The Glory Of The Coming King - Part 2

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” NASB

CATCH PHRASES AND EMPTY BOASTS

There are some terms we’ve all been hearing much of in recent months and even over the past couple of years, starting at a low pitch and growing to a crescendo until as with other overused words and phrases of the past, we’ve all begun to equate these terms with certain men and even a certain political party.

I do not intend for my comments here to take a political direction whatsoever; only to focus on the emphasis of these terms and how they relate ultimately to our passage of study today.

We’ve heard the word ‘change’ and people have preached and promised change in our society that would come as a result of the vote of the citizenship of our nation. We have heard the word ‘hope’ used in contexts that defy any distinct lines of definition.

In addition, we have heard the claim chanted, sung and shouted from podiums across our land, ‘we can do it’!

The claim, of course, cited over and over again, is that as a nation we the people can join together, one in mind and national spirit, and bring about change and a new sense of hope in a country that has, according to these well-meaning folks, long needed change and gone long without something or someone to hope in. But hang in there, they would encourage us, because together, ‘we can do it’.

Now we all know who these people are and I am not decrying the right of those with political goals and ambitions to saturate the media with slogans and catch-phrases that will help the general populace to remember the names and ideals of the person running for office.

This is an exercise older than “I Like Ike” or “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”. I’m not a student of political history and I don’t know when this sort of sympathy-generating tactic was first used to help the voter identify with the candidate. For all I know, buried out there somewhere there may be a button reading, “Get A New Start With Bonaparte”, or a plaque that says, “Caesar: Not Just a Salad Anymore”.

In all seriousness however, these more recent slogans have shown us that people aren’t just getting behind a person anymore; they’re getting behind ideals that at best are vague and illusive. They’re desperate for something that is missing in their lives and they are afraid. We only need to watch the daily television news programs or stay abreast of the printed press to observe that people have no hope and the reason they wish for major change is because they hope against hope that change, any kind of change, will bring them something to hope in.

As the days drag on however, they will see, probably in retrospect, that just as history has proven over and over, ultimately we can’t do ‘it’.

Of course we who know the Bible understand that out of the sea of humanity will one day rise a man who seemingly brings the change they’re looking for and giving them the hope they have so desperately desired.

And all the world and national developments of recent years are coming together at a rapidly accelerating rate and serving to prepare people’s minds and hearts for the coming of that one so that they will readily receive him when he arises.

Unfortunately, he will bring false hope to them and lead them down a hope-less road to destruction. He will be the embodiment of the spirit of Antichrist; the one the Bible tells us will arise in the last days to deceive the nations.

Fortunately, these times also herald the soon coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in His glory, to rule and reign for a thousand years as King of kings and Lord of lords; as the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ. Rev 11:15