From the Crucifixion to Coming on the Clouds

As Christians we rejoice in remembering what the LORD has done. The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the One True God is fixed in our hearts and minds as reminder of what God has done to redeem us from our sins and let us enter into eternal life. The cross is our symbol, our badge of honor as we profess that Jesus died for our sins and rose from dead! (Romans 4:24-25). We are effected daily by Christ's sacrifice on cross, the blood of the Lamb cleanses us daily from our transgressions (1 John 1:7) and we have blessed hope of eternal life through believing, confessing, and knowing Jesus Christ (John 6:40, Romans 10:9-10, John 17:3). The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to remember Christ's death until the Return, "For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again." (1 Corinthians 11:26). In this verse are two images of our LORD Jesus, the Suffering Servant and Lamb of God who was poured out for our sins on the cross in His death, and the Returning Messiah and Melech (King). Our hearts are ever fixed on Christ and His love, the Cross we are told take up ourselves and follow our Lord in like manner. Many brothers and sisters cling to cross and as the apostle say, "As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died." (Galatians 6:14).

Jesus has cleansed us of sin by His death and that when we believe in Him we crucified with Him and the old sinful nature is covered by blood of Jesus, and now we may enter His presence in holiest of place (Hebrews 10:19). We should ever be elated, delighted, and excited about Christ's Sacrifice, the cross after all is etched in the identity of a Christian. On one hand God who is Jesus (Colossians 2:9) has cleansed us of Original Sin, and made the way for us to be close to God and have eternal life. On the other end of the spectrum, there is promise that Jesus is coming back, not this time to bear sin, but to bring God's Wrath to the wicked and avenge us. The First Coming of the Christ was to bear sin and make it possible for anyone, Jew or Gentile that believes in Jesus to be saved, go to heaven, and have everlasting life; the First Coming was Jesus taking the wrath of God on himself for the saints, so that we who believe shall never taste it. The Second Coming is the opposite, it is where Christ comes to pour out the Wrath of Almighty God, to trod the winepress, "Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. ¹⁵ From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords." (Revelation 19:11-16). Many prefer not to mediate or even engage in the image of Christ's Second Coming; most pictures are censored and try to depict the return of Jesus alone without army He really will come with (Revelation 19:11-16, Zachariah 14:1-10). We should embrace the Word of God's Second Coming, that He will ride on clouds and avenge us! For did not martyrs asked this of Him, "They shouted to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us? Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters--their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred--had joined them." (Revelation 6:10-11). God's mercy was when God came and died on cross and anyone who believes in Him is saved and spared from God's Wrath by taking that wrath upon Himself (Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:12 Berean Literal Bible). God's judgement is when He comes and destroys with cruciform swords anyone who did not believe in Him and sends them to Hell (Revelation 20:15) and pours out full wrath of God on them.

I am not sorry, I am glad Jesus is coming to avenge us. That after Antichrist crushes us (Revelation 13:7), Christ shall destroy Him with sword of His mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8), and He will pour out the wrath that wicked people so deserve! There is disconnect in the church today, they act as if everyone should only see the loving Lamb on the cross, and fail to show Messiah who is coming to reign from Jerusalem for thousand years (Revelation 20:4-7) and is going to wage war with nations (Zachariah 14:1-4). Of course Jesus' arms are stretched out to all who believe and will believe in Him [He extends an invitation of believing in Him and being saved to all people], but He is coming to vindicate us and bring wrath upon the wicked! Why do people feel the need to sanitize this event of Jesus' Coming by showing only sweet faced Jesus coming on clouds with arms outstretched, when the Truth is He is coming as Lord of Hosts and King of Kings to do battle with the nations that have failed to believe in His Only Way of Salvation (John 14:6, John 6:40)! I for one am glad Christ is coming to cut to pieces the persecutors who serve Beast, and avenge us Saints! That within the armies of Heaven coming with Jesus is Crusaders, George Washington, and peoples of all eras, including King David who believed in Him!

There has been a tendency to want to sanitizing our Savior, and show only the happy face of Jesus. Now certainly this is face Christ has for those who are His, us Christians. For after all Jesus is Love (1 John 4:18), and showed His love for mankind by dying for us while we were yet sinners, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). However, part of love is defending that love. What would God be if he allowed these wicked, unbelieving, vile, and God hating, not fearing, people continue to bully us and get away with their unbridled sin and blasphemes towards Him?! Part of love is defending the object of your love. A husband or wife is suppose to protect  each other, they don't feed one another to the wolves! Likewise Christ is coming back for His bride, the Church, and intends not only to give us a New Home and Paradise (Revelation 21:1-4), but is going to pour out His fury, anger, wrath, and full of indignation over how His bride, us Christians have been treated by the Beast/Antichirst (Revelation 13:7, Revelation 13:10, Revelation 14:12), and He intends to avenge us! This should invoke a gladness inside us, that not only did Jesus save us from our sins on cross, promises to raise us from dead As He was raised from dead, but He is coming back in full wrath to crush those who have mistreated us and refused the Gospel!

I am not saying to stop seeing Passion of Christ, and the "Old Rugged Cross." In your relationship with Christ is wonderful to revisit that image, to assure you that God loves you and you are saved by His Grace. In fact, you should remember it until Jesus Comes again (1 Corinthians 11:26). However, I would argue that we should engage the Risen Christ and look forward to Messianic Return, that Jesus is Returning with wounds of the cross on His body and is going to cleave to pieces those who do not believe, and who have made our lives (those who survive the Tribulation, Revelation 15:1-4) a living hell. God's Justice is exactly that, just, He doesn't let us be tortured and persecuted by the Beast (Revelation 13:7, Revelation 13:9-17) and then we are caught up and all of its over, no He comes to bring punishment to the Beast and our enemies! Hallelujah! The Return of Christ gives us hope, not only will we as disciples in 30-33 A.D. get to be in physical presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in His Risen body, we shall watch and participate in His retribution and reckoning on those who refused to confess Him as Lord and follow Him. Amen.