THE SECOND COMING

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war” (Revelation 19:11).

In the previous post, we covered the Marriage of the Lamb from Revelation 19 in this ongoing chapter by chapter series study of the book of Revelation. In this posting, we continue with more from Revelation chapter 19. Chapter 19 offers a preview of the grand apocalypse – the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. It is the chapter around which the entire book is woven. No other chapter in the Bible offers such an awesome view of the Savior. He is revealed and named to be the King of kings and Lord of lords (verse 16). From the opening verses of Genesis, God has been leading us toward this chapter. Just as Alpha would not be complete without Omega, the Bible would not be complete without this chapter.

Though Moses stands out as the great Lawgiver, having written the first five books of the Bible, the Apostle John stands out as the one who concludes it all. Moses introduces the “Author,” while John gives us the “Finisher” of our faith. Moses gave us five books that yield only a glimpse – the backside of the Creator, his creation and promise of redemption. On the other hand, John gives us five books that reveal the glorious fulfillment of all that Moses promised. Moses once said …

“The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

John presents that “Prophet.” He tells of the Savior’s First Advent in the Gospel (book of John) and his second Advent in the chapter of our current study set before us in this ongoing Revelation study (chapter 19).

In John 19, Christ is seen wearing a crown of thorns. But in Revelation 19, he is seen wearing the royal diadem of the King of kings. In John 19, Pilate shows his contempt for the Jewish nation as he shouts “Behold your king!” (John 19:14). But here in Revelation 19, the Pilates of this world will see him as he really is – as here, scripture reveals and emphatically announces him as King of kings” (verse 16). The bloody vesture, upon which the Romans gambled in John 19, now drapes over his shoulders in Revelation 19. It is a Jewish tallit, upon which hangs four fringes (tzitzits) in each corner, woven with the loops and knots of the Ineffable Name. In this chapter, he is not referred to as “Jesus,” but as [1] “a name written, that no man knew, but he himself;” [2] “The Word of God;” [3] “KING OF KINGS;” and [4] “LORD OF LORDS.” There is a name for each of the four tzitzits that hang from the corners of his vesture, and drape over his thigh. In Judaism, it was customary for a murder victim to be buried in his bloody clothes, conveying the concept that the evidence of the crime might be available to the victim in judgment day. Well, here in Revelation 19, judgment day has arrived.

In the historic encounter with the serpent in the Garden of Eden, God decrees …

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15)

The years have come and gone since that day. Creation groans, chaos reigns and humanity suffers; but the promise has never faded. At the cross on Golgotha’s hill, the serpent bruised his heel, but in this chapter, this promised “Seed of the woman” will bruise the serpent’s head. At this juncture in the plot, the appointed time has come for the serpent’s reign over fallen man to come to an end by Divine decree. Evil has taken its toll upon the progeny of the fallen first man Adam; whose history is littered with the bitter fruits of war, hunger, poverty and disease. The hope of every newborn has turned into the bitterness of the grave … until now.

In the first ten verses of this chapter, Heaven rejoices. Earth’s harlot has fallen, but Earth’s virgin bride is ready for her marriage to Heaven’s best. The union of Heaven and Earth has come. The scourge of Earth is about to be lifted. John draws our attention to the moment we’ve all have been waiting for – his glorious appearing …

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords” (Revelation 19:11-16).

Heaven Opens

Armageddon rages. Doomsday has arrived. Major war and (possibly nuclear) explosions all over the world destroy Earth’s cities. Earthquakes level mountains and sink islands. Super-storms ravage the planet with great hailstones. Volcanoes erupt worldwide, etc. The sun explodes, then collapses. Darkness covers the earth, as if Deity is ashamed of his creation.

But then, in the darkened sky over Jerusalem, a light suddenly appears. It is a light of exquisite beauty … a light unlike anything Earth has ever seen before. John directs our attention toward an opening that will appear between Heaven and Earth. Quite possibly, some sort of dimensional shift.

It is no mere journey from some faraway galaxy. The glorious appearing will not be tracked by the Earth’s telescopes – past Jupiter, Mars and the moon for days on end. He will suddenly appear above the earth. John sees “heaven opened” (Revelation 19:11). We have read of this kind of dimensional shift before. At the baptism of Christ, we are told that the Holy Spirit appeared and descended upon him in some form of bodily shape, about the size and shape of a dove, but it was not a dove …

“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22).

