Most Bible chronologists determine the date for the start of Jesus’ ministry from scripture found in the book of Luke.

“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:1-7).

THE BEGINNING OF JOHN’S AND JESUS’ MINISTRY IN AD 29

It is believed that John’s ministry began in late summer or early fall, as that would have been the time to baptize the people while the waters of the Jordan River were still warm. Most scholars believe Jesus’ ministry began shortly after John’s. The official start of Jesus’ ministry began with his baptism by John.

“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22).

Jesus’ true baptism was not by John but by the Holy Spirit.

According to John’s Gospel, Jesus attended at least three annual Feasts of Passover through the course of His ministry: one in John 2:13, another in John 6:4, and the Passover of His crucifixion in John 11:55-57. Just based on that information, Jesus’ ministry lasted 2 years, at the very least. Because of the number of things that Jesus accomplished and the places He traveled during His ministry, many scholars believe there was another Passover not recorded in the Gospels. Some believe the feast mentioned in John 5:1, called “a feast of the Jews,” was a fourth Passover attended by Jesus. The reason for this belief is found in the previous chapter of John.

“You say, There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35).

There are generally about four months from Passover until the harvest of the wheat crops in the summer months.

If Jesus’ ministry began in the fall of a certain year and he attended four Passovers, with his death occurring in the spring on the fourth Passover, then his ministry lasted for three-and-a-half years. This is the consensus of most theologians and Bible scholars. So now the pivotal question is when did the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar take place, as that is the year Jesus began his ministry. There are two main contenders or “sets of facts” regarding the answer to this question.

The most prevalent date for these two events is AD 29. Tiberius’s reign is said to have begun after Augustus’s death on August 19, AD 14, or his official investiture by the Senate on September 17, AD 14, making AD 28 or AD 29 his fifteenth year as emperor. The discrepancy of one year is due to the fact that there are three different ways a king or emperor’s reign is measured: 1) Factual year – includes year, months, and days. 2) non-inclusive or accession-year method. 3) inclusive or non-accession-year method (would amount to 1+ years more than the non-inclusive method). For more detailed information on these dating methods for reckoning Tiberius’s reign as emperor of Rome, see the peer-review thesis by Andrew Steinmann called Reckoning Tiberius’s Reign and Jesus’ Baptism: First-and Second-Century Evidence Concerning Tiberius’s Fifteenth Year (Luke 3:1).

However, some have wished to date the fifteenth year of Tiberius earlier by claiming that Luke would have understood Tiberius’s reign as commencing sometime between AD 11 and 13 when Tiberius was granted joint authority with Augustus over the provinces. According to the Roman historian Suetonius, the declaration of his “co-Princeps” took place in the year AD 12, after Tiberius’ return from Germania. 12 AD would be the earliest possible date/year for his co-regency with Augustus. If this is the case, then John’s and Jesus’ ministry would have begun in AD 26 or 27.

There are many first and second-century writers that have examined this subject: Roman sources (Tacitus, Suetonius, Cassius Dio), Jewish sources both from a Palestinian Jew (Josephus) and a diaspora Jew (Philo), and Christian sources from the east (Clement) and the west (Tertullian). These are all unanimous in reckoning Tiberius’ reign after Augustus’s death.

NUMISMATIC EVIDENCE FOR TIBERIUS’ REIGN BEGINNING IN AD 14

Note: The following information in this article regarding numismatic and inscriptional evidence of Tiberius’s reign as emperor of Rome comes from the peer-review thesis by Andrew Steinmann called Reckoning Tiberius’s Reign and Jesus’ Baptism: First-and Second-Century Evidence Concerning Tiberius’s Fifteenth Year (Luke 3:1).

“Roman imperial coins can often be dated by their notation of honors and offices accorded a person depicted on the coin. Tribunicia potestas (tribunican power) was an office granted by the Senate annually. Augustus was granted this office for life in 23 BC, but during his reign, others could also be granted this office. Tiberius first received “tribunicia potestas” in 6 BC and was renewed in this office every year until Augustus’s death. Thus, a coin minted under Augustus and attesting to Tiberius’s tribunician power does not indicate that his reign began when he gained joint authority over the provinces with Augustus.

The honorary titles of Imperator and Consul were given out to military commanders and those with political power, such as Tiberius under the reign of Augustus, but were not an indication that Tiberius’ reign began when he gained joint authority over the provinces with Augustus.

Coins minted under Augustus often bore his portrait. However, it was not unusual for Augustan-era coins to bear the image of others, especially those in the imperial family, including Gaius (Caligula), Livia (Augustus’ wife), Agrippa, and Tiberius. However, on coins until his death in AD 14, only Augustus was accorded honors and titles reserved for the emperor, such as pontifex maximus (chief priest) or pater patriae (father of his country). Thus, there is no indication from Roman imperial coinage that Tiberius was considered a joint ruler with Augustus before the latter’s death in August AD 14.

