Timeline – The Return of Yeshua

Introduction

“Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” – Amos 3:7, the farmer-turned-prophet Amos declared in the Eighth century BC. We are so blessed living in this generation where many of the mysteries embedded in the Bible are being revealed especially to those we seek after the truth. One of the greatest mysteries that was explored in time past and remains current today is the timeline of the Lord’s return to establish His kingdom on earth.

In Acts 1:6-8 – “Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Yeshua told his disciples in Matthew 24:36 – “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

It is clear in Scripture, we are not given the understanding on the day and hour of Yeshua returning for His bride, but for those “who have ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”. (Rev 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). Abba Father has revealed the season and events leading to the return of His Son in the Scriptures. As the prophet Amos has declared, Abba Father God will reveal His secrets to us before the event takes place. The secrets are hidden in the Scriptures and only those who dig into the Word will find them.

“Whom will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.  –  Isaiah 28:9-10

Let us examine from the Scriptures, “precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little” as declared by the prophet Isaiah, a younger contemporary of the prophet Amos. Let us begin our journey of discovering the Truth.

The Big Sign – Restoration of all things

“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. – Acts 3:17-21

Peter, the apostle of Yeshua exhorted his Jewish brethren to repent so their “sins may be blotted out”. Yeshua, the Christ came and suffered at the Cross was fulfilled as prophesized by the prophets.  He will return to earth from heaven only when “the times of restoration of all things” as spoken by God through the mouth of His holy prophets have been fulfilled.

The times of restoration refer specifically to the nation of Israel and its people. Let those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, and recognize that we are in the midst of the restoration of all things. Let me list out some of these restorative events that have either been fulfilled or are in the process of being fulfilled.

1.     The creation of the modern State of Israel – On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel with Ben-Gurion as the first prime minister. This is a fulfillment of the Bible prophecy declared by God’s prophet Jeremiah.

“For behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.” –  Jeremiah 30:3-4

2.     The Aliyah movement – Similarly in the same verse above, God is beginning to cause the diasporas to return home. This began from the Exodus story where God forced the pharaoh to release the enslaved Israelites to return to the land He had given to Abraham. Ever since the destruction of the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah by the Assyrians in 712 B.C. and the Babylonians in 587 B.C. respectively, the Jewish people were dispersed among the nations of the world. The first wave of the return to rebuild the Temple and her walls was led by Zerubbabel (Ezra 2) and later by Ezra and Nehemiah (books of Ezra and Nehemiah). However, we are now seeing the acceleration of the return of the Jewish people back to the Promised Land as declared by the prophet Isaiah. The latest waves of making Aliyah are from the nations of Ukraine and Ethiopia. To date, there are about 17 million Jews in the world and only about 7 million are residing in Israel with another 6 million Jews in North America. We expect in the very near future the Aliyah movement will intensify before the return of Yeshua.

“I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth” – Isaiah 43:6

3.     The Restoration of the Hebrew language  – Hebrew, the ancient language of the Jewish people is now the living, spoken national language of the State of Israel. It is the hands of God, despite the diasporas since the fifteen century B.C. to the rebirth of Israel as a nation, spanning over 3,000 years of history, the Hebrew language in its original form not only survived but thrived over these years. Not only the language but the Jewish culture was restored too.

4.     The increasing numbers of messianic congregations sprouting out in Israel – It is estimated according to a book recently published in February 2022 by the Caspari Center of Jerusalem there are nearly 300 Messianic fellowships in Israel. (https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-696980). In 1999, there were about 5,000 believers worshipping in Messianic congregations in Israel. The Israeli Messianic movement has more than tripled in the last 20 years as reported in the same report by the Jerusalem Post.

The above four major signs are just the tip of the iceberg as there are many other signs which Yeshua mentioned that apply to the world. These signs are recorded in the Gospels of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21

These signs are:

1.    Deceptions – fake news, misinformation, and disinformation will be rampant

2.    Wars and rumors of wars – Ukraine invasion and the possibility of WW3

3.    Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom

4.    Famines

5.    Pestilence – SARs, Covid, Monkeypox

6.    Earthquakes in increasing frequencies and magnitudes

7.    Great Tribulation or Jacob Trouble

8.    Financial resets

9.    Persecution of believers

10.  False prophets

11.  Lawlessness

12.  Love of many will grow cold for the Lord

 

Understanding Prophecy 101

There are prophecies that are specifically meant only for Israel and her people. The prophecy could also be of multiple fulfillment. We often do not focus on the final fulfillment. In addition, some prophecy is incorrectly applied to gentile nations. One of the often misquoted and misused prophecies is taken from Isaiah 60:1-3

1Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising. – Isaiah 60:1-3

This prophecy by prophet Isaiah in its correct context is speaking to the Jewish nation. The final fulfillment is given in Ezekiel 43:1-5, where the light has come and the glory of the Lord, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit rises upon the Jewish people in the Third Temple. (Ezekiel 43:5). For this event to happen, the Third Temple must be built. It will be on Temple Mount and animal sacrifices will resume.  Yeshua, together with Abba Father and the Holy Spirit enter the temple from the East (Golden Gate) as described in Ezekiel 43:1-5 below.

“Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory. 3 It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar, and I fell on my face. 4 And the glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. 5 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.                        Ezekiel 43:1-5

Indeed, deep darkness shall cover the earth, but the glory of God will be recognized by some Jews (Isaiah 60:2). God will pour out special dispensation on

“the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”                      Zechariah 12:10

These Jews whose eyes are opened to recognize Yeshua as their messiah will flee Jerusalem before the Anti-Christ declares himself as God in this Third Temple. History will repeat itself. Many Jews fled Jerusalem prior to A.D. 70 when the Roman emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem and destroyed those who did not take heed of Yeshua’s warning (Matthew 23:37).

Is the Ezekiel Temple the Temple of God?

There are some teachings that the Ezekiel Temple described in great detail in Ezekiel 40-42 as the temple in the Millennium period (Revelation 21:9 -22:3). In Ezekiel 42:20 described there is a wall separating the “holy areas from the common” (profane in some Bible version). This wall is needed only if there are profane things needed to be separated from the holy areas. There are no profane things in the Millennium period. In addition, there is no temple present for “Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation 21:22).

The Third Temple to be built soon is on Temple Mount, it is sited with the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. These two buildings are not part of the Judaism worship and are considered by the Jewish people as profane or common. Therefore, to prevent defilement from entering the Temple ground, a wall is necessary. Hence, the Ezekiel Temple fits the description and condition of the Third Temple built on the Temple Mount.

There is an objection to supporting the building of the Third Temple in some Christian communities. The objection is based on wrong teachings that because Anti-Christ declares himself as god in this temple, Christians should not support this cause. Hence the building of this temple is evil. This view is presumptuous. No man’s effort could change the plan of God as written in the Bible.

In Revelation 11:1-2, the apostle John was told to measure categorically the temple of God and not the temple of Satan. He was also told to leave out the outer areas as it has been given to the Gentiles who will “tread” or rule for exactly 42 months. Not surprising is the similar period of the Great Tribulation of three-and-half years. This period corresponds to the second half of the seven-year mentioned in Daniel 9:27 which is the Great Tribulation or Jacob Troubles.

“Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod, and the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there, but leave out the court, which is outside the temple, and do not measure it for it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city, underfoot for forty-two months.” – Revelation 11:1-2

When will Yeshua return?

The vision seen by Margaret MacDonald, a teenager in Scotland who lived in the early 1800s was the center of many discussions on the timing of the return of Yeshua. These discussions gravitated even up to now, on Pre-Tribulation teachings. The Pre-Tribulation proponents believe they will be caught up to meet Yeshua in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Believers will not go through suffering during the Great Tribulation period. Sufferings are meant only for non-believers.

This teaching has no Scriptural basis. It is from the pit of hell to lull believers into complacency that they will not go through tribulations, and all is well. This teaching runs contrary to Yeshua’s words to his disciples where He will return “immediately after the tribulation of those days”. (Matthew 24:29). Yeshua told his disciples in Luke 12:28 to “look up and lift up their heads because your redemption draws near”

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. – Matthew 24:29-31

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” – Luke 12:28

From the above verses, the timing for the return of Yeshua is clear. There is no Pre-Tribulation, nor Mid-Tribulation but Yeshua will return for His bride, Post-Tribulation. The Great Tribulation is the final call to cleanse the Church and make her ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7).

What is the “Abomination of Desolation” spoken by the prophet Daniel?

The Book of Daniel mentioned the “abomination that causes desolation” in chapters 9,11, and 12. These prophecies that seemingly similar but actually describe different events at different times. Let me share my understanding of these three verses.

1.     Daniel 9:27 – “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”

The important clause to note is “confirm a covenant with many”. So, what is this covenant and who are the “many”?

According to Ezekiel 37:26-28, this is God’s covenant of peace with king David, and God will establish His “sanctuary (Temple) in their midst forevermore”. To confirm this eternal covenant God made with king David, approval for the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount must be given.

“26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” –  Ezekiel 37:26-28

There will be a time, in the very near future that the “many”, religious leaders in Israel will “confirm a covenant” with one who has the influence and authority to build God’s tabernacle, His Temple on Temple Mount. This confirmation of this covenant is in the plan of God. This is another example of God using the wicked to do His Will.