Heaven was opened and God spoke from the … shall we say, “dimensional shift?” The voice came all the way from “heaven,” which must not have been very far away. In his Gospel, John tells us that Jesus once told Nathaniel that he had seen him under a fig tree. Immediately, Nathaniel was convinced that Jesus was the “Son of God” and “King of Israel” (John 1:49). I surmise that Jesus saw him in a way completely unknown to man. Perhaps Nathaniel was alone, maybe at night, praying for a sign that the Messiah was coming. Only God could hear such a prayer. And this man tells him that he saw him under that fig tree! It is here that I am personally reminded of the same sort of experience that occurred in my own personal life.

In the first few months of courtship with my girlfriend (now wife), I had just become a saved believer at this point. It happened while lying in bed and reading a prophecy book that I had purchased while shopping in a King Soopers grocery store one day in Denver near where I worked at the time. Approximately one year after we first met, we got married. After we had been married awhile, she revealed to me that the Lord had spoken to her in a strong way within herself that she was to marry me while we were still in the first few months of our relationship. Not wanting to scare me away, she of course did not say anything about that in the beginning (understandably – lol). Imagine her sense of a spoken word from the Lord fulfilled when I popped the big question on her.

One day, shortly after we were married and I had just personally received Christ a few days earlier and became a new and fresh believer, we found ourselves sitting on the sofa in my old apartment before she went to work that day. We had been having a long and insightful discussion over spiritual matters. In the course of this discussion, she revealed that she had been praying about me. My curiosity peaked, I then asked her what exactly it was that she was praying about. After all, she could just ask me right? She then began to reveal things to me (and about me) that the Lord spoke to her concerning me that only I would have known. This is not to say it was an audible voice, but a strong inner fellowship experience with the Lord that she had been having. Those things spoken to her were certain thoughts that I had been having of my own personal life that had been floating around in my head that I told no one else about – recurring thoughts that I would have as I would walk down the sidewalk on any given street near where I lived. In awe, I sat there listening intently, feeling as though God himself were speaking directly to me through her. In reality, he really was and I knew it. I could feel it and sense it. Especially since she gave me the details of my “walking down the sidewalk” when these particular thoughts and contemplations would accompany me. The kicker was that these very same thoughts and details told to me by my wife were not all just thoughts and contemplations of spiritual matters, but other thoughts pertaining to normal life and living that I was heavily dwelling on in my head and heart. It was a moment that was not only very surreal, but it was also very personal. At this point in my young life, I had been intensely seeking the Lord and felt an intense urgency to find him. I was voracious in wanting to know for sure that my eternal future was going to be a pleasant one. I had some deep and heavy spiritual questions about God that I wanted answered. This was God’s way of answering me back and letting me know that he saw my groanings and my intense search after him. In fact, this was one of the statements that my wife said to me during our conversation. Acting as the go-between (if I can say it like that) with tears of joy and reverence in her eyes, she said to me the words … “He said he heard you” – after revealing details of my life that only I would know.

But certainly, it was a surreal and attention-getting experience to suddenly realize and live a moment when you become keenly aware that God is watching us at all times. Not just us as humanity as a whole, but he’s watching each and every individual personally and can see and read our very thoughts at all times. He answers us, relates things to us and fellowships with us very personally and intimately …

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).

Continuing on with the story of Nathaniel, the story becomes even more esoteric. Jesus says …

“Hereafter, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51).

Clearly, Jesus spoke of something that man could not normally see. If we call it a “dimensional shift,” it is because we have no better vocabulary by which to explain it. When the Savior ascended from the Mount of Olives and a cloud received him out of their sight, two men, dressed in white apparel, appeared and promised that he would return in the same manner …

“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).

Were these two ordinary men? Were they angels? Or were they Moses and Elijah, the two witnesses who will attend the Lord’s return? They could not have been two local men, for no mere man could have offered such insight into the Savior’s disappearance and future return. Yet, we are told that they were men, not angels. Their white apparel gives us a clue that they were not from “around here.”

The next time we hear about Heaven being opened, Stephen is speaking to the elders of Israel …

“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56).

Stephen saw the heavens open, but the rulers of Israel could not see it. It was “for his eyes only.” God is capable of opening Heaven for only certain people to see. Or he can open Heaven for the whole world to see, as in the case in Revelation 19.

Saul of Tarsus had such an experience on the road to Damascus that the light burned his eyes, similar to the effect of gazing into the ultraviolet rays of an arc-welder. He was blind for three days. Such rays, albeit much more powerful, will attend the apocalypse in Revelation 19 as well. We are told that the Savior will slay the unsaved wicked in such a manner …

“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders …” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-9).

The “spirit of his mouth” is described as a “sword” in Revelation 19:15. These are metaphoric descriptions of something currently unknown to scientific exploration. From such biblical stories comes the science-fiction fantasy of ray guns. However, in recent years, scientists have been able to develop lasers, even one that has the power to instantly melt an incoming missile.

