There are of course many other similar verses relating to the expected Messiah throughout the Old Testament, and particularly through the Book of Psalms.
So it was not a new concept that Jesus brought to his followers when he said that he would return again in the future. The disciples realised that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he had to return at a later date in order to fulfil the prophecies relating to the Messiah. Take, for instance, their question as recorded in Acts 1:6:
“So when they came together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? ‘ ”
Jesus did not deny that this was indeed to have a fulfilment. But he did provide a comment to their question.
“It is not for you to the times or the dates the Father has set by his own authority.”
On several occasions Jesus had inferred that he would come back at a future date. Take, for instance, his words in John 14. We read:
“I am going there [the Father’s house] to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back ”
So we see that the “What do we mean” of the topic under consideration is actually co-incident with the coming of the Jewish Messiah (Gk: “Christ”), for the “Messiah” will be Jesus Christ.
What then of the question, Why?
We are not left with much doubt in this respect. The writer to the Hebrews states:
” So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting. ” Hebrews. 9:28
To bring salvation to those who believe. Listen to the words of Jesus himself:
” For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. ” Matt 16:27
Again, from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians:
” The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ” 1 Thessalonians 4:16
Where?
If we ask where will be the scene of the Coming of Jesus Christ, we can refer back to the question asked by the disciples in Acts 1:6,
” So when they came together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? ‘ ”
They clearly expected Israel to be the centre of Jesus Christ’s attention. One of the reasons for this is to be found in a quotation provided in the Old Testament by the prophet Zechariah. Now Zechariah was one who had the task of encouraging the exiles who returned to Israel after the Babylonian captivity. He wrote:
“ Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley … ” Zechariah 14:3,4
Obviously referring to the coming of the Jewish Messiah, and remaining unfulfilled still in our present day, there lies a future fulfilment of this very specific prophecy. And it ties in so well with Acts 1:11 considered earlier, which covered the words of Jesus saying that, at some future day, people would see him arrive in the same way as they had seen him go. He was at that time standing on the Mount of Olives, as verse 12 of the first chapter of Acts indicates.
He will arrive at Jerusalem, since it was prophesied in ancient times that it was to be the city of the Great King. (Psalm 48:2; Matthew 5:35) His return is very much centred on the newly re-established nation of Israel. At the Last Supper, Jesus said to his disciples,
” You are those that have stood by me in my trials. And I confer upon you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ” Luke 22:28-30
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