BEHOLD HE COMES WITH CLOUDS
REVELATION 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”
Introduction:
The Coming of the Lord in the clouds is one of the great doctrines in the Scriptures. The Lord mentioned in the book of Matthew and elsewhere in the Bible.
His Coming is in two parts: the first part relates to the Born-again believer who waits for his return and the second part refers to the time when Jesus will put his feet down upon the Mount Moriah to establish His Millennial Kingdom on this earth.
I. THE COMING OF THE LORD IN THE CLOUDS FOR THE REDEEMED
A. The Lord shall descend from heaven, 1 Thessalonians 4:
B. with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”
1. This was the Lord’s promise, Acts 1:11, “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
2. This is the hope of every believer, Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
C. The Resurrection of the Just, Luke 20:35-36, “But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”
1. Those who are “worthy” have done the “work of God,” John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
2. Those who are “worthy” have become the “sons of God,” John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
D. The Rapture of the Living Believer, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
1. The rapture and the resurrection will be “in a moment,” 1 Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
2. Our bodies will be changed, 1 Corinthians 15:50-51, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
II. THE COMING OF THE LORD IN THE CLOUDS FOR JUDGMENT
A. The “Son of man” that Daniel saw, Daniel 7:13, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.”
B. At the end of the Tribulation period, Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
1. Those who rejected Him, Zechariah 12:10, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplicatons: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”
2. Those that crucified Him, yea, the Jews themselves, John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
C. He will come with a sharp sickle for the harvest, Revelation 14:14, 17, “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.”
1. Harvest time at the end, Matthew 13:39, “The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.”
2. The harvest is plenteous, Matthew 9:37-38, “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”
a. The time of the Gentiles had come to an end, Luke 21:24, “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
b. Now God returns to redeem His People, Israel, Romans 11:25-27, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
D. And all kindreds of the earth shall WAIL because of him, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”
1. They shall wail because it will be an event that will CALL THE SINS of men to REMEMBRANCE, John 19:15, “But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.”
2. They shall wail because they will be OVERWHELMED with the APPREHENSION OF THE WRATH TO COME, John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”