For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ

[Titus 2:11-13]

Today is January 6th, 2021 — Epiphany.

On the traditional “Christian” calendar — especially in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox persuasions — today is regarded as the holy day of the Epiphany, which is the celebration of the manifestation of the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God and Savior of the world. As one of the oldest Christian holidays — even predating December 25 — it would be well worth some time to discover more about the origin, history and meaning behind such a sacred festival. Here is a helpful article from the Catholic perspective.

Primarily, the Feast of Epiphany is associated with the visit of the wise men — magi from the east — who first interpreted and then tracked a star to Jerusalem to investigate the birth of the King of the Jews [Matthew 2]. After finding the newborn King in Bethlehem, the magi bowed down to worship Him, commemorating the initial manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, fulfilling the ancient promise that the Messiah of Israel had come to bless all the nations of the earth with His eternal salvation [Genesis 12:3].

While the visitation the Magi and the mystery of the gospel to the Gentiles is also a topic most worthy of discovery and discussion, I would like to take today’s post in a different direction — an eschatological direction. The word epiphany itself is revealing in that its Biblical expression is more closely connected to the second advent of Jesus Christ than to His birth.

As we are about to see, epiphany literally means “brilliant appearance” or “glorious manifestation,” as derived from the Greek word — epiphaneia [ἐπιφάνεια]. The Biblical authors used this word intentionally to describe the visible and awesome display of the glory of God when He comes from heaven in power at the end of the age. In other words, in light of His first appearing as the Suffering Servant, we should be living in hopeful expectation of the appearing of Jesus Christ as the Conquering King.

Epiphany in the Prophets

There are so many prophetic references in the Old Testament that describe the visible and glorious appearance of the LORD when He comes to judge the nations. All of these Scriptures emphasize the conspicuous nature of the Day of the LORD. For brevity, I will only share a few here.

Then the LORD will appear over them,
and his arrow will go forth like lightning;
the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet
and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.

[Zechariah 9:14]

God came from Teman,
and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of his praise.
His brightness was like the light;
rays flashed from his hand;
and there he veiled his power.

[Habakkuk 3:3-4]

And all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground … So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

[Ezekiel 38:20, 23]

Now let’s take a look at how the Apostles used the word epiphany in the New Testament to further develop this doctrine of God’s future appearing.

Epiphany in the New Testament

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

[Revelation 1:7]

The appearing of Jesus Christ is inextricably connected to several key eschatological events. The Apostle Paul was exclusive in his use of the Greek word, epiphaneia, though other Apostles used a similar Greek word — phaneroó φανερόω — to describe the appearing of Christ. These words, along with the words “coming” and “revelation,” are used interchangeably throughout the New Testament.

Jesus will appear to destroy the lawless one

In his second letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul provides a significant detail about the “appearing” of Jesus Christ — namely that it will be the precise moment He destroys the antichrist [aka the lawless one]. It is also worth considering that Paul connects the appearing of Jesus with His “coming” and the Day of the LORD.

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

[2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 8]

We know from other passages like Revelation 19 that the Beast (antichrist) is destroyed at the end of the great tribulation, therefore, the appearing of Jesus Christ must be at the end of the great tribulation.

Jesus will appear at the appointed time

Paul encouraged Timothy to remain faithful and fight the good fight of faith to the end, which he correlates with the appearing of Jesus Christ.

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,14to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen

[1 Timothy 6:13-16]

Jesus will appear to establish His kingdom

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he connects the epiphany of Christ to His coming kingdom on earth. Again, God’s kingdom will be established at the end of this present age.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom …

[2 Timothy 4:1]

Jesus will appear to reward the saints

In the very same passage, Paul links the final rewarding of the faithful saints to the appearing of Christ.

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

[2 Timothy 4:8]

Jesus will appear in glory

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

[Titus 2:11-14]

Paul, in one of the most profound statements in the New Testament, says that our blessed hope is the appearing of our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ!” And because we interpret Scripture with Scripture, we now know that this appearing will take place at the end of the age when Jesus Christ comes in visible glory to destroy the antichrist, establish His kingdom and reward His saints.