In Revelation 4:1, John sees a “door opened in heaven.”

Through this door, John travels immediately into the presence of Heaven’s throne …

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne” (Revelation 4:1-2).

It is the opening through which all of us “born again” believers shall ascend “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). John appears to represent all of us in the rapture. And just as we secretly go through that door in chapter 4, we shall return openly in chapter 19. We are told that all will see the Savior …

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7).

Though Heaven has been opened before, the scene described in chapters 1 and 19 is far more glorious. When he appears, all the wicked will know that they are in the presence of none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God. For the wicked unsaved, it will be too late to repent, thus the description in Revelation 1:7 of all the people of the earth wailing. This wailing is not going to somehow be a joyous wailing, but rather a tormented and frightful wailing. They will automatically know that their fate of damnation is sealed. This wailing terminology is also used in Luke 13 as Jesus describes the unsaved wicked being severed from among the saved believers by angels and then cast into the furnace of fire …

“So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:49-50).

Unfortunately for unregenerate mankind at that time, it is not going to be a happy and joyous day for those who did not receive Christ when given the opportunity. The glorious appearing (Second Coming) of Christ will be a solemn, frightful and terrifying moment of dread as the earth breaks forth with intense and massive sorrow and wailing. They will know already that they are lost and condemned because of their flagrant rejection of the Son of God and their failure to personally receive him. Yes, they will wail, but to no avail. Judas too was remorseful – to the extent of suicide, but it did him no good. Nor will any of the unsaved be able to repent at this point. They had their chance. Heaven is open!

Behold, A White Horse!

Will Christ actually be riding a white horse? When does God ever actually need any instrument or vehicle to get around? If he rides a white horse, and indeed, he may, it will be strictly symbolic, not because he needs it. More than likely, this ancient view of a mighty conqueror upon his warrior steed was given to accommodate a Roman world, which thought in terms of earthly potentates and conquering armies.

There were no tanks and airplanes in the first century. Early man could not have related to such instruments. It was difficult enough to be told that Christ will “descend” from heaven … above … in the air. Such a concept was developed near the dawn of civilization, when, as Josephus tells us, Seth and his sons developed that “peculiar science” that deals with star constellations. Pegasus was a flying white horse and the ancient symbol used in this chapter.

When the Savior ascended from the Mount of Olives, he simply disappeared into a cloud.

There was no horse. Yet, we are told that he will descend in the same manner in which he ascended. In chapter 14, Jesus is seen riding a white cloud …

“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle” (Revelation 14:14).

It must be the same scene. Yet, no horse is mentioned. The concept of the horse, in my opinion, is metaphoric. It speaks of royalty as well as an instrument of war. It is the view of an ancient conqueror riding in triumph through the streets of either the conquered city, or in a victory parade in his home capital. Such victory parades were common in the days of early civilizations (the “white” speaks of righteousness – the justice of his cause). Only the conqueror rode a white horse in the victory parade. That way, everyone would know that the rider is the king.

Faithful And True

“… and he that sat upon him [the horse] was called Faithful and True” (verse 11).

Christ is the essence of all that is faithful and true. This is seen in contrast to the dragon, the harlot; the beast she rides out of the sea upon; and the beast that emerges out of the earth. They are the epitome of unfaithfulness. They are the purveyors of lies. The contrast is given here so that there will be no mistake – and rest assured, there will be no mistake. The contrast is as sharp as night is from day – as black is from white. No modern relativism here – no situation ethics here – all will know who is wicked and who is righteous.

“Faithful and True” are attributes that lift the Savior far above the status of man. They set forth his Deity, for none are as pure as he …

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

There is too much wickedness in human nature for it to be trusted. Man is too easily swayed into betraying others, too often duped by his own greed and covetousness. But Jesus is completely reliable. He alone is “Faithful and True.”

The Warrior Judge

At his glorious appearing, the Warrior Judge will carry out the verdict of Heaven’s court: “… in righteousness does he judge and make war” (verse 11).

For six millennia, he has offered mercy and grace. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, “Let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39).

This was likely the fourth cup of the Passover ritual – the cup that petitions God to judge the unsaved wicked.

Christ was not shirking his responsibility and resolve to die for our sins, but his righteous soul cried out in the prospect that he must someday have to destroy the unsaved wicked. He loves them just as much as he loves the saint. He would rather see them repent.

But now, he has no choice. He judges and makes war. Heaven cannot continue to wink at wickedness. Grace and mercy are offered to the repentant, but the persistently stubborn who will not receive Christ, who refuse to listen to a loving Savior, must inevitably face a judgment that knows no mercy. In this chapter, the days of opportunity are gone.

