BREAKING NEWS: Sky Splits Open, Jesus Christ Returns!

BREAKING NEWS: Sky Splits Open, Jesus Christ Returns is the next installment of my Signs of the End Times series. In this post I will focus on will happen when Jesus returns at the end of the 7-Year Tribulation period. Unlike the Rapture where no one saw Him catch away His Followers, everyone will witness His Second Coming. 

When Jesus Christ returns He will put an end to the Antichrist and his evil rule. Likewise, after Jesus Christ conquers Antichrist and his deceived army, He will judge the nations and people of the world. Then, Jesus will establish His kingdom in the city of Jerusalem and reign for 1000 years. This is known as the Millennial Kingdom.

At the end of the 1000 years will come the Great White Throne Judgement. It is after the Great White Throne Judgment that God creates a new heaven and earth where the followers of Christ will dwell for eternity!

This moment according to Scripture was “foreordained before the foundation of the world.”

“He [Jesus] (emphasis added) indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1Pe 1:20).

One-Third of The Bible Is Prophecy

Scholars have concluded that one-third of the Bible is prophecy. Prophecy is the foretelling of events that will come to pass in the future. The Bible is the only book in all the world that has dared to prophesy of events that will occur hundreds or thousands of years in the future with 100% accuracy by the way.

Fulfilled prophecies of the Bible are proof beyond dispute of the Living God Who knows all things from the beginning to the end.

“And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe” (John 14:29).

• Dr. Harold Willmington of Liberty University has found 416 Bible prophecies that have been fulfilled in accordance with their projected timetable. He stated: “Every prophecy of the Bible that should have been fulfilled to date has been fulfilled.”
• Dr. N. W. Hutchings states: “There are hundreds and possibly thousands of prophecies in the Bible that have been fulfilled.” “Moreover, there are many prophecies relating to the triumphant return of Jesus Christ, His millennial reign, and His eternal Kingdom. Therefore, we can be sure that if all the prophecies concerning Jesus Christ at His first coming were fulfilled to the letter, that all the prophecies relating to His second coming will be fulfilled to the letter.”

Jesus in the Book of Revelation

Most people think that the book of Revelation is about what happens “in the end.” Doom and gloom type of stuff. However, the real story in Revelation is a book from Jesus about Jesus.

When you change your focus, you will find that this King of kings and Lord of lords is no longer a babe in a manger. This Righteous Ruler has had enough! Moreover, this King, Jesus Christ returns to set free His people from the evil grasp of Satan and his followers. You never need to doubt the Word of God. Moreover, you can bet your life on it!

Those who have snub Jesus throughout the ages unfortunately, bet on the wrong side.

No Longer A Babe in A Manger

Revelation 1:14-16 states:

“His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

These verses make it extremely clear that Jesus is no longer a babe in a manger. We see Jesus as He truly was, is, and will be forevermore. He is The Great I AM.

The Characteristics of Our Returning Savior

When John the beloved Apostle sees Jesus, Jesus’ characteristics remind us of Who our Messiah Is.  Digging deeper we understand that when John describes he is telling us that His:

• Hair is white as wool/snow represents age, wisdom, and purity.
• Eyes are like a flame of fire represents penetrating insight. We are reminded:
  • ” For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deut 4:24). Implying consuming indignation against sin (Jamieson, Fausett & Brown)
  • “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer 17:10).
• Feet are fine brass refined in a furnace represents judgment.
• Voice as the sound of many waters represents majestic authority.
• Mouth is likened to a sharp two-edged sword. The Sword is the Word of God. Moreover, Jesus Christ is the Word. All He needs to do is say:
  • “Let there be . . .”; and there was.” (Gen 1:3)
  • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4).
• Countenance was like the sun represents His Glory and Holiness.
  • The glory of Jesus is so great, so shining, that it is hard to even look upon Him. (Spurgeon)

The Breakdown of the Chapters in the Book of Revelation:

• Chapters 1-3 Reveal Jesus during the ‘Church’ age.
• Chapters 4-18 Reveal Jesus during the ‘7-year Tribulation’.
• Chapters1 9-20 Reveal Jesus in His Millennial kingdom.
• Chapters 21-22 Reveal Jesus throughout eternity.