A set of remarkably similar coins issued in the period of the transition from Augustus to Tiberius illustrate the difference between Tiberius before he was ruler and Tiberius as ruler. The first is a gold aureus issued during Augustus’s last year. The obverse depicts the laureate head of Augustus with the inscription CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F[ili] PATER PATRIAE, ‘Caesar Augustus, son of the divine, father of his country.’ The reverse pictures Tiberius in a quadriga holding a laurel branch and four horses looking forward.

The inscription reads: TI[berius] CAESARAVG[ustus] F[ili] TR[ibunicia] POT[estas] XV, ‘Tiberius Caesar son of Augustus, tribunicia potestas 15.’ This coin notes Tiberius’s fifteenth tribunicia potestas, 1 July AD 13 to 30 June AD 14. Note that while Tiberius is honored on the coin’s reverse, its obverse clearly identifies only Augustus as emperor, noting his status as the son of the divine Julius Caesar and his title pater patriae.

The second coin is also a gold aureus but was issued during Tiberius’s first year as emperor. It displays all the characteristics of a reissue of the previous aureus but with key design changes made following the death of Augustus. The obverse depicts the laureate head of Tiberius with the revised inscription TI[berius] CAESAR DIVI AVG]ustus] F[ili] AVGVSTVS, meaning “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus.” Augustus was deified after his death. Thus, during his reign, Tiberius is often characterized as son of the divine Augustus on coins and inscriptions, but never during Augustus’s reign.

The reverse depicts the identical scene to the aureus issued under Augustus. The amended inscription reads: TR[ibunicia] POT[estas] XVI IMP[erator] VII. Tiberius’s sixteenth tribunicia potestas was 1 July AD 14 to 30 June AD 15, while his seventh imperatorial acclamation ran from AD 14 to AD 21. Therefore, this coin was issued in AD 14-15 after the death of Augustus, who, for the first time on a coin, is called ‘divine Augustus.’

The coins issued in the last years of Augustus’s reign and the first years of Tiberius’s reign are important because they demonstrate that Tiberius was not depicted as coregent with Augustus. Instead, only after Augustus’ death is he depicted holding the emperor’s office.

Overall, there are sixty-one known imperial coin types portraying Tiberius or bearing his name that were issued bearing marks for specific years of his reign. The evidence presented by Roman imperial coinage depicting Tiberius is clear: his reign was reckoned from after the death of Augustus, perhaps from his investiture on 14 September, as the senatus consulto inscription found on several coin types implies. Imperial coins minted in both the west and the east bear witness to the fact that Tiberius’s reign was not counted from his joint authority.

Provincial coins issued during Augustus’s reign seldom depicted Tiberius. When he was portrayed, it was never as emperor, and he is not accorded titles reserved for the emperor nor called son of the divine Augustus. Several Alexandrian coins suggest that Tiberius’s reign was reckoned from AD 14 in a non-inclusive manner. Tiberius reigned for twenty-three years until his death in AD 37. No Alexandrian coins are dated year twenty-four, as might be expected if the inclusive system were used. In addition, there are no coins marked years twenty-four, twenty-five, or twenty-six, which one might expect if Tiberius’s reign was reckoned from his joint rule of the provinces with Augustus.

The coins minted under Tiberius uniformly demonstrate that his reign was reckoned from August or September AD 14 in a non-inclusive manner. The evidence is pervasive and widespread, covering all sectors of the Roman Empire, including both imperial and provincial coinage from Italy and the eastern and western provinces.”

INSCRIPTIONAL EVIDENCE FOR TIBERIUS’S REIGN BEGINNING IN AD 14

“A second type of primary evidence for chronological information concerning Tiberius’s reign is inscriptional. Like the numismatic evidence, the inscriptional evidence (Latin, Egyptian, and Greek) does not support the notion that Tiberius’s reign might at times have been reckoned from his joint rule of the provinces with Augustus. Surviving inscriptions from Augustus’s reign name him alone as emperor and accord him titles fitting of the head of the Roman state. The inscriptions mirror the numismatic evidence in that Tiberius is called the son of the divine Augustus only after AD 14.

Contrast an inscription from shortly after Tiberius’s accession to the throne in AD 14 and an inscription from North Africa from the Forum of Vestus behind the Temple of Rome and Augustus: TI[berio] CAESARI DIVI AVG[usti] F[ilio AUGUSTOTo Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus. Thus, almost immediately after Augustus’s death, Tiberius is called ‘son of the divine Augustus,’ an appellation that is widely used on coins and inscriptions during his reign. There are forty-nine Latin inscriptions mentioning Tiberius during his reign. Thirty-nine of them are datable to a specific year. The years span his entire reign from AD 14 to AD 37. Thus, Latin inscriptions provide no support for the notion that Tiberius’s reign was reckoned from his joint authority over the provinces with Augustus.

Over 200 known Greek inscriptions mention Tiberius. The few Greek inscriptions from before AD 14 that mention Tiberius do not accord him standing as emperor, which was reserved exclusively for Augustus. Egyptian inscriptions suggest that Tiberius’s reign was reckoned from AD 14 in a non-inclusive manner. No Egyptian inscriptions are dated year twenty-four, as might be expected if the inclusive system were used. In addition, there are no inscriptions bearing dates for years twenty-four, twenty-five, or twenty-six, which one might expect if Tiberius’ reign was reckoned from his joint rule of the provinces with Augustus. Many inscriptions that are not dated to a particular year refer to Tiberius as ‘the son of the divine Augustus.’ These inscriptions most certainly date to a time after Augustus’ death since Augustus was not deified while he was alive.

