Christ’s return

Day of the Lord

“The day of the Lord holds an important place in prophecy. Old Testament prophets declared that it signaled judgment for Israel. Several prophets referred to it as God’s day of judgment upon individual nations, such as Babylon, Egypt, Edom, and others. Zechariah 14:1-4 explains that the events pertaining to Christ’s second advent are included in the day of the Lord” (note on 1 Thessalonians 5:2). This passage states:

Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. (Zechariah 14:1-4)

Paul’s focus on the day of the Lord in his first letter to the Thessalonians was in the context of Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Paul said that it “will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). If the day of the Lord began after Christ’s second advent, “it could not come as a ‘thief in the night,’ unexpected and unheralded, since that particular advent is accompanied by signs (Matthew 24:30, 31). Consequently, the only way these events could occur unexpectedly would be for them to begin immediately after the rapture of the church. The day of the Lord, therefore, is that extended period of time when God will deal with Israel after the rapture of the church. It will continue through the second advent and the millennial age, which precedes the creation of the new heaven and new earth. God will actively intervene throughout the time period to punish sin” (note on 1 Thessalonians 5:2).

Isaiah’s prophesy about the day of the Lord made it clear that the Lord will establish his exalted position on the earth (Isaiah 2:11) and he will at that time rid the world of all idol worship (Isaiah 2:20). Isaiah said:

For the Lord of hosts has a day
    against all that is proud and lofty,
    against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low…
And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled,
    and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,
    and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
And the idols shall utterly pass away.
And people shall enter the caves of the rocks
    and the holes of the ground,
from before the terror of the Lord,
    and from the splendor of his majesty,
    when he rises to terrify the earth. (Isaiah 2:12-19)

The title used in Isaiah 2:12, LORD of Hosts refers to God’s position of leadership over both human and heavenly armies and therefore, signifies Christ’s intention of conquering the world when he returns to earth. Isaiah’s statement, “And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled; and the lofty pride of man shall be brought low” (Isaiah 2:17) suggests that mankind’s usurping of God’s authority is the main driver behind God’s use of force to regain control of the world that he created and which rightfully belongs to him.

Jesus’ disciples and others whom he taught did not completely understand the purpose of the day of the Lord, nor did they initially comprehend the reason for the removal of Christians before it began. Jesus used parables to describe the events that were going to take place (Matthew 21:33-22:14) and only explained certain details to his twelve apostles before his death (Matthew 24:15-31). On one occasion, Jesus responded to a question from the Pharisees about when the kingdom of God would come by telling them it had already arrived. Then, Jesus told his disciples what to expect at the time of his second coming. Jesus said:

“The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Luke 17:20-37)

Paul’s statement that the Lord would come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2) echoed Jesus’ sentiment that people will be caught off guard in the days of the Son of Man (Luke 17:24). Jesus compared the initiation of the day of the Lord to the days of Noah and the days of Lot when God destroyed everyone. Paul said, “While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security.’ Then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1Thessalonians 5:3).

Unlike the Jews who were warned about the sudden destruction that was awaiting them in the day of the Lord, believers in Christ welcomed Jesus’ return and expected the day of the Lord to be a time of great celebration. Paul described the event as a moment of immediate transformation that would result in immortality. Paul said, “I tell you this, brothers, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:50-52). The Greek word that is translated changed, allasso (al-lasˊ-so) means “to make different…to change for the better” (G236). Allasso also appears in Hebrews 1:11-12 where the final destruction of the earth is described. Quoting from Psalm 102:25-27, the writer states, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed.”

“God did not intend for the earth to be eternal…the most graphic account of the end of the entire physical universe is found in 2 Peter 3:10” (note on Genesis 8:21-22). Peter’s account of the day of the Lord focused on the destruction of the ungodly. Peter said scoffers will come in the last days, “following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and the earth that now exists are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2 Peter 3:3-7). Peter cautioned believers to not overlook the fact that God’s timing is not the same as ours. Peter said, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Peter concluded his discussion of the day of the Lord by refocusing his readers’ attention from the bad news to the good news of Christ’s return. Second Peter 3:11-13 states, “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” Revelation 21:1 tells us that a new heaven and new earth will be created after the great white throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). “The new heaven and the new earth are not duplicates of the heaven and earth that now exist. The word ‘new’ is a translation of the Greek word kainon (2537), which means ‘qualitatively new.’ To some, this suggests that the new earth will be as the current earth was at its creation” (note on Revelation 21:1-22:5). The connection between believers being changed (allasso, 1 Corinthians 15:51) and the earth being changed (allasso, Hebrews 1:12) suggests though, that there will be at least one difference between the current earth and the new one. The new earth will be imperishable. Paul said, “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Rapture of the Church

Not long before his death, Jesus established the fact that he would return to earth at some point in the future. Jesus told his disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1-3). Although Jesus assured his followers that he would come back for them, the timing of Christ’s return was not revealed to them. Jesus said:

But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:36-44)

Jesus described the future rapture of believers in terms of being taken or left. The Greek word that is translated taken, paralambano (par-al-am-banˊ-o) means “to receive near i.e. associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation); (by analogy) to assume an office” (G3880). Paralambano is the word Jesus used when he said, “I will come again and will take you to myself” (John 14:3). Paralambano is derived from the words para, which means “immediate vicinity or proximity” (G3844), and lambano, which means “to take” (G2983).

