Therefore, Repent

“After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”” (Mark 1:14–15, CSB)

Repentance is a change of mind and attitude that results in a change of life and actions. Repentance is necessary after hearing and understanding the previous six essential elements of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. These have all been expounded upon in previous blogs. For the sake of context I’ll list the six previous essential elements. They are:

1. All are accountable to God.

2. Our problem is that we have rebelled against God.

3. The Kingdom of God is now available. 

4. Jesus is the Messiah.

5. Jesus suffered and rose from the dead.

6. Jesus will return, reign, and rule. 

These elements of the Gospel of the Kingdom challenge our thinking, our behavior, our autonomy, our decision making and our future plans. Repentance is both for those already in the Kingdom of God and for those who want to be. 

The process of repentance is much like someone who has been driving a car and just discovers they were headed in the wrong direction. The natural reaction is to stop the car and find out what direction they need to go, turn to it and start moving in that right direction. There will also be some emotional reaction. The amount of emotion will depend on how much time is lost, when the person needs to be at the destination, and the amount of resources spent. I’ll admit that if this were me, I would likely be upset in proportion to the amount of time and resources I had expended before the realization of heading in the wrong direction. Notice this “car” example fulfills the previous definition of repentance: A change of mind and attitude that results in a change of life and actions. 

Many have viewed repentance of sin as a negative experience. But as Dr. Kerry Skinner writes, “Repentance is the most positive word in the Bible and brings life, not death, to those who embrace it. While the process of repentance is sometimes painful, the result of being back in fellowship with God brings great joy.” (Skinner, The Joy of Repentance, p.21) Joy, and in many cases, true revival comes out of genuine repentance. 

According to Drs. Henry Brandt and Kerry Skinner, repentance is a five step process (see the books The Heart of the Problem and The Joy of Repentance). Sin can be in our lives and fester in our hearts for years, but God cleanses us through repentance and gives hope, joy and welcome change to our lives in a moment.  The five process steps of repentance are as follows.

First, admit to God that you are wrong. You need to admit to him all the wrongs that come to mind: wrong thinking, wrong speaking, wrong beliefs, wrong attitudes and wrong behavior. This is a time of humbling yourself before God. Admission of wrong is not repentance but it is a necessary part of repentance. You can admit you are wrong and not repent. Confession is the place to start, not the ending point. 

Second, have godly sorrow for the sin. This is more than regret. It is an anguish of the soul before God that we are not who we should be. That we have done what we should not do or failed to do what we should. Worldly sorrow leads to despair but godly sorrow leads to repentance and joy. Judas later regretted betraying Jesus, but fell into despair and committed suicide. Peter’s denial of Jesus twice was also a betrayal, but instead of despair he worked through his sorrow and became a man who found renewed purpose and joy in ministry to Jesus and to His church. 

Third, ask God to forgive the sin. God is a forgiving God. He gave his only begotten Son so that if we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness. (see 1 John 1:9). Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to ask for forgiveness as we forgive others who have sinned against us. God will grant forgiveness based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ. As it reads in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7, CSB)

Fourth, ask God to cleanse the sin. David prayed, after he was confronted with sin by Nathan the prophet, for God to “completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalm 51:2). Only God can cleanse us from our sin. We may be able to manage sin. We may be able to even stop certain sins, but we cannot cleanse sin. Only God can do that. Dr. Skinner often says, “If sin is the problem, there is no human remedy.” But God has a remedy. It is not sin management, but a thorough cleansing of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on your behalf on the cross.   “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7–8, CSB)

Last, ask God to empower you with His Spirit. After God cleanses you, you are now a vessel that can be used for His honor and glory. But you cannot operate successfully with merely human strength. You need to be empowered. God has made provision for you to be filled and empowered by his Holy Spirit. Look at what Peter wrote: 

“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.” (2 Peter 1:3–4, CSB)

God has given you everything you need to live for and in the kingdom of God today. You are able to do this because you “share in the divine nature.” 

Jesus made similar statements on empowerment, but focused on our abiding in Him. He said “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5, CSB) This abiding is remaining in Jesus’ teaching, His will and way. When we ask the Lord to empower us we are asking to stay in fellowship with Jesus every moment of every day. If we draw our nourishment from Jesus, then the fruit of Jesus will naturally come forth. It will be the fruit of the Spirit as depicted in Galatians 5: 22-23 but also much, much more. We cannot do this spiritual work without Him. We must always be drawing our strength, nourishment and as Peter said, “Everything that is required for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3a, CSB) from Jesus. 

When we look at repentance in relation to the Gospel of the Kingdom, here are some specifics related to these essentials. 

First, we need to repent of our self-directed and self-oriented behavior. We are accountable to God. All of us will appear at the judgment seat of Christ at the end of the age. But we are also disciplined in our thinking and behavior today. God knows what is going on in his church. He knows what is going on in your thoughts, not to mention your deeds. We have authorities that we answer to in this life, but all authority is from God. 

“Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, CSB)

“For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness. Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7–8, CSB)

We answer to God. That is why we call him “Lord,” because He is Lord. 

Second, we need to know and accept that the evil and sin in this world is due to our rebellion against God. This world is the way it is because of sinful fallen humanity; it is because of us. While everything that occurs in our lives that is bad, such as cancer or a tornado, may not be due to our personal sin, but it is due to sin. God created this world good. We have made it bad. Our problem is that we are rebels against God. We will continue to multiply our problems as long as we remain in rebellion. A part of repentance is to counter sin with righteousness, the righteousness that only comes from God. 

Third, change your thinking about living now in the Kingdom of God. God’s kingdom is eternal and it is present through Jesus the Messiah. A kingdom is the reign and rule of a king. God has always been sovereign over the earth, but he has also given us authority to rule and subdue the earth. Each of us have our own little kingdoms. If each of us will seek to align our kingdoms with the Kingdom of God, we will get to experience a foretaste of heaven. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matthew 6:33, CSB)

Fourth, honor Jesus as the full expression of God to us. If you want to know what God is like, look to Jesus. He is the Messiah. He is the anointed one. He is our example that we should walk in his steps. He is our savior that we should offer eternal gratitude to. He is our Lord, for he is the King of heaven and earth and his reign will never end. Here’s what Paul said about Jesus:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:15–20, CSB)

We need to repent when we make Jesus too small and familiar. We need to repent when we make Jesus our buddy. We need to repent when we just think of him as a baby in a manger. We need a new vision of who Jesus the Messiah is. He is our good shepherd, but he is also our master. He has all power and authority. He commands us and we are to obey. We need to repent of our lack of obedience. We have ceased to be in awe. 

Fifth, acknowledge the price Jesus, the prince of heaven, paid when he left His throne and came to earth. He emptied himself of his privileges and power in the godhead and became man. He lived on this earth as a man, but also as a sinless man. He never gave into temptation of any kind. He drank empty the bitter cup of sin. He who knew no sin became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. (see 1 Cor. 5:21) He reversed what Adam and Eve lost and more. He was the second Adam. He, the eternal God, died in our place on that bloody cross. He was the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. Then he arose from the dead, the resurrection it is called. That was the beginning of the great reversal. He was not resuscitated. A new order of creation was begun on that first Easter Sunday morning. Sin, death and the devil had been defeated. Victory is won. This is our power. We need to repent of not seeing the power of the cross of Jesus Christ. It changes lives now and forever. 

Sixth, therefore look up! Remember our time of redemption and accounting is coming soon. Jesus came the first time for sin. He comes the second time to reign and rule. With Him will come the full expression of the Kingdom of God. We need to be ready for it. We need to repent and not just look after our own interests but that of our master. 

“The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten. But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.” (Luke 12:42–48, CSB)

We have been given much, perhaps more than any other people in the history of the church. What in your life needs to change? Where do you need to repent? Entrance into the Kingdom of God is through repentance. Repentance is required to live in it as well. 

Jesus Will Reign and Rule

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10, CSB)

The second coming of Jesus Christ will be a personal, visible, and physical return. This Jesus is the  same one who was born in a manger, lived a holy life, suffered death on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. His return will have consequences. In short, He will return to reign as the eternal King of kings and Lord of lords. He will rule as the only sovereign potentate, for He is God in the flesh, the second member of the triune God forever incarnated in human form. This teaching is the second half of the sixth essential element of the Gospel of the Kingdom.  

For Jesus the Messiah to reign and rule, there are several things that will need to take place. Scripture and biblical eschatology has much, much more to say about this than I have space to deal with here. What I’m going to do is paint in broad strokes seven events that will occur after the second coming of the Messiah.  All of these events are brought about by Jesus. 

First, there will be a final judgment and Jesus the Messiah will be the judge. 

Jesus will judge us because all judgment has been given to him by God the Father. 

“Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted to the Son to have life in himself. And he has granted him the right to pass judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” (John 5:25–27, CSB)

As Jesus has the ability to raise the dead with the sound of his voice, He also has the right to judge. Jesus goes on to explain that he has this right to judge all men because he is the “Son of Man”. This “Son of Man” is a title making reference to the Christ or Messiah. This title is used in 1 Enoch and 4 Ezra, both of these are second temple literature in which a Jew, in the day of Jesus, would be very familiar as referencing the coming Messiah to judge the world and set up the Kingdom of God on earth. Daniel uses the term “son of man” as the one given an everlasting dominion and a kingdom that all people would serve him. 

“I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13–14, CSB)

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and used the impending event of having to stand before Jesus as supreme judge to both warn and encourage him in his ministry. 