To this point, the Savior has been “longsuffering … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). But now, no more! The wise Solomon reminds us: “He, that being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1). Here, at his Second Coming, the time has come. No remedy remains.

His Flaming Eyes

Christ is the perfect judge. His insight is not clouded by some preconceived notion or prejudice. Being omniscient and knowing all there is to know, he sees all secrets. He has the ability to probe the hearts of those who receive his judgment. Therefore, “his eyes were as a flame of fire” (Revelation 19:12).

Furthermore, his fiery eyes speak of the wrath with which he brings this righteous judgment. There will be no hesitation, no changing of his mind. This judgment is determined and austere.

He Wears Many Crowns

In previous posts, it’s been repeatedly expounded upon that the Holy Spirit led John the apostle to follow the same literary design in writing both his Gospel (the book of John) and the book of Revelation. Though neither book originally had chapter divisions, both books follow an outline of subject matter and theme in each chapter that correspond to each other respectively as it is demonstrated that the hand of God was on both books (see here and here). It was already mention that John 19 and Revelation 19 cover the same theme; both speaking of crowns, one of thorns and the other of a king; but here, Christ wears “many crowns.”

It is representative of the fact that he is ruler over many kingdoms. To him belongs the entire world. Having broken the seals of the earth’s title deed, he now takes possession.

This is typical of the period of early civilizations. The conquering king always crowned himself with the diadem of the vanquished king. For example, when David conquered the royal city of Rabbah, he took the crown of the Ammonite king and placed it on his own head (2 Samuel 12:30). Until now, the dragon wore seven crowns and the beast wore ten. In every case, crowns represent rulership over kingdoms. As KING OF KINGS, the Savior owns the right to every kingdom, both in Heaven and on Earth.

While at home with his bride, the King removes his crown. But here, he comes to do battle with the forces of a wicked world. Therefore, he wears the symbols of his authority and power.

The Ineffable Name

John writes: “… he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself” (verse 12). There is only one ineffable and unknowable name – the tetragrammaton – the name of Jehovah (Yahweh יְהוָֹה). Here is the clearest proof that Jesus is none other than the Old Testament’s Jehovah, himself. In the fourth commandment, Israel was cautioned against taking the the name in vain. From that time, the Jew was forbidden to pronounce the name.

In Jewish literature, the name of the Creator is written as G-d or L-rd, lest the name be taken lightly. Never does the name Yahweh fall from the lips of a Jew. Instead, substitutes are used. Sometimes Deity is called HaShem (meaning, “the name”), and at other times, he is called Adonai (meaning “master”). Ineffable means “unspeakable,” “indescribable,” or “incapable of being expressed.”

Throughout the centuries, only one holds such a name – Mr. ONE, himself, alone. Moses gave Israel their most revered passage …

“Hear O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).

This is the basis for monotheism, something that makes the worship of God different from all idols. He is ONE. There is none other like him. He stands alone and apart from all. There are not many gods, but ONE and only ONE.

How he can be one with the Father is something incapable of being expressed in its full understanding. And yet, that is exactly what he said: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). For this very reason, John introduces Jesus in the opening verses of his Gospel as the ONE who created all things …

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

The unbelieving, Christ-rejecting Jew is quite unaware that he has reserved a loving place in his heart for the very one and same Deity. No wonder history attests to the concept that he is “ineffable.” The Jew is proof that he is “indescribable” and “incapable of being expressed.” The religious love and fervor of the Jew has been directed toward the very same person they detest. How can this be? Because … “he has a name written, that no man knew, but he himself! (Revelation 19:12). Only when he appears, wearing a bloodstained Jewish tallit, will they know. This is quite an enigma and a paradox. They love him, and yet, they hate him. Isaiah wrote …

“I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (Isaiah 45:23).

To this, we can add the words of the Apostle Paul …

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

The shock and sorrow of the occasion was captured by Zechariah …

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:9-10).

Israel will find out too late that the God whom they have revered and served with such awe and respect is none other than the very one whose hands and feet were pierced at the hands of their forefathers.

The Vesture Dipped in Blood

Some have rightly said that the blood upon his vesture will be that of his enemies. And it shall be. But at this point, he descends from Heavens’s portals wearing the vesture stained with blood. The blood is already there before he treads the winepress of the wrath of God.

