# The events that will happen when Jesus returns Last updated 9/2025 There are 4 possible views about how the prophecies in [Revelation 4-19](https://biblehub.com/revelation/4.htm) will happen: 1. Historicist - the prophecies are a record from the time of the Apostles, through now, until Jesus returns. - The view is that some prophecies have transpired, and others haven't, and we're actively seeing them unfolding. 2. Preterist - the prophecies were forecasted to the author (around 70 AD), but have already been fulfilled. - The view is typically that all the prophecies have been fulfilled already, mostly with the fall of the Roman Empire. - Partial preterism believes some future prophecies still correspond to the future. 3. Futurist - from our perspective, the prophecies are all future-tense. - The view typically implies the events are a hybrid of symbolic and literal, similar to [Daniel's prophecies](https://biblehub.com/daniel/7.htm). 4. Spiritual - the prophecies are [symbolic](symbols.md) of spiritual events, and therefore have a general application. However, none of the views can capture a complete perspective of Revelation. - Pure historicists have to explain how the prophecies apply, and many of the prophecies are [symbolic](symbols.md) enough that it's difficult to discern *exactly* how they implement (especially if we're in the middle of some of them). - Pure preterists must contend with the fact that Jesus has clearly *not* returned, and therefore God has given zero guidance or expectation after the Revelation of John. - Pure futurists would need to explain the strikingly similar comparisons posited by preterists. - Pure spiritualists would need to explain how the prophecies are uniquely specific in such a way that there's not much practical use for most readers. - In practice, it's a bit of all of them, similar to the Bible's other prophecies: God has a way of making rippled patterns reproduce themselves, first in the Roman Empire, then across history, symbolically, shown across time in a spiritual way, and will culminate in the end with a grandiose finale. The end of the world is coming soon, but needs some preparations first. - The focus in many Christian circles also often emphasizes the events in the *middle* of Revelation, but fails to capture the fullness of the end of it. ## A few prophecies aren't fulfilled yet We need odd geopolitical circumstances: - We're there, but not completely ([Matthew 24:5-8](https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/24.htm)). - Wars will intensify and risks of war will increase. - Famines and earthquakes are sporadic right now, but we're waiting for more dramatic disasters, and more frequently. - People will feel very [safe](safety.md), even with the natural disasters happening, which will likely be from ubiquitous disaster-alleviating [technology](technology.md) implemented everywhere ([1 Thessalonians 5:3](https://biblehub.com/1_thessalonians/5-3.htm)). We would need to transition into a single world government: - It doesn't need to be only one central leader, but there needs to be unity ([Revelation 13:1-7](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/13.htm), [Daniel 7:16-24](https://biblehub.com/bsb/daniel/7.htm)). - There's *plenty* of in-fighting among nations right now. - To get to a shared government, *all* the world's leaders would have to honor either some form of [leftism](politics-leftism.md) or a [tyrannical takeover](people-conflicts-war.md). Israel must be at peace with its neighbors: - That peace will prepare Israel for a strike they won't see coming ([Ezekiel 38-39](https://biblehub.com/bsb/ezekiel/38.htm)). - Modern-day Iran will be part of a 10-nation alliance that will attack Israel ([Psalm 83:1-8](https://biblehub.com/bsb/psalms/83.htm), [Ezekiel 38:1-6](https://biblehub.com/bsb/ezekiel/38.htm)). - Russia will be part of that alliance (Gog), but they'd need more military power to do it than they have right now. A third Jewish temple hasn't been made yet, but may be soon: - For the Antichrist to defile the Temple's sacrifices, they would need to re-establish sacrifices in the Temple first ([Ezekiel 37:26-28](https://biblehub.com/bsb/ezekiel/37.htm), [Matthew 24:15](https://biblehub.com/matthew/24-15.htm), [2 Thessalonians 2:3-4](https://biblehub.com/bsb/2_thessalonians/2.htm)). - The Temple Institute has recently birthed a [red heifer](https://templeinstitute.org/) necessary for temple rituals. - Right now, the Dome of the Rock is sitting right on top of where the Jewish Temple once was. Thus, it's unclear *how* that would fulfill prophecy without making all of Islam unite against Israel. We have seen plenty of false Christs in the past, but we don't see an unusual number of them right now relative to what we typically see ([Matthew 24:24](https://biblehub.com/matthew/24-24.htm)). The Jewish people haven't seen their Messiah: - There's a partial hardening of their hearts for the completion of the Gentiles' salvation ([Romans 11:25-26](https://biblehub.com/bsb/romans/11.htm)). - As of right now, there's an evangelistic effort toward the Jews through groups like [One For Israel](https://www.oneforisrael.org/). - Many Jews have come to believe they may have missed when their Messiah may have come, so they're scouring [all the old prophecies](jesus-prophecies.md) for Him. ## At the same time, many prophecies *have* happened As of 1948, Israel has been brought back as a nation: - God prophesied they'd return to their ancestral land ([Deuteronomy 30:1-3](https://biblehub.com/bsb/deuteronomy/30.htm)). - However, many Jews are [elsewhere in the