PTNews
December 2016
Have a blessed Christmas!
Published 10 times annually
All Bible references are from the KJV
(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)
P.O. Box 13006, Roanoke, VA 24030-3006
The Awesome Return of Christ
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: … and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30
By Mike Wingfield
The earth and its inhabitants are moving toward the climax of human history on this little planet nestled in the millions of galaxies of God’s creation. From the dawn of creation, the world has been uniquely prepared by God for the greatest single event in His eternal plan – the Revelation of His eternal Son, Jesus Christ. Nothing in all of human history will ever surpass the awesome and powerful display of the majesty of God when our Lord descends from the heavens in His revelation at the end of the deadly Tribulation Period. It will be an encounter that will surpass all events people on this planet have ever experienced. They will see it, hear it, and feel it!
How tragic that most of Christendom does not believe the book of Revelation is relevant! This shows how out of touch most of Christianity is with God and His divine revelation! The ministry of the church is not about us! The focus is not upon the church as the bride of Christ. The real focus of the New Testament is about Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom of the church. Tragically, most pastors and churches are consumed with church programs and measuring their success in terms of the world. Consequently, they have lost the glory of a ministry that exclusively and passionately worships and serves Jesus!
By God’s eternal design, the last book of His written revelation is named after its opening words: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 1:1) The Greek word that is translated “revelation” means “unveiling.” This book pulls back the curtain and shows the final climatic events that will be orchestrated in heaven by Jesus Christ for seven years to prepare the inhabitants of earth to witness the physical unveiling of the holy, awesome, and infinite glory, majesty, and power of God.
Speaking 2,700 years ago through Isaiah, the ancient prophet of Israel, the Holy Spirit gave the following cry of the human spirit that calls for God to come down to man on earth: “Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence. As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence. … For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” (Isaiah 64:1-2, 4) download the .pdf file 
In this article, I am not writing about the Rapture of the church, which is the first phase of the Second Coming of Christ. Instead, I want you to join me in our consideration of the revelation of Christ that will take place at the end of the Tribulation Period. This will be the climax of God’s work in this age.
Jesus described this event to His Jewish disciples as He answered their question about the sign of His coming at the end of this age. (Matthew 24:3) He said: “For as the lightening cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. … Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:27, 29-30)
When the last day of the end of this age, the Tribulation Period, comes, the Revelation of Christ will immediately be preceded by three supernatural phenomena. Before Jesus descends from heaven, these three phenomena will capture the attention of the entire population of earth.
Supernatural Phenomenon #1
The Climax of Global Darkness
Before Jesus descends to planet earth, He will shut off all of the celestial lights (sun, moon, and stars) so that the world will be in total darkness. In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus said, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, …” (Matthew 24:29) Speaking of this period of time, Revelation 16:10 states: “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast [Antichrist]; and his kingdom was full of darkness: and they gnawed their tongues for pain.” Many other Scriptures describe the final days of the Tribulation Period as days of darkness. (Psalm 18:11; Joel 3:15; Zephaniah 1:15)
A study of the book of Revelation with a view to its progressive chronology gives insight into how the Lord will gradually cloak the world with darkness. Near the beginning of the Tribulation, the earth will suffer massive global earthquakes that will trigger global volcanic eruptions. These eruptions will spew volcanic ash high into the upper atmosphere, increasingly blocking out the natural light of the sun and moon. (Revelation 6:12-14) This process is described in Revelation 9:2: “And he [an angel of God] opened the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.”
Early in the Tribulation Period, inhabitants of earth will experience total darkness during the day and night. As more earthquakes erupt and trigger more volcanic eruptions, the atmosphere around earth will be gradually overwhelmed with thick clouds of volcanic ash over certain areas of the earth. Revelation 8:12 declares: “And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.” This ash cloud cover will continually increase throughout the 7-year Tribulation Period until it blankets the global atmosphere over the entire earth, resulting in total global darkness.
