Day 8: What must happen before Christ returns?

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. – Revelation 1:7 ESV

Today we will look at some of what needs to happen before Yeshua returns. Many believers are expecting Christ to return any day, but the Scriptures reveal that He cannot return before certain things take place. One of the things that must happen is for the Jews to return to their land, where they will be saved. Study today with an open mind.

God is linking His whole end-time plan to the return of the Jews to Israel, called Aliyah. Aliyah is a key to the heart of the Lord. There are over sixty Scriptures on this topic, which reveals its importance to God. You can study this more in God’s Heart for Israel.

Meditate on and study Ezekiel 37:21–28 in your favorite Bible translation.

• What does God promise to do in verses 21–22?
• How does this passage reveal that this is the time when Christ will return?
• What kind of covenant will God make with them?
• What will be the result, according to verse 28?
• What else do you learn from these verses?

Revelation 1:7 (ESV): “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

• What does this verse say to you?
• How does Zechariah 12:10 relate to Revelation 1:7?
• Christ will return to Israel, to the Mount of Olives. How do you think every eye will see Him? Back when the Bible was written, that would not have been possible, but today it is.

Ezekiel 39:28 (ESV): “They shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore.”

• What did God do and how will He do it?
• What will be the result?
• Notice the last sentence in this verse. What do you think God means by that?
• What does this verse say to you?

Debbie Kellogg with CyrusFoundation.org shares:

God is preparing the way for the return of the Lord. The truth is—He is not going to return no matter how bad it gets in the world until the Jews return to Israel. He says He’s not going to leave one behind (Ezekiel 39:28). When they return to Israel, they’re returning to the Lord, they’re coming out of bondage into freedom and they’re coming to receive their inheritance in the land. He’s eventually going to reveal who their Messiah is. But first they have to return to the land; that’s where they will meet their Messiah.

A prayer to pray

Lord, thank You that You are coming back on the clouds. What an encouragement and a hope to know that this world is not all there is. Thank You that You are accomplishing what must happen before You can return, in bringing Your people back to their land. Show me how You want me to pray and partner with You in this. I confess that I haven’t understood how important the return of Your people to Your land is for Your return as the coming King. Please teach me more about this.

Prayer points for today

• Pray that the eyes of the Jews will be opened to recognize who their Messiah is.
• Ask God to bring His children back to the land, because that is where many will come to know Him.
• Pray Ezekiel 39:28. Here is one way: Thank you that Your people will know that You are the Lord their God when You bring them back into their own land. You say You will leave none of them remaining among the nations. Please show me more of what this means.

An action to take

Look seriously at ways you can be part of the return and restoration of the Jews from your nation to Israel.

Check out ministries that help Jews return to Israel and step into the role God calls the nations to take—Isaiah 49:22.

Return Ministries’ Project Return Sponsorship Program

Cyrus Foundation

You can find more resources on our website.