Preaching shortly after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, Peter tells his Jewish listeners that if they repent, God will send the Messiah back to earth, since heaven must receive him “until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago”. Note, Peter says that all of the O.T prophets “proclaimed these days“.
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago... Moses and all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.” Acts 3:19-20, 22, 24
And so, in one clear sentence, Peter tells us that everything the prophets spoke of in the past, including all the promises to Israel about the Messiah’s glorious rule on the earth, will come to pass when King Jesus returns. So much for the New Testament “spiritualizing” away the promises of the Old Testament.
What the Bible repeatedly states will happen in the future will happen in the future. It’s that simple.
Jesus is coming to Earth a second time and all the Biblical prophecies about that return are playing out in our world today. The return of the Jews to their promised land which occurred over 70 years ago now in 1948 was the KEY sign. The rest of the prophesied signs such as God shaking things with earthquakes, pestilences, and famines, godlessness and lawlessness, apostasy with much of the church compromising with the world on gay marriage, homosexuality, transgenderism, increased persecution of Christians who are upholding the authority of God’s Word and God’s commandments, all of these prophesied events are occurring with increased frequency. Jesus warns us that endurance will be required during this time of tribulation: “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
“Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you,” Luke 21:10-12
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13

“Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 37:21-23
“I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:26-27


