davidbowerkingwood

The First Advent is History, the Second Advent is Still Future!

The Christian community has recently celebrated the First Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ; the reality of the two advents had been suggested to the Jewish nation prophetically but in a manner which caused confusion. The time lapse between the two advents had not been revealed to them and was a part of the mystery of the church age.

The contrast between the two advents had been clearly revealed, one advent revealed a suffering servant; the other advent revealed a conquering monarch; needless to say, the Jews, under Roman oppression, longed for the conquering monarch but that time was in the distant future. First the suffering servant, then, much later, the conquering monarch.

Standing on the Mount of Olives

We are told in Zechariah 14:4 of the Lord’s return to the Mount of Olives.

“⁴ And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.”

The Bible does not clearly specify the sequence of events when comparing the return to the Mount of Olives with the return to defeat the enemy at the Battle of Armageddon. Does the Lord initially descend to the Mount of Olives and then, after the events described in Zachariah, proceed to the Valley at Mount Megiddo to annihilate the enemies there or do just the reverse?

I’ll admit that I do not know that information conclusively from Scripture, but my analysis of the verses leads me to believe the Battle of Armageddon comes first followed by the actual return to earth at the Mount of Olives.

The verse that tilts the balance, in my opinion, is Revelation 19:11 where it is written:

“¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.”

This verse makes me think the Lord is descending from heaven as he begins to make war with the assembled armies in the Valley of Megiddo and defeats them with the word of his mouth at the Battle of Armageddon. Another factor was the choice of swords, the (ῥομφαία), rhomphaia was a long sword which could be thrown like a spear and was used for combat at a distance.

After dealing with those armies, he moves on to the Mount of Olives and dismounts from the white horse he had ridden during the Battle of Armageddon and stands on the Mount of Olives!

At that point a series of four events is triggered over the following weeks; the events in Zechariah 14:4-5, delivering Jerusalem; the events in Matthew 24:36-41, removal of unbelievers from the earth; and the events in Daniel 12:1-3 and 12-13, the resurrection of the Tribulation and Old Testament Saints and the restoration of the earth to Millennial conditions.

Events Still Future

While the events described above are still future, as Christians, we are already engaged in a spiritual war. The Bible makes it clear that Christians are already in the midst of a serious spiritual war. In Ephesians 6:10-17

^“10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”

It is important to note there is only one offensive weapon listed, “the sword (μάχαιραν, machaira, used for close combat) of the Spirit, which is the word of God!” While our Lord destroys his foes from a distance, the Christian, who will live his entire mortal life on a spiritual battlefield, uses the short sword, designed for close combat.

As Christians, engaged in spiritual warfare, we are equipped with the same powerful weapon used by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Battle of Armageddon, the “Word of God!” Never underestimate the power of God’s word in Hebrews 4:12 it is written:

¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

TRUST YOUR EQUIPMENT!