The Next 14 years

I feel compelled to point out that it is now 2026.
You say, “So what?” 
It’s now just 7 years until 2033.

Again, “So what?”
Well, something about the End Times is increasingly being thought about, but rarely said.
Someone will blurt it out soon, so I might as well prepare you for it.
Besides, if it happens to be true, then it would be fair to ask, “Why didn’t somebody warn us?” 
Well, here is my warning, just in case. With some nuance to notice, please. 

In Matthew 24, about His Second Coming, Jesus said:

• We should look for signs of the Second Coming (v32-33)
• When it does start, it will happen within that generation (v34)
• His Second Coming will certainly happen (v35) 
• We can’t know the precise day or hour (v36) 
• It will take most of us by surprise (37-44) 
• And the main point of His teaching is not accuracy of timing, but rather for us to be faithful, here and now. (45-51)

Therefore it is good to look around and ponder what is happening in our days, and to err on the side of readiness rather than scepticism. 

I offer this heads-up with the same wonder and reserve in which Christians since Jesus’ day have wondered if their times are the End Times.
For instance, they must have wondered during the persecution under the Romans, Nero, the Fall of Jerusalem & the desecration & destruction of the Temple.
Or when Byzantium fell.
Or later, around World War 1.
During or after World War 2 with Hitler, the crushing of Jews, and the reconstitution of the state of Israel. 

Likewise, in our point in time, here is something to ponder: 

Could it be that, like His seven-day creation and His seven-day week, God is working on a seven-millennium timeline?
2000 years from Adam to Abraham,
2000 years to Christ, 
2000 years to His Second Coming, 
1000-years of shalom/rest, before the final Judgment. (Isaiah 65, Revelation 20).
And if 33AD was the year of Jesus’ atoning death, resurrection, ascension, and sending His Spirit, then 2033 would mark the Second Coming and the start of the seventh millennium. 

Now the “Second Coming” can include a series of events over perhaps seven years, including the rapture, a deal with Israel, a betrayal followed by the Great Tribulation, culminating in His Triumphal Return. So would 2033 mark the end of the seven years or the start? If the end, then when do the seven years start?
As I said, it is now 2026.

Or 2033 could mark the start of the seven years, so be watchful over the next 14 years. 

There are other calculation problems to consider. Some say that Jesus was born 2-6 years before 0 BC/AD. In that case, the 2000 year mark could be as early as 2027. Which means mathematically the time could already be unfolding. 

“What are we meant to be looking for?” 
Now that’s a better question. I will answer below in my graphic on the many relevant verses... 

But first this huge caveat: there are other views of interpreting the relevant passages. This graphic illustrates: 

Below is a grid of the relevant passages, as interpreted from a Premillennial view. Note that the timeline below the grid is not to scale but sectional. And the timeline is only "Plausible." But the Second Coming more generally - that's "Confirmed." 

Signs Premillennials watch for:
. Israel will have a period of significant peace;
. A northern invasion will end with the destruction of the invaders; 
. A treaty between Israel and an Antichrist; 
. A third Temple… 
There are more, but by this point, the seven years would be happening, and it would be obvious to watchful Premillennials. 
. The rapture might have happened at the start, middle or end of the 7 years. But since the rapture will take us by surprise, it's a difficult sign to look for until it happens. 
As for these other signs, however, if we see developments moving in those directions, we should take note! 

Could I be wrong? Yeah - on many aspects! Even the model. 
But possibly being wrong about the details doesn't mean we should say nothing about the End Times. The main point is still confirmed: Jesus is coming again - soon - so be watchful and ready. Being watchful and ready includes discussing what the scriptures say, and what the signs might be. 

What's the difference this all makes?
1) Be watchful. Do your own study on which view of the End Times you think is plausible. Notice when something happens that advances one of the signs of the end. 

2) Be ready. Whichever view you favour, the main point of Jesus telling us all this is not correctness, but to be ready all the time - whenever he returns.

Because every day we draw closer to His Second Coming.
And it could be anytime. It could be soon, very soon.
Even 2026. Or during the next 14 years.