When will Jesus come again?

1. Jesus promised his disciples to come again when they still lived. However he did not come again yet even 2,000 years have passed. Why?

   This article explains the reason and the required condition for his coming again which given by Lee Young-soo the leader of Holy Eden Church. (for mobile, see here.)

    

   Contents

    

   1. The Promise of Jesus

   2. Jesus who Received God’s Book

   3. The Contents of the Book of Revelation

   4. Conditions for Jesus’ Second Coming

   5. The One who Harvests

   6. Those who were Prophesied

   7. Two on Both Sides of the River

   8. Jesus’ Sacrifice and the Spring of the Water of Life

   9. Inheritance of the Spring of the Water of Life

     

    

   The book of Revelation is known to have been written around 95 A.D. That was about 60 years after Jesus ascended to Heaven. Why did Jesus have Revelations written?

    

    

   1. The Promise of Jesus

    

   When Jesus was on earth, he promised his disciples to come again after he ascended to Heaven. This promise is in Matthew Chapter 24. When Jesus talked about the destruction of Temple of Jerusalem to his disciples, they wanted to know when it would happen. He talked about what would happen in the last days, and when he comes again on the clouds of the sky, he would send his angels to gather the chosen ones. He told them that all of these would happen before this generation passed.

    

   “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. ... I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. (Matthew 24:30-34)

    

   As Jesus said, Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed, but he did not come again during those days. His disciples, the apostles, were martyred for believing his words and witnessing him for their entire lives. Paul, who became the apostle to the Gentiles after he met the resurrected Jesus, was also martyred in the mid-60s. Thirty years passed, and in 95, John the Apostle was confined on the island of Patmos for his belief in Jesus. If John the Apostle would die, there would be no more direct apostle of Jesus.

   Those who learned about Jesus from the apostles believed his second coming and continued to live their religious lives, but no one knew when it would be. If John the Apostle would die in this situation, there would be an argument that Jesus’ promise was not true. Jesus wanted to make it known that his promise for the second coming was true.

    

   2. Jesus who Received God’s Book

    

   Why did Jesus not come again then? It was because of God’s plan. Jesus did not know all of God’s plans when he lived on earth. Jesus’ words tell us that he did not know when his second coming would be (Matthew 24:36), but there is a glaring evidence in the Book of Revelation.

    

   God rewarded Jesus for his sacrifice on the cross. The reward refers to ruling God’s world on the right side of God’s throne (Colossians 3:1). God gave Jesus a book from his right hand. The book was sealed with seven seals so that no one could see it.

    

   Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. (Revelations 5:1-3)

    

   God hid the contents of the book as top secret. When Jesus received the book, the four living creatures, that is the four archangels, and the twenty-four elders in front of God saluted Jesus and praised that he was worthy to look inside the book.

    

   He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelations 5:7-10)

    

   The reason they praised him was that by sacrificing himself on the cross, he was able to use his blood to convert humans as God’s. These people are to become priests to serve God and kings to reign the world.

    

   It is certain that Jesus had not looked at the book before he received it from God. This is because he was worthy to take the book and open its seals after he was crucified and converted humans as God’s with his blood.

    

   The book has secrets to accomplish God’s will. The reason God gave it to Jesus was to ask him to finish the duties in the book.

    

   After reading the book, Jesus understood that God’s plan was not the same as what he had known when he was on earth. After fully understanding God’s will, Jesus knew that his words to his disciples could become a problem. Thus, he felt the need to make another promise to his believers. Otherwise, the believers would think his promises are never fulfilled and would question whether they should continue to believe in Jesus.

    

   3. The Contents of the Book of Revelation

    

   John the Apostle reveals why he wrote the book in the first sentence of Revelations.

    

   The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, (Revelations 1:1)

    

   The revelation was from Jesus, and it was given to Jesus from God. It refers to the secret book, which God gave to Jesus.

    

   We have to recognize that Jesus did not know what was in the book before he received it. Therefore, nobody knew what God’s will was before Jesus who had seen the book told someone.

    

   Jesus showed John the Apostle what was in the book and which is now in the Book of Revelation. In other words, the Book of Revelation contains what God gave Jesus through the secret book. It is clear that without knowing the Book of Revelation, we cannot clearly understand God’s will.

    

   Then can anyone who reads the Book of Revelation understand the secret? Anyone who studies the Bible would know that is not true. Revelations is too difficult to tell its right sequence in order without contradiction. Not only does the Book contain of so many parables and symbols, but the order is also jumbled.

    

   Why was Revelations written this way? It is simple. It is because of the Devil. God’s will is to destroy the Devil, so if the Devil knew God’s plan, he would counteract it. Therefore, Jesus told it in deep secret. In fact, all of Bible is written this way. Many parts of Revelations are already stated in the Old Testament. Those references in the Old Testament are also hard to comprehend.