Jesus encouraged his followers to stay awake because they did not know when he would return. In his parable of the ten virgins, Jesus indicated that the ten virgins represented the kingdom of heaven and explained that because the bridegroom was delayed the virgins became drowsy and slept (Matthew 25:1-5). Jesus had previously identified himself as the bridegroom (Matthew 9:15; John 3:29) and indicated in his parable of the ten virgins that the bridegroom’s return was linked to the marriage feast (Matthew 25:10). The marriage feast represents the physical union of Christ with his church. This event takes place in Revelation 19:7. Immediately following this event, Revelation 19:11-21 tells us that Jesus will return to the earth and will “strike down the nations and he will rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). Revelation 19:16 states, “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Revelation 19:9 suggests that those who participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb will receive God’s favor in ways that others do not. This may have been why the “Thessalonian believers were concerned that those believers who had already died would miss Christ’s coming. Paul assured them that those who had died would be be caught up to meet the Lord just like those who are alive at his coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)” (Introduction to the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians). Paul stated:

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Paul used the term fallen asleep or koimao (koy-mahˊ-o) in the Greek to refer to those who had died after believing in Christ. Paul was referring to the body being asleep, not the soul (note on 1 Thessalonians 4:15). Paul explained in his letters to the Corinthians that the believer’s body is a temporary home that will be replaced by an eternal one when the rapture occurs (2 Corinthians 5:1-5). Paul said, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Paul indicated that the rapture of the church will take place in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52). Paul also stated that “the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This critical transition will not only signal the end of the age of grace but will also usher in the great tribulation and the beginning of God’s judgment of the world. This time period is known as the Day of the Lord. Paul said, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). The sudden shift from God’s grace being freely offered to judgment and destruction will catch everyone off guard and will result in a great multitude from every nation turning to Christ and the final harvest of the earth (Revelation 7:14; 14:14-20).

The LORD’s Anointed

Old Testament references to Israel’s Messiah, Jesus Christ, are not always easily identifiable because the terminology that is used to distinguish him is sometimes applied to others. For instance, the Messiah is referred to as the king in Psalm 21, which was written by King David and could be applied to the writer also. Psalm 21 is one of the psalms referred to as Messianic (other examples of Messianic portions would include Psalm 34:20; 40:6-8; 41:9; 45:6, 7; 69:21; 72:8; and 118:22). Psalms are classified as Messianic based on one or more of the three following criteria. First, consider the testimony of the writers of the Old Testament. When other books, in the context of discussing the Messiah, contain quotes or wording very similar to lines from the psalms (e.g. Psalm 72:8, cf. Zechariah 9:10), it is a clear indication that a psalm is Messianic. Secondly, there are the citations from psalms that Christ applied to himself (e.g. Psalm 41:9, cf. John 13:18) or that New Testament writers identified as depicting Christ (e.g., Psalm 118:22, cf. Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7). Finally, there are statements in the psalms that, while never specifically identified as such in the Scriptures, clearly point to Jesus Christ, (e.g. Psalm 22:1, cf. Matthew 27:46). It should be noted that within the ‘Messianic’ portions of individual psalms, some passages refer exclusively to Christ while others seem to also address a situation faced by the human writer” (note on Psalm 22:1-31).

Psalm 2 is one of the psalms that is identified as Messianic. In this psalm, Christ is referred to as the LORD’s Anointed, as well as, my Son. One of the well-known lines in this Psalm is found in verse 7, “The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you.’” The Apostle Paul quoted this verse in a message he delivered at Antioch. After reciting a brief history of the people of Israel (Acts 13:16-25), Paul stated:

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,

“‘You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you.’” (Acts 13:26-33)

Paul’s comment about the good news that was promised to the Israelites had to do with their Messiah not being recognized as the Son of God. Paul said the Jews living in Jerusalem and their rulers did not understand the utterances of the prophets, in particular that the verse he quoted from Psalm 2 was Messianic.  

The title of Psalm 2, The Reign of the LORD’s Anointed, points to an event that was expected by the Jews at the time of Christ’s birth, but was largely misunderstood because it didn’t apply to the nation of Israel. The book of Revelation tells us that Christ’s reign will take place after a worldwide system of government is established that requires allegiance to one man, Antichrist who will rule over all the earth (Revelation 13:1-8). At the end of Antichrist’s 42 month reign, Christ will return to earth and will, “strike down the nations, and will rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). Psalm 2 begins with the question, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” (Psalm 2:1), referring to the rebellion against God that elicits Christ’s return. The psalmist states, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us’” (Psalm 2:2-3).

People’s attitude toward God when Christ returns will be one of complete disdain, which is why it will be necessary for him to rule with a rod of iron. In response to the world’s antagonism toward him, Christ will appoint judges to rule with him over the people on earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-5), but when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be given one last opportunity to oppose Christ’s authority (Revelation 20:7-9). It says in Revelation 20:9 that fire will come down from heaven and consume Satan’s army. God’s rationale for a swift and decisive defeat of Satan is conveyed in Psalm 2:4-7. It states:

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”

I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.

A decree is an official order issued by a legal authority. God’s decrees must be observed and by virtue of his divine authority, are like the laws of nature which cannot be broken. God’s statement, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Psalm 2:6) implies that a decision was made at a particular point in time that determined Christ’s sacrifice for our sins would result in him becoming the individual who was given the power and authority to rule over God’s kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:4-16). Before Jesus was born, God said of the coming Messiah, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son” (2 Samuel 7:14).

The reign of the LORD’s Anointed is depicted as a period of harsh judgment. It says of the LORD’s Anointed in Psalm 2:9, “You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” “The ‘rod’ mentioned here is not an emblem of a royal office but a rod of correction in the hand of the King. The fact that it is made of iron indicates the severity and harshness of the judgment that will be meted out by Christ at his return (Revelation 19:15). This harsh judgment is not inconsistent with the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Meekness does not exclude anger but simply means that one is angry for the right reasons and at the right time (John 2:13-17). Jesus could truthfully claim to be gentle without contradicting his claim to be the Judge (Matthew 11:28-30; John 5:26-30)” (note on Psalm 2:9). The Hebrew word that is translated break in Psalm 2:9, raʿaʿ (raw-ahˊ) means “to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces)…The root of the word indicates breaking, in contrast to the word tamam (8552), which means to be whole” (H7489). Tamam has to do with something being complete or finished, “to conclude. At its root, this word carries the connotation of finishing or bringing closure” (H8552).