I am personally convinced that his own shed blood is displayed as a testimony that he paid the sin debt for all who believe – for those who personally receive him. After all, he is the Lamb. Twenty-eight times in the book of Revelation, he is called “the Lamb.” There are twenty-eight Hallelujahs in the Bible, perhaps one for each accolade. In the opening chapter of his Gospel, John makes it clear that Jesus is the “Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

And how will Israel recognize the Messiah? They will see his bloody tallit. He who appears above high Mount Olivet with the glory that once graced the Holy of Holies will doubtless have the attention of every stubborn heart in Jerusalem. With no light from the sun to detract the people, every eye shall see him. We could camp right here until the trumpet blows, but there is work to do. A battle must be fought. A winepress of wrath must be trod. Isaiah writes …

“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come” (Isaiah 63:1-4).

No doubt, his garments will be stained with the blood of the wicked – and, singlehandedly, he conquers the forces of the world.

His Name is “WORD”

John has already informed us that Christ is the Alpha and Omega or, in Hebrew, the Aleph and Tahv. Jewish sages have written much about this term. Pronounced eht (as in the number8), they have written that this term, for which there is no English translation, is the “Word of Creation.” As the “WORD OF GOD,” this one who appears in glory is none other than the Creator of this Universe. He is the very one who said, “Let there be light!” (Genesis 1:3). John carefully explains:

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

The Greek term used for “Word” is Logos, a reference to the Hebrew Dabar – the name of the fifth book of Moses. When the Septuagint version of the Bible was translated from Hebrew to Greek, circa 300 B.C.), the translators chose to call the name of the fifth book, Deuteronomy, meaning “a copy” of the Law. But, had they translated the name of the book into Greek, it would have been named “The Word,” an obvious reference to Israel’s true Messiah, Jesus Christ who would come to earth in their yet future to be crucified.

Rabbis have found the word Torah (תּוֹרָה) encoded at equidistant letter sequences in the opening paragraphs of the book of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, giving a Divine imprint to the books. They appear to offer a menorah design, with the servant lamp in the opening verse of Leviticus, the middle book.

Rabbis found the ineffable name, Yahweh (יְהוָֹה), encoded at 8-letter intervals in Leviticus 1:1. The first two books (Genesis and Exodus) have the word Torah encoded at 50-letter intervals. Note: the numbers 8 and 50 are transcendent and metaphysical. They are one step above 7 (spiritual perfection) and 49 (the square of spiritual perfection), a heavenly plane – not of this world.

The word Torah is encoded in Numbers and Deuteronomy backwards, noting the design of the menorah lamps. The lamps to the right of the center/servant lamp were turned facing the center. And the lamps to the left of the servant lamp were turned facing the center. In other words, these encoded Torahs are facing the Leviticus passage in which Yahweh is encoded. The reversed Torah encoded in Numbers was found at 50-letter intervals, but the reversed Torah encoded in Deuteronomy was found at 49-letter intervals. This tells us that the Logos (Hebrew Dabar) descended from the heavenly realm of 50 to the earthly realm of 49! Here, encoded in the Mosaic books, is a preview of the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. He is the embodiment of the Torah, the incarnation of Yahweh.

The Apostle Paul explains the exalted position of Christ as the Son of God …

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:15-17).

“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

Christ, the physical “image” of the invisible God.

Furthermore, he is the Creator who spoke all things into existence …

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3)

There is power in his word. Not only did he speak worlds into existence, his word has the power to destroy, as will be demonstrated at the Battle of Armageddon.

Heaven’s Armies

Those who accompany the King upon his return to Earth, which includes those who were raptured alive into Heaven seven years prior in Revelation 4:1, are called “armies” …

“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (verse 14).

Are they angels? Or, are they the saints – the bride? Their apparel of fine linen, white and clean, implies that they are the saints of all the ages. We are told that Enoch prophesied of this glorious scene …

“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints” (Jude 14).

We know that Christ needs no help to fight this battle, so why is the term “armies” applied to us? I think that there is one task assigned to the bride, as seen in the story of Deborah and Barak (Judges 4). When called upon to fight against the oppression of Jabin, king of Canaan, Deborah assigned the task to Barak. But he told her that he would not go unless she went with him …

“And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go” (Judges 4:8).

At this point, Deborah gives a prophecy that Sisera, captain of Jabin’s army, will be killed by a woman …

“And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh” (Judges 4:9).

The honor for Sisera’s defeat will be given to a woman. As the story goes, Sisera left the battle and fled north. Some miles away, he came to the tent of a woman named Jael. Tired and hungry, he drank some milk and drifted off to sleep. Her opportunity had arrived. She took a hammer and a tent stake and drove it through his temple. Barak won the battle, but Jael received the honor. This, in all likelihood, is an Old Testament prophetic type, or shadow, that the saints that return with Christ at the Second Coming event, will nail the Antichrist in the Temple.

Out Of His Mouth: A Sword

“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15).

