The world is unaware that the events taking place today are precisely what the Bible described through the Prophets nearly 2,600 years ago:

The Prophet Zechariah is particularly interesting in his Messianic Prophecies, vividly describing the return of Jesus to earth at the Mount of Olives.

Zechariah writes that when the Jews see Jesus as He returns after the end of the Seven-Year Tribulation, they will, “mourn for Him as for an only son.”

Zechariah 9:10: “They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him…”

Zechariah 9 also describes the present battle between Israel and Syria in their defense of the people of Israel:

“This is the message from the Lord against the land of Aram (Syria) and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of the world, including the tribes of Israel are on the LORD…” “The LORD will appear above His people; His arrows (missiles) will fly like lightning! The Sovereign LORD will sound the ram’s horn (During The Feast of Trumpets) and attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert. The LORD of Heaven’s armies will protect His people, and they will defeat their enemies by a sling (David’s sling) hurling great stones (קֶלַע).”

The defense system Zechariah describes as a “sling” that stops the “arrows” of the land of Syria is of particular interest.

Among the most sophisticated arsenal in the Israeli missile defense system is called: “David’s Sling.”

David’s Sling Missile Defense System

It is interesting that these events are taking place today during the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah. See my parallel essay describing the events recorded by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 38 of his prophecy.

The events described by Ezekiel 38 detail a final battle that will take place either just before or just after the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation Period, described by Jesus, and throughout the Old Testament.

Before the Tribulation begins, Jesus will arrive at the outer atmosphere of the earth and remove all those who love Him. Paul described this event in his letter to the church at Thessalonica:

When this war begins, the world should take notice because the final events that were determined for our present world will be set into motion.

We May Be At This Point Right Now.

This battle is extremely important as it is the precursor to the removal of Jesus’ church from the earth—just before the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation. According to 2 Thessalonians 2, the antichrist, the beast, the world ruler who will come at the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation, cannot make his entrance until Jesus’ church is removed from the earth. Paul called the church “that which hinders, that is taken out of the way.” The Holy Spirit working through the Church, has restrained the beast from making his entrance.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 begins with the context of what Paul had described before: The timing of Jesus coming for His church, and the beginning of the Tribulation. “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him.” This is what Paul has described previously in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, the Harpazo or Rapture, of Jesus’ church.

Having clarified why Paul is writing these words: to clarify the events that will take place after Jesus’ church is removed from the earth, Paul moves on to the events that will commence just before the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation:

2 Thessalonians 2:2-4: “We ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

1. The day of Christ, is the day when Jesus will return to earth with His church, as described in Revelation chapter 19.
2. That day will not happen unless a “falling away” happens first. The Greek word, “apostasia.” As the time of the seven-year Tribulation approaches, people who formerly claimed that they were a Christian, a follower of Jesus, will fall away from Him. We have seen this mass exodus take place in the past 10 years. All of the pretend believers in Jesus have departed from Him, in preparation for the removal of Jesus’ church and the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation.
3. When the apostasy takes place, this is a signal to the world that the Tribulation is very near.
4. The removal of Jesus’ church, as described by 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, will permit the antichrist to make his entrance.

• The Rapture: Jesus, Coming For His Church
• Jesus Is Coming To Establish A Kingdom
• See The Essays On Israel In The Last Days

Then Paul tells us that it was Jesus’ church and the Holy Spirit working through us, that has prevented the antichrist from showing himself to the world.

2 Thessalonians 2:5-8: “Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

What Are The Events That Will Take Place Before The Church Is Removed?

For nearly 50 years in studying the prophetic events of the Last Days, I have always been puzzled by the prophecy of Daniel 9:27, that the antichrist will make his entrance into the world by the initiation of a peace plan, or covenant, for seven years. How could a peace plan be initiated by the antichrist while Israel was living in relative peace in their land?

Of course, the answer is, that he could not. For the antichrist to have the opportunity to institute a peace plan that will cause the Jews to receive him as their Messiah, there must be an urgent need. This present war with Hamas, and Hezbollah, instituted by Iran, is the reason the antichrist will come now to broker a peace plan.

If you ask the orthodox Jews in Israel today, how they will recognize their Messiah when He comes, they will tell you that He will do two things:

1. Make peace for the Jews and the surrounding nations.
2. Allow the Jews to rebuild their third Temple on the Temple Mount.

These are the precise things that Daniel 9 and Revelation 11, say the antichrist will do for the Jews when he comes to Israel. The peace that the antichrist will make for Israel and the Jews—requires the exact type of war that we now see in Israel—with Russia, China, and Iran, coming against Israel to obliterate the Jews. The antichrist will likely come on the scene just after God destroys the armies of Russia, China, Iran, and those listed in Ezekiel 38, to make peace between the Jews and all the nations who sought her destruction.

Daniel 9:27: “Then he (the antichrist) shall confirm a covenant with many (nations) for one week (7 years), but in the middle of the week he (antichrist) shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate (the image to be worshipped in the Holy Place), even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

The Jews will accept the antichrist as their Messiah, until the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation, when a statue of this beast will be erected in the Holy Place of the new Temple. A command will be issued that all the world must worship the beast, the antichrist.

