A.    PREDICTIONS OF THE MESSIAH’S  RETURN.

    1.    God Decrees in Eternity Past That His Son Will Reign on Zion and Smash All Rebellion.  Psalm 2:1-12.

        a.    The nations revolt against Yahweh and His King, Jesus.  Psalm 2:1-3.

        b.    God mocks the nations and guarantees He will install His King on Mount Zion anyway!  Psalm 2:4-6.

        c.    The Messiah (Jesus) recites the decree of Yahweh granting Him the right to rule the nations of the world and smash their rebellion.  Psalm 2:7-9.

        d.    Earth’s kings and judges are urged to submit to Jesus now before it is too late and He destroys them.  All who take refuge in Him are truly blessed!  Psalm 2:10-12.

    2.    God Instructs the Messiah to Sit in Heaven and Wait for God to Arrange the Defeat of His Enemies.  (This is what Jesus is doing in Heaven right now.)  Psalm 110:1-7

        a.    The Anticipation of His Reign.  Psalm 110:1-2 .

            1)    Yahweh invites Messiah to sit in heaven and wait. Psalm 110:1.

            2)    Yahweh will empower Him to rule from Zion!  Psalm 110:2.

        b.    The Spiritual Nature of His Reign.  Psalm 110:3-4.

            1)    Willing subjects who volunteer for duty and battle.  Psalm 110:3.

            2)    Yahweh’s oath that Jesus is an eternal King / Priest.  Psalm 110:4.

        c.    The Conquering Character of Messiah’s Reign.  Psalm 110:5-7.

            1)    He will shatter kings. Psalm 110:5.

            2)    He will judge the nations.  Psalm 110:6.

            3)    He will relentlessly litter the earth with corpses until He has secured victory.  Psalm 110:6-7.

    3.    Jesus Predicts He Will Return.  Matthew 26:63-64.

        a.    He admits to being the Messiah, the Son of God.

        b.    He predicts His listeners will see Him sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.

    4.    The Angels Predict Jesus Will Return.  Acts 1:9-11.

        a.    A cloud received Jesus out of sight as He ascended to heaven. Acts 1:9.

        b.    Two men in white clothes announced He would return in the same manner as He had departed. Acts 1:11.

    5.    The Apostle Paul Predicts Jesus Will Return.  2 Thessalonians 1:1-10.

        a.    The Christians were suffering persecution.  2 Thess. 1:1-4.

        b.    Their suffering is a badge of honor to make them worthy of God’s kingdom. 2 Thess. 1:5.

        c.    God will justly repay the tormenters who persecute them.  2 Thess. 1:6.

        d.    This will happen when Jesus returns from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.  2 Thess. 1:7.

        e.    Jesus will deliver retribution to those who don’t know God and don’t obey the Good News about Jesus. 2 Thess. 1:8.

        f.    The rebels will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from Jesus’ presence and power. 2 Thess. 1:9.

        g.    He will be glorified in His saints.  Those who have believed will be amazed at and admire His majesty and power! 2 Thess. 1:10.

B.    CONDITIONS SURROUNDING CHRIST’S RETURN.

    1.    The Scene in Heaven.  Jesus asks for and receives permission to rule.  Daniel 7:9-14.

        a.    Eternal God seated Himself on His fiery throne, in a Divine Court of Law, surrounded by innumerable attendants. Dan. 7:9-10.

        b.    Record books were opened and judgment was decreed.  The evil world ruler was slain and cast into fire.  Dan. 7:10-12.

        c.    In the clouds of heaven the Son of Man approached the throne of Eternal God. Dan. 7:13.

        d.    To Him was granted an Eternal and Glorious Kingdom in which all of the people of the world would serve Him forever! Dan. 7:14.

    2.    Events Upon Earth.  The Battle of Jerusalem.  Zechariah 12:1-3; 14:1-2.

        a.    Yahweh, the Creator of the Heavens, the Earth, and Man, declares what He will do. Zech. 12:1.

        b.    He will make Jerusalem an intoxicating cup that sends the surrounding nations reeling in disorientation when they lay siege to it and Judah. Zech. 12:2.

        c.    He will make Jerusalem a heavy stone that severely injures all people, for all the nations of the earth will attack Jerusalem. Zech. 12:3. (See Revelation 16:12-14.).

        d.    He “will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.”  Zech. 14:1-2.

    3.    Events Upon Earth.  The Refining of Israel.  Zechariah 13:8-9.

        a.    Two thirds of the Israeli population will be killed. Zech. 13:8.

        b.    The remaining third Yahweh will refine with fire.  They will call upon His Name and be reconciled with their God. Zech. 13:9.

    4.    Events Upon Earth.  The World Will Not Be Expecting Jesus’ Return.  Matthew 24:37-51.

        a.    Life will be just as it was in the days when Noah entered the Ark.  People went on eating and drinking and marrying until the Great Flood swept them all away in judgment. Matt. 24:37-39.

        b.    That is how it will be when Jesus returns.  Of two farmers in the field, one will be taken away in judgment while the other is left alive to enter Jesus’ Kingdom. Matt. 24:39-40.

        c.    Of two women preparing food, one will be taken away in judgment while the other is left alive to enter Jesus’ Kingdom.  Matt. 24:41.

        d.    We should all be alert and prepared, for none of us know when our Master is coming to reward the faithful and destroy the evil in a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth! Matt. 24:42-51.

C.    THE PROCESS OF THE  RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST TO THIS EARTH.

    1.    Christ’s Return as Viewed in Heaven.  Rev. 19:11-16.

        a.    Heaven was opened, and John saw a white horse.  The One riding the horse is called “Faithful” and “True”.  And He wages Holy War and judges in righteousness. Rev. 19:11.

        b.    His eyes blaze with fire, and He is crowned with many crowns, and He has a secret Name written down. Rev. 19:12.

        c.    He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and He is called “The Word of God.” Rev. 19:13.

        d.    The armies of heaven, which followed him, were clothed in white, clean linen, and were mounted on white horses. Rev. 19:14.

        e.    Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which He will wage war against the nations.  “He will rule them with a rod of iron, executing “the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” Rev. 19:15.

        f.    His name is “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Rev. 19:16.

    2.    Christ’s Return as Viewed from the Earth.  Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 1:7.

        a.    Catastrophic events in the heavens will take place:   The sun will be darkened, the moon won’t shine, and stars will fall from the sky. Matt. 24:29.

        b.    “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn.”  Matt. 24:30. (I believe the sign of the Son of Man in the sky is the brilliant glow of His glory and that of all His armies coming with Him.  The brilliance will far outshine any star or planet or comet that has ever appeared.  People will at first be afraid of this UFO heading directly for earth from deep in space.  They will be panic stricken and beat their breasts in fear.  Their panicky mourning will only intensify when, with utter terror, they perceive it is Jesus returning to the earth in power and great glory!)

        c.    “They will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.” Matt. 24:30.

        d.    “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”  Rev. 1:7.

    3.    The Angelic Invitation of the Birds to the Great Feast of God. Revelation 19:17-19.

        a.    An angel stands in the sun and invites the birds of the sky to the great Banquet of God. Rev. 19:17.

        b.    He invites them to eat of the flesh of all the enemy combatants down below on the earth. Rev. 19:18.

        c.    The world ruler, the Antichrist, and the kings of the earth and their armies were gathered together to fight against Jesus and His heavenly army.  Rev. 19:19.

D.    THE RETURN OF CHRIST AND THE ENSUING BATTLE.

    1.    The Moment of Christ’s Return. Zechariah 14:3-4

        a.    Yahweh, Jesus, will personally wage war against the assembly of United Nations troops. Zech. 14:3.

        b.    He will descend upon the Mount of Olives, from which He left for heaven (Acts 1:4-12).  The Mount Olives will split in two. Zech. 14:4.

    2.    Details of the Battle.  Zechariah 12:4-9.

        a.    Horses and riders will go berserk. Zech. 12:4. (Either Zechariah was describing future transportation modes in the terms of his day, or else future transportation modes will, because of circumstances presently unforeseen, revert to ancient modes.)

        b.    Yahweh Himself, Jesus, will defend the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, who will be fiercely emboldened by the return of their Messiah! Zech. 12:5-8.

        c.    Jesus will destroy all the nations assembled against Jerusalem. Zech. 12:9.

    3.    Jesus Will Catastrophically Plague Those Fighting Against Israel. Zechariah 14:12-13, 15.

        a.    Their flesh, eyes, and tongue will rot out. Zech. 14:12.

        b.    In a great panic from Yahweh, they will seize one another and kill each other.  Zech. 14:13.

        c.    Even the livestock in the enemy camps will suffer the same plague.  Zech. 14:15.