From the various first and second-century evidence mentioned here, two important negative deductions can be confidently asserted. First, there is no support for the supposition that the beginning of Tiberius’s reign was reckoned from his joint rule of the provinces with Augustus. Second, there is no evidence for inclusive reckoning of Tiberius’s reign. There are also positive conclusions that can be stated. Tiberius’s reign was reckoned either by factual years or by the non-inclusive method. Under either reckoning, Jesus’ baptism in the summer or autumn of Tiberius’ fifteenth year would have taken place in AD 29. Given the pervasiveness of the early evidence for Tiberius’s reign, it is extremely unlikely that either Luke or his audience would have understood Luke 3:1 to place Jesus’s baptism in any other year than AD 29.”

THE TERMINUS AD QUEM OF DANIEL 9:25-26a – AD 33

Regarding a two-year ministry (instead of 3-3.5 years) for Jesus, we know AD 32 couldn’t have been the correct year for the crucifixion/resurrection, as Nisan 14 (crucifixion date) occurred on a Sunday or Monday that year, placing the resurrection on a Wednesday or Thursday. Because of astronomical evidence, we know Nisan 14 occurred on Monday in AD 31, placing the resurrection on Thursday. We know neither of these two years could be the correct crucifixion and resurrection year due to the fact that the resurrection occurred on “Palm” Sunday. The only two choices within the possible time frame are AD 30 and 33.

Most adherents to an AD 30 crucifixion believe two things are true. First, they believe Tiberius’s reign began when he was coregent with Augustus (before his death) in AD 11-12. Therefore, his 15th year would have been in AD 26 or AD 27, so the crucifixion would have occurred in AD 30. The reason they are compelled to believe Tiberius’ reign began when he was coregent is because of the second condition. They also believe the 69 sevens (or 483 years) mentioned in Daniel 9:25 (the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince) began in 458 BC (Artaxerxes’ first decree) and ended in AD 26 with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

Therefore Jesus’ death (vs.26) would have occurred three-and-a-half years later in AD 30. They can’t believe Tiberius’s reign began when it actually historically did, in AD 14 (and his 15th year being AD 29), and they believe the 458 BC decree is the correct one because that would give you 486 years instead of 483 years (69 sevens). As I said, they are compelled to believe Tiberius’ reign began when he was coregent with Augustus.

I believe the evidence from the Gospels supports a three-and-a-half-year ministry for Jesus. The duration of Jesus’ ministry began in the fall of AD 29 and ended in the spring of AD 33. Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14, AD 33. He was resurrected three days later on Sunday, Nisan 17, AD 33. In regard to Daniel’s 70 sevens prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27), the terminus a quo (start) would be in 445/444 BC when Artaxerxes (in his 20th year) issued a decree to Nehemiah and the Jews “to restore and build Jerusalem,” and the terminus ad quem (end) of the 69 sevens of verses 25-26a occurred in AD 33. This amounts to only 476 solar years, but there are several theories as to why this should be considered 69 weeks or sevens.

The most popular theory stipulates that the Bible authorizes the use of a “prophetic year” of 360 days. The 360 days are multiplied by 483 years (69 sevens), and the computation comes out at AD 33. This theory was made famous by Sir Robert Anderson. The other theory on the duration of the 69 sevens can be found in my article, The Sabbath of The Seventh Year :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready.

THE LORD’S 2,000-YEAR ABSENCE

So, why is it important to know when Jesus was crucified, you might ask? I believe it is important not only because of historical reasons but because of eschatological reasons as well. The “season” (appointed time) of His first advent could be connected to the season of His second advent.

I have given several theoretical examples of possible future timelines for the seven-year Tribulation (70th seven of Daniel 9:24) and Jesus’ 2nd Coming in my article series “In The Midst”- Parts I – V. Based on limited evidence, I believe Part IV (In the Midst, Part IV: Return of the King :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready) has the most merit, with 2026 as the start and 2033 as the finish. Hypothetically, in the year 2033, Jesus will return physically to the earth after a 2,000-year absence since he was crucified in the year AD 33. 2,000 years is as two days for the Lord, according to the apostle Peter.

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

The Old Testament prophet Hosea had this to say about the subject: “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face: in their affliction, they will seek me early. Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days [2,000 years] He will revive us: in the third day [beginning of the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus] He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then we shall know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth” (Hosea 5:15, 6:1-3). [Emphasis mine].

The latter rain occurs in the spring and represents Jesus’ first advent. The former rain occurs in the fall and represents Jesus’ second advent.