Jesus told his disciples before he was crucified that he was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:2). Jesus said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). In his Parable of the Ten Minas, Jesus explained that it was necessary for the LORD’s Anointed to go away in order for him to receive his kingdom. Luke tells us, “As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately: (Luke 19:11). Luke 19:12-27 states:

He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Jesus indicated the citizens of the kingdom hated the LORD’s Anointed and did not want him to reign over them. At the end of the parable, Jesus spoke as though he was the one who was hated and said to those who were listening, “I tell you that everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me” (Luke 19:26-27). A couple of days later, in his Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Luke 20:9-18), Jesus revealed the people’s motive for being hostile toward the LORD’s Anointed. Jesus stated:

Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone’?

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (Luke 20:13-18)

When Jesus returns, he intends to judge those who have rejected him as the LORD’s Anointed. Jesus told his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). The Greek word that is translated new world, paliggenesia (pal-ing-ghen-es-eeˊ-ah) refers specifically to Messianic restoration. “In the sense of renovation, restoration, restitution to a former state; spoken of complete eternal manifestation of the Messiah’s kingdom when all things are to be delivered from the present corruption and restored to spiritual purity and splendor (Matthew 19:28)” (G3824).

God’s restoration of the world will be similar to the spiritual rebirth that believers experience when they are born again. Paul explained in his letter to Titus, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration (paliggenesia) and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7). Paul used the phrase washing of regeneration to describe the cleansing that takes place at salvation (G3067). This cleansing is done through Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Revelation 19:12-16 tells us that when Jesus, the LORD’s Anointed returns, “His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which his is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” The nineteenth chapter of Revelation concludes with the beast and the false prophet being captured and “thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur” and the rest who made war against the LORD’s Anointed, “were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged on their flesh” (Revelation 19:20-21).

Psalm 2 concludes with a warning to the rulers of the earth to not contest the supremacy of the LORD’s Anointed. Psalm 2:10-12 states:

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

The Hebrew word that is translated blessed, ʾesher (ehˊ-sher) is “used to describe a person or nation who enjoys a relationship with God (Deuteronomy 33:29; Job 5:17; Psalm 33:12; 146:5)” (H835). Having a relationship with God means that you have access to him on a continuous basis. After he told his disciples he was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:3), Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus referred to himself as the way, “the way of access, e.g., into the direct presence of God (Hebrews 9:8)” (G3598). Christ’s sacrifice opened the way for everyone to enter into God’s presence. Because of this, all who take refuge in him will be blessed and Jesus will rule over God’s kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:4-16)

The rebellion

Rebellion against God is a common theme throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:2-7) and concluding with the Antichrist’s battle at Armageddon (Revelation (16:14-16), mankind has continually chosen to rebel against God’s authority. The Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians was dedicated to explaining certain events that must take place before Christ’s return. After discussing the judgment at Christ’s coming, Paul talked about a man of lawlessness that would lead the world in rebellion against God. Paul said:

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)

The rebellion that Paul was referring to was described in detail in Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Paul told Timothy, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1-3). The root cause of rebellion against God is identified as an evil, unbelieving heart in Hebrews 3:12. Hebrews 3:12-14 was a warning to believers about falling away from God. It states, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”

The writer of Hebrews pointed to the rebellion of the Israelites after they were delivered from slavery in Egypt as an example of what not to do if you have a relationship with the Lord. Quoting from Psalm 95:7-11, the writer of Hebrews states:

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
    on the day of testing in the wilderness,
where your fathers put me to the test
    and saw my works for forty years.
Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
    they have not known my ways.’
As I swore in my wrath,
    ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” (Hebrews 3:7-11)

The writer of Hebrews indicated that the remedy for a hardened heart was listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. When we ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we go astray in our hearts. The Greek word that is translated go astray, planao (plan-ahˊ-o) is a derivative of the word planos (planˊ-os) which refers to “roving (as a tramp), i.e. (by implication) an imposter or misleader” (G4108). Planos is used in 1 Timothy 4:1 to describe the type of spirits that cause people to depart from their faith. The King James Version translates planos as “seducing spirits.” It states, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1). The implication of this passage is that there is a competition between God and Satan to influence the minds of individuals who have accepted Christ as their Savior. Believers who go astray in their hearts are those who chose to believe Satan’s lies rather than the truth of God’s word. The first instance of this happening was in the Garden of Eden when Eve believed what the serpent told her and ate some of the fruit that God had told Adam would result in death (Genesis 2:17, 3:1-6).

Paul told the believers in Thessalonica that the man of lawlessness who is also known as Antichrist, was being restrained by the Holy Spirit. Paul said, “And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8). “The Holy Spirit is the restraining force in this world, holding back the power of lawlessness and the many ‘antichrists’ existing today (1 John 2:18). Verse 7 does not refer to a departure of the Holy Spirit but to the removal of his restraining power. This will allow Satan and the Antichrist to exercise dominion on the earth, but God will use whatever happens to further his plan in accordance with his own timetable” (note on 2 Thessalonians 2:6, 7). Paul went on to say, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Believing the truth of the gospel is what makes it possible for a person to be saved. Not believing the truth, opens the door for Satan to deceive you with a lie.

