You’re going to think I’m nuts, but hear me out. There’s reason to believe that Jesus might return in 2030. Now, this is, of course, speculative theology. Speculative theology, by definition, is speculating about questions for which the answers are unknowable. So I’m not claiming to know that Jesus is returning in 2030, I’m just speculating based on some interesting data points.

Here’s how I arrive at 2030.

The World’s Birthday

James Ussher, the 17th-century Archbishop of Armagh, famously calculated the date of creation as occurring on October 23, 4004 BCE. He arrived at this date by analyzing the genealogies in the Bible and cross-referencing historical events. This chronology was widely accepted in the English-speaking world for centuries and became particularly influential as it was often included in the margins of English Bibles, such as the King James Version.

By this calculation, there was approximately 4,000 years of human history from creation to the birth of Christ.

Jesus’ Birthday

Astronomical evidence suggest that the birth of Jesus could be associated with an astronomical event on September 11, 3 B.C. This comes from interpretations of Revelation 12:1-5, which describes a vision of a “woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” Some researchers argue that this passage symbolically describes a rare alignment of celestial bodies that occurred on that date.

Here is the basis of this argument:

1. Virgo Constellation: In the vision, the “woman” is often interpreted as the constellation Virgo, representing the Virgin Mary.
2. Sun and Moon Position: On September 11, 3 B.C., the sun was positioned in the constellation Virgo, symbolically “clothing” the woman with the sun. The moon was near her feet, aligning with the description in Revelation.
3. Crown of Twelve Stars: Virgo was close to the constellation Leo, which was seen as the “crown” of twelve stars, especially when including nearby planets that were aligned around that time.
4. Jupiter and Regulus: This period also featured close conjunctions between Jupiter (the “king” planet) and Regulus (a bright star associated with kingship), which would have been visible to observers as significant celestial events, possibly aligning with the idea of a “king” being born.
5. Astrological Context: In ancient astrology, such alignments and movements were often seen as indications of important events, especially those involving royalty or divinity. Scholars proposing this theory suggest that the Magi, who were skilled in astrology, would have seen this alignment as a sign of a royal birth in Judea.

Early Christian traditions and historical analyses also suggest a possible birth date of Jesus around 3 B.C.:

1. The Writings of the Early Church Fathers: While early Christian writers like Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus of Rome, and others did not all agree on a precise date, some early sources indicate that Jesus was born around the time that aligns with the end of Herod the Great’s reign, traditionally thought to have ended in 4 B.C. However, there is evidence suggesting Herod may have died in 1 B.C., which would support a birth of Jesus around 3-2 B.C.
2. Chronology by Eusebius of Caesarea: In his Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius proposed a timeline for Jesus’s birth that has sometimes been interpreted to align with a date around 3 B.C., though he didn’t specify an exact year. Eusebius placed Jesus’s birth in the 42nd year of Augustus’s reign, which some scholars interpret as around 3 B.C. based on different methods of counting Augustus’s years of power.
3. The Star of Bethlehem: Some scholars argue that the astronomical event involving the conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus in 3-2 B.C. (often associated with the Star of Bethlehem) could point to a birth date in this period. This conjunction, seen as a royal sign in ancient astrology, would have been prominent in the eastern sky and may have been interpreted by the Magi as the sign of a new king in Judea.
4. The Jewish Calendar and Feast Days: Some researchers propose that Jesus’s birth coincided with significant Jewish feast days. For instance, the Feast of Trumpets, which typically falls in September, has been suggested as a symbolic time for the birth of the Messiah. In 3 B.C., this feast would have taken place around the same time as September 11, aligning with the astrological interpretations in Revelation 12 mentioned earlier.
5. Census of Caesar Augustus: The Gospel of Luke mentions a census conducted by Caesar Augustus at the time of Jesus’s birth. Some historical reconstructions place a census in the regions governed by Herod around 3-2 B.C., adding some support to this timeframe.

All this to say there is some evidence to support the idea of 4,000 years of human history prior to Christ first coming, as a baby, in B.C. 3.

Jesus’ Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension

If we assume that Jesus was born in 3 B.C., the timeline for his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension would likely place these events in the early 30s A.D. The Gospels indicate that Jesus began his ministry around the age of 30, and most accounts suggest his ministry lasted about three years. Here’s how the timeline might work out:

1. Beginning of Jesus’s Ministry: If Jesus was born in 3 B.C., he would turn 30 around A.D. 28. This aligns with the statement in Luke that he began his ministry “about 30 years of age.” Assuming his ministry began around A.D. 28, it could have lasted approximately three years until the crucifixion in A.D. 30.
2. Crucifixion Date: Many scholars agree that Jesus’s crucifixion occurred during the Passover festival, which fell on a Friday. Using astronomical data and Jewish calendar information, the two most likely dates for the crucifixion are:

1. • April 7, A.D. 30 (Nisan 14 or 15, in the Jewish calendar)
   • April 3, A.D. 33 (also during Passover, on a Friday)

With the crucifixion on April 7, A.D. 30 (Friday of Passover week), Jesus would be about 32 or 33 years old at this time.

1. Resurrection: The resurrection would traditionally be celebrated on the Sunday following the crucifixion, which would be April 9, A.D. 30.
2. Ascension: According to Acts, the ascension occurred 40 days after the resurrection. This would place it around May 18, A.D. 30.