If you believe this view of a day with the Lord is exactly 1,000 years (and He will return after a 2,000-year absence) and still think AD 30 is the correct year for Jesus’ crucifixion, then the Rapture and the start of the Tribulation would both seemingly have to occur in this current year of AD 2023. I suppose we will find out soon enough if this is the case. However, if you find the evidence for an AD 33 crucifixion convincing, then we still have over three and a half years until the start of the Tribulation, and the Rapture could occur any time between now and then. For more details on the Jewish calendar being used in the day of the Lord, see The Jewish Calendar in Daniel’s Seventieth Week :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready.

Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension (and the start of the Holy Spirit-filled Church) occurred after about 4,000 years of recorded history (Masoretic reckoning). See Chronology of Mankind: 6,000 Years of History Pt 1 :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready for more details. This would be like four days for the LORD.

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Remember what happened on the fourth day of creation. God made the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens. “And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between day and night to mark the seasons (appointed times – “moed”), and days, and years” (Genesis 1:14). [Emphasis mine].

Jesus said He was the “light of the world” in John 8:12, so it seems appropriate that His first advent occurred after 4 days (4,000 years), at the “appointed time.”

After two more days (2,000 years), Jesus will return to the earth to fulfill the prophecies regarding His second coming and His Millennial Kingdom. According to my chronology, we are getting close to completing 6,000 years of recorded history for mankind. Wouldn’t it be just like God if Jesus was to return to the earth (second advent) at the end of the sixth day (6,000 years)? On the 6th day of creation, God created man. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'” (Genesis 1:26). How fitting that the ‘Son of Man’ would return after the end of the sixth day (6,000 years for the LORD) to defeat His enemies and save the remnant of His creation.

Jesus’ millennial kingdom, the seventh day, will last for 1,000 years; thus, mankind’s history (before the new heavens and earth are created) will be for 7,000 years. The millennial kingdom is a typology of the seventh day, the Sabbath, which comes after the six days of creation (work) and represents “rest.”

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

THE 19-YEAR CYCLE

The sun, earth, and moon come back into the same relative position every 19 years—a fact of astronomy. In one lunar month, the moon rotates around the earth. In one solar year, the earth revolves around the sun. But only once in every 19 years do they come back into the same precise conjunction. The Lunar cycle’s precise repetition occurs every 19 years when the Moon returns to exactly the same place (at the same longitude and against the same constellation) in the sky with the same phase, on the same solar calendar day. The Metonic cycle was made famous by Meton of Athens in 432 BC, although ancient civilizations had used it earlier. It is based on the fact that 235 lunations equal 19 tropical years almost exactly – about 6,939.5 days. The modern Hebrew calendar is based on this cycle with intercalary months of 30 days added every two or three years to keep it in alignment with the solar calendar.

Example: The New Moon conjunction is when the Sun and Moon are aligned, with the Sun and Earth on opposite sides of the moon. The moon is completely dark at this stage and is not visible unless there is a solar eclipse. Let’s look at the first new moon of spring for 2023 and advance in 19-year cycles for the rest of the new moons in the 21st century. The new moon conjunction will occur on March 21, 2023, at 17:23 Universal Time. March 21, 2042 – 17:23 UT. March 21, 2061 – 17:23 UT. March 21, 2080 – 12:07 UT. March 21, 2099 – 22:48 UT.

According to my chronology articles, “Chronology of Mankind: 6000 Years for Mankind – Parts 1-5,” based on the Bible and secular historical records, Adam was created in approximately 3960 BC. This would be year 1 AM (anno mundi – the year of creation). After 19 years, 20 AM (3940 BC), the heavenly sky (moon, sun, stars) looked approximately the same as it did “in the beginning.” The same astronomical conjunction occurred again in 39 AM and 58 AM, etc. Jesus’ second year of ministry began in AD 31 (3990 AM), which is 210 nineteen-year epochs (210 x 19 = 3990) from creation.

Regarding our modern era, AD 1929 (5888 AM) witnessed the New York Stock Market crash, and riots & massacres of Jews in Jerusalem, Hebron, and Safed. If you add 19 more years to 1929, you come to 1948, a very historic and prophetic year for Israel. If you add 19 more years to 1948, you come to 1967, when the six-day war was fought and the Old City of Jerusalem was captured and brought under the control of Israel. Three more 19-year periods (57 years) bring you to AD 2024.

The chart below shows how the first-century sky at the “appointed” time of Jesus’ first advent (and a few years past) is in alignment with the twenty-first-century sky, 1,995 years later (105 x 19). Could the last seven years (70th) of Daniel’s prophecy (the Tribulation) and Jesus’ second advent be included somewhere within this time frame? Nobody knows for sure, but one thing is certain, Jesus will appear at the appointed time.

1^st Century          21^st Century

AD 28                      AD 2023

AD 29                      AD 2024

AD 30                      AD 2025

AD 31                      AD 2026

AD 32                      AD 2027

AD 33                      AD 2028

AD 34                      AD 2029

AD 35                      AD 2030

AD 36                      AD 2031

AD 37                      AD 2032

AD 38                      AD 2033

Note: If you do a search on “Six Millennium Catalog of Phases of the Moon” on AstroPixels – Six Millennium Catalog of Phases of the Moon for these years, you will notice the dates for the different phases of the moon for those particular calendar years in the charts do not match (for example, when you compare AD 28 with AD 2023). There are four reasons for this.

