The Coming and Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ: The Appearing, Part 2

 •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 11
 
THE APPEARING.
During the short interval when the apostasy will ripen, and the beast and the false prophet are in power on the earth, the heavenly saints are viewed in the Revelation as twenty-four elders surrounding the throne of God in heaven. Just at the close of that period, following upon the downfall of Babylon on the earth, we have the description of the marriage of the Lamb in the glory of God. This is the moment when Christ shall present the church to Himself glorious, and without spot, for the joy and satisfaction of His own heart of love (Eph. 5:27). It will also be the consummation of her joy, when, united as the Bride to Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom, she becomes the Lamb’s wife. And all heaven will be jubilant with joy (Rev. 19:6-9). “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white (margin, bright): for the fine linen is the righteousness (or righteousnesses) of saints” (Rev. 19:8). From this we learn that the bridal robe of the church, on the day of the espousals of the Lamb, is the righteousnesses of the saints, wrought by them in the power of the Holy Ghost, whilst living on the earth, then woven together as one beautiful garment, to adorn her when Christ shall present her to Himself, glorious, “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” (Eph. 5:27).
Then, the heaven being opened, Christ is seen in the vision ready to come forth in power to judge and make war, and take the kingdom. He is seated on a white horse (symbolic of conquering power), and is variously called, Faithful and True, The Word of God, King of kings and Lord of lords; also having a name written that no man knew but He Himself. His clothing is a vesture dipped in blood—figurative of the blood of His enemies about to be shed for their wickedness in opposing Him. Following Him are seen the armies which are in heaven on white horses, like unto their Leader, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. These are the saints here, not angels, as some have thought. For if we turn to Revelation 17:14, we are told that those “that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful;” and angels are never spoken of as called, though it is perfectly true that angels will also accompany Him at His revelation from heaven (2 Thess. 1:7).
An angel standing in the sun cries with a loud voice to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God” (or the great supper of God) (Rev. 19:17) to eat the flesh of the mighty of the earth. The hour of His judgment is come. The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies are gathered together to make war against the Lord and His army. And the beast is taken, the great leader of Western Europe, and with him the false prophet (antichrist), which wrought miracles before him (Comp. 2 Thess. 2:8, 9; Rev. 13:11-14), and both are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, and the rest are slain. Thus suddenly the Lord will judge the leaders of the apostasy, and the boasted military power of the great nations of the West is destroyed. Europe goes on arming; immense standing armies are the order of the day. Men little think what Satan is leading them on to. Nation fights against nation, until the beast comes to the forefront, when the ten kings, who have one mind, give their power and strength to him (Rev. 17:13). He leads one great league against the Christ of God, when they receive the cup of judgment at His hand, and all the fowls are filled with their flesh.
We have several other descriptions in the Word besides this of the Lord’s coming in judgment upon His enemies, not only upon those of the West, but also many others. He doth both judge and make war (Rev. 19:11). Having come in warrior judgment upon the Western Powers directly opposed to Him, He then summarily deals with those to the north and east of the pleasant land, Palestine (Rev. 19:19-21; Zech. 14:3,12:15). “For,” saith the Lord, “My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy” (Zeph. 3:8). “Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth” (Jer. 25:32, 33).
In Jude 14 we find a prophecy of Enoch, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 “... the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.”
“Behold,” again saith the Lord, “I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah, and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the Lord I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness; and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness” (Zech. 12:2-4).
(Continued and to be Continued)