Date of Jesus’ Return

 Matthew 24:36
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”

 Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour of His return, not even Himself. So please keep this in mind as you continue reading this post…

 The following is a personal interpretation of the Scriptures so please feel free to disagree. Before proceeding please read the following posts for some background…

In The Stars post which explains the Seven Thousand Year Plan of God.

The Last Days post which explains the seven Jewish festivals.

In the Clouds post which shows how believers (the Elect) are symbolized by clouds at the time of the Rapture and Jesus’ return.

The  following “Christmas Day” link presents compelling evidence that Jesus was born during the Jewish festival of Sukkot: Hebrew for Christians - Christmas Day


So let’s begin…

Luke 3:1-3
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

According to Wikipedia (Wikipedia - Tiberius) Tiberius Caesar began his reign on September 18, 14 AD and ruled for 23 years until 37 AD.

The fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign would have gone from September 18, 29 AD to September 18, 30 AD.

 Luke 1:5
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

Luke 1:24, 25
After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”

The “Christmas Day” link cites evidence that the division of Abijah would have fallen in the Hebrew month of Sivan (the May-June timeframe) which is when Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist. And adding nine months to Elizabeth’s pregnancy John would have been born in the Hebrew month of Nisan around the time of Passover.


Luke 1:26, 27
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit six months after John the Baptist was conceived so He would have been born six months after Passover during the festival of Sukkot.


Numbers 4:1-3
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, "Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ households, from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting."

 Luke 3:21-23a
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age,

Both Jesus and John the Baptist would have started their ministries at the age of 30 in order to fulfill the law of the priest. This is also when the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness which was in the  fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar - or 30 AD…

Luke 3:1-3
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

So Jesus would have started His ministry shortly after the festival of Sukkot in the year 30 AD. This also started the clock ticking for Jesus’ return on the third day 2000 years later (see “In the Stars” post).

We also know that Jesus will return on Yom Kippur (see “The Last Days” post) with the clouds of heaven (see “In the Clouds” post) to judge the world.

Revelation 19:9
Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

Seven years prior to Jesus’ return, on Rosh Hashanah at the sound of the trumpet (see “The Last Days” post), all those who believe (except the 144,000) will be caught up in a whirlwind to meet the Lord in the air. In heaven we will attend the Marriage supper of the Lamb while the Tribulation takes place on Earth.

As we saw in the post “The Last Days” Jesus fulfilled all four of the spring festivals literally to the day so there is no reason to believe that He will not fulfill the three fall festivals to the day as well.

In conclusion, the timeline summary…

Passover 30 AD
John the Baptist begins his ministry at age 30.

Sukkot 30 AD
Jesus is baptized by John and begins His ministry at age 30.

Passover 34 AD
3 1/2 years later Jesus is crucified, resurrected and ascends into heaven.

Rosh Hashanah 2025 AD
All believers, both living and dead (except the 144,000), are caught up into heaven to attend the Marriage supper of the Lamb while the seven year Tribulation takes place on Earth.

Shavuot (Pentecost) 2029 AD
The middle of the week (or 1,335 days) as per Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel chapter 12 when the second Rapture will take place and the Great Tribulation will begin.

Yom Kippur 2032 AD
Jesus sets His foot down on the mount of Olives returning to Earth with the clouds of heaven (you and me) to judge the world.

Sukkot 2032 AD
The new Jerusalem comes down out of heaven and all of the nations of the world rejoice (Revelation 21:10-27) exactly 2000 years (or “on the third day”) after Jesus began His ministry.

More on Daniel’s Prophesy

 Daniel 9: 24-27
“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

Daniel 12: 5-12
Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river. And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!”

According to Hebrew thought a “week” can be a seven day period or a seven year period. And it is thought that this particular week is referring to the seven year Tribulation (also known as “the birth pangs of the Messiah”) which is to take place just prior to the return of Jesus.

Also according to Hebrew thought the expression “time, times and half a time” means 3½ (time = 1, times = 2 and half a time = ½, therefore 1 + 2 + ½ = 3½). And in this case it means the 3½ year period in the middle of the week of the Tribulation.

Also according to Hebrew thought a prophetic “month” = 30 days and so all of the following expressions mean the same thing…

middle of the week = 3½ years = 42 months = 1260 days.

Daniel 12:12
“How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!”

The following lists the dates and the number of days between Rosh Hashanah and Shavuot for years 2023 - 2033 which you can look up and calculate for yourself (just remember to account for leap years)…


Rosh Hashanah    Shavuot (Pentecost)    # of days


9/15/2023              6/10/2027                        1364

10/2/2024              5/30/2028                       1336

9/22/2025             5/19/2029                       1335

9/11/2026               6/6/2030                         1364

10/1/2027               5/27/2031                        1334

9/20/2028              5/15/2032                       1333

9/9/2029                6/2/2033                         1362

9/27/2030              5/23/2034                       1334

9/17/2031               6/12/2035                        1364

9/5/2032                5/31/2036                        1364

9/23/2033              5/19/2037                        1334


Rosh Hashanah 2025 begins on the evening of September 22, 2025 and Shavuot (Pentecost) 2029 begins on the evening of May 19, 2029. Shavuot falls in the middle of the week of the Tribulation. And if you count the number of days between Rosh Hashanah 2025 and Shavuot 2029 you get 1,335 days.

For more on Rosh Hashanah and it’s association with the Tribulation and the “catching away” (Rapture) of please click/tap the following link…


Hebrew for Christians: Rosh Hashanah - Awakening to Judgement


For more on the Rapture please click/tap this here: The Rapture(s)