Jesus said in his parable of the sower that believers fall away because they “have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away” (Luke 8:13). A time of testing is “a state of trial in which God brings His people through adversity and affliction in order to encourage and prove their faith and confidence in Him (1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:2, 12; 1 Peter 1:6; 2 Peter 2:9)…In the opposite way, man ‘tempts’ God by distrusting Him and complaining to Him (Hebrews 3:8)” (G3986). It is this latter way of falling away, when man tempts God, that the writer of Hebrews was referring to when he said that we should not harden our hearts “as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test, and saw my works for forty years” (Hebrews 3:8-9). The rebellion is about mankind’s unified effort to dethrone God and Satan’s attempt to take his place. John depicted the rebellion as a final showdown in which all hell would break loose (Revelation 16:13-14) and every believer would be tempted to abandon God in order to survive (Revelation 13:16-17). Jesus encouraged his followers to stay awake so that they wouldn’t be tempted to give up. Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15).

Jesus often used the phrases stay awake or wake up when he was teaching his disciples to emphasize their need for spiritual help. The Greek term gregoreuo (gray-gor-yooˊ-o) has to do with consciousness or awareness of things going on in a particular realm. Jesus used gregoreuo in his message to the church in Sardis to emphasize their ongoing need for sanctification. Jesus said, “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you” (Revelation 3:1-3). The Greek word that is translated complete in Revelation 3:2, pleroo (play-roˊ-o) means “to make replete” (G4137) and was used by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians in reference to the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19) and of being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Being complete or your works being complete as a Christian means that you are fully aware of the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in and through you and you are completely conformed to God’s will for your life. This will be especially important in the time of the rebellion because Satan will be doing everything he can to confuse believers and to negate the influence of the Holy Spirit on their minds and hearts.

An Invitation

The religious leaders that often confronted Jesus made note of the fact that he didn’t associate with the kind of people they thought he should. After Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his twelve disciples, Matthew tells us, “And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples” (Matthew 9:10). Tax collectors were hated by the Jews because they were perceived to be traitors that helped the Roman government gain a financial advantage over the people of Israel, who were under their control at the time. Sinners were the outcasts of society, a group of people that were looked down on and avoided by religious hypocrites. When the Pharisees asked why Jesus ate with the tax collectors and sinners, Jesus responded, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13). The Greek word that is translated call, kaleo (kal-eh’-o) means to call “in the sense of to invite, particularly to a banquet” and is used metaphorically, “To call or invite to anything, e.g. of Jesus, to call to repentance” (G2564).

Jesus illustrated God calling people into his kingdom with parables that used the banquet metaphor. In his parable of the wedding feast, Jesus said:

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:8-11)

Jesus’ reference to the wedding feast was intended to convey “the happiness of the Messiah’s kingdom” (G1062). The book of Revelation contains a section that refers to rejoicing in heaven (Revelation 19:1-5). This section is followed by the marriage supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:6-9 states:

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and the Bride has made herself ready; it was granted to her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”–for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

The connection between the Lord our God the Almighty reigning on earth and the marriage supper of the Lamb seems to be the inclusion of saints in God’s kingdom. John was told that the fine linen worn by the Bride was “the righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation 19:8). The Greek word that is translated saints, hagios (hag’-ee-os) means “sacred” or “consecrated” and is “Spoken of those who are purified and sanctified by the influences of the Spirit, a saint. This is assumed of all who profess the Christian name” (G40).  

Jesus continued his discussion of people receiving an invitation into God’s kingdom with the parable of the great banquet. In this parable, Jesus indicated that the Jews did not value the privilege of being God’s chosen people. Jesus explained that God’s motive for allowing others to take the place of the Jews in his kingdom was because the Jews didn’t think they needed to be saved. Luke tells us:

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” (Luke 14:12-24)

The master told his servant to go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in (Luke 14:23). The Greek word that is translated compel, anagkazo (an-ang-kad’-zo) means “to compel by force, threats, circumstances, etc. (Acts 26:11; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 12:11; Galatians 2:3, 14). To constrain by entreaty , invitations, etc.; to persuade” (G315). It doesn’t make sense that people would have to be forced to attend a banquet unless you understand that in the Jewish culture, if an invitation was accepted, it was expected that you would return the gesture (Luke 14:12). The poor and crippled and blind and lame were more than willing to accept the invitation to the master’s banquet, even though they were unable to return the gesture, because they knew it wasn’t expected of them.

Jesus explained that there was a cost to accepting the invitation to enter God’s kingdom, but it wasn’t a matter of giving something back to God, it was a matter of self-denial. Jesus told his followers, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27). Jesus used a vivid hyperbole to convey the point that one must love Jesus even more than his immediate family in order to be a true disciple or to be considered a genuine believer in Christ. The phrase bear his cross was used with the figurative “meaning to undergo suffering, trial, punishment; to expose oneself to reproach and death” (G4716). “Jesus did not want a blind, naïve commitment that expected only blessings.” Jesus compared counting the cost of discipleship to building a tower and a king going out to war. “As a builder estimates costs or a king evaluates military strength (Luke 14:31), so a person must consider what Jesus expects of His followers” (note on Luke 14:28, KJSB).

Jesus concluded his illustration and discussion of God inviting people into his kingdom with the example of salt losing its taste. Jesus said, “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:34-35). The Greek word that is translated salt, moraino (mo-rah’-ee-no) is derived from the word moros (mo-ros’) which means “dull or stupid” and is used to describe someone that is a “(moral) blockhead” (G3474). Jesus described believers as “the salt of the earth” in his Sermon on the Mount and asked his followers the same question, “if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?” (Matthew 5:13). The idea that believers can become moral blockheads after they are saved doesn’t necessarily fit with the concept of regeneration, but the point that I believe Jesus was trying to make was that salvation does not guarantee that a believer will reach spiritual maturity, only that you have received the invitation to spiritual growth and will have to surrender to Him in order to enter the kingdom of heaven where the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place. Jesus illustrated this point in the parable of the ten virgins. Matthew 25:1-10 states:

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

All ten of the virgins were invited to the wedding feast and given lamps to watch for the bridegroom’s arrival, but only five of the virgins attended the banquet. Jesus referred to the five virgins who had taken flasks of oil with their lamps as wise and the five who did not as foolish or moros in the Greek. Although we’re not told what the flasks of oil represented, it seems likely that the oil had something to do with spiritual discernment.