world](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_population_by_country), especially in the USA. The world is slowly trending toward leftism: - [Leftism](politics-leftism.md) is a religion without any connection to God or religiousness, and might become a prototype of the end times' one-world religion ([Revelation 13:11-15](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/13.htm)). - Leftism attempts to recreate Jesus' [Millennial Kingdom](https://theologos.site/millennium/) without God ([Revelation 21:1-8](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/21.htm)). - In the process, they destroy God's design for [gender](gender.md), [family](church-family.md), [justice](morality-justice.md), and [boundaries](people-boundaries.md). - Traveling the stars and colonizing other planets is a modern [technological](technology.md) update of the Tower of Babel ([Genesis 11](https://biblehub.com/bsb/genesis/11.htm)). - Leftism only gains [power](power.md) because people trust the [government](groups-large.md) out of [fear](mind-feelings-fear.md) of doing *anything* on their own or trusting God. - However, it simply doesn't have any good false hope to believe in beyond this life, since it's strictly a [political](politics-systems.md) perspective. Many people will adopt a unified "mark" on the hand or forehead required for all financial transactions: - This [trend](trends.md) hasn't attained [cultural](people-culture.md) acceptance yet ([Revelation 13:16-17](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/13.htm)), but it's believable that people will accept it for [economic payments](economics.md) in the future. - That mark will somehow connect to "666". There are still decent people spread throughout society, so it's not likely that we're quite at the end yet: - The entire world will be a culturally homogenous group of awful people in the end times. - This may not be *everyone*, but it'll be most people ([1 Corinthians 5](https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_corinthians/5.htm), [2 Timothy 3](https://biblehub.com/bsb/2_timothy/3.htm)). - People will love themselves. - People will love [money](money-1_why.md). - Conceited, self-absorbed people will *constantly* brag about themselves. - People will be abusive, unloving, and brutal. - People will be disobedient to their [parents](parenting-babies.md). - People will be [ungrateful](mind-feelings-happiness-stress.md) and hold grudges. - People will live unholy lives and hate good things. - People will betray others and lie to harm others' [reputations](image.md). - Unrestrained and reckless people will love pleasure more than God. - People will have a form of godliness, but deny any of its power. - Whenever possible, avoid those awful people and don't even associate with or *eat* with them if they call themselves Christians. Stay vigilant, since Jesus will come rapidly ([Matthew 24:27](https://biblehub.com/matthew/24-27.htm)). ## When the end comes, we'll *all* know Prophecy is intentionally mysterious to anyone reading it before it happens, so don't try to guess it. However, we should use future prophecy as comfort that God already knew about it and has a plan already in motion. It's patently obvious that some predictions, like worldwide earthquakes, haven't happened yet ([Revelation 6:12](https://biblehub.com/revelation/6-12.htm)). Someone is coming who will work the Satan's will: - They will have a *tremendous* capacity to influence ([2 Thessalonians 2:9-10](https://biblehub.com/bsb/2_thessalonians/2.htm)). - This person or group will make peace with all the world leaders, who will trust him or it implicitly ([Daniel 7:20](https://biblehub.com/daniel/7-20.htm), [Revelation 6:1](https://biblehub.com/revelation/6-1.htm)). - The Antichrist will make a significant peace treaty for seven years ([Daniel 9:27](https://biblehub.com/daniel/9-27.htm)). - During the tribulation, the Satan will demand worship from everyone and command fire from heaven ([Revelation 13:13-14](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/13.htm)). - There will be an "abomination of desolation" in the holy place, likely the Temple ([Matthew 24:15](https://biblehub.com/matthew/24-15.htm)). - It might be robots performing the sacrifices, sacrificing a pig on the altar, or ceasing the rituals entirely. - Among all this, the Satan will establish Babylon again, with the institution of [slavery](slavery.md) established worldwide ([Revelation 17](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/17.htm)). At the same time, there can be *local* disasters: - There can be minor experiences that are awful, but there's a high likelihood that those events are *not* a mark of the end. Don't push for the end times to happen faster: - The early Christians prayed for God to withhold His wrath. - If we're being sincere, we wouldn't exist if Jesus had come already, so it's an act of His grace for it to not happen yet. - If we truly loved people like Christ does, we would wish as many people to be [saved](evangelism.md) as possible ([2 Peter 3:8-13](https://biblehub.com/bsb/2_peter/3.htm)). ## First, He'll announce His coming He'll start by sending a series of 21 worldwide disasters: - The world will have *never* seen them before ([Matthew 24:21](https://biblehub.com/matthew/24-21.htm), [Daniel 9:24-27](https://biblehub.com/bsb/daniel/9.htm), [Revelation 6-18](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/6.htm)). - Some people say these prophecies will fulfill over thousands of years, but it'll more likely occur over seven years or decades. From Revelation 6 to 18, the prophecies work down a simple sequence, which is likely chronological. 