Jesus Christ will Return in the year A.D. 2437. The Return of Jesus Christ is also called the Second Coming. After His Return, there will be a space of time for repentance, after which God will punish the wicked and unrepentant, with the Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath (Rev 16:1). As Christ himself taught (Mt 24:36), we cannot know the day or the hour that Christ will Return, but we can know the year. “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man.” (Mt 24:37).

There are several ways to determine the year of Christ's Return. The first two ways were described in detail in my first book, The Bible and the Future of the World. The third way was described in detail in my second book, Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary. And this article is based on a section of chapter 8 of my book New Insights into the Deposit of Faith. I will briefly summarize each way as follows.

1. “ ‘Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.’ ” (Dan 9:24).

The book of Daniel tells us about a period of time called “seventy weeks of years” (Dan 9:24). A week of years is seven years; seventy weeks of years is 490 years (70 x 7 = 490). At the end of that time, the reign of sin over the world will end, and everlasting righteousness will begin. Therefore, at that time, the tribulation will end, and a time of great peace and holiness will begin.

“ ‘And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.’ ” (Dan 9:27).

The last week of years is the time of the reign of the Antichrist. The half a week of years is the last half of his reign, that is, the 42 months during which he viciously attacks the Church and attempts to destroy the Christian faith. The phrases “one who makes desolate” and “the desolator” refer to the Antichrist.

The 490 years begins “from the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem” (Dan 9:25). A number of commentators, including myself, believe that this refers to the founding of the State of Israel in A.D. 1948. Counting 1948 as year one, gives us A.D. 2437 as year 490. Therefore, A.D. 2437 is the last year of the Antichrist’s reign of nearly seven years, over nearly the whole world.

According to St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, the Antichrist will be destroyed at the end of his reign by the Return of Jesus the true Christ. “And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming.” (2 Thes 2:8). St. Paul uses the apt expression “the lawless one” to refer to the Antichrist. Jesus Christ destroys the Antichrist at the time of Christ’s appearing and His Second Coming. (The “breath of his mouth” refers to the Archangel Michael, who strikes down the Antichrist when he tries to ascend to Heaven.)

Clearly, the Return of Jesus Christ will occur at the end of the Antichrist’s reign. In fact, the Antichrist is destroyed by this very means, by the appearance and return of Christ. And the Antichrist’s reign occurs during the last seven years of the 490 years. That period of 490 years began in 1948. Therefore, and without any doubt, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur in A.D. 2437.

2. At La Salette, the Virgin Mary gave two dates related to the start of the Antichrist’s reign: “In the year 1864, Lucifer with a great number of demons will be unleashed from hell” and “In the year 1865, the abomination will be seen in holy places….” These events did not occur in the A.D. 1800’s. However, during both parts of the tribulation, the Islamic faith will have a certain dominance in the world. The dates 1864 and 1865 in the Islamic calendar correspond to the dates A.D. 2430 and 2431 in the Christian (Gregorian) calendar. The events described as occurring in those years mark the start of the Antichrist’s reign over nearly the whole world. The Antichrist’s reign lasts for nearly seven years, therefore his reign will end in 2437. The Antichrist is destroyed by the Return of Christ, therefore Christ will return in A.D. 2437.

Prior to the Antichrist’s reign, the world will be divided into ten kingdoms and will be ruled by ten kings only. Then the Antichrist replaces one of those kings, the one with power over much or all of Europe. He then attacks the king who rules over much or all of the Middle East, including the holy land. This kingdom is the last kingdom on earth where Christianity, though not dominant or influential in society, is still tolerated and practiced openly. Once the Antichrist conquers this kingdom, Christians will be hated by all nations for the sake of Christ’s name (Mt 24:9). Next, two of the kings of the other kingdoms form a plan to deceive and overcome the Antichrist. The one king’s power is based in the East (perhaps in China); the other king’s power is based in Africa. But the Antichrist defeats them and takes control of their kingdoms as well. Then the remaining six kings pledge their allegiance to the Antichrist and so he becomes ruler over nearly the whole world. The Antichrist’s reign lasts less than seven years. Then Christ returns and the kingdom of God is established over the whole world.

3. The Jews in ancient times believed that the Jubilee year was associated with the arrival of the Messiah. The Jubilee year is a symbol of the Messiah. As explained in my second book, Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary, Christ was born in a Jubilee year (15/14 B.C.).