Jesus told his disciples that they must be ready for his return because he would be coming at an hour they did not expect, Jesus said, “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks” (Luke 12:35-36). Then, addressing the crowds, Jesus said, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, and say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” (Luke 12:54-56). The Greek word dokimazo (dok-im-ad’-zo), which is translated interpret, means “to test” (G1381). Dokimazo is used in 1 Thessalonians 2:4 where is says God tests our hearts and in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 where is says that believers should not quench the Spirit, “but test everything.” Dokimazo is also used in 1 Corinthians 11:28 where it says that a person should examine himself before participating in The Lord’s Supper.

One of the ways that we become more like Christ as we mature as Christians is the development of spiritual insight or discernment. Based on Jesus’ parables, spiritual discernment seems to be something that has to be used regularly in order for it to be effective. In his parable of the great banquet, Jesus said those who were invited made excuses so that they wouldn’t have to attend. In the parable of the ten virgins, the five foolish virgins were going to buy oil for their lamps when the bridegroom arrived, “and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut” (Matthew 25:9-10). In both of these situations, the invitation was given, but not acted on appropriately. Jesus’ instruction to his disciples indicates that prioritization is an important factor in gaining entrance into the marriage supper of the Lamb (Luke 14:25-33). Jesus stated, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” “The phrase ‘who does not renounce’ (v. 33) refers not to the total abandonment of one’s belongings but to the proper prioritization of them. The Greek word is apotassetai–the middle voice of apotasso (657), from apo (575), ‘from,’ and tasso (5021), ‘to properly arrange.’ It signifies that believers who are worthy of Christ know how to properly arrange their lives so that Christ is given preeminence” (note on Luke 14:25-33).

Hebrews chapter twelve provides encouragement to believers who are waiting for Christ’s return and tells us that we should not grow weary or fainthearted in our struggle against sin, the inevitable result of receiving an invitation to participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb. Hebrews 12 concludes with a warning to not refuse or make an excuse when you receive Christ’s invitation (Hebrews 12:25) and then, talks about the transposition of the material world into the spiritual realm. This section of Hebrews 12 includes a quote from the prophet Haggai and an interpretation of Haggai’s message. It states, “‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken–that is, things that have been made–in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:26-27). The point of this passage of scripture is that believers need to look at life from an eternal perspective. Whatever things may seem more important to us now than fellowship with Christ will eventually disappear, so we need to keep expecting Christ to return and know how to interpret the present time (Luke 12:56). The writer of Hebrews concluded, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

A love song

God’s relationship with the nation of Israel was intended to be based on a mutual love that was reflected in the interaction between the two parties. Not long after they had been delivered from slavery in Egypt, Moses reminded the people of Israel:

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

Moses said that God had chosen the people of Israel because he loved them. The Hebrew word that is translated chosen, bachar (baw-kharˊ) “is used 30 times in Deuteronomy, all but twice referring to God’s ‘choice’ of Israel or something in Israel’s life.” Bachar is “a verb whose meaning is to take a keen look at, to prove, to choose. It denotes a choice, which is based on a thorough examination of the situation and not an arbitrary whim. Although the word rarely means to prove, it does communicate that sense in Isaiah 48:10, where it describes the way God tested Israel in order to make a careful choice: ‘I have tested you in the furnace of affliction’” (H977).

“God’s binding love for Israel is described as unmerited love (Deuteronomy 7:7)” (H2836). The Hebrew word that Moses used in Deuteronomy 7:8, ʾahabah (a-hab-awˊ) “signifies a powerful, intimate love between a man and a woman (Genesis 29:20; Song of Solomon 2:4, 5, 7); love between friends (2 Samuel 1:26); God’s love for His people (Isaiah 63:9; Hosea 3:1). Frequently, it is associated with forming a covenant, which enjoins loyalty (Deuteronomy 7:8)” (H160). David described his love for his friend Jonathan as extraordinary. David said in his lament after Jonathan’s death, “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me, your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women” (2 Samuel 1:26). The Hebrew word that is translated extraordinary, pala’ (paw-lawˊ) means “to do something wonderful, to do something extraordinary, or difficult. It frequently signifies the wondrous works of God, especially his deliverance and judgments (Exodus 3:20; Psalm 106:22; 136:4; Micah 7:15). The book of Hosea reveals that God’s extraordinary love for his chosen people wasn’t mutual. It says in Hosea 3:1, “And the LORD said to me, ‘Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.”

The Song of Solomon depicts an extraordinary, mutual love between a man and woman in the context of human circumstances that interfere with them consummating their relationship. In the midst of their struggle to be together, the woman says to her companions, “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases” (Song of Solomon 2:7). The Hebrew word that is translated stir up and awaken in this verse, ‘uwr (oor) has to do with seeing the naked truth or seeing things exactly as they are “through the idea of opening the eyes” (H5782). The connotation of the word ‘uwr suggests that love can be a harsh experience if the one who loves another is not prepared to see the person as he or she truly is. This sentiment is expressed by Hosea as he describes the LORD’s love for Israel in Hosea 11:1-11. In his conclusion of this section, Hosea indicated that the relationship between God and Israel would ultimately be restored, but the dynamic between these two parties was permanently altered because of Israel’s unfaithfulness (Hosea 11:10-11).

