The Coming King - Walter Martin

As far back as the Book of Genesis, when man first fell into sin, God had provided a Redeemer. Scripture says in Genesis 3 that the "seed of the woman" would crush the serpent's head.

Now, we know that the serpent symbolized Satan (see Rev. 12:9). And we know that the "seed of the woman" is a reference to the coming Messiah. This Messiah was to come through the royal line of David (2 Sam. 7:14-16). In direct fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus was indeed born of a woman (Gal. 4:4) from the line of David (Matt. 1:1; 2:1).

Now, the early Jewish theologians in the time of our Lord had a great deal of difficulty in understanding Jesus' messianic office. The reason for this is that they were schooled to believe that the Messiah would come in the clouds of heaven to crush the earthly governments under His feet and establish Israel as the ruling nation of the world. Therefore, when the Lord Jesus came, presenting Himself as the Savior and as the sacrifice for sin, they could not accept Him.

We must clearly understand that Christ's role in Scripture is twofold. He is both the suffering servant and He is the coming King. In Isaiah 53 we have recorded for us a prophecy concerning the coming of Jesus Christ in His first advent:

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa. 53:3-6).

Clearly, then, Christ came the first time to suffer humiliation -- despised and rejected among men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. But Christ is coming a second time as King. He who bore the sorrows of the world and who cried out in agony on the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do," will one day come again in great glory and majesty.

In his great portrayal in the Book of Revelation, John the Apostle reminds us of this second aspect of the Lord Jesus Christ's coming in terms of great, glowing beauty:

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron sceptre." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Rev. 19:11-16).

The Scriptures point out -- in terms which few can fail to understand -- that time does have an end; that God will intervene in the world of men; that God has a destiny for those who are willing to trust and believe in Him; and that the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of humanity will judge the world and sift the sons of men.

For believers there is a glorious destiny ahead. Scripture portrays it this way: "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendour into it" (Rev. 21:22-24).

Oh what a wonderful testimony this is to the sovereignty of the God of all creation, who alone can say, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son" (Rev. 21:6-7).

Let us with confidence exult in what God will do for believers in the eternal state: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true'" (Rev. 21:4-5).

Let us with great confidence "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:2).

Let us place our faith and our trust in Him, who alone could say: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

And let us peer through the darkness of the future in the searchlight of God's Word, knowing certainly that "one day, one golden daybreak, Jesus will come; One golden daybreak, battles all won. He will shout the victory, He will break through the blue; One golden daybreak, for me and for you."

A special note of thanks to Bob and Pat Hunter for their help in the preparation of this ASCII file for BBS circulation.

Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute