In His Olivet Discourse recorded in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, Jesus confirms that the trials unveiled in Old Testament prophecy will indeed happen in the last days before Messiah returns. The end times will be a period of great conflict in the land of Israel, sometimes referred to by the prophets as the time of Jacob’s trouble. Many nations will invade the Holy Land and surround Jerusalem, just as Nebuchadnezzar had done a century after Isaiah’s time. But the next time, the Lord will intervene on their behalf, having promised through Isaiah never to restore and bless Israel.
30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30 (NKJV)
When Messiah, Jesus, returns to earth, He will usher in the eternal kingdom of heaven. Jerusalem will become the spiritual and governmental center of the world. Jesus, the final king in the royal line of David, will rule and reign over the entire world from His throne in the New Jerusalem, as seen in Revelation 21.
The prophet Isaiah tells us that in the last days, people from nations who have not known the Lord will flock to Jerusalem to worship Jesus, drawn like a magnet to Israel to see His glory in person, and to experience some of the abundant favor He will pour out upon that nation.
5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the Lord your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.” Isaiah 55:5 (NKJV)
The prophet Zechariah also speaks of this time following the Great Tribulation that leads up to Christ’s return. Those who survive their attack upon Him and His people will themselves become worshipers.
16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. Zechariah 11:16 (NKJV)
The aftermath of this Day of the Lord will be a time of great restoration and peace. Both Isaiah and the prophet Micah tell us that global weapons of war will no longer be needed, and many will be converted for useful purpose, such as into farming tools. Prosperity, equality, and justice will be be the rule; dishonesty and violence will be put down once and for all.
We can hardly imagine this happening today. It seems so unreal and otherworldly. But, in fact, it is of another world – God’s kingdom of heaven. And it will be as real as God Himself, unseen for now, but very present in our lives.
It is very important to take the time to consider God and our eternal future. As someone has said, eternity is not just trillions of years, it is trillions of trillions of years, and that is just to get to the the beginning. Examining our life in this perspective illustrates the importance faith and of using our limited time here wisely for God’s purposes today.
Scripture tells us that most people who see the returning Christ will mourn. That is because they have hardly given God a thought in their days and will not be ready. Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 about ten virgins who were awaiting a bridegroom in the night, a reference to Jesus’ return. Five of the virgins were wise and five foolish. The wise ones were spiritually ready, with oil to light their lamps when the bridegroom arrived in the night. The five foolish ones had not been ready, and when the bridegroom came, they needed to go buy some oil. By the time they had purchased oil for their lamps, the bridegroom had already come and gone, accompanied by the five wise ones. It is so important for us to be ready for the Lord now, for there is no guarantee that we will have the time to get ready later.
When Jesus returns and people come to their senses and see the truth, they will run, not walk, to be with Him. But it is wise not to wait. Christ is all around us today through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Father loves us and is reaching out to draw us to Himself. When we receive Christ in our hearts, and believe that He died for us and that the Father raised Him from the dead, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in our heart. We are sealed by Him for eternity by faith as we seek to follow Him day by day. We know that God is real by His presence within us and around us, by His word, and by the many evidences we see when our eyes become opened. All of His generous promises are true, and nations will run to God to receive them.
Reflection
God’s word tells us clearly that Jesus will return one day on the clouds of heaven. Do you believe this?
Father God, we surrender our lives to You and to Jesus. Confirm Your generous promises in our hearts and help us to be busy about Your work, even as we labor for our own. Grant us the strength, faith, and favor that we need each day through the power of Holy Spirit. Seal us for the day when we will see Christ in person, coming on the clouds of heaven. May that be a day of great joy and celebration for us, not a day of mourning because we were not ready and walking in faith. Bless us to be a blessing. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Have a blessed and beautiful day in the Lord today.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 