The First Coming of Jesus

Dr. N. W. Hutchings in his article Prophecies Yet To Be Fulfilled states: “The Old Testament is the part of the Bible written before Jesus was born. Its writings were completed in 450 B.C. The Old Testament, written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, contains over 300 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled through His life, death, and resurrection.”

He continues: “Mathematically speaking, the odds of anyone fulfilling this amount of prophecy are staggering. Mathematicians put it this way:

• 1 person fulfilling 8 prophecies: 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000
• 1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies: 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power
• 1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies: Only Jesus!”

Dr. David Reagan states: “There are over 500 prophecies in the Old Testament that refer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.”

Therefore, we can conclude without any doubt that since Jesus fulfilled the First Coming prophecies, He will also fulfill the Second Coming Prophecies.

The First Coming of Jesus Was to Bring the Good News of Salvation

When Jesus was visiting in Nazareth He went to the synagogue as was His custom. He was asked to read from the Scroll of Isaiah. Consequently, the Scripture reading on that particular day was Isa 61:1-24. However, Jesus did not read the full passage. He only read Isa 61:1-2a.

In case you are curious this portion of the Torah (Old Testament) will be read again on July 10, 2021, in synagogues and homes around the world.

“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.
And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed.
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

“Then He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” 
(Luke 4:16-21).

Why did Jesus stop reading at that point? The Lord only read the part of the verses that pertained to His ministry at that time. His ministry was to call all people to the Kingdom of God through repentance. The rest of the passage pertained to His Second Coming. That is why He stopped reading at that particular spot.

The Lord’s Second Coming

The Second Coming of the Lord has to do with Judgement. Consequently, the scripture goes on to state: “2b. And the day of vengeance of our God;”

“2b. And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified” 
(Isa 61:2b-3).

The Lord will never break His covenant with Israel. The First Coming was not about vengeance. However, His Second Coming…

The Goal of the Second Coming Will Be To:

• Bring a remnant of Jewish people to accept Jesus alone as their Messiah.
  • “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew…” (Ro 11:1-2).
  • “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;” (Ro 11:25-26).
• Give mankind a final chance to repent and accept His gift of Salvation.
  • “With my soul, I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Is 26:9).
  • “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent” (2 Pe 3:9).
• Execute final judgment on those who refused to accept Him as Lord, the One who gave them breath.
  • “God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies; 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:2-3).

A Few Prophecies of Jesus Christ’s Return

• Da 7:13-14 – “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.”
• Isa 2:2-4 – “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it.”
• Isa 40:5 – “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Jesus Christ Spoke of His Return

• Mt 16:27a – “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels…” (see also Mt 25:31)
• Mt 24:30 – “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (See also Mk 13:26; Lk 21:27).
• Mk 14:62 – “Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
• John 14:28a – “You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you…”

The Angels Spoke of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming

•  Acts 1:11 – “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

The Apostles Spoke of the Lord’s Second Coming

• Acts 3:20-21 – “and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
• 1Co 11:26 – “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
• 1Th 3:13 – “so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”
• 2Th 1:7 – “and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.“
• Heb 9:28 – “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

The Timing of Jesus Christ’s Return is Up to God

• Acts 3:20-21 – “and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
• Acts 1:7 – “And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”
• Luke 17:20-24 – “Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.” 
• Luke 26-30 – “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”

What Will The Day of the Lord be Like?

Let’s look at a few Scriptures that give us insight into what the Second Coming / Day of the Lord will be like.

• “Blow the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand: 2 A day of:
  • darkness and gloominess, a day of
  • clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.” (Joel 2:1-2).
• “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31)
• “The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. 15 That day is a day of:
  • wrath, a day of
  • trouble and distress, a day of
  • devastation and desolation, a day of
  • darkness and gloominess, a day of
  • clouds and thick darkness, 16 a day of 
  • trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. 

“I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, And their flesh like refuse. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.” (Zep 1:14-18)

The Pulpit Commentary states:

“In this storming of cities and universal ruin, sinners shall perish without hope. Not knowing where they go in their terror and confusion, seeking a way of escape and finding none because they have sinned. They cannot bribe this enemy; their wealth cannot win for them immunity.”

The David Guzik Commentary tells us:

“God wants to make it plain and certain that He will judge a rebellious Judah. If they do not repent, there will be no holding back from the completion of His judgment. Men trust in silver and gold, but it will do them no good on the day of God’s deliverance.”

