Believe it or don’t, Jesus Christ is coming again.  Let that sink in.  Like it or not, He is returning.  Regardless of whether you expect it to happen, it will.  It’s a fact, not a fantasy—a truism, not a belief or a wish or even a fear.  It’s just reality.

Oh, you can argue, you can protest, you can swaddle yourself in great swirling clouds of self-delusion and denial—but only until His arrival.  This date with destiny is on its way.  It is on schedule.  It is roaring toward us at full speed, and there is no stopping it now.  So, buckle up.  Rig for collision.  Brace for impact.

The triumphal return of Jesus Christ to this earth is utterly unavoidable.  It is inescapable.  Be you joyfully anticipating His second advent or laughing out loud at the very idea, Jesus is coming again.  Soon.  With respect to the Jewish people, the Bible is very specific about the reception that He will receive.  It is not a moment for celebration, but mourning:

¹ “The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.  ² Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:1-2).

With Jerusalem under siege, and God’s people on the brink of annihilation, Jesus, the rejected Messiah and Deliverer, comes to defend and to save: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9).

Even as He protects the remnant of the Jewish people, the Holy Spirit is poured out on them and Jesus is finally recognized as their one true Savior of body and soul:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced…” [a clear reference to Christ’s crucifixion], with the result that, “…they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).

This mourning begins at Jerusalem, and extends throughout the land of Israel:

“In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.  And the land shall mourn, every family apart…All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart” (Zechariah 12:11-12, 14).

What is behind the mourning, at a time when the long-awaited Messiah has at last been “found” and almighty God has intervened to rescue His people and free Jerusalem?  The prophet makes clear that it is godly sorrow, the kind that leads to repentance, faith, and forgiveness.  The remorse is profound [“great” v. 11].  The weeping is “bitter,” likened to the grief experienced when a firstborn child dies.  There is no earthly consolation, so the Messiah Himself graciously comforts and reassures—He whose name has been despised and a curse…until now.

The heartbreak over ‘what might have been’ is massive, the nature and extent of the lost opportunities incalculable.  Then, there is the gut-wrenching regret for the generational sufferings that may have been avoided—the bloodshed, the diaspora, the persecutions, the pogroms, the Holocaust, the terrorism, and the genocides.  To think that they could have been enjoying the promised kingdom instead, under the lordship of their Redeemer…it is overwhelming—too much to bear, by far.

Yet, how inexpressible their joy, when they learn that God has neither abandoned nor replaced them, has not cast them aside, but is faithful to His promises and gracious to all who put their trust in Jesus, God’s provision for sin and the door to righteousness!

But the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will not, I suspect, be the only mourners on hand when (not if) Jesus Christ returns to rule and reign.  Who will these mourners be, and what will be the cause of their sorrow?

Those at the top of the world order – The day when Jesus Christ returns, will be the last day that corrupt so-called elites will be in charge.  Whether the source of their influence and authority is financial, political, social, religious, etc. the lifestyles of the rich and famous are due for a complete inversion.  Those at the pinnacle of the pyramid will find themselves at the bottom.  Their reactions will be very much like those described in prophecy concerning the destruction of a city and system the Bible calls Babylon (Revelation 18:11-13, 15-19):

“¹¹ And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: ¹² The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, ¹³ And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

¹⁵ The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, ¹⁶ And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!  ¹⁷ For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, ¹⁸ And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!  ¹⁹ And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.”

Those employed in illicit operations – All criminal enterprises (as defined by God’s law, not man’s) will cease.  Say goodbye to drug trafficking, human trafficking, pornography, prostitution, gambling, organized crime, abortion, and every kind of vice.  Tears will be shed when there is no one left to buy their merchandise and because judgment and punishment await.

Those in certain occupations – Whole industries and institutions will have no function in Christ’s administration, like the military, intelligence services, political parties, legislatures and parliaments, media conglomerates, public relations firms, entertainment companies (and the “celebrities” they serve), “big tech,” high fashion, liquor stores, bars, and so on.

Those who persecute Christians and Jews – Expect big “Going Out of Business” signs, as political prisons, gulags, and concentration camps are emptied out.  The end of the line for oppressors and anti-Semites will assuredly cause the former perpetrators to mourn (but the world will rejoice).

Those who spent a lifetime pursuing religion rather than relationship with Christ – Tears will flow as they realize that they do not know Christ and that He does not know them.  They will wail and lament their choice to reject the pardon Jesus died to give them, in favor of their own efforts to get “good enough” for God.

Those who love their sin more than they love Jesus – They will mourn for themselves as they realize that the trade-off was not worth it.  They forfeited heaven (everlasting life in the very presence of God) for temporary self-gratification, and will receive hell (a Christless eternity in the Lake of Fire).

This list is not all-inclusive.  I could go on, but these few illustrations should suffice to make the point—it is already past time to GET ready to meet Jesus.  It is time to BE ready.  But as late as it is, it is not too late to come to Christ.  But my friend, please don’t wait to come to Jesus until HE comes to YOU.

HOW TO BE SAVED:

• Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
• Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead.
• Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
• Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
• Trust His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31)