Behold, He Cometh!

Brothers and sisters, in the Lord Jesus Christ, there’s not many more terrifying words as a child than, “Dad’s coming.” I don’t know if you’ve ever had this moment when you’re playing with your siblings and being mischievous, breaking something, being generally naughty, and one of the siblings hears footsteps and says, “Dad’s coming!” And what do you do? Well, if you can, you run for the hills down the farm and hide somewhere. But most of you don’t have that option. You quickly try and cover up and make it look okay, lest Dad comes through the door in his fury and you’re disciplined. I can remember my children doing this. I can remember walking down the hallway my children, not realizing I can hear them, saying, “Dad’s coming! Dad’s coming! Quick! Shh! Shh! Dad’s coming!”

Well, brothers and sisters, the, the word we hear today makes Dad coming feel like a birthday celebration. Behold, he comes. It is the coming of Christ that we turn our thoughts to today. And the text that lies before us is indeed far more ominous than a parent coming to discipline a child. It is a text filled with terror. In one sense you could say it is a terrible text. It is a awful text, it is a fearful text, and yet it is given for us for our consideration because, brothers and sisters, he is coming.

But before we consider the actual details of this reality, we need to just briefly stop and ask the question, who is the he? It doesn’t give a name, does it? It just says, “Behold, he is coming.” Well, who is the he? Is it a prophet? Is it an angel? The text, the preceding text helps us understand that this is a reference to Jesus. So back in verse 5, we’re introduced to Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of kings on earth. So this is the context, the, the ruler of every king. Then we’re told, in verse five and six, what this king has done. He’s loved us, he’s freed us, he’s made us to his God and Father, and to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, amen. And then all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, John declares, “Behold, he’s coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the Earth will wail on account of him. Even so, amen.” It is part of the greeting, specifically important for the Book of Revelation, which is so concerned with the church’s witness in between the leaving of Christ and the returning of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, consider that he is coming. It’s interesting, this word coming, you may have expected it to be, “He will come,” because it’s a future event, right? The coming of Jesus, it’s very clear. I don’t know if you woke up and heard any trumpet sounds this morning, but if you did, it wasn’t an archangel, it was your neighbor learning to play the trumpet. But Jesus is not coming right now, because we’re still here. And if he had come, what would take place? Well, we’d be in the presence of the Lord. And yet John uses the present tense, “He is coming,” and a present continuous, meaning he’s coming and continuously coming. And you ask yourself, “Well, that’s a weird way of putting it. Why didn’t John say, ‘He will come,’ or, ‘He will come soon’” or any other number of phrases he could use?”

Well, the reason is that the, the coming of Jesus Christ, the return of Christ is an ever-present reality for the people of God that affects every element of our life, and is an ever-present reality for unbelievers as a constant reminder of what’s coming. You see, when John says that Jesus is coming, in one sense, he’s saying, “One day, he will actually come,” but in the other sense, he’s saying, “He is always coming.” You see, ’cause we don’t know the day of his arrival, do we? It’s a little bit like if you say to one of your children, “Ah, yes, Nana’s coming,” or, or, “Oma’s coming,” or, “Your sister’s coming,” or, “Your big brother’s coming.” And they say, “Well, w- well, when?” You say, “Well, I don’t know, because they didn’t tell me what time they’d come, but I know they’re coming.” Now, what does the child think? He doesn’t think, “Well, the chi- th- the brother’s not gonna come.” He thinks, “Well, I don’t know when, but they’re on the way. They’re coming.” And that’s the, the daily way we ought to live our lives as we think about what we’re going to think about, that every day, between A.D.30 and the return of Christ, Jesus is coming. As real as it was in A.D.95 when John wrote these words, it is still just as real today. Jesus Christ is coming.

But notice how he’s coming. He’s coming with the clouds. And you might think, “Well, that’s obvious, right? Because heaven’s up there.” But you do realize heaven’s not up there. Space is up there. And up there is up there. And c- clouds, and sky, and the sun, and all sorts of things are up there, but heaven’s not up there. Heaven is a spiritual reality, which doesn’t have a physical concept like we do. But we use “up” because that’s a very helpful way of thinking. We’ve gotta find human words to describe this reality, and yet we’re told he’s coming with the clouds. Why? Well, the word cloud, clouds, is a very rich, biblical word, pregnant with meaning and understanding.

