October 2

Zechariah 9 -12

Jesus is coming again

Someone asked me this week, “Why do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?” I said one of the main reasons I believe this is because of prophecy. Prophecy is a major theme of our reading today. One out of every thirty verses in the Bible mentions the subject of Christ's return or the end of time. Of the 216 chapters in the NT there are well over 300 references to the return of Jesus Christ. Zechariah also speaks clearly of the Messiah’s re-entry onto the world scene. We have a blurring of his first and second coming in our verses today but the Bible predicts with amazing clarity the second coming of Jesus to this planet.

Zech. 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This is Jesus coming the first time, as the lamb of God. Yet in the remaining chapters we see him returning as the Lion of Judah.

Here are a few of the observations about his second coming:

1. The Jews will be in the land. Jesus will come to rescue them. On May 15, 1948 the Jews returned to the land of Israel after almost 2000 years of exile. God does keep his promises.
2. Jerusalem will be the focal point of the entire world. This little piece of land will become an immovable rock for all the nations. And all who try to move it will injury themselves. This means that the USA would be wise to stand with this tiny nation even if the entire world stands against her. God will destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
3. There will be a great revival in Israel. They will look on Jesus, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child. This was written before crucifixion became a way of death in the Roman Empire. The Jews didn’t pierce, they stoned their criminals.
4. The Messiah would be killed first. The cross was part of the picture of the coming Messiah.
5. There will be a global conflict. The nations will gather in the Middle East.
6. Messiah will touch down on the Mount of Olives. We are talking about a physical return of Jesus to the earth. This is not a spiritual return like the Jehovah Witnesses claim. There will be a huge earthquake that will change the landscape. The second coming of Jesus will be a return with power and great glory. It will be unmistakable for any person here on the earth. And guess who will be returning with Jesus? Then the Lord my God will come and all the “holy ones” with him. That would be you and I. I am not terribly fond of heights but one day we will be sweeping down from heaven in some sort of a cavalry charge headed into a world wide conflict. No need to worry because with one word the armies of the world will be defeated. SO if you are worried today because of the economy, the social decline of our nation, the state of world events, your boss is giving you grief... look up for your redemption will soon be coming.