Supernatural Phenomenon #2
The Sudden Shaking of the Heavens
While the people on earth are bewildered by the eerie darkness, they will begin to witnesses a violent shaking of the atmosphere around earth. After describing the global darkness at His coming, Jesus said, “… and the stars shall fall from heaven. and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” (Matthew 24:29)
The supernatural combination of total darkness and unique shaking of the heavens will produce fear that will surpass anything man has experienced on earth. Luke 21:25-26, adds: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”
Hundreds of years before Luke wrote his gospel, Isaiah wrote the following about what will happen during the battle of Armageddon: “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and all their hosts shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.” (Isaiah 34:4)
There is no doubt that the majority of earth dwellers will fear that the annihilation of earth is at hand. For decades now, scientists have sold the notion that planet earth might someday be destroyed by a massive meteor strike or asteroid collision. As the Tribulation dwellers witness these events, they will interpret them in the light of these rumors that are void of any Biblical truth that tells exactly how the earth will be renovated at the end of earth’s history. (2 Peter 3:10-14; Revelation 21:1)
Supernatural Phenomenon #3
The Violent Shaking of Earth
The entire Tribulation Period will be marked by massive global earthquakes and violent global volcanic eruptions. All of this will escalate toward the final outpouring of the Lord’s expression of anger at Armageddon. “For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.” (Micah 1:3-4)
The most massive earthquake in the history of earth will take place at the return of Christ. Revelation 16:17-21 sets forth the prophetic revelation of this unparalleled earthquake that will devastate and rearrange the topography of the earth. In this text we are told “there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty and earthquake, and so great.” (verse 18) The magnitude of this earthquake will cause all of the mountains and islands of the earth to disappear. (verse 20) This earthquake will trigger such massive volcanic upheavals that these eruptions will hurl enormous missiles of stone, weighing almost 100 pounds, killing many people around them. (verse 21)
As the inhabitants of earth are experiencing these three supernatural phenomena, “then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven.” (Matthew 24:30) Piercing the darkness around the earth, the supernatural unveiling of the Messiah God-man, Jesus, will unfold as recorded in Revelation 19:11-16. Speaking of the coming of the Lord, the psalmist long ago wrote: “He rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea he did fly upon the wings of the wind.” (Psalm 18:10)
This gradual descent of the Son of man to the earth will be accompanied by three supernatural manifestations. Jesus’ reference to these collective manifestations is referred to as “the sign” of His coming. A sign in the Bible is a miraculous work of God that mere man cannot reproduce or claim to be his own. These signs are given to confirm or authenticate God’s message, messenger, or mission. For example, when Jesus came the first time, He was born of a virgin. According to Isaiah 7:14, this was the sign that marked Him as the promised Anointed One of God, Messiah, and Son of God. Jesus’ reference to the supernatural nature of His coming, “the sign,” is a reference to His divine authentication as the God-Messiah. In other words, this sets Him apart from all of the false messiahs that have preceded Him. No finite human being will be able to duplicate Jesus’ unveiling to the world. Furthermore, the sign of His coming has been foretold by the Old Testament prophets. Now, let us examine these three supernatural manifestations.
Supernatural Manifestation #1
The Visible Manifestation of the Glory of God as a Brilliant Light
As the frail men of earth are experiencing the three supernatural phenomena that precede Christ’s appearance, they will suddenly witness a most awesome brilliant light in the heavens. This light will be so bright and powerful that it will dispel all of the darkness covering the earth. The Apostle John declared: “Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him…” (Revelation 1:7) In order for this to happen, it is highly likely that Christ’s gradual descent will take several hours, allowing the earth, which is turning on its tilted axis, to turn so that everyone on earth will be able to see Him. Please notice that this is in sharp contrast to the Rapture, which will take place “in the twinkling of an eye.” (1 Corinthians 15:52) During the Rapture, people on earth will see nothing. During the Revelation, everyone will see Jesus descending to the earth.
As the residents of earth witness Christ’s descent in the heavens, I am convinced that it will appear to them that a massive meteorite, with its glowing head and long radiant tail, is approaching earth. The glowing head will be the manifestation of the awesome infinite glory of Christ in all of His power and majesty. In the Bible, the glory of God is the manifestation of all of the infinite attributes of God. It is depicted as a brilliant light. For example, when Jesus was transfigured, the disciples “saw his glory.” (Luke 9:32) Matthew describes what they saw: “his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” (Matthew 17:2) However, the manifestation of the glory of God in Christ at His second coming will supersede anything previously unveiled to mankind. It will appear to magnify the light of the sun and the moon. Isaiah wrote: “Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.” (Isaiah 30:26) The long tail that will be following this massive glowing light will be the collective radiant appearance of the angels and saints that will accompany Christ in His coming. Describing His descent, John wrote: “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” (Revelation 19:14) Christ’s armies that follow Him to earth at His coming will include His angels and His bride — the church. The Scriptures indicate that the bodies of both the angels and glorified saints radiate with bright light. For example, Matthew describes the angel that rolled the stone away from the tomb at Christ’s resurrection as having a countenance “like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.” (Matthew 28:3) While describing the nature of the resurrection body of the saints, the Apostle Paul indicates that it radiates with various degrees of light, comparing it to the light of the sun, moon, and stars. (1 Corinthians 15:40-42) This is similar to Daniel’s statement in Daniel 12:3: “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.”