“I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:1–2, CSB)

This is a warning. We will be held responsible for what we did with what we were given. This is also an encouragement. If we are faithful we will be rewarded. In short, there will be a reckoning of our lives and Jesus will be the one to do it. 

Second, people who did not trust Jesus as Messiah will be judged according to their deeds. 

The apostle Peter, in writing to believers warned them to live as obedient children under the Lord as Father, then he goes on to state: “If you appeal to the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, you are to conduct yourselves in reverence during your time living as strangers.” (1 Peter 1:17, CSB)

Then we find at the great white throne judgment, those who did not believe in, nor trust in Jesus were judged according to their deeds they did while alive on earth.

 “And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—” (Hebrews 9:27, CSB)

“I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works.” (Revelation 20:12–13, CSB)

Third, people who trusted Jesus as Messiah will be rewarded for deeds they did in His name. 

These people will not be judged for unrighteousness as the others because they accepted the relied upon the substitutionary atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus paid their sin debt. Their home is with Jesus and they are given a reward for their labors done out of a loving motivation for the name and fame of Jesus.

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24, CSB)

As far as rewards, here are a few biblical references on believer’s rewards. 

“And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ—truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41, CSB)

“But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.” (Luke 6:35, CSB)

“Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward.” (2 John 8, CSB)

In Jesus’ parable of the talents, he let his followers know that if they were faithful to Jesus in what they had in this life, then He would reward them with greater things in the next. 

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’” (Matthew 25:21, CSB)

Actually, all of Matthew 25 is about faithful living in reflection of having to answer to Jesus for our lives. 

Fourth, the rebellious angels will be judged according to their deeds. 

This will include Satan, other fallen angels, and demons. They are not redeemable. Their nature is fixed. Their judgment awaits. 

“And the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day.” (Jude 6, CSB)

Jesus dies for people, not angels. “For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.” (Hebrews 2:16, CSB). This may sound harsh, but the angels who rebelled against God and followed Satan did so with full knowledge. The cross of Jesus is not meant for their salvation, but for their condemnation. They are and still are, and forever will be in full rebellion against God. 

The apostle Paul wrote describing what the cross of Jesus Christ meant to these spiritual forces of darkness. “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15, CSB)

Fifth, all whose names are not found in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire.

They will be sent to their final place for all eternity, which is the lake of fire. This includes Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and any person whose name is not found in the book of life. 

“But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.” (Revelation 19:20, CSB)

“The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10, CSB)

“Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14–15, CSB)

Those who didn’t choose Christ will have to answer for their own sins before a holy and righteous God. The judgment will be fair, accurate, and exact. Every detail and motivation of their lives will be considered by an all-knowing, all-present and all-powerful God. God has a record of it all.

There are none too great to be exempt or too small to be overlooked. It doesn’t matter where or how they died. It doesn’t matter where they were buried. All of these will stand before God and answer for the life they lived and the choices they made. 

However, those whose names are in the book of life have chosen to receive God’s grace. The judgment, which they deserved for their sin, was paid by Jesus the Messiah through His substitutionary death on the cross. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God’s justice was satisfied and forgiveness of sin was granted. Even more, through the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, those who believe in Him are given new life. Their names will never be erased out of the Book of Life!

Sixth, Jesus will renovate creation into a new heavens and a new earth. 

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”” (Revelation 21:1–5, CSB)

God moves His throne to be with His transformed people; His human family. What was done in part and in symbol with the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in Jerusalem, and our bodies as a temple of the Holy Spirit becomes a full-on explosion of reality. At present all of creation is waiting on Jesus to come and rescue us from this decaying existence. 

“For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:19–23, CSB)

I’ve included huge chunks of Scripture in this number six, but nothing describes it better than Scripture itself. Once this renovation of creation and the complete redemption of believers bodies and their freedom from sinful decay is accomplished, it now paves the way for the final state of all things. At long last, the reality of the complete and sovereign rule of Jesus the Messiah over things. 

Seventh, all kingdoms will come under the eternal reign and sovereign rule of king Jesus forever. 

“The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15, CSB) 

I cannot read these words without thinking of George Handel’s Hallelujah chorus from “Messiah.” 

According to popular musical history, Handel composed “Messiah” during a very difficult period in his life. He was deeply in debt and several of his previous compositions received poor reviews.

Handel locked himself in his room and began writing the score. He finished it in a remarkable 24 days. While composing, he went without food or sleep for days at a time. 

After completing the Hallelujah Chorus, the personal comment by Handel was: “I did think I saw heaven open, and saw the very face of God.” 

