7 prophecies that must be fulfilled before Jesus Christ’s return (#1-4)

Throughout the nearly 2,000 years since Christ gave this prophecy many have thought theirs was the time of His return, but there are a number of prophecies in the Bible that could not be fulfilled until our modern era—the post–World War II period.

1. The human race would have the ability to exterminate itself

In Matthew 24:22 Jesus made it clear if He did not intervene in world affairs, the human race would be faced with extinction: “If that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive; but for the sake of God’s chosen it will be cut short” (Revised English Bible).

This prophecy could not be fulfilled until man had the potential for self-extinction through weapons of mass destruction. Humanity has only had the capability for self-annihilation since the United States and Soviet Union developed and stockpiled hydrogen bombs. Since that time other nations have also developed nuclear warheads and their number is increasing. The good news is that Christians have an assurance Jesus Christ will intervene to save mankind from annihilation.

2. A Jewish homeland had to be reestablished in the Middle East

Geopolitically, Jesus showed Jerusalem and its environs would be the focus of political and military upheavals immediately preceding His return: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near” (Luke 21:20).

Anyone living a century ago would have found these words difficult to comprehend. Jerusalem had been fought over many times, but for four centuries from 1517 the city had been at peace within the Ottoman Empire, with Jews living there as a minority under Turkish rule. This, however, dramatically changed in 1948 when the modern state of Israel was established, setting the stage for the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Zechariah, was inspired to prophesy more than 500 years before Christ’s first coming: “…I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah [the Jews inhabiting the land of Israel] and Jerusalem….I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:2-3).

Some think these verses apply to ancient events, but chapter 14 makes clear they refer to the future, immediately before Jesus Christ’s return: “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming….For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken….Half of the city shall go into captivity…. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations… .And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives…. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:1-4).

3. The end-time king of the North and king of the South

Daniel 11 contains a prophecy about the kings of the North and South, regions geographically north and south of the Holy Land. God revealed that after Babylon, Persia would arise, to be followed by Greece, with the prophecies regarding the rise of Greece being centered on Alexander the Great, who lived near the end of the fourth century B.C., 200 years after Daniel.

In Daniel 8:5 we read of Persia’s defeat by Alexander the Great: “…suddenly a male goat came from the west… without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes” (Daniel 8:5). The “notable horn” was Alexander the Great, and the prophecy about his army not touching the ground is a reference to the speed with which he conquered the known world.

Alexander died in 323 B.C. when he was about 33 years old. His sudden, unexpected death was prophesied: “The male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven” (Daniel 8:8). After his death, his empire was divided between four of his generals—the four “notable horns.” Two of these established dynasties would have a profound effect on the Jewish people— the descendants of Seleucus, who ruled a vast empire from Antioch in Syria, north of Jerusalem, and Ptolemy, who ruled Egypt from Alexandria.

Daniel 11 is a detailed prophecy about the conflicts between these two powers, with their respective leaders being referred to as “the king of the North” and “the king of the South.” This continued from the time of Alexander until the middle of the second century B.C., a period of almost two centuries. Whenever they went to battle against each other, the Jewish people suffered.

Then, suddenly, this prophecy jumps to the end time: “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, (with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships…).He shall also enter the Glorious Land [the Holy Land], and many countries shall be overthrown.…” (Daniel 11:40-41). This describes a clash of civilizations between a soon-coming European superpower—a revived Roman Empire (successor to Seleucid Syrian rule)—and a leader who is the successor to the Ptolemaic rule of Egypt, which is now part of the Islamic world. (To learn more, request or download our free study guide The Middle East in Bible Prophecy.)

4. An end-time union of European nations

Daniel 2 and 7 contain prophecies about four great gentile empires that would arise in the period between the time of Daniel and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Daniel lived in the first of these great empires as a Jewish exile in ancient Babylon. After the fall of Babylon, Persia and Greece (Daniel 7:5-6) the Roman Empire gained ascendancy, having “ten horns” and would continue in some form until the establishment of God’s Kingdom at Christ’s return (Daniel 7:7-9). These 10 horns symbolize 10 attempts to restore the Roman Empire, since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in A.D. 476.

In Revelation 17 we read of a final attempt to revive the Roman Empire, shortly before Christ’s return, by “ten kings who have received (no kingdom as yet, but they receive) authority for one hour as kings with the beast. (These are of one mind, and) they will give their power and authority to the beast” (Revelation 17:12-13). They will also “make war with the Lamb [Jesus Christ], and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14).

Previous attempts to forge a united European empire, from Justinian in the sixth century through Charlemagne, Napoleon, Mussolini and Hitler, all involved force. Revelation 17 suggests the final resurrection of the Roman Empire will be a voluntary union, with these 10 “kings” or leaders giving their authority to a single leader. Scripture refers to both this individual and the new superpower he leads as “the beast”—acknowledging it as the continuation of the four gentile empires prophesied in Daniel, each one depicted as a beast or wild animal.

In 1957, the Treaty of Rome was signed by six European nations forming the European Economic Community. Today the EEC has grown into the European Union (EU). Out of these will likely come the 10 nations and leaders that form the final resurrection of the Roman Empire.The Bible is not clear on exactly which 10 regions or nations will configure the final revival of the militaristic Roman superpower—only that this new superpower will emerge just before Christ’s return. (For more details, read our free study guide “The Final Superpower”)