1) The earth’s elliptical orbit with the sun as a focus (Kepler’s three laws).

2) The calendar is not consistent, as it either has 365 or 366 days (and days and hours), and over several centuries, the calendar drifts by a day or two.

3) The 1st-century charts are reckoned by Julian dates, and the 21st-century charts are Gregorian. You have to convert to either the proleptic Julian or the proleptic Gregorian calendar.

4) On October 4, 1582, the Julian calendar was replaced with the Gregorian calendar in most parts of Europe (1752 for the United States).

The calendar advanced 10 days (to make up for the discrepancy between the Julian calendar and the astronomical seasons), and the following day became October 15, 1582. The days of the week were not changed.

Basically, there is about a 7 -9 day (average) difference in the dates. However, the lunar cycle comes back into precise conjunction with the solar cycle during these comparative calendar years. God’s heavenly calendar is always correct. It’s man’s calendars that are flawed.

FROM CAPTIVITY TO REGATHERING

The number one sign that we are living in the end times is the establishment of the modern nation of Israel back into the fold of nations/kingdoms of the world, which occurred on May 14, 1948. This was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah:

“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children” (Isaiah 66:8).

During the war that followed Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948, Jordan attacked Israel from the east and captured the Old City and Temple precincts.

It wasn’t until the 6-Day War (June 5 – June 11) in 1967 that Israel captured the Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and the West Bank that includes East Jerusalem. After 19 years (1948 – 1967) of being a divided city, Jerusalem was once again a united city under the governorship of Israel. These 19 years for Israel and Jerusalem are in stark contrast to the 19 years of judgment that God levied against Judah from 605 to 586 BC. The return of the land of Judah and Jerusalem was prophesied by Jeremiah when he relayed God’s word to the people:

“For behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah, says the Lord. And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it” (Jeremiah 30:3).

From Babylon’s first invasion and captivity of Judah in 605 BC to Israel’s regathering into the land and her rebirth as a modern nation in AD 1948 was 2552 years. From Jerusalem’s destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC to Jerusalem becoming a united city under the control of Israel in AD 1967 was 2,552 years.

THE 2,552-YEAR CYCLE

The first example of the 2552-year cycle is reckoned from 3960/3959 BC (creation/Adam) to 1407/1406 BC when the children of Israel entered the Promised Land. See the above link regarding the chronology of mankind and the starting date of creation. It’s possible Adam and Eve could have exited the Garden of Eden (land of promise) sometime in their first year. His descendants from the lineage of Noah, Shem, Abraham, and Jacob (Israel) entered the Promised Land 2,552 years later. Redeemed mankind will eventually enter into the Kingdom of God as “children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17).

I’ve already mentioned the 2,552 years from 606 BC to 1948 BC and 586 BC to 1967 BC. There are also 2,552 years from 520 BC, when the second temple resumed construction after a decade of inactivity, to AD 1967 when Israel won the Six-Day War. Also, Jeremiah wrote Lamentations in 580 BC after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. From 580 BC to AD 1973, when the Yom Kippur War was fought, is 2,552 years. The 2,552 years duration between these examples appears to represent an exodus to a regathering to the Promised Land or from defeat to victory.

THE 490-YEAR CYCLE

We know that 490 is a number that represents spiritual completeness. It is a multiple of 7 (spiritual perfection and finality) and 10 (ordinal completeness). I discussed this in my last article, The Dual Reference Prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27: Part III :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready. Although the years 458 BC to AD 33 do not qualify for the fulfillment of Daniel’s 70 sevens prophecy, they are very significant nevertheless.

The starting point of these 490 years began with Ezra’s return to Jerusalem in 458 BC to “teach statutes and ordinances in Israel” with regard to the Law of Moses (Mosaic covenant) and to install magistrates and judges. They were also to purchase the necessary animals and grain for sacrifices and offerings. In other words, the decree by Artaxerxes was to restore the Mosaic covenant in the newly built second temple. The end date, resurrection day in AD 33, was when the “new covenant” was confirmed after the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ shedding His holy blood on the cross. The end of Jesus’ first advent on the earth was the start of the new covenant. From that point on, the Holy Spirit would indwell the temple (body) of all believers in Jesus Christ.

Here is an interesting example of the completeness of the number 490. The children of Israel entered the Promised Land in 1406 BC after 40 years of wandering in the desert. When you multiply 490 times 7, the product is 3,430 (490 Sabbath years or 70 Jubilees). From 1406/1405 BC to AD 2025/2026 is 3,430 years. From 2026 to 2033 is 7 years. Do these years portend anything prophetically for Israel and the rest of the world, such as fulfilling Daniel’s 70th seven and the “great day of God’s wrath” (Revelation 6:17)? Only time will tell, and it’s quickly running out. Of course, there are only three years between now and the beginning of 2026 and four to the end. In this speculative scenario, the pre-tribulation Rapture will have to happen before this time.

“And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

The wait is nearly over, brothers and sisters.