It is critical in understanding that the appearing of Christ IS NOT a secret, phantom event but rather the most profound display of God’s glory the world has ever seen! The appearing of Jesus Christ will be LITERAL, VISIBLE, PHYSICAL, and UNMISTAKABLE!

In closing, I would like to remind everyone reading this post that the epiphany of Jesus Christ is much more than the story of His birth — as glorious as it was. The epiphany of Jesus Christ is the story of the coming Day when He returns in power and great glory for all the world to see. It is this appearing that we must be prepared to face. It is this appearing that we cannot escape.

The Apostle John leaves us with a reminder of how sobering this appearing will be. Are you prepared to meet Jesus Christ? Is your soul yearning for the appearing of our great God and Savior? Or will you shrink back in fear on that Day when His glory is revealed?

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

[1 John 2:28]

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

[1 John 3:2]

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Matthew 24:3

Over the last century, a majority of Christian churches in America have taught that Jesus Christ can come at any moment for His church — otherwise know as the rapture. But is the rapture the same thing as the 2nd Coming? Well, apparently it depends.

Few would argue that the 2nd Coming of Christ is one of the most essential, non-negotiable doctrines of the Christian faith. Christ has come. Christ will come again. Sounds simple, right?

Unfortunately, because of a man-made doctrine — namely dispensationalism — the 2nd Coming of Christ has been distorted into a convoluted belief system that unnecessarily complicates the clear teaching of Scripture. For example, when dispensationalists say “second coming” they don’t really mean second coming. What they mean is that Jesus can “come” at any moment to rapture His church back to heaven, but also that He will “come” again to judge the earth.

In other words, the dispensational belief system has to divide the coming of Christ into two “phases” or “stages” in order to make sense of it all. Taken to its logical conclusion, there are not two “comings” of Christ, but rather … three!

Having been raised on the dispensational doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, I once affirmed this man-made system without question.

But then one day … I started reading the Bible for myself.

What I discovered was that the Scriptures did not align with dispensational theology, especially the notion that the church would be whisked away to heaven before the great tribulation. Nothing could be further from the truth!

I began to see that the Scriptures plainly teach that the “coming” of the Lord immediately follows the great tribulation at the end of the age on the Day of the LORD [see Matthew 24:27-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28]. In other words, there is only one 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ. The 2nd coming of Christ is one event, one advent. Not one verse in all of Scripture presents the Second Coming of Christ in “two phases” or “two stages.” Once I came to that very important conclusion, the Scriptures began to make perfect sense.

Since dispensationalists refer almost exclusively to the writings of the Apostle Paul to support their view of a pre-tribulation rapture of the church, I thought it would be worth some print to demonstrate how the Apostle Paul actually destroys the pre-tribulation argument in his epistles.

Using only his letters to the church in Thessalonica, I will demonstrate how Paul understood and taught the essential doctrine of the 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Parousia

The Greek word used predominantly in regard to the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ is the word — parousia [παρουσία] — which means “coming, presence, arrival, advent.” Jesus Himself used this word to describe His return, as did Peter and John, but Paul used parousia more than any other New Testament writer.

For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Jesus Christ — Matthew 24:27

By using this very specific and technical term as a thread in Paul’s letters to the church in Thessalonica, all the unnecessary confusion about the 2nd Coming of Christ becomes crystal clear. Let’s take a closer look.

1 Thessalonians

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

Paul’s message to the saints in Thessalonica was one of encouragement and hope due to the intense persecution the church was suffering at the time. Here in the first chapter of his letter, Paul commends the church for turning from idolatry to the “living and true God,” and he encourages them to wait for His son “from heaven.” Although parousia is not used here, clearly Paul is referring to the 2nd Coming of Christ when He returns from heaven to earth. Notably, it is at this time that Jesus will deliver the saints from the wrath to come.

For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20For you are our glory and joy.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20

Paul first uses the term parousia here in chapter two. He says that the church has become his crown of boasting, which he will present before the Lord Jesus “at his coming.” Paul invokes the very same imagery in his second letter to Timothy, when he says, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. [2 Timothy 4:8]

So Paul is expecting to receive his reward from the Lord “on that day” — the Day of the LORD and of His appearing.

