3 Prophetic Signs of the Second Coming You Need to Know

As current events and world news infiltrate our minds, homes, and devices, the Church must look at these things through a prophetic filter. We can look at the past to show us the future. There are prophetic signs of the second coming of Christ all around us. The questions to ask are…

• What do prophetic fulfillments in the past tell us about the future?
• Can we make sense of these things?
• What prophetic signs do we need to pay attention to?

 The Eastern Gate, Mount of Olives, the Kidron Valley, and Christ’s Second Coming

The Eastern Gate faces the Mount of Olives, which sits across the Kidron Valley. 

The Eastern Gate is one of the eight major gates surrounding the city of Jerusalem. This is the gate Jesus passed through for His triumphal entry mentioned in Matthew 21. It is also prophesied in the book of Ezekiel that this will be the same gate Jesus passes through when He returns. 

The Eastern Gate is currently sealed shut, which in and of itself is a fulfillment of prophecy.

Ezekiel 44:1-3 says this…

“Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. And the Lord said to me, ‘This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.’” (emphasis added)

As you can see, the Eastern Gate would be “shut,” not to be opened. This will be the place the King of Kings will walk through to enter the rebuilt Jewish temple and sit on His throne in the future.  

Prophetic Sign Fulfilled

In the mid-1500s, the Eastern Gate was ultimately sealed by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman. The Sultan got word that the Messiah would enter this gate and rule, so he sealed it shut, hoping to keep Him out. He unknowingly fulfilled a prophetic sign!

Prophetic Fulfillment of the First Coming Points to Prophetic Signs of the Second Coming

Because of the precision of prophetic fulfillment of Christ’s first coming, we can trust—and be on the lookout—for what the Bible tells us about the prophetic signs of the second coming. 

There were 61 perfectly fulfilled prophecies about the first coming of Christ. Some of them were…

• The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10). Jesus came from the tribe of Judah.
• The Messiah would come from the stem—or house—of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1-10). Jesus came from the house of Jesse.
• The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 
• The Messiah would be crucified with wicked thieves (Isaiah 53:8-9). Jesus died between two thieves.

Prophetic Signs Will Be Fulfilled

Therefore, you can put your hope in the truth that the second coming prophecies will also be perfectly fulfilled. God is aligning the nations and the world, giving us prophetic signs of the second coming today.  

The Books of Revelation and Daniel

The book of Revelation and the book of Daniel, among others, reveal puzzle pieces that, when placed together, allow us to see what has not been seen before. 

In fact, the word “revelation” comes from the word “apocalypse,” which simply means “unveiling.” Revelation 1:1 says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angels of His servant John.” 

In other words, the book of Revelation unveils Christ and events that take place leading up to His second coming. 

Revelation, or apocalypse, doesn’t mean…

• The end of the world 
• Doom and gloom 

…like many people think. 

It is simply unveiling, allowing us to have eyes to see what already is. This is no different than opening window shades in the morning and letting in the light. The light was already; it was the unveiling that allowed you to see it. Think of prophetic signs of the second coming the same way—a letting in of the light. This is what the book of Revelation is all about.

You live in a time when things formerly concealed are now being revealed. This means you can look through the lens of history and see fulfilled prophecy. Believers in earlier times weren’t able to do this. But you are living in these last days—the days just before Christ’s second coming—because the sovereign God in Heaven wants to reveal His plan and His heart to you and all of humanity. 

Maybe now you are asking, “How can I be certain I’m living in the days just before Christ’s second coming?” If you are, then you are in the right place. Below are three prophetic signs of the second coming that have happened in the last hundred years or are in the midst of happening today. 

The key player here is Israel. This is where the focus on the last days will be. There is so much about Israel and the Middle East in the news today. This is because the Bible tells us this is the platform for the final showdown of the ages.  

1. Prophetic Signs | Israel Being Reborn as a Nation

You can’t understand prophecy unless you understand history. You can’t understand the world that is unless you understand the world that was.

Ezekiel 12:15 says…

“Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.”

In 500 B.C., Israel was scattered among the nations. God said that Israel would be dispersed because of her rebellion. He also promised that the Messiah could not return until the land (Israel) and the people (the Jews) were in place. 

Prophecy Fulfilled in 135 A.D. and 1948 A.D.

Between 70 A.D. and 135 A.D., the second temple was destroyed, and the Romans started scattering the Jewish people from Israel. 

For 2000 years, they were a people without a place. But because they are so crucial to the prophetic signs of the second coming of Christ, God preserved them. God retained their ethnicity throughout generations, unlike any other nation. 

There was a plan for His preservation of the Jewish people. Ezekiel 11:17 says, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’”

In 1917, God started putting the Ezekiel 11:17 prophecy in place. 