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Randy Nettles

rgeanie55@gmail.com

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Mark 13:32 speaks exclusively of the timing of the rapture of the church. I have written extensively on this subject and the truth that the rapture is clearly revealed at the end of the Olivet Discourse in all three synoptic gospels where it is presented.

When it comes to our study of Mark 13:32, we must first realize that there is no other possible connection to any other event known in the Word of God in which these and the other passages can be taken and applied other than the rapture of the church.

With this in mind, we will go on with our survey with this truth that our Lord was speaking of the rapture of His bride in Mark 13:32.

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” – Mark 13:32.

Why? Why doesn’t the Son know “of that day and that hour” (“divinely set time,” which is the prophetic translation of “hour”)? Why indeed! What is the explanation? Can we know?

I imagine in my mind’s eye Bible teachers and students down through the centuries, after reading this verse, having very similar thoughts. Why did Jesus say this? What does Christ mean? How am I supposed to understand this, and how am I to teach this to others?

Because I am a simple man, and I believe that the Word of God is simplistic in nature – that is, that any man or woman of God can understand what the Creator is revealing to His people – I have every reason to suppose that the interpretation of this much-debated verse is rather rudimentary, logical, and rational.

Let us begin by looking at the popular, traditional interpretation of Mark 13:32.

The Popular, Traditional Interpretation

Here is what the popular, traditional interpretation essentially says:

Jesus, in His humanity, when He said these Words, did not know when the rapture would take place. But now that He is in His glorified body and is in heaven, He knows exactly when the rapture will take place.

Does this really make sense to you? Wasn’t Christ – God in the flesh – fully God and fully man when He walked the earth at His First Coming?

Sure, He had to grow and learn as any human being would, but by the time He began His ministry, He displayed to the world what only the Creator of the world could do and know.

Unfortunately, in my assessment, the popular, traditional interpretation falls woefully short. It is as if the instinctive reaction is to save the Messiah from His own Words. Why would Jesus need saving from His own declaration? I submit that this is how the traditional interpretation was conceived: in a sense of seeming desperation.

Fatal Flaws in the Popular, Traditional Interpretation

There are several fatal flaws that I see within the popular, traditional interpretation.

Why Did Jesus Not Have This Information on Earth, but Does Now in Heaven?

If you were to ask why to those who hold to the view that Jesus did not have this information when He said these words but does now in His glorified body in heaven, they would invariably say it was because He was limited in – or by – His humanity. On this, we will have plenty to consider below.

But if this was not the case, for the adherents of this theory, then we are really only left with one other possibility when it comes to the conjecture that Christ did not have this information at His First Coming but does now after His ascension into heaven.

Honestly, this one is a little challenging to write because it is very difficult to even contemplate that this could ever be true.

There is really only one other logical reason why Yeshua would not have had this information on earth but obtained it later in heaven, and that is because the Father didn’t trust Him with this knowledge. There, I said it, and I don’t want to ever think about it again!

So, with that said, let us get back to the popular understanding that our Lord was somehow limited in – or by – His humanity.

Either Jesus Was Fully God, or He Was Not

Again, the major premise behind the popular, traditional interpretation is that Christ was somehow limited in – or by – His humanity at His First Coming. Does this make Scriptural sense, and is it logically sound?

The idea that, somehow, Christ’s divinity was limited by his humanity is never even hinted at in Scripture, let alone clearly stated and set forth. Truly, there is nothing whatsoever to suggest that the divinity of the Son of God was limited at all in His earthly ministry by His humanity.

I did acknowledge, in The Trinity: Examining the Triune God, that Christ seemed, at times, to rely more on His humanity than His divinity – possibly during His temptation, for example, though even this is highly suspect – but this never, ever means that He was less than fully the Son of God at any time, let alone limited by His humanity. At no time – even if Jesus relied more on His humanity on certain occasions, which, again, is supposition on our part – would the Son of God forfeit or set aside His divinity, as in His incarnation, His divinity is inseparable from His humanity.

There is no doubt that He behaved humanly in many regards and even asked questions – even though He surely knew the answers – as any other human being would. He even asked Adam where he was in the Garden of Eden, but He knew where Adam was.

It is certain that Jesus experienced life as we all do, including becoming self-aware. The Scriptures declare to us that Yeshua “grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40); knew who His Father was by the age of 12 (Luke 2:49); and informs us that He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men” (Luke 2:52).

But by the time He began His ministry, Jesus exhibited nothing but divinity in His Works and Words as He always did those things the Father wanted Him to. These works included:

• Miracles of creation and providence.
• Defying and controlling natural laws.
• Healing everyone who came to Him with infirmities and possessed by demons.
• Having authority over the Satanic realm.
• Knowing the beginning from the end through past knowledge and future prophecy.
• Knowing the thoughts and hearts of all men.
• Raising the dead, including Himself in conjunction with the Father and Holy Spirit.

In essence, there was not anything in the ministry of Jesus that hinted that Christ was limited in any way because of His humanity when it came to His perfect divinity. He emphatically displayed all the power and works that would be expected from the Son of God.

In fact, within His divinity, before His death, burial, and resurrection, He even aspired to reveal much more to His disciples, but they could not endure what He desired to tell them at that time.

