Does the salvation spoken of in the Bible simply mean that a person’s soul goes to heaven after death? When we examine biblical history, we see that even when God’s people were judged because of sin and apostasy—turning away from His Word—God opened a way of salvation for them once again.
In the Old Testament, the people of Israel turned away from God and worshiped idols. As a result, they were defeated by Babylon and taken into captivity for 70 years. After this period ended, God allowed the Israelites to return and rebuild the temple. The prophecy concerning these 70 years can also be found in Jeremiah 25:11 and Daniel 9:2.
What, then, will happen at the time of the Lord’s Second Coming?
The Period of Destruction Shortened from 70 Years to 42 Months
Jesus foretold that God’s chosen people would face tribulation in the last days, saying:
“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” — Matthew 24:22
The important phrase here is “no flesh be saved.” This indicates that the salvation God accomplishes at the Second Coming can be understood as involving not only the salvation of the soul after death, but also the salvation of those who are physically alive.
If the period of destruction were 70 years, as it was in the Old Testament, it would be difficult for people to survive physically and receive salvation. Therefore, at the time of the Second Coming, this period was shortened to 42 months so that people could receive salvation while still living in the flesh.
The Life Jesus Spoke About
In John 11:25–26, Jesus declared that He is “the resurrection, and the life,” and said that whoever lives and believes in Him shall never die.
Therefore, when we seek to understand the Second Coming and salvation, we should not limit our perspective to the idea that “when we die, we go to heaven.” Instead, we should examine the whole of Scripture to understand what kind of salvation the Bible promises at the time of the Second Coming.
At the Second Coming, after spiritual Israel sins and undergoes a 42-month period of destruction, Jesus chooses one shepherd, makes known to him the events of betrayal and destruction, and promises that these things will be testified to the churches (Revelation 22:8, 16).
Through those who hear this testimony and come out, the Twelve Tribes of the New Spiritual Israel are established. It is here that the promised “salvation of the flesh” at the Second Coming is fulfilled.
What, Then, Should We Verify?
What matters is that we do not simply believe what people say, but personally examine the prophecies recorded in the Bible and their fulfillment.
We should carefully study the Scriptures to understand how the Second Coming, the 42 months, the chosen people, the one who overcomes, the Twelve Tribes, and salvation are connected to one another.
If you want to understand what salvation means at the time of the Lord’s Second Coming, begin by asking this question:
“Is the salvation spoken of in the Bible for the last days only the salvation of the soul, or does it also include salvation for those who are physically alive?”
The first step toward understanding salvation at the Second Coming is to seek the answer not through human thoughts or conventional assumptions, but according to the Word of the Bible itself.