Thus, using an April 7, A.D. 30 crucifixion date, the key events would align as follows:

• Crucifixion: April 7, A.D. 30
• Resurrection: April 9, A.D. 30
• Ascension: May 18, A.D. 30

Millennial-Week Model

The concept I’m suggesting is often referred to as a “millennial-week” model, where each “day” in God’s timeline is seen as a thousand-year period of human history, following the framework of creation in Genesis. Here’s how this model unfolds:

1. Foundation in Scripture: Two biblical passages are key to this framework:
   • Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 both state, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” This idea implies that God’s timeline can be different from human timeframes.
   • The Genesis creation account describes six days of creation followed by a seventh day of rest, which some interpret as symbolic of 6,000 years of human history followed by a 1,000-year period of peace, often called the “millennial reign” of Christ in Revelation 20.
2. 4,000 Years to Jesus’s Ascension: If we calculate using this model:
   • According to the timeline suggested by figures like Archbishop James Ussher, creation occurred around 4004 B.C. This is an estimate, but for this argument, let’s assume it’s close.
   • If Jesus was born around 3 B.C. and ascended around A.D. 30, then approximately 4,000 years would have passed from the time of creation to Jesus’s ascension, marking four “days” in this millennial model.
3. 2,000 Years since the Ascension: Jesus’s ascension around A.D. 30 starts the fifth “day” (the beginning of the final 2,000 years before the millennium of peace):
   • From A.D. 30 to A.D. 2030 would represent approximately 2,000 years, fulfilling the “six days” or 6,000 years of work.
4. Anticipation of the 7th Day of Rest: According to the model, after these 6,000 years of “work,” there would be a final 1,000-year period of peace and divine reign on Earth:
   • The 1,000-year reign mentioned in Revelation 20 is seen as a period of rest, like the seventh day in Genesis, often called the “Millennial Sabbath.”
   • Following this, Revelation describes a final judgment, the “uncreation,” and a “new heavens and new earth” (Revelation 21).
5. Implication for Jesus’s Return around A.D. 2030: If this model holds, A.D. 2030 would approximate the transition point between the 6,000 years of human history and the anticipated 1,000-year reign of Christ. This would mark a significant point for Jesus’s return to establish a kingdom of peace on earth.
6. Theological Implications: This theory resonates with certain interpretations of eschatology that see human history as divinely structured in cycles, each with symbolic significance. The millennial-week model aligns with the idea of a “divine timetable,” where Jesus’s second coming is anticipated at the close of 6,000 years.

Summary

In this framework:

• 4,000 years from creation to Jesus’s ascension
• 2,000 years since Jesus’s ascension until now (circa A.D. 2030)
• The seventh millennium (1,000-year reign) expected to begin around A.D. 2030

This model is speculative, but it presents an intriguing theological alignment based on biblical symbolism. Whether or not it holds true, the framework serves as a thought-provoking way of considering the Bible’s use of time and numbers to signify epochs in the divine plan.

Historical Support

Lest you think I’m the only navel gazer to speculate along the lines of the millennial-week model…

The “millennial-week” model has been discussed by various theologians and early Christian writers. Here are some notable figures who have referenced or supported this model:

Barnabas: In the Epistle of Barnabas, an early Christian text written in the late 1st or early 2nd century, the author suggests that the world will last 6,000 years, followed by a seventh millennium of rest. Barnabas draws on Genesis and the idea of a millennial Sabbath, equating it with a final period of peace.

Irenaeus of Lyons: The 2nd-century church father Irenaeus discussed the millennial-week concept in his work Against Heresies. He supported the idea of a future thousand-year reign of Christ and pointed to the creation week in Genesis as a type of prophetic timeline for world history.

Hippolytus of Rome: Hippolytus, a 3rd-century theologian, expanded on this idea by proposing that each day of creation symbolized 1,000 years of human history, leading to a millennial Sabbath. He based his views on biblical symbolism and prophetic interpretation, considering the seventh millennium a period of peace on earth.

Augustine of Hippo: Although Augustine eventually rejected the literal thousand-year reign as overly materialistic (favoring a more allegorical interpretation of the “millennium”), he was initially influenced by this model and discussed the significance of the seventh day as a type of eternal rest in The City of God. Augustine acknowledged that some Christians believed in a millennial-week framework, although he ultimately did not endorse it.

Jewish Tradition: While not Christian theologians, some early Jewish scholars and texts—such as the Talmud and other rabbinic writings—also referenced a “millennial-week” structure. They suggested that human history would unfold over a period of 6,000 years followed by a final, Sabbath-like 1,000 years, which may have influenced early Christian thought.

Jonathan Edwards: The American Puritan theologian Jonathan Edwards referenced a version of the millennial-week model in his eschatological writings. Edwards saw the millennium as a literal period in the future, though his interpretation was somewhat adapted to fit post-Reformation and Puritan eschatology.

Conclusion

While the “millennial-week” model offers a fascinating lens through which to view biblical prophecy, it remains speculative theology. Whether or not these interpretations align with God’s ultimate timeline doesn’t change the gospel or the core of Christian faith. Our salvation and purpose rest in Jesus Christ and the unchanging truth of His life, death, resurrection, and promised return.

But perhaps this reflection serves as a reminder to live each day with a sense of expectancy and purpose, knowing that our King could return at any moment.

How incredible would it be to witness His return in our lifetime, joining in the final push of His Kingdom, actively welcoming Him back through righteous living and fervent evangelism?

Let this sense of anticipation inspire us to walk faithfully, sharing His love and truth with a world in need, and looking forward with joy and hope to the day when we stand face-to-face with our King. Lord come soon! Amen!