“The Sabbatical year is the 7th year; but 7 sets of 7 years are also counted, so that the 49th year, a Sabbatical year, contains the start of the Jubilee year (in the 7th month of that 7th year, counted from Nisan, as it ought to be). The Jubilee years are 49 years apart from one another, but the Jubilee year is the 50th year. So, if we count 50 sets of 49 years (50 x 49 = 2450), the last year of those 2450 years would be the 50th Jubilee year. If we start the count of this Jubilee of Jubilees from the Jubilee year at the Birth of the Messiah (15/14 B.C.), adding 2450 years brings us to the year A.D. 2436 as the start of the 50th Jubilee year. That Jubilee year begins in fall of A.D. 2436 and ends in fall of A.D. 2437. (This counting of 50 Jubilee periods does not include the Jubilee at the time of Christ’s Birth, for that year is the end of the previous Jubilee period.)”

The arrival of the Messiah, at His Birth, coincided with a Jewish Jubilee year, but so also will the Messiah’s Return (the Second Coming of Jesus Christ) coincide with a Jewish Jubilee year. The Jubilee year is a symbol and foreshadowing of the Messiah. If we count forward a Jubilee of Jubilees from Christ’s Birth, we arrive at the Jubilee year which begins in A.D. 2436 and ends in A.D. 2437. Christ will Return in the year A.D. 2437.

4. The 24th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew contains Christ’s eschatological discourse, His talk to the disciples and to us about the end times. The time of the Antichrist’s reign occurs in the A.D. 2400’s. The verse which refers to the Return of Christ is verse 37: “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man.” Christ will Return in the year A.D. 2437.

The 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew describes various problems among the religious leaders (the scribes and Pharisees). Christ was not only criticizing the religious leaders of that past time, but also future religious leaders who will behave similarly. In a particular way, the 23rd chapter refers to future problems in the Christian faith in the A.D. 2300’s. Many of the leaders of the Church in that century will fit the description and criticism given by Christ in Matthew 23. The chapter and verse numbers of Sacred Scripture are not inspired of God in the same way that the words of Sacred Scripture itself are inspired. Nevertheless, some chapter and verse numbers are arranged by the Providence of God so as to shed some additional light upon Scripture.

For example, Revelation 13:18: “…for it is a human number, its number is six hundred sixty-six.” But a footnote in the RSV edition states that some ancient versions of this text give the number as “six hundred and sixteen.” The numbers 616 add up to 13, and the numbers 666 add up to 18. The chapter and verse (Rev 13:18) reflect this dual interpretation of this number. Therefore, the number referring to the Antichrist’s name is both 616 and 666. The Antichrist’s first name will have six letters, his middle name will have six letters, and his last name will have six letters, giving us the number which refers to the Antichrist: 666. Sometimes people use a middle initial in place of their middle name, giving us the alternate number which also refers to the Antichrist: 616.

The Return of the Virgin Mary

Christ returns at the end of the Antichrist’s reign in order to establish a reign of peace and holiness on earth. When Christ returns to earth, with body and soul and Divinity united in one Person, does the Virgin Mary accompany Him? Yes. The Virgin Mary assists Christ in all that He does towards our salvation. Mary assists Christ in establishing the reign of God on earth. Christ and Mary are the only two persons who are present in the first Heaven in both body and soul. When Christ descends from Heaven in body and soul and Divinity, so also will the Virgin Mary descend from Heaven with Christ. This first Return of Christ occurs at the end of the Antichrist’s reign, in the year A.D. 2437. Christ then establishes the kingdom of God on earth. Next Christ again ascends to Heaven (the Second Ascension) and Mary is again assumed into Heaven (second Assumption). Thereafter, a time of great peace and great holiness on earth continues uninterrupted for well over a thousand years (the Millennium)

Christ will return to earth again at the end of the Millennium, at the time of the general Resurrection. Mary must also return with Christ at that time, along with all the holy souls in the first Heaven, who descend to earth in order to receive glorified bodies at the Resurrection. Mary returns to earth with Christ and the holy souls. Christ and Mary are already glorified in body and soul. At the general Resurrection, Christ gives the holy souls new bodies, patterned after His glorious body and Mary’s glorious body. Then Christ ascends into a new Heaven (third Ascension) and all the faithful, including Mary, are assumed into the new Heaven with Christ.


by Ronald L. Conte Jr.
July 28, 2004