Part of the mystery and perhaps misunderstanding of the Song of Solomon is due to its context being human love. “The typical interpretation acknowledges the historical setting but believes that the characters and relationships are typical of Christ and the church” (Introduction to the Song of Solomon). This makes sense from the standpoint that Christ’s relationship with the church is referred to as a marriage (Revelation 19:7-8) and Paul compares Christ’s role to that of a husband and the church to a wife (Ephesians 5:23-27). The problem lies in trying to understand Christ’s relationship with the church from a human perspective with sexual intercourse being a primary objective. The thing that may be missed in this interpretation of the Song of Solomon is that the physical and emotional intimacy between the man and woman in Solomon’s song does not actually result in sexual intercourse.

The final chapters of the Song of Solomon focus on the union of the man and woman as husband and wife. The two are depicted as being together in the garden of love, but it is unclear what the husband and his bride are doing there. The woman says, “Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits” (Song of Solomon 4:16) and then, “My beloved has gone down to his garden to the beds of spices, to graze in the gardens and to gather lilies. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine; he grazes among the lilies” (Song of Solomon 6:2-3). The Hebrew word that is translated grazes, raʿah (raw-awˊ) means “to tend a flock, i.e. pasture it…generally to rule.” The husband is in the role of a shepherd and is taking care of his flock in the garden of love when he and his bride are united. This seems to suggest that the church will be, is in the process of, or has already been united with Christ through the teaching of God’s word. When Paul talked about the roles of the husband and wife in his letter to the Ephesians and compared them to Christ and the church, it was in the context of purification through God’s word. Paul said:

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. (Ephesians 5:25-30)

Paul went on to talk about the mystery of two becoming one. Paul said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:31-33). The mystery of two becoming one seems to revolve around the concept of sanctification and how God’s word cleanses us from our sins. If sin separates us from God, then being cleansed from our sin, or what is referred to in the Bible as sanctification, can be thought of as a process that brings us closer and closer to God until eventually there is nothing between us, believers are viewed by God and treated as a single entity with Christ.

Like the husband and wife who are physically joined together through sexual intercourse, the joining together of Christ and his church will result in spiritual ecstasy. The marriage supper of the Lamb, which is recorded in Revelation 19, includes a brief love song of praise that encapsulates this moment of ecstasy. Revelation 19:6-8 states:

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

The Greek word basileuo (bas-il-yooˊ-o), which is translated reigns in Revelation 19:6, refers to the co-reign of Christ and the church, the outcome of marriage supper of the Lamb. Basileuo is spoken of Christians multiple times in Revelation “who are to reign with Christ, i.e. enjoy the high privileges, honors, and felicity of the Messiah’s kingdom (Romans 5:17; Revelation 5:10; 20:4, 6; 22:5). Similar to the Song of Solomon, which concludes with the bride longing for her beloved, the final chapter of Revelation looks forward to Christ’s return. Jesus promises, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done” (Revelation 22:12) and in Revelation 22:17, it states, “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take from the water of life without price.”

God’s processional

The book of Numbers begins with a census that determined the number of men that were eligible to serve in the military. Numbers 1:1-3 states, “The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, ‘Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them company by company.’” The census occurred 13 months after the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt. The children of Israel had not yet reached the borders of the Promised Land and no military conflicts had occurred thus far. God was preparing the Israelites for what lie ahead and was making them aware of the fact that war was going to be their new normal after they crossed the Jordan River.

The census allowed Moses and Aaron to organize the people in such a way that moving the camp would be efficient and orderly. Numbers 1:20-45 states:

The people of the tribe of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500…those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300…those listed of the tribe of Gad were 45,650…those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600…those listed of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400…those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400…those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500…those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200…those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400…those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700…those listed of the tribe of Asher were 41,500…those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400…So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel – all those listed were 603,550.

After the men that were able to go to war were listed, they were grouped together to form four separate camps. The division of the camps was most likely determined by the size of each of the individual tribes and a goal of keeping the camps balanced so that their movements would be symmetrical. The total population including the 603,550 men that were able to go to war has been estimated to be 2-5 million people, somewhere around the size of the city of Los Angeles. The Israelites’ geographic footprint is unknown, but it could have been anywhere from 50-500 square miles.

The arrangement of the Israelites’ camps is important because it determined the overall size and structure of the congregation and the ordering of their movements when the people were required to relocate. Numbers 2:1-9 states:

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, his company as listed being 74,600. Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, his company as listed being 54,400. Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, his company as listed being 57,400. All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.

The people’s movement is described as a march, but the Hebrew word that was used, naça (naw-sawˊ) is properly translated as “to pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e. start on a journey” (H5265). Moving millions of people at the same time was a monumental task and must have taken an enormous amount of coordination, but the system that God put in place was designed to keep everyone in a specified location so that they could move with as little amount of communication and confusion as possible when it was time for them to break camp and move on to a new location.

The camp of Judah, which included the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, was the largest of the four camps and was designated to camp on the east side of the tabernacle toward the sunrise. Judah’s camp led the procession whenever the Israelites set out toward a new destination. The camp of Reuben, which was located on the south side of the tabernacle, included the tribes of Simeon and Gad and had 151,450 men that were able to go to war (Numbers 2:10-16). The camp of Dan included the tribes of Asher and Naphtali and was located on the north side of the tabernacle. Dan’s camp had 157,600 men that were able to go to war and was roughly the same size as Reuben’s camp to the south of it (Numbers 2:25-31). The smallest camp, the camp of Ephraim, which included the tribes of Manasseh and Benjamin, was located to the west of the tabernacle. Ephraim’s camp had only 108,100 men that were able to go to war (Numbers 2:18-24), but its overall position in the camp was balanced out by Judah’s larger size. Together, the camps of Judah and Ephraim had a total of 294,500 men that were able to go to war and the camps of Reuben and Dan had 309,050, so these groupings were fairly symmetrical. The difference between the two configurations was that the smaller camp of Ephraim was located to the west of the tabernacle and the larger camp of Judah was to the east of it, so there was a lopsided distribution of people around the tabernacle which was located in the center of the four camps (Numbers 2:2). It’s possible that the lopsided configuration was intentional and may have caused the Israelites’ camp to resemble the shape of a cross.