7 Seal Judgments, similar to how messengers sent notices: 1. The world's most powerful dictator (Horseman #1, crowned and with a bow, but no arrow) 2. The world's worst war (Horseman #2, with a large sword) 3. The world's worst [economic](economics.md) disaster (Horseman #3, with a scale) 4. The world's worst death blow (Horseman #4, killing with sword/famine/death/animals) 5. The world's worst [persecution](hardship-persecution-church.md) (jumps to heaven, with the persecuted calling for justice) 6. The world's worst earthquake (where everyone asks the rocks to fall on them) 7. The world's worst moment of silence (a type of calm before the storm) 7 Trumpet Judgments, similar to the public announcements of a king coming: 1. Hail and fire mixed with blood fall to the earth (likely meteors, which scorch 1/3 of the land) 2. 1/3 of the oceans turn to blood (likely from a comet, destroying 1/3 of everything alive with it) 3. 1/3 of the rivers turn to blood and many people die from it (likely from another comet, named Wormwood) 4. 1/3 of the sun, moon, and stars are made dark, as well as a warning of the last 3 Trumpet Judgments (easily attainable by God via a permanent cloud cover) 5. A large swarm of strange locusts that come from the ground (they'll torment all non-Christians at this point for 5 months, lots of mystery to this prophecy) 6. A large 200,000,000-strong army led by 4 angels (many [predictors](imagination-failedprophecies.md) assume it's a government, but that's not likely, it's worth noting everyone left is *completely* unrepentant) 7. While many events seem to happen in heaven, the final Trumpet appears to be a tremendous storm with an announcement that Jesus is coming. 7 Bowl Judgments, similar to the imagery of God "pouring out His wrath" in many other passages: 1. An epidemic on everyone who had the Satan's mark 2. The oceans turn completely to blood, and everything in it dies 3. The bodies of fresh water turn completely to blood 4. The sun burns people with severe heat 5. The Satan's kingdom becomes completely dark (they gnawed their tongues from the pain, so it could be a plague or pestilence as well) 6. The Euphrates dries up, and 3 unclean spirits summon everyone on earth for a final battle 7. A *colossal* earthquake levels most of the planet, with hailstones the size of boulders ## Finally, Jesus will come back Jesus will come back and defeat Babylon, the world, and Satan ([Revelation 18-19](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/18.htm)). God will throw Satan into hell ([Revelation 20:1-3](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/20.htm)). Many Christians believe Jesus will take up (rapture) all the Christians before the final times: - Historically, the Rapture is a relatively new theological concept, established in the 1830s. - Some people falsely attribute some passages to the rapture. - Jesus says one man will be taken from two walking, but the verses could just as easily imply genocide ([Matthew 24:40-41](https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/24.htm), [Luke 17:34-37](https://biblehub.com/bsb/luke/17.htm)). - At the same time, the Bible *explicitly* clarifies believers won't be present in the tribulation ([Revelation 7:9-14](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/7.htm)). - At the very least, there's evidence that the *entire world* as of the Great Earthquake knows of God's wrath, but doesn't repent ([Revelation 6:15-17](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/6.htm)). - There's not much evidence in the Bible for or against the Rapture. - Revelation doesn't specify the world noticing Christians spirited out of the apocalypse, though they might be preoccupied with other end-times hardship. - Another possibility is that all professed Christians might be dead from [persecution](hardship-persecution-church.md) with the Fifth Seal. - If [technology](technology.md) keeps developing and [persecution](hardship-persecution-church.md) intensifies before the Antichrist arrives, the world may successfully eradicate Christianity from the earth. He will establish a New Kingdom: - Jesus will set up a [New Israel](https://theologos.site/millennium/) based in Jerusalem that will last 1,000 years ([Revelation 20:4-6](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/20.htm)). - Some people believe Israel has now become the Body of Christ (dispensationalism), but Scripture doesn't support it and the theology hasn't been updated to the geographical reality of Israel being re-established in 1948 ([Romans 11:17-18](https://biblehub.com/bsb/romans/11.htm)). - Further, Israel is *not* completely irrelevant in the New Kingdom ([Romans 11:23-24](https://biblehub.com/bsb/romans/11.htm)). ## The Millennium isn't the end Finally, after the Millennium, several things will happen: 1. Jesus will have a profoundly large battle with the Satan and everyone who was cast into hell ([Revelation 20:7-10](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/21.htm)). 2. There will be the largest court hearing in all creation, which will judge everyone not written in the Book of Life ([Revelation 20:11-15](https://biblehub.com/revelation/20.htm)). 3. God will establish a new heaven and new earth ([Revelation 21:1-4](https://biblehub.com/revelation/21.htm)). 4. Lastly, the Bride of Christ will be fully revealed ([Revelation 21:9-22:5](https://biblehub.com/bsb/revelation/21.htm), [1 Corinthians 3:10-15](https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/3.htm), [Romans 14:10-12](https://biblehub.com/romans/14.htm)).