Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 15.07.2000
Every eye will see Him
Happy are those who love Jesus, though they have not seen Him, for they will see Him without fear. Near is the day when the whole mankind will see Him and will tremble with fear, for they did not believe in His name.
The sign of the Son of Man
The Jews wanted to see a sign from Jesus. They demanded to get a sign that would convince them that He is the promised Messiah. "'Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.'. But He answered and said to them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Matth.12:38-41
Jonah preached to the people in Nineveh: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Jonah 3:4 When they listened to Jonah they saw scars in his skin. He had got them in the belly of the fish. They had to be impressed by Jonah when he told how he cried out to the LORD and asked mercy from Him in the belly of the fish. The scars of Jonah told them about the reality of God's judgement, but on the other hand about God's mercy which He gives a sinner who repents. And all the people of the town believed this message of Jonah and they turned from their evil ways.
Jesus says that He is the sign to us in the same way as Jonah was to the people in Nineveh. After His resurrection He appeared to His disciples and they got to see "the sign of the Son of Man". He showed them the print of the nails and the scar on His side.
Before the crucifixion the high priest demanded Jesus to say who He is. "Tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God". In His reply Jesus said: "Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Matth.26:64 He promised that Jews will see Him, when He will come on the clouds.
The Jews wanted to see a sign from Jesus. They demanded to get a sign that would convince them that He is the promised Messiah. "'Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.'. But He answered and said to them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Matth.12:38-41
Jonah preached to the people in Nineveh: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Jonah 3:4 When they listened to Jonah they saw scars in his skin. He had got them in the belly of the fish. They had to be impressed by Jonah when he told how he cried out to the LORD and asked mercy from Him in the belly of the fish. The scars of Jonah told them about the reality of God's judgement, but on the other hand about God's mercy which He gives a sinner who repents. And all the people of the town believed this message of Jonah and they turned from their evil ways.
Jesus says that He is the sign to us in the same way as Jonah was to the people in Nineveh. After His resurrection He appeared to His disciples and they got to see "the sign of the Son of Man". He showed them the print of the nails and the scar on His side.
Before the crucifixion the high priest demanded Jesus to say who He is. "Tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God". In His reply Jesus said: "Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Matth.26:64 He promised that Jews will see Him, when He will come on the clouds.
Every eye will see Him
"Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen." Rev.1:7 When Jesus had risen from the dead, God "showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God." Acts 10:40-41 But when He will come on the clouds He will be shown to all the people. The whole mankind will see the coming of Jesus.
When Jesus told about the events just before His coming He says: "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect..." Matth.24:30-31
His coming is a public event. He will appear to everybody when He comes to meet His own on the clouds. "We shall be caught up.... in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..." 1Thess.4:17
"Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen." Rev.1:7 When Jesus had risen from the dead, God "showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God." Acts 10:40-41 But when He will come on the clouds He will be shown to all the people. The whole mankind will see the coming of Jesus.
When Jesus told about the events just before His coming He says: "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect..." Matth.24:30-31
His coming is a public event. He will appear to everybody when He comes to meet His own on the clouds. "We shall be caught up.... in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..." 1Thess.4:17
Public not secret coming
Many are teaching that Jesus will catch up His Church during a peaceful time without that "all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven". How can they be mistaken so badly? Maybe therefore, that they have the Christianity, which puts the Church first and Jesus secondary. Because they have hidden Jesus into the shadow of the Church they have the tendency to believe that also in the case of the rapture the Church will be noticed by people when it suddenly disappears and Jesus stays in secret.
At the end time it can happen to them in the same way as it happened to the believers of Thessalonia, to whom apostle Paul wrote about this thing. They were shocked greatly when they believed that Jesus had already come and taken away His own. If the coming would be secret lies like this could be told for instance in time of crisis, when all kind of rumours easily possess. In the same way as the coming of a thief surprises them so does the coming of Jesus on the clouds, because they don't wait for Him.
Many are teaching that Jesus will catch up His Church during a peaceful time without that "all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven". How can they be mistaken so badly? Maybe therefore, that they have the Christianity, which puts the Church first and Jesus secondary. Because they have hidden Jesus into the shadow of the Church they have the tendency to believe that also in the case of the rapture the Church will be noticed by people when it suddenly disappears and Jesus stays in secret.
