The Glorious Appearing

THE GLORIOUS APPEARING

REVELATION 19:11-21

WITH THE COMBINATION OF THE RAPTURE, THE RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST, AND THE TRIBULATION PERIOD,

THE LAST MAJOR EVENTS OF THE LAST DAYS BEFORE THE ETERNAL STATE ARE THE GLORIOUS APPEARING AND THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF JESUS. THIS IS THE TIME THAT CHRISTIANS BOTH IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO AND CELEBRATING WHEN IT OCCURS.

THE QUESTION IS ASKED BY THE TRIBULATION SAINTS IN HEAVEN IN REVELATION 6:10:

REVELATION 6:10-11:

THEY CALLED OUT IN A LOUD VOICE, “HOW LONG, SOVEREIGN LORD, HOLY AND TRUE, UNTIL YOU JUDGE THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH AND AVENGE OUR BLOOD?” 11 THEN EACH OF THEM WAS GIVEN A WHITE ROBE, AND THEY WERE TOLD TO WAIT A LITTLE LONGER, UNTIL THE FULL NUMBER OF THEIR FELLOW SERVANTS, THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WERE KILLED JUST AS THEY HAD BEEN.

AT THE TIME OF HIS GLORIOUS APPEARING THIS QUESTION WILL BE ANSWERED.

THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF TWO ADVENTS OF JESUS. THE FIRST ADVENT WE CELEBRATE AT CHRISTMAS. JESUS COMES INTO THIS WORLD, HUMBLE AND IN LOW ESTATE, TO LIVE A SINLESS LIFE AND TO BE A SACRIFICE FOR MANY ON CALVARY. AT THE FIRST ADVENT JESUS IS A HELPLESS BABE, CERTAINLY NOT RECOGNIZED BY MANY AS A FURTURE KING. PAUL OFFERS THIS GREAT DESCRIPTION OF JESUS’ FIRST ADVENT IN PHILIPPIANS:

PHILIPPIANS 2:8: AND BEING FOUND IN APPEARANCE AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF BY BECOMING OBEDIENT TO DEATH— EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS!

JESUS’ SECOND ADVENT WILL BE TOTALLY OPPOSITE. JOHN TELLS US OF SEEING CHRIST IN HIS GLORY IN CHAPTER 1:

REVELATION 1:17-18:

WHEN I SAW HIM, I FELL AT HIS FEET AS THOUGH DEAD. THEN HE PLACED HIS RIGHT HAND ON ME AND SAID: “DO NOT BE AFRAID. I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST. 18 I AM THE LIVING ONE; I WAS DEAD, AND NOW LOOK, I AM ALIVE FOR EVER AND EVER! AND I HOLD THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES.

UNLIKE THE ANTICHRIST AND THE TIME OF THE TRIBULATION THAT BROUGHT FEAR, DEATH AND TORTURE TO THE REMAINING PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, HERE JESUS IN HIS GLORIOUS STATE TELLS US NOT TO BE AFRAID. HE REMINDS US THAT HE IS IN CONTROL AND THOUGH THESE TERRIBLE THINGS WILL HAPPEN, HE HOLDS THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES.

HOW COMFORTING IT IS TO STAND AT THE GRAVESIDE OF A CHRISTIAN AND KNOW THAT THIS PIECE OF LAND IS NOT THEIR FINAL HOME. JESUS RESURRECTION GAVE HIM AUTHORITY OVER DEATH AND THE GRAVE, AND AT THE TIME OF HIS GLORIOUS APPEARING THE FATE OF THE UNHOLY TRINITY: SATAN, THE ANTICHRIST AND THE FALSE PROPHET WILL BE SEALED. THOSE WHO WERE MARTYRED FOR THEIR FAITH WILL KNOW THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION, AND THE HEAVENLY CHOIR WILL SHOUT “HALLELUJAH”, SO BE IT!

THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF OUR LORD IS RECORDED IN BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.

WHILE WE COULD LOOK AT MANY FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT BUT WE SHALL JUST CONSIDER THREE:

ISAIAH 9:6-7:

FOR TO US A CHILD IS BORN, TO US A SON IS GIVEN, AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON HIS SHOULDERS. AND HE WILL BE CALLED

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. 7 OF THE GREATNESS OF HIS GOVERNMENT AND PEACE THERE WILL BE NO END. HE WILL REIGN ON DAVID’S THRONE

AND OVER HIS KINGDOM, ESTABLISHING AND UPHOLDING IT WITH JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM THAT TIME ON AND FOREVER.

THE ZEAL OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS.

WE OFTEN READ THIS PASSAGE AT CHRISTMAS AS WE CELEBRATE THE FIRST ADVENT. THIS PASSAGE THOUGH IS ALSO A PROPHETIC PASSAGE THAT LOOKS FORWARD TO THE SECOND ADVENT AND HIS MILLENNIAL REIGN. WE ARE TOLD THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WILL BE PEACEFUL AND GREAT, ESTABLISHED IN JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS FOREVER. THIS IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FIRST ADVENT, FOR HIS MISSION WAS CALVARY. THIS IS SPEAKING OF HIS MILLENNIAL REIGN.

NOW CONSIDER

DANIEL 7:13-14:

“IN MY VISION AT NIGHT I LOOKED, AND THERE BEFORE ME WAS ONE LIKE A SON OF MAN, O COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN. HE APPROACHED THE ANCIENT OF DAYS AND WAS LED INTO HIS PRESENCE. 14 HE WAS GIVEN AUTHORITY, GLORY AND SOVEREIGN POWER; ALL NATIONS AND PEOPLES OF EVERY LANGUAGE WORSHIPED HIM. HIS DOMINION IS AN EVERLASTING DOMINION THAT WILL NOT PASS AWAY, AND HIS KINGDOM IS ONE THAT WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED

HERE WE READ OF A VISION IN WHICH DANIEL SEES SOMEONE COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN. HE IS GIVEN SOVEREIGN POWER OVER ALL NATIONS AND PEOPLES, AND HIS RULE IS AN EVERLASTING RULE, NOR WILL HIS KINGDOM EVER BE DESTROYED. THIS CAN ONLY BE TALKING ABOUT THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST.

ZECHARIAH 14:3-4:

THEN THE LORD WILL GO OUT AND FIGHT AGAINST THOSE NATIONS, AS HE FIGHTS ON A DAY OF BATTLE. 4 ON THAT DAY HIS FEET WILL STAND ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, EAST OF JERUSALEM, AND THE MOUNT OF OLIVES WILL BE SPLIT IN TWO FROM EAST TO WEST, FORMING A GREAT VALLEY, WITH HALF OF THE MOUNTAIN MOVING NORTH AND HALF MOVING SOUTH.