The confirmation of this covenant between the “many” and the man of sin (Anti-Christ) is made in secret, as it is not the time to reveal his true identity. The man of sin will facilitate the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount. This will be the fulfillment of Isaiah 28:15, the “covenant with death and with Sheol”.

“Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
And with Sheol we are in agreement.
When the overflowing scourge passes through,
It will not come to us,
For we have made lies our refuge,
And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.” –  Isaiah 28:15

 

The Jewish religious leaders believe the Third Temple will bring peace to Israel and the region. Instead, they are led by the refuge of lies that usher in the greatest persecution of the Jewish people, which makes the Holocaust a child’s play. It is a covenant with death.

In Daniel 9:27, the middle of the “week” represents Seven-years, and at this time the identity of this secret covenant dealer will be revealed. He will stop the sacrificial worship and sits in the Third Temple and demand worshipping him as god. This will start the final Great Tribulation of three-and-half years. Only those Jews who recognize Yeshua as their Messiah at the visitation of the Godhead in the Third Temple will escape and be miraculously protected from the onslaught of the dragon.

Anti-Christ will persecute (“desolate”) the saints for three-and-half years (“until the consummation”), after which, God pours His wrath on him (“poured out on the desolate”). The beast who is the Anti-Christ, together with the false prophet is cast alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20)

2.     Daniel 11:31 – “And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.”

This prophecy was fulfilled when the Greek Hellenistic king Antiochus Epiphanes captured Jerusalem in 167 B.C. and desecrated the Temple by offering the sacrifice of a pig on an altar to Zeus (the abomination of desolation)

3.     Daniel 12:11- “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”

This prophecy is a Time marker. Bishop James Ussher in his well-researched book “The Annals of the World” on page 98 recorded that the daily sacrifice in the First Temple in Jerusalem was “taken away” (stopped) in 600 B.C., before the final destruction of the Temple in 586 B.C. The temple worship had to stop due to the nobles of Israel and the Priesthood being banished to Babylon in 600 B.C. If we add 1,290 years to this date, brings us right up to 691 A.D. (add 1 more year crossing BC/AD year 0). In 691 A.D. the Dome of the Rock was completed! (reference: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dome-of-Rock/Historical-context-and-construction)

This is not by coincidence! It is the finger of God giving us a precise understanding of the identity referred to as the “abomination of desolation”.  Scripture provides precision dating that the Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine standing on Temple Mount. Ironically, Jerusalem is often represented by the Dome of the Rock as an iconic building in many tourist Postcards. Yet, this understanding that the Dome of the Rock is the abomination of desolation spoken by the prophet Daniel has escaped many Bible scholars.

4.     The next verse, Daniel 12:12 brings in an important date which time will confirm the significance of this year in the history of the Jewish people.

12 Blessed is he who waits and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.” – Daniel 12:12

Let us do the Math again. If we add 691 A.D. to 1335 years, we come to the year 2026/27 A.D. as the year in the Jewish calendar could straddle either in 2026 or 2027. This year 2026/27 is only 4 years from now. Why did Daniel mention this year is a blessing to those who wait? I could only surmise that this may be the year where Anti-Christ declares him as god in the Third Temple. It is a blessing to those who wait because now they know the Truth – Yeshua is their Messiah! Those who prevail and love not their lives unto death (Revelation 12:11) will spend a glorious eternity with God.

The Significance of the Abrahamic Accord

The world, especially the Islamic nations stood in awe as they watched the signing of the Abrahamic Accord on 15th September 2020 in Washington D.C. between Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. This brings a total of four nations who signed peace treaties with Israel, vis Egypt, Jordan, UAE, and Bahrain. As of now, Morocco and potentially Sudan are added to this list of countries. The next big event is if Saudi Arabia joins the Abrahamic Accord. If Saudi Arabia makes formal peace with Israel will certainly encourage other Islamic countries to do so.

The Abrahamic Accord sets in motion the reconciliation of the sons of Ishmael with the sons of Isaac. This is huge. It paves the way for the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount. Running in parallel, there is a movement headed by Pope Francis to bring the three monotheistic religions comprising Catholic-Evangelical, Islam, and Judaism into One World Religion, with the right of all, to worship on the Temple Mount.

While the Abrahamic Accord is in public view, a secret treaty is being discussed by the religious leaders, the Sanhedrin with a shadowy person to pave the way for the building of the Third Temple. This is recorded in Isaiah 28:15 as a covenant with death resulting in massive loss of lives. God has set in motion from different directions with the sole result to build the Third Temple in our generation.

The Next Big Event – The sacrifice of the Red Heifer & the building of the Third Temple

On 15 September 2022 at 5:00 pm, 5 baby cows known as Red Heifers arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport with great fanfare from the religious leaders in Jerusalem. It is interesting to note the number “5” a number representing grace appears three times in the arrival of these Red Heifers to Israel. Is this a coincidence, or is the Holy Spirit hinting to us that something BIG is going to happen soon? Could this link to the return of our Messiah?