At the end time it can happen to them in the same way as it happened to the believers of Thessalonia, to whom apostle Paul wrote about this thing. They were shocked greatly when they believed that Jesus had already come and taken away His own. If the coming would be secret lies like this could be told for instance in time of crisis, when all kind of rumours easily possess. In the same way as the coming of a thief surprises them so does the coming of Jesus on the clouds, because they don't wait for Him.
Consequences of the appearance of Jesus
How nations react to this public appearance: "And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" Rev.6:15-17 The Day of God's and Lamb's wrath begins from the seventh seal, soon after Jesus has caught up His own. Everybody knows then what is going on.
Jesus tells about this coming time of the wrath very movingly to the women who are weeping for Him when He carries His cross. "Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming.... Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?" Luke.23:28-30 Jesus says that He is "a green wood", who suffered on the cross the wrath of God instead of us. People, for whom the salvation, which Jesus gained for them, doesn't do will suffer God's wrath themselves.
On that day of the appearance it happens great things in Israel. It is what was spoken by the prophet Zechariah. "They will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." Zech.12:10 This verse was in the mind of Jesus, when He said to the high priest, "hereafter you will see..." He already saw in His spirit the Day when He would come on the clouds to show everybody His wounds, which soon were to be pierced.
When they have seen Jesus and His scars when He appears on the clouds, many Israeli realise that Jesus Nazarene is Messiah. Then "all Israel will be saved" Rom.11:26 , for 12000 persons from each tribe become believers. "And the land shall mourn, every family by itself... all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves." Zech.12:12,14 These saved people will be sealed with God's seal. "And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed." Rev.7:4
How nations react to this public appearance: "And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" Rev.6:15-17 The Day of God's and Lamb's wrath begins from the seventh seal, soon after Jesus has caught up His own. Everybody knows then what is going on.
Jesus tells about this coming time of the wrath very movingly to the women who are weeping for Him when He carries His cross. "Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming.... Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?" Luke.23:28-30 Jesus says that He is "a green wood", who suffered on the cross the wrath of God instead of us. People, for whom the salvation, which Jesus gained for them, doesn't do will suffer God's wrath themselves.
On that day of the appearance it happens great things in Israel. It is what was spoken by the prophet Zechariah. "They will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." Zech.12:10 This verse was in the mind of Jesus, when He said to the high priest, "hereafter you will see..." He already saw in His spirit the Day when He would come on the clouds to show everybody His wounds, which soon were to be pierced.
When they have seen Jesus and His scars when He appears on the clouds, many Israeli realise that Jesus Nazarene is Messiah. Then "all Israel will be saved" Rom.11:26 , for 12000 persons from each tribe become believers. "And the land shall mourn, every family by itself... all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves." Zech.12:12,14 These saved people will be sealed with God's seal. "And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed." Rev.7:4
Jesus steps on to Earth
When Jesus comes onto earth it is a totally different event from His appearance on the cloud to meet His own. When Zechariah has first told about "they look on me whom they have pierced", he tells after that about the coming of Jesus onto earth. "Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 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..." Zech.14:3-4
The corresponding passage is in the Revelation: "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. His eyes were like a flame of fire..." Rev.19:11-12
Also Paul tells first in the chapter four of 1Thess how we are "caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..." and then in the first chapter of 2Thess. he tells how Jesus "is revealed from heaven in flaming fire". The revelation of Jesus on the cloud is the last appearance of love to the whole mankind before He will come onto earth and destroy His enemies.
So you can be confident that the resurrection of the Church cannot happen without you noticing.
When Jesus comes onto earth it is a totally different event from His appearance on the cloud to meet His own. When Zechariah has first told about "they look on me whom they have pierced", he tells after that about the coming of Jesus onto earth. "Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 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..." Zech.14:3-4
The corresponding passage is in the Revelation: "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. His eyes were like a flame of fire..." Rev.19:11-12
Also Paul tells first in the chapter four of 1Thess how we are "caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..." and then in the first chapter of 2Thess. he tells how Jesus "is revealed from heaven in flaming fire". The revelation of Jesus on the cloud is the last appearance of love to the whole mankind before He will come onto earth and destroy His enemies.
So you can be confident that the resurrection of the Church cannot happen without you noticing.
The Bible version used in references is NIV