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

The next time Paul uses the word parousia he provides more detail. He says that the coming of Jesus is “with all his saints” — or holy ones. The 2nd coming of Christ is often characterized by the heavenly host, dressed in white robes of righteousness, coming with Jesus to earth. [see Matthew 25:31, Jude 1:14-15, Revelation 19:11-16]

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The passage above has been branded as the “classic” rapture passage in all of Scripture, and while it certainly describes the catching up [Greek harpazó] and gathering of believers to meet Christ in the air, we interpret this event within the context of the passage. This “rapture” event is connected to the parousia — the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ [see 1 Thessalonians 4:15]. This is the visible, public, glorious return of Jesus Christ from heaven to earth with loud shouts from heaven and the sound of the trumpet of God.

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5

Staying consistent with the theme of his letter, Paul finishes by encouraging believers that the parousia — the coming Day of the Lord — will NOT take believers by surprise! As children of light and of the day, true believers will be ready in hopeful expectation and will be aware of the signs and seasons preceding the coming of the Lord.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Paul concludes his letter by reminding us that our complete redemption will take place “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” which includes our “bodies” to be resurrected on the last day at the end of the age.

Before we move to 2nd Thessalonians, let’s recap Paul’s teaching about the second coming.

1. Jesus is coming from heaven to earth.
2. Jesus is coming with his reward.
3. Jesus is coming with the saints.
4. Jesus is coming down visibly on the clouds.
5. Jesus is coming with loud shouts from heaven and the voice of the archangel.
6. Jesus is coming with the trumpet blast.
7. Jesus is coming to raise the righteous dead.
8. Jesus is coming to gather all believers who remain alive until His return.
9. Jesus is coming like a thief in the night to surprise those in darkness.
10. Jesus is coming to judge the wicked.

2 Thessalonians

Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica picks up right where it left off in his first letter, emphasizing the coming of the Lord Jesus and the Day of the LORD. We can begin to complete our list of details with Paul’s words.

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

Paul opens his letter by providing one of the most comprehensive accounts in all of Scripture of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says that God ultimately will grant relief to believers when “the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire!” No one can dispute that this is the second coming of Christ. He goes on to describe both the judgment of the wicked and the triumph of the saints “when he comes on that day.”

Up until now, Paul has been speaking about the same singular event when Christ comes in glory — the day of the Lord. This is the parousia — the very same coming that Jesus Himself predicted. The language only allows for one event, and Paul will drive the proverbial nail in the pre-tribulation coffin in the next chapter.

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

Once again, Paul wants the believers in Thessalonica to make sure there is no confusion concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus and the rapture of the church — “our being gathered together to him.” Paul is adamant that believers will not be deceived or surprised at the coming of the Lord because there are several clear signs that must take place before the day of the Lord and the rapture of the church.

Paul could not be more straightforward. He says, “for that day will not come, unless the rebellion (apostasy) comes first, and the man of lawlessness (Beast) is revealed.” The reason believers will not be deceived or surprised is because we will know that the Lord will not come until these two major signs take place. First there will be a great falling away from the faith in the last days and then son of destruction — aka the “antichrist” — will be revealed and will enter the temple to set up the abomination that causes desolation [see Matthew 24:15].

And if that weren’t enough, Paul ties a massive bow on his teaching about the 2nd coming of Christ by giving us the precise element of timing. That’s right. Paul tells us exactly when Jesus is coming back — speaking of the parousia.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

2 Thessalonians 2:8

Jesus Christ will destroy the lawless one — the son of destruction — how and when?

Jesus will kill the Beast with the “breath of his mouth” by the “appearance of HIS COMING!“

It could not be more clear. Paul builds His entire case of the singular event — called the coming of the Lord — and he provides as many possible details connected to this singular event to help believers understand the key elements of timing that accompany the return of Jesus and the day of the LORD.

The final detail Paul provides is the most telling. Jesus Christ will destroy the Beast when He comes on that Day in flaming fire with His mighty angels to be glorified in His saints!

Case closed! This happens at the end of the great tribulation, which means that there is no “pre-tribulation” or “mid-tribulation” rapture of the church. The rapture of the church coincides with the 2nd coming of Jesus, which is precisely when Jesus kills the antichrist by the breath of His mouth.