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now” – John 16:12.

And when it came to the works that Messiah did, John said:

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen” – John 21:25.

Messiah Yeshua, though fully human, was truly and fully God in the flesh, divinely knowing all things – except this one prophetic detail – and having absolute divine power and glory!

The Interpretation Necessarily Demands Adding to the Word of God

While Messiah knows that He is coming as a thief in the night and that many, including some in the church, will be caught unaware when He does, nowhere does the Scripture declare that Christ knows the exact time the Father will send Him to resurrect and rapture His bride.

There is not one hint in the Bible that confirms the popular, traditional interpretation that Christ now knows the timing of the rapture but did not know, because of His humanity, when He spoke the Words found in Mark 13:32 at His First Coming.

Because this is the case – that there is no Scriptural support for this interpretation – the interpretation necessarily demands adding to the Word of God in order to make this claim, something that is strictly forbidden in Scripture.

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” – Proverbs 30:5-6.

Is there a better interpretation? One that actually takes Messiah Yeshua’s Words at face value and makes sense? I believe there is!

The Greek Word for “Knoweth” is a Perfect Indicative Action

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” – Mark 13:32 (emphasis mine)

The Greek word translated “knoweth” is 1492 οἶδα “eidó” or “oiden” and, according to the Text Analysis, is a “perfect indicative action,” which is an action that has taken place in the past and is certain in the present. It is the same idea as when we say, “Christ died for our sins,” an effect of the past that is present in our lives now. And we know that Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8), an action that was produced in the mind of God before He ever created.

This idea is truly remarkable because, as I have suggested, this statement by Christ that the Son does not know the exact day or the hour (divinely appointed time) was obviously an action agreement between the three members of the triune Godhead in eternity past and has its certainty in our present.

“For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” – Psalm 119:89.

One might object that there is no future aspect to this word, but I would ask, “Why would there need to be?” This truth was manifested in the past and is confirmed in the present.

The prophetical and logical reason that this word is not presented in a future tense is simply because some day, hopefully, very soon, we all – the Son, all the angels, and all men and women – will know the exact day and hour (divinely set time, or period in time) when the Father will have sent His Son for His bride in the rapture because the event will have taken place! This is the reason the word – and the entire statement, for that matter – cannot be presented in an applicable future tense because, at some time in the future, when the rapture will have occurred, the statement will have become obsolete and irrelevant.

Just as one day the rapture will be completed, so, too, on that very day – because “Christ died for our sins” – will our salvation be completed:

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [complete, accomplish] it until the day of Jesus Christ” – Philippians 1:6.

There is absolutely nothing that I see within the text that suggests anything other than what Christ said, and the grammar He used is perfect, as we should always expect.

We must continually take the Lord at His Word and believe and trust in that Word; for questioning and not trusting the Word of God is the original sin of Satan and fallen man. Let us not play mental and grammatical gymnastics on something as crystal clear as Christ’s teaching here.

And let’s be honest: Yeshua would have never included Himself in this statement had He known that He would have this information so soon after He said it. This would only cause anxiety and confusion among His children by saying such a thing that would only be true for a very short time.

Our God is not the author of confusion.

I and My Father are One

Here is an apparent paradox we should address.

Yeshua stated:

“I and my Father are one” – John 10:30.

One could ask, “How is it that if the Father and the Son are one, that Jesus doesn’t know the exact timing of the rapture?”

To this, I would reply, “Great question! Did you know that Yeshua also said that His Father was greater?!?”

“Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I” – John 14:28.

Why is this? Why does the Son say that His Father is greater than He is, yet He also says that He and His Father are one?

It all comes down to roles within the triune Godhead.

We see this very theme in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesian Christians.

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” – Ephesians 1:17-23. (emphasis mine)

The Alpha and Omega

Jesus said of Himself at the beginning of Revelation:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” – Revelation 1:8.

Jesus also referred to His Father as His God in Revelation:

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name” – Revelation 3:12.

Jesus, again, said of Himself at the end of Revelation:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” – Revelation 22:13.

Paul said of Messiah Yeshua:

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” – Colossians 1:15-17.

How is it that Christ Jesus is the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last… the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every [creation]” and that “all things were created by Him and for Him,” and yet He calls His Father, “My God”? Is the Father more God, and the Son less God? No!

Again, it is all about the different roles, functions, and responsibilities found within the triune Godhead!

Different Roles for the Father and Son in Heaven

As we noted in The Trinity: Examining the Triune God – and we will quote this portion from the article below as we conclude our survey – Yeshua said to His disciples that future prophecy is strictly in the Father’s hands.

“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power” – Acts 1:7. (emphasis mine)

Well, if the Father has put future prophecy of the last days in His own hands, what is the Son’s role as He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven?

He is our High Priest and He “ever liveth to make intercession for [us]!”

“But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” – Hebrews 7:24-25.

Elsewhere, it is stated again that He is “at the right hand of God… making intercession for us!”

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” – Romans 8:34.

He is also advocating for us on our behalf!

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” – 1 John 2:1.

And He is our mediator between God and man!

