sequence of prophetic events. Some details are still beyond our view at this point in history. However, among the many prophecies of events leading up to Christ’s return are major events and conditions that can be confirmed and identified historically.

First condition: man’s  ability to annihilate life

The first of these certain prophecies deals with a specific condition that would be present only as the end time draws near. Christ said to His disciples that the end time “will be a time of great distress; such as there has never been before since the beginning of the world, and will never be again. If that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive; but for the sake of God’s chosen it will be cut short” (Matthew 24:21-22, Revised English Bible).

Jesus warned that a time would come when the destructive capacity of mankind would be so awesome that all life could be obliterated from the earth. This is why the time of “great distress,” or “great tribulation” in some translations, is so terrifying, unequaled in history.

People have warred since the dawn of history but never before had the ability—with rocks and clubs, bows and arrows, cannons and automatic weapons—to wipe out all humanity and fulfill this prophecy. This situation changed  after 1945 with the detonation of the first nuclear weapons. Since then, with the production of thousands of nuclear warheads, mankind developed the frightening ability to destroy human life from the planet many times over.

This circumstance never existed in history until the latter half of the 20th century. Never before could mankind actually destroy itself. Christ foretold that, left unchecked, mankind would do exactly that. This is one of the reasons He must intervene to save mankind.

Second condition:  modern Israel

The second condition that will exist before Jesus Christ’s return concerns the modern Jewish state of Israel.

Prophecies in Daniel, Joel, Zechariah and other biblical books require an organized, significant Jewish presence in Jerusalem before Christ’s second coming. Daniel 12:11 implies that sacrificial rituals will be renewed and then disrupted before Christ’s return. Jesus Himself warned, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place . . . let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matthew 24:15-16).

The abomination of desolation, described several times in Daniel 8–12, deals with the defiling of the sacrifices and the holy place in Jerusalem. For such prophecies to be fulfilled, there would need to be an altar with a designated sanctuary area. It could include a fully rebuilt temple, but one in early stages of construction—even with just the foundation area laid out—would be sufficient.  

In Ezra 3 we see that, after the destruction of their first temple, returning Jews offered sacrifices in the location  of the former altar on the Temple Mount before the foundation of the new temple was laid. A modern revival of the sacrificial system would, therefore, be possible without requiring that a temple be fully constructed. But it should be recognized that the sacrifices in Ezra 3 were part of the temple restoration effort. It is highly unlikely that an altar would be set up independent of such an effort. And it seems even more unlikely that one would be set up in the original location while a Muslim mosque sits where the Jewish temple was. This leads to the conclusion that, somehow, that shrine will not remain atop the Temple Mount.  

Of course, a restoration of Jewish sacrifices in Jerusalem may still seem unlikely given the hurdles to it, including fears of the firestorm that would ensue. But before the 20th century the notion of reviving the sacrifices seemed like an impossibility. The Jewish people had been scattered for almost 2,000 years, and the Islamic Ottoman Empire was in control of the whole region. Jews did not have the military power, unity or backing to return to their former homeland. Yet it happened. Once the fledgling state formed in 1948, it still appeared the Jews would never control all of Jerusalem. But then, in the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel took possession of the divided city.

What Christ foretold could not be fulfilled while the Arabs and Turks held dominion over the city. The Jews’ regaining of control over Jerusalem in 1967 helped set the stage for this prophecy, too, to come to pass.

Some of the circumstances necessary for fulfilling Christ’s prophecy are still not yet in place. The Israeli government, to defuse further religious tensions, decided that the Temple Mount was to be under the control of Muslim authorities. Since 1989, however, organized efforts have begun to prepare for the building of a temple. Several Jewish groups have publicly organized to carry out this plan.

Moreover, while rebuilding the temple was considered a fringe idea among the Israelis not too long ago, it has gained immensely in popularity in recent years as part of a rise in religious fervor following the Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

How soon it will be before there’s enough public will to restore the temple or sacrificial system, time will tell. But conditions can change rapidly in the volatile political climate of the Middle East.

Third condition: a new  power on the world stage

The third condition deals with the end-time revival of the Roman Empire, prophesied extensively in the books of Daniel and Revelation.

The prophet Daniel, in interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a colossal human image, spoke of a series of “kingdoms” to arise on the world scene. The first of these kingdoms was the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar himself (Daniel 2:28-38). It was to be followed by three other kingdoms (verses 39-40). These four kingdoms were, in order, the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greco-Macedonian and Roman Empires.