The Valley of Decision – Joel 3:14-17

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon will grow dark,
and the stars will diminish their brightness.
The Lord also will roar from Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem;
The heavens and earth will shake,
but the Lord will be a shelter for His people,
and the strength of the children of Israel. 
So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain.
Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”
(Joel 3:14-17)

In these verses Jamieson, Fausett & Brown comment that this is the valley in which they are to meet their “determined doom.” The same as “the valley of Jehoshaphat,” that is, “the valley of judgment.”

The Pulpit Commentary tells us that “Jehovah is seen in the awfulness of his majesty and in the fearfulness of his judgments on the wicked, while he is a Refuge and Strength for his people.”

The Pulpit Commentary goes on to state: “the densely packed masses are already in the valley of decision, awaiting the judgment about to be executed upon them. But before the judgment actually bursts upon them, and in preparation for it, the sky is overcast; darkness, as a portent of the approaching storm, envelops them; the lights of heaven are put out. The pitchy darkness of a night in which neither moon nor stars appear is sufficiently dismal and awful; still more terrible, if possible, is darkness in the daytime, when the light of the sun is turned into blackness.”

Not a Hollywood Production

Hollywood could not come close to portraying the sheer terror of the moment for those in this valley of decision. However, Scripture does not tell us if there are those in the valley that will realize that they have been duped by Satan‘s man, the Antichrist. One can only hope that they will and finally bow their knee and accept the gift of Salvation and spend eternity in Jesus Christ’s kingdom.

How Will People React to Jesus Christ’s Second Coming?

• We are told that the tribes of the earth will mourn.
  • Mt 24:30 – “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
• There are many that will doubt and scoff.
  • 2Pe 3:4 – “and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
• However, many others will rejoice.
  • Rev 15:3b-4 – “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments.”

Jesus Christ’s Return – Revelation 19:11-16

Here it is! The King of kings and Lord of lords finally arrive. Moreover, just as those who follow Christ in this Church Age long for the Rapture, likewise, believers who have survived the horrific Tribulation have been yearning for Christ’s Second Coming. Moreover, the Jewish Nation will finally accept Jesus Christ as their long-awaited Messiah.

Let’s look a little deeper into the Scriptures that explain this event and make some intriguing observations.

Revelation 19:11

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He judges and makes war” (Rev 19:11). We observe in this verse:

• Jesus Is riding a white horse. In Biblical times, especially among Israel most soldiers were foot soldiers. To have a horse in battle spoke of honor, power, and speed. The color of the horse is meant to denote victory. The Roman conqueror, when he enjoyed a triumph, on returning from a campaign, rode up the Via Sacra on a white horse, and the Romans crowded to the house-tops to gaze upon the hero as he exhibited his spoils.

• Jesus Is called Faithful and True. Unlike mankind throughout the ages,we see that our Lordis the keeper of promises, including His promises of judgment. Moreover, we never have to be afraid that will not keep His Word. After all we have already see earlier that Jesus Chris is the Word.

• Jesus In righteousness judges and makes war. The Lord has given mankind numerous opportunities to repent of their wickedness. One of the reasons we saw earlier for the period of tribulation was to give mankind a final chance to repent and accept His gift of Salvation. Judgment comes only after a long time of grace, patience, and mercy. However, the world that rejected Him before rejects Him again. Jesus Christ comes now to judge a world hardened and totally given over to their rebellion against Him.

Revelation 19:12-14

12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 

These verses further describe this event that many fear and others long for.  We see:

• His eyes were like a flame of fire.
  • There are no secrets, lewd thoughts, or unbelieving skepticism, that Christ does not see. There is no hypocrisy, formalism, nor deceit, that he does not scan as easily as a man reads a page in a book.
    • “For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecc 12:14)
    • “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment” (Mat 12:36).
• On His head were many crowns.
  • Rev 12:3 states the fiery red dragon had seven diadems on his seven heads.
  • The beast in Rev 13:1 wore ten crowns on his ten horns.
  • However, Jesus Christ wears many crowns.
    • The ancient Greek word used for crowns here is the diadema, which is the crown of royalty and authority. In the First Coming, Jesus wore a crown of thorns, but not this time. Jesus has always been the ultimate One of royal authority and power. There will be no question of His infinite and eternal sovereignty.
• He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. – Likewise, Jesus will give each of us a new name:
  • To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it” (Rev 2:17).
  • He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name” (Rev 3:12).
• He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood. The Jamieson, Fausett & Brown Commentary states:
  • “The blood on His robe reminds us of His own blood shed for even the ungodly who trample on it. It is also a premonition of the shedding of their blood in righteous retribution. He sheds the blood, not of the godly, as the harlot and beast did, but of the blood-stained ungodly.”
• His name is called The Word of God. – Repeating what we discovered in Rev 1:16:
  • Jesus Christ is the Word. All He needs to do is say: “Let there be . . .”; and there  was.” (Gen 1:3)
  • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4).
• The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
  • The Son of God leads the people of God from heaven to the battle to be waged on earth. Moreover, there is little doubt that angels will also accompany Jesus and His people.
  • We also notice that the only armor or weapon for any soldier in this army that follows Jesus is the only one they need: clothed in fine linen, white and clean. This army finally gets to witness the judgement and destruction of the evil sinfulness that has plagued mankind since the fall in the garden of Eden. (see Genesis chapter 3)

Revelation 19:15

15 – Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 

This is a dramatic way of referring to the power of His Word. “Christ conquers by the power of His Word” (Johnson).

Psalm 2:1-9 is one of the prophecies that Jesus will fulfill when He returns to rule the nations with a rod and reign in triumph.

Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.”

“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
(Psalm 2:1-9)

Revelation 19:16

16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

There will be no doubt who this Conquering King is. The name is on His thigh for prominence, being easily visible when seated on a horse. 

The Supper of the Great God is for the Birds

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great” (Rev 19:17-18).

A Few Observations on Revelation 19:17

• In Judaism, following biblical practice, the honored dead are buried. Not to be buried is a disgrace and being torn apart by buzzards and dogs is the ultimate disgrace (Jewish New Testament Commentary)
• This is a bold and powerful picture of the battlefield after the victory of the Messiah, “a sacrificial feast spread on God’s table for all the vultures of the sky” (Swete).
• Men of all stations are judged. The high and the low together, if they remain hardened in their rejection of Jesus, will be judged. “The divine judgment upon the wicked is no respecter of persons or station and is the great equalizer of all.” (Walvoord)

William R. Newell points to four different suppers described in the Bible.

• The supper of salvation, alluded to in Jesus’ parable (Luke 14:16-24).
• The Lord’s supper, a commemoration of Jesus’ sacrifice.
• The marriage supper of the Lamb.
• The supper of the great God.

“If you reject the first supper, the second supper will mean nothing to you. Then you will not be present at the third supper but will be present at the fourth supper. Everybody gets to attend at least one of these suppers, but some will eat and others are eaten (emphasis added) at the suppers.”

God Gathers the Beast and Kings of the Earth

Antichrist and his cohorts believe that they have come up with the idea of warring with Jesus in the Satanic delusion of keeping Jesus Christ from sitting on His rightful throne. However, it is our Creator God who has brought them together. Unbeknownst to the evil men throughout the ages who wrongly thought the world bowed at their feet, it was, is and always will be God who is in control for His purposes and glory.

“For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem…” (Zech 14:2)

Touchdown Jesus! The Mount of Olives

When Jesus returns, according to Zechariah 14:3-4, He will come first to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. “Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.”

This will be the fulfillment of the cry of Israel seen in  Isaiah 64:1-2. “Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence; as fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil; to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence!”

This prayer for deliverance will be on the lips of the Jewish people surviving through the Great Tribulation.

After the terrible persecution of the Antichrist, Israel as a whole will turn their hearts towards Jesus, and He will deliver them at this late hour. It was in Matthew 23:39 where Jesus spoke these words to His disciples: “I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

It Only Takes a Moment

“And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army” (Rev 19:19).

Some find it hard to understand how man could be so foolish to battle against Jesus and His heavenly army. Spoke would tell them “it is illogical Captain.” However, to these deceived minds it is the logical conclusion of man’s constant war against God since the fall.

William R. Newell states: “This is the incurable insanity of sin, which wars away in spite of defeat after defeat, against a holy God.”

“Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image” (Rev 19:20).

