As I have said many times, I don’t like to speculate on prophecy. There are churches whose evangelism is built solely on wild, speculative eschatology. They seem to be trying to frighten people into Heaven; not a bad thing in itself – but certainly not enough. Some of those churches may often preach from Matthew 24 and 25. And every once in a while we hear about people moving to the desert or climbing some mountain in order to await the immediate return of the Messiah. While I agree with them in principle, because I believe in the imminent return of our Lord, to sell all and ascend Mt. Spokane, awaiting the Messiah, is not a teaching found in the Bible. People who do this sort of thing have been listening to false prophets and frauds.
As I said this morning, one important ingredient in our understanding of this chapter must be the realization that this is talking primarily about Israel and her Messiah. This is prophecy about the day in which Christ returns to earth to STAY. Although there are some things which apply to us, this is not talking about the translation of today’s saints. The reference to “saints” in this chapter is to those whom the Lord saves during the Tribulation.
This evening I’m going to skip over all the difficult aspects of this chapter. What I envision here is the beautiful tapestry of return of our Saviour. Standing back from it, there is no question that it was made by a master craftsman. But if we get up really close, looking through our magnifying glass, the details actually obscure the glory of the tapestry as a whole. This tapestry is hanging on several hooks. On the left, there are three questions – “When shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” The Lord doesn’t directly answer, but a few feet down the wall, there is another hook. Verse 27 – “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Then there is verse 36 – “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Then the right side hook is found in verse 44 – “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
That which I’d like us to consider this evening is graphically clear. As I just said, I preach the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am an unashamed pre-millennialist and a pre-tribulationalist. That Jesus Christ shall descend from Heaven, snatch away his people, and then return permanently seven years later is not obscure doctrine. More then a quarter of the Bible is predictive prophecy. And approximately one third of it yet to be fulfilled. Both Testaments are full of promises about aspects of Christ’s coming which are yet to be fulfilled. There are over 1,800 references in seventeen Old Testament books which highlight this theme. Of the 260 chapters in the New Testament, there are more than 300 references to the Lord’s return. That is one out of every thirty verses. Twenty-three of the twenty-seven New Testament books refer to this great event. Three of the other four are single-chapter letters written to individuals dealing with other matters. And the fourth is Galatians, which does implies Christ’s coming again, without directly declaring it For every prophecy of Jesus’ first coming, there are eighty-seven speaking of Christ’s Second Coming. The Second Coming of Christ is part of the hope of the Christian and the nightmare of Satan.
Whatever men may say – Jesus Christ – IS – coming to earth again.
The Holy Spirit never uses superfluous words and never gives redundant explanations. When He repeats a theme as often as He does the “parousea“ it indicates that it is critically important. He wants you to see, learn and live in the light that Jesus is returning to earth some day – soon. And please keep in mind that for the Jews, this coming is at least seven years from now, but they are still supposed to live in the expectation and anticipation of that day. But for you and me, who have seen the Saviour by faith, hanging in blood on the cross, bearing our sins, for us – Jesus is coming as final Redeemer and Deliverer. He is coming from Heaven with a moving van wearing the company name “Fiery Chariots.” He is coming to move the saints to the true White House. For those who treasuring up sin – those who are proud of your stubborn ungodliness – the Saviour shall come as the Destroying Angel – as Judge. Behold the bridegroom cometh; the Saviour cometh, the Judge cometh, the Lover of souls cometh, the God of heaven and earth is on his way.
Every once in a while the Spirit throws the word “behold” at us. Twice the Lord Jesus used that word in Matthew 23. “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes….” And verse 38 – “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” In the Book of Revelation John was in the Spirit as he wrote, moved along by the Holy Spirit, and then all of a sudden he shouts: “Behold, behold” – like a starving sailor adrift at sea, seeing some landfall. Revelation1:7 – “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” John doesn’t simply say, “Jesus is coming in the sweet by and by.” He shouts out, “I can see the Lord preparing Himself; I can see Him coming!” This word suggests a personal, visual, and literal coming. And after the Jesus’ resurrection, the ladies said to disciples, “The body of Jesus isn’t in the tomb where we placed it. Behold – come and see.” That word “behold” told the disciples that what the ladies were saying could be visually proven. And it also gave them something about which to be really, really excited. And to behold the return Christ in the scriptures should give us the same.
So John doesn’t mildly say “He cometh” – He vigorously cries – “BEHOLD, he cometh!” No truth in this blessed book ought more zealously proclaimed. It is not “perhaps” – it is positive; it is not “maybe” – it is as matter of fact. To this give all the prophets witness – “Jesus cometh.” As Jesus speaks to His disciples there is no question about IF the Lord is coming, only about when. And as far as you and I are concerned, there is nothing to stop Him from keeping His promise today. He is not dependent on man’s Christianizing the world, as the Post-millennialists teach. It is not necessary for Israel to prosper as nation, or for peace to encircle the globe. And without a doubt Satan has no control or veto in the matter.
