Many folks have used Revelation 1:7 to say that Jesus’ Second Coming has not yet occurred. After all, if every eye would see the Lord, coming on a lily white, cumulus cloud when he returns, and, given the fact that no one has reported seeing such a news worthy event up to this present day, then surely we must still look for Jesus’ Second Coming in the future. Personally, I think it is high time we stop shooting from the hip with the word of God and take the time to investigate what the text really says. Do you really believe you are able to interpret Jesus’ coming by understanding Biblical language in a 21st century context? We need to consider the fact that the whole Bible, that is, the first and second covenants, were written by Jews and for Jews, using a Jewish manner of speaking. In other words, we need to acquaint ourselves with the Jewish culture of the day, and take advantage of the Greek lexicons and other scholarly writings about the Bible available to us today.
First of all, we need to realize that where we place the date of the writing of the Apocalypse in the first century has an intense eschatological consequence, as far as our ability to understand the truth contained in this book is concerned. For example, if we have the wrong date of the writing, how could we know who Babylon or the Harlot are? Who is the Beast and the False Prophet, if we place the date of the writing of the Apocalypse **after** their judgment? A false dating of this book dooms the Bible student to accept a false interpretation of the things he reads in this marvelous prophecy.
As I mentioned above, John tells us that Jesus is coming and “every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7). Context is very, very important at this point. Is John speaking of every eye in a global sense, or is he speaking of every eye in a local sense? Well, verse-7 tells us that “those who pierced Him; (would see him) and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him” (NASB). In other words, the Jews of the first century AD are the **they** who would see him! Obviously, this has to do with the judgment of those who were responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion. The Apocalypse is all about the judgment of those responsible for Jesus’ death and that of his disciples and Apostles, and their “eyes would see Him; and all the tribes of the earth (meaning the land of the Jews or Israel) will mourn over Him” (because he is the coming Judge). Obviously, the parenthesis are mine in that excerpt.
Notice what we are told in one of the Gospel narratives:
When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:24-25 NASB)
“All the people” in the text refers to the Jewish authorities, but do you see what they are saying? They are admitting to the blood guilt of Jesus. These are those whose eyes would see Him (Revelation 1:7). There’s really no room for debate here. Three times Pilate tried to release Jesus, but he was prevented by the Jewish authorities and a threat of a riot by close to a million or more Jews, if we can believe Josephus’ account of how many Jews were celebrating the Passover in 66 AD, and how much difference would there be thirty some years earlier?
Finally and concerning “every eye shall see Him,” Jesus claimed in Matthew 16:27-28 that he would come to vindicate the deaths of his disciples and their reward would be with him. This is not only speaking of the judgment, but also the resurrection of the saints, because one cannot separate those events from the coming of the Lord. Moreover, Jesus said all this would occur in the expected lifetimes of his disciples (Matthew 16:28; 23:34-36; compare Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62). Did they see him (Revelation 1:7), certainly not physically, but they saw his judgment coming in the war with Rome cir. 66-70 AD, just as Pharaoh, hundreds of years earlier, saw his judgment coming from the Lord in the person of the Assyrian king (Isaiah 19:1).
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30 responses to “Every Eye Will See Him”
>Did they see him (Revelation 1:7), certainly not physically, but they saw his judgment coming in the war with Rome cir. 66-70 AD, just as Pharaoh, hundreds of years earlier, saw his judgment coming from the Lord in the person of the Assyrian king (Isaiah 19:1).
Yes! Daniel 7 is symbolic not literal—what happens among the beasts and the son of man represents what happens among the pagan kings and the “saints of the most high” on earth. The coming of the Son of Man to the judgement throne symbolizes a moment in time when the pagan kings will be defeated and God’s people will be given their authority over the earth.
Greetings Alex, and thank you for reading my studies and especially for your comment. Lord bless you.
Okay, but what proof would you offer that this is so? I find nothing in the word of God, nothing in the parables of Jesus that we should look for such a thing. Rather, I see multiple warnings of the Judgment of Jerusalem, the Temple and the nation of the Jews, but nothing that would show me that the Lord wished to take away the reigns of government from the nations.