And so you can take yourself back to, for example, Genesis 9. And in Genesis 9, the flood is finished and what does God say to Noah? He says, “I am hanging my bow in the clouds as a reminder of a covenant of” “That I will withhold judgment. That I will hold back judgment. I will not flood the earth again.” And so this cloud held the, the bow of God so that God would not judge the earth in that way again. And then, as you fast-forward, the people of God begin to gather together, and, and they long to be free from Egypt in Exodus. And as they leave Exi- uh, leave Egypt, what guides them? A cloud. And the Lord is present among his people in that cloud. And then, as they go through the Red Sea, do you remember what the cloud does in Exodus 13? The cloud goes behind them, goes behind them and separates Israel and Egypt to keep Israel safe, and then as Israel leaves the Red Sea, the cloud causes confusion and fights against the Egyptians and brings judgment, because the Lord is opposing the people of Egypt.

This cloud theme continues on so that as the tabernacle is erected and the glory of God is manifested, wha- what, uh, what comes down? A cloud. And as the people murmur and complain against God, and God comes down and his glory is manifested, what appears? A cloud. And on the Mount of Transfiguration, when Jesus Christ is shown in his glory before his 3 disciples, what descends upon the mount but a cloud? And out of the cloud, the Father speaks and says, “This is my beloved Son.” And then when Jesus Christ has finished his earthly ministry and he ascends back to the Father, what does he go through? Clouds. Then John tells us he is returning with the clouds. And, and all of those things are true, and it weaves into that story, unfolding in the new, New and Old Testament.

But it’s particularly a reference to Daniel 7. And in Daniel 7, if you turn there with me, we see a vision, a glorious vision of the ascending king. So in Daniel 7:13-14, we see these words: “I saw in the night visions, and behold with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” So Daniel sees a future vision of a son of man, “One like a son of man who will ascend to the right hand of God and receive all authority, and he will go up there with the clouds.” And Jesus, in Matthew 24, picks up on this exact verse, and he applies it to himself. In Matthew 24:30, this is now Jesus talking about the end of days, the, the final judgment. He says, “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.” And so John picks up these themes of, of the presence of God in a cloud and the judgment of God manifested out of a cloud, and he says Jesus will come with the clouds. In other words, with all of the presence and the authority and the power of God Himself, Jesus will come. He comes as a conquering This is not the imagery of a meek and mild Jesus, or the gentle and lowly, or Jesus is your boyfriend. This is an almighty, thrice holy King of Kings and Lord of Lords upon whose brow sits all the diadems of the world, and he comes with all of the authority of God.

And so, we see this, this authority combined with a crown, sorry, with a cloud in Revelation 14. And so, in Revelation 14:14 it says, “I looked, and behold a white cloud, and seated on the cloud, one like a son of man with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, ‘Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is full ripe.’ So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth and the earth was reaped.” It’s the picture of one with power and authority, isn’t it? So he’s coming, the king, God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Man is coming.

But notice also that John tells us, “He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him.” Every eye will see him, and even those who pierced him. It’s really important for us to understand that there is no hiding on the day of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s true today. It’s true today. It’s true every day of the coming of Jesus Christ, because you can think of passages like Psalm 139 where David writes and says, “If I go down to Sheol, you are there. If I go to the highest mountains, you are there. If I go to the deepest valley, you are there. If I go to the bottom of the sea, you are there. Darkness is like light to you.” But on the day of the return of Christ, there will be no hiding. N- And this is true, brothers and sisters, for the dead and for the living alike, because Jesus Himself says in John 5 that a day is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the sun, and they will come forth from the tomb, some to everlasting death and some to everlasting life. Daniel says, “A day is coming when the dead will the tomb, the grave will give forth its dead, and some will go to everlasting shame and contempt, and some to everlasting life and joy.”

You see, even, even being dead will not hide you from the return of the coming day of Christ, because the dead, He shall summon forth, He who has the keys of death and life, of Hades, as we’re told in verse 17 and 18. He will summon forth the dead, and with all authority he will s- call for the graves to open. He will force the seas to give forth those that have been lost within it. He will summon together every person and no one will be able to look away from his gaze. You know that feeling, don’t you? When, when you, you can, maybe you can remember this, children, you can remember this way better than the older people can. But when you’ve been bad and one of your parents looks at you with a look of anger or disappointment, and, and you want to what? You want to look away because you can’t stand the face looking at you in this way. And what do, what so often do our parents say to us? They say, “Look at me. Look at me.” And you look at them but it’s, it’s painful and it’s hard to, to look into their face as they gaze down upon you. Well, how much more intense the one whom we’re told in verse 14, his eyes were like a flame of fire as these flaming, blazing eyes pierce down upon every living being, every being that has been brought back from the dead, and you will not be able to look away. You will see him. All eyes, we’re told, will see him, and especially those who pierced him.

