The Jewish people today are looking for their Messiah to save them from constant oppression by 100,000,000 Arabs and Moslems surrounding them with a constant threat of annihilation. The Bible clearly states that they will accept a false messiah at the beginning of the tribulation period following the rapture. This antichrist will cause extreme persecution of the Jewish people. It is during this bleak period of man's existence that they will finally be led to accept the true Christ Jesus. Daniel describes this period as "there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since their was a nation, and, at that time, thy people shall be delivered." Dan. 12:1.
Not until the Jewish nation has undergone the terrible judgement of the Tribulation shall they accept Christ as their Messiah. They will accept this false Messiah as a "man of peace", a man with the answer to their problems of peace and safety. He (the antichrist) will establish a covenant with the Jewish people (a "remnant") and will guarantee peace for them. However, after the rapture of the Church, at the midpoint of the tribulation, the antichrist will break his covenant and will establish himself as God, in the temple of God (the tabernacle), claiming that He is God. This is referred to by Daniel as "The Abomination of Desolation". This will then begin the last 3 ½ years of this age or "the Great Tribulation".
These things lead us to another truth concerning the Rapture. Daniel 12:11 states "From the time the daily sacrifice shall be taken away (the restored form of worship shall be taken away) and the abomination of desolation (antichrist exhalting himself as God) set up, their shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days..now go thy way until the end be, for thy shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." Dan. 12:12-13) From the time that the antichrist shalt exalt himself as God until the time of the end shall be 1290 days. (refer to message #5: "The Antichrist - Who is He?"). This is a specific time that those who are living in the Tribulation that learn of God's word concerning these things will know`when Christ's second advent will occur. Remember this: The rapture (1st part of Christ's Coming again) is imminent, we know not the day and hour which it will occur, only the general time, even when it is at the door. However, the second advent is a precisely foretold event which will occur exactly as he said it will just as Christ first coming was precisely , to the day, 483 years after the commandment to restore Jerusalem was given to Nehemiah. (refer to message #7: "Daniel's Vision of the Seventy Weeks").. Thus, if a precise date can be given to the second advent then to what was the reference made concerning the fact that we cannot know the day and hour?- the Rapture!!