Concerning our being given authority over the earth, we have it. We have the privilege of preaching the Gospel to the world and bringing the nations into submission to Christ. This is what the Jews failed to do under the Old Covenant, but no generation of believers have failed to be obedient to this command throughout our history. When the Jews’ nation was destroyed in 70 AD, that ended the Old Covenant, and that also established the New Covenant. In effect the world was told that the Jews no longer represented the Lord. Rather, he is represented in and by the Church of Christ. This is the **authority** which we have been given. It isn’t physical authority, we don’t **physically** rule anyone. It is **spiritual** authority. Physical authority failed, and we see that in the destruction of the Old Covenant and the Jew’s nation. Spiritual authority was given to the Church and that was established with the New Covenant cir. 70 AD. Certainly, it was initiated at Pentecost, but the Jewish authorities took issue with apostolic authority, and that controversy wasn’t fully consummated until the Jews were taken out of the way cir. 70 AD.
Thanks again for reading, Alex, and my the Lord bless you as you consider these things.
Psalm 2 awaits God’s king who will subdue the nations and take them as his inheritance. Using this psalm, Jesus promises his followers authority over the nations in Revelation 2. Paul says Christians will judge not only the angels but also the world and Jesus says after “Babylon” has fallen he will rule the nations with his followers for a thousand years. In the Benedictus Zechariah sees that the Messiah’s coming will mean that the faithful will be given “rest from their enemies so that they might serve God in peace.” In the parable of the Minas the followers of Jesus are given authority over “cities” at his return.
So if the judgement on Israel in AD 70 is a physical event, why should we conclude that the kingdom of God and the judgement of the nations is a spiritual one?
Greetings Alex, and thank you for your reply to my earlier post to you.
In Acts Peter and John saw the fulfillment of Psalm 2 in the Jews’ and Pilate’s and Herod’s judgment of Jesus. They gathered themselves, as representatives of the world that then existed, against the Son of God (Acts 4:25-27). He gained victory over them in that he was able to turn back their judgment of him by rising from the dead. He made an open show of them, in that they had no power over him. If Peter and John, saw Psalm 2 fulfilled in the first century AD, by what authority do you believe it is yet to be fulfilled?
Concerning Revelation 2:26, I am uncertain as to what you believe this means. Are you looking for political power? If so, it is not promised to you here. This promise has to do with establishing the Second Covenant with the Church. In other words we are the power through which the word of God comes to the nations. Up until 70 AD that power was given to the Jewish nation, but in the Lord’s judgment upon them, he took that authority away from them and gave it to a ‘nation’ producing the fruits, namely the Church. The Second Covenant was established cir. 70 AD with the destruction of “Babylon” (Jerusalem).
The judgment of Jerusalem was both a physical and a spiritual event. It was a physical nation, and the Lord returned and judged her through Rome. It was spiritual, as well, because Jerusalem was endowed with authority to be a priest to the nations, i.e. be the representative of the Lord to the world (Exodus 19:6). We, the Church, are not a physical entity. You cannot point to us and say: “There is the Church!” Certainly, we are physical people, but we have no central government. We have no national capital or national leader (other than Christ), and we have no Laws or Constitution that define us. We are scattered among the nations of this world, but we are all endowed with authority from heaven to be a light wherever we are and point folks to Christ. No one has that authority except us (Revelation 1:6; see my study John’s Testimony Regarding Jesus).
Once again, thank you Alex for your wiliness to participate in this discussion with me. Lord bless you, and may you be guided by him into all truth.
I think the answer to Alex’s question “So if the judgement on Israel in AD 70 is a physical event, why should we conclude that the kingdom of God and the judgement of the nations is a spiritual one?” is the same answer Jesus gave to Pilate and others who questioned Jesus about His Kingdom: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36). If it was true then are we right to believe it isn’t true in our day and at His 2nd Coming?
We assume as the Jews did at His first coming that the Savior will set up a political kingdom on this Earth and over throw the human power mongers who reign over us. But does any scripture really say that is true? Or do we like first century Jews rather wish it to be true?