The most notable attribute of the Israelites’ camp was the pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day that hovered over the tabernacle and guided the Israelites on their journey. Exodus 13:21-22 states, “And the LORD was before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.” God’s visible presence in the Israelite’s camp was constant reminder of his involvement in their journey toward the Promised Land. Exodus 33:7-11 describes what took place when Moses entered the tabernacle to communicate with God. It states:

Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

The Hebrew word that is translated face to face, paniym (paw-neemˊ) is derived from the word panah (paw-nawˊ) which means “to turn; (by implication) to face, i.e. appear, look” (H6437). In a more specific application, the word paniym “represents the look on one’s face, or one’s countenance” (H6440). The text indicates that the LORD spoke to Moses as a man speaks to his friend. The Hebrew word for friend, reya (rayˊ-ah) refers to “a ‘personal friend’ with whom one shares confidences and to whom one feels very close…The closeness of the relationship is best expressed by those texts where the reaˊ is like a brother or son, a part of the family” (H7453).

King David’s intimate relationship with the LORD is vividly depicted in many of the Psalms that he wrote. David seemed to understand that the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness was more about God displaying his glory to the surrounding nations that it was about the people of Israel being seen as a military threat to those whom they were about to conquer. David wrote in Psalm 68, “Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD; exult before him!” (Psalm 68:4). David’s description of the LORD as him who rides through the deserts makes is sound as if the Israelites were carrying the LORD in a cart or perhaps, that he was riding along side them in a chariot. The King James translation of Psalm 68:4 states that God “rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH.” From this standpoint, it appears that the action that was taking place was about the LORD being transported into the Israelites’ camp. The Hebrew word that is translated rideth, rakab (raw-kabˊ) means to dispatch (H7392). David went on to say:

O God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
your flock found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. (Psalm 68:7-10)

David indicated that God had marched through the wilderness. The Hebrew word tsaʿad (tsaw-adˊ) suggests that God was leading the formation. Tsaʿad’s meaning, “to pace, i.e. step regularly” might have something to do with a cadence, something a drill sergeant uses to keep all his troops moving at the same pace. If so, it seems that the LORD was in control of every step that the Israelites took as they traveled through the wilderness.

David’s reference to “the One of Sinai” (Psalm 68:8) had to do with the physical manifestation of the LORD’s presence in the Israelite camp. The Hebrew word that is translated One is paniym (paw-neemˊ) indicating that God himself was present in the Sinai Desert (H6440). Exodus 14:19 indicates that the angel of God was going before the host of Israel as they moved through the desert and in Exodus 23:20 God told Moses that he was sending an angel before the people to guard them on the way “and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him” (Exodus 23:20-21). “Exodus 23:21 states that the angel of the LORD has the power to forgive sins, a characteristic belonging to God alone (cf. Mark 2:7; Luke 7:49) and that he has the name of God in him. No man can see the full glory of God and live (Exodus 33:20), but Jesus Christ, in whom all the fullness of the deity was manifested in bodily form, has made God the father known (John 1:18; Colossians 2:9)” (note on Exodus 23:20-23). Therefore, it seems likely that Jesus in a preincarnate state was the One of Sinai that David was referring to in Psalm 68:8.

David’s depiction of the Israelites’ journey through the Sinai Desert transcended the physical realm in that he portrayed their processional as a mixture of both human and angelic forces. David stated, “The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary” (Psalm 68:17). David referred to God as the Lord instead of JAH, the personal name that was used in verse 4. The Hebrew word Adonay (ad-o-noyˊ) is used as the proper name of God only (H136). “In such contexts God is conceived as a Being who is sovereign ruler and almighty master” (H113). Adonay is used Psalm 2:4 where it says, “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.” Psalm 2:1-9 is considered to be a Messianic portion of scripture that refers to Jesus Christ’s reign on earth. David said that Sinai was in the sanctuary (Psalm 68:17). This seems to suggest that Sinai and Heaven converged into a single space. It could be that the convergence of the physical and spiritual realms had to do with the Lord’s presence being perceived in both dimensions of his kingdom.

David said, “Your procession is seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary” (Psalm 68:24). The Hebrew word that David used that is translated seen, raʾah (rawˊ-aw) means to see with the eyes. It can also have several derived meanings, all of which require the individual to see physically outside of himself or herself. “It is also possible for this verb to require the individual to make a mental observation…It can also connote a spiritual observation and comprehension by means of seeing visions” (H7200). David’s declaration that God’s procession was seen probably had a past as well as a future application. David indicated that the procession involved both his God and his King, linking the Israelites journey through the desert with Jesus’ future reign on earth.

The Hebrew word that is translated procession in Psalm 68:24, haliykah (hal-ee-kawˊ) is related to the word halak (haw-lakˊ) which sometimes refers to one’s behavior, or the way one walks in life. “Thus, the rather concrete idea of following God through the wilderness moves to ‘walking behind’ Him spiritually” (H1980). When Jesus called his disciples, he used the phrase “follow me” (Matthew 8:22, 9:9). The Greek word that is translated follow, akoloutheo (ak-ol-oo-thehˊ-o) is properly translated as “to be in the same way with” (G190). God’s ways are often associated with a pathway or course of life that one must follow in order to reach a desired destination. It says of the LORD’s ways in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

David’s view of God’s processional seemed to be a depiction of an invisible heavenly host (Psalm 68:17) and Israel’s army walking side by side through the Sinai Desert. This scene may have been a depiction of the Israelites’ journey through the Sinai Desert, but it could also be related to Christ’s return and his defeat of the kings of the earth. Revelation 19 indicates that there will be a convergence of the physical and spiritual realms at that time. John wrote:

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords…And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11-21)

David concluded his psalm with a tribute to God’s awe-inspiring performance and the ultimate victory of his chosen people. David declared:

Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.
Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God! (Psalm 68:34-35)

The Hebrew word that is translated awesome in Psalm 68:35, yareʾ (yaw-rayˊ) means to stand in awe. “This is not simple fear, but reverence, whereby an individual recognizes the power and position of the individual revered and renders him proper respect” (H3372). This will be a distinct characteristic of Jesus when he returns as “King of kings and Lord of lords” and leads the procession of heaven’s armies into battle against the beast and the kings of the earth (Revelation 19:16, 19).