However, what I reflect on the most is the tradition of audiences standing during the beginning of the “Hallelujah Chorus”. While I do not have actual evidence for this, it is said that it started at the very first performance of "Messiah". King George II was present and when the chorus began, it is said that he was enthralled by the music and these words:

“For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, Hallelujah! The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of kings and Lord of lords. Forever, Hallelujah! ” 

King George II was so overwhelmed that he stood in honor of Christ. When the king stands, everyone stands. And so they did. And so they have ever since. 

One day, and I pray it is soon. The King of kings and Lord of lords will stand. All of creation will come to attention. All will be made new. 

Jesus Will Return

The return of Jesus Christ is part of the sixth essential element of the Gospel of the Kingdom. 

“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1–3, CSB)

The above passage immediately came to mind after I had accepted the news of my dad’s passing. It was an immediate comfort in a time of loss. I was 24 years old at the time. My dad was just 56 when he died. I felt a huge void. It wasn’t because we were especially close. It was because I knew he was there. I knew that if I needed help of any kind I could always turn to him. Now that source of comfort is gone. 

While that source was gone, I was reminded that another source would always be there. I believed in God the Father and I believed in Jesus. I knew that He would not only take care of my dad, but He would take care of me. 

Jesus has promised His people His immediate and current presence through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I was comforted by that fact on the day of my dad’s passing but also many, many times since then. My experience demonstrated the truth of what Jesus promised his disciples that he would send another Helper or Counselor. He told them this:

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” (John 14:16, CSB)

He did just that, about 10 days after his ascension into heaven. It happened on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). All believers present were filled with the Holy Spirit. The good news is that we who believe in and follow Jesus the Messiah have the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit with us always. As we surrender to His lordship, we will receive power for living. 

But this good news gets better. Jesus himself will return. This is the great hope of believers everywhere. Without the return of Jesus Christ to earth, all the prophecies would be for nothing. There would be no hope for a better future. No hope for justice and righteousness to triumph without the return of Jesus Christ. Yet this was the promise from the angels on the day the Lord ascended to heaven.

“They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away.” (Acts 1:11–12, CSB)

In this promise we are told the manner in which the victorious Jesus Christ will return. But there are also other promises from Jesus and from other places in Scripture where the Messiah will further claim his own, judge the rebellious and restore the universe to righteousness. 

The return of Jesus Christ is the one end-time teaching that all Christians everywhere agree on. When and under what circumstances He returns is not in universal agreement. In this blog I’m going to share the manner in which the Lord Jesus Christ will return. In my next blog I will attempt to give some understanding of His reign and rule. 

From the Book of Acts 1:11 and other Scriptures we find that there are at least seven aspects of how the Lord Jesus Christ will return. 

First, He will return personally. It is this same Jesus who was born under the law, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary atoning death and rose again who will come back. It will not be a prophet, someone else, or even an angel. It will be this same Jesus himself who will return. 

Second, Jesus will return bodily. His return will not be a vision. It will not be a symbol. Jesus will return in his resurrected body. The same body that he ascended to heaven and to His throne. It is the same body he will be in, and always be in at his return. 

Third, Jesus will return suddenly. “Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming.” “Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!” (Mark 13:33, 36–37, CSB) I believe that when the Lord does appear, it will be in a manner that will leave no time for anyone to make any changes. It will be sudden and it will be in fullness. We don’t know the “when”, but we do know the “how.” It will be sudden. 

Fourth, His return will be with the clouds. “Look, 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.” (Revelation 1:7, CSB) What does this mean? In the Old Testament, the cloud was depicted as the powerful presence of God. There was the cloud that guided and protected the Israelites by day as they made their way through the wilderness journey to the promised land. In the Psalms, Yahweh makes the clouds His chariot. This is God moving to war against his enemies. So, the Lord Jesus coming with the clouds is both protecting and guiding his people, but at the same time, making war against his enemies. 

Fifth, Jesus will return with the angels. “This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels,” (2 Thessalonians 1:7, CSB) Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch when he wrote: “It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones” (Jude 14, CSB) These angels are part of the army of the Lord. They will gather his elect from all over the earth. 

Sixth, the Lord Jesus will return with His saints. “May he make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Amen.” (1 Thessalonians 3:13, CSB) Paul additionally wrote this promise, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4, CSB) 

Last, Jesus will return to the same place he left. This place is the Mount of Olives. “Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, forming a huge valley, so that half the mountain will move to the north and half to the south.” (Zechariah 14:3–4, CSB) This is the very place where Jesus suffered in the garden of Gethsemane and also the place where he went up to heaven. This is the place where the two angels told the disciples that Jesus would return. This is where Jesus touches down on earth. 

The return of our Lord Jesus Christ is our hope and comfort. It is a further fulfillment of the promises of God, of which he has kept them all! Knowing that Jesus will return should not make us slack in our witness or the holiness in our lives. It should encourage us to do better. There will come a day, and perhaps soon where we will stand before Him. I pray He will say these words to us all. “His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.” (Matthew 25:21, CSB)