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7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” ~ Revelation 1:7-8
Revelation is a book of unbelievable events that will scare the you know what out of all who will be on earth at that time. And yet, it is amazingly a book of tremendous hope and joy. It's ending will be incredible for all who have chosen to believe on the Lord Jesus. But, before we get into today's text, we must address the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ.
All of the New Testament end times teachings are predicated upon a prophecy given in Daniel 9:24-27. In that passage, we learn that a four hundred and ninety year prophecy was given specifically for the nation of Israel. In fact, four hundred and eighty-three years of that prophecy has already been fulfilled. Read my blogs and/or listen to my podcasts on Luke 21 to get a fuller understanding of Daniel 9:24-27.
The only part of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 that is yet to be fulfilled is the final seven years. And, that final seven year period of time most inaccurately call it "the Tribulation." Jeremiah refers to it as "a time of Jacob's trouble." This makes sense since Israel is Jacob in belief and Jacob is Israel in unbelief, and the design of the seventieth seven is to lead Jacob into faith of the Lord Jesus. No where in the New Testament is it called "the Tribulation." The Lord Jesus does call the second half of that seven year period "a time of great tribulation."
Now, before the seventieth seven begins, the Rapture of the church will take place. The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ are NOT the same event. In fact, during the seventieth seven of Daniel 9, the church will not be on earth but will be in heaven. This is why the church is NOT mentioned beyond Revelation 4, because we will not be here on earth. We will be with the Lord in heaven.
Now, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus will happen at the end of the seventieth seven and it will have an universal impact. According to v.7 of today's text, "every eye will see him." In Matthew 24:30 we read, "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." Interestingly enough, when the Rapture takes place only believers will see the Lord Jesus and the rest of the world will wonder what happened to all of the Christians.
It will be at the end of the seventieth seven of Daniel 9 that the people of Israel will recognize the Lord Jesus coming in the clouds. In v.7 of today's text we read, "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him."
This is a reference to a prophecy in Zechariah 12 where we are told that when He appears those who pierced him shall look upon him and shall mourn for him with a great mourning. Then they shall ask him, according to Zechariah 13:6, "What are these wounds in your hands," and he will say, "Those which I received in the house of my friends."
In v.8 we read, "I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
It is said that prophecy takes up one-fifth of the Scriptures. Of that one-fifth of the Scripture that speaks of future prophecy, one-third of that refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Some have calculated that there are over six hundred and sixty general prophecies, three hundred and thirty three about Christ, one hundred and nine fulfilled at His first coming, two hundred and twenty-four at His second coming. So the Bible has much to say about His second coming.
Of the forty-six Old Testament prophets, less than ten of them speak of His first coming; thirty-six of them speak of His second coming. There are over fifteen hundred Old Testament passages that refer in some way to the second coming of Jesus Christ. One out of every twenty-five New Testament verses directly refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. For every time the Bible mentions the first coming of Christ, it mentions the second coming eight times. For each time the atonement is mentioned once, the second coming is mentioned twice. The Lord Jesus refers to His second coming twenty-one times, and over fifty times we are told to be ready for His return.
In Acts 15:14 we read, “And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,” and here he quotes out of the Old Testament from Amos and Jeremiah, “After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, in order that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.”
God will snatch up the church off of the earth and then He’s going to return at the end of the seventieth seven of Daniel 9 and He will establish His millennial kingdom on the earth, and in that kingdom all nations will be under the rule of Christ. There will be peace on earth, but the ultimate end will come at the end of that one thousand year reign of Christ on the earth.
I trust, my friend, you have trusted in the finish work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins. If you have, you need not worry about being on earth during the seventieth seven of Daniel 9. And, if you have trusted in Him, let me encourage you to get busy telling others who know Him not about the wonderful good news of the Gospel. And, when you do so, ask God to lead your hearers from the darkness into the kingdom of the light of the Son.