Speaking of the fourth kingdom, Daniel said that it would be “strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others” (verse 40). Rome indeed proved to be more domineering than its predecessors, swallowing up their remnants in a reign that lasted for centuries.

However, Daniel revealed other fascinating prophetic details about this fourth kingdom. The part of the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream representing the final stage of the Roman Empire, the feet and toes, was composed “partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron.” This was to portray the fact that “the strength of the iron shall be in it,” but also that it would be “partly strong and partly fragile.” Furthermore, “just as iron does not mix with clay,” the components of this kingdom would not adhere firmly together for long (verses 41-43).

Then, says Daniel, “in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed . . . ; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (verse 44). This is clearly a prophecy of the Kingdom of God, brought into reality on the earth by the coming of the Messiah.

But is something wrong with this sequence of events? Surely the Kingdom of God wasn’t established in the days of the ancient Roman Empire. Jesus Christ is not yet enthroned as the supreme ruler of the world (1 John 5:19). Was Daniel wrong about the timing of these events?

Understanding  Daniel’s prophecy

The answer is to be found when we examine other prophecies that speak of the fourth kingdom. We learn that the Roman Empire, far from being forever gone and forgotten, is destined to rise again!

The apostle John was given a vision of events that would take place during the remainder of human history. Like Daniel, God inspired John to write of the events leading up to Christ’s second coming. Revelation 19 describes His glorious return to the earth, culminating in the overthrow and destruction of “the kings of the earth, and their armies,” a great false religious leader, and something called “the beast” (verses 19-20).

This “beast” corresponds to the fourth kingdom, the Roman Empire, seen in symbol by Nebuchadnezzar and interpreted by Daniel. Both the Beast seen by John and the image explained by Daniel will exist and be destroyed by Jesus Christ at His return. Through comparing prophecies and world history we learn that the Beast and the Roman Empire are one and the same.

An empire to rise again

Revelation 17 gives us additional details to help us understand the nature of this empire and how it could exist both in ancient times and at Christ’s return. This chapter describes a “scarlet beast . . . having seven heads and ten horns” (verse 3). It is described as existing, then not existing, then existing again (verses 8, 11). This gives us the key to understanding these sometimes-puzzling prophecies. The Roman Empire existed in the past, it does not exist now, but it will rise to exist again.

The image interpreted by Daniel had feet and toes of iron mixed with clay. In Revelation 17 we see what the 10 toes of mixed iron and clay represent. They correspond to the 10 horns of the Beast seen by John. “The ten horns . . . are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (verses 12-14).

Now the picture becomes clearer. Just before Christ’s return 10 “kings”—the original Greek indicates rulers, not specifically kings—will unite in a political, economic and military alliance. Some will be stronger than others, just as iron is stronger than clay. Representing various nationalities and cultures, they will be divided in ways other than in their allegiance to the Beast. The power and authority that come from their confederation will last only a short time before they make the fatal mistake of resisting Christ at His return, at which time they will be crushed and destroyed.

Some question whether the European Union is related to this prophesied power. It is interesting to let history show the roots of this superstate. Michael Elliot of Newsweek reported: “In January 1957, six nations signed a treaty on the site of the ancient Roman Capitol, and brought into being the European Economic Community . . . An aide to Paul-Henri Spaak, the then Belgian foreign minister, remembers that his boss said, ‘Do you think that we have laid the first stone of a new Roman Empire?’ Recalls the aide, ‘We felt very strongly we were Romans that day’” (“Don’t Spoil a Success,” Newsweek, international edition, Jan. 29, 1996, p. 40).

At the least, the idea of beginning a new Roman Empire was on the minds of the founders of this organization of nations. It has grown in power and influence as barriers to integration have tumbled one by one, with increasing cooperation in political, economic and military affairs. Yet there is much dissatisfaction with the union, with some desiring to leave and others calling for different tiers of integration—a two-speed Europe, as it were. Time will tell where these trends will lead—and how quickly.

Where does this leave us? With mankind possessing the capacity to destroy life in several ways, with Israel in control of Jerusalem and a desire among a few Israelis to restore the temple and sacrifices, and with determined efforts to advance European power and integration, we would do well to heed the warnings of biblical prophecy and not ignore its connection to world conditions.

However the various prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are actually worked out on the world scene, the Bible remains the inspired Word of God. These prophecies will come to pass regardless of whether we understand all the details.

To learn more, request our free study guides The Book of Revelation Unveiled, The Final Superpower and Are We Living in the Time of the End?