An Unexpected 7-7-7

Last week, I was asked if I thought there was any prophetic significance to July 7th, 2007. This person was wandering if the Lord could return on that day. My answer was simply, "No," because He is supposed to return in a time when no-one is expecting Him to. In fact, based upon that fact, I said that Jesus is more likely to return on Ground Hog's Day than on 7/7/2007. In all actuality, Jesus could just as easily return today or tomorrow.

The Biblical support for the unexpected return of Jesus Christ is clear. For example, the Apostle Paul reminded believers, writing, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:2, NKJV) This event which is best known as "the rapture," will come suddenly and at a time when it is least expected, much like the invasion of a thief into one's home. It would be ridiculous to think of a thief calling the home of his next planned victims to tell them when he will arrive to take their belongings away from them. To think that we can set an expected date for the Lord's return is equally ridiculous.

Though He will come unexpectedly like "a thief in the night," He will be coming to retrieve that which belongs to Him. That is why we must be ready and watching for His return by faith, so that we will be prepared for that retrieval. Because the date of His return is set by an unknown schedule, the urgency on us all to be prepared is that much greater. That is why Jesus warned us time and again, saying, "Therefore be on alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming!" (Matthew 24:42, NASB) To be prepared and watching for His return only comes through being saved, that is, through giving your life to Jesus Christ and becoming one of His.

Without the preparation of salvation, His return will only usher in a time of judgment rather than rejoicing for you. Paul spoke of what the unexpected return of Jesus Christ will be like for those who have not accepted Him, saying, "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3, NKJV) Once labor pains have begun, there is no stopping them until they have reached their conclusion. Those who reject Jesus Christ before His return, can expect judgment to follow afterwards. So if He could return at any time and His return is that important for your future, why not be prepared for it to happen? It is the most logical choice.

Some agree that it is important to be prepared for the Lord's return, but they also say that it will come after God's time of judgment on this world. This time of judgment is called "the Tribulation period" and is defined as an exact seven year time period in the book of Daniel and in the book of Revelation. There are many theologians who say that the Lord will return unexpectedly to rapture His Church after the seven years have ended, but that makes an unexpected time impossible. Jesus said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." (Matthew 24:36, NASB) If the Tribulation began tomorrow, you would know it and would be able to count down to the day it would end seven years later. Someone would be out proclaiming the Lord's return on something like 7/7/2014, but just like proclaiming the Lord's return on 7/7/2007, it would be wrong because it would be expected. That is why the Lord will come unexpectedly on an average, ordinary day, when no one expecting Him to. That's when He will secretly return for His own, openly bring judgment on the world for seven years, and then visibly appear to claim the throne of the world.

I will say this for the number seven, it is an important number in the Bible that symbolizes divine completion, or those things that only God can personally plan and complete. With that in mind, no matter what the actual date is when the Lord returns unexpectedly it will become a perfect day for believers, in which God will have begun the completion of His work with humanity. When that happens, it will have become the perfect year, the perfect month, and the perfect day, a divinely appointed 7/7/7 on God's calendar.

"Lord, my heart sings: 'What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace. And when He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day, that will be!' Oh Lord, come quickly and help more of us to be ready for that day. Amen."