Now, you might, you might have a recollection popping in your head, “Pierced him, pierced him, where does that come from? Heard that before.” It’s John Chapter 19, isn’t it? Same author. In John Chapter 19 we get that little story where the soldiers go to break the legs of Jesus and they find that he’s already dead, right? They discover he’s already dead. And John adds this little note and he says, “This is to fulfill, this is to fulfill the scripture that not one of his bones were broken. And they shall look on him whom they pierced.” Now, what does, what does John mean when he says, “Especially those, even those who pierced him”? Is he just thinking of those who physically and literally crucified Christ? You know, the Roman soldiers that were there that day, maybe the Pharisees who handed him over. I think yes, he is thinking of them, but far broader, he’s thinking of all, metaphorically, who pierce the lord of glory.

Do you remember that moment in Acts Chapter 2 when Peter’s preaching? Peter’s preaching and, and he, he gets to the very end of his sermon, in around about verse 37 I think it is. He gets down there and he says to them, “And God has made him,” being Jesus Christ, “has made him king. He’s given him all authority, he’s made him the king. He whom you crucified.” Now, do you know what’s really striking about that? Is that there’s 3,000 people that get saved that day, right? There’s a whole lot of people. I guarantee you a whole bunch of those people weren’t even in town the day Jesus got crucified, because we’re told that there’s people from all sorts of different places, right? And yet John can say, “He, him who you crucified.” Why? Because it is your sin that nailed Jesus Christ to the cross. And it is your willful rebellion against the lord of glory that nailed him there. And if you or I were standing there that day, we would have shouted out with the crowd, “Crucify him.” And every time we reject him and we rebel him, he is pierced. All under Adam have pierced the son of God. And all will see him.

But what will they do? He’s coming. All will see him. And John adds, “And all the tribes of the earth will wail or mourn on account of him.” It’s striking, isn’t it, that, you know, the, the pompous ideas that some people have. I r- remember speaking to a person who said to me, “Ah, when I see God, I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind.” I mean, the arrogance to assume that one day Christ is gonna return and you’re gonna walk up to him as he is enthroned with diadems upon his head in splendor and glory with a sword in his hand and a sword in his mouth, and you will walk up to him-and give Him a piece of your mind. No, no, there will be no room for such things. There will be no room for anything but one action, we’re told, wailing.

Now, all the tribes of the Earth is a reference to what? Yes, it’s a reference to the tribes of Israel, but more so it’s a reference to every tribe of the Earth, every tongue, every nation, every people. You see, every people group of the world you can refer to as a tribe, right? And so, every tribe will see Him, and every tribe will have one response. They will mourn and wail. Now, it’s important for us to understand what this mourning and wailing means, because there’s different types of mourning and wailing, right? I remember going to Papua New Guinea. Th- they do grieving very differently than we do. So over there, when someone dies, as in this case, when we were there, there was a young 20-something-year-old guy who had died in the church, and so they were having a time of mourning. And so, for the first week, they met all week long, and they just wept and wailed and mourned. And then for the next 3 weeks, they would come together every night, and they would spend time in the Word, and they would sing together, and they would cry together. And after a month, they’re all finished. There’s no tears left to give anymore at that point. It’s all been shed. Well, there’s that type of mourning, but that’s not what he has in mind. This is not the mourning and wailing of sorrow, or repentance, or even remorse. This mourning is a self-mourning in response to what they see. All eyes will see Him, but what do they see? They see a terrifying God, right? They see a warrior king, a conquering Lord, with a sword upon His side, upon a white horse ready to make battle against the enemies of God. And they look up, and they see Him, and they recognize, what? It’s too late for the one who came in mercy in His first visit, who came in gentleness and lowliness in His first visit, who came and laid down His life in His first visit, has not come that way now. He will not lay His life down on His second coming. He will come to kill and destroy. He will come with a sword in His hand.