The book of Revelation describes this very even in more detail, which again supports the timing of the post-tribulation rapture of the saints during the 2nd coming of the Lord at the end of the age.

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. 20And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet 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 two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21And 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.

Revelation 19:19-21

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

[John 6:40]

Over the past few weeks, I have been examining the primary signs and events associated with the eschatological Day of the LORD. In this post, I will make the connection between the resurrection of the righteous — or the first resurrection — and the Day of the LORD.

Regardless of the variety of eschatological views that have emerged over time, traditionally there has been agreement concerning the final resurrection in both Jewish and Christian communities. The expectation of the Messianic age is one of glorious resurrection, final reckoning, ultimate redemption, and total restoration.

The Biblical connection to the Day of the LORD and the resurrection of the dead is undeniable. From beginning to end, the Biblical authors associate the resurrection of the dead with the end of days and the Messianic age to come.

The Testimony of Job

Job, being perhaps the oldest book in the Bible, provides one of the most foundational accounts of the final resurrection of the dead and even makes a connection with the final judgment [see Job 19:29].

“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
My heart faints within me!

[Job 19:25-27]

Job’s faith is fascinating. He knows that his future resurrection is only obtainable through the life of his Redeemer. Jesus affirms Himself as this Redeemer when He says, “Because I live, you will live also” [John 14:19].

Job also provides an element of timing, saying that his Redeemer will stand upon the earth “at the last,” which is a reference to the Day of the LORD. Job’s words most certainly were in view when the prophet Zechariah declared, “On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem” [Zechariah 14:4].

The Testimony of Isaiah

The prophet Isaiah also knew of this future resurrection and its connection to the Day of the LORD. Notice how Isaiah places the resurrection at the same time as the Day of Judgment, when the LORD returns from heaven to punish the nations.

“Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.
For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
and will no more cover its slain.”

[Isaiah 26:19-21]

The Testimony of Daniel

Daniel echoes both Job and Isaiah in his description of the final resurrection. Interestingly, his vision was to be “sealed” until the time of the end.

“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

[Daniel 12:1-4]

Daniel refers to the time of “great trouble” in the last days that precedes the return of Jesus and the Day of the LORD. Jesus quotes directly from Daniel in His Olivet Discourse when he refers to the unparalleled death and destruction during the “great tribulation.” Then Jesus describes His glorious return to earth, which includes the resurrection of the dead. [see also 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17]

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.“

[Mark 13:24-27]

The Testimony of Jesus

As the Jews were seeking to kill Jesus for “making Himself equal with God,” He affirmed His divine nature all the more by identifying Himself as the eschatological “Son of Man” and final Judge of resurrection. Again, the resurrection is always connected to the final judgment at the end of the age.

“Truly, truly, I say to 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 as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

[John 5:25-29]

In the 6th chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus emphasizes three times that the resurrection of the righteous takes place on “the last day.” [see John 6:39-40, 44] Every Jew in the audience would have unmistakably understood that Jesus was referring to the Day of the LORD and the end of the present age.

Upon hearing of the death of His friend Lazarus, Jesus and Martha have a powerful exchange that affirms the eschatological connection with the future resurrection.

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

[John 11:23-27]

By Martha affirming her faith in Jesus as the Son of God who is coming into the world, she was identifying Him as the Redeemer who would triumph over all God’s enemies and establish His kingdom on earth, ushering in the Messianic Age.

The Testimony of Paul

The Apostle Paul perhaps gives us the most comprehensive teaching on the resurrection and the Day of the LORD. Paul affirms that the righteous dead are raised when Jesus returns to earth at the end of the age as Judge and King. Paul affirms that our mortal bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God, therefore we must receive incorruptible, resurrected bodies to inherit God’s kingdom when Christ comes again. Paul also provides some details to Jesus’ own teaching about the resurrection connected to His return to earth.

I will begin with Paul’s famous chapter on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. Notice the elements timing he uses, such as the “end,” the “judgment,” the “last enemy,” and the “last trumpet.”

“For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

[1 Corinthians 15:21-26]

“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” 

[1 Corinthians 15:50-52]

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

[1 Thessalonians 4:13-18]

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”

[2 Thessalonians 2:1-4]

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

[Romans 8:22-23]

The Testimony of John

Finally we turn to the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, given to the Apostle John to put a bow tie on the resurrection as taking place in conjunction with the day of the LORD.

