The Return of Jesus- the part that gets missed

Recently, there has been a growing ideology (though not new) within the Christian world that the nation Israel is irrelevant, the Church is the new Israel, Christians are spiritual Jews and Jesus is only coming back for one thing, to separate the Sheep from the goats and bring his flock home. Is that the reality of what the scriptures teach? What else is Jesus going to do when He comes back? 

If you read my first article, you would see that I already tackled the point of the relevancy of Israel. The Nation of Israel was established by God.

Everyone agrees that Israel was scattered in Judgement by God. Opinions veer off when we talk about Israel being regathered by God. Even though there are more than 60 verses in the scriptures that say God was going to do it, and He did it. Overall point being, if he scattered them, they do not have the power to regather themselves. If God scatters, no one can regather, period. Here they are today, and they are here to stay.

Amos 9:15 “I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.”

The Messianic Conundrum: There are many passages that Christians know, talking about the prophecies of the Suffering Messiah. There’s a tendency to focus only on that. Not so much the prophecies of the Conquering Messiah. The Kingly Conquering Messiah was the Jewish expectation in 1^st century Judaism. This is why most of the Jewish world missed him. But there were a number of Rabbis and Sages that knew about the Suffering Messiah as well. How did they reconcile this? They came up with 2 Messiah figures. Messiah Ben Joseph: The suffering Messiah and Messiah Ben David: The Conquering Messiah. Messiah Ben Joseph often being portrayed as dying in battle (being pierced). Messiah Ben David as the King to bring peace. 

As we know, these two Messiahs are one in the same. The person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Son of David. When he returns, he will also fulfill the Kingly conquering messiah. The Messiah will come back to conquer the enemies of Israel.

This was still the expectation of the Apostles when the resurrected Jesus walked the earth.

 Acts 1:6-8 “So when they gathered together, they asked Him, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is not your place to know the times or seasons which the Father has placed under His own control. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and through all Judah, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Notice something? Jesus did not reprimand the apostles for not understanding. He wasn’t ever shy about doing that if the situation called for it. Examples include: “Get behind me Satan” (Matt 16:23), “Are you still so dull?” (Matt 15:16). 

This particular situation, Jesus stated  “It is not your place to know the times or seasons which the Father has placed under His own control”. In other words, this is going to happen and the Father set it in motion, but it is not up to you to know when”. He did not say ‘You just don’t get it, the Church is my new Israel and all is fulfilled now, I will not be restoring physical Israel as they are cast off’. 

The Messianic Prophecies missed:

We often quote the book of Revelation in the Christian world. But the book of Revelation goes hand in hand with all other prophetic books of the entire Old Testament (Tanakh). 

Revelation 19:11-13 “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The One riding on it is called Faithful and True, and He judges and makes war in righteousness. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and many royal crowns are on His head. He has a name written that no one knows except Himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is “the Word of God.”

As we know, this is Jesus, no disputes. I want us to focus on what the Messiah, in this case The Conquering Messiah, is wearing. A robe dipped in blood. 

The passages continue, “¹⁴ And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. ¹⁵ From His mouth comes a sharp sword—so that with it He may strike down the nations—and He shall rule them with an iron rod, and He treads the winepress of the furious wrath of Elohei-Tzva’ot.  ¹⁶ On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” 

His clothes are dipped in blood as He treads on the winepress. He strikes down Nations.  Where do we find the synonymous passage in the Tanakh?

 Isaiah 63

“Who is this coming from Edom,in crimsoned garments from Bozrah?This One splendid in His apparel,    pressing forward in His great might?”

“It is I who speak in righteousness,    mighty to save.”

 “Why is Your apparel so red,and Your garments like one who treads in a wine press?” 

“I have trodden the winepress alone—from the peoples, no man was with Me.I trod them in My anger,    and trampled them in My wrath.Their lifeblood spattered My garments,  so I stained all My robes.For a day of vengeance was in My heart,and My year of redemption has come. I looked, but there was no one to help.I was amazed, but no one was assisting.So My own arm won victory for Me,    and My wrath upheld Me.So I trod down the peoples in My anger,and made them drunk in My wrath,and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

In this passage, the Messiah has just come from destroying land. Which land? Edom and Bozrah (capital of Edom). Which we know today as Jordan. One of the Many Muslim Nations Messiah will fight. 

