Every Eye Shall See
By Dennis Pollock
In the Book of Revelation, in the very first chapter, we read:
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7).
This single verse contains several important insights, but the main thought, without any doubt, is that Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth, and it will be no small event. This truth is affirmed in the New Testament again and again. Some people would suggest that the idea of the return of Jesus is a kind of "fringe doctrine," suited to weird people who have little going on in their lives and spend their days waiting for Jesus to come and take them away from all their troubles and miseries.
They suppose that serious, intelligent, and truly spiritual Christians will not and should not pay much attention to Jesus' return. They will be so busy praying, evangelizing, and making the world a better place that they will have neither the time nor the desire to eagerly watch for or hope for Jesus to come and take us away from here.
Wrong!
This idea could not be any further from the truth. The doctrine of the return of Jesus Christ is so central to the New Testament Scriptures, you wonder how anyone would have the audacity to either mock Jesus' return, ignore it, or suggest that it is of no importance to serious Christians. The two greatest proponents of Christ's return would be the Lord Jesus Himself and the apostle Paul. Jesus told His disciples: "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:2-3).
The apostle Paul, mighty evangelist, and brilliant teacher that he was, was not hesitant to announce the return of Jesus, writing:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
And in the Book of Revelation, we read: "Behold, He is coming with clouds…" Starting with the word, "Behold," John is telling us: "Pay attention: when Jesus comes back to earth it is going to be awesome!"
Even the Angels…
Even the angels preached the return of Jesus. After our Lord ascended to heaven, the disciples were lost in reverie at the dramatic event they had just witnessed, and somehow could not keep from staring into the sky, where they had last seen Jesus. Two angels, dressed in white told them that there was no point looking any longer, saying:
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. (Acts 1:11).
This idea that the doctrine of the return of Jesus is for simple people, foolish people, and those lacking gravitas, could not be more absurd. God says it repeatedly, through every writer of the New Testament, and through Jesus Himself. Jesus is coming back, and we should live like it could happen today. Jesus declared: "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming." (Matthew 24:42).
This doctrine is so plain, so frequent, and so unmistakable, there is no excuse for any pastor, any Bible teacher, any Christian podcaster, or even any Sunday School teacher not to ever teach it or mention it. And yet sadly, there are some churches you could attend for twenty years, and never hear a single mention of the return of Jesus.
Coming with Clouds
Let's get back to the verse where we began this study. The verse tells us that Jesus will come "with clouds." Why clouds? I cannot pretend to understand all that this means, but two thoughts come to mind. In the days of Moses, some clouds accompanied the manifestations of God in the Tabernacle. The clouds indicated that the God of glory was present and had something to say. Secondly, we find that Daniel prophesied that the Messiah would come with clouds, writing:
I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven! (Daniel 7:13).
Once again, we have the word "behold," and once again we have the idea of the Messiah coming with clouds. It will be a glorious Day when Jesus returns to this earth to take His place as its rightful ruler.
All Will See
The next part of the verse might confuse some, for we are told that "every eye shall see Him." Some might say, "Wait a minute! Isn't Jesus coming back to catch His people away, in an event we call the rapture? Isn't that a secret event, where those who are not taken will not see anything or be able to understand why some people are gone, and they are left behind? How can John say that every eye will see Him?
This gets a little complicated, but in the minds of many who study Bible prophecy, me included, the return of Jesus will likely occur in two parts.
You might call them "Jesus' Return part A" and "Jesus' Return, part B." We see the first stage of the return of our Lord as the event we call "the rapture." This is where Jesus draws His people into heaven to be with Him. Paul describes this with these words:
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Elsewhere, Jesus warns of terrible tribulation that will come on the earth in the last days, and says: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36).
But at this time, there is no indication that Jesus will return to this earth. Rather than Him coming down here, we will be going up – to be with our Lord. After that there appears to be a time of tribulation described in the Book of Revelation and by the Lord Jesus in the gospels. At this time there will be wars, calamities, and misery such as the world has never seen before. Jesus warns:
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22).
Time of Tribulation
In the Book of Revelation, we read of a horrific time of death and destruction, affecting the whole earth. John writes: "So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind." (Revelation 9:15). This speaks of death and destruction on a scale the world has never seen in its history.
At the Second Coming of Christ – Part B (as we understand it) Jesus comes back to the earth, puts an end to all the death and chaos, and rules over the earth. In the 19th chapter of Revelation John sees a vision of Jesus' return, as He comes as a Warrior on a white horse. John writes: "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron." (Revelation 19:15).
Paul describes this event in his second epistle to the Thessalonians:
…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8).
Zechariah prophesies: "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… And the LORD shall be King over all the earth." (Zechariah 14:4,9).
Like the Lightning
This momentous event will spell an end to the terrible evil that will engulf our world in the final days before Jesus returns. This time He will not be born in an obscure manger in Bethlehem – at this second appearance every eye shall see Him, and all the wicked, Christ-rejecting sinners will be gripped with a terrible fear, realizing that they have based their lives and opinions, values, and ideologies upon a lie. And thus, the Bible says: "All the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him."
It is at this Part B of Jesus' second coming that "every eye will see Him." It will not matter whether you live in North America, South America, Africa, Asia, or anywhere else, the coming of Jesus will be known and seen by all. Nobody will have to tell you that Jesus has returned. Jesus declares, "For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day." (Luke 17:24).
We have a great multitude of Biblical witnesses to the return of Jesus. Daniel and Zechariah wrote of this. Paul and Peter did as well. Even angels testified that this same Jesus who ascended into the heavens would one day return. And of course, our Lord Jesus assured His disciples again and again that his departure was only temporary, saying: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again…" (John 14:3). This incredible and momentous event is as sure as the sun rising in the morning. In God's perfect time, our Savior will return.
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