The way I interpret the book of Revelation is by making obvious connections throughout the book that describe the same event and then recast certain portions of the prophecy from those points of alignment. I believe that the book of Revelation is incomprehensible when read strictly in chronological order.

With that in mind, I believe the return of Jesus is described by at least 5 different passages [Revelation 6:12-17, 11:15-19, 14:14-20, 16:17-21, 19:11-21]. These are all parallel passages that describe the same event — Jesus return to earth to judge the nations at Armageddon. Obviously every detail of this event is not found in each passage. For example, Revelation 14 describes the great harvest of the earth, which uses the same language of God gathering His people during the resurrection, yet Revelation 19, which clearly depicts the coming of Jesus doesn’t explicitly mention the resurrection.

We must use the greater context of all of these passages to help us understand that this is the triumphant return of Jesus to earth on the clouds in power and glory at the end of the age to judge the nations and usher in His millennial kingdom.

Then in Revelation chapter 20, we are given clarity about the righteous who were raised at the return of Christ are the saints who will reign with Christ in His kingdom.

“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

[Revelation 20:4-6]

John’s vision then places the 1,000 year reign of Christ in between the first resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked unto judgment. “And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done” [Revelation 20:13]

All in all, once the whole counsel of Scripture is taken into consideration, it is evident that the resurrection of the righteous will take place on the last day when Christ returns from heaven to judge the nations and establish His kingdom on earth.

“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

[Revelation 1:7]

I love clouds. They can be both peaceful and ominous. Bright and Dark. Transparent and Dense. Calming and threatening. Clouds provide shade and rain. They bring storms and radiate the light of the sun. They keep us looking upward to heavens — where God resides.

Believe it or not, the Bible has so much to say about the clouds and the Day of the LORD. But first, let us discover how the Biblical authors speak about the purpose of the clouds and the very presence of God.

He Wraps Himself in Light

“Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

[Ezekiel 1:28]

How can human writers communicate about an Immortal, Invisible God? This is one of the great challenges of trying to convey heavenly concepts in earthly terms. The Biblical authors were limited to using human language to describe the divine.

Fortunately, God has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind within the context of the physical world and more specifically in the person of Jesus Christ, who is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” [Hebrews 1:3]. God the Son — Jesus — is the image of the invisible God, and therefore anytime the Biblical authors describe the LORD in physical form, Jesus is in view.

As we will see in a moment, Jesus is the central focus whenever the Bible refers to God coming in the clouds, or with the clouds, or riding on the clouds. All of these various descriptions convey the same idea — namely God’s visible presence and glory and power and majesty.

No one could ever survive the unsuppressed light of God’s glory. No mortal can see the face of God and live. As Paul says, God “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see” [1 Timothy 6:16], so when God so chooses to manifest Himself to mankind, He must veil His glory and suppress the radiance of His light.

This is where clouds come into the picture. Clouds are a covering for Almighty God and a canopy containing His glory.

“Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.”

[Job 22:14]

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;

[Psalm 104:1-3]

The LORD at Sinai

“The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.”

[Exodus 34:5]

It can be argued that the Exodus from Egypt is the most important theological event in the Old Testament, but also the Exodus and subsequent theophany at Mount Sinai provide the most comprehensive foreshadowing of the Day of the LORD.

The LORD poured out wrath on all of Egypt with 10 plagues and at the same time protected His people Israel in the midst of it all. The LORD led the procession of His redeemed marching through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. The LORD then gathered the entire camp at the base of Mount Sinai, revealing His glory in thunderings, lightning, fire, trumpets and an earthquake. Moses and all of Israel trembled in fear.

Then the LORD “came down” out of heaven in a cloud to Sinai — the manifestation of His physical presence on earth. The clouds provided God’s covering, protecting Moses and the people from certain death.

“Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.  Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.

[Exodus 24:15-17]

He is Coming on the Clouds

Now that it has been established that the clouds provide a visible covering for the glory of the LORD and a canopy to contain the brilliance of His light, it is easier to understand how the clouds are directly connected to the Day of the LORD — that final Day when the LORD returns to earth to wage war against the wicked.

The prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments are brimming with references to the clouds and the Day of the LORD.

Old Testament

Having already made reference of the theophany at Sinai, I would like to turn my attention to the wealth of other prophetic passages that describe God coming from heaven, visibly on the clouds in glory and judgment.

I would like to begin with a Psalm of David that is often overlooked as one of the most comprehensive Day of the LORD prophecies.

“In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

[Psalm 18:6-15]

Psalms 97 & 144 convey the very same message.

“Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around. His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.”

[Psalm 97:2-5]

“Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down!
Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
send out your arrows and rout them!”

[Psalm 144:5-6]

Daniel 7 is one of the most foundational Day of the LORD passages in the Old Testament. Daniel’s vision provides key details about the end-times kingdom of the Antichrist and how the Son of Man returns from heaven on the clouds to destroy the Beast and establish His everlasting kingdom on earth. In using the title Son of Man, Jesus was declaring Himself to be the One who will be coming on the clouds on that Day!

“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.”

[Daniel 7:13-14]

Almost every Old Testament prophet desires this final Day when the LORD visibly descends from heaven to the earth to take vengeance on the ungodly. Consider the testimony of the Biblical prophets.

“Behold, the storm of the LORD!
Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
The anger of the LORD will not turn back
until he has executed and accomplished
the intents of his heart.
In the latter days you will understand it clearly.”

[Jeremiah 23:19-20]

Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:

“Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’
For the day is near,
the day of the LORD is near;
it will be a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations.”

[Ezekiel 30:2-3]

“The great day of the LORD is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter;
the mighty man cries aloud there.
A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness.”

[Zephaniah 1:14-15]

“Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud
and comes to Egypt;
and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence,
and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.”

[Isaiah 19:1]

“For behold, the LORD will come in fire,
and his chariots like the whirlwind,
to render his anger in fury,
and his rebuke with flames of fire.
For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment,
and by his sword, with all flesh;
and those slain by the LORD shall be many.”

[Isaiah 66:15-16]

After a sampling from the Old Testament prophets, let us take a look at how the imagery of the clouds are used in the New Testament to connect the reader with the Day of the LORD and the final judgement.

New Testament

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

[Acts 1:9-11]

Jesus uses the very same cloud imagery to describe His return to earth in power and great glory. All three synoptic gospels contain His Olivet Discourse, so I will only share one here.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 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 he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

[Matthew 24:29-31]

The Apostle Paul echoes the words of Jesus in his epistles.

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

[1 Thessalonians 4:16-18]

Finally, I want to provide a sampling from the book of Revelation that collectively builds on the imagery of the clouds.

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “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?”

[Revelation 6:12-17]

Then 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 fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

[Revelation 14:14-16]

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The 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 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 winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

[Revelation 19:11-16]

He Marches forth in Judgment in a Whirlwind

I have one last thought concerning the LORD coming with the clouds in judgment. There are several passages that seem to imply that once the LORD comes down to earth, He will march forth in a cloud, or whirlwind, and lead His army on a deliberate campaign against His enemies.

This is what I consider to be the procession of the LORD on that Day when He marches against His enemies from Sinai to Jerusalem, striking down every wicked nation along the way.

I will spend more time on the judgment of the nations in a later post, but for now it appears that there is a possibility that the Lord Jesus will return with the clouds to the earth, and then He will commence to marching in a swift cloud as He takes vengeance on His enemies. The following passages appear to be drawing this distinction.

“Then the LORD will appear over them,
and his arrow will go forth like lightning;
the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet
and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.
The LORD of hosts will protect them,
and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones,
and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
and be full like a bowl,
drenched like the corners of the altar.”

[Zechariah 9:14-15]

“God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the LORD;
exult before him!”

[Psalm 68:1-3]

“The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
the LORD is avenging and wrathful;
the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries
and keeps wrath for his enemies.
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.”

[Nahum 1:2-3]

“But the multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust,
and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff.
And in an instant, suddenly,
you will be visited by the LORD of hosts
with thunder and with earthquake and great noise,
with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire.“

[Isaiah 29:5-6]