Supernatural Manifestation #2
The Audio Manifestation of the Roar of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah
Not only will the inhabitants of earth be in awe of the visible manifestation of the glory of God, but they will also be moved by the dominating roar of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Before the Tribulation Period begins on earth, Jesus will be hailed as “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” in Revelation 5:5. This imagery is used to indicate that Jesus is about to devour the enemies of Israel on earth. For seven years, the Lion in heaven will stalk His prey on earth and devour them. Finally, the Lion will descend to earth to finish devouring the wicked that have been attacking His cub, Israel.
Speaking about this event, Psalm 50:3 declares: “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence… ” The prophet Zephaniah spoke of “the voice of the day of the LORD.” (Zephaniah 1:14) While writing with greater detail about the Revelation of Christ, the prophet Joel wrote: “The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake…” (Joel 3:16) Joel’s revelation tells us that Jesus will constantly roar as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah as He descends to the earth and will not cease until His roar emanates from the city of Jerusalem, the final destination of His Revelation. (Zechariah 14:3-4)
Once again, the Scriptures distinguish between the Rapture of the Church and the Revelation of Christ at the end of the Tribulation Period. During the Rapture, Christ will simply utter “a shout.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) However, during His glorious return to earth, He will constantly roar.
Supernatural Manifestation #3
The Heat of His Consuming Fire
The final generation of earth’s occupants will see, hear, and feel the revelation of Christ! The revelation of the infinite and awesome Son of Man will impact all of mankind in all of their senses.
The great glorious and powerful light of Christ’s glory will also emanate as a powerful fire. Psalm 50:3 declares: “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.” Psalm 97:3-5 adds: “A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightenings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.” The destructive nature of this fire is described in Isaiah 66:15-16, “For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.”
As Christ and His armies approach earth’s atmosphere, they will first appear to the believing remnant of Jews that have been waiting during the last half of the Tribulation Period at Petra. (Matthew 24:16; Revelation 12:6, 13-17) Zechariah 12:7 indicates that the Lord will save “the tents of Judah first…” This verse is a part of a context in Zechariah 12-14 that highlights the Battle of Armageddon as the forces of the Antichrist attack the city of Jerusalem. Notice that Zechariah speaks of the “tents of Judah,” in contrast to the city of Jerusalem. Therefore, it appears that Christ will first appear to His people in their temporary dwelling in the caves at Petra.
The appearance of Christ at Petra is described in Jeremiah 49:22: “Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: …” Bozrah was the ancient capital of the Edomites (the descendants of Esau), a city located in the rugged mountains of Edom in present-day Jordan. Bozrah is part of the area geographically connected to Petra. While writing about Christ’s sudden appearance at Petra at His revelation, Micah wrote: “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold; they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. [The breaking out one] is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.” (Micah 2:12-13) Here, Micah sets forth with amazing detail how the Lord will soar over Petra and destroy the forces of the Antichrist that have gathered at Petra to attack the Jews who have taken refuge. The complex of Petra covers 102 square miles. This unique valley is surrounded by the rugged mountains of Edom, with only one entrance. To reach this opening, one has to travel through a narrow canyon with sheer cliffs that are hundreds of feet high. The final opening into Petra is only about 10 feet wide. As described by Micah, this complex is the perfect shape of a sheepfold, with its only opening as the door into the fold. (Compare to John 10:1-9.) Beginning hundreds of years before Christ, an Arab tribe from Saudi Arabia, the Nabateans, carved hundreds of caves into the cliffs inside of this unique complex. Many Biblical scholars believe this is the perfect place that will provide a supernatural hiding place for the believing Jewish remnant during the last half of the Tribulation Period. (Matthew 24:15-16; Revelation 12:13-17) [For a more detailed explanation, you may want to order Mike’s message on this subject: “God’s Hiding Place”- see page 7 for details.]
Micah wrote that the Jewish remnant at Petra will see their Messiah pass before them and will then run after Him. I am convinced that the Jewish believers at Petra will have immersed themselves in the prophetic Scriptures while they are at Petra. When Christ appears, they know that He will pass on before them, destroying the forces of the Antichrist as He flies toward the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem.
