Imagine crouching down along the battle line at the Valley of Elah. Eliab and Abinadab are just down the line attempting to put on a brave face. Shammah, however, has shrunk to the ground, his knees knocking in terror. And it is no wonder, because out in the valley below a monster of a man awaits. With a soul as black as his teeth, Goliath is spewing out blasphemous words. His cold threats promise suffering, enslavement and subjugation. His vile proclamations produce doubts that penetrate to the heart. Would the Lord allow His people to be so destroyed by the Philistines? Then a small figure, undeterred and unashamed, walks forward to vanquish the oppressor. On that day, one stone from David’s sling vanquished the giant of gloom and turned the dread of defeat into the exultation of deliverance. In a future day, just the touch of the foot of the True King upon this earth will end all battles and transform our world. The horizon of the Lord and King upon the mountaintop is a thought that thrills our souls with joyous victory!
The angels declared the reality of that future day: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Act 1:11).1 If you have been reading along through this series of articles, then you have considered with me the glory and power of His return through the heavens. But as the scene reaches terra firma, let us contemplate the ruin it will bring to His enemies, the rescue of His people, and the renewal of the earth. Indeed, the Lion of the tribe of Judah will roar!
The prophet Joel foretold the arrival of the Lord to the battlefield: “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. … Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision” (3:12,14). The description of the Lord on the battlefield is one of great power and violence. Isaiah states, “Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength? – ‘I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save’” (63:1). Truly, the battle belongs to the Lord!
The return of the Lord to the earth will bring both ruin and redemption. Isaiah captures this dichotomy: “For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come” (63:4). In my mind I have pictured the Lord descending slowly upon the Mount of Olives. Yet it has been suggested that He will deal with the vast throng of enemy armies surrounding Israel as He approaches Jerusalem. Imagine David running forth to defend the honor of Israel, and now imagine the Great King running to deliver His people. Perhaps He will run, maybe He will ride, but there is no doubt that He will rush to the rescue of His people. The late Mr. Jim Allen captured the reality very succinctly in his masterpiece Revelation Revisited: “The armies gathered around Jerusalem are but as the grapes in the winepress that Christ is about to trample upon as He steps to the throne.”
Amidst the destruction of His enemies, consider the deliverance of Israel: “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley” (Zec 14:3-5). The same Lord who parted the sea and made it stand up like stone will part the stone as if it were water. The day of deliverance will be unmistakable to Israel and they will run to receive their Messiah.
His ascension to the throne will signify the renewal of the world. In our time, wars leave power vacuums and decades of recovery. In His day, the blessing will be immediate. The changes in topography highlight the healing of humanity. Isaiah 2 states that Jerusalem will be elevated as the highest mountain. In that same way, all that is right will be given its proper place in society. Ezekiel 47 foretells a flood of healing water flowing from the temple to bring the Dead Sea back to life. Similarly, the truth and justice that flow from His reign will cause this world to burst forth with vibrant life. Imagine a world with no war, no drug crisis, no hunger, no pandemics and no human trafficking. Indeed, this battle will usher in great blessing.
Samuel Trevor Francis began his hymn with these famous words, “I am waiting for the dawning of that bright and glorious day, when the darksome night of sorrow shall have vanished far away.” Perhaps he had the Rapture in view, but as we consider the horizons of Christ’s Second Advent, we can echo those hopeful lines. As Francis penned in the closing of his hymn, “I can almost hear Christ’s footfall on the threshold of the door, and my heart, my heart is longing to be with Him evermore.” On that great day, we will be with Him and will witness these events by His side. Today, we look up and consider the horizons of His return and say, “Maranatha, even so come Lord Jesus.”
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the NKJV.
