I say the [certain] return of Jesus Christ because the New Testament speaks with certainty about His return. Consider the following verses for example: . . . John 14:2–3 KJV; Acts 1:11 KJV; [and] Hebrews 9:28 KJV. . .. [I especially like Acts 1:11 KJV, which emphatically reads (in part): “. . . [T]his same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”] These scriptures promise the return of Jesus Christ. LaHaye, in his book How to Understand Bible Prophecy for Yourself, [1] writes that while there are “[o]ver 100 prophecies” concerning the first coming of Messiah, there are “eight times” as many prophecies about the second coming of Christ as there are concerning His first coming.[2] According to the 2013 OmniPoll, “41% of all U.S. adults, 54% of Protestants and 77% of Evangelicals believe the world is now living in the biblical end times.”[3] More recently, according to the 2020 LifeWay Research survey of pastors, “97% agree that Christ will literally and personally return to earth again.”[4] These are just some of the many important reasons that make Bible prophecies concerning the season of the return of Christ such an exciting area of study. In this book, we will examine historical events that have fulfilled specific prophecies of Daniel (mainly in chapters 2 and 7) pertaining to the rule of four successive gentile empires in the earth, all pointing to the season of the certain return of Jesus Christ. The fulfillment of these prophecies reveals the remarkable accuracy of the Bible and encourages the faith, diligent witness, and service of believers.
When I consider how meticulously God fulfilled the many promises concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ, it gives me great confidence that He will also fulfill all of His promises concerning the second coming of Christ. . .. Moreover, God’s fulfilled prophecies about Jesus Christ assure me that His promises concerning my life are also true and reliable. Such promises include, but certainly are not limited to, the following:
- life eternal and also life abundant here and now . . . (through faith in Jesus Christ)
- the gifts and fruit of His indwelling Holy Spirit, including inward peace in this world of trouble
- His supply of “all [my] need” (Philippians 4:19 KJV)
- the “blessed hope” of Christ’s return (Titus 2:13 KJV)
These biblical promises (and many others) inspire and empower me to live a hopeful, purposeful life every day. In Christ, we have “hope to the end” (1 Peter 1:13 KJV).
[1]. Tim LaHaye, How to Understand Bible Prophecy for Yourself (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1990).
[2]. Ibid., 16.
[3]. “Shock Poll: Startling Numbers of Americans Believe World Now in the ‘End Times,’” Religion News Service, September 11, 2013, http://religionnews.com/2013/09/11/shock-poll-startling-numbers-of-americans-believe-world-now-in-the-end-times/, emphasis added.
[4]. “Pastor views on the return of Jesus Christ, biblical prophecy, and end times,” LifeWay Research, http://lifewayresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020-Eschatology-Pastor-Study-Final-Report.pdf.