As Christ flies over the Mountains of Edom to the Mount of Olives, He will supernaturally destroy all of the forces of the Antichrist that have gathered against the Jewish inhabitants in Jerusalem. Depicted as “a sharp sword” in Revelation 19:15, the almighty words of Jesus will slay the forces of the Antichrist. Many of the Antichrist’s army will be killed by the massive earthquakes and volcanic rivers of lava that will flow from the Golan Heights and upper Galilee regions down the Jordan Valley toward the Dead Sea area. Notice the description of Armageddon mentioned in Revelation 14:14-20. This passage paints a symbolic picture of real events that take place at Armageddon. In this text, God will send His angel that “had power over fire” to thrust “his sickle into the earth, … and blood came out of the winepress…” Notice that the blood came out of the earth and the wine-press [which is usually bedrock stone on the surface of the earth]. The blood did not come out of the men or horses. Based upon this text, and many others, and the geological survey of Israel, I have concluded that many the forces of the Antichrist will be killed by a sudden massive volcanic flow. Zechariah describes the sudden death of this army as following: “And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” (Zechariah 14:12)
The Antichrist and his false prophet, while standing near their armies gathered against the Jews, will be blinded by “the brightness” of the Lord’s coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8), and will consequently fall into a volcanic river of hot lava. John wrote: “These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (Revelation 19:20)
The armies of the Antichrist that are not in the valley will simply drop dead on the mountains of Israel and become a feast for the flesh-eating birds. (Revelation 19:17-18) Long ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? …. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me; for I will tread them in my anger, and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of my vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. … I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.” (Isaiah 63:1-4, 6) Notice that these actions take place as Christ comes from Edom [Petra].
Finally, Christ will stand upon the Mount of Olives and the final geological upheaval that will prepare the topography for the construction of the millennial temple and capital of Israel and the world will take place. (Zechariah 14:3-11) Jesus will return to the very spot from which He ascended into heaven almost 2,000 years ago. (Acts 1:9-12)
When Jesus came the first time, the religious Jews in Israel failed to see all of the signs (credentials) that proved He was the Messiah, the Son of Man, and the Son of God. They were spiritually blind. Furthermore, Jesus repeatedly told His disciples that He was going to die and be raised from the dead three days later. However, they were too involved in their own little world that had been colored by the false interpretations of the religious authorities of their day. They were looking for a conquering messiah, not a suffering messiah.
When the disciples came to the empty tomb on the morning of Jesus’ resurrection, they initially struggled to believe that He was really alive. Finally, as some of the believers walked along the road to Emmaus, Jesus joined them and opened their eyes as He taught them, “beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)
My brothers and sisters in Christ, as we approach the Second Coming of Christ, we are living at a time when the religious authorities in most of the churches are totally blind to the significance of the Revelation of Christ. They are not proclaiming the message of His coming. They are not looking for the Judge to come! They are not looking for a conquering messiah! They have warped the Scriptures to create their own messiah, just like the Pharisees did in Jesus’ day. Most of these pastors and religious leaders are so busy building their own religious kingdoms of man-made success, that they are missing the context of the approaching judgment of God and His subsequent amazing return to earth. Like the Pharisees, they are eaten up with power, popularity, and prestige. The Pharisees “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43) More than ever, the church needs godly men who will be consumed with pleasing God, while calling sinners to repentance. These men will preach about the Second Coming of Christ. It is central to the entire message of the Bible and the subject of the last book.
A study of the awesome return of Christ should have a very sobering impact upon the believer. Read Hebrews 12:25-29. This text reminds us that the One who has shaken the earth will also shake the heavens. All that we see with our physical eyes will be renovated and rearranged for the kingdom of our Lord. All the kingdoms of man will disappear on that day! “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Mike’s Tour Report
I am most thankful to my Lord that He has allowed me to complete my 21st tour of the Land of the Bible. On Monday, October 31st, my tour group departed for the Land of God. As we moved about the remains of places significant to God’s story recorded in the Bible, our group was greatly moved to see the historical narrative of the Bible come alive before their very eyes. We rejoiced to see the hometown of Jesus — Nazareth. It was a great joy to sail on the Sea of Galilee. We stood in awe as we gazed upon the city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. We gathered among the ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane for a time of worship as we reflected upon the suffering of our Savior in that place. We stood inside of the empty garden tomb after a brief visit to the hill of Calvary. Our group was thrilled to take a unique walking tour inside of the Old City of Jerusalem, leading the way to the Wailing Wall, where we all had an opportunity to pray at this last remaining testimony of the Temple Mount from Jesus’ time. Everyone was wowed as we stood in the dry brook at the Valley of Elah, where David collected five smooth stones, one of which he used to slay the giant Philistine, Goliath. We laughed and giggled as some of our group floated in the unique waters of the Dead Sea. Overall, we were moved to tears of worship and joy as we walked in the footsteps of the prophets, kings, and apostles of our Lord.