    

   God’s goal is to destroy the Devil. We know this from the last part of Revelations, where the Devil is captured and thrown into the lake of fire.

    

   And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelations 20:10)

    

   Afterwards, the Last Judgment is to be carried out, and the results dictate who will go to the kingdom of Heaven and who will be thrown into the lake of fire. God will make a new world.

    

   4. Conditions for Jesus’ Second Coming

    

   When will Jesus come again? There is something which should be achieved before Jesus’ second coming: to complete the army of Heaven to fight against the devils.

    

   Those who were converted with Jesus’ blood are under the alter in God’s world.

    

   When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. (Revelations 6:9)

    

   They consist of two groups. The first is the saints in Old Testament time, who had been slain because of the words of God. The second is the saints in New Testament time, who had been slain because of the testimony they had maintained, that is the Holy Spirit. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of the prophecy (Revelations 19:10).

    

   These martyrs will be priests, who will serve God after the devils will be destroyed. Therefore they were placed under the alter. They asked Jesus when he would avenge their blood shed under false accusations. Then, Jesus said he needed more martyrs like them.

    

   Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. (Revelations 6:11)

    

   One of Jesus’ first realizations after he read God’s book was the number of martyrs. Jesus could not come again before the number was filled. That number is 144,000.

    

   Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. (Revelations 14:1)

    

   Those who have God’s name written on their foreheads are those who were produced by God in the Old Testament, and those who have Jesus’ name were produced by Jesus in the New Testament.

    

   In general, the number 144,000 is considered symbolic as those being saved. Would it make sense if only 144,000 were saved after the creation of the world? Therefore people think it is symbolic.

    

   However, this number does not represent those who will be saved. It is the number of the soldiers of Heaven. After they destroy the devils, they will make all souls previously dragged by devils come out from Hades and judge them (Revelations 20:4). The judgment will determine who will be saved. There is no limit on the number of those who can be saved.

    

   If the number 144,000 were filled, Jesus would have come again. Since Jesus has not come again, we can infer that the number has yet to be filled.

    

   Then, how can we know that Jesus has not come again yet? Many people assert that they are Jesus in his second coming, so it is important to know whether he has or not.

    

   “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)

    

   When Jesus comes, all the nations of the earth will mourn. That is because of the plague to happen in this world before his coming again (refer to Revelations chapter 8 and 9). No such thing has happened yet. Therefore we can know that Jesus has not come again yet.

    

   Then we can know that filling the number of the soldiers of Heaven is God’s utmost focus and concern. If the number is not filled, there will be no Jesus’ second coming, and God’s will to destroy the Devil will not be achieved. How can the number be filled and who will do the work?

    

   5. The One who Harvests

    

   In Revelations, the one who harvests the soldiers of Heaven is prophesied as “one like a son of man” who seats on the cloud.

    

   I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one “like a son of man” with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. (Revelations 14:14-16)

   
   

   He has a sickle to harvest and reap the earth, after receiving an indication from an angel coming out of the temple. The harvest refers to the soldiers of Heaven.

    

   Another prophecy for the same being is also in the Book of Daniel. In a vision, Daniel saw “one like a son of man” come on the clouds of heaven, was led to “the Ancient of Days,” and was given everlasting authority over nations.

    

   “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

    

   Who is “the one like a son of man” prophesied in Revelations and Daniel? Christians may know well the “son of man” indicates Jesus. Thus theologians interpret “the one like a son of man” as Jesus and “the Ancient of Days” as Jehovah. However, “the one like a son of man” is not Jesus, but “the Ancient of Days” is. You can see it from verse 22.

    

   until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. (Daniel 7:22)

    

   Here, the saints are the 144,000, and “the Most High” is Jehovah. “The Ancient of Days” who gives the authority to judge to the saints is Jesus. The authority to judge was given to Jesus by God (John 5:22). Therefore the one who gives the authority to judge to saints is Jesus. The Revelations also points out that the authority to judge is given to martyrs, the saints (Revelations 20:4).

    

   There are phrases in the Bible that show Jesus as the Ancient of Days. He existed before the world began and had glory with God.

    

   I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (John 17:4-5)

    

   A prophecy of Jesus is also in Micah.

    

   “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)

    

   This is a prophecy of a Messiah (refer to Matthew 2:4-6). As stated in the prophecy, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. God said his origins were from of old and from ancient times.

    

   “The Ancient of Days” is Jesus, and “one like a son of man” is led to “the Ancient of Days”, so we can know “the one like son of man” is not Jesus. However, everlasting dominion and authority are given to him, so he is not an ordinary person. The reason he is given the authority is because he is the one with the mission to harvest, to produce the soldiers of Heaven. Who is he?