It’s the picture of Wri- of Psalm 2, right? Remember that picture? If you have a look in your order of service, you’ll We were gonna sing it, but I skipped over it. “Why do the heathen nations rage? Why do the peoples plot in vain? Earth’s kings combine in enmity. Her rulers join against God’s reign.” Verse 4, “The one enthroned in heaven laughs. The Lord on high derides them all. Then He rebukes them in His wrath, as rage and terror on them fall.” Brothers and sisters, this is the picture we’re given in the coming of Christ, but there’s a far more grim picture. Keep your finger in Revelation ’cause we’re gonna come back to it. Turn to the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah sees this day. Isaiah 63. It’s hard to read this and, and think of your blessed Savior, but this is your blessed Savior coming. Isaiah 63, “Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimson garments from Bozrah? He who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength. ‘It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save. Why is your apparel red and your garments like his who treads in the wine press?” In other words, you know, you can imagine someone that’s treaded in a wine press, right? Juice and wine splattered up the garments. “I have trod in the wine press alone, and from me and from the peoples, no one was with me. I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath. Their lifeblood splattered on my garments and stained all my apparel. For the day of vengeance was in my heart and my year of redemption had come.” “I looked, but there was no one to help. I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold. So my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me. I trampled down the peoples in my anger. I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.” That’s a solemn picture.

But then turn with me to Revelation 19 lest you think, “Oh, it’s just the Old Testament God.” It’s the Old Testament picture language, which, you know, it was brutal days back then. It was different. Revelation 19, with its glorious chapter on the marriage supper of the Lamb that we love to talk about, from verse 11. “I looked, heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. One sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God.” “And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine living, linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty on his ro- the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun. And with a loud vi- voice, he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, ‘Gather, come for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.’ And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in, who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image.” “These 2 were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with the sulfur, and the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse. And all the birds were gorged with their flesh.”

I wonder if you can see it? Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” And yet that is what the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ will bring against all sinners. And you might be tempted to ask yourself, “But Preacher, is there no hope? Is there no hope for me?” “from the day of the Wrath of the Lamb, for I am fearful that like the nations in chapter 6, I’ll be left calling out, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the Wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” What hope is there for me? And why is this here? How is this for the church? How is this helpful for the 7 churches of Asia who are so oppressed and need words of comfort, and they’re given a word of damnation and judgment?

Well, I told you earlier, I reminded you of that passage in Acts 2:37 where Peter says, “You crucified him.” Do you remember what the crowds ask in response? They cry out, “Sirs, what shall we do?” A- and this is the point, right? Wh- when you consider the coming judgment of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords from which no one can escape, from which no one can hide, from which even the dead cannot avoid, the question you must ask is, “What shall I do? I don’t want to fall into His hands. I don’t want to be in the wine press of God’s wrath. I want to be safe and secure.” Well, have you forgotten verse five and six? Remember that John has told us that this one who comes to tread the wine press of God’s wrath, it is He who loves us. It is He who freed us. It is He who made us priests to His God and Father. You see, this one indeed does come to judge, but as Psalm 2 puts it, He is, He is affording the opportunity for you to kiss the son, lest His anger be kindled, for His wrath is quickly kindled and poured out. The Christ is coming is the message every day, and every day it’s a reminder that today is another day to make peace with the King before He comes.

I mean, think about the parable Jesus tells. W- what does a man do if a invading nation is coming and that king is mightier than him? What does he do? He sends forth terms of peace. And so here, now, a coming King is declared to us. He is coming. It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when. One day, the conquering King will dawn upon this world and tread the wine press of God’s wrath, and blood will be splattered upon His robe. And yet today, you are given the opportunity to make peace with Him so that when He comes, ah, yes, you will mourn, and yet He will wipe away your tears. You will see Him, but you will love His face. And he will come, and he will gather you to himself.

Brothers and sisters, think of those words that the Apostle Paul writes right at the very end of his life. He writes to Timothy in second Timothy and he says to him, “I- I’m ready to be poured out. I’m about to die.” And he says, “But there is laid up for me in heaven a crown of righteousness. But not only for me, but for all who love the Lord’s appearing.” This is an invitation, isn’t it? The judgment of Christ, his visitation of vengeance, is an invitation to sinners, to kings, to servants, to mothers, to daughters, to sons, to fathers, to friends, to bow before the king. For every knee will bow. Only some will do it willingly. Others will be forced to. Every tongue will confess, but some will do it with joy while others do it through gnashed teeth. So which will it be for you? Which will it be for you? This is a call for repentance, isn’t it? Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of God has come.” Repent, for the coming of Christ is nigh.

It’s also a great comfort for us, because we’re tempted, aren’t we? We’re tempted to want to take vengeance ourselves. We’re tempted to want to become embittered and to seek to take- take means into our own hands, but the Lord says, “Vengeance is mine.” This enables us to pray for those that persecute us and love our enemies. It’s a great hope for the persecuted church who give up their lives for the word of their testimony, and yet they know a day of justice is coming. It hurts not to receive justice, but a day of justice is coming. Brothers and sisters, he is coming. Well, we say with the Church of All Ages, “Come, Lord Jesus, come.”

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