The word “behold” suggests that He is already on the way. I have told you before that I dislike the phrase, “If the Lord delayeth His coming, we will do this or that …” That’s as unscriptural as to say God is surprised when someone repents and is saved. That is to suggest that the Lord doesn’t know or hasn’t made specific plans for His own return. Don’t get idea that the Lord is so busy that He has forgotten His appointment and suddenly has to rush to get back to earth. Don’t be nervous that just because 2,100 years have passed that the promise of God has expired. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen.” People were telling Peter, 2000 years ago, that it had been years since Jesus had left and therefore He probably wasn’t coming back at all. And what was the Prophet’s reply? “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
Jesus Christ is coming again – Are you ready to meet the Him?
We notice that His coming will be seen of all.
“Every eye shall him,” says the Scripture. It doesn’t say that every mind, every heart, or every dying soul, but every eye. In other words, His coming will not be spiritual and invisible, but as literal as His first coming. It will be as literal as His departure. When the disciples saw their Saviour rise before them and ascend into heaven . . . an angel said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” If the Bible does not mean what says there is no sense having Bibles at all. Jesus is coming again. Remember the words of Job 19:25-27: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.
Christ Jesus is to be seen around the world when He returns. Kings and peasants, the proletariat and atheistic communist party members shall see the Lord. The prisoner shall see Him, and the President, and the Prime Minister of Canada. The insolent Pharisees, and the impudent, and the impenitent will see Him. You know, even those who are already dead and buried will eventually see the Lord. Jesus told Caiaphas, the High Priest, “Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Scripture says that even those who pierced Christ shall eventually see Him alive and very well. And how will these dead see the Lord? They shall eventually be raised from the dead themselves. Eventually “every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” And that includes our tongues as well. If you are a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus, I urge you to live a holy life, His life, because the Lord Jesus is coming again. Those who live looking to the Saviour, “purify themselves even as He is pure.” If you don’t see the evil influence of sin today, you certainly will when the Saviour returns.
That coming will be GREAT – both in GLORY and in SORROW.
I debated about reading this entire chapter tonight, but I chose to do so to show you some of the conditions of the world during the Tribulation. There will be sorrow affecting every part of this globe. As this chapter reminds us – perhaps the world will be happy to see the coming of the Saviour. Do recall when the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of presence of God, first came up to Jerusalem? First, there was dancing in the street, but it quickly turned to fear and great sorrow. And even when David was exultant, Michal and others were livid. Men lost their lives at the earlier return of the Lord to city of David. When Jesus Christ shall return to earth it will be as its lawful Lord and Master. Those who’ve so long lived in sin and pride will feel His wrathful judgment. And there will even be multitudes of Christians whose hearts will be broken at His coming.
There are scriptures which say that the world will wail because of Him. I can’t describe right now all that this entails, because I don’t know it all. But this will probably be like the sound of a mother lamenting the death of her only child. In the days of the Exodus – all Egypt wailed. That will be nothing compared to the 5 billion plus who will weep in the day of the Second Coming. In that day Jesus shall come as God and judge. Justice, and not mercy, will the theme that day.
And why will the people of world wail because of Him? For the atheist – he’ll see that he really did have faith but that it was all wrong. For cultist – he’ll see that he worshiped at wrong shrine. And that the hell that he denied is very real and looming up in front of him. For the Roman Catholic – he’ll see that there is no vicar of Christ on earth. For the Muslim – he’ll learn that Allah is not God, and that Mohamed was a false prophet. For the Hindu – he’ll see that philosophy doesn’t save from sin, and his mantra is mumbo-jumbo. And for many Baptists – they shall see that church membership was not good enough. We all must be redeemed; We must kiss the Son while there is still time.
The scene doesn’t go exactly this way for the Christian. But if the Lord Jesus came today would you weep and whimper or wax in joyful praise? You might say, “Since Christ Jesus has forgiven me of my sin, I will not wail.” Yes, but if you are living in sin, you will still weep, but just in a different key. How can we who have felt effect Jesus’ saving blood, spit and trample on it through continued sin? How can we accept his love and stubbornly defy His will for lives? If we break the laws of the United States, we can expect to eventually be caught and suffer. If we defy the laws of God, we can’t expect less. This chapter is speaking about the return of Christ with His saints. Won’t it be a glorious day when the Saviour returns for his saints? Will you be among them, or will you be living on the edges of the prophecies of this chapter?