The Return of the King - Part 3

Christ Covenant Church

One of the biggest challenges to determining the proper chronology of those events relevant to Jesus’ return is deciding which portions of prophecy were fulfilled in the past (original audience relevant), have yet to be fulfilled (future audience relevant), and which portions will experience dual fulfillment (original and future audience relevant) (e.g., Isa 7:10-16 w/8:1-4 w/Isa 9:6-7; Isa 7:14)[1].

In this respect, the chronological order presented in this study assumes the following in relation to those NT prophecies most relevant to our subject (the return of Christ): 1) the book of Revelation = None of Revelation will experience dual fulfillment and the majority has already been fulfilled (1:1-20:8a). Only a small portion remains yet to be fulfilled (Rev 20:8a-22:21). 2) Jesus’ Olivet Discourse = The majority of the Discourse will experience dual fulfillment (Mat 24:4-14, 23-51). Only a small portion was fulfilled in the past (Mat 24:15-22). 3) Paul’s prophetic words to the Thessalonians = Some has yet to be fulfilled (1Th 4:13-18, 5:1-3; 2Th 1:7-10) and some will experience dual fulfillment (2Th 2:1-12).

Chronology of Fulfillment:

1. Jesus made His first return in 70 AD to bring judgment against OC Israel through the destruction of her holy city and temple.

1.1. This largely is the focus of John’s vision from the post-death/resurrected/ascended Jesus in the book of Revelation. Its scary – or otherworldly imagery realized through the breaking of seals, sounding of trumpets and pouring out of bowls is meant to depict the historical events surrounding and leading up to the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem and her Temple by the Roman general Titus and his armies.[2]

1.2. As its content makes clear, this destruction represents the finalization of His divorce to OC Israel – His unfaithful wife, leading to the confirmation of His marriage to his newly betrothed (and faithful) bride, NC Israel (i.e., the church). (Rev 5:1-10):

1) What is the “book” (or scroll) in the “right hand” of God the Father (“Him who sat on the throne”) “sealed up with seven seals?” A get mekushar, the special seven-sealed marriage license used by priests under the OC. In this specific case, the marriage license used by Jesus the divine Priest, in His marriage to OC Israel at Mt. Sinai (Exo 19-24 w/Jud 1:5; Exo 24:7 “the book of the covenant” = the marriage covenant document)[3].

2) How are we to understand the “strong angel[’s]” request for one “who is worthy to “open the book [or] break its seals?” As a summons for divorce. Somebody has filed a petition with the heavenly courts requesting divorce from OC Israel. For proceedings to begin, that person must not only make themselves known, but bring the proper evidence necessary for their request to be granted (i.e., they must possess grounds to make them “worthy” to receive a divorce; Mal 2:14-16 = God hates/does not approve of His priests divorcing for illegitimate reasons).

3) Why is John crying over no one being found “worthy?” Because the confirmation of Jesus’ marriage to NC Israel (the church) and the kingdom power promised to her (v10; Mat 21:43) cannot happen until the divorce to OC Israel is finalized (until all seven seals are broken).

4) What makes Jesus (“the Lion from the tribe of Judah” and “Root of David”= The Christ) the “worthy” candidate (i.e., the One able to make a valid case for divorce)? = Not simply His role as Husband, but His position as the offended spouse. Hence why He is pictured also as the “Lamb…as if slain.” His death - though necessary for purchasing the new people of God (v9), was the result of OC Israel’s marital unfaithfulness. She murdered Him to keep playing the “harlot” with the world (Rev 19:1-7) “harlot” [Grk., porne’- Mat 5:32] = OC Israel; “bride” and “saints” = NC Israel/the church. That the church has already shown herself to be faithful is attested to in (v8). The basis for the church being viewed as already faithful to Christ are the many martyrs who remained sexually pure and obedient even though it cost them their lives (Rev 6:9-; 12:17, 13:7, 14:1-4, 20:4).

1.3. Why does Jesus’ divorce from OC Israel also include her destruction? Why does the breaking of the seven seals deliver a seven-fold judgment? IOW: Why does Israel experience both divorce and death as punishment for her adultery? B/C when Jesus wrote the marriage contract, He included the prenuptial promise of a seven-fold vengeance if Israel was found to be unfaithful ([Lev 26:18, 21, 24, 28] w/Luk 21:22).

1.4. That John’s 70 AD vision should be viewed as Jesus’ first return is supported by Jesus’ words at the beginning and the end of the book’s prophecy (Rev 1:1-7 and 22:10-12).

1.5. With respect to the destruction of Jerusalem, this too becomes abundantly obvious once we consider the identity of the prophecy’s primary target in judgment:

1) (Rev 1:7, 11:15-18) “earth” = Land, as in the land of Israel.[4]

2) (Rev 11:1-2) “holy city” “forty two months” w/8 “great city (16:17-19, 18:20-24)…where also our Lord was crucified” = Jerusalem.

1.6. During His earthly ministry (i.e., before His death), Jesus likewise prophesied that such destruction would be the result of Israel’s rejection of Him (Mat 23:37-39) = Though Jesus indicates there will be a change of fortune in the future (v39, think Rom 11:26-27), the coming state of things will not be good (v38, “Behold your house is being left to you desolate”). By house Jesus means both the Temple and the city in which she dwells (Jerusalem) as confirmed by what follows in chapter 24 and its parallel account in Luke:

1) (24:1-3) = Jesus is asked two (not three) questions, one in relation to His return to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple and the other in relation to His final return at the end of the age (Literally, “tell us when these things will happen [i.e., the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple], and what will be the sign of Your coming at the end of the age?”). Jesus answers the first question -or the question related to Jerusalem’s destruction in (24:15-22) = In fulfillment of Daniel 9:26-27 (“the people of the prince to come will destroy the city and sanctuary… And on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction.”), Josephus (Wars) records that after setting the Temple on fire, Titus (the “prince to come” and son of the current Caesar, Vespasian), led his men into its inner sanctuary, defiling it by their presence and the dead bodies they stacked upon its outer altars (i.e., they committed “the abomination of “desolation” [same word as Mat 23:38]).