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”– 1 Timothy 2:5.

Messiah Yeshua’s role, in between His First Coming and His return to resurrect and rapture His bride, is to go “into heaven itself” and “to appear in the presence of God for us!”

“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” – Hebrews 9:24.

He is also preparing a place for us in His Father’s house!

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” – John 14:2.

As He works on our behalf in heaven, He awaits His Father’s call to fetch His beloved bride!

A Popular Maxim

Have you ever heard the saying regarding the rapture that goes something like this:

“It’s as if Jesus is standing in heaven, eagerly awaiting His Father’s command to go and fetch His bride!”

I have actually heard many Bible teachers – who hold that Jesus did not know when the rapture would occur in His humanity but does now that He has been resurrected and is in heaven – say this exact thing or something similar. Ironically, they fail to realize that by saying this, they are only confirming that Christ does not know exactly when His Father will send Him to fetch His bride!

The Trinity: Examining the Triune God

As noted above, we would like to conclude our study with a portion from our article, The Trinity:  Examining the Triune God, as we documented the following when it comes to the differing roles and attributes of each member of the Godhead, in particular to the rapture of the bride of Christ.

When it comes to our topic, we relayed the following:

Is There Something the Son Doesn’t Know?

There are two passages that seem to suggest that the Father and the Son aren’t on the same page, as it were, and we would do well to look into this.

Before Christ ascended into heaven, the disciples asked Him a question:

“When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” – Acts 1:6.

Jesus had a rather interesting response:

“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power” – Acts 1:7. (emphasis mine)

Jesus, concerning the rapture of the church, said:

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” – Mark 13:32. (emphasis mine)

This shouldn’t surprise us because we see specific roles delegated only to the Father in other passages. The most familiar was cited by Christ Himself as the Father is speaking to the Son (Luke 20:41-44).

“The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” – Psalm 110:1.

We also read of how the roles of the Father and the Son work together, and yet independently:

“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

“For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all” – 1 Corinthians 15:24-28.

The Father and the Rapture

In regard to the rapture, we have to keep in mind that the Jewish-Galilean engagement and wedding is a truly beautiful picture and representation of the watching and waiting of the bride of Christ and the rapture of the church. So much so that it was alluded to the disciples by Yeshua Himself. It must be understood that the Jewish-Galilean wedding – though seemingly coming from the traditions of men – actually came from the predetermined council of the sovereign triune God in eternity past before creation.

In relation to the Jewish-Galilean wedding, only the father of the groom would know when he would send his son for his bride, when the son’s room that is built onto the father’s house for his bride was ready to receive her. This is exactly what will happen for the bride of Christ. 

And because this event is reserved only for the father of the groom, it has been reserved exclusively for the Father of the triune Godhead. In both cases above – the times and the seasons of the latter days and the rapture of the church – we are told that they are entirely in the hands of the Father.

Jesus is preparing a place for us in the Father’s house, just as the groom would be preparing a place in his father’s house for his bride in the Jewish-Galilean wedding. The timing of fetching the bride of the Son is in the Father’s hands and is His responsibility.

Therefore, the Father will tell the Son, in heaven, “It is time. Go fetch your bride!” And Christ will come and receive us unto Himself, that where He is, we will be also.

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” – John 14:1-3. (emphasis mine)

What a future as the bride of Christ we have!!!

Conclusion

As we conclude and summarize our study topic, I believe that it is in our best interest not to offer up esoteric and nuanced explanations to what may seem to some to be problematic, but rather accept at face value our Lord’s Words. Jesus said what He said, and we should believe Him.

I have many wonderful brothers and sisters in the Lord who currently hold to the popular, traditional view, and I do encourage them to reconsider their position and take our Lord at His Word.

When it comes to the rapture of the church – when the Father sends His Son to fetch His bride – as Yeshua said, this event is entirely in the Father’s hands. We are only speaking of one event, of which the exact timing is unknown to the Son, for this responsibility has been delegated to the Father.

There is one more logical reason why this is so, and that is the resurrection/rapture of the church will happen just before God pours out His wrath on a God-hating, Christ-rejecting world. When the Father deems the divinely set time ready and ripe for the wrath of God, and “the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25) – two events that seem to divinely coincide – He will send His Son for His bride.

“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” – Romans 5:9.

“And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” – 1 Thessalonians 1:10.

We are not saved from Satan’s or man’s wrath, but we are saved from God’s wrath. This wrath, which is inaugurated with the resurrection/rapture of the bride of Christ, begins with the Son’s receiving of the scroll and His opening of the seven seals (Revelation 5:1-14, 6:1-17, 8:1). This scroll, which will begin the pouring out of the wrath of God, will be given directly to the Son – seen in heaven as the slain Lamb of God – from His loving Father.

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals…  the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne” – Revelation 5:1, 5-7.

When it comes to this subject of the resurrection/rapture of the bride of Christ and the wrath of God, we would do well to end our survey with the words we shall all be saying with creation when Messiah Jesus takes the scroll.

“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” – Revelation 5:13.

Until the Lord calls us home – whether it be in death or at the rapture – may we all continue to be Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”

Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!

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