The Apostle John did not describe the battle in the Book of Revelation. However, we do get a glimpse in Zechariah 12-16 of what takes place in this one-sided battle.

And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:

12 “Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.“

13 “It shall come to pass in that day
That a great panic from the Lord will be among them.“

15 “Such also shall be the plague
On the horse and the mule,
On the camel and the donkey,
And on all the cattle that will be in those camps.
So shall this plague be.“

16 “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations
which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year
to worship the King, the Lord of hosts…”
(Zechariah 12-16)

Victory! the Antichrist and False Prophet are Captured!

“Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Rev 19:20).

The beast and the false prophet receive special treatment. They are cast alive into the lake of fire before the Great White Throne of judgment holds court (Rev 20:11-15). The lake of fire is what we normally consider hell. It is real, and there is nothing more important than avoiding it. (David Guzik Commentary)

“And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Rev 19: 21).

A Possible Neutron Explosion?

“And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. 13 It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them…15 Such also shall be the plague on the horse and the mule, on the camel and the donkey, and on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be” (Zech 14:12-15).

While researching the possibility of this being a nuclear scenario, I came across this article written by Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro in  2011 titled Zechariah 14, Neutron Bombs, and God’s Ultimate Purpose for Israel. It is a fascinating read. Below is an excerpt from this article.

Zechariah 14, Neutron Bombs, and God’s Ultimate Purpose for Israel.

(Beginning of excerpt) “The explosion and effect of a thermonuclear bomb makes the first generation of nuclear bombs look like a mere firecracker.  When we consider the massive destruction at Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a firecracker, we tremble at the destruction one of these second-generation bombs could cause. 

The Neutron bomb is a third-generation nuclear device.  This bomb is similar to the thermonuclear bomb except that a blanket of heavy U-238 isotopes is removed from it.  What this does to the bomb is make it release only a massive number of neutrons combined with gamma radiation at its detonation.  When this bomb blows the release of the neutrons are lethal to humans and any other animal life around it. 

If you are within the radius of a neutron bomb you will be killed almost instantly.  If you are within the blast radius what will happen to you is eerily similar to what Zechariah describes in chapter 14 of his prophecy. Any kind of flesh is destroyed by a kind of melting process as all the atoms are destroyed within it. Thus, Zechariah’s description of something that rots flesh, eyes, and the tongue are often compared to what happens at the detonation of a neutron bomb.

The reason the military would choose one of these bombs is because they are considered to be much “cleaner” than conventional nuclear bombs.  A neutron bomb blast will only kill living things.  This will leave all the weapons and buildings in the area pretty much intact. (End of excerpt).

To me this is amazing. We see throughout the Scriptures that when the Lord speaks all creation obeys. With a Word He spoke everything into existence. A Word from the Master calmed the sea and raised the dead. Therefore, could it be that with a Word a neutron reaction will lay waste to the armies of Antichrist? Whatever the Lord does if you are a child of God as I am, we will be there to witness this awesome power of the Lord!

Hip, Hip, Hurrah! Satan is Bound for 1,000 Years

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished…” (Rev 20:1-3).

Satan is a powerful fallen angel created by God. However, we see that Jesus does not waste His time dealing with this fallen angel. In fact it appears that Satan doesn’t even rate Michael or Gabriel or any other high-ranking angel’s time. We are not even given the name of the angel that has the privilege of binding and casting this fallen creature who terrorized the world and made promises he couldn’t keep.

In the David Guzik Commentary he states: “This is a dramatic declaration that Satan is not God’s opposite or equal; and that God could easily stop Satan’s activity at any time. Yet God allows Satan to continue, because even in his evil, he indirectly serves the purposes of God.

 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Mat 25:31-32).

The Sheep Enter the Millennial Kingdom

“And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Mat 25:33-36).

The Goats Spend Eternity in Everlasting Fire

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me” (Mat 25:41-43).

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Rev 20:4-6).

Maranatha!

Commentary Resources:

• David Guzik Commentary
• Jamieson, Fausett & Brown Commentary
• The Pulpit Commentary

Other Resources:

• Calvary Chapel of Jonesboro
• Dr. N. W. Hutchings
• William R. Newell
• Dr. David Reagan – Christ in Prophecy
• The Spurgeon Center
• Dr. Harold Willmington
• e-Sword: Free Bible Study Software – Software I use for study