The Messiah's Return Series

The Divine Majesty of the Son of God returning to earth on the Mount of Olives will split it latitudinally from East to West, half of it moving to the North and half to the South forming "a very great valley." Revelation 16:19 predicts not only an earthquake in Palestine but in the entire earth in connection with Christ's return.

In the first part of verse 5 we learn that when the Mountain of Olives splits because of the Presence of the LORD it will actually become a way of escape for the people of Jerusalem. (5a) "And you will flee by the valley of My Mountains, for the valley of the Mountains will reach to Azel; Yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, King of Judah."

The cataclysmic earthquake will provide both the means and the way of escape for the righteous Jewish remnant. They will escape both the devastation of the earthquake and the fury of this final anti-Semitic onslaught by fleeing into the newly formed valley where their Lord is. Only God's people will escape God's punishment (Mt. 24:16-20).

God calls them "My Mountains" because they were formed by the chasm created when He returns and because the Lord Jesus Christ stands upon them. In earlier times, the Lord parted the Red Sea in order that His people could escape to safety. In the last days, He'll part not a sea but a mountain for His people to escape from the armies surrounding Jerusalem. [Ibid. Courson. p 913]

The split forming the newly formed valley will reach to Azel, which is an unknown location. A major fault line runs up the Red Sea and right through this area. The earthquake in the days of good King Uzziah of Judah was so tremendous that Amos (1:1) refers to it to date his prophecy.

The phenomenal cataclysmic event is the climax of this age and is surrounded by other events that demonstrate the tremendous importance of Messiah's return as the second half of verse 5 reveals. (5b) "Then the LORD, my God, will come, (and) all the holy ones with Him!"

The glorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords does not return without His attendants and His army. He comes with His gedoshim, His holy ones. The holy ones certainly includes unfallen angels (Mt.16:27, 25:31; Mk. 8:23; Lk. 9:26) and apparently believers also (Dan. 7:18, 21, 22, 25, 27; 1 Thess. 3:13; Jude 14; Rev. 19:8,14). These could be those who have been caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess 3:13; Col. 3:4) or those killed in the Great Tribulation (Rev. ).

Read Revelation 19: 11-16. "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...

When Jesus comes back, when His kingdom is established, not only will there be changes on earth but in the heavens, as well as verse 6 teaches. "And it will come about in that day that there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle."

"In that day" when the Lord returns to earth, when He comes again and touches down upon Mt. Olives and brings all His holy ones with Him, in that great age-altering day, celestial phenomena will occur.