Getting back to our study into the Book of Revelation and picking back up with the nation of Israel who we know to be a place and a people specially handpicked from God. Back in the biblical times, the nation of Israel entered into a covenant with God to follow Him and all His ways, but as we all can attest to, despite our best intentions, it didn't last. Their hearts weren't in the right place and soon Israel began to rebel against God. So God used Israels' enemies to scattered her to the ends of the earth, but God didn't allow them all to die. He saved a remnant that He would bring back to His land again, which happened on May 14, 1948, when the nation of Israel became a nation in one day for the second time. Ever since that time, enemies of Israel have been doing their best in hopes of destroying her again and taking over the land, but the Bible is quite clear that this will NEVER happen.
We see Israel referred to in the Great Tribulation as the day of Jacob's Trouble, because Jacob was renamed Israel by God. Israel has always been and will always be the apple of God's eye. Woe to those who turn their back against her, much like most of the countries have begun to do for the first time since 1948 and may God help us if we don't wake up soon. God's protection will always be over Israel and any people or nation that sides with them as well, like the United States has done since President Trump is in office.
In the book of Daniel 9:24 ~ "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your hold city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy." (NIV).
These means 490 years for Daniel and his people, the Jewish people in the holy city of Jerusalem. To finish the transgression, which Jesus did on the cross, "to put an end to sin" - Jesus did that on the cross, "to atone for wickedness" - that is bringing us to God through His sacrifice and guaranteed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Sunday morning, "To bring in everlasting righteousness" - this has not happened yet. When Jesus Christ returns, He will set up His kingdom, the Bible says, and He will rule in righteousness.
Zechariah 12:9-11 ~ "On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jersusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On the day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo." (NIV).
This prophecy was written 1000 years before the birth of Jesus and speaks of His Second Coming. God is saying He will take out anyone who tries to mess with Israel. It is where Jesus will rule and reign. Jesus Christ is coming back and He is coming back in judgment.
Revelation 1:7 ~ "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be~ Amen. "(NIV).
The book of Revelation is considered the book of books because the entirety of the Bible penned by 40 authors, 66 various books over 2000 years and Revelation is where we can get cross referenced to all the other books with such clarity and centrality of one theme, being Jesus. Just the book of Daniel, the book of Revelation quotes from it 31 times alone. This is the very reason so many people shy away from reading the book of Revelation, because they haven't ready any of the other books that have proceeded it. The book of Revelation also deals primarily with the nation of Israel continuing as a nation in the last days. In our lifetime, the nation of Israel still exists. It is the one nation that had existed, ceased to exist and now will exist forevermore. So many people mocked the study of Revelation, because the nation of Israel hadn't existed yet, but it does now.
We know that Christmas is coming when we see the stores bring out all their Christmas decorations even at the beginning of Fall if not before then. We know Thanksgiving is near because we see the Christmas decorations out already. We know the coming of Jesus and the rapture of the church is coming soon because we see the signs on the horizon and the Bible is pretty clear just like Christmas decorations, as to what those days ahead would look like before He returns.
So in today's study we will look at three things from verse 7 in Revelation.
Jesus Christ is Coming Again. His coming will be a universal event.
"Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen." (NIV).
This means that it will be a global event. This refers to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This is important. The first coming of Jesus Christ, He came to the nation of Israel, He was born in Bethlehem, presented Himself as King on Palm Sunday week, in Israel, in Jerusalem to the Jewish people. That was His First Coming. His Second Coming is very much like His First Coming in purpose, it's a presentation to the Jewish people and the nation of Israel, as the Messiah. Between the First and Second Coming, we have a predominately Gentile event known as the Rapture of the Church. The reason this is being brought up is because we are going to be looking at scriptures from two very different events.
But the first thing we see from John's perspective is the Second Coming, it is a universal event. He's coming in glory that everyone will see. No one will be able to miss this event. Notice that it says He is coming with the clouds. This has nothing to do with a weather event or a storm front that comes rolling in. It's not the clouds you or I would see. This is a glorious appearing in the clouds, not like anything we have ever seen before. John is warning people to pay attention because this isn't something you want to miss. He is drawing attention to this event. Jesus Christ is the only one who died and rose from the dead as our Lord and Savior and yet He is the one all the world mocks and makes fun of. No other religion tolerates that kind of abuse of who they worship, except with Jesus people think it's okay.
We will never see glory as we will when we see Jesus coming. No matter how great our church service or worship service will ever get close. We fail to think of Jesus that way, we think of Him as the shepherd on the hill with the lamb, the calm and happy version. We don't see Him as He is right now, sitting in His glory. Peter, James and John got a brief opportunity when they got to see Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah but even that pales in comparison to what Jesus will look like when He returns.
In Daniel 7:13 ~ "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence." (NIV).
He spoke of this 1000's of years before the mention of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:29-30 ~ "Immediately after the distress of those days "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give off its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken." At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." (NIV).
Mark 13:26 ~ "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory." (NIV).
Luke 21:27 ~ "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (NIV).
1 Thessalonians 4:17 ~ "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (NIV).
Those are the events that are speaking of the Second Coming and the Rapture of the Church. Wherever Jesus is, there is glory! The glory of Jesus when He returns will far surpass anything that Speilberg or Lucas have done for Hollywood. It will pale by all their efforts.
It states that Jesus is coming back with clouds. This is where some debate among scholars exists. They all believe in His glory, in the Second Coming the church is already present with Christ in Heaven when He returns. The church appears in Revelation 19:11 ~ " I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter" He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (NIV).
"The armies of Heaven" is a reference to the church. Fine linen is reserved for the bride of Christ, the church. Whereas the Tribulation Saints are given white robes to wear. The church wears fine, white linen. This is our wedding gown. We are riding a horse, in a wedding gown, probably with a helmet on, who follow Jesus on his own horse. There are some people today who won't believe this will happen until they see it. Trust me, you won't want to wait until You do. Time will be up by then if you see this sight and you haven't made a choice yet.
He is also coming in power, in strength and every eye will see Him. This is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and it is not the rapture of the church.
Matthew 24:30 ~ "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." (NIV).
Not those who are looking for Him. Not a select few that wait for Him. But every human being on earth will see Him coming. Nothing is impossible for God. He stands outside the laws of nature and physics and how He will bring this about, we know it isn't impossible when He makes is happen. He could make it happen in visions, dreams, in the atmosphere right in front of our face if He wanted, He could project Himself to every single person. He will be coming from the east to the west and stop on the Mount of Olives that will split in two. EVERY EYE will see him.
The Second Coming is a Coming, a returning and the Rapture is an appearance, atmospherically. The One is, to take away his church, the Other is to take back the earth.
Regarding the Countdown to the Second Coming, Matthew 24:21-27 ~ "For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - of that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (NIV).
He promises when He comes back, people WILL know it. The Second Coming brings judgment and the establishment of righteousness, and the 1000 year presidency of Jesus Christ. The Rapture takes us into joy and excitement and wedding and a reception in heaven. These two events are at least 7 years apart from one another. and we will take a closer look at the rapture and the nation of Israel in tomorrow's study.
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