How do we know Jesus will return?

The idea of Jesus returning to be king over the earth one day can seem very far removed from our every day lives. However, millions of Christians worldwide do believe that Jesus will one day return – why?

We’re going to look at just one major event. This is an event that Jesus said to look out for ahead of his return – and which has only (relatively) recently taken place. It’s an event that is easy to verify for yourself, and you don’t need to get bogged down in the details to understand why it is significant. It's the return of the nation of Israel to the land in 1948.

You don't have to look far to find that much of the Bible centres around the Jewish people. God called them his chosen people and promised to preserve because of the faithfulness of their forefather, Abraham (Genesis 17:4-8). Many times, the nation suffered under other nations, were taken captive and their land occupied but, as foretold, God always saved Israel and their preservation is God’s witness to the world that he is the one true God (Deut 28:64-67, 30:1-6, Isaiah 43:12, Jeremiah 30:10-11).

“This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar the Lord Almighty is his name: “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.”

Jeremiah 31:35-36

Here God declares that the continued existence of Israel is as certain as the shining of the sun, moon and stars.

At the time of Jesus, Israel was under Roman authority and waiting for the promised saviour to free them. Instead, Jesus submitted to Roman arrest and crucifixion. His closest followers were devastated and went into hiding (Mark 14-16, John 18-20) – until after three days, when they came out of hiding and boldly claimed to have seen Jesus alive. They proclaimed that Jesus had been raised from the dead by God and would be returning as king to judge the world. They called people to change their ways and follow Jesus now (Acts 2:22-38, 3:11-28). The 12 apostles all died tortuous deaths for these claims and despite opposition, the Christian movement continued to grow.

In the first century, Jesus and his followers performed miraculous signs, such as healing, to prove what they said was true (Acts 4:10) – but the much greater miracle we have to witness today is the nation of Israel. Before he died, Jesus foretold that Israel would be taken captive into all nations, their temple destroyed and Jerusalem taken by non-Jews (Luke 21:5-33).

“They will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

Luke 21:24

This was fulfilled about 40 years later in AD70 when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and deported the Jews. However, the part of Jesus’ prediction that we are particularly interested in is the last part: that Israel’s removal from Jerusalem was only for a time.

For many centuries the Jewish people were scattered across the whole world with no homeland of their own. They spoke numerous different languages and suffered persecution on a large scale in many places over hundreds of years. The possibility of Israel becoming a nation again seemed unlikely. However, over these centuries, Bible students eagerly anticipated it as the event that would show that Jesus’ return was near.

The Old Testament prophets also foretold that Israel would be brought back from captivity among other nations (Ezekiel 38:8, 39:27-28) but more significantly, they also state that at the end time Israel will be invaded by a large northern army, and it will be during this major war that God will intervene to setup his worldwide kingdom of peace (Ezekiel 38:14-23, Zechariah 14:1-9, Daniel 2:44). This is why the return of Israel to the land is so significant – because there can be no invasion of Israel without their existence. Their return as a nation is the beginning of events that will lead up to this final major war.

“[Jesus] told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. When you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:29-31). 

So, nearly 1900 years later in 1948, when Israel was declared to be an independent state, this was a momentous occasion. This is the beginning of many significant events that have continued to unfold in the lead up to Jesus’ return, as prophesied thousands of years ago. The Bible gives specific details about which nations will be allied together, which parts of the land will be invaded – and interestingly, the fact that Israel will be living in (apparent) peace and safety when it happens (Ezekiel 38, Zechariah 14). Currently this seems an unlikely prospect – but we can have confidence that what the Bible has said will happen because of what has already been fulfilled, even if we don’t know how or when.

God has told us ahead of time what to expect so we can know he is real and look forward to his ultimate plan for peace. (Ezekiel 38:16-17, Luke 21:25-28, 34-36, Isaiah 2:2-4, Psalm 72, Micah 4:1-4, 2 Peter 3:9).

If you are keen to know more about Bible prophecy and world events check out Andy Walton's Weekly World Watch on YouTube or contact us to request a free booklet, ‘When Will Jesus Return?’.