Jesus will single-handedly take out the Nations that rage against Israel. Here are some additional Muslim Nations he will fight: 

Lebanon-(Isaiah 10:33-34) Egypt- (Isaiah 19). Jordan Saudi Arabia (Ezekiel 32:29). Turkey (Ezekiel 32:30) Princes of the North. 

There are many more, including an alliance of Muslim Nations in Psalm 83. Edom (Jordan), Ishmaelites (Arab peoples), Moab (Jordan), Hagrites (Jordan and Syria), Byblos (Lebanon), Ammon (Jordan), Philistia (Gaza Strip), Tyre (Lebanon), Assyria (northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and northwestern Iran, Ninevah plains of Iraq).

The Lord Returns to fight for Israel

Zechariah 12:8-10: “On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them. On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

Israel is Israel. 

This is a prophetic passage as the Nation of Israel will mourn for the one they have pierced, the Messiah Jesus. 

In addition to all of this. He is returning to Israel. He will set foot on the Mount of Olives and rule from Jerusalem. Zechariah 14: 1-4 says:

 “A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south”.  

Please read the entire chapter. We will also celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) with the Lord Jesus. The nations that don’t will not get rain on their lands as a judgement (verse 16-17). Christians celebrating a Jewish Holiday? Yes, he fulfilled the Feast of Tabernacles the first time around as he was the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), and he will fulfill it again. This time, all of us with him. 

Could you imagine? Jesus ruling from Jerusalem? All nations to go up once a year for Sukkot? 

Psalm 132:13-14 “For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.” 

Joel 4:17 “ So you will know that I am Adonai, your God,dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain.Then will Jerusalem be holy,and foreigners will cross through her no more.” Verse 21- “…for Adonai dwells in Zion”

I believe it’s safe to say the Lord Jesus is a Zionist. 

“But the Jews were scattered in judgement” or “They are no longer his people” are cries you might hear online or in Churches. What about these passages (and many more) that describe Israel scattered in judgement but God still aligning himself with them? Let’s go back to Joel 4:1-4 

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore Judah and Jerusalem from exile,² I will gather all nationsand bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. I will plead with them there on behalf of My people, even My inheritance, Israel, whom they scattered among the nations and they divided up My land.³ They cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, which they drank.”

⁴ “Moreover, what are you to Me, Tyre and Sidon^[b] and all regions of Philistia? Did you render retribution for Me? Even if you were rendering retribution for Me, swiftly, speedily, will I return your retribution back on your own head.”

You see, this is an end time event and God is judging the nations on how they treated scattered, under judgement, Israel. Even then he stated, “Did you render retribution for me?” Not for them (Israel) but for Me.

Did God reject Israel?

To dismiss Israel is to dismiss a great deal of scripture. Currently, Israel is experiencing a hardening in part, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (Romans 11:25). Verse 26 “In this way all Israel will be saved”. 

Romans 1 States “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!” 

Who are ”His people”? It is Israel. Has he rejected them? No. 

Non-Jewish Christians get to rejoice with them. Romans 15:10 “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people". Who are his people? Israel. Gentiles are grafted in (verse 24).

Romans 10:8 “For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.” 

Even the unbelievers of Israel are still loved and chosen for His purposes.

Romans 11:28 “Concerning the Good News, they are hostile for your sake; but concerning chosenness, they are loved on account of the fathers — for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”.

 Irrevocable means, no take backs. The gift and calling was to be a light to the Nations (Isaiah 49:6). Jesus confirms this with “Salvation is from the Jews”- John 4:22. 

There will always be a remnant (Romans 11: 5). God will not reject them. It was a promise. 

Jeremiah 31:35-37 “ This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord Almighty is his name: “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.”  This is what the Lord says: “Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the Lord.” 

The Return:

One thing we know. Jesus will not return to Israel until the Jewish Leadership accepts him. How do we know this? He stated it. In a closing rebuke to the Pharisees, he leaves them with this:

 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Matthew 23:37

In other words, he will not return until they say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” This is the Messianic outcry. This is when they mourn for the one who they pierced and he rescues them.