Jesus said to the Jews who were living in Jerusalem during the time He was there, that when they see the “Abomination of Desolation,” (command to worship the image of the beast) spoken of by Daniel the prophet, they should flee Jerusalem for the mountains, immediately.

Matthew 24:15-18: “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.”

Before Antichrist Is Revealed, Jesus Will Come For His Church

Does The Bible Teach a Rapture Before the Tribulation?

Jesus Predicted The Seven Year Tribulation:

Matthew 24:21-22: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved.”

Paul Said That Everyone Who Trusts In Jesus—They Are Fully Ready For Heaven

Colossians 2:9-10: “For in Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Jesus’ Church Does Not Need To Be Purified By The Tribulation To Be Ready For Heaven

1 Corinthians 6:11: “…washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, by the Spirit of our God.

Jesus Promised His Church That They Would Not Go Through The Tribulation

Revelation 3:10: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

The Tribulation is, “The Wrath of the Lamb. Jesus Has Not Appointed His Church To Experience His Wrath In The Tribulation

Revelation 6:16-17:  “…hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can survive?”

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10: “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

Jesus’ Church Is Not Waiting For The Appearance of the Antichrist, But For Jesus To Come For Us

1 Thessalonians 1:10: Paul said that we, who have placed our trust in Jesus, are to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

In these realities, we can see how important these present events taking place in Israel really are. If this is the precursor to the Battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39, and the introduction of the antichrist, then the Rapture is imminent and can happen at any moment.

The Incredible Accuracy Of Zechariah’s Prophecies Concerning Jesus’ First And Second Arrivals On Earth:

Zechariah’s prophecy of the Messiah coming to Jerusalem on the foal of donkey is not only one of the most amazing prophecies of the Old Testament, but it is one of the most detailed and important.

Zechariah wrote this incredible prediction 516 years before Jesus was born, 549 years before the event happened. We know that this prediction was written far in advance of its occurrence, because the Book of Zechariah was a part of the Septuagint that was translated from Hebrew into Greek in 286 B.C. When we compare the text of this prophecy in the Septuagint with our present-day Bible, the two are identical.

The Messiah will come to Jerusalem, riding on the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah 9:9f “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

New Testament Fulfillment:

Matthew 21:1-5 “Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet (Zechariah), saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

Matthew 21:6-11 “So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

We know, from history, that Zechariah lived and wrote in the second year of Darius I, king of Persia; twenty-eight years from Amyntas, king of Macedon; in the seventh year of Demaratus, king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Proclidae; in the eleventh year of Cleomenes, king of Lacedaemon, of the family of the Eurysthenidae; in the fifteenth year of Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of the Romans. This was about twelve years before the commencement of the consular government.~Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Old Testament

The ability to accurately date this prophecy, over five hundred years before the events occurred, makes this prophecy even more stunning. When we team Zechariah’s prophecy with Daniel Chapter 9:24-27, the detail and clarity of these events that would transpire in the ministry of the Messiah take on a cosmic importance. How could two prophets, writing from different locations at different periods of history, speak of the same future events of the Messiah with such precision and detail? Every word of their prophetic utterance came about precisely as they foretold.

The following study from Daniel 9:24-27 is also found in the chapter, Arrival of the Messiah. I have included a brief description of the text from this prophecy as it applies to Zechariah 9:9.

Daniel is writing chapter 9 of his prophecy, from Babylon in 538 B.C.; while Zechariah is writing his prophetic words in 549 B.C., from Jerusalem, after the return of the Jews who had been held in Babylon. The Jews came back to their homeland in the eighth month of Darius’ second year, which was October-November, 520 B.C. This was the year the foundation for the Temple was laid, being completed just three years later, in 517 B.C. This expeditious completion was due to the encouragement of Zechariah and Haggai. For more information, see the detailed timeline chart in Arrival of the Messiah.

Daniel 9:25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.”

The principle of a prophetic week is first illustrated in the Book of Genesis Chapter 29. As Jacob desires Rachel’s hand in marriage, he does not have the dowry required to pay Rachel’s father, Laban. The purpose of a dowry was alimony in advance. If a man should desire to marry a young woman and later divorce her without any financial support, her dowry—kept in the stewardship of her father—would serve as her support. Therefore, Laban brokered a deal with Jacob in which he would work for him as a servant for seven years to pay for Rachael’s dowry.

After seven years, when Rachel should have come to Jacob on their wedding night, Laban instead conveys his oldest daughter, Leah, into the darkness of the bridal tent. As the marriage is consummated, the next morning Jacob realized that he has been with Leah—not Rachel. When he confronts Laban, Jacob learns that in their tradition the oldest daughter must marry first before the younger. Laban tells Jacob to “fulfill the week” of Rachel and he can have her also as his wife. At the end of verse 27, Laban defines how long this week will be, by saying, “Serve with me still another seven years.”