For an ancient view of this sword, we must return to God’s earliest Bible – the Jewish Mazzaroth. In the head of Leo, a sickle can be seen protruding out of the lion’s mouth.

It begins with the star, Regulus, and can be easily discerned. This sickle is also the subject of the scene in Revelation 14:14, in which Christ rides a white cloud, holding a sickle in his hand.

This sickle is a symbol of the awesome power of his word. Just as he had the ability to speak the worlds into existence, his speech has the power to destroy. Isaiah tells us …

“But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:4).

The power and might of this world’s armies are no match for Christ. All he needs to do is speak and they are defeated. A glimpse of his power of speech is seen when John tells us about his betrayal and arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane:

“Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground” (John 18:3-6).

They could not do otherwise. The very force of Heaven was in his words. He could speak and the dead would rise. He could speak and demons would flee. Why not these soldiers as well? They fell flat on their backs …

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

If the mild statement, “I am he,” had the power to force the enemy back, then imagine the power available to the Savior as he drapes his bloodstained tallit over his shoulders, places his crowns upon his head and pulls back the curtain that hides eternity’s glory from the inky darkness above the earth. Imagine the spectacular scene as he summons the saints to follow him back to this war-torn planet.

The Winepress of Wrath

“He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15).

This is a reference to Isaiah’s first mention. In ancient days, the harvest of the vineyard was crushed in a vat or “winepress.” The “blood of the grape” was used to make wine, the drink of choice for meals. The prophet Isaiah used the harvest scene to explain the final judgment of Earth’s wicked …

“I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment” (Isaiah 63:3).

John enlarged upon this view in Revelation 14 …

“And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs” (Revelation 14:16-20).

It is estimated that a thousand and six hundred furlongs covers the length of the land of Israel, from their border with Lebanon to the port of Elat. The whole land will be under siege. The nation will face certain annihilation.

In the hour of their despair, those left will turn to the very one their forefathers rejected. They will call out to God for their salvation. It is not incidental that the Hebrew term for salvation is Yeshua, Christ’s name. Jesus once said that he would not return until he heard them cry, “blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:39). That is the messianic blessing that the rabbis, themselves, say will be spoken at the coming of the Messiah. It is a quote from Psalm 118 …

“Blessed be he that comes in the name of the LORD” (Psalm 118:26).

When the beleaguered Jews begin to call out for Jesus to come and save them, he will return.

KING and LORD

“And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

At last, there is no doubt to who he is. This world has never wanted to recognize his sovereignty over the nations. The devil has done everything in his power to depose the Savior from his rightful position. The politicians of this world have shunned opportunity after opportunity to recognize his authority.

Let a nation be founded upon the principles of the Word of God, and it will not be too many years until the wicked seize the reigns of that government and remove every vestige of godliness from its hallowed halls. Of course, the very first example of this that pops into most people’s minds is none other than the United States of America – a nation with a visibly obvious and observably divinely marked founding and purpose.

The devil has reigned long enough. Out of six millennia, history has recorded less than 300 years when there has not been a war somewhere. Peace, that elusive desire for utopia, will at last come. Christ will rid the wicked out of the Earth, establish his promised kingdom, and bring peace at last. He is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

The Fig Tree Generation and the Year 2028/29

Of course, you cannot discuss the Second Coming of Christ without presenting the intriguing possibility that the upcoming year of 2028/2029 may present us with a plausible year for this event to occur. As mentioned in a previous article titled PROPHECY ALERT: HIGH WATCH TIME AS MAN IS GULPED BY A WHALE OFF CAPE COD – THE GENESIS LOCATION OF THE VINEYARD PROPHECY FULFILLMENT Jesus gave the parable of the fig tree as a sign of his Second Coming. In scripture, Israel is a sign of the fig tree. When the disciples asked him what the sign of his coming would be, he gave them a series of signs, but then moved into the fig tree sign. He said …

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:32-34).

According to many prophecy and biblical expositors, Psalm 90:10 gives us the best explanation or answer for the length of a biblical generation. It is 70-80 years in length. Israel, the fig tree, was prophetically reborn and reestablished in the year 1948/1949. Many only cite the year of 1948 as being the year that reestablishment occurred (which is, of course, correct), but one thing we should also be looking at prophetically in deciphering times and seasons is the fact that on 11 May 1949, the General Assembly by the requisite two-thirds majority of its then 58 members approved the application to admit Israel to the UN by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 273. Counting forward 80 years from that pivotal and crucial date will put us at the year 2028/2029. If you then subtract seven years for the length of the Tribulation Period, you will arrive at the year of 2021/2022. We know that the rapture of the true Church will occur before the seven years of the Tribulation begins.