2) (Luk 21:20-24) = Notice that Luke’s versions not only repeat many of the specifics found in Matthew’s version but applies the act of “desolation” to the city itself (21:20, “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near”). Notice also, Jesus’ promise that Jerusalem would remain “trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (21:24) - another important indicator that what the future holds for Jerusalem and the Jews is a major change of fortune (Rom 11:25 [“until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”] w/26-27).

1.7. Though Jesus’ return in 70 AD was not in the manner we commonly think of - i.e., He returned spiritually not physically (as He will at the end of history), He did nonetheless return in the manner most common throughout history. Jesus’ spiritual visitation to earth for the purpose of judgment – most specifically judgment against sinful cities or nations (including His own) has occurred multiple times (e.g., Gen 19:24 = Notice two distinct/separate Yawehs are mentioned; One [God the Father] providing the fire for the Other [Jesus] to destroy the city [this has always been the job of Jesus - Mat 3:13; 2Th 1:7-8]; Isa 19:1 [similar words to Rev 1:7]). Also common is the use of other nations as His war-hammer when carrying out His judgments (e.g., Assyria against Israel - Isa 10:5-6, Babylon against Judah and other nations – Isa 13:1-5).

1.8. Lastly, it should mentioned that viewing 70 AD as Jesus’ first return helps us to understand why also the other NT authors can speak about Jesus’ return as something their 1st century audience needed to prepare for (e.g., Act 2:17-24 w/33-40 [“perverse generation” = a generation fully corrupted and therefore ripe for a near-future judgment – e.g., Gen 6:12-13; Gen 15:16 w/1Th 2:16]; 1Th 5:1-6; Jam 5:7-9; 1Pe 4:7).

1.9. POINT (then) NOT TO MISS: What took place with respect to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans was more than just another tragic event in the history of the Jews. It was the result of divine intervention, of Jesus’ first return to earth since His ascension to heaven, a return for the purpose of carrying out the promised vengeful justice against His wife turned enemy, OC Israel (Act 2:34-36; Luk 19:43-44).

[1] Those principles used in the decision would include:

1) Know the difference between standard prophecy and visions (or vision-prophecy) (Rev 1:3 w/10-11; Rev 22:7-10) which tend not to experience multiple fulfillments (e.g., Dan 2:31-45).

3) Identify parallels as a means to confirm what will not experience dual fulfillment (Rev 1:7 [all the tribes “even those who pierced Him” compared to Mat 24:30 [all the tribes of the earth not limited to “those who pierced Him” – i.e. no mention of this phrase]; Dan 7:1-28 [v7-28] = Rev 1:1-20:6; Eze 40-48 = Rev 21-22; Eze 25-35 [1st destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians: Judgment against Israel and the Gentile nations who helped Babylon in her conquest of Israel] = Zep 1-3).

3) Use visions to determine which portions of standard prophecy will not experience dual fulfillment (e.g., Rev 5-19 [70 AD] = Mat 24:15-22; Mar 13:14-20; Luk 21:20-24a).

4) Discern which portions of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic tradition (uninspired revelation) are valid based on their agreement with Scripture (inspired revelation) (e.g., Jud 1:4-5).

5) Use non-prophetic Scripture and uninspired testimony to determine what portion of prophecy is to be viewed as literal or non-literal (e.g. For “forty two months” the Beast is given authority to make war w/Christians and overcome them [Rev 13:5-7] and the nations will tread under foot the holy city [Rev 11:2] = Per Josephus this represents the exact length of time of the Neronic persecution [Nov 64-Jun 68 AD] and the Jewish war [Mar 67- Aug 70 AD]).

[2] See Josephus (Wars) and Tacitus (Annals) for more details on the persons and particulars of these events which happened exactly forty years after Jesus’ death in 30 AD. For the support and significance of this timeframe see the sermon, When Did Jesus Die?[2]

[3] “Rabbinic Judaism…speaks of the Mount Sinai covenant as being Israel’s ‘Day of Espousal,’ with the Shekinah cloud’s descent upon the tabernacle portraying the marital consummation. Rabbis extolled the conclusion of the [old] covenant at Sinai as the marriage of Yaweh with Israel. Her marital ‘I do’ appears in her vocal commitment ‘All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do (Exo 24:3)…Thus… this judgment scroll is a divorce decree against [Christ’s] unfaithful wife, Israel. Revelation shows [Christ] issuing a divorce decree against his harlot-wife in a dramatic heavenly court-room setting before taking a new bride, the ‘new Jerusalem,’ the Church.” – Kenneth Gentry (Navigating The Book Of Revelation)

[4] “The unrelenting testimony of Scripture blames Israel for Christ’s death (e.g., Act 2:23, 5:30, 7:52, 10:39, 13:13-15). So then, Revelation 1:7 promises judgment upon ‘those who pierced Him.’ The events of 70 A.D. present us with the most perfect, relevant and compelling fit. But there is more! The reader must understand that the Greek word translated ‘earth’ (ge) can also be translated ‘land.’ In fact, it often refers to the ‘land of Israel.’ When we note that this ‘land’ contains ‘tribes’ we move even closer to the proper translation. The Greek word for ‘tribe’ is phule’ which in Scripture most frequently refers to the Jewish tribes.” – Kenneth Gentry (The Book of Revelation Made Easy)