Genesis 29:27 “Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”

From this definition in Genesis 29, we understand that Daniel is describing seventy weeks as seventy seven-year periods or 490 years (70 X 7 = 490).

In Daniel 9:25, the Lord is giving Israel the precise day the Messiah will arrive. This prophecy is a companion to Zechariah 9:9, as both speak of the first arrival of the Messiah, when He announces the fulfillment of Daniel and Zechariah’s prophecies at Jerusalem.

• First, a command will be given, then seven weeks and sixty two weeks (69 weeks of years, or 483 years) will pass “until the Messiah, the Prince” will come.
• In the first seven weeks (49 years), the Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.
• Second, at the conclusion of the sixty-two weeks (434 years), the Messiah will arrive.

The trigger to begin the countdown of this prophecy is the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.

Let’s do the math:

The prophecy is for 69 times seven (69×7) years, or a total of 483 years.

• Encyclopedia Britannica records that Artaxerxes Longimanus issued this decree to release the captives of Israel in Babylon on March 14, 445 B.C.⁠
• The Babylonian calendar was based upon a 360-day per year cycle.
• 360 days per year multiplied by 483 years equals 173,880 days
• Taking into account the calendar year change over from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D. because there is no “0” year
• Adding 116 days for leap years
• 173,880 days added to March 14, 445 B.C.
• We come to the date of April 6th, the year 32 A.D.

Was there any event of particular importance that occurred on April 6, 32 A.D.? Luke records that on this day, Jesus instructed His disciples to go over to Bethphage and bring Him the foal of a donkey…

Luke 19:29-42 “And it came to pass, when Jesus came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose him and bring him here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.”

This is the same donkey that Zechariah 9:9 is speaking of.

“…your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey…”

Consider that Jesus specifically instructs the disciples to bring the foal—not an older, more mature donkey. A foal is an unbroken young animal that has never had a man upon his back. Under normal circumstance, this young donkey would throw off the first person who attempted to sit upon his back. Incredibly, Jesus rides this foal into Jerusalem on this day, and allows the assembled crowd to hail Him as The Son of David—a clear title for the Messiah.

Matthew 21:8-9 “And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

It is interesting that up to this point, Jesus had refused all requests by His disciples that He would announce to the world He was the promised Messiah. Jesus had repeatedly told them, “My time has not yet come.”

John 7:3-6 “His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him. Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.”

Jesus was waiting for this one specific day, when Daniel and Zechariah predicted that the Messiah would come to Jerusalem.

There was no mistake in what the people were proclaiming about Jesus. The crowd was shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The Pharisees understood what the people meant by these words: They believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and He was receiving their praise in acceptance of this truth.

Luke 19:39-42 “And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”

Jesus told the Pharisees, “If you had known this your day…”

“This day” was one unique day in the history of the universe, when the Son of God would come to Jerusalem and be hailed as the Messiah. The Book of Psalms has a specific text that David wrote for this precise day.

Psalms 118:24-26 “This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!

This verse of prophetic scripture was written for one particular day in all of time and eternity. It was written for the moment, when the Messiah would come to Jerusalem and be recognized as the Messiah who would fulfill all of the Old Testament prophecies. Psalm 118 contains the language—“Save now” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD”—because this is what those present, when the Messiah arrived, would proclaim with their shouts of praise. The people who had gathered to greet Jesus as the Messiah were well aware of Psalm 118, and this is why they were reciting these specific words as Jesus made His entrance into the city.

On April 6, 32 A.D., Jesus rides upon the foal of a donkey into Jerusalem and is proclaimed the Son of David, the Messiah; thus fulfilling the prophecies of Daniel Chapter 9 and Zechariah Chapter 9.

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Zechariah wrote this prophecy of the Messiah’s arrival at Jerusalem about 516 years before Jesus came into Jerusalem, on this specific Palm Sunday

Daniel’s prophecy of the precise day the Messiah would come to Jerusalem was written almost 549 years before Jesus arrived.

When a king made his entrance into a city and his purpose was to conquer, he always rode on the back of a great white stallion (Revelation 19:11). When a king was arriving in “peace,” he would ride on the back of a humble donkey. Jesus was appearing in Jerusalem, in fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. He was coming to proclaim the time when men can make peace with God by experiencing the forgiveness of their sins.

The Bible has revealed the precise day the Messiah would arrive on the earth the first time as Savior and Lord. This is, however, not the end of this story. After His arrival, the elders of Israel would reject Him as the Messiah and crucify Him, just as the scriptures foretold.

This type of verifiable prophetic evidence is a stunning proof for the authenticity of the Bible and should cause any reasonable person to conclude that—the men who wrote these prophecies as well as those who recorded their fulfillment are honest men.

What The Rapture And Beginning Of The Tribulation Will Mean For People Left On Earth

See Rob’s In-Depth Commentary on the Book of Revelation—describing all of these current events we see in the world today:

This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available

Categories: Evidence: The Last Days, Robert Clifton Robinson

Tags: All Israel will be saved, Pre Tribulation Rapture, Prophecy and Israel, The beginning of the Tribulation, The Great Tribulation