    

   6. Those who were Prophesied

    

   God prophesied those who would work to accomplish his will. There are only four people who were prophesied in the Bible. Two of them are John the Baptist and Jesus who appeared two thousand years ago. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus.

    

   The other two are the two olive trees. The first is to prepare the way for the second. Two olive trees are prophesied in Old Testament.

    

   Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?” He replied, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I said. So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.” (Zechariah 4:12-14)

    

   The olive trees were prophesied by Zechariah the Prophet 2,500 years ago, but Jesus did not know their roles when he was in this world. If Jesus had known about them, he would not have said he would come again to his disciples during their time. God planned the olive trees to appear two thousand years after Jesus’ time. God’s will is to produce soldiers of Heaven during a six thousand year time period from Cain’s times. To produce and complete the number of 144,000 is the mission of the olive trees, who appears during the last days.

    

   The first olive tree is Elder Park who was anointed in 1951. However, he did not follow God’s will and finally turned his back against God in 1980. The second olive tree is Lee Young-soo, who was anointed with Elder Park when he was a child, and started his church, Holy Eden Church, in 1973 under God’s instructions.

    

   After Jesus looked at the book of God, he understood the role of the two olive trees in God’s and told through Revelations that he would erect them as his two witnesses.

    

   And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. (Revelations 11:3-5)

    

   The olive trees are those who prophesy 1,260 days. 1,260 days is not the number of days they prophesy for but the subject of the prophecy. (NIV uses “for 1,260 days” but the Hebrew Bible does not include “for.”) As you will read later, the one who learns about 1,260 days and prophesies it is the second olive tree. Two lampstands represent the believers following two olive trees (refer to Revelations 1:20).

    

   7. Two on Both Sides of the River

    

   In the Book of Daniel, there is a prophecy which shows the relation between Jesus and two olive trees.

    

   Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.” (Daniel 12:5-7)

    

   Daniel saw someone “clothed in linen”, who was above the waters of a river, and two others on both sides of the river. One of them asked the clothed in linen how long would it be before what Daniel had seen would be fulfilled. Then he answered it would be when the power of the holy people would have been broken.

    

   That is a time, times and half a time, which is equivalent to 1,260 days prophesied by the olive tree and is also equivalent to 42 months in which the beast will have the power (Revelations 11:3-4, 13:5). This is what will happen after a thousand years. When the number of the soldiers of Heaven is completed, devils will be confined in the Abyss for one thousand years, and after that, they will be released and destroyed (Revelations 20:1-3). The 42 months will start after the thousand years, and during this period, olive trees will be killed and the saints will be conquered by the beast (Revelations 11:7, 13:7). After this, the final preparation to destroy devils will be completed.

    

   Because one of the two heard about the last time, he can prophesy the 1,260 days. The one who will prophesy the 1,260 days between two olive trees in Revelations is the one who asked the question in Daniel (Revelations 11:3-4). He is the second olive tree.

    

   In addition, the only one who can reveal the secret about the last days to the olive tree is Jesus, who received God’s book. Therefore we can know the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, is Jesus who was crucified and sat on the right side of God. Even Jesus did not know these things before he received God’s book.

    

   Though Daniel had heard this, he could not understand the meaning. Thus, he asked the angel again.

    

   I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?” He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. (Daniel 12:8-9)

    

   Just because one is a prophet does not mean that he understands everything he sees. This is because not everything gets fulfilled during his time. The angel again said to Daniel that the words were sealed until the time of the end. This shows the work is to be achieved at the time of the end. The time of the end is when the olive trees come out. What the angel said about the time of the end is the following:

    

   But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” (Daniel 12:4)

    

   The time of the end is when many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. To run to and fro means developed means of transportation and to increase knowledge means development of science.

    

   8. Jesus’ Sacrifice and the Spring of the Water of Life

    

   Why was Jesus crucified on the cross? That is because of our sin (Isaiah 53:5). Because sin could not be thoroughly washed away in the Old Testament time (Hebrews 10:1), prophets or martyrs could not go straight to God’s world after death and was dragged to Hades, the Devil’s world. To solve this problem of sin, Jesus came to earth and sacrificed himself for God. With his sacrifice, God created the spring of the water of life to cleanse us from our sin.

    

   On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. (Zechariah 13:1)

    

   This was prophesied 520 years before Jesus came to this world. Then, when will the fountain be opened? The answer is in the following verses:

    

   And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah 12:10)

    

   “Me” in the phrase of “they will look on me, the one they have pierced” is Jesus on the cross. Therefore the fountain to cleanse us from sin would be opened on the day Jesus would be crucified.

    

   Because Jesus was crucified, the fountain to cleanse us from sin was created. If we do not drink the water from the fountain, that is the water of life, our sin cannot be cleansed. Without being cleansed, no one can eat the fruit of life in the Garden of Eden. Without it, we cannot get eternal life. Hence that is why Jesus said that unless we eat his flesh and drink his blood, we cannot have eternal life.

