The Return of the King of Kings Part 2

At midnight on May 14, 1948, one of the most amazing events in world history occurred.  The nation of Israel was officially reborn.  In 70 A.D., the Romans, after having grown tired of Jewish rebellions, sacked the city of Jerusalem.  They burned the temple, causing all the gold ornamentation to melt and seep between the stones.  In order to recover the gold, the soldiers toppled the entirety of the stone structure, fulfilling the following prophesy Jesus made regarding the temple:

                “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
                Mark 13:2

The Jews were driven from Israel and thus began their long years of exile in foreign lands.  They prospered financially wherever they went, but this success made them objects of envy and the distinct religious and cultural practices they maintained made them targets of persecution.  Returning home to re-establish a nation was not an option.  After the fall of Rome, the territory of Israel became the battlefield of the Crusades, changing hands between Christian and Muslim powers.

And yet they never fully relinquished the hope of one day seeing their nation reborn.  For you see, the prophet Ezekiel foretold that it would happen:

                “Thus says the Lord God: Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountain of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.”
                Ezekiel 37:21-22

When Israel reformed in 1948, the ancient divisions of the southern kingdom of Judah and northern kingdom of Samaria were forgotten.  Israel returned as one unified nation, as God had proclaimed to Ezekiel.  And just as Ezekiel foretold, Jews came from all over the world to live in Israel.  They have come from Europe, America, Africa, and India.  The fall of the Soviet Union saw a massive migration of Jews from lands where they had been persecuted.

But beyond the incredible nature of a prediction of a nation returning from complete desolation coming true, there is something else that makes this event particularly noteworthy.  It is found in a parable from Jesus:

                “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also when you see all these things, know that it is near – at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”
                Matthew 32-34

Jesus is referring to all the events he describes in the prior verses that will lead to his Second Coming.  I will discuss those events in future posts.  He is saying that when you see those events transpire, know that he is returning soon.

But there is a second layer to the parable.  The fig tree represents the nation of Israel.  The putting forth of leaves represents the rebirth of Israel.  The conclusion that most prophecy scholars have drawn from this is that the generation that sees the rebirth of Israel is the generation that will see his return.  Therefore, there is a strong case to be made that the generation born in 1948 will see the return of Jesus.  The Bible refers to the length of a human lifespan as follows:

                “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years.”
                Psalm 90:10
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According to the World Health Organization, the average global life span was 72 years as of 2016.  So if you go by the Biblical range, that would place the return of Jesus somewhere between 2018 and 2028.  But you must factor in the seven-year tribulation period (which I will describe in greater detail later).  This time period begins with the Antichrist signing or somehow confirming a seven-year treaty with the nation of Israel.  Since that event has not yet occurred, we cannot place the return of Jesus any sooner than seven years from the signing of that treaty.  However, it is reasonable to think that this treaty will be confirmed no later than 2021 so that the seven years can be completed by 2028.  I will expand further on the significance of the rebirth of Israel in the next post.