What is the purpose and importance of the Red Heifer? In Numbers 19 of the Old Testament, the ashes of the Red Heifer mixed with water is needed for the purification of the priesthood. Although the lineage of the priesthood was kept intact since the destruction of the Second Temple, nevertheless, the priesthood was defiled by events and practices in the absence of the temple and strict observance of the Law. Over Jewish history, due to wars, natural calamities, and disobedience of the priesthood, there were nine occasions where the ashes of the Red Heifer were required to purify the priesthood. A revered sage in the 12th century, Rabbi Maimonides predicted the sacrifice of the tenth Red Heifer would usher in the return of the Messiah. We are at the threshold of the sacrifice of the tenth Red Heifer!

Even if a single hair of the cow is not reddish will disqualify the cow for sacrifice as the Red Heifer. There have been over the recent years many false starts as the qualifying cows at the last moment could not meet the stringent requirements for sacrifice as the Red Heifer. Now Israel has not only one candidate but 5 cows. All that is needed is just one cow, among 5 with no blemish and the long-awaited sacrifice could proceed.

The cow must be at least 2 years and one day old and free from any blemish. As the five cows that recently arrived in Jerusalem are aged between five to eight months, a likely date for the sacrifice of the Red Heifer could range from late 2023 to early 2024. The big event to look out for is among the five cows under close inspection by the religious leaders, one that fits the requirement as the Red Heifer and the sacrifice could start immediately.

The sacrifice of the Red Heifer must be outside the city walls of Jerusalem. The location of the sacrifice site must be on the Mount of Olives and with a direct line of sight to the Eastern (Golden Gate) and the Temple on Temple Mount. There is only one site on the Mount of Olives that qualifies as the place of sacrifice. The land ownership by divine intervention was only transferred to Jewish hands in 2021!

It looks like all the requirements for the purification of the Priesthood are ready, awaiting the single Red Heifer. With the purification of the Priesthood, animal sacrificial worship can resume with permission for animal sacrifice on Temple Mount. This will lead to the building of the Third Temple on Temple Mount.

The Third Temple with modern technology can be completed in less than a year. All articles of worship, including the Menorah, the Table of Showbread, and even the Ark of Covenant is ready to move into the Third Temple.

When will the Third Temple be completed?

This is a tricky date to ascertain as it is dependent on the signing of the secret covenant. As it is a secret, we may not get to know it.  I believe with the recent outcome of a strong far-right coalition government with Benjamin Netanyahu as the Prime Minister and a strong presence of the Religious Zionism bloc in the Knesset will see the push for the building of the Third Temple. It does not take long with the present building technology to build the Third Temple. Time will tell and we may not have to wait too long to see this happens.

Yeshua’s Return

There are Four returns of Yeshua to earth.

The First is for His brethren. Together with Abba Father and the Holy Spirit, the shekinah glory of God fills the Third Temple (Ezekiel 43:1-7). Those who pierced Him will mourn (Zechariah 12:10). The eyes of understanding for the remnant Jews will open (“understanding being enlightened” – Ephesians 1:18-21) and acknowledge Yeshua as their Messiah. This remnant is Israel, the woman whom the dragon will persecute. God will deliver Israel and nourish her for a time and times and half a time. This is the period of three-and-half years or 42 months which is known as the Great Tribulation or the wrath of the dragon (Revelation 12:13-16).

The saga continues with Revelation 12:17 – “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”. This is the Church that will go through the wrath of the dragon and be made ready as the pure and holy bride of Yeshua.

The Second coming is for His bride is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. The Rapture of the Church of Yeshua takes place immediately after the Great Tribulation (Post-Tribulation) but before the Wrath of God (Pre-Wrath). Only those who belong to Yeshua will see His coming in the clouds. The bride and the saints in heaven are “called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).

The Third coming is with the “armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses” (Revelation 19:14). This is the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 14:19-20, 19:11-21). The beast which is the Anti-Christ and his false prophet are immediately thrown alive into the lake of fire. The dragon will be kept in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things, he must be released for a little while” Revelation 20:1-3

Before the return of Yeshua with His bride to rule and reign for a thousand years from Jerusalem, the land needs to be cleaned. This is the seven-year period prophesized in Ezekiel 39:9-16. During this seven years period, the bride is in heaven with Yeshua in marriage bliss.

Yeshua’s final and Fourth coming is to establish His kingdom on earth, to rule and reign during the Millennium period from Jerusalem. He returns with His bride

9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.”                                                                                    Revelation 21:9-13

Conclusion

This verse speaks it all. “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” –  Revelation 22:17