Antichrist

Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians was primarily a follow-up to the one he had previously sent them. The topic of Christ’s return remained the central focus of Paul’s communication. Apparently, the Thessalonians were convinced that Jesus was going to return at any moment. Paul told them, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of the Lord is at hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to understand that the rapture was only one of a series of events that would take place during the end times. He explained, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

Antichrist’s appearance on the religious scene will be evident by his impersonation of God. This will only be possible because God will remove his Holy Spirit from Earth and allow Satan to be in full control of the world during the Great Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Paul told the Thessalonians, “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, and all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10). Paul indicated that Antichrist would be successful in establishing his kingdom on Earth because of a deliberate rejection of God’s word. Because unbelief will become the norm, Paul told the Thessalonians, “for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

Paul’s introduction of the man of sin, whom he also referred to as the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3), emphasized the uselessness of Satan’s attempt to overthrow God’s kingdom. Paul referred to Jesus’ second coming when he said that the Lord would consume Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy him with the brightness of his coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8). The Apostle John described the scene of Antichrist’s defeat in Revelation 19:11-16. Afterward, John said, “The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh” (Revelation 19:20-21).

Be prepared

Jesus talked frequently about the kingdom of heaven and used parables to teach his followers about the principles of the spiritual realm in which God exists. After he instructed his disciples to watch for his return (Matthew 24:42) and warned them about the punishment of unfaithful servants (Matthew 24:51), Jesus used the parable of the ten virgins to emphasize the importance of being prepared for his imminent return. He said, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps” (Matthew 25:1-4). The picture Jesus painted to illustrate his return was a wedding ceremony in which the bridesmaids were looking for the bridegroom’s signal to start the processional. The lamps Jesus referred to were torches that consisted of a long pole with oil-drenched rags at the top. The lamps were trimmed by cutting off the charred ends of the rags and adding oil. “Torches required large amounts of oil in order to keep burning, and the oil had to be replenished about every 15 minutes” (notes on Matthew 25:1, 7, 9).

The initial point Jesus made in his parable of the ten virgins was the need to be prepared ahead of time for a lengthy wait. Jesus stated previously, “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up” (Matthew 24:43). It can easily be assumed from these two examples that Jesus’ return will be an unexpected event. It is possible that no one will be looking for Jesus to return when he finally does come back to Earth. He stated in his parable, “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:5). The Greek word translated tarried, chronizo means “to take time, i.e. linger” (G5549). Chronizo as a verb, means literally “to while away time.” This seems to suggest that time is being wasted, but Jesus made it clear that he would return at a set or proper time (Luke 19:44). It could be that Jesus’ delay is due to his preoccupation with activities in heaven. Jesus told his disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).

A correlation between Jesus preparing a place for us in heaven and his return to Earth may be found in his example of the wise virgins that were ready when the bridegroom arrived. Jesus said, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut” (Matthew 25:6-10). The separation of the wise virgins from the foolish ones indicated some people that appear to be Christians might be attempting to enter the kingdom of heaven under false pretenses. Jesus’ preparation of a place in heaven for believers might be his way of determining who belongs in his kingdom and who does not based on something like a reservation system that indicates a particular room or space has been set aside for a specific individual.

Endurance

Jesus Christ’s return will coincide with Satan’s final attempt to ruin God’s plan of salvation. At that time, the Nation of Israel will become the focus of a man known as the Antichrist. What this man will try to do is to trick people into believing that he is the Savior of the World. The key to his plot is a treaty that will ensure the safety of God’s people for a specific period of time that is referred to by Bible scholars as the Great Tribulation. Antichrist’s vow to take care of the Israelites will result in a betrayal that involves the desecration of God’s temple (Matthew 24:15). When that occurs, Jesus warned his followers to run for their lives because they would face opposition to their faith that was beyond most people’s capability to endure (Matthew 24:16-22).

Jesus described the break up of God’s kingdom in the context of a home that was being broken into by a thief and suggested that some people would be taken captive by Satan because they were unaware that Antichrist was deceiving them (Matthew 24:24). Jesus said, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:40-42). The Greek word translated taken, paralambano means to receive near that is associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation)” (3880). This word suggests that being taken involves an acceptance of someone as a friend or companion, perhaps as an alternate to someone else. Jesus was probably referring to the acceptance of Antichrist as a personal savior or collectively as Israel’s Messiah. The apparent fifty-fifty division of the population could mean that half of the people will not be taken in by the Antichrist’s trickery because they have been chosen by God to withstand Satan’s attempt to overturn his plan of salvation (Revelation 7:3).

The point Jesus made in his lesson of the faithful and unfaithful servants was that endurance was necessary to withstand the evil influence of Antichrist (Matthew 24:48-50). Jesus indicated that the greatest fear of the Jew should be to be identified as a hypocrite and cast into hell with Satan and the rest of his cohorts (Matthew 24:51). The Apostle Paul outlined a method for resisting the devil and warned Christians about the evil spiritual forces that are presently attacking believers in Christ. He said, “Finally, my brethren,  be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:10-13).