After the Romans dispersed the Jews in 135 A.D., Israel’s name was changed to Palestine. They were trying to erase any memory of the Jews being in the land. For 400 years, the Ottoman Empire controlled the Holy Land; it was under Muslim control. 

At the end of WWI, General Allenby, one of Britain’s most successful commanders, defeated the Ottoman rule in Israel on a plain called, interestingly enough, Armageddon. For the first time in nearly 2000 years, the land came under a Judeo-Christian western nation—England. 

This overthrow gave way to the Balfour Declaration, a formal letter written by Britain’s Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour declaring the Jews could legally return to their land. God made good on His promise! 

In 1948, at the end of WWII, Britain decided they didn’t want the Holy Land and gave it to Israel. On May 15, 1948, Israel was reborn as a nation. 

Ezekiel 37 describes a vision the prophet had about a valley of dry bones coming to life. This is a vision of God putting sinews and flesh upon the nation, bringing breath and life back to the Holy Land through the Jewish people. Prophecy fulfilled!

2. Prophetic Signs | Israel Gaining Control of Jerusalem

Another prophetic sign of the second coming is tied to Israel’s control over Jerusalem. In Luke 21:24, Jesus said…

“And 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.”

Prophecy Fulfilled in June 1967

The people had been scattered and returned, but Jerusalem was still under Gentile control. In 1967, the Six-Day War broke out. By the end of the Six-Day War, the Jews had taken back control of Jerusalem for the first time in 2,000 years. This was a major prophetic sign of Christ’s second coming.

What’s more is that when the Jews planned to conquer the city, they recognized that the best military strategy was to go through the Eastern Gate. However, one man stood up and said they couldn’t go through it because it was sealed, and only the Messiah could pass through. Instead, they went on the other side to enter. 

Do you see how God circles everything back so that His plans are completely fulfilled? His prophetic signs for the second coming of Christ are so precise, so timely, that they push the boundaries of a doubtful heart. This is God’s intent.

The soul might wrestle with the trustworthiness of God’s Word, but the Spirit knows. It is the Spirit who reveals. 

Jesus said to not have a troubled heart—that we can believe in His promises and the prophetic signs written in His Word. He has gone to prepare a place for us, His Church, and will come again to receive us (John 14:3). This, too, will be a prophecy fulfilled! 

3. Prophetic Signs | Israel’s Current Events 

There are a number of current events that are prophetic signs of the second coming. First Thessalonians 5 tells us that we don’t know the day or the hour of Christ’s second coming, but we know the times and the seasons. 

Prophetic Signs in This Season

Ezekiel 38 describes a future battle when Israel will be attacked by a Russian/Arab military coalition, pushing them into the Mediterranean Sea. 

What does this have to do with current events?  

In today’s geopolitical climate, you will find Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, supporting the Syrian Arab Republic’s president, Bashar al-Assad. Because of this strategic military relationship, Russia’s warplanes in Syria are just a ten-minute flight from Jerusalem. 

The Bible says the Russian/Arab army will march on Israel immediately following the rapture. You can see this military coalition coming together and being put in place, ready to completely fulfill prophecy after we are “caught up together” at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:17). 

Revelation 9:16 tells us that an army of two hundred million will march from the east and wage war on Israel.  China is the only army that boasts two hundred million in their army. You might be asking, “Okay, so what?”

China is building an east-west superhighway that spans from China to Asia and into the Middle East. Again, the stage is set for prophecy to be fulfilled. 

Revelation 17 and 18 describe a rebuilding of the ancient city of Babylon. Starting with Saddam Hussein in the 1970s, Iraq began rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon. The Ishtar Gate has been rebuilt. In fact, in 2009, the United States government gave Iraq financial support to rebuild the ancient city. 

Daniel 12:4 says that there will be an explosion of knowledge. There has been an information avalanche in the last several decades, meaning that information is gaining momentum like never before. For example, from 1750 to 1900, it took 150 years for the knowledge base to double. But by 2020, information doubles nearly every two and a half months. 

The Positioning for Christ’s Second Coming

God is positioning the props and the players like pieces of a puzzle. The pieces of this puzzle are out of the box, being laid out and flipped over. Parts of the puzzle are already together, and only a few pieces are left.  

Christ’s second coming is closer than you might think. However, God reassures us that He doesn’t give us prophetic signs of the second coming to evoke fear. His perfect love casts out fear. Rather it is His heart that we will turn our hearts to Him. Instead of being consumed by the current events of this world, He wants to consume our thoughts. Through His Word, we will find the peace and hope He promises. We will be prepared for what is to come and equipped to walk in victory! 

If you want to dig deeper into understanding end-time events and the prophetic signs of the second coming, check out our sermon series on the book of Revelation here!