    4.    Jesus Will Extend the Battle into Jordan.  Isaiah 63:1-6.

        a.    Jesus will destroy His opponents even in Bozrah, 75 miles as the crow flies from Jerusalem in modern-day Jordan.  Then He will come marching back.  Isa. 63:1.

        b.    His clothes will be stained  red with the life-blood of His antagonists, whom He destroyed in His anger and His wrath.  Isa. 63:2-3.

        c.    It is the day of His vengeance against His opponents and the year of His redemption of His people.  Isa. 63:4.

        d.    There was no one to help Him, so His own arm brought salvation and His wrath sustained Him. Isa. 63:5.

        e.    In His own words, "I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth." Isa. 63:6.

    5.    Jesus Will Achieve Total Victory over His Adversaries.  Revelation 19:20-21.

        a.    The Antichrist and his Spokesman will be seized “and thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.”  Rev. 19:20.

        b.    The rest of the armies will be killed merely by the words of Jesus.  Rev. 19:21.

        c.    The birds will gorge themselves on the flesh of the dead combatants and their livestock.  Rev. 19:21.

E.    THE REPENTANCE OF ISRAEL.  Zechariah 12:10-14; 13:1-2.

    1.    Yahweh will pour grace upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  Zech. 12:10.

    2.    “They will look on Me whom they have pierced.”

    3.    They will mourn and weep bitterly over Him as over a firstborn son.

    4.    There will be great mourning in Jerusalem and in the whole land. Zech. 12:11-14.

    5.    There will be cleansing of sin for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  Zech. 13:1.

    6.    Yahweh will cut off idolatry and prophets and demonic spirits from the land. Zech. 13:2.

F.    THE WORLD-WIDE GATHERING OF THE CHOSEN.   Matthew 24:31.

    1.    Jesus will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast.

    2.    They will gather Jesus’ chosen ones from the four different directions.

G.    JESUS’ JUDGMENT OF ALL THE SURVIVORS.  Matthew 25:31-46.

    1.    He will sit on His throne in all His Glory.  Matt. 25:31.

    2.    He will gather all the nations of the world before Him, and He will separate each individual among them.  Matt. 25:32.

    3.    The “sheep” will go on His right, the “goats” on His left.  Matt. 25:33.

    4.    He will invite the righteous “the sheep” to inherit the Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world.  Matt. 25:34.

    5.    His reasoning: They fed Him, clothed Him, took care of Him, and visited Him in prison.  Matt. 25:35-36.

    6.    Their query: When did we do all these things?  The King will answer, Inasmuch as you did it to one of my [Jewish] brothers, you did it to Me!  Matt. 25:37-40.

    7.    Then the King will tell those on His left, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matt. 25:41.

    8.    His reasoning: Inasmuch as you did not help my [Jewish] brothers, you did not help me.  Matt. 25:42-45.

    9.    Then, "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."  Matt. 25:46.

H.    JESUS’ GRAND ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM.  Psalm 24:7-10.

    1.    The Command:  “Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!”   Psa. 24:7.

    2.    The Question and Answer: “Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.” Psa. 24:8.

    3.    The Renewed Command: “ Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!”  Psa. 24:9.

    4.    The Renewed Question and Answer: “Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory.”  Psa. 24:10.

I.    JESUS’ WORLD-WIDE REIGN!  Zechariah 14:9.  “And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.”

J.    CLOSING INVITATION.

    1.    I must admit my sin.

        a.    “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way” Isaiah 53:6a

        b.    “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

    2.    I must acknowledge that what I earn through my sin is death.  

        a.    "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.” Ezekiel 18:4.

        b.    “For the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23a.

    3.    I must understand that Yahweh, God, loves me so much He sent Jesus to die for my sin in my place.

        a.    “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5

        b.    “But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”  Isaiah 53:6b

        c.    “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

    4.    If I trust in Jesus, I can be reconciled with God, be completely forgiven, and escape coming judgment!

        a.    As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:11.

        b.    "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.  Isaiah 1:18.

        c.    “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  John 3:16.

        d.    "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:18.

WordExplain by James T. Bartsch

Scriptures Taken from the New American Standard Bible 1995

ChurchAge	ChurchRapture	ChurchPurified	GreatTribulation
SecondComing	SurvivorsJudged	1000YearReign	FinalRevolt
UniverseDestroyed	GreatWhiteThrone	BookOfLife	HellLakeOfFire
HeavenOfGod	NewHeaven,Earth	NewJerusalem	IntroDispensation

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