In yet another prediction of the second coming of Christ, a Christian computer scientist has put his credibility on the line by predicting that the much prophesied event will take place before 2017 begins.
Nora Roth, a self-proclaimed Bible student, specifically predicted that the second coming of Christ will happen on New Year's Eve, The Gospel Herald reported. Her findings, written on her blog "The Mark of the Beast," are based on her calculations and analysis of the 70 "sevens" prophecy mentioned in the book of Daniel.
Roth noted that God mandated the seventh day of the week to be the sabbath day. He also instructed the Israelites to observe the sabbath year or sabbatical year, which is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle.
Leviticus 25: 3-4 says: "For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord."
Roth said she used this principle and applied it to the prophecy in the book of Daniel.
"The 70 'sevens' prophecy in Daniel 9:24 has two fulfillments. First, the 70 'sevens' are 70 sabbatical cycles—490 years, pointing to the first coming of Jesus as our Savior from sin," she wrote.
"Second, the 70 'sevens' are 70 Jubilee cycles—3,431 years, pointing to the second coming of Jesus when His people will be permanently freed from sin. In the fall of 2016 the 6,000 years of sin on earth will come to an end, everlasting righteousness will be brought in, and Jesus will come again."
After this, Roth said the earth will rest for 1,000 years.
"The most important thing we can do right now is to give ourselves completely to God in humility and repentance and by faith to receive Jesus as our personal Savior," she said. "Now is the time to seek God, while He may be found. Now is the time to repent. Today is the day to choose to receive Jesus Christ fully and to abide in Him."
Roth is not the first one to predict a date for the second coming of Christ.
Harold Camping, a preacher from California, predicted Jesus would return on May 21, 2011. His prediction of the Judgment Day was even seen on billboards and trucks.
When Jesus did not return to earth as predicted, Camping changed the date to October of the same year. However, it did not come to pass either. In 2012, Camping admitted his prophecy was wrong, telling his followers on his website that he had no evidence proving his prediction.
Camping passed away in 2013 at the age of 92.
Author and pastor Ronald Weinland also predicted that Jesus would return on September 29, 2011. When it didn't happen, he moved the date to May 27, 2012, and when that also failed, he moved it again to May 18, 2013.
Televangelist Jack Van Impe also predicted Jesus' return in 2012. He has stopped giving predictions since.