When considering the stunning and overt move forward in the Luciferian Elite’s formaton of the New World Order the world is now taking since the arrival of the year 2020 with the scam of the Covid “Pandemic” exploding onto the world scene, one cannot help but notice the very curios timing when considering the arrival of Vineyard America’s 400 year cycle. The world’s inhabitants are now suddenly being locked up in what can only be described as Covid internment camps and being forcefully injected with a nefariously deadly and severe injury-causing so-called “vaccine.” 

Many have noted that this operating system they call a vaccine is nothing more than a DNA changing program with some very curiously evil characteristics accompanying it. For example, upon close examination of the vaccine under a microscope, Dr. Carrie Madaj has discovered what appears to be an eerily alive component that responds to people “watching it.” Among other findings of this curios “vaccine,” she and presumably a few others have discovered the presence of a “black cube” shaped object along with what appears to them to be a “hexagon” shaped object within the “vaccine” (see here, here, here and here). If this sounds familiar, I spoke of this curious “black cube” and “hexagon” occultism in the article titled “RAISING HELL WITH CERN AND SATURN.” There is no doubt that this operating system that they wish for us to regard as a “vaccine” is likely the beginning phase or foundation to the Mark of the Beast sytem of Revelation 13. 

Will the rapture occur before this year is out? Will it occur in May of 2022, the outer limit of when the rapture can occur when holding to the traditional interpretation of Jesus’ fig tree generation? No one can say for sure, but one thing is for sure, it is no accident that all of this has exploded onto the world scene in the beginning of the year 2020, the conclusion of the Vineyard/America 400-year cycle prophecy. If the rapture does not occur in the remainder of this year or even by May of 2022, it is still quite obvious that we are in the general season of this most spectacular occurrence.

GOD’S REQUIREMENT FOR YOUR INCLUSION IN THE RAPTURE AND ESCAPE FROM THE COMING WRATH

The demonstrably divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a coming horrendous seven-year Tribulation period of judgment upon Earth for all of mankind, no matter what your religion, belief or creed is, and even to those who don’t believe anything spiritual at all.  We can now clearly see the signs of this approaching nightmare.  However, as we’ve already seen, this same divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a dramatic escape from off the face of the earth before this horrendous time of judgment only to a certain category of people.  

Put simply, an event is coming that will be so stupendous that it strains the mind to contemplate such an event happening.  It is an event that will see millions upon millions of people across the globe suddenly disappear without warning.  The millions of disappeared will have literally ascended into Heaven itself after instantaneously receiving a new glorified body fit for Heaven.  A body that will be able to withstand the atmosphere and glory of Heaven.  This event is known as the “Rapture.” But the promise of escape is only to those who are “born again” in Christ.  This is why it is crucial to understand what Christ meant when he declared in no uncertain terms that only those who are “born again” in him will enter the Kingdom of God.  For the explanation of this, keep reading below.

In order to accept the offer of God’s grace and his salvation, you must take the crucial three steps of …

1. Agreeing – A belief and agreeing with God in all that he says in his word, the Bible, about the fact that you are separated from God, as every man and woman on the face of the earth are before accepting his salvation.  The Bible reveals that all are separated from him in a spiritual state of death, or said another way that the Bible reveals it, in a state of sin, that will result in damnation in the afterlife.  Agreeing with God in your heart that you are in need of his salvation.  The Bible reveals that God looks upon the heart of a man or woman, and thus, responds accordingly to the person who comes to him for salvation in recognition of his inability to save himself.  The Bible makes these facts very clear – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  The Bible describes these three kinds of death:  

• physical death (the state experienced when life leaves our bodies).

• spiritual death (spiritual separation from God caused by our state of spiritual death inherited from the first man Adam – the state of sin that results in our daily outward acts of sin, whether deliberate or not, whether omissive or not; and finally …

• the second death (the fixed state entered into by the individual who dies physically while he or she is dead spiritually). This state is entered into after the death of the body which results in punishment in the afterlife until the event of the Great White Throne Judgment occurs wherein the damned are resurrected from Hades, or Hell, and are judged according to their works and finally destroyed and cease to exist after being cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 14 refers to this tragic end of the unsaved as the “Second Death” (verse 14). It is this state of suffering entered into after physical death and then final destruction at the Great White Throne Judgment in particular which is the horrible result of receiving the wages of sin (unforgiven due to unbelief and rejection of Christ). The Lord Jesus Christ frequently described such a death as being irrevocable in a destiny which he called Hell.  He described Hell as a literal place of judgment (Matthew 13:42); a place of everlasting fire (Matthew 18:8); a place of torment (Luke 16:24,28); a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50); a place of remorse (Mark 9:44-48); of bitter memory (Luke 16:25), and a place originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).  In fact, Jesus more often warned about Hell than he spoke about Heaven.