    

   Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:53-54)

    

   Does this mean that even though two thousand years have passed since Jesus was crucified, no one was able to drink the living water? No. This is why no one in the last two thousand years knew what the water of life was. The living water is not an abstract thing.

    

   Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38)

    

   As Jesus said, it flows from within believers; God gives us the feeling in our body. Now that it has been delivered through the olive trees in this day and age, we know what it is.

    

   Then has no believer been saved in the past two thousand years? It does not mean that. Those who believe in Jesus will be saved at the last judgment for their beliefs and will become people of the Kingdom of Heaven. And they will drink the water of life then.

   However, what God and Jesus want is not to produce people of the kingdom of heaven but the army of heaven that can fight against devils and win. Therefore the martyrs, who have obtained qualification of the soldier of Heaven, were taken to God’s world and cleansed first before others (Revelations 20:5).

    

   9. Inheritance of the Spring of the Water of Life

    

   The spring of the water of life is promised to the overcomer as his inheritance.

    

   He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelations 21:5-7)

    

   Jehovah will give this water to him who is thirsty, not directly, but through the overcomer who inherits it. The overcomer who works with the water of life from Jesus’ blood is the olive tree. This is also recorded in the prophecies of the olive tree.

    

   These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. (Revelations 11:6)

    

   Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?” (Zechariah 4:12)

    

   The olive tree turns the waters into blood which refers to Jesus’ blood, which is prophesied as the golden oil delivered by the olive tree in Zechariah. This is the water of life inherited to the overcomer.

    

   The overcomer refers to the olive tree. Once after Jesus found out God had predestined the olive tree, he wanted the overcomer to appear in order to carry out his work as the olive tree and prophesied seven promises for him (Revelations 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28, 3:5, 12, 21). “The hidden manna” in the promises refers to the living water from Jesus’ sacrifice.

    

   He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. (Revelations 2:17)

    

   It was explained that the man clothed in linen in Daniel is Jesus. He was over a river of the water of life made from Jesus’ blood, which flows from the throne of God and of Jesus (Revelations 22:1-2, Daniel 12:6). Two people on both sides of the river are two olive trees as two witnesses for Jesus (Daniel 12:5, Revelations 11:3-4). They are the overcomers to inherit the spring of the water of life (Revelations 21:6-7).

    

   The work of the water of life is prophesied to happen twice.

    

   It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime--a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. (Zechariah 14:7-8)

    

   Therefore, there are two overcomers who work with the living water. Since there are two olive trees prophesied, Jesus selects two as the overcomers. The one who overcomes is to receive the mission of the olive tree. The first olive tree delivered the living water and gathered people, and the second olive tree produces qualified people for the soldier of Heaven among them with the name written on the white stone.

    

   The reason Jehovah gives the overcomer the spring of the water of life as his inheritance is to let him give it to those who are thirsty. This spring of the water of life was made two thousand years ago, but the first overcomer was appointed in 1951. No one received it before then, so no one knew what is the living water was.

    

   John the apostle prophesied the living water as an inheritance to the overcomer in his visions in A.D. 95. Approximately 60 years had passed since Jesus had ascended, and 30 years had passed after Peter the Apostle and Paul the Apostle were martyred. Therefore, his disciples and Paul the Apostle never received the living water, and they died without knowing what it was.

    

   The core of Christianity was made by the twelve apostles and Paul the Apostle. However, they died without knowing the living water. Thus, the core of Christianity is missing in its teachings. That is, the spring of the water of life made from Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus died on cross for it, and Jehovah waited two thousand years from Abraham to make it. Before the olive tree, who is to work with it, came out, God had hidden these things so that they could not be known to the Devil.

    

   Even when Jesus was on earth, he promised to give the living water (John 4:10, 7:38). Christians have not known the importance of the living water and have been thinking that simply believing in Jesus is everything. However, if you want to be cleansed from your sin, you have to receive the living water.

    

   Jehovah decided for the mission of the olive tree four thousand years ago, that is before Abraham was chosen. For this mission, Jesus sacrificed on the cross two thousand years ago. And the olive tree appeared in our time. It is impossible to understand such a vast work as a human being that just live through decades. However, God left behind records in the Bible for those things and God has explained it to the one who is taking the mission, so he got to understand the context of everything.

    

   This is the plan to destroy the Devil, so it had to be a top secret, which the Devil could not know. Thus, nobody could know it before the person directly involved to do the work had appeared. Now is the time of olive tree, who is currently undertaking the mission, and he is the one who will be given authority to reign over the nations, an everlasting dominion (Revelations 2:26, Daniel 7:14).
   
   
   

■Back to Contents : The Seconds Olive Tree