It is not God’s will or desire that any person should be consigned to perish in Hell (2 Peter 3:9), but rather that all should come to repentance of unbelief toward him and believe on him for the salvation of the individual’s soul.  But God’s justice requires that the “soul who sins” (remains in it’s state of death or state of sin) is the one who will die a second time after a long period of torment (Ezekiel 18:4).  So, agree with God, admitting that you are unable to save yourself and in a state of sin under God’s just condemnation for that sin and that you are in need of his salvation.

2. Believing – Then, believe that God does not want you to perish eternally in the torment of Hell because of your sin.  Believe that God loves you so much that he provided a way whereby he could still be a just, holy and righteous God, and yet pardon you.  Believe that God did not just overlook sin, but that he sent his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide salvation by personally paying the penalty for sin.  Believe that Jesus Christ, whose life, death, burial and resurrection is the best-attested fact of antiquity, did come to earth to live, die, rise again and ascend to Heaven in order to provide justification and salvation for all who trust him.  Believe that he, and he alone, can save you because he has fully satisfied the just demands of God.  Believe that you can’t become righteous in God’s sight by your own effort.  Believe that he wants to save you and that he will save you.  The Bible provides a solid basis for such belief …

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). 

“But God demonstrates his love toward us in this:  while we were yet sinners,  Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). 

God presented him (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.  He did this to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies the man or woman who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26). 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures … ” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). 

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). 

“Jesus answered, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out [drive away]” (John 6:37).

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

3. Calling – It is not enough to agree with God, admit your need, and believe that Christ can and will save you.  You must act upon those facts. God’s requirement is that you repent of your unbelief toward him and actively call upon him for the salvation of your soul based on the fact that you cannot save yourself. It is unbelief in particular that damns the soul to its horrible fate …

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

You must be willing to completely turn from your own efforts to save yourself or from any other hope.  You must come to Christ, calling upon him for salvation and counting on the fact that he will do what he has promised.  This means simply taking the gift of pardon and eternal life which he offers.  Merely believing about Jesus Christ without coming to him makes as much sense and is as effective as believing that a medication can successfully treat a fatal disease, but failing to take it.  Yet again, the Bible emphatically and authoritatively provides the basis for such statements.

The word translated “believe” here means to “rest one’s entire weight and trust on the object or person in which the belief is placed.”  It requires action in keeping with the intellectual assent of that belief.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

” … but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The logical question you may be asking at this point is:  “how do I come to Christ and call upon him?”  The answer is that “calling upon the Lord” is just another term for praying, or talking to God.  To talk to God is not a complicated process, dependent upon some special rituals.  God has invited people to approach him through his Son in simple, straightforward terms.  In fact, Jesus approved of the dishonest, despised tax collector who simply prayed, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”  While the exact words of your prayer to God are not of vital importance (since God sees and knows the attitude of your heart), the following is the kind of prayer that you could pray in calling upon God for salvation …

“Dear Lord Jesus:  I realize that I need you.  I admit that I have sinned and that I deserve your just, eternal punishment for that sin.  But I am sorry for my sin and I am turning to you and asking for forgiveness.  I believe that you died and rose again to pay sin’s penalty on my behalf.  I come to you and open my heart to you.  I ask you to come into my life, forgive me for all of my sin and make me your child.  I invite you to take control of my life and to cause me to be the kind of person you would have me to be.  I thank you for doing this because you have promised that whosoever calls upon you, as I am doing now, shall be saved.  I pray this in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, I urge you to sincerely and genuinely express it to God as your prayer.  The Bible makes clear that when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in our heart, God forgives our sins and counts us righteous, and that when we openly confess with our mouth what we have done in our heart,  God gives us assurance of that salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7).

Recommended Reading and Viewing:
Situation Update, August 10th, 2021 – IT’S HERE: Covid internment camps announced in America
Situation Update, August 24th, 2021 – Governments unleash TOTAL WAR against the human population with vaccines, starvation and death camps
Situation Update, Sep 9th, 2021 – Australian police begin GASSING covid camp prisoners – WITNESSES on video
MASS CORONAVIRUS OCCULT RITUAL AND THE RISE OF MYSTERY BABYLON (פ)
Enter The Dragon
The Balaamic Prophecies of 2021

The next article in this Revelation series can be read in the link below.
THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON AND THE PROPHETIC PSALMS: DOES PSALM 122 SIGNAL THE RAPTURE IN 2022?